Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Tuesdays earnings.... Valero Energy [VLO] and Exco Resources [XCO]

EXCO Resources (NYSE:XCO) today announced first quarter results for 2013. Adjusted net income, a non GAAP measure adjusting for gains from asset sales, non cash gains or losses from derivative financial instruments (derivatives), non cash ceiling test write downs and other items typically not included by securities analysts in published estimates, was $0.13 per diluted share for the first quarter 2013 compared to $0.03 per diluted share for the first quarter2012.

Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, depletion and amortization, gains on asset sales, ceiling test write downs and other non cash income and expense items (adjusted EBITDA, a non GAAP measure) for the first quarter 2013 were $96 million compared with $111 million in the first quarter 2012.

GAAP results were net income of $158 million, or $0.74 per diluted share, for the first quarter 2013 compared with a net loss of $282 million, or $1.32 per diluted share, for the first quarter 2012. The first quarter 2013 includes a $187 million gain from the contribution of 74.5% of our interests in certain conventional properties to our partnership with Harbinger Group Inc. (HGI). The first quarter 2012 net loss was primarily due to a $276 million non-cash ceiling test writedown of oil and natural gas properties......Read the entire Exco Resources earnings report.

Valero Energy Corp. (NYSE:VLO) today reported net income attributable to Valero stockholders of $654 million, or $1.18 per share, for the first quarter of 2013 compared to a net loss attributable to Valero stockholders of $432 million, or $0.78 per share, for the first quarter of 2012. Included in the first quarter 2012 results was a noncash asset impairment loss of $605 million after taxes, or $1.09 per share, predominately related to the Aruba refinery.

First quarter 2013 operating income was $1.1 billion versus an operating loss of $244 million in the first quarter of 2012. Excluding the noncash asset impairment loss noted above, first quarter 2012 operating income was $367 million. The resulting increase in operating income of approximately $700 million in 2013 was primarily due to higher refining throughput margins in each of Valero's operating regions, except the U.S. West Coast. The increase in refining throughput margins was mainly due to an increase in margins for diesel and jet fuel and wider discounts on crude oil and feedstocks......Read the entire Valero Energy earnings report.


No reason to get left behind....The OptionsMD Mentoring Program is now available

No reason to get left behind....The OptionsMD Mentoring Program is now available

2013 will go down as the year that options trading became "the buzz" in the stock market world. And regardless of the claims made by the internet promoters or the talking heads and their guest on TV they sure didn't make it any easier to understand options trading or even where to get started.

One of our trading partners, underground Options trader Doc Severson, is opening a new version of his mentoring program. The OptionsMD Mentoring Program, and it is now available for the first time since he sold out over 6 months ago.

Whether you are new to trading options or you are an experienced fund manager you need to get on board for you or your clients sake.

If you know anything about Doc, then you know he's doing things with options trading that most people have never even heard of. And now, he's offering his mentoring program with an unbelievable one year 100% money back PLUS $500 performance guarantee.

This is the LAST time this year that Doc is offering a bonus package this huge. And the best part of all is the unlimited support provided by Doc and his staff. Who else can you turn to where you can get personal, unlimited support from this type of trader?

Click Here for Details

Lot's of talk out there about equities putting in a top at these levels. And professional fund managers aren't dealing with it on their own, why should you? If you're struggling with a topping market or not making the amount of money you think you should be making, there's nothing better than to be mentored by someone that really has a strategy that works no matter which way the market turns.

This is the first release like this where traders are sending us emails trying to get us to have Doc release it early to them. Because of the personal support that Doc and his team provide it truly is offered to a limited number of traders. That's not some marketing ploy we all see everyday on the internet. Once it's closed, it's closed.

Click here to find out what The OptionsMD Mentoring Program is all about.

See you in the markets!
Ray C. Parrish
The Crude Oil Trader


Just click here to get OptionsMD, it's LIVE!

Monday, April 29, 2013

Are you ready? Gold Traders and Investors Better Get Ready To Rumble!

We have talked about how gold, silver and gold mining stocks have been flying under the media radar for over a year and that they were not catching the attention of traders, investors and the public anymore. I also said it would take some sharp price action (breakdown or rally) for it to be front and center again on TV, Radio and Newspapers.

But since gold has plummeted 17.5% dropping from $1600 down to $1320 per ounce with silver and gold stocks falling also they are now headline news once again. This move has caused some serious damage to the charts when looking at it from a technical analysis point of view. Below are some basic analysis points that show a new swing trading entry point.

The Technical Traders Chart Analysis

Broken Support – Once a support level has been broken it becomes resistance. Gold is trading under a major resistance level.

Momentum Bursts - Since the April 15th low, gold has been setting up for another short selling entry point. Remember the market tends to move in bursts of three, seven or ten days then price reverses direction or pauses. It has now been 10 days.

Moving Average Resistance – Gold has worked its way up to the 20 day moving average which can act as resistance.

Bearish Inside Bars – This type of chart pattern points to lower prices. When there is a big down day followed by 3, 7 or 10 up days inside the price action of the down bar we can typically expect another sharp drop which tests the recent lows as shown with the arrow on the chart.

GoldBear

Gold Short Selling Conclusion:

In short, gold is setting up for a low risk entry point that should allow us to profit from lower gold prices. Using an inverse ETF like DZZ or even the gold mining stock inverse ETF DUST could be played. These funds go up in value as the price of gold falls.

While I expect gold to pullback, I do not think it will make another leg lower. Instead, a test of the recent low or pierce of the low by a few bucks then reverse and start building a bullish basing pattern before going higher.

From our trading partner Chris Vermeulen.

Click here to get his Book, free of charge, and "Learn How To Manage Your Trades, Money & Emotions"

Get a free sample of Chris' Trade Ideas

Monday's Earnings Reports.....Atlas Pipeline Partners [APL] and Ensco [ESV]

Atlas Pipeline Partners (NYSE: APL) today reported adjusted earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization ("Adjusted EBITDA"), of $67.7 million for the first quarter of 2013, driven primarily by a continued increase in volumes across the Partnership's gathering and processing systems. Processed natural gas volumes averaged 1,033 million cubic feet per day ("MMCFD"), a 63% increase over the first quarter of 2012.

Distributable Cash Flow was $43.5 million for the first quarter of 2013, or $0.67 per average common limited partner unit, compared to $35.2 million for the prior year's first quarter. The Partnership recognized a net loss of $27.5 million for the first quarter of 2013, which included a $26.6 million loss on the early retirement of the Partnership's 8.75% Senior Notes due 2018, compared with net income of $6.5 million for the prior year first quarter.

Adjusted EBITDA and Distributable Cash Flow are non-GAAP financial measures, which are reconciled to their most directly comparable GAAP measures in the tables included at the end of this news release. The Partnership believes these measures provide a more accurate comparison of the operating results for the periods presented......Read the entire Atlas Pipeline Partners earnings report.

