Do Not Expect An Encore from Intel

Intel (INTC) delivered a stellar earnings report Tuesday evening with revenues and margins that beat expectations. However, do not expect an encore in the near-term because INTC’s historical performance suggests this may be as good as it gets for a while. Q3 revenues were $9.4B with consensus expectations for $9.04B. The 17% sequential growth in … Read more

My Biggest Whiff for the Year: Goldman Sachs

Just thinking about writing this piece makes me cringe. After celebrating gold’s fresh 18-month highs yesterday, it occurred to me that I need to review my biggest whiff of this year: Goldman Sachs (GS), affectionately called “Government Sachs.” I could just as easily call this one “how I missed out on at least 900% returns.” … Read more

What Is the Deal with Steel Production and Prices?

Last week, I noticed media headlines screaming the horrible news that “Crude steel output in 2009 to hit lowest level in 40 years.” As I searched for the direct source of this quote from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI), I stumbled upon its “Preliminary Report on Iron and Steel, Non-ferrous metal, and … Read more

Do Not Assume Summer Will Always Bring Light Trading Volume

We have all heard the claims that traders take the summer off, choosing to exchange their flashing computers for the calm, cool breezes of the beaches of the Hamptons, Martha’s Vineyard, etc… Yet, year after year, it has appeared to me that summers deliver plenty of noteworthy trading action. I finally decided to take a … Read more