Monthly Archives: April 2014

Tibetan mastiff twins sell for record-breaking $3 million in China

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“A Chinese dog breeder said Thursday that a property developer paid him 18 million yuan  for Tibetan mastiff twins, highlighting how the breed has become a status symbol for China‘s rich.  The large, slobbery dog with massive amounts of hair used to be best known for herding sheep in Tibet, but has now become a luxury for the ultra-rich who want to spread their wealth beyond stocks and real estate.  Zhang said the buyer, from eastern Shandong province, paid him the 18 million yuan with his credit card.  Liu Na, organizer of a Tibetan mastiff fair, said the average price for one of the dogs is several hundreds of thousands of dollars:  ‘It’s just like deals done when buying antiques.'”

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Latest-News-Wires/2014/0320/Tibetan-mastiff-twins-sell-for-record-breaking-3-million-in-China

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China Boosts Economy With Mini Stimulus

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“China has announced a set of steps to boost slowing growth in the world’s number-two economy, including extending tax breaks for small businesses and support measures for poor urban districts.  The State Council, China’s cabinet, announced the mini stimulus after a meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang.  Li said last month that China had set its annual growth target at ‘around’ 7.5 per cent.  The tax breaks for ‘small and micro’ companies will be extended until the end of 2016, the State Council said.  It also said 6600 kilometres of new railway lines will come into operation this year.  The plan will also see the creation of a railway fund that will receive between 200-300 billion yuan  each year.”

http://www.thebull.com.au/articles/a/45175-china-boosts-economy-with-mini-stimulus.html

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Bill Bonner: Debunking the Fed’s Credit Propaganda

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Bill-Bonner2

“We have no choice but to go ahead.  But to where? And how?  Hold on. One question at a time, please.  To where? Japan!   How? By using the same policy tools the Japanese used. It worked there, didn’t it?   The Fed is fully committed to staying the course. If credit deflation returns to the US, it will have to be over Janet Yellen’s dead body. Which is not a bad idea. But Yellen is not likely to let it happen… not if she can prevent it.  But there’s the rub. If credit is going to keep expanding, someone has to borrow more – a lot more.”

http://www.bonnerandpartners.com/debunking-the-feds-credit-propaganda/

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What’s the Best Small Cap Electronic Cigarette Stock?

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“Small cap electronic cigarette stocks Vapor Corp, Smokefree Innotec, Hop-On Inc  and American Heritage International Inc are what’s left of the e-Cig market not controlled by ‘Big Tobacco’ and at least one of these stocks is positioning itself or its technology to exploit opportunities in marijuana or cannabis. Last year, industry experts were saying that US retail sales of e-cigarettes could reach $1 billion for the year or 1% of the country’s cigarette market but twice that of 2012 as sales go off the Internet and into more mainstream retailers. Moreover, they are being positioned as a ‘healthier’ alternative to smoking (albeit some smoking bans have been extended to cover the devices).”

http://www.smallcapnetwork.com/What-the-Best-Small-Cap-Electronic-Cigarette-Stock-VPCO-SFIO-HPNN-AHII/s/via/3414/article/view/p/mid/1/id/1757/

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Prohibition 2.0: Marijuana Mimics Alcohol

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“Before alcohol could be prohibited, the temperance society knew it had to address the tax issue. Alcohol tax generated 40% of the government’s budget and that was the ‘Drys’ biggest challenge — replace the alcohol revenue. The 16th amendment created the federal income tax in 1913 and that was the first step to changing the revenue stream for the government. So you can thank the tee totalers for the income tax we have today. Income taxes far surpassed the liquor taxes and so the road became clear to pass a prohibition against alcohol manufacture and sales. In 1919, the 18th Amendment or ‘Prohibition’ was passed.”

http://www.thestreet.com/print/story/12626708.html

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5 Steps You Should Take Right Away

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“Let me focus on the big challenge you face right now: To achieve more safety and a higher return.  First, Elisabeth and I continue to hold a substantial portion of our personal money in short-term U.S. Treasuries. Second, we have a portfolio invested exclusively in stocks that have earned a high Weiss Stock Rating. Third, Elisabeth and I have bought some real estate.  Fourth, we have a portfolio designed to follow the recommendations of our Money and Markets editors.  Fifth, we are now very intrigued by certain kinds of technology investments. Between our big allocation to cash and our allocations to these other investments, I think we get the best of both worlds — safety and return.”

http://www.moneyandmarkets.com/5-steps-you-should-take-right-away-59428

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Bank of Japan To Double ETF Purchases in Next Round of Easing

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“Japan’s central bank will probably double purchases of exchange-traded funds in a second round of monetary easing under Governor Haruhiko Kuroda anticipated in coming months, a Bloomberg News survey of economists shows.  The Bank of Japan, which tomorrow is forecast to leave unchanged a 60 to 70 trillion yen target for yearly expansion of the monetary base, will increase annual ETF buys to 2 trillion yen, according to a survey of 36 analysts. Evidence of budding inflation expectations among Japan’s companies may restrain more ambitious plans, such as open-ended ETF purchases, even as the economy slows because of this month’s sales-tax increase.”

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-04-06/boj-seen-doubling-etf-purchases-in-next-round-of-japan-easing

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Japan equity mutual funds see large inflows on new tax-break scheme

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“Japanese retail investors shifted back to equity funds as a new tax-break facility dubbed NISA, for the Nippon Individual Savings Account, kicked off in January.  NISA is aimed at driving massive Japanese savings into stocks and mutual funds.  In December, investors had pulled out from equity funds as they collected proceeds from there ahead of a doubling of Japan’s capital gains tax, which took effect from Jan. 1.  The country’s tax on capital gains and dividends was raised to 20 percent from 10 percent at the start of January, as a special tax break given to support share prices expired.  The Japanese government projects the tax-break accounts could draw more than $250 billion by 2020.”

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/14/japan-mutualfunds-idUSL3N0LJ3HQ20140214

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The Top Russia-ETF Value Play

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“With all the tension recently involving Russia, Ukraine and Crimea, Russia’s stock market has gotten even cheaper.  On March 3, 2014, the MICEX Index, which tracks the 50 largest and most liquid Russian stocks traded on the Moscow Exchange, plummeted nearly 11 percent. Two weeks later, the index still sits roughly 11 percent below its closing level on Feb. 28, 2014.  In line with Rogers’ observation, if you look at the price/earnings multiples (P/E ratios) of Russia ETFs compared with those of other ETFs focused on the emerging markets in general or on the collection of the BRIC countries, Russia all by itself currently looks like a steal.”

http://www.etf.com/sections/blog/21553-the-top-russia-etf-value-play.html?fullart=1&start=2

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Jim Rogers: Buy Russia & China

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“Russia is very, very cheap, and it’s a very neglected stock market with enormous natural resources. I first went to Russia in 1966 and came away negative, and I stayed negative for the next 46 years, so it’s been a long-term bear for me. But in recent months I’ve started changing my views and have started buying shares in Russia.  Another one might be Japan. I don’t know if Japan is ignored or not, but it’s down 60-70 percent from its all-time highs, so it’s still neglected to some extent. In 20 years, we’ll look back at Japan, and its death knell will be what Mr. Abe did in 2012-2014. But in the meantime, there are staggering amounts of money and spending, and printing has to go somewhere.”

http://www.etf.com/sections/features/21208-jim-rogers-buy-russia-a-china-premium.html

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