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Saturday, December 31, 2011

10 Dividend Stocks Retirees Should Buy In 2012

By Parsimony Investment Research.

Our central belief is that in a low interest-rate world, retirees are experiencing dwindling incomes from their risk-free assets (e.g. government bonds and cash equivalents). With ultra easy monetary policy the Federal Reserve will continue to pick the pockets of savers by keeping rates low with inflation (as measured by the CPI) at above 3%. We do not foresee interest rates at the short end of the curve rising any time soon. The debt burdens of sovereign governments as well as consumers are simply too high.
(Click charts to expand)
Stable Income Streams
With a diversified portfolio of high-quality dividend paying stocks (like the ones on the list below), retirees can generate a stable income stream that will perform well in bull or bear markets.
While this is not an exhaustive list of high-quality dividend stocks, this sample portfolio would yield 6.4% with an average beta of 0.46. In addition, all of these stocks are in defensive industries and they have P/E ratios below 20.
As shown in the table below, the stocks on the list above have a positive history of dividend growth (even throughout the recent recession).
Tactical Strategy
Due to the current market rally (which we believe will be short lived), investors should consider waiting for a pullback in these stocks to enter a new position or to add to an existing position.
Most of the stocks above are currently in a positive uptrend. As such, investors should be looking for near-term areas of support as potential entry points. Below are a couple of examples:
Abbott (ABT) should get some decent support in the $54.00 range. As shown in the chart above, the upward trend line, the 50-day moving average and support from the recent November low all converge in that area (see green box). Additional support will likely be found at the 200-day moving average ($51.46). We think that $52.00-$54.00 would be a great near-term entry point for ABT.
Verizon (VZalso has a very nice uptrend in place. The stock should find near-term support around the 50-day ($37.61) and 200-day ($36.23) moving averages. We think that $36.00-$38.00 would be a great near-term entry point for VZ.

