Four Reasons Why Las Vegas Entertainment is the Best in the World
Las Vegas is the number one destination for fun and entertainment. This becomes evident before you even get to your hotel on your first trip to Vegas. As your cab or shuttle bus makes its way from the airport, huge billboards appear announcing prominent Las Vegas entertainment acts that are truly world-class in every sense.Here are 4 reasons why Las Vegas is the best place to go for fun and entertainment:1. Las Vegas offers variety like none other. It’s a virtual smorgasbord of entertainment delivering a vast selection that caters to every taste, desire and budget. You can spend a considerable amount if you take in different big-name shows every night of your visit. But with such a selection, it’s easy to also mix in some lower cost and even free entertainment options.2. Like any major city, Las Vegas attracts top musical acts covering every genre. But what’s different about Vegas is that most acts perform for several nights or weeks in a row. Some acts like Celine Dion are booked for years at a time. These long-term bookings are something you just don’t see in most other places. But in Vegas, it’s a regular occurrence.3. What’s striking about Vegas entertainment is the level of quality – both in the performers and in the facilities. Actors, musicians, comics and acrobats – you name it and Vegas has it and all are professional in every sense of the word.Every major hotel on the strip has at least one major theater or entertainment venue. Every time I visit a different venue, I’m surprised by the large size of the facility and the amount of equipment used in the production.4. Another huge advantage Las Vegas entertainment offers are the shows that run late into the evening. For night owls, it’s ideal. Forget having just a 7pm and 9pm show. You’ll often have an 11pm and 1am option as well. After all Vegas is a city that never sleeps.After visiting and sampling from its vast variety of entertainment choices, it’s no wonder Las Vegas is considered by many to be the entertainment capital of the world.Las Vegas entertainment is everywhere. You don’t have to look far and any hotel concierge will be happy to help you.Whether you’re planning to several top-rated acts, or a low key visit, be sure to take in some of the various free entertainment options available to anyone. Personal favorites include the musical water fountain show at the Bellagio, the erupting volcano at the Mirage, and the sinking ship show presented just outside Treasure Island.
Filed Your Google Adsense Taxes Yet?
Google AdSense just like any other job requires you to pay tax on your earnings. To everyone out there that is makes more than $600 dollars on Google AdSense you’ve probably received the 1099-MISC form outlining how much money you made after the end of each year. And even more if you checked the “Exempt from backup withholding” 28% percent of your Google AdSense earnings will be kept by Google and go towards your taxes. This basically applies to people who have gotten in trouble with the IRS for example lying about your social security number.As more and more people realize that Google AdSense is a legit job we are learning more about Google AdSense taxes. Like deductions and even how to net your Google AdSense earnings to your other earnings. For example if you had another job you might add your Google AdSense earnings to that job’s earnings. Therefore saving yourself self on some taxes. It’s a useful technique that people use on other businesses.Another important fact is you need to realize which your Google AdSense earnings fit under: a hobby or a business. Most Google AdSense savvy users who earned a lot of cash on it decide to make it a business.