Ensco plc (NYSE: ESV) reported diluted earnings per share from continuing operations of $1.36 in first quarter 2013, compared to $1.20 per share in first quarter 2012. Discontinued operations primarily related to rigs and other assets no longer on the Company’s balance sheet resulted in a loss of $0.05 per share a year ago. Diluted earnings per share increased 18% year to year to $1.36 from $1.15 in first quarter 2012.

Earnings increased $52 million to $317 million and operating income grew 17% to $402 million on record revenues of $1.150 billion in first quarter 2013. These increases were driven by a $28,000 increase in the average day rate and a 6% increase in floater rig days as new rigs were added to the active fleet......Read the entire Ensco earnings report.

Make sure to catch all of Doc Severson's video series and download the PDF's while the links still work....

"The NEW Roadmap to Consistent Monthly Income"

Download the "NEW" Iron Condor Trading Strategy

Ever wonder why 70% of mutual fund managers can't beat the S&P?

Friday, April 26, 2013

Bullet Proof Trading.....The Roadmap to Consistent Monthly Income

Doc Severson just posted a report called "The NEW Road map to Consistent Monthly Income" where he exposes the real truth on diversification and why even some of the best trading strategies are under performing.

Click here to get this special report "The NEW Roadmap to Consistent Monthly Income"

And you'll be surprised because this has nothing to do with any other trading system you've seen advertised or the talking heads on CNBC, Bloomberg or Fox Business suggesting. Yet, it's so important that it should be kept on the desk of every trader in the world. And that's probably what you'll do since you can download this 60 minute presentation that includes a 14 page financial blueprint to access and use at anytime.

If you've been struggling with making money and just want to find a simpler way to manage your accounts and draw a regular paycheck you need to watch this video now. Doc's road map is broken down into a 4 step process that can almost bullet proof your income from ever getting slammed by the market again.

"The NEW Road map to Consistent Monthly Income"

After watching the presentation please feel free to leave a comment and let us [and our readers] know what you really think about Doc's new system. And since you can put this method right to work...no matter what the size of account is....we'll see you in the markets next week.

Ray C. Parrish
The Crude Oil Trader

Where is the Larger Bubble: the S&P 500 Index or U.S. Treasuries?

Today we have a plethora of companies reporting earnings and are moving through the 1st Quarter earnings season at a rapid pace. Thus far, earnings have been far from exciting and have made the previous 2013 forward earnings estimates laughable.

The only way we get to the proposed valuations is through multiple expansion which is simply going to require the Federal Reserve to continue to pump $85 billion into Treasury’s and MBS securities each month. I am confident they will comply.

There are a few analysts out there who are discussing the potential bubble forming in equities and other risk assets as Bernanke’s plan is working to the extent that asset prices are rising. However, even fewer analysts are pointing out that both retail and institutional money is constantly chasing yield at this point.

Simply take a look at the 2013 price action in high yield dividend paying stocks, high yield bonds, preferred stocks, and master limited partnerships. It is safe to say that a bubble has formed not just in equities, but in various fixed investments as well.

Consider the following chart of the S&P 500 Index (SPX) shown as the dotted trendline and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) shown as the solid black line.....Read the entire article "Where is the Larger Bubble: the S&P 500 Index or U.S. Treasuries"


Click here to Download the 'NEW' Iron Condor Trading Strategy

Friday's Earnings.....Chevron [CVX], National Oilwell Varco [NOV] and Total [TOT]

Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) today reported earnings of $6.2 billion ($3.18 per share – diluted) for the first quarter 2013, compared with $6.5 billion ($3.27 per share – diluted) in the 2012 first quarter. Sales and other operating revenues in the first quarter 2013 were $54 billion, down from $59 billion in the year - ago period, mainly due to lower prices for crude oil.

“Our first quarter earnings were strong, ”said Chairman and CEO John Watson. “Our consistent financial performance has enabled us to significantly increase the dividend again, and fund major development projects that are the foundation of the company’s future growth in production, earnings and cash flows.” “Our key development projects remain on track,” Watson added.

“Construction is progressing well on the Gorgon and Wheatstone LNG projects in Australia. Important milestones have been reached recently for our Jack/St. Malo and Big Foot deepwater projects in the Gulf of Mexico, and both remain on schedule for start - up in 2014”......Read the entire Chevron earnings report.

National Oilwell Varco (NYSE: NOV) today reported that for its first quarter ended March 31, 2013 it earned net income of $502 million, or $1.17 per fully diluted share, compared to fourth quarter ended December 31, 2012 net income of $668 million, or $1.56 per fully diluted share. The first quarter 2013 results included transaction costs primarily related to the Robbins & Myers acquisition and Venezuela currency devaluation charges, which combined for a total of $73 million in pre tax costs and charges. Excluding these costs and charges, earnings were $553 million, or $1.29 per fully diluted share.

Revenues for the first quarter of 2013 were $5.31 billion, a decrease of seven percent from the fourth quarter of 2012 and an increase of 23 percent from the first quarter of 2012. Operating profit for the quarter, excluding the transaction charges, was $816 million, or 15.4 percent of sales. Sequentially, first quarter operating profit decreased 14 percent, while year-over-year first quarter operating profit decreased seven percent......Read the entire National Oilwell Varco earnings report.

Total (TOT) reports 1st quarter adjusted net profit -7.1% to €2.86B, slightly below consensus of €2.95B. Net profit -58% to €1.54B, due to higher taxes and a €1.25B loss related to the sale of a Canadian oil sands project. Revenues -6% to €48.13B. Oil prices -5%. As expected, oil and gas output -2% to 2.32M barrels of oil equivalent a day, with the decline due to the shutdown of the U.K.'s Elgin-Franklin gas fields, natural decline rates, and maintenance. Remains confident of achieving targets. Total declares a 1st quarter dividend of $0.59 per share, unchanged from previous quarter. ADR timetable: Ex dividend date September 19th, record date September 23, Payment date October 15th......Read the entire Total earnings report.

Don't miss out while it's free...Download our "Iron Condor Strategy"

Thursday, April 25, 2013

More earnings reports.....ExxonMobil [XOM], ConocoPhillips [COP], Hercules Offshore [HERO] and Occidental Petroleum [OXY]

Exxon Mobil (XOM) reports 1st quarter EPS of $2.12 beats by $0.07. Revenue of $108.8B misses by $11.03B. E&P earnings declined 9.8% to $7.04B as total oil and natural gas production fell 3.5% Y/Y to 4.395M boe/day. Refining and marketing earnings fell 2.6% to $1.55B while refining driven margins increased earnings by $780M. Chemical profits rose 62%; corporate and financing expenses fell sharply due to "favorable tax impacts." Shares -0.5% premarket.

Chairman Rex W. Tillerson comments....“ExxonMobil achieved strong results during the first quarter of 2013, while investing significantly to develop new energy supplies. ExxonMobil’s financial performance enables continued investment to deliver the energy needed to help meet growing demand, support economic growth, and raise living standards around the world......Read the entire ExxonMobil earnings report.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) today reported first-quarter 2013 earnings of $2.1 billion, or $1.73 per share, compared with first-quarter 2012 earnings of $2.9 billion, or $2.27 per share. First-quarter 2012 reported earnings included $0.7 billion from downstream operations prior to the separation of Phillips 66 on April 30, 2012.

Excluding special items, first-quarter 2013 adjusted earnings were $1.8 billion, or $1.42 per share, compared with first-quarter 2012 adjusted earnings of $1.8 billion, or $1.38 per share. Special items for the current quarter primarily related to asset sales and discontinued operations.

Following previous announcements to dispose of the company’s interests in Kashagan and the Algeria and Nigeria businesses, the associated earnings and production impacts for these assets have been reported as discontinued operations. This decreased adjusted earnings for first-quarter 2013 by $62 million, or $0.05 per share......Read the entire ConocoPhillips earnings report.

Hercules Offshore (Nasdaq: HERO) today reported net income of $35.2 million, or $0.22 per diluted share, on revenue of $205.3 million for the first quarter 2013, compared with a net loss of $38.3 million, or $0.28 per diluted share, on revenue of $143.3 million for the first quarter 2012. First quarter 2013 results include a non-cash tax gain of $37.7 million, or $0.24 per diluted share, relating to the Seahawk acquisition which was completed in April 2011.

John T. Rynd, Chief Executive Officer and President of Hercules Offshore stated, "Market conditions in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico remain strong, as dayrates continue to trend higher and contract backlog stays near record levels. Our first rig reactivation, the Hercules 209, is nearing completion, and we are assessing market demand for a second reactivation. Internationally, we continue to add scale and upgrade our global fleet. We recently commenced operations on the Hercules 266 under its long term contract, and closed on the acquisitions of the Hercules 267 (formerly Ben Avon) and the White Shark (formerly Titan 2).

These acquisitions demonstrate our ability to successfully deploy capital toward high return opportunities, while de-risking the investments with assets that have strong long term demand prospects and through long term contracts. We continue to look for acquisition opportunities to enhance our international footprint and high-grade our asset base"......Read the entire Hercules Offshore earnings report.

Occidental Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:OXY) announced income from continuing operations of $1.4 billion ($1.69 per diluted share) for the first quarter of 2013, compared with $1.6 billion ($1.92 per diluted share) for the first quarter of 2012. Net income for the first quarter of 2013 was also $1.4 billion ($1.68 per diluted share).

In announcing the results, Stephen I. Chazen, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "Our first quarter domestic production of 478,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, of which 342,000 barrels per day were liquids, set a record for the tenth consecutive quarter. Our total company production of 763,000 barrels of oil equivalent in the first quarter of 2013 was 8,000 barrels higher than production in first quarter of 2012.

"We executed well in the first quarter and to date are running ahead of our full-year objectives in our program to improve domestic operational and capital efficiencies. We have reduced both our domestic well and operating costs by about 19 percent relative to 2012. Overall, we generated cash flow from operations of $2.9 billion before changes in working capital for the first quarter of 2013 and invested $2.1 billion in capital expenditures"......Read the entire Occidental Petroleum earnings report.

Click here to download our latest version of the "Iron Condor Trading Strategy"

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Are you trading with us....or against us?

Our trading partner Doc Severson is giving away one of his favorite options trading strategies. He just released a few copies of this new & revised version of  The Iron Condor Trading Strategy as a way to restore hope to struggling traders. This is not a promotional tease, it's a 100% fully disclosed options trading strategy.

Having looked at the new version myself I can tell you that you are going to want to reference this material over and over so be sure to save it to your computer while the link is still live.

With it's limited availability you'll want to click here to Download Your FREE Iron Condor Trading Strategy PDF file right away.

Doc offers a really unique perspective on options trading and chances are this will be the first time you've ever seen a trading strategy like this before. This system is so simple that you'll be able to go into the markets and trade it right away. This strategy is detailed in an easy to understand training video and blueprint with no strings attached.

Now you decide, are you trading with us or against us?

See you in the markets,
Ray C. Parrish
President/CEO
The Crude Oil Trader


Download Your FREE Iron Condor Trading Strategy


More earnings....Cabot Oil and Gas [COG] and Hess [HES]

Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation (NYSE: COG) today reported its financial results for the first quarter of 2013. Highlights for the quarter include:

*    Production of 89.3 billion cubic feet equivalent (Bcfe), an increase of 50 percent over last year's comparable quarter and 13 percent over the fourth quarter of 2012.
*    Net income of $42.8 million, or $0.20 per share.
*    Net income excluding selected items of $54.2 million, or $0.26 per share.
*    Cash flow from operations of $212.7 million and discretionary cash flow of $234.4 million.

"The success of our drilling program in the Marcellus continues to drive record operating and financial metrics for the Company, including all-time highs for quarterly production, revenues, operating cash flows and discretionary cash flows, despite historically low realized natural gas prices," said Dan O. Dinges, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer......Read the entire Cabot Oil and Gas earnings report.


Hess Corporation (NYSE: HES) today reported net income of $1,276 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2013. Adjusted earnings, which exclude gains on asset sales and other items affecting comparability of earnings between periods, were $669 million, or $1.95 per common share, representing a 30 percent increase on a per share basis over the same quarter last year.

The Corporation generated net cash flow from operations of $819 million during the first quarter while reducing capital and exploratory expenditures by $355 million, a reduction of 18 percent in the year over year period. The Company continues to make progress on its asset sales.

In the first quarter, the Corporation completed the sales of its interests in the Beryl area fields in the United Kingdom North Sea, the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli (ACG) fields in Azerbaijan, and announced the sale of its acreage in the Eagle Ford shale play in Texas, relieving Hess of approximately $500 million of future capital requirements over the next three years......Read the entire Hess earnings report.



Picking the top "Dividend Paying Stocks"
 

Earnings Reports...Ecana, FMC Technologies, Nabors Industries and Newfield Exploration ECA, FMC, NBR, NFX

In the first quarter of 2013 Encana (NYSE:ECA) achieved significant milestones in a number of its oil and liquids rich natural gas plays including strong well results from the Duvernay and Peace River Arch plays and confirmation of the commerciality of its San Juan play. Solid operational performance resulted in a 48 percent increase in oil and natural gas liquids (NGL) volumes with average production rising to 43,500 barrels per day (bbls/d) in the first quarter of 2013 compared to 29,300 bbls/d in the first quarter of last year. Encana's average natural gas production volumes for the first quarter were 2,877 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d). "We are pleased with the progress made to date in a number of our emerging plays and the growth in our overall liquids production," says Clayton Woitas, Interim President & CEO. "Proving the commercial success of emerging plays is one of our main goals this year and we intend to do so while preserving the financial strength and flexibility of the company".....Read the entire Encana report.

FMC Technologies (NYSE:FTI) today reported first quarter 2013 revenue of $1.6 billion, up 18 percent from the prior-year quarter. Diluted earnings per share were $0.43 compared to $0.41 in the prior-year quarter. Total inbound orders were $1.8 billion and included $1.2 billion in Subsea Technologies' orders. Backlog for the Company was $5.4 billion, including Subsea Technologies' backlog of $4.6 billion.

"We are pleased to report another quarter of strong subsea orders and revenue," said John Gremp, Chairman and CEO of FMC Technologies. "Additionally, we are encouraged by the overall subsea industry awards this quarter and believe we are on pace for a record year." "Surface Technologies' international surface wellhead business delivered strong performance again in the first quarter. We expect this to continue as activity in both the Middle East and Europe continues to grow".....Read the entire FMC Technologies.

Nabors Industries (NYSE:NBR) today reported its financial results for the first quarter of 2013. Adjusted income derived from operating activities was $149.6 million, compared to $315.5 million in the first quarter of 2012 and $149.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2012. Operating cash flow (EBITDA) was $423.0 million for the first quarter compared to $563.2 million and $427.0 million, respectively, in the first and fourth quarters of last year. Net income from continuing operations was $97.2 million ($0.33 per diluted share), compared to $142.6 million ($0.49 per diluted share) in the first quarter of 2012 and $129.3 million ($0.44 per diluted share) in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Operating revenues and earnings from unconsolidated affiliates for this quarter totaled $1.58 billion, compared to $1.82 billion in the comparable quarter of the prior year and $1.60 billion in the fourth quarter of 2012. First quarter results included a gain on the sale of a large portion of marketable securities net of charges related to the previously disclosed CEO employment contract restructuring. The quarter's results also benefited from a lower effective tax rate, principally attributable to the settlement of a long outstanding tax dispute.....Read the entire Nabors earnings report.

Newfield Exploration (NYSE: NFX) today reported its unaudited first quarter 2013 financial results and provided an update on its operations. The Company's year-to-date operational highlights are detailed in a "new" @NFX publication, located on Newfield's website. Newfield will host a conference call at 8:30 a.m. CDT on April 24, 2013. To listen to the call and view the slide deck, please visit Newfield's website at http://www.newfield.com. To participate in the call, dial 719-325-4824.

For the first quarter, the Company posted a net loss of $8 million, or $0.06 per diluted share (all per share amounts are on a diluted basis). Net income for the first quarter includes a net unrealized loss on commodity derivatives of $111 million ($69 million after-tax), or $0.51 per share. Without the impact of this item, net income for the first quarter of 2013 would have been $61 million, or $0.45 per diluted share.

Revenues for the first quarter of 2013 were $651 million. Net cash provided by operating activities before changes in operating assets and liabilities was $323 million. See "Explanation and Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" found after the financial statements in this release.....Read the entire Newfield earnings report.


The 2 Energy Sectors You Should Invest in This Year

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Ever wonder why 70% of mutual fund managers can't beat the SP 500?

What a coincidence, I make my rare stop into the used book store around the corner from our house and am lucky enough to find a like new copy of Jack Bogles "Common Sense on Mutual Funds". After getting started reading I realized, I have to get in the office and create this article for our new launch...."Ever wonder why 70% of mutual fund managers can't beat the SP 500". Totally a coincidence, I swear.

Bogle is the father of the modern day fund in my book. And he has taken a lot of criticism for his finger pointing at the majority of new fund managers that have come into this game. While the number of fund managers have more then tripled in the last couple of decades the number of customers has stayed pretty much the same. And profits have fallen off dramatically. How do they stay in business?

Twenty years from now we will only be talking about a hand full of "out of the box thinkers" who helped the average investor beat the fund managers and one of them I would bet will be Doc Severson.

Doc is one of the world's top options traders, and he just created an eye opening presentation that exposes much of the truth behind what it takes to make a consistent income in the markets and why countless financial planners (who people hire to supposedly protect their assets!) lose a shocking amount of money in market crashes.

Even if you are an advanced trader it's nearly impossible for you to watch the video and not find a few nuggets of information that could change the way you look at your own trading and keep you from making some of the same ordinary mistakes that everybody else is making.

Click here to watch > "Ever wonder why 70% of mutual fund managers can't beat the SP 500"

After you watch the video, please feel free to leave a comment and tell us if you were making any of the same mistakes he mentions in the report? I think you'll be surprised, I was....because I have.

Watch this video today....this just might change everything.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Halliburton Announces 1st Quarter Earnings

Halliburton (NYSE:HAL) announced today that income from continuing operations for the first quarter of 2013 was $624 million, or $0.67 per diluted share, excluding a $637 million charge, after tax, or $0.68 per diluted share, to increase a reserve related to the Macondo litigation. Income from continuing operations for the first quarter of 2012 was $826 million, or $0.89 per diluted share, excluding a $191 million charge, after tax, or $0.20 per diluted share, for a reserve related to the Macondo litigation.

Reported loss from continuing operations for the first quarter of 2013 was $13 million, or $0.01 per diluted share. Reported income from continuing operations for the first quarter of 2012 was $635 million, or $0.69 per diluted share.

Halliburton's total revenue in the first quarter of 2013 was $7.0 billion, compared to $6.9 billion in the first quarter of 2012. Operating income, adjusted for the Macondo charge, was $902 million in the first quarter of 2013, compared to $1.3 billion in the first quarter of 2012. Reported operating loss was $98 million for the first quarter of 2013, compared to reported operating income of $1.0 billion in the first quarter of 2012.....Read the entire earnings report.


When the best times are to place your swing trades

Friday, April 19, 2013

New Swing Trading Options Strategies for Commodity Traders

Whether you are trading crude oil, equities, currencies or gold it's time to take advantage of another great free webinar with our very own John Carter Wednesday, April 24th at 8 p.m. est

Click here to sign up for the "Swing Trading Strategies for Options Traders"

Here's what John will be teaching in the webinar, completely free of charge

What are the best swing trading setups?
What technical analysis indicators should I use?
What foundational analysis techniques should I use?
What criteria to look for when choosing a stock to swing trade
When the best times are to place your swing trades
...and much much more.


Simply visit this link, fill in your email address and click on the submit button. And you will automatically be registered for the webinar on Wednesday.

See you Wednesday night!

Fridays Earnings...Schlumberger and Baker Hughes SLB BHI

Schlumberger (SLB) reports 1st quarter EPS of $1.01, beats by $0.02. Revenue of $10.67B misses by $0.08B. “The outlook for North America remains uncertain, with lower than expected rig activity and continuing pricing weakness," CEO Paal Kibsgaard says. Oilfield services revenue from North America, the region which generates most of the top line, fell 4.2% to $3.29B. Overall drilling revenue was $4.1B, up 9% year over year. Shares +0.5% premarket.

Baker Hughes Inc. (BHI) announced today adjusted net income for the first quarter of 2013 of $290 million or $0.65 per diluted share. This compares to net income of $0.49 per diluted share for the fourth quarter of 2012, and $0.86 per diluted share for the first quarter of 2012. Adjusted net income for the first quarter of 2013 excludes a foreign exchange loss of $23 million before and after tax ($0.05 per diluted share) related to the devaluation of Venezuela's currency in February 2013.