Friday, December 30, 2011

6 Stocks Over $20 To Double In 2012

Brian Nichols

Every year, there are a handful of stocks that more than double with fundamental gains and investor optimism. However, in 2012, the stocks that more than double could be stocks that fell in 2011 despite fundamental gains. There are a large number of stocks that are trading lower in 2011 despite showing incredible growth. Conditions in Europe have caused us to trade stocks with fear rather than with an eye to fundamental growth. I anticipate that 2012 will be the year of the recovery, with fewer momentum stocks trending higher. Although there will be some stocks with large gains in 2011 that will continue to trend higher, I expect the majority of large gains to be stocks that have been beaten down in 2011 because of fear and speculation. Therefore, we'll be looking at 7 stocks expected to trade higher in 2012 and potentially double. Most are stocks that have yet to trade higher on fundamental gains along with a few stocks that have posted gains in 2011, but are growing so remarkably fast that gains should continue.
Chart forUnited States Steel Corp. (<a href='http://seekingalpha.com/symbol/x' title='United States Steel Corporation'>X</a>)
United States Steel Corporation (Xis trading with a 56% loss year-to-date after questions surrounding the economy and the future of steel pushed the stock lower. This stock is the most controversial and difficult to predict because steel stocks are so volatile and the opinions regarding steel futures vary by a large degree. In my opinion, steel stocks are the best to own at this time: because most are over sold and with the encouraging data surrounding the economy it's likely that these stocks see a push higher during the first half of 2012. U.S. Steel is my second favorite steel stock and I'd say it's probably the safest investment of the steel companies. It's very diversified and should benefit from strong auto sales; an increase in farming equipment; and additional oil drilling equipment. U.S. Steel is affected by a large number of industries that are showing significant strength that I expect will drive the price of steel higher.
U.S. Steel is currently trading at $25.50 and is showing its highest level of growth since 2008. During the last 12 months the company's reported double digit revenue growth and posted $19.36 billion. The last time this stock was reporting this level of revenue it was trading over $100 a share; however it's slipped with increased fear surrounding Europe along with uncertainty regarding the demand of silver during the immediate future. I'm encouraged with recent economic data and believe that X has the potential to double from its current price. It's trading with a forward P/E of just 9.94 and is now trading with two consecutive quarters of net income which should create optimism among investors. However, a large factor will be demand in China along with the company's costs which will affect its bottom line. Yet even with questions the future is too bright to reflect such loss within the company's stock and I believe that 2012, especially the first quarter, will prove to be particularly well for investors of X.
Chart forGeneral Motors Company (<a href='http://seekingalpha.com/symbol/gm' title='General Motors Company'>GM</a>)
The auto industry is perhaps my favorite industry for long-term value within the market and I believe that General Motors (GM) will more thandouble in 2012. The fundamental gains of GM are yet to be realized and the stock has traded lower with a year-to-date loss of 45%. The company's reported solid quarters with strong revenue growth year-over-year and is selling units at its best rate since cash-for-clunkers. Yet the stock has slipped with the volatility of the market and is now trading at just 4.5x earnings.
There have been many to speculate as to why the auto industry has been hit so hard during the last 6 months. The only logical explanation is fear regarding the impact of the European financial crisis along with fear of a potential recession in the U.S. The company does have a dependency on Europe, however the majority of the company's business has always been American sales and even though sales in Europe have been problematic people still have to drive and the drop isn't enough to offset the strong domestic improvements.
The issues in Europe are severe and have caused widespread panic within the markets and many believe we are headed towards another recession. This belief seems somewhat premature since auto sales are increasing and nearly all economic data suggests growth within the economy. Therefore I believe our economy is less dependent on Europe than what we may believe. However, the threat of another recession is enough to entice fear among investors and cause us to relive the harsh reality of GM's performance during the recession in 2008.
I'm expecting large gains from GM in 2012 and I believe that the questions surrounding both the U.S. economy and this company will soon be answered with gains. The company's new found emphasis on fuel efficiency has created a demand among consumers who are actually saving money by purchasing a new vehicle. And with higher sales; a new labor deal; and improving economic data I see no reason that this company won't trade off fundamental progress in 2012 which would be substantial gains of more than 100%.
Chart forDiamond Foods, Inc. (<a href='http://seekingalpha.com/symbol/dmnd' title='Diamond Foods, Inc.'>DMND</a>)
Diamond Foods (DMND) is one of the most volatile stocks in the market. During the first 9 months, through September 21, the stock traded with optimism and large gains of 75% yet during the last 3 months the stock's lost more than 60% of its value. It's now trading at 13x earnings with a year-to-date loss of 45% despite substantial revenue and earnings growth during the last 12 months compared to 2010.
Diamond Foods has been one of the fastest growing food processing companies within the market and has returned very large gains over the last five years. The last two years have been significant for the company as it's grown revenue and earnings by the largest margin in its history. However, the stock's gains have also been a result of speculation regarding the acquisition of Pringles and investors believing that with Pringles DMND could become a massive company and expand with additional brands. Therefore, when Procter & Gamble (PG) announced that the sale was being postponed due to accounting issues and an investigation its stock got hammered and has traded lower ever since.