This helps them use any expenses on advertising their website and domain or hosting costs as business deductions. While most small time users decide to make it a hobby which greatly reduces your taxes on it. The IRS has an article that can help you with this located at:Business OR Hobby? [http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=99239,00.html]Please keep in mind that just because you think you make enough money to declare your Google AdSense earnings business earnings doesn’t mean you can. As the IRS promptly tells us that to tax your a business you need to have a certain structure. Meaning you need to have employees which ends up being only you (official term sole proprietorship). Loans and costs and all of those official things that go with businesses, so you can’t just declare yourself a business overnight.Now on to the more interesting part of how you can deduct a lot of money from your Google AdSense earnings taxes. Things like your domain and hosting costs as well as physical purchases like a new computer or even a mouse. But these tax deductions change everyday so I suggest you get in touch with a tax professional or use one of those new tax programs to find out all of the opportunities on there. As well as how much you can deduct from each.Google happens to have a tax information page itself though not very up to date:Google AdSense Tax Info [https://www.google.com/adsense/taxinfo]Also I suggest you check out the IRS.gov website for more information on taxes.Thank You
How The US Marines Created A Successful Surge By Using Their Brand
In social media, a brand is created when there is a co-ordination between brand identity and brand culture. Brand identity and brand culture are complex terms. They are terms that must be understood in order to create a brand in the social media era. The best way to explain complex issues is to give an illustration.The U.S. Marines have a brand. This brand has both an identity and a culture. The identity of the Marines is they are to obey orders. This is best illustrated by the movie, “A Few Good Men”. In this movie, two Marines are convicted of a murder because even though they obeyed orders, they failed to protect the weak. The Surge in Iraqi was successful because the Marines understood their brand.The success of the Surge in Iraq is an illustration and an analogy of how of how brand identity and brand culture work together to create a brand. In very simple terms, the surge in Iraq was a branding campaign. The surge was successful because the U.S. Marines understood their brand and they knew how to communicate this brand successfully to the Iraqi people. This is analogous to a successful social media strategy. To have a successful social media brand, a marketer must know their brand, and they must know how to communicate this successfully. The marines knew how to do this.To understand how the Surge worked, let’s use the analogy of going to the store. We go to a shelve and we have a choice in purchasing one of either two products. The choice of which product you purchase will come down to which product is branded the best. A brand is a combination of brand identity and brand culture. These two things create a brand.The “product” the Iraqis were choosing was the establishment of a government. They had two choices in their “market place”. They could choose either a government of their own choosing, or they could choose a government installed by the insurgency. Their choice would be same as if it were for any other product. The choice would come down to branding.The branding of the Marine Corps involves two things; brand identity and brand culture. The identity of the Marines is that they are people of honor who obey orders. There was an election in Iraqi in which Iraqi citizens decided who they wanted to govern them. The orders for the Marines were that they were to enforce the results of this election because the Iraqis couldn’t do it themselves. This created a brand for the Marines in Iraq.The insurgency offered a product revolving around having an installed government, based on a narrow interpretation of Islam. This is the brand of the insurgency.To the mind of the insurgent, they are men of honor as well. Their culture was not one in which the weak would be protected. In Iraq there were two factions of Islam. If you belonged to the opposite side of the insurgency, you would be killed or terribly abused. Insurgent religious precepts demanded this. The weak would not be protected. Just the opposite. The weak would be abused. An insurgent government offered no choice and no protection for the average Iraqi citizen. Iraqi citizens had a choice among two brands, the Marines or the Insurgency, in establishing a government.The choice would come down to branding. The Iraqi people made their choice based on a terrible incident that established the Marine brand in the minds of Iraqi citizens.An Iraqi family was massacred by a Marine patrol. There was an attempted cover-up. The Marine’s brand identity is that they are men and women of honor. The Marines have mechanisms for reporting battlefield abuses. Several marines who were present reported this incident to a higher chain of command. These were low rank, patrol marines.Investigations followed and several marines were accused, tried, and convicted of serious crimes. Some of these were Marine officers. These officers had a court martial and were imprisoned after they were convicted. This process impressed the Iraqi population. The Marines brought their own to justice through the words of lower ranking Marines.In Saddam’s era something like this wouldn’t happen. Rank would protect you. The right group could and would do anything they wanted to.The Iraqi chose the Marine brand. Under the Marine brand, honorable men protect those who can’t protect themselves. It was this brand that created success for the Surge. Under the Marines, the average Iraqi citizen saw that they would be protected. This is why surge worked and why the Iraqis could choose a government of their own making. The Surge worked because the Marines understood how to create a brand. A brand is created by co-ordinating a brand and a culture.Dean [email protected]
Regular Education Versus Online Education
Technology, computers and the field of communications are pushing forward and they bring about many benefits.With the appearance of online education, everything has changed. It doesn’t work like it used to in the old days. The online learning platform has been a major step forward for people looking to further their education but who are also very busy with their regular job.This makes education even more accessible and the learning process comes with added flexibility. Enrolling in an online class means you can study any time you want and at your own pace.Online education is very useful for professionals who don’t want to quit their jobs but are looking to advance in their field by earning a degree.Serious professionals who are looking for a boost in their perceived respect, more benefits from their jobs and increased paychecks, find attending an online college the next logical step for advancing in their careers.This is a major trend that keeps getting more and more popular and many organizations have come to realize its various benefits.The fact is, online education has gained a lot more respect over the recent years, and has moved past the skepticism about the quality of learning that’s being received.The main advantage of taking an online class remains the flexibility it provides. This flexibility means scheduling when to learn and at what pace.Since many people are generally busier nowadays they tend not to think about furthering their education, when it would be only a click away.A major percent of these busy individuals would like to further their studies but feel like they don’t have time, they are too busy and have too many responsibilities to even squeeze in a few extra hours of learning. They also think there are high prices involving commuting to on-campus programs and the required rent for lengthy stays.If you think about it, most of these problems don’t even exist with online education. After you enroll in an online college, the courses are downloaded to your computer, in your own home and you can begin studying immediately.There are no commuting costs, no need to get a rent somewhere near a physical school and no class schedules to keep track of.Online learning has allowed people to have total control over their learning experience. They learn in their own free time, complete the required tasks at their own pace and so on.All the lessons are taught online by experienced teachers. Some might think that this way of learning comes with a lack of interaction with the teachers or classmates. You can contact your teachers through chat and discussion boards.An online degree comes with many benefits. Aside from enhancing your skill set, it provides a boost at your workplace and may come with better paid jobs and even more offers from employers.
Online Social Networking – Is Anybody Listening?
I often wonder, is anybody listening to the people who have been practicing social networking for a very long time and who are willing to help shorten the learning curve for the rest of us? People like Seth Godin, Chris Brogan, Charlene Li, Guy Kawasaki, Mitch Joel, Mari Smith and the list goes on and on. These people, with years of experience are willing to share, free of charge, everything they have learned, well almost everything. Yet, we see people who are getting started, who continue to make the same mistakes that were made before. Is anybody listening?It seems like everyone is so excited to start social networking yet they forget to find out what social networking is all about. I’m sure they read the advice offered, however, they don’t take the time to absorb it before they start networking.What is Social Networking? Social networking is like sharing with your friends and associates. How often have you been involved in a conversation with a friend and felt that they were not listening to you? Pretty frustrating, isn’t it? There they were, looking at you, nodding yet they “heard” only the words you said; they did not “listen” to understand what you said. That’s when you shake your head and ask yourself is anybody listening? That seems to be what’s happening with the advice and information we are providing online.Just because you don’t absorb all of the advice we give is that advice going to stop coming? No, in fact I’m going to give you some more great advice right now; I hope you are listening.Before you rush out and tell everybody what you are going to do for them make sure that you can actually do it. Not all of us are experts at everything, however, we all have areas where we can share information that will be helpful to our fellow social networkers. Take the Flower sisters on YouTube. They started sharing helpful make-up tips and have now produced over 500 very well received clips related to things young ladies encounter; helpful timely advice and information which has led to much more for them.That’s the advice I have for you, helpful timely advice and information will lead to much more for you. Social networking is not “what’s in it for you,” it’s “what’s in it for them.” Before you start social networking you need to listen to your “target” audience and find out what they want.It’s no different than talking to a friend. We all know that good listening is key in effective communication. We listen to our friend to understand what they are saying or trying to say so we can respond in a helpful manner. With social networking it’s the same thing. You have to establish a relationship with your network before much of what you have to say will be heard.You have to spend time listening in order to know how you can help them. Just jumping into a group, forum, blog, webinar or social site and telling everyone to join you because your upline or super-affiliate has told you you have a great product is not going to work. The social networking community is just that, a community, and its reaction to certain behavior is predictable. A person’s behavior will get them placed into specific groups.If you are a newbie, someone obviously just getting started in social networking, and make mistakes because you are following the wrong guidance or no guidance you will be given a little time to learn acceptable etiquette or behavior. However, if you don’t learn you will find yourself outside looking in with no audience to hear what you have to say. When you ask is anybody listening the answer will be no.There are also those people who are all business. They are there to advertise and promote their product or services. They have no time for conversation or other distractions. These people will soon find that they are being blocked by most people and are only talking to themselves.Then there are the people who post a lot and say little or nothing of value. Their posts or tweets are vain attempts to get noticed and they do get noticed, blocked and forgotten.It is the people who may be there for business, yet understand the need to interact, are social on a social network and realize the need to build a relationship, who are making social networking vibrant.These people openly edify other businesses and people within the social community. These are the people who post items of interest from all over the web promoting, educating and serving the social networking community at the same time. They create content that you look forward to seeing which helps them create relationships and friendships while they cultivate their business networking relationships.Which group do you want to be in? Is anybody listening? I hope so.
