IMF doubles lending capacity

WASHINGTON (CNNMoney) -- The International Monetary Fund said Friday that it has received commitments from several nations for more than $430 billion in additional funding to guard against global risks.

"This signals the strong resolve of the international community to secure global financial stability and put the world economic recovery on a sounder footing," said IMF managing director Christine Lagarde.

The announcement came near the end of a week of talks in Washington D.C., where finance officials from the world's largest economies gathered for the spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank.

The IMF, which lends money and provides technical support for countries in crisis, has already disclosed commitments from several of its 188 member nations.

Including pledges announced Friday from Australia, Korea, Singapore and the United Kingdom, the IMF has secured at least $357 billion in additional loans.

Lagarde said the IMF has also received commitments from Russia, India, China and Brazil. However she said those nations will officially announce the details later. Including those commitments, Lagarde said the overall amount is "north of $430 billion."

"That almost doubles the lending capacity of the fund," she said, estimating that the IMF now has more $1 trillion to lend.

U.S. is outlier in push to boost IMF resources

The United States, which is the largest IMF shareholder, has declined to provide additional funds for the institution. The U.S. stands behind nearly 18% of the IMF's resources under the fund's current quota system.

U.S. officials argue that the nation has contributed in other ways to stabilize the global economy.

The IMF is seeking to raise money as it prepares for an estimated $1 trillion in funding needs over the next few years. The fund has warned that the global economy faces serious risks, despite a modestly improving outlook for growth.

"We made a ! call to action, and our members have delivered," said Lagarde.

Lagarde has called for a "global firewall" to protect the world economy from potential risks. She has urged policymakers to take "collective action" to address the "dark clouds" hanging over the economy.

Lagarde told reporters Thursday that the debt crisis in the eurozone is the "epicenter of potential risk," though she welcomed the steps officials have taken over the last few months.

In addition, she pointed to threats posed by high unemployment, tepid growth, problems in the banking sector and rising oil prices.

The additional resources will be available to all IMF members and will be subject to "risk mitigation features," among other conditions to protect creditors. The funds will be provided as temporary bilateral loans and note-to-purchase agreements, according to a joint statement from the IMF and Group of 20.

The move "shows the commitment of the international community to safeguard global financial stability and put the global economic recovery on a sounder footing," the G20 finance ministers said in a statement. 

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The Fat Lady Hasn't Sung Yet: James River Coal Company (NASDAQ:JRCC) in Focus

If the chart is any indication - and it usually is - then the James River Coal Company (NASDAQ:JRCC) may be headed for even rougher waters. 2011 was nothing short if miserable for the industry, and for JRCC in particular, as domestic demand for coal dried up and prices plunged.

The chart says it all. JRCC has been pressured lower all of this year (and the latter part of last year) by resistance at several of its falling moving averages. Indeed, it's knocking on the door of new multi-year lows again. That in itself is a cue for a lot of traders to steer clear. Thing is, there's a reason to doubt any rebound in business for James River Coal Company at any point in the foreseeable future - new carbon emission limits are going to make it even tougher to be a U.S. coal supplier.

It's an undertow the company just doesn't need to face right now. Though revenue has actually been higher than the recent average in the past three quarters, James River Coal Company has actually sung to a loss in the meantime, dipping deeper into the red ink last quarter as prices have fallen versus rising costs and expenses.

All told, JRCC drew in $357 million in sales in Q4 of last year, yet lost $28.5 million - the biggest loss in a long, long time - as thermal coal prices fell from $75 per short tonne at the end of Q3 to $60 at the end of Q4. Coking coal roughly followed that same price trend. And, in the case of both thermal and metallurgical coal, prices have continued to slide in the meantime. Translation: Q1's numbers could be even more painful than Q4's.

But what about the imminent recovery in coal? Not just price, but also demand? It's not unreasonable to expect the pendulum to swing the other direction, especially now that natural gas prices are low to the point where drillers don't even want to tap-in anymore.... there's no profit in it. Simultaneously, though politically unpopular, domestic demand for coal is stabilizing, and Chi! na's dem and for coal is still on the rise despite fears of a slowdown.

The contrarian arguments actually make pretty good since, which supports a rebound from James River Coal Company shares. There's a problem with the premise though. While natural gas played may well cut production, they're not apt to cut production (and raise gas prices) to the point where coal is the better choice again. Likewise, even a moderate degree of demand-resurgence for coal - particularly in the United States - isn't going to push price levels and consumption back to profitable levels.

No, it's likely to take something of a paradigm shift in the consumption of gas and coal to get JRCC firing on ally cylinders again.... a catalyst that isn't on the horizon. That's what the market is thinking anyway, as evidenced by this stock's chart.�

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A Drive Down the Highway of History

Ford Motor archives

A 'sexpot' of a car: The Ford Mustang caused a sensation, even though it was built on the chassis of the dowdy Ford Falcon.

The AMC Gremlin was designed on the back of a Northwest Airlines airsickness bag and launched on April Fools' Day, 1970. The plug-ugly car perfectly suited the American "crisis of confidence" that President Jimmy Carter declared at the decade's end.

For Americans, cars have always been much more than a way to get around. Since the rise of middle-class prosperity after World War II, cars have been an extraordinarily reliable window into the country's culture and mood. As went our automobiles (so to speak), so went Americans, through the ups and downs of a tumultuous half-century.

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General Motors Heritage Collection

Take the tail fins of the 1950s, powerful totems of America's peacetime bounty. Ironically, they were inspired by a war machine, the Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter, whose twin tails each supported a vertical fin. General Motors design chief Harley Earl saw the fighter and decided to put fins on Cadillacs for 1948. They were modest, like th! e tails on tiny tadpoles, but Mr. Earl had set the stage for Detroit's great tail-fin war.

When the Chrysler design chief Virgil Exner adorned his 1955 models with still-taller tail fins, Chrysler's market share rebounded, and its earnings for the first two months of the year exceeded its profits for all of 1954. Emboldened, Mr. Exner put progressively taller fins on its 1956 and 1957 models. "Suddenly, it's 1960!" proclaimed the company's advertising, which also touted its fins as "graceful Directional Stabilizers" that acted as giant rudders, and thus increased the safety of its cars. In December 1957, Mr. Exner gave an endowed lecture at the Harvard Business School, declaring that tail fins reflected "the growing artistic taste of the American consumer…[and] reflect the spirit and character of our civilization."

By then GM was in panic. Shortly before the 1957 Chryslers went on sale, a young Cadillac designer, Chuck Jordan, sneaked around the back of a Chrysler building near Detroit. He saw tall tail fins jutting above the high grass and dashed back to the GM design center to tell his bosses: "You've got to see what I just saw. You won't believe it." It was too late to change GM's 1957 or 1958 models, but the prospect of getting out-finned prompted a crash effort to redesign the 1959 Cadillacs.

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Minivans like the Dodge Caravan quickly became the preferred vehicles of a growing political force: 'soccer moms.'

One of Mr. Jordan's first designs had fins that were taller than the roof of the car. So he toned them down, but only a bit. The 1959 Cadillacs had the tallest tail fins ever appended to a vehicle that didn't fly. "I say if you take the fins off a Cadillac, it's like taking the antlers off a deer," said one exultant GM executive. "You got a big rabbit." It was the apogee of an era. Fins got smaller in the succeeding years, and disappeared entirely by 1965.

