Oct 21

Low Interest Rates Force Many People are Opening Brokerage Accounts

Posted in Stock Roundup

Many investors are tired of CD rates which you don’t even stay ahead of inflation when you invest in a certificate of deposit. The same can be said of savings account rates which aren’t paying much more deposit interest. On the flip side of things if you borrow money, like have a mortgage, right now current mortgage rates are extremly low, same goes for refinance rates refinancerates.me.

When you open a brokerage account to invest in a mutual fund or to invest directly in stocks you should know what you’re doing, just like searching for the best CD rates at banks or credit unions. So you should turn to a cash account is a type of brokerage account in which the investor must pay the full amount for securities purchased, you can also find brokers firms advertising CD rates though brokered CD rates cdrates.me might not be as high as bank CD rates.

This type of order guarantees that the order will be executed, but does not guarantee the execution price.Even if the brokerage firm notifies you that you have a certain number of days to cover the shortfall, it still may sell your securities before then.

Diversification can’t guarantee that your investments won’t suffer if the market drops.A buy stop order is entered at a stop price above the current market price.

Stocks seem to be the only game in town, savings rates are so low even retirees or people saving for retirement won’t earn much interest. Savings rates aren’t expected to go higher for another couple of years, like at the end of 2014.

Diversification can be neatly summed up as, Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. The most common types of orders are market orders, limit orders, and stop-loss orders.For example, if you buy on margin and the value of your securities declines, your brokerage firm can require you to deposit cash or securities to your account immediately.

Having a “long” position in a security means that you own the security.On the other hand, investing involves taking on some degree of risk.Investors generally use a sell stop order to limit a loss or protect a profit on a stock they own.As with any other loan, you will incur interest costs when you buy securities on margin.

You’ll also want to understand the fees associated with the buying, selling, and holding the investment.There are risks involved in purchasing securities on margin.Stocks, bonds, and mutual funds are the most common asset categories.If the price drops, you can buy the stock at the lower price and make a profit.

A sell stop order is entered at a stop price below the current market price.You could lose your “principal,” which is the amount you’ve invested.Before you make any investment, understand the risks of the investment and make sure the risks are appropriate for you.

A buy limit order can only be executed at the limit price or lower, and a sell limit order can only be executed at the limit price or higher.When investing, you have a greater chance of losing your money than when you save.In a cash account, you are not allowed to borrow funds from your broker to pay for transactions in the account.That’s true even if you purchase your investments through a bank.Treasury securities.

A margin account is a type of brokerage account in which your brokerage firm can lend you money to buy securities, with the securities in your portfolio serving as collateral for the loan.If the price of the stock rises and you buy it back later at the higher price, you will incur a loss.A limit order is an order to buy or sell a security at a specific price or better.Example: An investor wants to purchase shares of ABC stock for no more than.

The investor could submit a limit order for this amount and this order will only execute if the price of ABC stock is $10 or lower.The opposite of a “long” position is a “short” position.Some investors may include these asset categories within a portfolio.Investments in these asset categories typically have category-specific risks.

However, it is important for investors to remember that the last-traded price is not necessarily the price at which a market order will be executed.A stop order, also referred to as a stop-loss order is an order to buy or sell a stock once the price of the stock reaches the specified price, known as the stop price.Investors generally use a buy stop order to limit a loss or protect a profit on a stock that they have sold short.

Investors who sell short believe the price of the stock will decrease in value.Investors maintain “long” security positions in the expectation that the stock will rise in value in the future.A market order is an order to buy or sell a security immediately.

A market order generally will execute at or near the current bid (for a sell order) or ask (for a buy order) price.Other asset categories include real estate, precious metals and other commodities, and private equity.These are among the asset categories you would likely choose from when investing in a retirement savings program or a college savings plan.

It can also sell any of the securities in your account to cover any shortfall, without informing you in advance.But when you invest, you also have the opportunity to earn more money.A brokerage firm may at any time change the threshold at which customers are subject to a margin call.

But it can improve the chances that you won’t lose money, or that if you do, it won’t be as much as if you weren’t diversified.The idea is that if one investment loses money, the other investments will make up for those losses.

When the stop price is reached, a stop order becomes a market order.A “short” position is generally the sale of a stock you do not own.Unlike FDIC-insured deposits, the money you invest in securities, mutual funds, and other similar investments are not federally insured.The brokerage firm decides which of your securities to sell.

Jun 26

Stock Market Roundup This Week June 24, 2011

Posted in Stock Roundup

Stocks fell again on Friday, making it yet another down week for the stock markets, making it down 7 of the last 8 weeks. Poor earnings reports from two big technology companies scared the market. Investors are starting to wonder if companies are investing less in techology and other captial spending.