The Future of Manufacturing Education
What is CAD/CAM Software?Computer Aided Design. In reference to software, it is the means of designing and creating geometry and models that can be used in the process of product manufacturing. Computer Aided Manufacturing. In reference to software, it is the means of processing a designed part model, creating machine toolpath for its various components and creating an NC program that is then sent to a CNC Machine tool to be made.The purpose of CAD-CAM is to automate CNC programming and allow innovators, designers and cnc businesses to manufacture products, bringing them to market faster and more profitably than ever before. It is the concept of producing goods faster and for less.Manufacturers of The FutureIn 2013 and beyond, thousands of students in North America alone are currently planning to enter careers in Manufacturing. From Advanced Mechanical Design, Fabrication, Aerospace Engineering and Aircraft Manufacturing to Industrial Engineering, Automotive and CNC Machining, these students will be the future of Manufacturing moving forward. They will be the innovators, the creators and architects that will design and make all of the products we use on a daily basis. As design and manufacturing technology advances, so does the look and usability of the products we buy and use. Costs are driven down and the speed in which products are brought to market increases. This means that we can buy products from dishwashers to cell phones cheaper while enjoying a broader selection to choose from.While software providers are constantly moving forward in the development of CAD/CAM software, adding new automation and making it more intuitive than the last software revisions, you will agree that there needs to be a swiftly moving system of keeping these students on par with the cutting edge of CNC automation. Thus ensuring their survival once they land in shops and manufacturing businesses around the world.Here are some of the real-world challenges that educators and schools face when including manufacturing CAD/CAM technology in their curriculums.Focused Manufacturing CurriculumsA common challenge for CAD/CAM in Education has to do with the type of applications or even industries being taught along with the curriculum segments revolving around software as it relates to that specific industry or application. In 2008 a panel of manufacturing and business professionals were interviewed by O & P.com, an online resource for Orthotics and Prosthetics companies. The interviews focused on CAD/CAM software in education and the results were surprising. These business professionals really felt that there was a serious lack of professional training available in the area of CAD design and CAM machining technology.Some of them had even gone so far as to provide seminars on the subject at schools and universities in an effort to get educators more involved in the subject so that there would be some support for the industry moving forward. It makes sense. Even now in 2013 there is no CAD/CAM software product that caters to the design and manufacturing of prosthetics as an example. The closest form of CAD/CAM for a specific application would be special dental prosthetic products that cater to the dental industry. But what about the rest? Software is used for CNC automation in just about every available type of application today without schools having to find custom-specific application type systems.The solution has to be available where CAD/CAM providers work directly with the educator, teacher or school to develop curriculums that deal with specific applications in order to tune down the product and be more application focused. While many CAD/CAM providers will help, education still suffers because of budgets and the high price of implementing software for such cases.Educational Budget CutsMany states are currently looking at budget cuts for fiscal years 2014 and 2015 that will drop higher education budgets below 2008/2009 levels. The dollar amount spent per student in 2013 is down by more than half in over 50% of the US. In fact, 26 states will spend less per student in fiscal year 2013 than the year before and 35 are still spending at levels lower than before the recession, after adjusting for inflation. The truth is, we are going nowhere fast when it comes to financially investing in the manufacturers of our future. The solution is for CAD/CAM providers to change the way they think when it comes to supplying education with cutting edge cnc machining software products. We have to be smarter and make technology software implementation easier for schools at all levels than ever before. Many providers offer educational discounts, yet the costs are still well out of range. Not only this but what about the student that graduates and enters the workforce? If the student was trained on a $15,000-$20,000 CNC Programming system, how are they going to take a seat with them to their new employer? CNC Software for milling, turning, routing, water jet, plasma or laser can cost a substantial amount of money. There must be a solution to make NC programming technology more accessible to graduating students.Keeping Curriculums FreshAnother challenge for educators focuses on existing curriculums having to be continuously updated and modified in order to keep them current with manufacturing technology as it is developed moving forward. Again, CAD/CAM providers must have programs in place which not only address educational implementation, but that allow educators to keep them updated on the fly. Ultimately, teachers need an abundant volume of resources available to them, preferably online and accessible by mobile devices. This includes tiered tutorials, corresponding and example CAD Part Files, videos, knowledge based support, help files, Machine Post Processors and all other product support and training resource that empowers the teacher. Educator support should also be a phone call away. Educators that have existing curriculums should be able to easily adapt what they have to include CAD/CAM. This way implementation is simple and saves a lot of time.The SolutionGoing into 2014 the manufacturing industry is experiencing more growth. This means that the demand for CAD-CAM software will be higher. As will the need for CNC programmers that understand and know how to machine with software. This is exactly why a “Manufacturers of The Future” program is needed for education. A program that supports schools, teachers and ultimately the students. Thus, ensuring that these students will have the software they were educated on before they begin their new journey into the manufacturing workforce.Schools & TeachersA”Manufacturers of The Future” program is a solution for schools and teachers at all levels that prepares students for CNC manufacturing because it addresses the challenges that today’s schools and educators face when it comes to implementation, curriculums and plain old affordability when they are already working with tight budgets. A successful program for supporting education would include the following:
Makes individual and multi-station lab licenses very affordable
Access to 2, 3, 4 and 5 axis cad-cam cnc software
Provides no-cost Technical Support and Training Solutions to teachers
Regularly updates training material to add resources
Provides cnc machine post processors
Keeps educators informed and successful
From access to online knowledge based cad-cam support portals to multi-level software tutorials, training video products and specialized one-on-one training, educators need this level of support.StudentsWith a Manufacturers of The Future “Work Ready” campaign, students receive the support they need in low cost professional cad-cam software versions so that they are ready and are more valuable as they start working in manufacturing.
“Work Ready” allows graduating students their software at reduced costs
Available multimedia training solutions that they can take with them
Continued Education & Advanced Online Operator Certification
These three items are critical for success. Students can achieve more in their professions with them. As a student or teacher there are solutions that exist to help teach and educate manufacturing students. A Manufacturers of The Future and a Work Ready type program created and provided by CAD-CAM vendors that get together to provide a dynamic multi-level support system that accommodates all levels of CAD/CAM products will be phenamenal. This would be the most productive and helpful method possible. Who will step up and answer the call? These are exciting times for education and the future of manufacturing.
S&P 500 Rallies As U.S. Dollar Pulls Back Towards Weekly Lows
Key Insights
The strong pullback in the U.S. dollar provided significant support to stocks.
Treasury yields have pulled back after touching new highs, which served as an additional positive catalyst for S&P 500.
A move above 3730 will push S&P 500 towards the resistance level at 3760.
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Pfizer Rallies After Announcing A Huge Price Hike For Its COVID-19 Vaccines
S&P 500 is currently trying to settle above 3730 as traders’ appetite for risk is growing. The U.S. dollar has recently gained strong downside momentum as the BoJ intervened to stop the rally in USD/JPY. Weaker U.S. dollar is bullish for stocks as it increases profits of multinational companies and makes U.S. equities cheaper for foreign investors.