By then, extravagance in car design had spawned a backlash. Volkswagen was selling some 150,000 Beetles a year in the U.S. by the mid-1960s. The Beetle's original name was the Kraft durch Freude Wagen ("Strength through Joy Car"), as decreed by the its original sponsor, Adolf Hitler. It was "a rather unwieldy title," sniffed a British magazine.

But amazingly, Hitler's car became the car of the 1960s counterculture. The hippies especially liked the Microbus, a derivative of the Beetle developed after the war. After the death in 1995 of Jerry Garcia, leader of the Grateful Dead and a prophet of the era, Volkswagen ran a full-page ad showing a Microbus, sparsely sketched in pencil, shedding a tear from a headlight. The caption read: "Jerry Garcia 1942-1995."

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The 1959 Cadillacs: a Coupe de Ville had the tallest fins ever appended to a vehicle that didn't fly.

It was typical of the hip, irreverent advertising that gave the Beetle its counterculture appeal. One mid-1960s ad featured the 7-foot-1 basketball star Wilt Chamberlain, trying to climb into a Beetle under the headline: "They said it couldn't be done. It couldn't." Another ad showed a couple in the Ozarks who had bought a Beetle to replace their dead mule, explaining: "It was the only thing to do after the mule died."

The Ford Mustang debuted in April 1964, just as America's first baby boomers were coming of age. The car caused a sensation, even though it was built on the chassis of the dull and dowdy Ford Falcon.

"You can take a girl, put her hair in a bun, add horn-rimmed glasses and low-heeled shoes, flatten out her chest and her behind, and you've got a school librarian," Ford executive Seymour Marshak proudly told the Detroit Free Press. "Take the same girl in upswept hair, contact lenses, spike heels, fill out her figure top and bottom—and you've got a sexpot! We did much the same thing with a car." That analogy, safe to say, wouldn't be used today.

Two executives behind the Mustang, Lee Iacocca and Hal Sperlich, later were fired by Ford CEO Henry Ford II and wound up at Chrysler, which in 1980 was saved by America's first automotive bailout. Chrysler used its reprieve well.

Four years later Messrs. Iacocca and Sperlich launched a vehicle that captivated America's baby boomers again, at yet another critical juncture in their lives. By 1984, many boomers who had been wowed by the Mustang 20 years earlier had gone to college, grown up, gotten haircuts, taken showers, found jobs, gotten married and started families. (Not always in that order, of course.) The stage was set for the revolutionary Chrysler minivan, which could hold mom, dad and the kids and stil! l fit in side the family garage. The minivan quickly became the preferred vehicles of "soccer moms," who were becoming a formidable force in America's political landscape, at least according to pundits.

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Never mind that it was sponsored by Hitler. Volkswagen's Beetle became the car of the counterculture.

In the 1996 presidential election, newspapers sent reporters to kids' soccer games to interview minivan-driving moms about their collective political clout. One mother told the San Francisco Chronicle, "I have to go home and thaw something for dinner. I spend so much time going to soccer games that I don't think I can really be a political force." Bill Clinton won the election and the soccer-mom vote over Bob Dole, and punditry prevailed.

The minivan's popularity ushered in America's love affair with SUVs and pickup trucks, which became political symbols themselves. In early 2010, Republican Scott Brown won a special election to fill the U.S. Senate seat of the late Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts. Mr. Brown had campaigned around the state in his 2005 GMC Canyon pickup.

When President Barack Obama called to congratulate him on election night, Mr. Brown said, "Would you like me to drive the truck down to Washington so you can see it?" That fall, in the midt! erm cong ressional elections, a Tennessee candidate for Congress advertised himself as a "truck-driving, shotgun-shooting, Bible-reading, crime-fighting, family-loving country boy." The candidate happened to be a Democrat.

—Mr. Ingrassia is deputy editor in chief of Reuters and a Pulitzer Prize-winning former Detroit bureau chief for the Journal. This essay is adapted from "Engines of Change" by Paul Ingrassia, to be published May 1 by Simon & Schuster. Copyright © 2012 by Paul Ingrassia.

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House GOP Members Issue Second Round of Fannie, Freddie Reform

Republican members of the House Financial Services Committee introduced Friday seven bills as the second round of legislation to reform government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Rep. Scott Garrett (left), R-N.J., Chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government-Sponsored Enterprises, said in a statement the same day that “Republicans and Democrats in Congress, as well as the Obama administration, all agree that the current trajectory of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is unsustainable. We can no longer afford to sit back and allow the ongoing bailout of these failed institutions to continue.” Garrett added that while “special interest groups and the guardians of the status quo may not want to admit it, Fannie and Freddie’s days are numbered. It’s not a matter of if, but when--the quicker we begin the process of dismantling them the better off we’ll be.”

Garrett went on to say that the second round of bills build “on the momentum and success of the first round of bills.” The seven bills, he said, “were carefully designed to tie the hands of Fannie and Freddie so that they are no longer a drag on the American taxpayers, a threat to our economic security, and an impediment to private market growth and development.”

The seven bills are as follows:

Prevent Dividend Payment Decrease

Rep. Don Manzullo (R-Ill.) is the lead sponsor of this bill which seeks to prevent the Treasury Department from lowering the 10% dividend payment Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pay to American taxpayers. This will ensure that the two entities continue to repay their debt to the taxpayers and that their ongoing bailout moves towards conclusion.

Subject Fannie and Freddie to FOIA

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) introduced H.R. 463, the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Transparency Act of 2011, which would apply the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac while the entities are in conservatorship or receivership. Because Fannie and Freddie were originally charted by the federal government, and therefore not actually part of the federal government, they have been exempt from FOIA

Require Disposition of Non-Mission Critical Assets

Rep. Robert Hurt (R-Va.) is the lead sponsor of this bill to require Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to dispose of all non-mission critical assets.

Hurt’s bill directs the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director to require Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to dispose of all non-mission critical assets, including, but not limited

to, patents and data, which he says would go a long way in helping to provide additional transparency and generate increased flow of private capital in our mortgage market.

Set a Bailout Cap for the GSEs

Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) is the lead sponsor of this bill to set a total dollar cap for the amount of money to be used for the bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Fitzpatrick’s bill sets a cap for the amount of money that the American taxpayers will be charged for the bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Ensure Exact GSE Replica Is Not Created

Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio) is the lead sponsor of this bill to ensure that new quasi-governmental replicas are not crated to replace Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, by amending the Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA) to ensure that if either Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac is placed in federal government receivership, a new quasi-governmental replica is not created in its wake.

Prohibit Taxpayer Funding of GSE Employee Legal Fees

Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-Texas), Chairman of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, is the lead sponsor of legislation to prohibit taxpayer funding of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac employee legal fees. Since 2008, Neugebauer said in a statement, the American taxpayers have spent more than $162 million defending Fannie, Freddie and their former top executives in civil lawsuits accusing them of fraud.

Abolish Affordable Housing Trust Fund

Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.) is the lead sponsor of legislation to abolish the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. “As long as the housing activists are lobbying Congress, there will be a push to finance the Housing Trust Fund,” said Royce, in a statement. “Eliminating this fund is a necessary step in moving beyond the era of crony capitalism that kept the GSEs alive despite their reckless risk-taking.”

Go Green For The Holidays: Home Improvement Tax Break Expires Dec. 31

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Click for full photo gallery: 10 Tax Breaks For Going Green In 2011

If you�re thinking of making energy-saving home improvements, do them now, and you might be able to save on your 2011 federal income tax bill next April. The $500 federal tax credit for energy-efficient home remodeling expires Dec. 31. �We�re saying, �This is it; go for it!�� says Ronnie Kweller, spokesperson for the Alliance to Save Energy in Washington, D.C.

The credit (it�s technically called the nonbusiness energy property credit) is like getting $500 off as it reduces your tax bill dollar for dollar�that�s better than a deduction. There�s a whole laundry list of basic home improvement projects that will get you a credit: adding insulation, new windows, air conditioning and heating equipment, hot water boilers, storm doors, even special-insulating window blinds (new Hunter Douglas ads� show a count-down clock��Just 31 Days Left��to buy and install honeycombs shades).

There are catches. The home improvements have to be �green� enough under various definitions of energy efficiency. For example, a boiler must have an annual fuel utilization efficiency rate of not less than�95. For details on what counts, the Alliance to Save Energy�s has a handy consumer tax guide here. Note: the work has to be done at your primary residence.

For 2011, the maximum credit is $500, calculated as a 10% credit on the first $5,000 you spend. There are sub limits too in 2011�for example, you can only take a $200 credit for windows. In 2009 and 2010, there was an enhanced credit, the potential savings tripled to a maximum $1,500, calculated as a 30% credit on the first $5,000 you spent (there were no stingy sublimits).

Another catch: you cannot take the 2011 $500 credit if you�ve already claimed $500 under the prior 2006/2007 or 2009/2010 versions of the home improvement c! redits. If the earlier claim was for less than $500, you can still claim the difference between the amount previously claimed and $500. You will need to file IRS Form 5696 with your taxes, and keep receipts for the improvements.

Will the credit be extended for 2012? �It�s very uncertain,� Kweller says woefully. The fear among energy-efficiency advocates is that there will be a repeat of the 2008 �black hole� when the credit lapsed. The credit first came to life in 2006 and 2007, established by the 2005 energy law. It lapsed for 2008. The stimulus resurrected it for 2009 and 2010 at triple the value, and the 2011 extension, back at the lower level, got hitched onto a catch-all tax extenders legislation at the last minute last December. The chances for the passage of a comprehensive tax package including expiring tax laws this month are grim.

In the meantime, �green� up your home for the holidays with Uncle Sam�s help, and enjoy energy savings in the New Year. For 10 tax breaks for going green in 2011, ranging from buying an electric car to going solar, see the slideshow here.

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This Superstar Fund Is Still a Smart Bet

Everyone knows you shouldn't mess with success. But when I heard that one of the top-performing mutual fund companies over the past two decades was selling itself to another asset management company, my first reaction was to worry for the fund's shareholders.

But after looking more closely at Affiliated Managers Group's (NYSE: AMG  ) deal to buy out Yacktman Asset Management, it appears everything should remain "business as usual" for Yacktman's mutual fund shareholders. In fact, many investors may never even realize anything has changed.

Later in this article I'll explain why Affiliated's move shouldn't have a huge impact on the funds. But first, let's take a look at exactly how Yacktman has managed money so successfully over the years, through good markets and bad.

Top performance
The manager's flagship Yacktman Fund has had strong performance for a very long time. With showings in the top 1% of all large-cap value funds over the past 10-year and 15-year periods, Yacktman Fund boasts peer-crushing performance that has led to huge extra returns for shareholders. Since 2002, the fund has beaten both the S&P 500 and the typical value mutual fund by more than 6 percentage points annually, helping the fund's investors avoid anything close to resembling a lost decade.

Yacktman gets the job done in part by doing two things many funds are reluctant to do: having highly concentrated positions and holding large amounts of cash at certain times. Yacktman Fund owns about 40 stocks right now, but its top three holdings make up almost a quarter of its assets.

Some of Yacktman's best performance has come during down markets. The fund managed an 11% gain in 2002, when the market was down more than 20%. Even during the crisis year of 2008, Yacktman managed to limit its losses to 26%, beating its peers by more than 10 percentage points.

But the fund also did well in 2009, jumping nearly 60% as! it cash ed in on the big market rebound. With timely investments in Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) when it was, in Yacktman's words, "priced for doomsday," as well as beaten-down media stocks Viacom (Nasdaq: VIAB  ) and News Corp. (Nasdaq: NWSA  ) , the fund didn't hesitate to boost its bets even when Wall Street investors seemed convinced the end was near. B of A came back from the brink, and media companies proved to be among the biggest winners in the recovery, as the backlash on ad spending proved not to be as devastating as investors had expected.

Right now Yacktman Fund continues to hold News Corp., but it's also focusing more on long-held defensive names. PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP  ) remains the largest position in the fund, with Yacktman pointing out that it and its consumer-staple peers "tend to be fairly stable and predictable, with a strong ability to handle uncertain economic periods." That ballast has served the fund well during past rough patches.

Will a buyout ruin the fund?
New management can devastate a fund. When there's a change in leadership, it often means a change in strategy as well -- and when the current strategy has been doing as well as Yacktman has, it's hard to imagine a better one.

But AMG has a reputation for investing in asset managers while basically leaving them alone. In the past, it has allowed existing fund managers to keep operating without major challenges to their independence.

Moreover, by leaving Yacktman's current team with substantial equity in the management company, AMG ensures that the same incentives that have produced such stellar past performance will continue into the future. In fact, the move may actually help Yacktman if it ends up giving the fund manager back-office support and other services it previ! ously ha d to do on its own.

The biggest potential downside for current investors may be the attention that Yacktman could get from the takeover. If Yacktman gets flooded with new assets, it could be increasingly difficult for the managers to invest cash effectively, endangering its future performance.

Stick with it, but keep your eyes open
Overall, though, Yacktman's move seems like the best of all worlds for everyone involved. You'll want to watch for any possible changes or problems that may suggest otherwise, but for now, Yacktman's sterling reputation should remain intact for the foreseeable future.

Finding top funds can help you in your quest to save for retirement, but Yactkman's focused approach is a good reminder that individual stocks can make or break your portfolio. Let me invite you to look at three promising stock picks, which you'll find in The Motley Fool's special report on long-term investing. But don't wait; get your free report today while it's still available.

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Best Energy Stocks In 2013

I was a bit surprised when I took a look at the best performing ETF’s in 2013, especially when I saw that coal related stocks had done so well. There is so much discussion about the older energy sources such as coal, oil and natural gas that have been moving our economy for decades. Climate change discussions as well as rising commodity prices have helped bring alternative or renewable energy discussions to the front table.

The problem of course is that these new energy sources are often much more expensive and while that may change in the future, it is not clear how much time it will take. It seems like I have been reading about electric or hydrogen cars for over a decade and yet there is no sign of when a gasoline free car will be mass produced.

However, I don’t think anyone could argue that there will be some big winners in the alternative energy field. Just imagine the company that can produce that first battery or solar car?? There will be some big winners in this field, just as there were in the early days of pc’s or of the internet. But finding the right one is the tricky part.

