TD Ameritrade/AMTD

Candlestick pattern today:
Matching Low Bullish

staples stocks

No matter how bad or good, buy through staples stocks could be a good investment. Year to date through June 8, this sector, which represents 9.3% of the S&P 500 index, rose 5.2% compared with a 6.3% gain for the “500.” In 2006, this sector rose 11.8% versus a 13.6% rise for the S&P 500. There are 12 industry indexes in this sector; household products is the largest, representing 22% of the sector’s market value.
see ranking in consumer staples sector

AMTD

SEC filings revealed two hedge funds, JANA Partners and S.A.C.
Capital, have built up a position in TD Ameritrade, representing about
8.4% of its shares, and their goal is for the online broker to merge with a peer.
Sentiment: Buy

Setbacks

MSCI AC World index (which includes emerging markets) is up 113% since March 2003.
The MSCI Emerging market index is now 181% above its 2003 low and
214% above its late 1990s high. Europe, Japan, and Asia Pac (ex Japan) have
seen similar performances since 2000 (+130%). Although the U.S. has lagged
(+88% since 2003), this is still a respectable absolute performance. It has been
a global bull market.We all know that markets don’t rise in a straight line.
This four-year bull market has seen four meaningful (5%+) setbacks. Each has
followed a 15%+ rally in the World index and has offered an opportunity to buy
ahead of the next upward move. Sure, these sell-offs may have been painful for
leveraged traders (especially the 11% setback in May 2006), but the biggest
mistake for any long-term investor would have been to sell into these dips.
Source: Smith Barney, Portfolio Strategist.

by Ken Kam

MSN Strategy Lab, 6/14/07 - Ken Kam shares his personal plan to build a safer safety net for our kids ("A safety net safer than Social Security," by Ken Kam) click here

recent trades

Jun 5, Sell ELN
Jun 5, Buy ALVR
Jun 8, Buy GLT
Jun 13, Buy RIO
Jun 13, Buy WNR
in my virtual funds

Lodging REITs

for income-oriented investors. With the dollar at multi-year lows against many major global currencies, international travelers have more money in their pockets. Lodging REITs could be attractive!
Stock pick idea:
Sunstone Hotel Investors SHO
Strategic Hotels & Resorts BEE
Host Hotels & Resorts HST

Short funds

top contenders with short funds

REITs stock pick today

for income-oriented investors.
Through April, the Standard & Poor’s REIT Composite gained 3.8%. Pretty resilient, given the collapse of the subprime mortgage industry, and the significant slowdown in the housing market, but a pale shadow of the index’s 2006 gain of 35.4%, and the three-year return of 25.7%.According to the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, REITs enjoyed a 6.55% annual yield for the 10 years ending January 2005.
Hrpt Properties Trust HRP and North Star Realty NRF both have higher-than-average yields.
see forum about this topic

PTR chart

chinese growth

prospects are undeniably stronger than those in the United States or other developed international markets. Current Chinese sell-off will likely spark some healthy short term profit taking only. I expect the Chinese economy, which grew 11.1% in the first quarter, to remain strong as momentum builds leading up to the 2008 Summer Olympics.
But, where to put your money?
PTR Petrochina, company’s potential in oil and gas reserves, and stable production with help from a recent discovery in Bohai Bay.
PTR is top holding #9 in my energy sector fund

wall street

A Random Walk Down Wall Street: The Time-Tested Strategy for Successful Investing, Ninth Edition