The leading oil services company Schlumberger is up by 9% after beating analyst estimates on both earnings and revenue. Schlumberger’s peers Baker Hughes and Halliburton have also enjoyed strong support today.
Vaccine makers Pfizer and Moderna gained strong upside momentum after Pfizer announced that it will raise the price of its coronavirus vaccine to $110 – $130 per shot.
Biggest losers today include Verizon and Twitter. Verizon is down by 5% despite beating analyst estimates on both earnings and revenue. Subscriber numbers missed estimates, and traders pushed the stock to multi-year lows.
Twitter stock moved towards the $50 level as the U.S. may conduct a security review of Musk’s purchase of the company.
From a big picture point of view, today’s rebound is broad, and most market segments are moving higher. Treasury yields have started to move lower after testing new highs, providing additional support to S&P 500. It looks that some traders are ready to bet that Fed will be less hawkish than previously expected.
S&P 500 Tests Resistance At 3730
S&P 500 has recently managed to get above the 20 EMA and is trying to settle above the resistance at 3730. RSI is in the moderate territory, and there is plenty of room to gain additional upside momentum in case the right catalysts emerge.
If S&P 500 manages to settle above 3730, it will head towards the next resistance level at 3760. A successful test of this level will push S&P 500 towards the next resistance at October highs at 3805. The 50 EMA is located in the nearby, so S&P 500 will likely face strong resistance above the 3800 level.
On the support side, the previous resistance at 3700 will likely serve as the first support level for S&P 500. In case S&P 500 declines below this level, it will move towards the next support level at 3675. A move below 3675 will push S&P 500 towards the support at 3640.
SPDN: An Inexpensive Way To Profit When The S&P 500 Falls
Summary
SPDN is not the largest or oldest way to short the S&P 500, but it’s a solid choice.
This ETF uses a variety of financial instruments to target a return opposite that of the S&P 500 Index.
SPDN’s 0.49% Expense Ratio is nearly half that of the larger, longer-tenured -1x Inverse S&P 500 ETF.
Details aside, the potential continuation of the equity bear market makes single-inverse ETFs an investment segment investor should be familiar with.
We rate SPDN a Strong Buy because we believe the risks of a continued bear market greatly outweigh the possibility of a quick return to a bull market.
Put a gear stick into R position, (Reverse).
Birdlkportfolio
By Rob Isbitts
Summary
The S&P 500 is in a bear market, and we don’t see a quick-fix. Many investors assume the only way to navigate a potentially long-term bear market is to hide in cash, day-trade or “just hang in there” while the bear takes their retirement nest egg.
The Direxion Daily S&P 500® Bear 1X ETF (NYSEARCA:SPDN) is one of a class of single-inverse ETFs that allow investors to profit from down moves in the stock market.
SPDN is an unleveraged, liquid, low-cost way to either try to hedge an equity portfolio, profit from a decline in the S&P 500, or both. We rate it a Strong Buy, given our concern about the intermediate-term outlook for the global equity market.
Strategy
SPDN keeps it simple. If the S&P 500 goes up by X%, it should go down by X%. The opposite is also expected.
Proprietary ETF Grades
Offense/Defense: Defense
Segment: Inverse Equity
Sub-Segment: Inverse S&P 500
Correlation (vs. S&P 500): Very High (inverse)
Expected Volatility (vs. S&P 500): Similar (but opposite)
Holding Analysis
SPDN does not rely on shorting individual stocks in the S&P 500. Instead, the managers typically use a combination of futures, swaps and other derivative instruments to create a portfolio that consistently aims to deliver the opposite of what the S&P 500 does.
Strengths
SPDN is a fairly “no-frills” way to do what many investors probably wished they could do during the first 9 months of 2022 and in past bear markets: find something that goes up when the “market” goes down. After all, bonds are not the answer they used to be, commodities like gold have, shall we say, lost their luster. And moving to cash creates the issue of making two correct timing decisions, when to get in and when to get out. SPDN and its single-inverse ETF brethren offer a liquid tool to use in a variety of ways, depending on what a particular investor wants to achieve.