The million dollar question is also how much time it will take to get alternative energy in the driver’s seat. Could coal and oil be at the top of the 2013 best performing stocks? It could happen. In the end, I decided not to use any energy picks in my top stock picks for 2013 but I do still believe there is money to be made. By far, the biggest alternative energy category is solar energy.

Best Energy Stocks In 2013:Bristow Group Inc (BRS)

 Bristow Group Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides helicopter services to the offshore energy industry primarily in Europe, West Africa, North America, Australia, and internationally. Its helicopters are used principally to transport personnel between onshore bases and offshore platforms, drilling rigs, and installations, as well as to transport time-sensitive equipment to offshore locations. The company also offers helicopter flight training services to commercial pilots and flight instructors through its Bristow Academy with facilities in Titusville, Florida; Concord, California; New Iberia, Louisiana and Gloucestershire, England. In addition, it provides military training; and helicopter repair, engineering support, aircraft leasing, airport management, and search and rescue services. Bristow Group provides its helicopter services to integrated, national, and independent oil and gas companies. As of March 31, 2011, it operated a fleet of 569 aircraft. The company was founded in 1969 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Best Energy Stocks In 2013:Cross Timbers Royalty Trust (CRT)

 Cross Timbers Royalty Trust operates as an express trust in the United States. The company holds 90% net profits interests in various royalty and overriding royalty interest properties in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. It also holds 11.11% nonparticipating royalty interests in nonproducing properties located primarily in Texas and Oklahoma; and 75% net profits working interests in 7 oil-producing properties, including 4 properties in Texas and 3 properties in Oklahoma. Cross Timbers Royalty Trust was founded in 1991 and is based in Dallas, Texas.

Best Energy Stocks In 2013:ENSCO plc (ESV)

 Ensco plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides offshore contract drilling services to the oil and gas industry. The company engages in the drilling of offshore oil and natural gas wells by providing its drilling rigs and crews under contracts with international, government-owned, and independent oil and gas companies. As of February 15, 2010, it owned and operated 42 jackup rigs, 4 ultra-deepwater semisubmersible rigs, and 1 barge rig. The company also has 4 ultra-deepwater semisubmersible rigs under construction. It operates in Asia, the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Africa, and North and South America. The company was formerly known as Ensco International plc and changed its name to Ensco plc in March 2010. Ensco plc was founded in 1975 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.

Best Energy Stocks In 2013:Pioneer Southwest Energy Partners L.P. (PSE)

 Pioneer Southwest Energy Partners L.P. engages in the ownership and acquisition of oil and natural gas properties in the United States. As of December 31, 2009, it had non-operated working interests in approximately 1,155 producing wells located in the Spraberry field in the Permian Basin of west Texas. Pioneer Natural Resources GP LLC serves as the general partner of the company. The company was founded in 2007 and is based in Irving, Texas. Pioneer Southwest Energy Partners L.P. is a subsidiary of Pioneer Natural Resources USA, Inc.

Best Energy Stocks In 2013:Ecopetrol S.A. (EC)

 Ecopetrol S.A. operates as an integrated oil company in Colombia, Peru, Brazil, and the U.S. Gulf Coast. The company engages in the exploration, development, and production of crude oil and natural gas. As of December 31, 2010, its proved reserves of crude oil and natural gas consisted of 1,714.0 million barrels of oil equivalent. The company also transports crude oil, motor fuels, fuel oil, and other refined products, as well as mixture of diesel and palm oil. It owns transportation network consisting of 3,003 kilometers of crude oil pipeline directly, as well as an additional 2,178 kilometers of crude oil pipeline with its business partners; and 3,017 kilometers of multi-purpose pipelines for transportation of refined products from refinery to wholesale distribution points. As of the above date, Ecopetrol S.A. owned 58 stations with a nominal storage capacity of 19 million barrels of crude oil and 6 million barrels of refined products. In addition, the company owns and operates refineries that produce a range of refined products, including gasoline, diesel, kerosene, jet fuel, aviation fuel, liquefied petroleum gas, sulfur, heavy fuel oils, motor fuels, and petrochemicals, including paraffin waxes, lube base oils, low-density polyethylene, aromatics, asphalts, alkylates, cyclohexane and aliphatic solvents, and refinery grade propylene, as well as provides industrial services to third parties. Further, it markets various refined and feed stock products, including regular and high octane gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, natural gas, and petrochemical products. The company was formerly known as Empresa Colombiana de Petroleos and changed its name to Ecopetrol S.A. in June 2003. Ecopetrol S.A. was founded in 1948 and is based in Bogota, Colombia.

Best Energy Stocks In 2013:PROS Holdings Inc. (PRO)

 PROS Holdings, Inc. provides pricing and margin optimization software worldwide. It offers PROS Pricing Solution Suite, a set of integrated software products that enables enterprises to apply pricing and margin optimization science to determine, analyze, and execute optimal pricing strategies through the aggregation and analysis of enterprise application data, transactional data, and market information. The PROS Pricing Solution Suite consists of Scientific Analytics to gain insight into pricing performance; Price Optimizer to institute control of pricing policies; and Deal Optimizer to provide guidelines, additional context, and information to sales force. Its products also include PROS Revenue Management Solution Suite, a suite of industry specific revenue management software products for the enterprises in travel target markets. The PROS Revenue Management Solution Suite comprises PROS Analytics to identify hidden revenue leaks and opportunities, PROS Revenue Management product to manage passenger demand with leg- or segment-based revenue optimization, PROS O&D products to manage passenger demand with passenger name record or PNR based revenue optimization, PROS Real-Time Dynamic Pricing product to determine the optimal prices, PROS Group Revenue Management product to manage group request and booking revenues, PROS Network Revenue Planning product to deliver network-oriented fare class segmentation, PROS Cruise Pricing and Revenue Optimization for customers to understand consumers price sensitivities and track competitor behavior, PROS Hotel Revenue Optimization product that helps customers to enhance pricing decision. In addition, the company provides pricing and implementation professional, and ongoing support and maintenance services. It serves customers in the manufacturing, distribution, services, hotel and cruise, and airline industries primarily through its direct sales force. The company was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

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More than 1 in 10 Americans faced times in the past year when they could not afford adequate housing, according to a Gallup Pollwhich documents how access to affordable housing remains a worldwide problem as countries struggle to emerge from the Great Recession.

People in the U.S. , Europe and Canada, though are in better shape than residents of the former Soviet countries and Sub-Saharan Africa where 31% of adults in each region told G
allup that they did not have enough money to provide adequate� housing for themselves or their families.� In Latin America and the Caribbean the figure is 21% and in Asia it’s 17%. � Pollsters found that 14% of residents of North Africa and the Middle East worried about keeping a roof over their heads along with 8% of residents of Europe and 5% of those living in Canada.

Azerbaijan records the highest percentage (76%) of residents who say they didn’t have enough money for adequate housing of the 128 countries Gallup surveyed in 2009 and 2010. About 4 in 10 residents surveyed in neighboring Georgia (43%) and in Turkmenistan (38%) and Kyrgyzstan (41%) also worried about affordable housing.� This also remains a problem in the Baltic countries of Latvia and Estonia, where 19% say they struggled to afford shelter.