Also weight on the stock market are fears of the European debt crisis hitting other countries besides Greece. The PIIGS as they are called all have interest rates going higher on the debt that those countries owe. Italian bank stock prices got hammered as MOody’s Rating Agency said they might downgrade their credit ratings, a downgrade would send interset rates even higher.

The Dow Jones industrial average on Friday fell 115.42 points to 11,934.58. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 15.05 to 1,268.45 and the Nasdaq composite fell 33.86 to 2,652.89.

This week’s market declines erased the gains made all week in the DJIA and the S&P 500. 10 year bond yields also declined this past week hitting a low of 2.86%. Pretty soon CD rates will be more competitive with bond yields.

A big surprise in technology new was Micron Technology Inc which said the had lower memory chip sales and it hurt the company’s earnings. MU fell 14.5 percent after the news. Another technology bell weather,Oracle said sales also fell sharply which send ORCL down as well.

May 18

Investing in Penny Stocks and Actually Making Money

Posted in Stock Roundup

You can make money trading and investing in penny stocks but it’s not easy. There are many popular techniques and I personally know people who use them, some I’ve tried and work but most don’t work. You’re better off placing your money in a savings account even with the lowest savings rates monitorbankrates.com/online-savings-accounts on jumbo savings rates and regular savings rates.

When trading with a technique that works you can make a modest profit using these popular techniques but you might be better off with a buy and hold stragey with a stock traded on the NASDAQ or NYSE.

One of the unscoupoulis methods in trading in penny sockts in teh pump and dump method. I personally don’t recommend this method because other will get hurt and you can get into trouble with the SEC. Investment news letters that pratic this are mostly found online these days. They get you and others to buy the stock and then they dump their holdings.

More to follow tomorrow on making money investing in penny stocks.

May 18

Stocks to Watch Today

Posted in Stock Roundup

Here is today’s investment roundup. Several stocks are making big moves today on possitive company news. Nobel Learning Communities is up more than 25% today and keeps on rising. Other noteable moves include SATC SatCon Technology Corporation which is up on heavy trading volume.

Top 5 most active today:

NLCI Nobel Learning Communities, Inc 11.47
 2.83 (32.76%) 968,720 Chart, Profile, More
SATC SatCon Technology Corporation 2.7499
 0.4599 (20.08%) 1,850,566 Chart, Profile, More
JAG Jaguar Mining Inc Ordinary Shar 5.13
0.82 (19.03%) 1,210,547 Chart, Profile, More
BHO B+H Ocean Carriers Ltd. Common  3.36
0.46 (15.86%) 900 Chart, Profile, More
WTM White Mountains Insurance Group 385.14
41.51 (12.08%) 26,364 Chart, Profile, More

Earnings Releases

Abercrombie & Fitch Co ANF N/A Before Market Open  
Abiomed Inc ABMD N/A Before Market Open  
Ablynx NV ABLX.BR N/A After Market Close 
 
Advance Auto Parts Inc AAP N/A After Market Close  
Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp Ltd 3355.HK N/A 05:30 am ET  
Aeterna Zentaris Inc AEZ.TO N/A Before Market Open 
 
Ageas SA AGS.BR N/A 01:30 am ET  
Air Berlin PLC AB1.DE N/A 
 
Alkermes Inc ALKS N/A  
Alm Brand A/S ALMB.CO N/A 
 
American Defense Systems Inc EAG N/A 
 
American Learning Corp ALRN N/A 
 
Ampliphi Biosciences Corp APHB.PK N/A 
 
Antrim Energy Inc AEN.TO N/A 
 
Anvil Mining Ltd AVM.TO N/A 
 
Aura Minerals Inc ORA.TO N/A 
 
Bioexx Specialty Proteins Ltd BXI.TO N/A 
 
BioteQ Environmental Technologies Inc BQE.TO N/A 
 
Birchcliff Energy Ltd BIR.TO N/A 
 
BJ’s Wholesale Club Inc BJ N/A Before Market Open  
Blinkx PLC BLNX.L N/A 02:00 am ET 
 
Bonterra Energy Corp BNE.TO N/A 
 
Brady Corp BRC N/A  
Caspian Energy Inc CEK.TO N/A 
 
Cavico Corp CAVO N/A 
 
Champion Industries Inc CHMP N/A 
 
Chicos FAS Inc CHS N/A 07:00 am ET  
China Bio Energy Corp C88A.BE N/A 
 
China Fire & Security Group Inc CFSG N/A After Market Close 
 
China Real Estate Information Corp CRIC N/A 
 
China Xiniya Fashion Ltd XNY N/A 
 
Citi Trends Inc CTRN N/A Before Market Open 
 
Cityspring Infrastructure Trust A7RU.SI N/A 
 
Compass Group PLC CPG.L N/A Before Market Open 
 
Concord Medical Services Holdings Ltd CCM N/A Before Market Open  
Connacher Oil And Gas Ltd CLL.TO N/A 
 
Consumer Portfolio Services Inc CPSS N/A 
 
Country Style Cooking Restaurant Chain Co Ltd CCSC N/A After Market Close  
Deere & Co DE N/A  
Eaton Vance Corp EV N/A 09:00 am ET 
 
Eifelhoehen Klinik AG EIF.F N/A 
 
Equal Energy Ltd EQU.TO N/A 
 
Experian PLC EXPN.L N/A  
Fibrek Inc FBK.TO N/A After Market Close 
 
First Nickel Inc FNI.TO N/A 
 
Glacier Media Inc GVC.TO N/A 
 
Goldsource Mines Inc GXS.V N/A 
 
Goodman Property Trust GMT.NZ N/A 
 
Greystar Resources Ltd GSL.TO N/A 
 
Hot Topic Inc HOTT N/A  
Icap PLC IAP.L N/A Before Market Open 
 
IfCo Systems NV IFE1.DE N/A 
 
Image Scan Holdings PLC IGE.L N/A Before Market Open 
 
Ivu Traffic Technologies AG IVU.DE N/A 
 
Jack In The Box Inc JACK N/A After Market Close  
Jiangbo Pharmaceuticals Inc JGBO N/A 
 
Kent Financial Services Inc KENT N/A 
 
Kirklands Inc KIRK N/A 
 
Kiwi Income Property Trust KIP.NZ N/A 
 
Labrador Iron Mines Holdings Ltd LIM.TO N/A 
 
Land Securities Group PLC LAND.L N/A 02:00 am ET 
 
LDK Solar Co Ltd LDK N/A 
 
Leon S Furniture Ltd LNF.TO N/A 
 
Limited Brands Inc LTD N/A After Market Close  
Liquor Stores NA Ltd LIQ.TO N/A 
 
LOTTE SHOPPING CO LTD    
 
Mothercare PLC MTC.L N/A 02:00 am ET 
 
Mro Tek Ltd MRO-TEK.NS N/A 
 
Mytilineos Holdings SA MYTIL.AT N/A 
 
Neptune Technologies & Bioressources Inc NTB.V N/A 
 
NetEase.com Inc NTES N/A After Market Close  
New Horizons Worldwide Inc NWRZ.PK N/A 
 
New World Resources NV NWR.L N/A  
Niska Gas Storage Partners LLC NKA N/A  
Optibase Ltd OBAS N/A 
 
Ore Pharmaceuticals Inc ORXE.PK N/A 
 
Orion Energy Systems Inc OESX N/A After Market Close 
 
Pan American Silver Corp PAA.TO N/A After Market Close 
 
Peak Energy Services Ltd PES.TO N/A 
 
Petsmart Inc PETM N/A After Market Close  
ProspEx Resources Ltd PSX.TO N/A 
 
Rakon Ltd RAK.NZ N/A 
 
SCA Hygiene Products SE PWA.DE N/A 
 
Sino Clean Energy Inc SCEI N/A 
 
Smart Technologies Inc SMA.TO N/A After Market Close 
 
Speedy Hire PLC SDY.L N/A Before Market Open 
 
Staples Inc SPLS N/A Before Market Open  
Stern Groep NV STRN.AS N/A 
 
Stille AB STIL.ST N/A 09:00 am ET 
 
Suedzucker AG Mannheim Ochsenfurt SZU.DE N/A 04:30 am ET 
 
Synopsys Inc SNPS N/A After Market Close  
Tangent Communications PLC TNG.L N/A 
 
Target Corp TGT N/A  
TransAtlantic Petroleum Ltd TAT N/A 
 
Uk Mail Group PLC UKM.L N/A 02:00 am ET 
 
Victoria Properties A/S VIPRO.CO N/A 
 
Vimicro International Corp VIMC N/A 
 
Waccamaw Bankshares Inc WBNK N/A 
 
Westell Technologies Inc WSTL N/A After Market Close 
 
Wirecard AG WDI.DE N/A 
 
Wonder Auto Technology Inc WATG N/A