Weaknesses
The weakness of any inverse ETF is that it does the opposite of what the market does, when the market goes up. So, even in bear markets when the broader market trend is down, sharp bear market rallies (or any rallies for that matter) in the S&P 500 will cause SPDN to drop as much as the market goes up.
Opportunities
While inverse ETFs have a reputation in some circles as nothing more than day-trading vehicles, our own experience with them is, pardon the pun, exactly the opposite! We encourage investors to try to better-understand single inverse ETFs like SPDN. While traders tend to gravitate to leveraged inverse ETFs (which actually are day-trading tools), we believe that in an extended bear market, SPDN and its ilk could be a game-saver for many portfolios.
Threats
SPDN and most other single inverse ETFs are vulnerable to a sustained rise in the price of the index it aims to deliver the inverse of. But that threat of loss in a rising market means that when an investor considers SPDN, they should also have a game plan for how and when they will deploy this unique portfolio weapon.
Proprietary Technical Ratings
Short-Term Rating (next 3 months): Strong Buy
Long-Term Rating (next 12 months): Buy
Conclusions
ETF Quality Opinion
SPDN does what it aims to do, and has done so for over 6 years now. For a while, it was largely-ignored, given the existence of a similar ETF that has been around much longer. But the more tenured SPDN has become, the more attractive it looks as an alternative.
ETF Investment Opinion
SPDN is rated Strong Buy because the S&P 500 continues to look as vulnerable to further decline. And, while the market bottomed in mid-June, rallied, then waffled since that time, our proprietary macro market indicators all point to much greater risk of a major decline from this level than a fast return to bull market glory. Thus, SPDN is at best a way to exploit and attack the bear, and at worst a hedge on an otherwise equity-laden portfolio.
S&P 500 Biotech Giant Vertex Leads 5 Stocks Showing Strength
Your stocks to watch for the week ahead are Cheniere Energy (LNG), S&P 500 biotech giant Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX), Cardinal Health (CAH), Steel Dynamics (STLD) and Genuine Parts (GPC).
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While the market remains in correction, with analysts and investors wary of an economic downturn, these five stocks are worth adding to watchlists. S&P 500 medical giants Vertex and Cardinal Health have been holding up, as health-care related plays tend to do well in down markets.
Steel Dynamics and Genuine Parts are both coming off strong earnings as both the steel and auto parts industries report optimistic outlooks. Meanwhile, Cheniere Energy saw sales boom in the second quarter as demand in Europe for natural gas continues to grow.
Major indexes have been making rally attempts with the Dow Jones and S&P 500 testing weekly support on Friday. With market uncertainty, investors should be ready for follow-through day breakouts and keep an eye on these stocks.
Cheniere Energy, Cardinal Health and VRTX stock are all on IBD Leaderboard.
Cheniere Energy Stock
LNG shares rose 1.1% to 175.79 during Friday’s market trading. On the week, the stock advanced 3.1%, not from highs, bouncing from its 21-day and 10-week lines earlier in the week.
Cheniere Energy has been consolidating since mid-September, but needs another week to forge a proper base, with a potential 182.72 buy point formed on Aug. 10.
Houston-based Cheniere Energy was IBD Stock Of The Day on Thursday, as the largest U.S. producer of liquefied natural gas eyes strong demand in Europe.
Even though natural gas prices are plunging in the U.S. and Europe, investors still see strong LNG demand for Cheniere and others.
The U.K. government confirmed last week that it is in talks for an LNG purchase agreement with a number of companies, including Cheniere.
In the first half of 2021, less than 40% of Cheniere’s cargoes of LNG landed in Europe. That jumped to more than 70% through this year’s second quarter, even as the company ramped up new export capacity. The urgency of Europe’s natural gas shortage only intensified last month. That is when an explosion disabled the Nord Stream 1 pipeline from Russia that had once supplied 40% of the European Union’s natural gas.