The stock continues to trade volatile at any mention of its purchase of Pringles. Earlier this month the stock nearly doubled after a report that its accounting probe was near an end and would find no wrong doings. The reaction of the stock to this news shows the level of interest in this company and what could happen if no accounting issues are found within the company. Therefore the future of this stock depends on what you believe will be found during the investigation and if the company will be able to acquire Pringles. Procter & Gamble has reassured investors on several occasions that it plans to sell Pringles following this investigation and I believe it will occur sometime in 2012. As a result I expect large gains in DMND and I anticipate the stock continuing its trend towards all-time highs within the next six months.
Chart forSodaStream International Ltd. (<a href='http://seekingalpha.com/symbol/soda' title='SodaStream International'>SODA</a>)
Sometimes people forget that The Coca-Cola Company (KO) began with one product and with innovation and time became a $150 billion company; and I believe that Sodastream (SODA) presents the same possibilities. SODA has been a hot stock over the last year as investors purchased the company that develops, manufactures, and sells home beverage carbonation systems. The stock is now trading at near even year-to-date after a 60% loss since August 1. The loss is a result of several factors which include volatility within the market and a fear that the company's products are nothing more than just a fad or products that will no longer be relevant in the future.
I believe that SODA's best years are still to come and that it will post huge gains in 2012. During its most recent quarter the company grew revenue by nearly 40% and posted an income growth of 275% year-over-year. In addition the company's margins are improving and the company's balance sheet is flawless with no debt. I am bullish on this company's short-term and long-term future and believe that it has the potential to become a very large stock. SODA continues to innovate with additional soda makers and flavors that appeal to all consumers. And the products are more available to consumers with over 45,000 retail stores selling its product, after the company significantly added to the number of retailers that sell its products. Therefore with new products and more vendors I anticipate faster growth and for SODA to trend much higher in 2012.
Chart forEbix Inc. (<a href='http://seekingalpha.com/symbol/ebix' title='Ebix Inc'>EBIX</a>)
Ebix (EBIX) is trading with a year-to-date loss of nearly 4% after several discouraging articles accused the company of fraudulent accounting practices. Yet over the last three months the stock has recovered and posted a gain of more than 50% with fundamental progress that is too strong to ignore. Ebix is a fast growing supplier of cloud based software and is the leading vendor for the insurance industry; and has a strong global presence. The company's oversees growth has been a catalyst for its fundamental gains which include revenue growth of nearly 30% during its most recent quarter.
During the last twelve months Ebix has operated with a profit and operating margin of 40% and has solid returns on both its assets and equity. The company's balance sheet improves year-over-year with less debt and additional assets from multiple acquisitions. The company's growth during the last 12 months include a 21% revenue gain and net income gains of 18% compared to 2010; and most believe these gains will remain consistent over the next several years as cloud based software grows in usage and as the company enters into new regions of the globe. Overall, I see very few issues with this company and I believe that its fundamental progress has been ignored as a result of fear regarding accounting issues and a potential recession in Europe. And although there is no way of knowing for sure if accounting issues are present I believe investors can benefit from reading an article from fellow SA writer Sunil Shah. Shah did a great job at breaking down the allegations and used his experience as an accountant to pick apart the misleading articles from Copperfield Research and Barrons. These two articles were instrumental in the fall of EBIX and I urge investors to read both sides before making a decision. And after reading both sides and performing my own due diligence of this company I believe it has great growth potential and that it will soon post very large gains and more than double in 2012.
Chart forIPG Photonics Corporation (<a href='http://seekingalpha.com/symbol/ipgp' title='IPG Photonics Corporation'>IPGP</a>)
IPG Photonics (IPGP) provides high power fiber lasers for diverse applications in numerous markets. Its lasers are used for cutting, drilling and welding among others and has a large presence in many industries which includes medical and communications. IPG Phontonics is a behind-the-scenes company with advanced technology that is only growing and showing no sign of slowing down. However, the stock began to fall in early July as concerns in Europe began to take control of U.S. markets and sent momentum stocks such as IPGP trending lower.
Prior to July 1 the stock had returned a gain of nearly 370%, in the year prior, after posting remarkable fundamental growth. However, the stock's lost more than 50% since July 1, as a result of heavy selling pressure within the market and mounting concerns over the future of the euro zone. I believe that IPGP is presenting unprecedented value and that its current valuation of just 14.5x earnings is a great purchase point for large gains in 2012. During its most recent quarter the company posted revenue gains of 61% and earning gains of nearly 150% year-over-year. The company's returned similar growth throughout 2011 with revenue growth of 51% and net income growth of 110% during the last 12 months compared to 2010 which reflect much better margins. I see no reason that this stock doesn't recover in 2012 and trade significantly higher. The losses over the last 6 months have been a result of speculation and profit taking after a 370% gain during the year prior. But now that profits have been taken I anticipate the stock trading off fundamental gains in 2012 which will provide a substantial return for investors who take advantage of its value.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Top 10 Most Famous Temples in Asia

Taktsang Dzong: Situated on the edge of a 900 meter (3,000 feet) cliff, the Taktsang Monastery or Tiger’s Nest creates an impressive sight, and is the unofficial symbol of Bhutan. It is about 2-3 hour, totally up-hill hike from the parking lot to the temple. The original monastery was constructed in the 17th century but most of its buildings were destroyed in a tragic fire in 1998. Since then the temple has been painstakingly restored to its former glory.

Lotus Temple: Known as the Lotus Temple due to its flowerlike shape, the Bahá’í House of Worship is the most famous temple of the Bahá’í Faith. The lotus shape of the temple is formed by 27 free-standing marble clad petals arranged in clusters of three to form nine sides. Since its opening in 1986 it has become one of Delhi’s most visited buildings. The lush park around is well landscaped but mostly off-limits.

Angkor Wat (”City Temple”) is a vast temple complex at Angkor, built for king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. The Angkor temple stands on a raised terrace above the rest of the city. It is made of three rectangular galleries rising to a central tower, each level higher than the last. It is the only temple at Angkor to have remained a religious centre since its construction, first as a Hindu temple then as a Buddhist temple.

Borobudur: Located on the Indonesian island of Java, 40 km (25 miles) northwest of Yogyakarta, the Borobudur is the largest and most famous Buddhist temple in Indonesia. The Borobudur was built over a period of some 75 years in the 8th and 9th centuries by the kingdom of Sailendra, out of an estimated 2 million blocks of stone. It was abandoned in the 14th century for reasons that still remain a mystery and for centuries lay hidden in the jungle under layers of volcanic ash.

Baalbek: Baalbek is a spectacular archaeological site in northeastern Lebanon. From the 1st century BC and over a period of two centuries, the Romans built three temples here: Jupiter, Bacchus and Venus. Created to be the largest temple in the Roman empire, the temple of Jupiter was lined by 54 massive granite columns each of which were 21 meters (70 feet) tall. Only 6 of these colossal columns remain standing but even they are incredibly impressive. The best preserved temple at the site is the Temple of Bacchus built in 150 AD.

Harmandir Sahib: The Harmandir Sahib, better known as the Golden Temple is the main attraction in Amritsar, and the most important religious place to the Sikhs. Construction of the famous temple was begun by Guru Ram Dast in the 16th century and completed by his successor Guru Arjan. In the 19th century, Maharaja Ranjit Singh covered the upper floors of the temple with gold, which gives it its distinctive appearance and English name. It’s a stunning temple, and always full of thousands of pilgrims from all over India, excited to be at a place that they usually only see on television.

Golden Pavilion: Kinkaku-ji or the Temple of the Golden Pavilion is the most popular tourist attraction in Kyoto. The pavilion was originally built as a retirement villa for Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu in the late 14th century, and converted into a Zen temple by his son. Unfortunately, the pavilion was burnt down in 1950 by a young monk who had become obsessed with it. Five years later, the temple was rebuilt as an exact copy of the original. The beautiful landscaping and the reflection of the famous temple on the face of the water make for a striking sight.

Temple of Heaven: The Temple of Heaven in Beijing is regarded as a Taoist Temple although Chinese Heaven worship pre-dates Taoism. The temple was constructed from 1406 to 1420 during the reign of the Yongle Emperor, who was also responsible for the construction of the Forbidden City in Beijing. Not only a beautiful sight, the temple is also surrounded by a vast public park popular with local residents practicing tai chi in the mornings and on weekends.

Temple of the Emerald Buddha: The Wat Phra Kaew or Temple of the Emerald Buddha is a famous temple in Bangkok, located within the grounds of the Grand Palace. The main building is the central ubosoth, which houses The Emerald Buddha. A jade statue adorned in gold clothing it is one of the oldest and most famous Buddha statues in the world.

Ranakpur Temple: Dedicated to Adinatha, the Jain Temple in Ranakpur rises majestically from the slope of a hill. The temple is supported by over 1444 marble pillars, carved in exquisite detail. The pillars are all differently carved and no two pillars are the same. The construction of the temple and quadrupled image symbolize the Tirthankara’s conquest of the four cardinal directions and hence the cosmos. The dating of this temple is controversial but it was probably built between the late 14th and mid-15th centuries.

