With the distraction of the massive health care plan behind them, senior members of the Obama administration are gearing up to help modernize our aging and inefficient power grid. New sources of energy, new power lines and enhanced conservation measures should all help reduce our burden on imported oil while… Read More

The financial crisis interrupted an unmistakable trend. Worldwide demand for oil, which had been sharply on the rise in the past decade as a result of ever-increasing demand in China and India, plummeted in the past year. While worldwide oil consumption rose from 64.8… Read More

Commodities shape just about every aspect of our lives, from the cost of a tank of gas to the price of a gallon of milk. But instead of being subjected to the whims of volatile commodities, smart investors find a way to soften the blow. Let me explain… During the summer of 2008, when crude oil prices were near $150 a barrel, drivers felt a sting in their wallets. But while prices were high, companies like ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) raked in record profits. This example doesn’t just apply to oil, either. Many other commodities traded near record… Read More

Commodities shape just about every aspect of our lives, from the cost of a tank of gas to the price of a gallon of milk. But instead of being subjected to the whims of volatile commodities, smart investors find a way to soften the blow. Let me explain… During the summer of 2008, when crude oil prices were near $150 a barrel, drivers felt a sting in their wallets. But while prices were high, companies like ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) raked in record profits. This example doesn’t just apply to oil, either. Many other commodities traded near record highs during that time. Take corn. Thanks to ethanol subsidies, the price of corn flour in Mexico nearly quadrupled in a matter of months in the summer of 2007. And while that country’s poor rioted over the cost of corn tortillas, companies like Archer Daniels Midland (NYSE: ADM) made mounds of cash. During the subprime crisis in the United States, people began stripping abandoned homes of copper wiring, hoping to capitalize on high copper prices. And when metals prices were near their highs in 2008, stories began to pop up about some who even… Read More

If you were paying close attention last week, you might have noticed some of the world’s most powerful groups — who each have the power to move markets by themselves — all said the same thing… albeit in different language. Last Tuesday, the Federal Reserve announced that it will keep… Read More

T. Boone Pickens is the quintessential Texas oilman: outspoken, complex and savvy. During the course of his career, he initiated headline-grabbing takeovers in the energy sector and amassed a fortune of about $3 billion. Pickens began his career as a “wildcatter,” drilling in areas not known to contain oil, and eventually… Read More

This week Wall Street has had a lot of its usual fare to digest: Retail sales, housing starts, petroleum inventories, mortgage applications, some minor earnings reports. Those data points… Read More

Here’s a brief three-part history and economics primer, followed by some advice on how to make money from it. The Past Nearly a half-century ago, on Dec. 14, 1960, the United Nations passed Resolution 1514, a declaration on the granting… Read More

If you’ve followed my recommendations for some time now, you know that I utilize a proprietary program I call “CycleProphet,” a market forecasting tool my team developed using decades of research. This sophisticated tool combines and compares peaks and troughs in timewaves with highs and lows in the markets, and has… Read More

Wednesday I told you what an EPA rule change regarding cellulosic ethanol could mean for the Obama White House and, more important, what it could mean for the shareholders of an ethanol-industry leader. That EPA ruling is a done deal. Another proposed EPA rule… Read More

My friend Barbara phoned and invited me to lunch a few weeks ago. When she offered to pay, I knew something was up. Barbara talked about her workout routine, her daughter’s job search, and her upcoming vacation to Panama. After asking me a cursory question or two,… Read More