Today Market Update Video


Thursday, April 18, 2013

Last Minute Notice: Free Training TODAY

Commodity prices have been taking a beating and there is no better time to make sure you have all the tools to understand how to play both sides of this market.

Are you prepared to deal with this kind of volatility?

This afternoon our trading partners at Premier Trader University are hosting a free webinar that will give you the edge you need for these kind of big moves in commodities, equities and currencies. Best of all is the free training course that all attendees receive just for coming to one of todays free webinars.

That's right, you get this course FREE just for attending (download link will be given out on both webinars)

Stop what you're doing and get your logins in now.....

Click here to sign up and get your copy at the 12pm EST Webinar

Click here to sign up and get your copy at the 6 p.m. est webinar

See you at the webinar and we'll see you in the markets!
Ray C. Parrish
President/CEO
The Crude Oil Trader


Last Minute Notice: Free Training TODAY

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

January 2013 Crude Oil Export to China was a Rare Event

The United States exported 9,000 barrels per day (bbl/d) of foreign- rigin crude oil to China in January 2013, according to data EIA released on March 28. Many media outlets picked up this information, noting that the United States had not exported crude oil to China since 2005. However, the United States does export small amounts of crude oil on a regular basis, mostly to Canada, which is not shown on the graph. From 2003 to 2012, the United States exported an average of 35,000 bbl/d of crude oil — 98% of those exports were delivered to Canada. By comparison, in January 2013, the United States imported nearly 8 million barrels per day, while producing about 7 million barrels per day.


Graph of crude oil exports by destination, as explained in the article text


To export crude oil, a company must obtain a license from the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), which is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, and which relies on the Code of Federal Regulations Title 15 Part 754.2. According to the regulations, "BIS will approve applications to export crude oil for the following kinds of transactions if BIS determines that the export is consistent with the specific requirements pertinent to that export:"

*    From Alaska's Cook Inlet
*   To Canada for consumption or use therein
*   In connection with refining or exchange of Strategic Petroleum Reserve oil
*   Of up to an average of 25,000 bbl/d of California heavy crude oil
*   That are consistent with findings made by the president under an applicable statute
*   Of foreign-origin crude oil where, based on written documentation satisfactory to BIS, the exporter can demonstrate that the oil is not of U.S. origin and has not been commingled with oil of U.S. origin


As noted above, the vast majority of U.S. crude exports go to Canada. Most of the other exports of crude oil are those that fall into the last category, exports of foreign-origin crude, imported into the United States but not comingled with U.S., origin crude oil. These exports typically occur because the owner of the imported crude oil cannot process or resell it in the United States. The license allows the imported crude to be exported.

EIA does not collect data on crude oil (or petroleum product) exports, but rather publishes data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau. The Census data show that since 2003, there have been only a handful of crude oil exports from the United States to a country other than Canada. These exports include small volumes to China, Costa Rica, France, South Korea and Mexico.

The 9,000 bbl/d of oil that the United States exported to China in January 2013 was a rare event. For confidentiality reasons, the U.S. Census Bureau is not allowed to publish specifics about particular shipments, but data available from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate this crude oil was not listed as a domestic export, implying that the crude oil was foreign-origin crude oil that was imported into the United States and then exported from the United States to China.

The 2 Energy Sectors You Should Invest in This Year

Monday, April 15, 2013

The Gold Meltdown – What Happened?

In today’s Trade School video, we’re going to be looking into what caused the recent meltdown in gold prices. How could gold drop so precipitously in such a short time, given what’s going on in the world? Did it have anything to do with the ETF GLD or was a country forced to sell its precious metals to satisfy creditors?

We will share with you how you could have systematically made money in gold using our Trade Triangle technology, which has produced some very positive results over the years.

Since 1975, there have been 13 bear markets with an average drop around 14%. This would put gold below the $1,300 level, around $1,280.

In this short 4 minute video on gold, we will illustrate the importance of having a solid game plan and a market proven approach. We will go through each trade in gold and share with you the results of using our Trade Triangle approach from the beginning of the year.

This approach is not for everyone, but we think you will agree that the results certainly speak for themselves.

For more information on the tools we use in this video just click here to >  visit The MarketClub

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Friday’s Precious Metals Melt-Down….. How to Manage It!

Friday’s Precious Metals Meltdown is an understatement. I love seeing all this fear in the market and panic selling volume jump through the roof. This is or is the “start” of the washout bottom in metals I have been talking about for a few months. Critical support levels have been broken on gold, silver and miner stocks today. This is running the stops juicing up the sell side volume.

This size of a move WILL trigger a wave of margin calls come the end of the session and it could start another strong wave of selling into the closing bell. While I like this prices for both gold and silver, I know this could be just the start of more selling. I sound like a broken record but I am not trying to catch a falling knife unless it looks like a perfect setup. I still feel we could get another 1-3 days of selling or chop down here before things go higher so I will just watch the gold and bugs get stepped on again.



The last day of the week is always the most important for long term trends and investors. Friday was wild and may have triggered a massive wave of selling which could be really good for those who know how to take advantage of it.

Chris Vermeulen


Click here to get my newsletter and take advantage of it with me!
 

Hedging your account.....Internationalizing Your Assets Webinar

Our trading partners at Casey Research are hosting a great webinar on April 30th that will give you a new insight into protecting you and your investments as we are faced with hedging our investments against the dozens of future challenges we face as investors in the U.S. markets in the years to come. Expansion of the fiat currency, inflation, forced debt reduction, rising taxes and so much more.

None of this worries you? Here are just a few of the topics we will cover in this webinar.....

1.    Increasingly desperate governments are trying to prevent citizens from transferring assets abroad
2.    Governments are increasingly desperate for money due to out-of-control spending that has created historic deficits
3.    This is especially true in the US, which is indebted to the tune of over $16.6 trillion
4.    $5.56 trillion of that debt is held by foreign investors in the form of US Treasuries, who sooner or later will want a better return on their money because current interest rates are extremely low right now
5.    They will also want a better return because the US is not demonstrating a willingness to pay off this debt, which of course raises the risk for Treasury holders
6.    The U.S. will attempt to pay down its debt through increasing the money supply and repaying Treasury holders in diluted dollars
7.    This expansion of the money supply, coupled with foreign Treasury holders' demands for a better return on their money, will exacerbate rising inflation, perhaps catastrophically
8.    This inflation will reduce the purchasing power of the dollar, which in turn reduces the value of assets denominated in dollars
9.    This means that wealth inside the U.S. and wealth denominated in dollars is doomed to depreciate in value
10.  The best way to protect your assets from this depreciation is to diversify them internationally
11.  Dollar depreciation isn’t the only reason to internationally diversify your assets
12.   The risk of asset seizure is another reason – the government can’t seize your assets if they are abroad
13.  The threat of capital controls is another reason to diversify because the government doesn’t want you to stash your money abroad – that’s why they placed severe restrictions on Americans who try to open foreign bank accounts. It’s likely they’ll make these restrictions more onerous
14.  The current U.S. administration has been playing up the concept of the rich not paying their fair share and hiding their money overseas for tax evasion purposes. Becoming more aggressive, including:
a.  Went after UBS in Switzerland to break longstanding tradition and give up the names of US account holders
b.  FACTA law in 2012 forces foreign banks to do the IRS’s bidding and reveal American account holders
c.  Current limitation of under $10,000 in cash transfers without reporting to the government
d.  Dogs in airports specifically trained to sniff US currency, just like the drug-sniffing dogs
e.  Other broke countries, like Spain, are doing the same thing
15.  Rising taxes are another reason to internationally diversify – with the government’s debts continually rising, it’s all but certain that income taxes and taxes on investments will rise in order to fund out-of-control spending
a. The Social Security Payroll Tax Cut enacted in 2010 was not extended during the fiscal cliff negotiations; as a result, an American household with a $50,000 annual income will pay $1,000 more in taxes in 2013
b. The Committee on Ways and Means says Obamacare will cost Americans $1 trillion in taxes, and that it leaves in place 21 tax increases
c.  The top marginal tax rate increased from 35% to 39.6% for taxable incomes over $450,000 (over $400,000 for single filers) as part of the fiscal cliff deal
d.  Personal exemptions for adjusted gross filers’ income (over $300,000) will be phased down ($250,000 for single filers)
e.  Increase in the rate of dividends and capital gains from 15% to 20% for taxable incomes over $450,000 ($400,000 for single filers)
f.   Death-tax increase from 35% to $40% for on estates larger than $5 million
g.  Tax increases on business investment – expiration of full expensing – the immediate deduction of capital purchases by businesses
16.  The heirs of individuals with wealth will be hit with huge estate taxes if that wealth is in the US – yet another reason to internationally diversify
17.  The government has given consideration to taking control of 401(k) plans and IRAs to make pensions more “fair.” This will take control of your retirement funds out of your hands and put it into the government’s hands… unless those funds are abroad and out of reach of greedy politicians
a.  Argentina nationalized private pension plans in 2008
b.  Ireland earmarked 4 billion euros from the country’s pension reserve fund in 2009 to rescue banks; in 2010 the remaining $2.5 billion euros was seized to support the bailout of the rest of the country. Hungary forced its citizens in 2011 to remit their individual retirement savings to the state or lost the right to a basic state pension
18.  Anyone with means is also at risk of predatory lawsuits if their means are concentrated in their home countries (this is especially true for Americans)
19.  For all of these reasons and more, you need to protect at least some of your wealth abroad
20.  Your first step toward doing that is to watch the Internationalize Your Assets webinar on April 30th
21.  It features top expert advice you’ll find on asset expatriation from: contrarian investing legend Doug Casey; CEO and Euro Pacific Capital Chief Global Strategist Peter Schiff; GoldSilver.com founder Mike Maloney; Casey Research Managing Director David Galland; and World Money Analyst Editor Kevin Brekke. Link to bios: ((link to full bios))
22.  When these experts talk about international diversification, smart investors listen, as they have been featured in numerous well known media, including the Washington Times, Newsweek, and Bloomberg
23.  During the webinar, they will reveal actionable advice on how to protect your assets from increasingly intrusive governments, including low cost options for international diversification, the best countries to do business in, and the best ways to move your savings abroad without triggering invasive reporting requirements
24.  The webinar is free – the only thing you have to do is tell us where to email the details and webinar link.


See you in the markets,
Ray C. Parrish
President/CEO The Crude Oil Trader





The 2 Energy Sectors You Should Invest in This Year

Friday, April 12, 2013

Adam's Video Update: Gold and Crude Oil Prices Head South

Hello traders everywhere! Adam Hewison here, President of INO.com and Co-creator of MarketClub, with your mid day market update for Friday, the 12th of April.

Gold
Gold (XAUUSDO) continues to come under pressure and is going to close out the week on a negative note. It would appear as though nobody wants to hold gold anymore. The gold market is close to a key area of support around the $1,500 area. A close below that area today does not auger too well for this market. Rumors that Cyprus is selling gold to improve its bank balances is also adding downside pressure on an already depressed market. We will be checking in on gold today and analyzing just how far this market can go from here.

Watch Today's Video Update Here

Crude Oil
The crude oil market (CL.M13.E) flashed another negative Trade Triangle this morning is quickly entering a critical juncture were it needs to find support. At the moment, we are in choppy trading markets that are indicative of potential trend changes in the future. We will be jumping into the oil patch today and analyzing just what's going on with this market using our Trade Triangle technology.

The S&P 500 and the NASDAQ
The key thing in trading is not to fight the major trend, the odds favor letting the trend develop and then move with the trend. At the beginning of 2013, many analysts were thinking the fundamentals and debt load was too great for stocks to move higher. Since that time, we have seen double digit moves in the major indices.

Using our Trade Triangle technology, we were able to capture 95% of the move up and remain positive on the market. Providing that the Fed keeps pumping money into the system to the tune of $85 billion a month, will the market continue to move higher? On the other hand, markets have a tendency to over shoot both on the upside and downside. Technical analysis can help in deciphering when the market is changing course.

Bailout Nation
Once again, Cyprus is in the headlines over confusion with the state of the financial bailout and it has led to some sharp moves in European markets this Friday. The negative market action wiped out most of the positive reaction and the better-than-expected Euro-zone industrial production figures. The story on Cyprus has not yet been written and I still believe that Cyprus is the tip of the iceberg for Europe.

Watch Today's Video Update Here

Potential Chaos Ahead
North Korea - ticking down towards ...
Japan - Kuroda is the king risk
Europe - Portugal and Ireland - economic risk
The Fed - Hints QE is coming to an end
May 19th – Debt ceiling suspension expire

Have a great trading day,

Adam Hewison
President, INO.com
Co-Creator, MarketClub

Check out our "Trade Triangle Technology" and give it a test drive!

Dominick Chirichella: Natural Gas Prices Remain Firm

In spite of the downside miss in the weekly EIA Nat Gas inventory report the market has been in rally mode as prices have currently cleared the $4.16/mmbtu resistance area for the spot Nymex contract. Although the temperatures have been warmer the eastern half of the US has not yet seen consistent spring like temperatures which is keeping the bulls interested in pushing prices higher. In addition, the fact that total inventories are now 32.5 percent below last and 3.8 percent below the so called normal or five year average for the same week has put the market on alert that any unscheduled supply interruptions or sudden demand surges will send prices strongly higher.

The Nat Gas futures contract is entering a trading zone that has not been seen since the middle of 2011 or before the large imbalance of supply over demand started to take hold. If the spot contract can remain above the $4.16/mmbtu level it has a relatively clear area all the way to around the $4.40/mmbtu level. From a technical perspective the market is clearly in a bullish pattern as long as the spot contract remains above the new support level of around $4.16/mmbtu.