The picture also is bleak in parts of Africa and Asia.� About half or more of adults in Liberia (53%), Chad (51%), and Tanzania (46%) report problems in affording a place to live. Surprisingly, only 19% of residents of Zimbabwe, which has been a disaster economically for years, report that they are dealing with the issue.� This figure has remained little changed� since 2006 and is similar to what pollsters found in South Africa (15%).

Though Singaporeans, at 1%, are the least likely in the world to report housing problems, roughly half of respondents in Cambodia (50%), the Philippines (49%), and Afghanistan (47%) say they’ve faced this situation.� The average remains low throughout the M! iddle Ea st except for Bahrain, where it hits 46%, though the government there has pledged $1 billion to tackle the problem.

Ironically, despite the glut in homes, the problem of affordable homes has only become worse. �The problem is due to the new draconian lending practices of banks, unemployment and the fear that housing has not stopped dropping.

–Jonathan Berr

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Microsoft Kinect (NASDAQ: MSFT) is Virtual Goldmine

Not long ago, the future of Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) was slipping through its grasp.

Then it introduced Kinect.

Today, the tech giant is using Kinect to win big on a breakthrough that will literally touch millions of lives.

It is one of the reasons why Microsoft's stock has gained more than 20% this year.

What is Kinect?

You may recognize it as the best-selling add-on to the Xbox 360 video game. But it's much more than that.

It represents a revolution in how we will communicate with our computers, our TVs, and our smartphones.

For Microsoft, Kinect is literally a game changer. They lead the world in the technology behind it and it promises to be big.

But not just for Microsoft...not by a long shot.

The Promise Behind Microsoft Kinect

The magic behind Kinect is that it responds to body gestures.

And while Kinect did debut to rave reviews, Microsoft executives really didn't understand how Kinect could change the world -- and rack up new sales.

But since its introduction in 2010,hackers have found dozens of very cool uses for Kinect-- none of which did much for Microsoft's bottom line.

This got the software giant to thinking that maybe they were sitting on a potential gold mine.

That's why Microsoft is now tapping the genius of young entrepreneurs to better monetize the technology behind Kinect.

You know, the type of guys who live and breathe cutting-edge high tech.

In fact, Microsoft recently picked 11 startups to work at its Kinect development offices in suburban Seattle. It's a savvy move.

After all, these guys get out of bed every day looking to create the Next Big Thing.

Already, the program shows great promise. Here are some of the slick high-tech ideas these young turks are already tackling:

• Styku only hopes to reinvent how people shop online. The startup's idea is to provide you with a personal avatar that lets you "try on" clothes virtually before you buy them.

• Jintronix uses Kinect and 3D gaming to improve rehabilitative therapies for patients suffering from a motor disability. Virtual reality could be a godsend for stroke victims who want to rehabilitate from their homes.

• GestSure Technologies targets surgeons and hospitals. It wants to bring touchless interfaces into the operating room. Doctors could access computer data during surgery without compromising cleanliness.

• Ikkos uses algorithms to teach movements. Parents will love this one. It's designed to help people develop the body mechanics of an Olympian.

It's too soon to tell if any of these startups will ever go public and give savvy investors the kind of big gains that have been pushing the Nasdaq to new heights lately.

But don't worry. Kinect is bound to provide its share of breakouts.

First of all, Microsoft recently released a version of Kinect for Windows and is now pushing a version with developer software.

In fact, I predict we will see hundreds of applications using Kinect by the end of this decade. And many of them will be practical for every day use.

"Kinected" Carts Follow Shoppers

Take the case of Whole Foods Market Inc. (NASDAQ: WFM). The upscale food store is working on a smart shopping cartequipped with Kinect.

How cool is this? The Kinect cart can automatically follow a shopper through the store. Not only that, it can import a shopping list.

But it gets better -- the system can direct a customer to items on store shelves. It can even scan goods as they are placed in the cart.

My gut tells me they will come up with an app that accepts wireless payments as you roll past a digital register.

And that's just the start. Tur! ns out M icrosoft is working with roughly 300 companies to develop more Kinect uses with Windows.

The list includes big-cap leaders like American Express (NYSE: AXP), Boeing (NYSE: BA) , Mattel (Nasdaq: MAT) , Toyota (Nasdaq: TM) and UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH), to develop Kinect for Windows applications.

In the near term, Kinect likely will have its biggest impact on businesses that can make good use of large screens.

But it won't be long before Kinect becomes a mainstay of PCs, smartphones and tablet computers.

Let me close by saying it's impossible to predict just how much Microsoft can earn from stand-alone sales of Kinect.

That's going to depend on how many applications emerge and how popular they become with the public.

But this much is clear.

Less than a decade ago, operating a computer with the wave of your hand was the stuff of science fiction - remember the movie Minority Report? Now it's becoming reality.

That's what makes Kinect part of the Era of Radical Change, and it won't be long before we find a way for investors to profit from it.

That's exactly why I've created the Era of Radical Change.

It is a unique advisory service that will show you how to profit from the most important trends reshaping the world around us.

I'm referring to trends like:

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Most analysis of the stimulus packages put together by France and the huge $585 billion Chinese program to keep its�GDP growing showthat the capital is already making its way into these economies which is helping employment and spending. Reviews of the $787 billion US effort is that much of the money will not effect the economy until next year.

The US program may end up being a failure simply because it is acting
too slowly and unemployment will probably be 10% by the fall. There has even been discussion of a second stimulus package.

Some leaders making comments about the world economy at the G8 summit are expressing worry that the hundreds of billions of dollars being spent to push global GDP back to positive territory are being used inefficiently.

According to Reuters, “Before there is talk of additional stimulus, I would urge all leaders to focus first on making sure the stimulus that has been announced actually gets delivered,” Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said. The recovery is in an awful bind if Harper’s concerns are accurate.

Part of the process of rebuilding many of the G8 economies has been an unprecedented level of sovereign borrowing in the global capital markets. The US will raise well over $1 trillion this year on its own. Concerns about the national debt of the UK have caused credit rating agencies to voice some�worry about its ability to cover its interest and repayment of principal. The notion that a second set of stimulus packages may be necessary next year raises the specter of capital markets that will not buy notes from major national treasuries unless the interest paid on those notes is significantly higher.

China will probably end up being the “lender of last resort” if several of the G8 nations increase their debt loads next year. China may have the ability to push up rates all on its own by stonewalling governments that are not willing to improve! the yie ld on their paper.

Interest rates across the world would move up sharply in 2010 if a relatively small group of potential buyers are asked to take on the financial needs of some of the largest national economies. And, higher interest rates will further impede any further recover meaning the cycle gets more vicious as time passes.

Douglas A. McIntyre

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Signs indicate we may not give back July gains

Last week was tough for equities: The S&P 500 was down as much as 2.4% in mid-day trading on Friday. With stocks faltering at significant technical resistance, many believe that a retest of prior lows is inevitable — which would mean stocks are in for additional losses of 5% or more despite the market�s rather impressive gains in July.

Another possibility is that buyers are simply taking a timeout. While this seems overly simplistic, there is an important takeaway here. According to the supply and demand measures maintained by Lowry Research, the price declines over the last few days have been the result of a decline in demand rather than a big increase in selling pressure. In other words, instead of a full frontal assault by the short sellers, stocks are falling because buyers decided to take a step back.

I can’t say I blame them. The 14 trading days through Monday — before the recent selloff began — represented the best stretch of performance for stocks since last summer. And much of that gain came within the last six sessions. Breadth improved dramatically as a wide swatch of the market was bid higher. That’s a lot of heavy lifting over a relatively short span. A rest break is in order.

And that’s exactly what the data suggests is happening. Between July 19 and July 26, Lowry’s measure of buying power increased by 46 points or 19% while its measure of selling pressure dropped 44 points or 6.4%. Over the last three days, the measure of buying power has dropped just two points while selling pressure has also fallen by three points. Instead of trying to cause trouble at a time of market vulnerability, the bears are pulling in their claws.

There’s more. Breadth actually improved on Thursday over Wednesday’s session. Net up volume on the NYSE increased to 44% of total up volume while n! et advan cing issues increased from -1,016 to +171. So although price deteriorated over Wednesday’s result, fewer stocks participated in the decline. All of this suggests the bears are either unwilling or unable thus far to mount a serious full-frontal attack on the stock market.

So what we have here is a market that was left vulnerable by buyers stepping away; but the sellers aren’t strong enough to mount an all-out assault. And all the while, medium-term measures of breadth continue to improve. The bulls aren’t finished — they’re just reloading. So expect a few more days of shenanigans before the broad market resumes its upward trend.

Broadly, I’m looking for small-cap stocks and foreign stocks to continue their recent outperformance. The iShares Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) and the iShares Emerging Markets (NYSE: EEM) look attractive at these levels. At the sector level, retail and consumer discretionary stocks are perking up as are materials stocks. The Retail SPDR (NYSE: XRT) and Basic Material SPDR (NYSE: XLB) look good. If you’re looking for individual stocks, be sure to check out Sears Holding (NYSE: SHLD).�

As of this writing, Anthony Mirhaydari did not own a position in any of the stocks named here.

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Gold Is King, Not Cash

Despite most people thinking banks are through the worst of the credit crisis, 279 banks have collapsed since 25th September 2008. That was the day Washington Mutual become the largest bank failure since records began. In fact bank collapses over the past two years eclipsed the previous six year period when only 35 banks were wiped out.

What can we learn from this? Well firstly we should realise that the banking crisis is far from over. While many of the UK high Street banks have been rescued by the UK Government, the Treasury are now under the rating agency spotlight to reduce the national debt. Any future cash injections will be far less forthcoming. So next time one of the lenders goes cap in hand for cash they may have to look elsewhere, or learn to become self sufficient.

During previous economic downturns the traditional stance was that cash was king. If stock markets and property prices were choppy, simply keep the money in the bank. There was never any doubt over the safety of that money. However the world we live in has changed. As a UK saver you are now only protected for �50k in each bank. If the bank goes under, you could lose money. A ridiculous notion 10 years ago but very realistic now. Indeed for those who invested into Icesave a couple of years back, they eventually got lucky and were repaid by the UK Government. The Treasury were convinced they’d be reimbursed by the Icelandic Government but the money never came. Such a future failure may this time fall on deaf ears.

Secondly due to the squeeze on the money markets and record low interest rates, returns for UK savers are around 1% or less. That is then taxed at their prevailing rate. When inflation of over 3% is taken into consideration you are actually making a negative return for the risk you hold that the bank may not survive to repay your capital!

That’s why we are now hearing more and more that cash is no l! onger ki ng, gold is the new king.

One way of avoiding exposure to the banks, to Sterling, and to any counterparty at all is to move some of your savings sideways into physical gold. We’ve been trained throughout our lives to put money away in the bank but with changing times comes the need for changing strategies. There’s simply no need to hold all your liquid assets in Sterling based bank accounts any more.

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Two Out Of Three Isn't Bad - Looks at DGIT, CDII, and KERX

I know it was only a few days ago I last looked at Keryx Biopharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:KERX), but a lot's happened in the meantime, and an update is merited.

In simplest terms, KERX has surpassed another big milestone - the 50-day moving average line (purple). Moreover, since our last look at this small cap stock from July 14th (when we went bullish based on the move above a key resistance line (blue), and the [at the time] attack on the 20-day and 100-day moving averages) we've seen a string of higher lows, and now, higher highs.... enough to press the stock above the last of its potential ceilings.

The only red flag I see waving with Keryx Biopharmaceuticals is the lack of volume behind the move higher. If it doesn't materialize soon, then this thing could peter out pretty quickly. I'm betting the buyers start to show up after today though.



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I wouldn't have guessed this three months ago, but China Direct Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:CDII) has become a pretty good 'trading' stock....meaning you can reliably swing trade it in both directions. For instance, with my last look at it from May 19th (when CDII was trading at $1.45), I suggested this small cap was going to keep tumbling after a break under a major support line. My target price of $1.20 was hit about three weeks later.

In any case, the reason I bring up China Direct Industries is the opposite reason.... a bullish one. Over the last three weeks we've seen this! small c ap form a nice, slow, U-shaped reversal (aka the kind that 'stick') with some help from support at the $1.20 mark. I expect it to keep getting bullish traction. Target-wise, I'd shoot for $2-ish. just watch out for the 200-day line (green) around $1.48.



And finally, a bearish look at DG FastChannel Inc. (NASDAQ:DGIT)....

I'll be honest - I don't even really care that this small cap is down 9% today. Oh, it's certainly no step in the right direction, but we've seen worse dips, many of which are temporary. No, it's not the size and nature of the move that bugs me.... the way it all shaped up.

See, what we're seeing from DG FastChannel shares today is an outside day reversal... the most abrupt intra-day change of heart one can witness, where the opening price is above the prior (bullish) day's entire range, and the close (were DGIT to stop trading right now) under the prior day's low. To see this one occur around a prior high (blue) while the stock's overbought anyway is doubly damning. The strong ceiling volume is the kicker.

If you'd like to receive further updates and any changes in our opinions on CDII, KERX, and DGIT, be sure to sign-up for the SCN Newsletter today! It's FREE.

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Best Wall St. Stocks Today: BAC

Bank of America Corporation (NYSE: BAC) has just issued an update on its capital raising to date.� The banking giant has raised almost $26 billion and said it is “well on its way” to that $33.9 billion buffer that the Fed said it needed back at the release date of the stress test.

Last week came the announcement that the company raised some $13.5 billion via a 1.25 billion “at the money” share offering.� The c
ompany had also seen a capital gain from its China Construction Bank sale.� The bank said that this generated a boost to Tier-1 capital in the amount of $1.8 billion by the deferred tax asset deduction.

An interesting notion here is in the agreement with certain preferred holders, and these are non-government preferred holders.� These were exchanged as $5.9 billion of preferred stock for approximately 436 million shares of common stock.� The bank noted this added $5.9 billion to its Tier-1 capital.

It sounds like Bank of America will continue raising capital when it can.� It said it could issue up to an additional 564 million shares of common stock through the exchange of perpetual preferred shares not owned by the government, subject to market conditions.

The bank has also noted that it previously said it would divest First Republic Bank and Columbia Management Group, as well as the notion that it would establish joint ventures.

This is clearly an effort to get out from under government scrutiny, and ultimately to get out from under the TARP conditions.� The majority of the proceeds are being earmarked to reduce the reliance on government support.

B of A shares are up 2.6% at $11.29 in early trading and we have already seen some 10 million shares trade hands.

JON C.OGG

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Driving continues to get more expensive for Americans, who are now paying an average of $3.911/gallon of regular unleaded gas according to AAA�s Fuel Gauge Report. That�s almost a nickel/gallon more than US drivers paid last week and more than $0.20/gallon above the month-ago price. A year ago the price was lower by more than $0.40/gallon.

A new Gallup poll indicates that Americans worry most about the economy
and gas prices (more coverage here), and the result is people spend less on other things. But they have no choice — for most Americans, gasoline is as necessary as food and shelter. We might be able to cut our driving a bit, but most of us can�t quit completely.

Yet, Americans� driving habits have almost no impact on crude oil prices, which typically account for 60% of the cost of a gallon of gasoline. Americans expect President Obama to do something (our story here), but in reality he has few weapons in his arsenal.

Given the recent trend in gasoline prices, we have less than two weeks til the average price tops $4/gallon. Enjoy them, because they may not return for a while.

Paul Ausick

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Stock Review for Top Healthcare Stock RadNet

RadNet Inc. (NASDAQ: RDNT) last month announced the completion of the acquisition of imaging centers in Brooklyn and Orchard Park from Presgar Imaging and its affiliated entities. The company acquired the imaging centers for a cash consideration of $2.2 million plus the assumption of around $700,000 of debt.

The two centers offer a combination of MRI, CT, PET/CT, ultrasound, mammography, bone density and x-ray. RadNet said that the two centers are expected to add almost $7 million in annual revenue.

In December last year, RadNet reported the execution of a definitive agreement to buy Imaging on Call LLC for $5.5 million plus contingent compensation of up to $2.5 million if certain milestones are achieved.

In third quarter 2010, the company reported quarterly revenue of $140.1 million, which is a quarterly record. The company�s third-quarter revenue increase 5% on a year-over-year basis.

RadNet reported adjusted EBITDA of $28 million for the third quarter of 2010, representing an increase of $2.5 million over the third quarter of 2009. The company posted a net loss of $285,000 for the third quarter of 2010.

For the first nine months of 2010, RadNet reported revenue of $403.2 million, adjusted EBITDA of $76 million and a net loss of $16.2 million.

The company is slated to present at the UBS 21^st Annual Healthcare Services Conference in New York, NY, today at 1:30 p.m. PST.

RadNet shares have a 52-week range of $1.80-$4.20. The stock is currently trading above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages. In the last one year, RadNet shares gained 52.44%. Year-to-date, the small cap stock is up 37.75%.

Los Angeles, California-based RadNet is an operator of a group of regional networks comprising ! of 180 d iagnostic, imaging facilities locates in seven states. The company offers diagnostic imaging services. Its centers also provide multi-modality imaging services.

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Top 10 Energy Stocks: Transocean

The following video is part of our "Motley Fool Conversations" series, in which analyst John Reeves and advisor David Meier discuss topics across the investing world.

What is the future for the drilling industry, and how will Transocean be affected over the long haul? Dave ranks Transocean #5 on his list of top energy stocks because of the company's solid capabilities. The video concludes with Dave's long-term outlook for Transocean.

As oil prices climb, investors can find opportunities to ride the wave of surging profits for energy companies. Transocean is one company that should do well in such an environment. Take a look at a couple of other oil stocks recommended by Motley Fool analysts in a recent special free report: "3 Stocks for $100 Oil." The report won't be available forever, so we invite you to enjoy a free copy today. You can access it by clicking here. Fool on!

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Brazilian stocks drop as China cuts growth outlook

LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) � Stocks in Brazil dropped Monday, with resource-related stocks among those hit, after the country�s biggest trading partner lowered its yearly growth target.

Stocks across Latin America and in the U.S. fell in the wake of the Chinese government�s cut of its economic growth target to 7.5% from last year�s 8%. The move indicated the world�s second-largest economy plans to focus on development of internal consumption and services. Read about China's new 2012 growth target.

Click to Play

China cuts economic projections

China's National People's Congress kicks off with the country dialing back its economic projections for 2012. AFP photo/ Liu Jin

China is Brazil�s biggest trading partner, with Brazil�s key exports there including iron ore and soy.

Mining stocks traded in Sao Paulo struggled Monday, contributing to a 1.2% loss on Brazil�s Ibovespa equity index BR:BVSP �to 66,964.03.

Vale, the world�s largest iron-ore supplier and a heavily weighted issue on the Ibovespa, fell 2.9%. Iron ore MMX Mineracao BR:MMXM3 , top shareholders of which include China�s Wuhan Iron & Steel CN:600005 , declined 4.1%, and steel producer Gerdau G! GB fell 1.7%. Usiminas shares BR:USIM5 , however, bucked the downturn, trading up 2.7%.

Brazilian equities also pulled back ahead of Brazil�s release on Tuesday of fourth-quarter and yearly readings of economic activity. An interest-rate decision by the Brazilian central bank is due Wednesday, and economists widely expect the benchmark rate to be cut from 10.5%.

�I wouldn�t be surprised if until the end of the year we see another 100 [basis points] of cuts, [ a] pause, and depending on numbers such as inflation, growth, foreign-exchange and trade balance that are in place, they will probably continue down that path,� said Heiner Skaliks, portfolio manager of the Strategic Latin America Fund SLATX �, during a recent interview in Los Angeles.

The local yield curve �has begun to flirt� with a rate cut of three-quarters of a percentage point, said analysts at Ita� BBA on Monday. But they added that most economists, including those at Ita�, expect a fifth consecutive cut of a half-percentage point to 10%.

�We expect the accompanying statement to indicate more cuts ahead. In addition, [policy makers] might replace the �restrictive global environment� rhetoric with a reference to the booming global liquidity,� Ita� BBA analysts said.

Policy makers may also �incorporate the �single-digit� guidance that has already appeared in the minutes� of previous ! policy m eetings, they said.

Brazil�s currency USDBRL �pulled back on Monday, with the dollar rising to 1.734 reals, up from 1.729 reals Friday when the real lost ground in the wake of tax measures aimed at curbing the currency�s strength.

Skaliks said he�d be comfortable seeing the dollar at the 1.85 real level. �The 1.60 [level] is too expensive and not competitive for exports, and definitely 2.10, 2.20 is an undervalue.�

A lower benchmark interest rate and government intervention measures can reduce a currency�s attractiveness.

Skaliks said Brazil overall remains a key destination for investors searching for higher-yielding assets as well as for aiming to benefit from activity surrounding Brazil�s hosting of the World Cup soccer tournament in 2014 and the Summer Olympics in 2016.

Oil and gas stocks closed lower on Monday although oil futures fought back from losses spurred by demand concerns following China�s lowered growth outlook and mixed economic data from the U.S. and Europe.

Crude for April delivery �turned up 2 cents to $106.72 a barrel. Read about oil prices in Futures Movers.

Stock in Petrobras PBR , Brazil�s state-run oil producer, fell 2.8%. OGX Petroleo e Gas BR:OGXP3 �fell 1%, and Ultrapar BR:UGPA3 �shed 0.2%.

In Mexico, the IPC MX:IPC �lost 0.5% to end at 38,155.27. Argentina�s Merval AR:MERV �fell 2.4% to 2,690.58, and Chile�s IPSA CL:IPSA �declined 1% to 4,506.41.

