Alternatives to Fortescue Metal’s Nationalistic Fervor Over Iron Ore

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on May 14, 2015. Click here to read the entire piece.) Now that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has cleared Andrew Forrest of violating laws against anti-competitive business practices, the CEO of Fortescue Metals Group (FSUGY) (FSUMY) wasted no time … Read more

Little Cliffs Natural Resources Still Talks Like the 900-Pound Gorilla

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on November 3, 2015. Click here to read the entire piece.) Cliffs Natural Resources (CLF) reported earnings last week on the morning of October 29, 2015. {snip} Source: FreeStockCharts.com From my perspective, the always colorful commentary from Chairman, President, and CEO Lourenco … Read more

Cliffs Natural Resources CEO Yearns for Iron Ore Collusion, uh, Cooperation

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on March 12, 2015. Click here to read the entire piece.) When I last wrote about the colorful CEO of Cliffs Natural Resources (CLF), Lourenco Goncalves, he was lambasting the Australians for manipulating their currency as a last desperate measure to save … Read more

While Cliffs Natural Resources Lashes Out, Rio Tinto Coolly Maintains the Pressure

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on February 20, 2015. Click here to read the entire piece.) I extend a hat tip to the Sydney Morning Herald for alerting me to the incendiary comments made by Lourenco Goncalves, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cliffs Natural Resources … Read more

Negative Feedback Loops Should Continue Pressuring Iron Ore Prices Lower

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on January 19, 2015. Click here to read the entire piece.) {April 8, 2015 addendum: negative feedback loop is not the accurate term. I should have left it at feedback loops or even destructive feedback loops} {snip} {snip} There is every reason … Read more

With Vultures Circling, Cliffs Natural Resources Breaks Important Support

The vultures continue to circle around Cliffs Natural Resources Inc (CLF) looking to take advantage of a company desperate to raise enough cash to stay alive. From Bloomberg today (Sept 26, 2014): “Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (CLF), the U.S. iron-ore producer, has drawn interest for its Australian mines from producers including Mineral Resources Ltd. (MIN) … Read more

Chart Review: Amazon.com Triggers Post-Earnings Short, Freeport Hits QE2 Price, Cliffs Hits 200DMA

Amazon.com (AMZN) The day after Amazon.com (AMZN) reported earnings, it soared in typical fashion after faking out traders with a lower print. I was able to once again execute the post-earnings AMZN trade successfully. It has been all downhill for AMZN since then. On Tuesday (August 13) the stock finally closed below the intraday low … Read more

Plunging Iron Ore Underlines Coming Monetary Policy from the Reserve Bank of Australia

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on June 2, 2013. Click here to read the entire piece.) {snip} …Iron prices have plunged almost as severely as they did last August as steel rebar prices have fallen. From Reuters on May 31st: {snip} These price declines would seem to … Read more

Don’t Overplay the Recovery In Iron Ore Prices

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on January 7, 2013. Click here to read the entire piece.) Back in September, one of the big stories was the plunge in iron ore prices to three-year lows around $87/ton. With prices down over 50% from the record high of $191/ton … Read more

Chart Review: Autozone Comes Back, Cliffs Abandons

I watched Autozone (AZO) this morning stage another incredible comeback from post-earnings selling. In pre-market trading, AZO was down over 3% around $345. By the time trading opened, AZO rushed out the gate at $355. While it looked like a bottoming move, I failed to give the trade a try (with a stop below the … Read more