Top 10 Gothic Cathedrals of Medieval Europe

Burgos Cathedral The Burgos Cathedral is really a medieval cathedral in Burgos, devoted to the Virgin Mary. It's famous for its vast dimension and unique Gothic architecture. Building of Burgos Cathedral began in 1221, and after an extended hiatus of almost 2 hundreds of years, was completed in 1567. Within 1919 the cathedral became the actual burial place of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (“El Cid”), as well as his wife Doña Jimena.

 Chartres Cathedral The Chartres Cathedral is situated in of Chartres, a city near Paris that seems as well small to fit the Cathedral. Not just is Chartres Cathedral one of the best examples of the French Higher Gothic style, it is nearly perfectly preserved. The majority of the initial stained glass windows survive undamaged, while the architecture has observed only minor changes since the first 13th century.

Santa Maria del Fiore Begun in 1296 in the actual Gothic style and completed in 1436, The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is actually Florence’s beautiful cathedral and symbol of the town. The exterior of the basilica is actually faced with polychrome marble sections in various shades of eco-friendly and pink bordered by whitened. The basilica is one of Italy’s biggest churches, and until the contemporary era, the dome was the biggest in the world. It remains the biggest brick dome ever constructed.

Cologne Cathedral Easily the finest Gothic cathedral in Germany, Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) may be Cologne’s most famous landmark for hundreds of years. Once the tallest building in the actual world, it still has the biggest facade anywhere. The famous cathedral stands on the website of a 4th century Roman forehead, followed by a church commissioned by Maternus, the very first Christian bishop of Cologne. Construction of the current Gothic church began in 1248 as well as took, with interruptions, more than six hundred years to complete. It is dedicated to the actual saints Peter and Mary and it is the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Perfume.

Notre Dame de Paris Notre Dame de Paris is really a beautiful Catholic cathedral in the actual fourth arrondissement of Paris. Begun in 1163 it had been essentially complete by around 1345. One of probably the most famous French Gothic cathedrals, the Notre Dame an excellent example of French Gothic structures, sculpture and stained glass. Throughout the French Revolution in the 1790s, a lot of its sculptures and items were damaged or destroyed. Napoleon Bonaparte had been crowned Emperor here on Dec 2, 1804.

York Minster One of both largest Gothic cathedrals in north Europe (alongside Cologne Cathedral in Germany), York Minster rules the skyline of the historic city of York. York Minster incorporates all of the major stages of Gothic new development in England. The existing building was begun in about 1230 as well as completed in 1472. The “Great East Window” inside the cathedral may be the largest expanse of medieval discolored glass in the world.

Seville Cathedral Built on the website of a grand Almohad Mosque, Seville’s middle ages cathedral was built to show Seville’s power and wealth after the actual Reconquista. At the time of it's completion in the 16th hundred years, it supplanted the Hagia Sophia as the biggest cathedral in the world. It's still the largest Gothic cathedral and also the third-largest church in the world. The contractors used some columns and components from the mosque, most notoriously the Giralda, a minaret transformed into a bell tower.

Milan Cathedral An exceptionally large and elaborate Gothic cathedral on the primary square of Milan, the Duomo di Milano is one of probably the most famous buildings in Europe. It's one of the largest Medieval cathedrals in the world. Building began in 1386 under Archbishop Antonio da Saluzzo in the Late Gothic style more usually French than Italian. It required five centuries to complete the actual famous cathedral.

Reims Cathedral Reims Cathedral had been the church in which several French monarchs were officially crowned. It had been built on the site of the actual basilica where Clovis was baptized by St . Remi, bishop of Reims, in ADVERT 496. The cathedral was completed by the finish of the 13th century, with the actual west front added in the actual 14th century.

Burgos Cathedral The Burgos Cathedral is really a medieval cathedral in Burgos, devoted to the Virgin Mary. It's famous for its vast dimension and unique Gothic architecture. Building of Burgos Cathedral began in 1221, and after an extended hiatus of almost 2 hundreds of years, was completed in 1567. Within 1919 the cathedral became the actual burial place of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (“El Cid”), as well as his wife Doña Jimena.