On Wall Street, the S&P 500 Index SPX �gave up 0.4% to close at 1,364.33. Read about U.S. stocks in Market Snapshot.

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PDF Solutions, Inc after Quarter Results obtained confidence of investors - PDFS

PDF Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:PDFS) shares were transacted unexpectedly with a volume of 0.41 million shares as compared to its average volume of 0.11 million shares. PDFS opened at $6.25 scored +5.79% closed $6.40. Its 52 week price range is $3.45 - $6.55.

PDFS has earnings of $0.23 million and made $61.65 million sales for the last 12 months. Its quarter to quarter sales remained 9.68%. The company has 27.55 million of outstanding shares and 23.09 million shares were floated in the market.

PDFS has an insider ownership at 5.56% and institutional ownership remained 50.05%. Its return on investment (ROI) for the last 12 month was 0.42% as compare to its return on equity (ROE) of 0.47% for the last 12 months.
The price moved ahead +11.99% from the mean of 20 days, +24.62% from 50 and went up 43.51% from 200 days average price. Company�s performance for the week was 13.27%, +7.38% for month and yearly performance remained 56.10%.

Its price volatility for a month remained 5.58% whereas volatility for a week noted as 5.21% having beta of 1.59. Company�s price to sales ratio for last 12 months was 2.86 while its price to book ratio for the most recent quarter was 3.48 and its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) remained 4.01 million for the past twelve months.

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Keep Your Portfolio Moving With Moving Averages

Options traders are always looking for ways to predict how the market will move, and you’ve likely heard professional traders talk about a stock’s moving average, which can help you to gauge whether it’s time to buy puts or calls.

The term simply means the average closing price for a stock over any period — 200-day, 50-day or even five-day moving averages are some of the more common, and significant, measures.

For instance, a 50-day moving average is calculated by adding the closing prices for the last 50 days and dividing the total by 50. After the next trading day ends, the oldest day’s closing price is dropped and replaced with the newer figure.

The point to this exercise is that the moving average smoothes out day-to-day swings in prices and creates a recent context in which to judge a stock’s price trends.

So, over time, the average moves as new data is added and old data is dropped. This calculation is known as a “simple moving average,” as each day in the trading period carries equal weight.

There are other, more complex types of moving averages — exponential, triangular, variable and weighted are some of the more popular ones. But as you’re getting started with looking at technical analysis and trends, the simple moving average (which is also known as an “arithmetic” moving average) may be the most important one for you to learn first.

Moving averages serve to even out stock price fluctuations, making it easier to spot trading trends. And, of course, “the trend is your friend,” but it can be difficult for even the savviest traders to spot them, because stocks — and, by proxy, their option chains — don’t move in a straight line.

Time frames also come into play when considering the usefulness of the information moving averages provide, and it’s important t! o consid er a stock’s short-term and long-term performance. Short-term traders use the 10-day moving average, traders who buy and hold for a few weeks or months look at the 50-day moving average and longer-term investors consult the 200-day moving average for the type of performance they want for as long as they anticipate holding the security.

But because the data could be subject to interpretation, traders could look at each average and see a different trend, either upward or downward. So, the key is to decide which trend or trends apply to your style of options trading.

Like any indicator, moving averages are only helpful if you know how to use them.

Many options traders only consider buying call options when a stock’s price is trading above their preferred moving average and buying put options when a stock’s price is trading below that level.

For some option traders, moving averages can also serve as sell signals. If a stock closes below its moving average at the end of a trading day, this could be a signal that it’s time to bail on the calls because the stock may be likely to start a downtrend. Conversely, if a stock closes above its moving average, it could be time to consider closing put option positions because it indicates the stock may rise.

You can visit OptionsZone-dot-com-slash-GetAQuote to view stock charts. Once you type in a ticker, you can select the word “charts” in the dropdown menu next to the ticker and click “Go.” Once the chart is generated, you can click on the option to view a “Java Chart.” (You can download Java for free at Java.com.) From there, you can hit the “Settings” button and select “Moving Averages” from the “Indicators” sub-menu to view the 20-, 50- and 200-day moving averages for a particular stock.

Although you may choose your options plays on a variety of different factors, knowing how the underlying stock is behaving — or can be expected ! to behav e — can serve to ensure your options portfolio keeps moving up and that you’re moving on from positions that might be past their prime.

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If you enjoyed this article, check out Bryan Perry’s “How Stock Splits Impact Options” and “Keep Risk in Check.”

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XPO Logistics Completes Equity Investment of up to $150 Million

Bradley Jacobs becomes Chairman and CEO of former Express-1 Expedited Solutions

BUCHANAN, Mich.–(CRWENewswire)– XPO Logistics, Inc. (NYSE Amex: XPO) (�Company�) today completed the previously announced equity investment led by Jacobs Private Equity, LLC. Under the terms of the transaction, Jacobs Private Equity and minority co-investors will invest an aggregate of up to $150 million in cash in the Company, including an investment by Jacobs Private Equity of up to $135 million, in each case including amounts payable upon exercise of warrants.

Upon closing, Bradley Jacobs, managing director of Jacobs Private Equity, became the chairman of the Company�s new board of directors, which is comprised of G. Chris Andersen, Michael Jesselson, Adrian Kingshott, James Martell, Jason Papastavrou and Oren Shaffer. Jacobs will also serve as chief executive officer.

The transaction received stockholder approval by vote on September 1, 2011. Additionally, stockholders approved the Company�s new name of XPO Logistics, Inc. (formerly Express-1 Expedited Solutions, Inc.), effective immediately. The stock will continue to trade under the symbol XPO.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about beliefs or expectations, are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on plans, estimates and projections at the time the statements are made, and readers should not place undue reliance on them. In some cases, readers can identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking terms such as �may,� �will,� �should,� �expect,� �intend,� �plan,� �anticipate,� �believe,� �estimate,� �predict,� �potential� or �continue� or the negative of these terms or other comparable terms. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties and readers are cautioned that a number of important factors could cause act! ual resu lts to differ materially from those contained in any such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in this press release include, among others: potential fluctuations in operating results and expenses, government regulation, technology change, competition and the potential inability to identify and consummate acquisitions and arrange adequate financing. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements included in this press release, which speak only as of the date hereof. Neither the Company nor any other person undertakes any obligation to update any of these statements in light of new information or future events.

About XPO Logistics, Inc.

Founded in 1989, XPO Logistics, Inc. is a non-asset-based, third-party logistics services provider that uses a network of relationships with ground, sea and air carriers to find the best transportation solutions for its customers. The Company offers its services through three distinct business units: Express-1, Inc. (expedited transportation solutions), the fifth largest U.S. expedited freight service provider, according to The Journal of Commerce; Concert Group Logistics, Inc. (domestic and international freight forwarding); and Bounce Logistics, Inc. (premium truckload brokerage). The Company serves more than 4,000 retail, commercial, manufacturing and industrial customers through six U.S. operations centers and 23 agent locations. In 2010, the Company completed more than 144,000 transactions for customers and generated revenues of approximately $158 million. www.xpocorporate.com

Contact:

Brunswick Group
Steve Lipin / Gemma Hart, +1-212-333-3810

Source: XPO Logistics, Inc.

THIS IS NOT A RECOMMENDATION TO BUY OR SELL ANY SECURITY!

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