Earnings Preview: Good News For Oil, Bad News For Gold And Copper (SCCO, TRP, NEM, SU)

Earnings season for Q1 2013 is well on its way, with several bellwether commodity stocks already reporting better-than-expected results. Agribusiness giant Monsanto Company (MON) posted earnings that significantly beat out estimates: earnings rose 22%, while profits came in at $1.48 billion. Meanwhile, Halliburton (HAL) reported an unprofitable quarter, though the company added $1 billion to reserves tied to litigation involving the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion. Barrick Gold (ABX) also beat analyst expectations, clocking in an EPS of $0.86 [for more oil news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].

Posted in Commodity Producers, Copper, Earnings, Earnings Reports, Energy, Gold, Industrial Metals, Natural Gas, Precious Metals, WTI | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Battle Metals vs. Miners: Gold Edition 2012

Gold investors were in for a wild ride this year, as several major economic events thrust the precious metal into some rather volatile swings. Between the announcement of QE3, the President’s reelection, and the fiscal cliff talks, gold’s performance was all over the board, though the metal managed to post solid but relatively lower gains on the year. As a result, two popular exchange-traded funds saw a lot of activity in 2012: State Street’s SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) and Van Eck’s Market Vectors TR Gold Miners ETF (GDX). A close look at the performances on a year-to-date basis shows just how vastly different these two approaches to the gold market can be [for more gold ETF news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter]:

Posted in Academic Research, Asset Allocation, Commodity ETF Analysis, Commodity ETFs, Commodity Producers, Gold, Precious Metals | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

13 Commodity Earnings You Can’t Afford to Miss

As we enter the latter half of earnings season, it is time for a number of the world’s biggest and most significant commodity-based firms to report their results from their most recent fiscal quarter. The figures they post as well as the guidance they provide will have not only a big impact on their stock, but some of the bellwethers will actually have an impact on the commodity itself. Below, we have compiled a list of some of the biggest and most important commodity firms to report earnings this week, all of which you should keep a watchful eye on [for more commodity news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].

Posted in Actionable Ideas, Agriculture, Asset Allocation, Commodity Producers, Energy, Gold, Industrial Metals, Natural Gas, Precious Metals, Steel, WTI | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Top 5 Gold Miner Stocks by Market Cap

Physical and futures-based investments in gold have been a mainstay in many investors portfolios for years now, but allocations to gold mining and exploration companies have quickly solidified their place in the commodity world. Although they do not have a perfect correlation to spot bullion prices, these stocks offer indirect access to arguably the world’s most popular safe haven while at the same time providing equity exposure that has a unique risk/return profile. For those who have a bullish outlook on gold prices and the mining industry, we outline five of the biggest gold mining and exploration companies by market cap [for more gold news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].

Posted in Commodity Producers, Gold, Precious Metals | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Inside Ron Paul’s Gold and Silver Portfolio

Ron Paul has long been known to make rather bold statements on the U.S. economy. And while he has continued to run for President in recent years, with each campaign being more successful than the last, his views have also made him a popular name in the investing world. Particularly in the precious metals space, Ron Paul has had a lot of sway in recent years with his comments on gold and silver. But he does not stop at just making comments on these two commodities, he takes it a step further and puts his money where his mouth is [for more commodity news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].

Posted in Actionable Ideas, Asset Allocation, Gold, Precious Metals, Silver | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Investing In Gold: The Definitive Guide

Gold is one of the rarest metals in the world, and has a long history as a valuable and intensely sought-after element. The precious metal has served as the basis for physical currency for thousands of years, and many monetary systems throughout human history have utilized a gold standard that focused on the precious metal. Exploration and production of gold has become a major industry in regions that maintain significant deposits of the metal, and quests for gold have been the impetus of countless expeditions and discoveries [for more gold news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].

Posted in Academic Research, Actionable Ideas, Asset Allocation, Commodity ETFs, Commodity Futures, Commodity Producers, Gold, Precious Metals | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

10 Gold Miners That Pay a Dividend

After the announcement of QE3, investors everywhere began flocking to gold. The precious metal has a number of appealing features, but its most alluring at the moment is its ability to hedge against a flailing dollar. With Bernanke and company slated to print $40 billion per month for an unknown duration, it seems that the greenback is due for a slump. Aside from the metal itself, many investors are also fond of gold equities, as they offer indirect exposure to the commodity, while allowing for advantages like a dividend. Below, we outline 10 gold miners that are currently paying a dividend to consider for your portfolio [for more gold news subscribe to our free newsletter].

Posted in Actionable Ideas, Asset Allocation, Commodity Producers, Gold, Precious Metals | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

3 Countries With The Largest Gold Reserves

Gold has a rich history throughout the centuries as a store of value and a means of exchange (money) for goods and services between peoples all over the world, no matter the particular culture. Perhaps that is because gold is found in so many locations around the globe. Today, gold producing countries are found on nearly all continents and run the gamut from economic superpowers like the United States to small, emerging market economies. No single country produces more than 14% of the gold mined each year, making it truly a global industry [for more gold news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].

Posted in Academic Research, Actionable Ideas, Gold, Precious Metals | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

50 Ways To Invest In Gold

Gold investing has long been a popular option for investors looking to diversify their holdings. The precious metal is actively traded by a number of individuals and institutions, but is also held by a number of other investors as well. It has become a popular safe haven as there seems to be very few safe options left, especially now that the Swiss franc has been pegged to the euro. A gold allocation can also act as a hedging tool in a portfolio, as the metal’s price typically moves inversely when compared to major equity benchmarks, generally offering nice returns when broad markets are slumping [see also The Ultimate Guide To Gold Investing].

Posted in Academic Research, Commodity ETFs, Commodity Futures, Commodity Producers, Exclusive, Gold | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 37 Comments

Are Gold Miners A Buy?

Gold fever has struck the markets as unstable equities have led to the metal appreciating at a rapid pace. In fact, the price per ounce has shot up roughly 50% in the trailing year as a number of factors have converged to drive the price skyward. As the metal has rapidly approached the $2,000 per ounce level, investors have begun to speculate whether or not it is overvalued. There are compelling arguments for either side, but the truth is, gold is a difficult asset to value; it produces no cash flow, pays out no dividends, and has no underlying financials to sort through to determine what its true value is. One analyst goes as far to say that trying to value the metal is like “trying to solve a Rubik’s cube while you are blindfolded” [see also Three Ways To Play $2,000 Gold].

Posted in Commodity ETFs, Commodity Producers, Exclusive, Gold | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments