Alliance Data Agrees To Be Acquired By Blackstone Group For $7.8 Bln - Update
(RTTNews) - Thursday, Alliance Data Systems Corp. (ADS), a provider of loyalty and marketing solutions, said it agreed to be acquired by Blackstone Capital Partners V L.P., an affiliate of The Blackstone Group, for about $7.8 billion, including the assumption of certain debt. Blackstone will pay $81.75 per share in cash, which represents a premium of about 30% over Alliance Data's May 16 closing share price of $62.96.
Following the unanimous recommendation of a special committee, the board approved the agreement and recommended the stockholders to adopt the agreement.
Subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory and stockholder approvals, the deal is expected to close by year-end.
Alliance Data said there is no financing condition to the obligations of Blackstone to consummate the transaction, while equity and debt commitments for the full amount of the merger consideration have been received. It is currently expected that substantially all of the company's outstanding series A and series B senior notes will either be tendered for or repaid in connection with the transaction.
In connection with this transaction, Banc of America Securities LLC and Lehman Brothers, Inc. served as financial advisors to the company and the special committee, and Evercore Group L.L.C. served as financial advisor to the special committee. The company got the legal counsel from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, while Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal counsel to the special committee.
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and Blackstone Corporate Advisory Services served as financial advisors to The Blackstone Group, and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP served as its legal counsel.
Last month, the Dallas, Texas based Alliance Data reported that its first quarter net income rose 1% to $56.9 million or $0.70 per share from $56.4 million or $0.69 per share in the prior year quarter.
Cash earnings for the quarter grew 11% to $76.9 million from $69.2 million in the comparable quarter a year ago. On a per share basis, cash earnings were $0.95, up 12% from $0.85 in the similar quarter last year. Total revenues for the quarter advanced 15% to $549.2 million.
For the upcoming second quarter, Alliance Data expects minimum cash earning of $0.80 per share indicating seasonal downturn in private label earnings. Analysts currently expect the company to earn $0.83 per share for the second quarter.
The company's full year cash earnings guidance was indicated to be at least $3.60 per share, up from its prior guidance of $3.55 per share. Street analysts currently expect the company to earn $3.63 per share for the year.
Last year, Alliance Data, through its subsidiary, agreed to acquire to acquire Abacus fro about $435 million cash. The deal bought Abacus solutions' 80+ private label credit card retail clients.
The proposed acquisition of Alliance Data is the latest in the string of private equity deals.
Yesterday, Data management firm Acxiom Corp. (ACXM) said it agreed to be bought by investment firms Silver Lake and ValueAct Capital in all cash deal valued at $3.0 billion, including the assumption of about $756 million of debt. Under the terms of the deal, Acxiom shareholders will receive $27.10 in cash for each share held.
Also, yesterday, eye health company Bausch & Lomb Inc. (BOL) revealed an agreement to be acquired by affiliates of private equity firm Warburg Pincus in a transaction valued at about $4.5 billion, inclusive of approximately $830 million of debt. Under the terms of the deal, affiliates of Warburg Pincus will acquire all the outstanding shares of Bausch & Lomb common stock for $65.00 per share in cash.
Early April, First Data Corp. (FDC), a provider of electronic commerce and payment services and a competitor of Alliance Data, also agreed to be acquired by an affiliate of private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. or KKR for about $29 billion in cash, or $34 per share. The deal is expected to close by the end of the third quarter of 2007.
Blackstone Group-Profile
Blackstone is managing over $32.4 billion through its Blackstone Capital Partners I, II, III, IV, and V and Blackstone Communications Partners funds. Blackstone has invested in over 100 companies and the total enterprise value of all transactions effected up to December 31, 2006 is over $191 billion.
Recent deals by Blackstone Group
Last month, Blackstone bought Pharmaceutical Technologies and Services segment from Cardinal Health (CAH) for approximately $3.3 billion.
Last December, Biomet, Inc. (BMET) a maker of musculoskeletal medical products, agreed to be acquired by a private equity consortium in a transaction with a total equity value of approximately $10.9 billion, or $44 per share. The consortium included affiliates of the Blackstone Group, Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and TPG.
Also in December, Freescale Semiconductor merged with an entity controlled by a consortium of private equity funds led by The Blackstone Group and including The Carlyle Group, funds advised by Permira Advisers LLC and Texas Pacific Group in a $17.6 billion deal.
Stock Quote
On the takeover news, Alliance Data shares are soaring 24.57% or $15.47 and currently trading at $78.43, a new-52-week high for the stock. For the past one-year, Alliance Data shares are trending between $47.45 and $68.10. The stock is currently trading on a volume of more than 14.14 million shares, compared to a 3-month average volume of 1.06 million shares.
Copyright(c) 2007 RealTimeTraders.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved
May 17, 2007
Visitors to Money Expo 2007 praise SET group's services
Most of the 100,000 visitors to SET's Investment Zone at Money Expo 2007 last
week said they were satisfied with services, activities, and information
provided. Total purchase of mutual fund investment units during Money Expo
reached a record of THB 768 million, with the weight in favor of fixed-income
funds. About 15,000 people attended 50 seminar sessions during the four-day
fair. The Analysts Fair held concurrently with Money Expo for the first time
was also successful.
Activities by The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) and its subsidiaries
received very good responses from visitors. From a survey of visitors to the
Exchange's zone, it was popular as were other areas where the financial
service providers exhibited, SET President Ms. Patareeya Benjapolchai said.
"Apparently, investors as well as the general public are looking for
opportunities and alternatives to put their money to work and to gain a
stronger financial position. There were 1,108 mutual funds accounts opened
during the expo, with a record of THB 768 million in funds. It is noteworthy
that people were interested in the fixed-income funds. Some people with high
net worth decided to invest THB 20 - 30 million each. There were 3,179
accounts opened for trading securities, showing that people are looking for
more diversified choices of savings,"Ms. Patareeya said. "Thus the Expo's
objective in bringing the financial institutions to meet with clients or
service users has been met," she said.
Expo visitors purchased SET publications, for which they received a 30% - 50%
discount. They also joined in making charitable donations of as much as THB
415,899, in return for receiving SET publications. These donations indicate
that there was a strong demand for investment information.
SETTRADE.Com's booth highlighting the Clock2WIN online stock simulation game
also drew a lot of crowds. The dry runs of the game, held seven times a day
during the expo, were full, with nearly 2,000 people participating.
Thailand Securities Depository Co., Ltd., which is a SET subsidiary, held an
activity for a good cause. It invited a renowned actor and its latest
presenter for e-Dividend service, Mr. Ravit Therdwong, to paint T-shirts and
put them up for auction. Total proceeds of THB 64,918 will go to Baan Gerda in
Lopburi Province, a home for the care of orphans infected with HIV.
For Thailand Futures Exchange PCL (TFEX), the Expo was a great opportunity to
introduce SET50 Index Options to the public at large before the product
launch. A futures and options simulation game--TFEX Futures Camp Challenge
2007 also attracted numerous applicants. The Bond Electronic Exchange (BEX)
and Market for Alternative Investment (mai) had a lot of visitors and gave
away special gifts to people interested in bonds and small capitalization
stocks.
A final highlight was the distribution of free annual reports of listed
companies. Expo visitors acquired about 120,000 copies of these reports in
hard copy, plus 48,500 CDs containing annual reports.
week said they were satisfied with services, activities, and information
provided. Total purchase of mutual fund investment units during Money Expo
reached a record of THB 768 million, with the weight in favor of fixed-income
funds. About 15,000 people attended 50 seminar sessions during the four-day
fair. The Analysts Fair held concurrently with Money Expo for the first time
was also successful.
Activities by The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) and its subsidiaries
received very good responses from visitors. From a survey of visitors to the
Exchange's zone, it was popular as were other areas where the financial
service providers exhibited, SET President Ms. Patareeya Benjapolchai said.
"Apparently, investors as well as the general public are looking for
opportunities and alternatives to put their money to work and to gain a
stronger financial position. There were 1,108 mutual funds accounts opened
during the expo, with a record of THB 768 million in funds. It is noteworthy
that people were interested in the fixed-income funds. Some people with high
net worth decided to invest THB 20 - 30 million each. There were 3,179
accounts opened for trading securities, showing that people are looking for
more diversified choices of savings,"Ms. Patareeya said. "Thus the Expo's
objective in bringing the financial institutions to meet with clients or
service users has been met," she said.
Expo visitors purchased SET publications, for which they received a 30% - 50%
discount. They also joined in making charitable donations of as much as THB
415,899, in return for receiving SET publications. These donations indicate
that there was a strong demand for investment information.
SETTRADE.Com's booth highlighting the Clock2WIN online stock simulation game
also drew a lot of crowds. The dry runs of the game, held seven times a day
during the expo, were full, with nearly 2,000 people participating.
Thailand Securities Depository Co., Ltd., which is a SET subsidiary, held an
activity for a good cause. It invited a renowned actor and its latest
presenter for e-Dividend service, Mr. Ravit Therdwong, to paint T-shirts and
put them up for auction. Total proceeds of THB 64,918 will go to Baan Gerda in
Lopburi Province, a home for the care of orphans infected with HIV.
For Thailand Futures Exchange PCL (TFEX), the Expo was a great opportunity to
introduce SET50 Index Options to the public at large before the product
launch. A futures and options simulation game--TFEX Futures Camp Challenge
2007 also attracted numerous applicants. The Bond Electronic Exchange (BEX)
and Market for Alternative Investment (mai) had a lot of visitors and gave
away special gifts to people interested in bonds and small capitalization
stocks.
A final highlight was the distribution of free annual reports of listed
companies. Expo visitors acquired about 120,000 copies of these reports in
hard copy, plus 48,500 CDs containing annual reports.
Thailand's Governance Committee to hold seminar for financial advisors
Thailand's National Corporate Governance Committee will host a seminar May 17
to educate financial advisors on how to advise listed firms about corporate
governance (CG) requirements.
Mr. Suthichai Chitvanich, a member and secretary of the Subcommittee on
Investor Education and Public Relations and on Corporate Governance in
Thailand, announced that the country's National CG Committee, in conjunction
with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and The Stock Exchange of
Thailand (SET)'s CG Center will host a forum called "CG Substance and Form:
What Financial Advisors Should Know"on Friday, May 18, 2007, between 9:30 -
12:00 hrs., at the SET Building. It will provide guidelines for financial
advisors to use when they prepare companies wishing to be listed on the
exchange.
"Financial advisors play a key role in developing CG as they work closely
with both potential and existing listings. After a listing, they will
continue advising the firm for another year. Thus comprehension of CG will be
an added value for both the advisors and their clients," Mr. Suthichai said.
The seminar will focus on how to advise clients about CG principles and
implementation. Comprehension on these matters should enhance advisors'
reliability while improving listed companies' disclosure about their
implementation of CG.
"If financial advisors understand CG principles and implementation as
accepted by international standards, they will give better counsel to
clients, thus leading to better disclosure as expected by listed firms'
stakeholders. Attendance at this seminar will also be credited by ASCO
(Association of Securities Companies) as meeting its training requirements
for financial advisors. The collaboration and support from related
organizations in the capital market have shown their commitment to develop
Thai CG in line with international standards,"Mr. Suthichai said.
SET has issued a set of guidelines, CG Principles 2006, for listed companies.
The guidelines have been improved by adding principles recognized by the
Organization for Economic Cooperation Development, together with the World
Bank's recommendations.
This year SET's CG Center plans to host a quarterly seminar for public firms
and related parties. Issues in focus are shareholders' rights, directors'
responsibilities, and effective implementation of CG principles. The Exchange
will also encourage all companies in the SET100 Index to have a unit or staff
directly responsible for investor relations.
to educate financial advisors on how to advise listed firms about corporate
governance (CG) requirements.
Mr. Suthichai Chitvanich, a member and secretary of the Subcommittee on
Investor Education and Public Relations and on Corporate Governance in
Thailand, announced that the country's National CG Committee, in conjunction
with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and The Stock Exchange of
Thailand (SET)'s CG Center will host a forum called "CG Substance and Form:
What Financial Advisors Should Know"on Friday, May 18, 2007, between 9:30 -
12:00 hrs., at the SET Building. It will provide guidelines for financial
advisors to use when they prepare companies wishing to be listed on the
exchange.
"Financial advisors play a key role in developing CG as they work closely
with both potential and existing listings. After a listing, they will
continue advising the firm for another year. Thus comprehension of CG will be
an added value for both the advisors and their clients," Mr. Suthichai said.
The seminar will focus on how to advise clients about CG principles and
implementation. Comprehension on these matters should enhance advisors'
reliability while improving listed companies' disclosure about their
implementation of CG.
"If financial advisors understand CG principles and implementation as
accepted by international standards, they will give better counsel to
clients, thus leading to better disclosure as expected by listed firms'
stakeholders. Attendance at this seminar will also be credited by ASCO
(Association of Securities Companies) as meeting its training requirements
for financial advisors. The collaboration and support from related
organizations in the capital market have shown their commitment to develop
Thai CG in line with international standards,"Mr. Suthichai said.
SET has issued a set of guidelines, CG Principles 2006, for listed companies.
The guidelines have been improved by adding principles recognized by the
Organization for Economic Cooperation Development, together with the World
Bank's recommendations.
This year SET's CG Center plans to host a quarterly seminar for public firms
and related parties. Issues in focus are shareholders' rights, directors'
responsibilities, and effective implementation of CG principles. The Exchange
will also encourage all companies in the SET100 Index to have a unit or staff
directly responsible for investor relations.
May 16, 2007
Stock Tricks
There are several "tricks" that experienced investors use to make a profit. Like the rest of the stock market, these tricks are very risky, and you should know what you are doing if you use these tricks. The tricks include selling short, buying on margin, and buying warrants.
The first risky trick is short selling. Basically, short selling is selling a stock before you actually buy it. To sell short, you first borrow stocks from a broker. Then, you sell them immediately on the market. You keep the money that you earned from selling the stocks, and wait, hoping that the price for the stock will drop. If the price for the stock does drop, then you can buy back the stock, and give them back to your broker. You will then have made a profit, since you sold them for more than you bought them for. For example, if you borrow 100 stocks at 4 dollars per stock, and sell them in the market, you have 400 dollars. If you wait a while, and the price of the stock decreases to 2 dollars per stock, you can buy 100 stocks for 200 dollars. You then return the 100 stocks to the broker, pay a little bit of interest, and keep the other 200 dollars. Unfortunately, selling short does not always end as well as that. Consider if you borrow 100 stocks at 4 dollars a stock again. You then sell them and get 400 dollars. You wait a few weeks, but the price of the stock continues to increase. Before you know it, the price of the stock is 6 dollars. You have to give the broker his stocks, and you have to pay him interest. This means that you have to pay 600 dollars to get the stocks back, and right there, you just lost 200 dollars.
Buying on margin is another trick which is basically buying stocks on borrowed money. You must first set up a margin account, which has a minimum balance of 2000 dollars. Once you have a margin account, you can borrow up to 50 percent of the cost of buying the stocks you want. By borrowing 50 percent of the cost, you are controlling something twice as valuable as what you paid for. This will enable you to gain more profits with less money. For example, if you put in 500 dollars, and the broker lends you 500 dollars, then you have 1000 dollars to work with. You then buy 100 stocks at 10 dollars a stock. If the price for the stock increases to 15 dollars, and you sell at that price, then you have 1500 dollars. You then pay back the broker the 500 dollars plus interest, and you have made roughly 1000 dollars, doubling your initial investment of 500 dollars,. If you had only invested 500 dollars of your own money, you would have only gotten 50 stocks. Then, after selling them for 15 dollars, you would have made only 750 dollars, which is only 250 dollars more than your initial investment. The risky part about this is that your losses are also magnified. Had you bought 100 stocks on margin at 10 dollars, and the price had dropped to 5 dollars, you would have lost all 500 of your dollars, since you have to pay the broker back his 500 dollars. If you had invested only your 500 dollars and bought 50 stocks at 10 dollars, and the price dropped to 5 dollars, then you would only have lost 250 dollars.
Buying warrants is a less risky trick. A warrant is sold by a company that is planning on issuing stocks soon. The warrant gives you the right to buy stocks at a certain price. For example, if you buy a warrant to buy a stock at 5 dollars for 1 dollar, and the stock ends up being issued at 10 dollars a share, then you can sell the shares for a profit of 4 dollars per share, since you paid only 6 dollars total, and sold them at 10 dollars.
The first risky trick is short selling. Basically, short selling is selling a stock before you actually buy it. To sell short, you first borrow stocks from a broker. Then, you sell them immediately on the market. You keep the money that you earned from selling the stocks, and wait, hoping that the price for the stock will drop. If the price for the stock does drop, then you can buy back the stock, and give them back to your broker. You will then have made a profit, since you sold them for more than you bought them for. For example, if you borrow 100 stocks at 4 dollars per stock, and sell them in the market, you have 400 dollars. If you wait a while, and the price of the stock decreases to 2 dollars per stock, you can buy 100 stocks for 200 dollars. You then return the 100 stocks to the broker, pay a little bit of interest, and keep the other 200 dollars. Unfortunately, selling short does not always end as well as that. Consider if you borrow 100 stocks at 4 dollars a stock again. You then sell them and get 400 dollars. You wait a few weeks, but the price of the stock continues to increase. Before you know it, the price of the stock is 6 dollars. You have to give the broker his stocks, and you have to pay him interest. This means that you have to pay 600 dollars to get the stocks back, and right there, you just lost 200 dollars.
Buying on margin is another trick which is basically buying stocks on borrowed money. You must first set up a margin account, which has a minimum balance of 2000 dollars. Once you have a margin account, you can borrow up to 50 percent of the cost of buying the stocks you want. By borrowing 50 percent of the cost, you are controlling something twice as valuable as what you paid for. This will enable you to gain more profits with less money. For example, if you put in 500 dollars, and the broker lends you 500 dollars, then you have 1000 dollars to work with. You then buy 100 stocks at 10 dollars a stock. If the price for the stock increases to 15 dollars, and you sell at that price, then you have 1500 dollars. You then pay back the broker the 500 dollars plus interest, and you have made roughly 1000 dollars, doubling your initial investment of 500 dollars,. If you had only invested 500 dollars of your own money, you would have only gotten 50 stocks. Then, after selling them for 15 dollars, you would have made only 750 dollars, which is only 250 dollars more than your initial investment. The risky part about this is that your losses are also magnified. Had you bought 100 stocks on margin at 10 dollars, and the price had dropped to 5 dollars, you would have lost all 500 of your dollars, since you have to pay the broker back his 500 dollars. If you had invested only your 500 dollars and bought 50 stocks at 10 dollars, and the price dropped to 5 dollars, then you would only have lost 250 dollars.
Buying warrants is a less risky trick. A warrant is sold by a company that is planning on issuing stocks soon. The warrant gives you the right to buy stocks at a certain price. For example, if you buy a warrant to buy a stock at 5 dollars for 1 dollar, and the stock ends up being issued at 10 dollars a share, then you can sell the shares for a profit of 4 dollars per share, since you paid only 6 dollars total, and sold them at 10 dollars.
Market Trends
Why does the stock market go up and down? Theses fluctuations occur partly because companies make money, or lose money, but it is much more involved than that. A stock is only worth what someone will pay for it. Usually, if a company makes a lot of money, its value rises, because people are willing to pay more for a company's stock if the company is doing well. There are many other factors that affect the value of stocks. One example is interest rates, or the amount of money you have to pay a bank to loan money, or how much it has to pay you to keep your money in their bank. If interest rates are high, stock prices generally go down, because if people can make a decent amount of money, by keeping their money in banks, or buying bonds, they feel like they should not take the risk in the stock market.
Many other factors have an effect on the stock market- for example, the state of the economy. If there is more money floating around, there is more flowing into companies making their prices rise. Yet another factor is time of year, and publicity. Many stocks are seasonal, meaning they do well during certain parts of the year, and worse during others. An example is an ice company, the ones that package ice that you buy at the supermarket. During the summer, with picnics, and sweltering heat, their product sells well, and thus their stock price goes up; But during the winter, when people are not as interested in a picnic with 20 below temperatures, their price goes down. Publicity has an effect on stock prices. If an article comes out saying that company ABC, has just invented this new type of ice that will revolutionize the industry, odds are their price will increase. Conversely, if an article comes out saying that company ABC's president is a crook, and stole the pension funds, it is a good bet that the price will go down.
Many other factors have an effect on the stock market- for example, the state of the economy. If there is more money floating around, there is more flowing into companies making their prices rise. Yet another factor is time of year, and publicity. Many stocks are seasonal, meaning they do well during certain parts of the year, and worse during others. An example is an ice company, the ones that package ice that you buy at the supermarket. During the summer, with picnics, and sweltering heat, their product sells well, and thus their stock price goes up; But during the winter, when people are not as interested in a picnic with 20 below temperatures, their price goes down. Publicity has an effect on stock prices. If an article comes out saying that company ABC, has just invented this new type of ice that will revolutionize the industry, odds are their price will increase. Conversely, if an article comes out saying that company ABC's president is a crook, and stole the pension funds, it is a good bet that the price will go down.
Closed-End Funds
Closed-End Funds
A closed-end fund is one of three basic types of professionally managed investment companies, along with open-end funds (more commonly known as mutual funds), and unit investment trusts.
Many investors choose closed-end funds to help broaden and diversify their portfolios. A wide variety of closed-end funds from all asset classes are available, all subject to different risks and levels of volatility. The approximately 630 U.S. listed closed-end funds have total net assets exceeding $200 billion. Among the largest issuers of closed-end funds are Nuveen, BlackRock and Morgan Stanley's Van Kampen, as well as Merrill Lynch, Legg Mason, John Hancock and PIMCO.
The NYSE trades more than 480 closed-end funds with a total market value of approximately $114 billion. In 2006, 19 closed-end funds listed on the NYSE, raising approximately $9.4 billion in capital.
A closed-end fund is one of three basic types of professionally managed investment companies, along with open-end funds (more commonly known as mutual funds), and unit investment trusts.
Many investors choose closed-end funds to help broaden and diversify their portfolios. A wide variety of closed-end funds from all asset classes are available, all subject to different risks and levels of volatility. The approximately 630 U.S. listed closed-end funds have total net assets exceeding $200 billion. Among the largest issuers of closed-end funds are Nuveen, BlackRock and Morgan Stanley's Van Kampen, as well as Merrill Lynch, Legg Mason, John Hancock and PIMCO.
The NYSE trades more than 480 closed-end funds with a total market value of approximately $114 billion. In 2006, 19 closed-end funds listed on the NYSE, raising approximately $9.4 billion in capital.
May 14, 2007
ASIA MARKETS: Asian Markets Decline On U.S. Growth Concerns
By Chris Oliver
Asian stocks fell across the board Friday on renewed concerns for the health of the U.S. economy.
The 225-issue Nikkei Averagefell 1% to 17,553.72, while the Topix index shed 0.8% to 1,723.09. Exporter stocks felt the pressure.
"Chain store retails sales figures were lower than expected, sparking increased concern over U.S. growth. That is why exporters were sold," said Hirokazu Yuihama, head of regional strategy for Daiwa Institute of Research in Hong Kong.
"The Japanese economy is trending upwards and growth momentum is not that weak," Yuihama said. "If the Bank of Japan's policy does not change in the near term, I think that will support the Japanese market, but I don't expect a sharp increase from the current level."
In Seoul, the Kospi index rebounded from early losses to rise 0.2% to a fresh closing record 1,603.56. Shares of Hyundai Steel surged 14% after Morgan Stanley said a tie-up with Arcelor Mittal had strategic merit, though no such deal has actually been proposed.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 ended 0.9% lower at 6,297.4 and New Zealand's NZX-50 shed 0.6% to 4,226.39.
Singapore's Strait Times Index fell 0.6% and Malaysia's KLSE Composite was down 0.3%. Taiwan's leading index, the Weighted Price Index, fell 0.8%.
Among oil stocks, Nippon Oilrose 0.2% after crude-oil prices firmed in U.S. trading.
In currencies, the U.S. dollar was quoted at 119.76 yen, compared to 119.85 yen late in New York Thursday.
In Tokyo trading, shares of Canon (CAJ) eased 1.9% while Sony Corp. (SNE) retreated 1.7%.
Investors revisit mining M&A
Australian mining shares ended mixed amid declines in natural resource prices and growing skepticism of an imminent takeover bid by BHP Billiton for smaller rival Rio Tinto. Shares of BHP Billiton (BHP) fell 2.5% while Rio Tinto (RTP) nudged 0.1% higher.
Automotive shares bucked the downtrend, with Toyota Motor Corp. (TM) climbing 1.1% while Nissan Motor (NSANY) was up 0.8 %.
China's Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.7% to 4,021.68, retreating from a record close in the previous session.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index ended 1.2% lower at 20,468.21. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, or Hong Kong-listed shares in mainland companies, was down 1.7% 10,392.01.
Traders said declines in China-shares listed on mainland stock exchanges were to be expected in view of the lightening pace of recent gains and broker this week notes warning of an overheating.
Among shares in Hong Kong, mobile operator China Mobile (CHL) fell 1.3%. Export and supply chain distribution company Li & Fung fell 0.9% on investor concern weaker U.S. growth will dampen export demand.
Hang Seng Index compiler HIS Services Ltd. announced after the close of trading that Chinese insurer Ping An Insurance Groupwill be elevated to blue- chip status from June 4.
Konica Minolta Holdingsfell 7.6% on profit taking following recent share price gains and a brokerage downgrade from Mizuho Securities. On Thursday, Konica Minolta reported a group net profit of 72.54 billion yen ($604.69 million) for the fiscal year ending in March, reversing a 54.3 billion yen loss in the previous year.
Oil prices rose 32 cents to $62.15 a barrel in electronic trading. On the New York Mercantile Exchange Thursday, June crude climbed 26 cents to finish at $ 61.81 a barrel.
U.S. stocks ended sharply lower Thursday as investors assessed weaker April retail sales data and news that the trade deficit widened sharply in March, after improving over the past six months.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
05-12-070000ET
Copyright (c) 2007 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Asian stocks fell across the board Friday on renewed concerns for the health of the U.S. economy.
The 225-issue Nikkei Averagefell 1% to 17,553.72, while the Topix index shed 0.8% to 1,723.09. Exporter stocks felt the pressure.
"Chain store retails sales figures were lower than expected, sparking increased concern over U.S. growth. That is why exporters were sold," said Hirokazu Yuihama, head of regional strategy for Daiwa Institute of Research in Hong Kong.
"The Japanese economy is trending upwards and growth momentum is not that weak," Yuihama said. "If the Bank of Japan's policy does not change in the near term, I think that will support the Japanese market, but I don't expect a sharp increase from the current level."
In Seoul, the Kospi index rebounded from early losses to rise 0.2% to a fresh closing record 1,603.56. Shares of Hyundai Steel surged 14% after Morgan Stanley said a tie-up with Arcelor Mittal had strategic merit, though no such deal has actually been proposed.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 ended 0.9% lower at 6,297.4 and New Zealand's NZX-50 shed 0.6% to 4,226.39.
Singapore's Strait Times Index fell 0.6% and Malaysia's KLSE Composite was down 0.3%. Taiwan's leading index, the Weighted Price Index, fell 0.8%.
Among oil stocks, Nippon Oilrose 0.2% after crude-oil prices firmed in U.S. trading.
In currencies, the U.S. dollar was quoted at 119.76 yen, compared to 119.85 yen late in New York Thursday.
In Tokyo trading, shares of Canon (CAJ) eased 1.9% while Sony Corp. (SNE) retreated 1.7%.
Investors revisit mining M&A
Australian mining shares ended mixed amid declines in natural resource prices and growing skepticism of an imminent takeover bid by BHP Billiton for smaller rival Rio Tinto. Shares of BHP Billiton (BHP) fell 2.5% while Rio Tinto (RTP) nudged 0.1% higher.
Automotive shares bucked the downtrend, with Toyota Motor Corp. (TM) climbing 1.1% while Nissan Motor (NSANY) was up 0.8 %.
China's Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.7% to 4,021.68, retreating from a record close in the previous session.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index ended 1.2% lower at 20,468.21. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, or Hong Kong-listed shares in mainland companies, was down 1.7% 10,392.01.
Traders said declines in China-shares listed on mainland stock exchanges were to be expected in view of the lightening pace of recent gains and broker this week notes warning of an overheating.
Among shares in Hong Kong, mobile operator China Mobile (CHL) fell 1.3%. Export and supply chain distribution company Li & Fung fell 0.9% on investor concern weaker U.S. growth will dampen export demand.
Hang Seng Index compiler HIS Services Ltd. announced after the close of trading that Chinese insurer Ping An Insurance Groupwill be elevated to blue- chip status from June 4.
Konica Minolta Holdingsfell 7.6% on profit taking following recent share price gains and a brokerage downgrade from Mizuho Securities. On Thursday, Konica Minolta reported a group net profit of 72.54 billion yen ($604.69 million) for the fiscal year ending in March, reversing a 54.3 billion yen loss in the previous year.
Oil prices rose 32 cents to $62.15 a barrel in electronic trading. On the New York Mercantile Exchange Thursday, June crude climbed 26 cents to finish at $ 61.81 a barrel.
U.S. stocks ended sharply lower Thursday as investors assessed weaker April retail sales data and news that the trade deficit widened sharply in March, after improving over the past six months.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
05-12-070000ET
Copyright (c) 2007 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
How To Make $10,296 Minimum Profit
Each And Every Month Trading
The Stock Market...And
Do It Over And Over Again!"
I Even Show You Live As It Happens
"Yes, you can follow me LIVE, taking money out of the market,
it just doesn't get ANY EASIER!"*
My name is Bill Barrett, and on
the following page I'm going to show you the exact same secrets that I've used to trade over 1.3 Million Dollars in the last two years alone.
1000's of REAL PEOPLE, just like you, have followed my Program and made dramatic, permanent changes in their income and lifestyles!!!
My Home Office In Hawaii.
Anyone with an internet connection can trade the stock market profitably, using the same strategies you're about to discover!!
These secrets can be used by you to pull out consistent profits from the stock market. If you're ready to make profits now, then read on...
From: Bill Barrett
May 14, 2007
Hello Friend,
Trading the stock market can be exciting, fun, and extremely rewarding. It's probably the only business in the world where you can point, click, and make money. There's no inventory to deal with, no supplies, no phone calls, no bills, no traffic, no complaints, no nothing. None of the headaches associated with just about every other business .
And, a great thing about trading, there is no selling whatsoever. In fact, you don't even have to talk to anyone, period! It's the perfect hands free, no hassle way to make money. You can do it anywhere in the world, all you need is an internet connection.
If this sounds great to you, then keep your eyes glued to this page...this may be the most important report you'll ever read.
If you have any thoughts about trading the stock
market, then this report is an absolute must
for your success!
I've been studying and trading the stock market since 1987. I live on the isle of Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands with my wife and teenage son and have always been interested in the stock market, since I was a little boy, in fact.
Anyway, I was completely awe stricken by the workings of the stock market...especially all the money involved.
"I just had to get my hands on some". "But only if I knew how!" I thought.
In the earlier days it was pretty hard to grab some of that cash. Wall Street Insiders had too much advantage. You had to phone your broker and hope for the best. It was very slow, and well, definitely, not to my advantage. Then something changed. The Internet was born.
I now had access to the same tools, information, and speed of execution that the big boys did. All I needed was to decide which tools and information to apply .
http://www.1stdaytradinginformation.com/nap.htm
May 13, 2007
6 ways to lower gas prices
From a big fat tax to more efficiency to boosting production, there are ways to do it - but which really stand a chance?
By Steve Hargreaves, CNNMoney.com staff writer
May 13 2007: 8:03 AM EDT
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- In a free market economy, there are two basic ways to bring down the price of a product - increase supply or cut demand.
So with the nationwide average price of gasoline over $3 a gallon, and at record highs according to some surveys, what can be done to lessen gas consumption or bring more to market?
Focusing on the environmentalists' choice, we'll start with demand.
1 - Pass a carbon tax
Economists say the most efficient way to reduce demand for any product is to make it more expensive. In short, a carbon tax. For gasoline, let's say an additional $1 or $2 a gallon.
Now this might not bring prices down at the pump. But it would most likely reduce demand, thus lowering wholesale prices and the profits currently reaped by oil companies and their shareholders. The tax revenue, presumably, would be returned to the public for its own benefit, perhaps in the form of better mass transit, cheaper health insurance or a gasoline tax credit for lower income people.
People representing a wide variety of interests are open to this idea.
Tell us what you think
John Felmy, chief economist for the oil industry's American Petroleum Institute, called a carbon tax "very efficient," but noted that it hits the poor the hardest and said the concept needed more study.
Jeff Sundstrom, spokesman for the motorist association AAA, said a carbon tax is "a possible approach."
But with fickle politicians believing the American public will never back anything that contains the word "tax," most say the idea has little chance of becoming reality.
"It's seen as a political dead duck," said Kateri Callahan, who heads up the Alliance to Save Energy. "There is no serious proposal for a carbon tax, and that's a pity."
2 - Increase efficiency
Lawmakers are instead focusing on raising vehicle efficiency standards, which have remained basically stagnant for over two decades.
On Wednesday, a Senate committee approved a bill raising Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards to 35 miles per gallon by 2020 from the current 27.5 miles per gallon.
It's a move that, all else being equal, could shave 3 million barrels of oil a day off the nation's current 24 million barrel a day habit, said Callahan.
Greenest cars
The auto industry lobbied hard against the bill, saying it would be expensive for business, with domestic manufacturers already being on life support.
And environmentalists are peeved the bill contains wording to lift the mandate if it does indeed prove too expensive.
But Callahan believes this Congress will pass something raising fuel efficiency standards.
3 - Push alternatives
Using more biofuels should also help ease demand for gasoline.
Both President Bush and the Senate are talking about mandating biofuels use that is projected to cut gasoline demand by 20 percent by 2020, although a technological breakthrough in cellulosic ethanol - ethanol made from any plant matter, not just food crops - is needed to hit those targets.
4 - Require oil companies to make more gas
Supply is the other variable in the gasoline equation, and there are ways to increase it being considered.
With record profits at Exxon Mobil (Charts, Fortune 500), Chevron (Charts, Fortune 500), ConocoPhillips (Charts, Fortune 500), BP (Charts) and other oil companies, it's no wonder a lot of Americans think they are getting fleeced by Big Oil.
"I don't think they're meeting somewhere and saying 'oh, let's get the price up another 7 cents this weekend,'" said Judy Dugan, research director at the Center of Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "But they know very well they can make more money by making less gasoline."
Arguing gasoline is a commodity essential for the public well being, Dugan said the government should require refiners to operate at a certain capacity or, if need be, build more refineries.
But the Petroleum institute's Felmy said requiring refineries to run at increased capacity was "a very dangerous suggestion, for the health and safety of our workers," noting the string of refinery accidents over the past few years that have killed several people.
He said some sections of the country, such as New England, could stand to see another refinery built, but he also doubted whether adding to refining capacity was a smart business decision.
"As a refiner, you're committing a couple of billion dollars, and the government's passing mandates [that are going to] reduce gasoline demand. You're going to be thoughtful of that," he said.
5 - Build a gasoline reserve
In addition, Dugan said establishing a strategic gasoline reserve, similar to the government's 700-million-barrel Strategic Petroleum Reserve, would go a a long way in alleviating the big jumps in gas prices whenever a refinery goes down in California or a hurricane hits the Gulf Coast.
AAA also called for a gasoline reserve as a key way to bring down prices.
But building and maintaining such a thing would be pricey, ultimately driving up the cost of gasoline for everyone, said the Petroleum Institute's Felmy.
6 - Drill more oil
Of course, oil prices significantly below $60 a barrel would sink gasoline prices in a hurry.
To that end, Felmy suggested opening up more of the nation to oil and gas drilling, especially off the country's East and West Coasts, thought to contain massive amounts of hydrocarbons.
But, he added, "people will oppose us expanding oil production anywhere."
Trade-offs and global warming
And he's right. The last Congress tried to expand offshore drilling, but the bill accomplished very little. With the Democrats now in control, that idea faces even steeper obstacles.
What Congress will do is hold a bunch of hearings on energy prices - seven have been announced for the coming weeks.
AAA's Sundstrom urged lawmakers to move beyond sound bites and have a frank discussion about the actual numbers - including how much can the country really expect to get from biofuels, how much can fuel efficiency or conservation really save, and how much additional gasoline production will be needed.
"It's not enough to stand in a corn field and talk about alternative energy," he said. "We need to see the math."
Wall Street: Rally keeps rolling
Stocks appear to be headed for more gains in the week ahead - if investors don't get spooked by the housing and inflation news.
By Alexandra Twin, CNNMoney.com senior writer
May 13 2007: 7:40 AM EDT
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Bad news, good news, mediocre news. It doesn't seem to matter much to stock investors these days, as the latest leg of the bull run soldiers on.
Economic growth is at the slowest pace in four years, you say? Home prices are expected to end the year lower for the first time ever? First-quarter earnings growth is at a 3-1/2 year low? Iran won't halt its nuclear program?
All that is cause for concern. Apparently, just not for stock investors.
Since bottoming in late February, stocks have been on the rise as investors have welcomed surprisingly decent first-quarter earnings, the wave of merger and buyout news, and a bevy of corporate stock buyback plans.
Last week, the Dow Jones industrial average and the Russell 2000 small-cap index both hit record highs yet again, while the S&P 500 rose to within 18 points of its all-time high. The Nasdaq hit a new 6-year high.
The uptrend that has lifted stocks of late is unlikely to peter out in the week ahead, even as investors take in potentially alarming reports on housing and inflation. (See chart for details.)
Wall Street's other record breaker
Housing and inflation - because of whatever impact they might have on the economy and Federal Reserve policy - are "the two biggest areas of the economy that separate economists right now," said Michael Sheldon, chief market strategist at Spencer Clarke.
As such, the focus this week will be on the April housing starts and building permits reports, due Wednesday; and, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and so-called core CPI, due Tuesday.
Other reports due in the week include manufacturing in the New York and Philadelphia regions, consumer sentiment and the index of leading economic indicators.
Upbeat reports would reassure investors. But even reports that suggest some economic weakness would probably be received well by the stock market, if the recent 'all news is good news' attitude prevails.
That was certainly the case Friday when stocks rose despite a weak April retail sales report.
Why? Because Friday's session also brought a mild inflation report, right after the Federal Reserve said its main worry is still inflation. So the stock market bet that weak retail sales, a.k.a. slower economic growth, means the Fed is more likely to cut rates by the end of the year than raise them.
A number of Federal Reserve officials are due to speak this week, including Chairman Ben Bernanke on Tuesday and Thursday.
In addition to economic news, a few companies report earnings during the week, including Hewlett-Packard (Charts, Fortune 500), Home Depot (Charts, Fortune 500) and Wal-Mart Stores (Charts, Fortune 500). (see chart for details)
Private equity: Not just for the rich
There are "fundamental reasons" why the stock market would seem to be due for a big pullback right now, but it's just not happening, said Paul Levine, president at Lifetime Financial Services.
He said that's largely because any negatives are being tempered by the substantial amount of money pouring into the market.
"Between the incredible amount of M&A activity and corporate stock buybacks, there's just so much liquidity out there," Levine said. "And that's lifting stocks."
First-quarter earnings are currently on track to have risen over 8 percent from a year ago, according to the latest Thomson Financial estimates, versus forecasts for a rise of 3.3 percent just over a month ago.
Meanwhile merger and acquisition activity year-to-date is currently 65 percent ahead of where it was at this point in 2006, according to a recent Standard & Poor's report. That doesn't look to ease up anytime soon.
Stocks: rational exuberance
However, that isn't to say there won't be more selloffs in the next few weeks, particularly as the market moves into the typically choppy summer period, when bulls tend to be more preoccupied with the beach than making big changes to their portfolios.
Wall Street has already had its share of down days over the last few months, following the occasional big earnings disappointment or surprisingly hawkish comment from a Federal Reserve official.
But the declines have been short lived, with investors using the selloffs as a reason to get back into the market at lower levels.
That trend is likely to continue, at least in the short term. "I don't think we'll see a big pullback," said Steven Goldman, market analyst at Weeden & Co. "I think we'll continue to be supported with people buying on the dips."
By Alexandra Twin, CNNMoney.com senior writer
May 13 2007: 7:40 AM EDT
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Bad news, good news, mediocre news. It doesn't seem to matter much to stock investors these days, as the latest leg of the bull run soldiers on.
Economic growth is at the slowest pace in four years, you say? Home prices are expected to end the year lower for the first time ever? First-quarter earnings growth is at a 3-1/2 year low? Iran won't halt its nuclear program?
All that is cause for concern. Apparently, just not for stock investors.
Since bottoming in late February, stocks have been on the rise as investors have welcomed surprisingly decent first-quarter earnings, the wave of merger and buyout news, and a bevy of corporate stock buyback plans.
Last week, the Dow Jones industrial average and the Russell 2000 small-cap index both hit record highs yet again, while the S&P 500 rose to within 18 points of its all-time high. The Nasdaq hit a new 6-year high.
The uptrend that has lifted stocks of late is unlikely to peter out in the week ahead, even as investors take in potentially alarming reports on housing and inflation. (See chart for details.)
Wall Street's other record breaker
Housing and inflation - because of whatever impact they might have on the economy and Federal Reserve policy - are "the two biggest areas of the economy that separate economists right now," said Michael Sheldon, chief market strategist at Spencer Clarke.
As such, the focus this week will be on the April housing starts and building permits reports, due Wednesday; and, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and so-called core CPI, due Tuesday.
Other reports due in the week include manufacturing in the New York and Philadelphia regions, consumer sentiment and the index of leading economic indicators.
Upbeat reports would reassure investors. But even reports that suggest some economic weakness would probably be received well by the stock market, if the recent 'all news is good news' attitude prevails.
That was certainly the case Friday when stocks rose despite a weak April retail sales report.
Why? Because Friday's session also brought a mild inflation report, right after the Federal Reserve said its main worry is still inflation. So the stock market bet that weak retail sales, a.k.a. slower economic growth, means the Fed is more likely to cut rates by the end of the year than raise them.
A number of Federal Reserve officials are due to speak this week, including Chairman Ben Bernanke on Tuesday and Thursday.
In addition to economic news, a few companies report earnings during the week, including Hewlett-Packard (Charts, Fortune 500), Home Depot (Charts, Fortune 500) and Wal-Mart Stores (Charts, Fortune 500). (see chart for details)
Private equity: Not just for the rich
There are "fundamental reasons" why the stock market would seem to be due for a big pullback right now, but it's just not happening, said Paul Levine, president at Lifetime Financial Services.
He said that's largely because any negatives are being tempered by the substantial amount of money pouring into the market.
"Between the incredible amount of M&A activity and corporate stock buybacks, there's just so much liquidity out there," Levine said. "And that's lifting stocks."
First-quarter earnings are currently on track to have risen over 8 percent from a year ago, according to the latest Thomson Financial estimates, versus forecasts for a rise of 3.3 percent just over a month ago.
Meanwhile merger and acquisition activity year-to-date is currently 65 percent ahead of where it was at this point in 2006, according to a recent Standard & Poor's report. That doesn't look to ease up anytime soon.
Stocks: rational exuberance
However, that isn't to say there won't be more selloffs in the next few weeks, particularly as the market moves into the typically choppy summer period, when bulls tend to be more preoccupied with the beach than making big changes to their portfolios.
Wall Street has already had its share of down days over the last few months, following the occasional big earnings disappointment or surprisingly hawkish comment from a Federal Reserve official.
But the declines have been short lived, with investors using the selloffs as a reason to get back into the market at lower levels.
That trend is likely to continue, at least in the short term. "I don't think we'll see a big pullback," said Steven Goldman, market analyst at Weeden & Co. "I think we'll continue to be supported with people buying on the dips."
Getting What (You Think) You're Worth
What a relief! The grueling task of finding a job is over. You received an offer, and the company presented you with your starting salary and benefits package.
But wait. Before you hastily agree to the terms and sign on the dotted line, do some homework to find out if you're being offered a competitive salary. If not--or even if you need a few thousand dollars more to cover the rent--negotiate. It's something recent grads are reluctant to do since they're often grateful just to be hired. After all, it's not as if they have a wealth of on the job experience. It's great to be appreciative and enthusiastic, but don't forget: not only can you negotiate the salary of your first job, you should.
Here's one reason why: "It's no different than how we play poker," says Michael Ball, founder of Career Freshman, a California-based company that teaches employers how to manage recent graduates. "Employers are not coming in with their full hand. They're always coming in a few thousand below what they have to cap out at. There's always more wiggle room."
In Pictures: Negotiating Your First Salary
Chris Fusco, vice president of compensation at Salary.com, says negotiating often results in "about 10% improvement on the initial offer." He recommends saying something like "Based on my understanding of the job, the company's needs, and the skills and experience I bring, I feel I'm worth $5,000 more than what you're offering me ."
Fusco advises students to make employers aware of the work and internship experience they've had in the past, recommendations from professors and former employers, and details of extracurricular activities, to show the strong potential they have for success at the company.
If the thought of negotiating for a few thousand dollars more makes you queasy, consider this: Annual raises are usually a percentage of your salary. "That incremental negotiation you do at the front end continues to pay you back when it's time for a percentage raise," says Ball. It goes on from there, especially if you're at the company for several years.
That's particularly true for women. Among employees who work full time and are one year out of college, females are making only 80% of what their male counterparts earn, according to a new study by the American Association of
Make Money With Google Adwords
By: Aaron Ballantyne
The most important thing you need to make money online is getting targeted traffic to the website that you want to promote. Targeted traffic is just people who are interested in what your website is promoting. The best way I know of to get targeted traffic fast is google adwords. When you use google adwords you pay for every visitor that clicks on your ad and goes to your site. This is generally known as pay per click or ppc advertising. There are also many other ways for other people doing affiliate marketing to earn commissions but the fastest way to get started is using adwords. This can also be the easiest way to lose money fast if you don't know what your doing. The best resource to learn about using google to make money online in my opinion is Google Cash. Another great source of information is Adwords Miracle. Now I would like to share some tips for getting the most out of google adwords.
1. Start off keeping bids very low. Better to have fewer clicks and sales than to lose a lot of money.
2. Turn off content match. It doesn't convert to sales well. If you do decide to have content match on keep content bids very low (1/3 of search bids or less).
3. Keep daily budgets low. I recommend $5 a day at most starting a campaign to see if it will be profitable.
4. Instead of advertising on google everywhere think about targeting certain countries. It saved me a lot of money once I started targeting my ads to certain countries.
5. Break your ads up into small groups and make separate ads for simaler keywords.
6. Put [brackets] around your keywords. You will get fewer clicks but your keywords will get matched exactly by google. If you don't use brackets you ads could show up for keywords you might not want google to match on.
7. Test different ads. Google will give preference to ads that get clicked more often and the ads will get clicked more will cost less per click. Keep the ads that do well and the ones with low clickthrough rates should be deleted.
8. Your keywords should be well chosen and specific. General keywords like music will get you a lot of traffic but won't convert to sales as well as specific keywords.
9. You can have google place your keywords right in your ad titles for you automatically. It's called dynamic keyword insertion. Basically when you make your ad title you type in {keyword:default}. In place of default you put a title to use when your keywords are too long for google to put in. Dynamic keyword insertion is a powerful tool that will get more clickthroughs for your ads and higher conversions to sales. The only drawback of dynamic keyword insertion is that the price per click increases.
10. If your clickthrough rates on your ad campaigns aren't at least 1% I would recommend changing the ad or deleting certain keywords in the ad group with a low clickthrough rate. The higher your clickthrough rate the better your ad is performing and ad costs will be less.
11. The more you can think like people who are searching for the products you are promoting the better you will be able to make your ads and keywords.
12. The tricky part of adwords is that you want your ads to stand out and get people to click on them but at the same time there are also people you don't want clicking your ads. First thing you want to discourage are "freebie seekers". These people will click your ads thinking they will get something for free and will never buy anything from your ads. To discourage freebie seekers I recommend doing 2 things. First of all you the word free should not be put in an ad. Secondly you should put the price of the the product you are promoting in the ad, preferably right in the title. This will drive up your per click costs and give you less traffic but you will get the traffic that's more serious about buying the product your'e marketing.
13. Whenever possible ad campaign performance should be tracked to see how your ads and keywords are performing. Google provides a publisher id number that can be used with many affiliate programs. When you include your publisher id in the url that you send your traffic to you will get back inportant information such as which keywords are getting the sales, what your sales conversion ratio is and cost per sale. this ad tracking information can be used to increase profits on your campaigns by allowing you to delete keywords that don't make any sales.
14. I've found that advertising on google exclusively and not on the entire google network has brought the greatest return on my campaigns.
Advertising in google adwords can be a great way to make money online. If you own a website another way of making money with google is to put their ads on your site through the google adsense program.
Article Source: http://www.superfeature.com
How to Win as a Stock Market Speculator
Written in terms accessible to lay readers, by financial journalist and share dealer expert Alexander Davidson, How To Win As A Stock Market Speculator: Trading, Technical Analysis, Financial Spread Betting is a meticulous, in-depth insider's guide to becoming one's own stock analyst, offering tips, tricks, techniques, and secrets to successfully speculating upon the market. From common scams to avoid, to extracting information from chart patterns, to dealing with special trading situations and much more, How To Win As A Stock Market Speculator is chock full cover to cover with need-to-know information for anyone determined to play the market and win.
China Money Supply Rises 17.1%, Exceeding Target
By Nipa Piboontanasawat and Helen Yuan
May 13 (Bloomberg) -- China's money supply growth exceeded the government target for a third month and lending accelerated, adding pressure on the central bank to raise interest rates.
M2, which includes cash and all deposits, rose 17.1 percent in April from a year earlier, the People's Bank of China said on its Web site today, after gaining 17.3 percent in March. That beat the 17 percent median estimate of 19 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News and the central bank's 2007 target of 16 percent.
Outstanding yuan loans also rose more quickly last month than in March as tighter lending rules and higher borrowing costs failed to curb investments in factories and real estate. The People's Bank of China has raised interest rates three times since April 2006, as well as increasing the amount lenders must set aside as reserves seven times, in a bid to slow asset bubbles and accelerating inflation.
``Lending is still very strong and that sustains fixed-asset investment,'' said Dariusz Kowalczyk, chief investment strategist at CFC Seymour Ltd. in Hong Kong. ``The central bank wants to reduce loan growth and make savings more attractive to cool the stock markets.''
Kowalczyk expects the central bank to raise both lending and deposit rates in June. The one-year benchmark lending rate is at 6.39 percent.
Outstanding yuan loans climbed 16.5 percent in April from a year earlier, today's statement said, up from 16.3 percent in March. Banks extended 422 billion yuan of new loans last month, making the total for the first four months 1.8 trillion yuan, more than half the total for the whole of last year.
Economic Growth
China's economy, the world's fourth-largest, grew 11.1 percent in the first quarter, accelerating from 10.4 percent in the previous three months. Fixed-asset investment in urban areas climbed 25.3 percent in the period, compared with 24.5 percent for the whole of last year.
The central bank will continue ``stable'' monetary policy, strengthen liquidity control and guide ``adequate'' loan growth, using reserve requirements and open market operations as tools, it said in a quarterly monetary policy report.
China's trade surplus swelled 88 percent in first four months from a year earlier to $63.3 billion, pumping more cash into the economy and complicating government effort to rein in money supply, lending and fixed-asset investments.
Higher Inflation
China's inflation accelerated to 3.3 percent in March, the highest in more than two years, and more than the central bank's target of 3 percent.
With the benchmark one-year deposit rate at 2.79 percent, Chinese households, concerned that they are losing money on savings held at banks, have rushed into the stock markets. The benchmark CSI 300 Index has jumped 81 percent since the start of this year.
Among Chinese 20,000 households surveyed by the central bank in February, a record high of 30.3 percent said they intend to invest their money in stocks and funds.
Investors in China opened 8.58 million new accounts at brokerages in the first quarter, up from 5.38 million for the whole of 2006, according to the China Securities Depository and Clearing Corp.
Outstanding yuan deposits rose 15.7 percent in April from a year earlier, today's statement said, down from 15.9 percent in March. M1, the narrower measure which includes cash and demand deposits, increased 20 percent, marking its fifth month of exceeding growth in M2.
To contact the reporter on this story: Nipa Piboontanasawat in Hong Kong at npiboontanas@bloomberg.net Helen Yuan in Shanghai at hyuan@bloomberg.net
May 13 (Bloomberg) -- China's money supply growth exceeded the government target for a third month and lending accelerated, adding pressure on the central bank to raise interest rates.
M2, which includes cash and all deposits, rose 17.1 percent in April from a year earlier, the People's Bank of China said on its Web site today, after gaining 17.3 percent in March. That beat the 17 percent median estimate of 19 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News and the central bank's 2007 target of 16 percent.
Outstanding yuan loans also rose more quickly last month than in March as tighter lending rules and higher borrowing costs failed to curb investments in factories and real estate. The People's Bank of China has raised interest rates three times since April 2006, as well as increasing the amount lenders must set aside as reserves seven times, in a bid to slow asset bubbles and accelerating inflation.
``Lending is still very strong and that sustains fixed-asset investment,'' said Dariusz Kowalczyk, chief investment strategist at CFC Seymour Ltd. in Hong Kong. ``The central bank wants to reduce loan growth and make savings more attractive to cool the stock markets.''
Kowalczyk expects the central bank to raise both lending and deposit rates in June. The one-year benchmark lending rate is at 6.39 percent.
Outstanding yuan loans climbed 16.5 percent in April from a year earlier, today's statement said, up from 16.3 percent in March. Banks extended 422 billion yuan of new loans last month, making the total for the first four months 1.8 trillion yuan, more than half the total for the whole of last year.
Economic Growth
China's economy, the world's fourth-largest, grew 11.1 percent in the first quarter, accelerating from 10.4 percent in the previous three months. Fixed-asset investment in urban areas climbed 25.3 percent in the period, compared with 24.5 percent for the whole of last year.
The central bank will continue ``stable'' monetary policy, strengthen liquidity control and guide ``adequate'' loan growth, using reserve requirements and open market operations as tools, it said in a quarterly monetary policy report.
China's trade surplus swelled 88 percent in first four months from a year earlier to $63.3 billion, pumping more cash into the economy and complicating government effort to rein in money supply, lending and fixed-asset investments.
Higher Inflation
China's inflation accelerated to 3.3 percent in March, the highest in more than two years, and more than the central bank's target of 3 percent.
With the benchmark one-year deposit rate at 2.79 percent, Chinese households, concerned that they are losing money on savings held at banks, have rushed into the stock markets. The benchmark CSI 300 Index has jumped 81 percent since the start of this year.
Among Chinese 20,000 households surveyed by the central bank in February, a record high of 30.3 percent said they intend to invest their money in stocks and funds.
Investors in China opened 8.58 million new accounts at brokerages in the first quarter, up from 5.38 million for the whole of 2006, according to the China Securities Depository and Clearing Corp.
Outstanding yuan deposits rose 15.7 percent in April from a year earlier, today's statement said, down from 15.9 percent in March. M1, the narrower measure which includes cash and demand deposits, increased 20 percent, marking its fifth month of exceeding growth in M2.
To contact the reporter on this story: Nipa Piboontanasawat in Hong Kong at npiboontanas@bloomberg.net Helen Yuan in Shanghai at hyuan@bloomberg.net
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