From a fundamental viewpoint the market is in the midst of a changing weather pattern as most of the country starts to experience spring like temperatures against a backdrop of the inventory cushion now solidly below normal as well as strongly below last year at this time. The fundamentals are going to have to provide support for the technical to remain in the new higher trading range.

The latest six to ten day and eight to fourteen day NOAA forecasts are providing a modest level of potential fundamental support as both forecasts are now projecting a large portion of the middle section of the US expecting below normal temperatures for the April 17th to April 25th timeframe. The forecast does not mean that there will be a significant amount of heating demand but it does mean there will be some in various parts of the country and it could result in injections coming in below both last year and the five year for the same timeframe thus widening the deficit further versus current levels.

Yesterday's EIA report was bullish versus the historical data but neutral to slightly bearish versus a comparison to the market consensus. The report showed a net withdrawal that was below the market expectations but greater than both last year and the five year average net injections for the same period. The 14 BCF withdrawal (strongly atypical for this time of the year) was below the market consensus calling for a withdrawal of around 21 BCF. The draw of 14 BCF was very near my model forecast (-15 BCF withdrawal) this week. The year over year inventory situation remains in a strong deficit position versus last year and has widened this week while the deficit versus the more normal five year average has also widened. The current inventory deficit came in at 66 BCF versus the normal five year average or about a negative 3.8 percent.

Read the entire CME Group article


Time to catch up on the Trend Jumper trades from this week
 

Thursday, April 11, 2013

True or False....Do you feel like you have a "Gun to your Head"

True or False? Whether you are an experienced trader or just getting started scalping is like playing Russian Roulette. With the massive risk and suffocating pressure, it can be hazardous to your health.

It's true....if you're not careful, you could wind up losing your shirt. And the majority of traders that try to scalp end up regretting it. But done right, scalping can be deeply rewarding. The key phrase is, "done right."

Click here to watch this video from our trading partner TJ Noonan as he takes us through the breakneck mistakes and how to avoid them when scalping and includes a walk through of what he's currently doing keep the energy, action, and results while eliminating the aggressive risk.

If you've ever scalped the "old fashioned" way, it can really feel like a gun to the head. Todays scalping lesson takes the fear out of the equation but leaves all the reward. Watch the video now to find out how to scalp the right way.


True or False.....Do you feel like you have a "Gun to your Head"

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Mid Week Commodities Report

May crude oil closed higher on Wednesday as it extended the rally off last week's low. The high range close sets the stage for a steady to higher opening when Thursday's night session begins. Stochastics and the RSI are turning neutral to bullish signaling that a low might be in or is near. Closes above the 10 day moving average crossing at 95.04 are needed to confirm that a short term low has been posted. If May renews this month's decline, the reaction low crossing at 91.84 is the next downside target.

May Henry natural gas closed higher on Wednesday. The mid range close sets the stage for a steady to higher opening on Thursday. Stochastics and the RSI are diverging and are neutral to bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term. If May extends the rally off February's low, the reaction high crossing at 4.290 is the next upside target. Closes below last Thursday's low crossing at 3.861 would confirm that a short term top has been posted.

April gold closed sharply lower on Wednesday. The low range close sets the stage for a steady to lower opening when Thursday's night session begins trading. Stochastics and the RSI are neutral to bullish hinting that a low might be in or is near. Closes above the 20 day moving average crossing at 1589.30 would confirm that a short term low has been posted. If April renews last week's decline, the June 2011 low crossing at 1504.00 is the next downside target.

Are you afraid of the high pressure and heavy risk in scalping?

ConocoPhillips Suspends 2014 Alaska Drilling Plans

ConocoPhillips [COP] will place on hold its 2014 drilling plans for Alaska's Chukchi Sea due to the uncertainties of evolving federal regulatory requirements and operational permitting standards.

While the company is confident in its expertise and ability to safely conduct offshore Arctic operations, ConocoPhillips believes it needs more time to ensure that all regulatory stakeholders are aligned, said ConocoPhillips Alaska President Trond-Erik Johansen in a statement.

"We welcome the opportunity to work with the federal government and other leaseholders to further define and clarify the requirements for drilling offshore Alaska," Johansen commented. "Once those requirements are understood, we will reevaluate our Chukchi Sea drilling plans. We believe this is a reasonable and responsible approach given the huge investments required to operate offshore in the Arctic."

ConocoPhillips in 1998 was awarded 98 exploration lease tracts in the Chukchi Sea Outer Continental Shelf. The company is Alaska's largest oil producer and is operator of the Kuparuk and Alpine fields. ConocoPhillips' leases will expire in 2019. As of year end 2012, the company had invested $650 million net in its Chukchi Sea operations, including leases, seismic, biological studies and well planning, a ConocoPhillips spokesperson told Rigzone in an email.

Royal Dutch Shell plc in February suspended its 2014 offshore Alaska drilling plans, saying it needed more time to ensure the readiness of its equipment and employees for future drilling.

Last month, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) concluded that Shell failed to finalize key components of its 2012 Alaska Arctic drilling program. DOI called on the industry and government to collaborate to develop an Arctic specific model for offshore Alaska oil and gas exploration.

DOI Secretary Ken Salazar said the agency would proceed with ConocoPhillips using the same regime it did with Shell. While the Obama administration is interested in pursuing Arctic resources, Salazar said they wouldn't allow shortcuts in terms of requirements, and that exploration would only be carried out with the "utmost safety."

Greenpeace International called decisions by ConocoPhillips and Norway-based Statoil ASA to shelve Arctic drilling plans on admission that the oil industry is still not capable of meeting the enormous challenges posed by operating in the world's most extreme environment.

"The time has come for governments around the world to call for a permanent halt to the reckless exploitation of the far north," said Greenpeace International Arctic campaigner Ben Wycliffe in a statement.

Posted courtesy of the staff at Rigzone


The 2 Energy Sectors You Should Invest in This Year

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Are you afraid of the high pressure and heavy risk in scalping?

If you are then you and I have a lot in common, I just got tired of living my life that way. Most traders I talk to tell me they to have grown tired of the high pressure and heavy risk associated with scalping. And most times, the profit is just not worth it.

But there's a group of traders that the commodity traders are talking about on Facebook that have truly mastered the art of scalping. And they are making these trades and profits without all of the stress that goes along with scalp trading.

You may recognize these traders. These are the same traders that brought you the free Trend Jumper trading system that everyone is talking about on the social media networks..

Click here to watch this video lesson now

Please feel free to leave a comment and let us know what you think of the video.



Monday, April 8, 2013

Gold Chart of The Week

After the worst weekly decline of the year in US equities, we are slowly on the mend as we enter a week full of FED activity.

A few standouts from last week included a terrible Non Farm Payroll number on Friday and a full throttle campaign from the BOJ to continue to crush the Yen. Fridays jobs number was a big miss as 88,000 jobs were added and some real numbers regarding the drop in individuals that are actively looking for jobs was revealed. Even after these figures were announced, the stock indexes were only rattled for a short period of time before the realization that the FED will step up Quantitative Easing set back in. Since then, the stock market seems to be holding up fairly well.

The Japanese Yen had a wild week last week after the BOJ doubled down on its asset purchase program and effectively wiped out two week’s worth of recovery, and more. I think it will be interesting to see how the Yen responds to this weeks FOMC announcement that will be held on Wednesday.

The week ahead of us may be tricky as Wednesday’s Interest Rate decision looms. Traders will be less concerned about the actual rate decision, and will focus on the language used by Bernanke and other FED members throughout the week. The standout will be Bernanke’s view on the amount and the length of time the FED plans to participate in easing the market.

Keep in mind that in last month’s report, the FED maintained its focus on the labor market and we also saw a less divided FED panel on the length of Quantitative Easing. After a big miss in the Non Farm Payroll, it would be difficult to expect anything but a more aggressive campaign to keep Interest Rates row in an effort to stimulate growth.

After Wednesdays news, the markets will begin to use this information along with first quarter earnings and Fridays Retail Sales and Consumer Confidence numbers. Overall, this week should be very active for the US markets as well as commodities like Gold. The question for Gold prices is whether last week’s drop to test last Summers low is actually the low. I think after Wednesday, we should have the information necessary to make a confident decision.

The chart shows last week’s test of support, which will continue to be the focal point as Wednesdays FOMC announcement comes to pass.




Posted courtesy of Brian Booth and the staff at INO.com

Crude Oil Spikes to Near $94 After Sharp Drop

The price of oil rose to near $94 a barrel on Monday, rebounding after sharp losses last week that were due to concerns over abundant supplies and weak U.S. employment figures.

By early afternoon in Europe, benchmark oil for May delivery was up 97 cents to $93.67 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 56 cents on Friday and was down 5 percent from midweek.

The price of oil last week fell after a weak jobs report cast doubt on the strength of the U.S. economy. The Labor Department reported the economy added 88,000 jobs in March, the fewest in nine months. The slowdown may signal the economy will weaken this spring.

"The latest jobs data provide a useful reminder that this is still an uneven recovery in the U.S. economy," said Caroline Bain, commodities analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit.

She expects oil prices to average less than $90 a barrel in the second quarter of 2013 "reflecting a comfortable market balance, lower refinery runs and only very modest growth in consumption."

The U.S. Energy Department last week reported that crude in storage was at its highest level since 1990 even though refiners had begun to ramp up gasoline production to get ready for the summer driving season. Now the economy looks like it might not grow fast enough to churn through the nation's high supplies.

What are today's top 50 stocks? This free list will share the big market movers on a daily basis to help you find trading opportunities.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

A Special Invitation from The Crude Oil Trader

Over the last 12 months, the price of gold bullion has fallen by about 3%. Gold stocks, however, have been devastated. Even great companies with great projects have lost 50% or more.

By some estimates, upwards of one third of all listed exploration and development stocks are now on the verge of failing. It was in the context of this disaster in gold stocks that our friends at Casey Research assembled an emergency summit of some of the top thinkers in the natural resource sector.

There were three compelling reasons for this meeting, which was videotaped and assembled into an online webinar.

1. To answer the overarching question – is the long bull market in gold and silver over?

2. To specifically discuss the dismal state of the resource stock market and what actions investors should take immediately to reduce further losses.

3. To assess whether the price action of gold stocks in the face of historic, global, central bank money printing has set the stage for explosive upside.

As panelist Bill Bonner commented during the filming, "The time to buy gold stocks is when nobody wants to buy them… when even you don't want to buy them."

With the gold share market in complete capitulation, that is very much the case today.

Downturn Millionaires, the title of this extremely timely webinar, was filmed on location at Doug Casey's La Estancia de Cafayate in scenic northwest Argentina, with video feeds to key players in Vancouver.

Featured guests included legendary resource investors Doug Casey and Rick Rule, as well as Louis James, the globe-trotting editor of the International Speculator. Tackling the macro picture for precious metals was best-selling author of Endgame, John Mauldin, as well as Bill Bonner, editor of the Diary of a Rogue Economist. Casey Research's David Galland acted as program moderator.

The webinar will go live April 8th at 2pm ET.

The webinar is free of charge. However, to ensure adequate bandwidth to accommodate all viewers, Casey Research is asking you sign up in advance by clicking the link below and registering with your email address.

Having listened to the observations and specific recommendations of the program panelists, I can say without reservation that if you own any gold shares or have any interest in learning about what may be one of the greatest contrarian investments of a generation, you'll want to sign up for this free webinar today.

Click here to register for Downtown Millionaires now!

By return email you'll receive confirmation and your link to attend the event, which goes live on April 8th at 2pm ET.

Feel free to pass this invitation to everyone you know who may be interested in a once in a lifetime opportunity to profit as the best of the resource stock sector comes roaring back, while the fiat currencies stumble.

Sincerely,

Ray C. Parrish

President/CEO @ The Crude Oil Trader


Check out our new LIVE Signal Service

Friday, April 5, 2013

The Long and Winding Gold....Bull Cycle about to Begin

The dramatic 2-3 day take down in Gold Spot pricing action smells and looks like capitulation to us at The Market Trend Forecast. We have been calling this entire 19-20 month consolidation period as a Primary wave 4 correction pattern, though complicated for sure. It has had multiple false rallies and buy and sell signals the entire time. With that said, the pattern is set up for final 5th wave decline which we are seeing now at the beginning of April.

Traditionally, Gold tends to meander or be weak in April anyways on a seasonal basis. This sets Gold up to rally in May into July with another soft patch, followed by a fall rally. However, our technical analysis is predicated on our Elliott Wave analysis, which says this entire 20 month correction is a “Double Three” correction pattern. Essentially its two ABC patterns with an “X” Wave rally in the middle to really confuse everyone.

The X wave took Gold to 1800 last fall before dumping all the Bulls off and eventually working its way down to the 1540’s levels we see today. This last leg down is a 5 wave decline and you know you’re at the bottom of wave 5 when everyone throws in the towel, the Gold stocks trade at multi year lows and relative valuation extremes. We also have insiders buying 7 to 1 over sellers according to Ink Research in the Gold stock sector. Stocks are valued at $923 per ounce equivalent even though Gold is trading north of $1,500 per ounce still.

We say bring it on and are actively accumulating selected Gold stocks with production profiles and growth metrics that are attractive.

See the Gold Elliott Wave analysis chart we sent to our paying subscribers a few days ago to forewarn of one more leg down. The next rally should be a doozy and have very few people on board. We would simply caution that a drop below $1523 spot pricing could lead to a blast down to the 1440-1460 areas, but its unlikely in our current views.

TMTFGold

Join us for regular updates at The Market Trends Forecast.com



The 2 Energy Sectors You Should Invest in This Year

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