In Q2, sales increased 165% to $8 billion and LNG earned $2.90 per share, up from a net loss of $1.30 per share in Q2 2021. The company will report Q3 earnings Nov. 3, with investors seeing booming profits for the next few quarters.
Cheniere Energy has a Composite Rating of 84. It has a 98 Relative Strength Rating, an exclusive IBD Stock Checkup gauge for share price movement with a 1 to 99 score. The rating shows how a stock’s performance over the last 52 weeks holds up against all the other stocks in IBD’s database. The EPS rating is 41.
Vertex Stock
VRTX stock jumped 3.4% to 300 on Friday, rebounding from a test of its 50-day moving average. Shares climbed 2.2% for the week. Vertex stock has formed a tight flat base with an official buy point of 306.05, according to MarketSmith analysis.
The stock has remained consistent over recent weeks, while the relative strength line has trended higher. The RS line tracks a stock’s performance vs. the S&P 500 index.
Vertex Q3 earnings are on due Oct. 27. Analysts see EPS edging up 1% to $3.61 per share with sales increasing 16% to $2.2 billion, according to FactSet.
The Boston-based global biotech company dominates the cystic fibrosis treatment market. Vertex also has other products in late-stage clinical development that target sickle cell disease, Type 1 diabetes and certain genetically caused kidney diseases. That includes a gene-editing partnership with Crispr Therapeutics (CRSP).
In early August, Vertex reported better-than-expected second-quarter results and raised full-year sales targets.
S&P 500 stock Vertex ranks second in the Medical-Biomed/Biotech industry group. VRTX has a 99 Composite Rating. Its Relative Strength Rating is 94 and its EPS Rating is 99.
CRISPR Stocks: Will Concerns Over Risk Inhibit Gene-Editing Cures?
Cardinal Health Stock
CAH stock advanced 3.2% to 73.03 Friday, clearing a 71.22 buy point from a shallow cup-with-handle base and hitting a record high. But volume was light on the breakout. CAH stock leapt 7.3% for the week.
Cardinal Health stock’s relative strength line has also been trending up for months.
The cup-with-handle base is part of a base-on-base pattern, forming just above a cup base cleared on Aug. 11.
Cardinal Health, based in Dublin, Ohio, offers a wide assortment of health care services and medical supplies to hospitals, labs, pharmacies and long-term care facilities. The company reports that it serves around 90% of hospitals and 60,000 pharmacies in the U.S.
S&P 500 stock Cardinal Health will report Q1 2023 earnings on Nov. 4. Analysts forecast earnings falling 26% to 96 cents per share. Sales are expected to increase 10% to $48.3 billion, according to FactSet.
Cardinal Health stock ranks first in the Medical-Wholesale Drug/Supplies industry group, ahead of McKesson (MCK), which is also showing positive action. CAH stock has a 94 Composite Rating out of 99. It has a 97 Relative Strength Rating and an EPS rating of 73.
Steel Dynamics Stock
STLD shares shot up 8.5% to 92.92 on Friday and soared 19% on the week, coming off a Steel Dynamics earnings beat Wednesday night.
Shares blasted above an 88.72 consolidation buy point Friday after clearing a trendline Thursday. STLD stock is 17% above its 50-day line, definitely extended from that key average.
Steel Dynamics’ latest consolidation could be seen as part of a larger base going back six months.
Steel Dynamics topped Q3 earnings views with EPS rising 10% to $5.46 while revenue grew 11% to $5.65 billion. The steel producer’s outlook is optimistic despite weaker flat rolled steel pricing. STLD reports its order activity and backlogs remain solid.
The Fort Wayne, Indiana-based company is among the largest producers of carbon steel products in the U.S. It engages in metal recycling operations along with steel fabrication and produces myriad steel products.
How Millett Grew Steel Dynamics From A Three Employee Business
STLD stock ranks first in the Steel-Producers industry group. STLD stock has a 96 Composite Rating out of 99. It has a 90 Relative Strength Rating, an exclusive IBD Stock Checkup gauge for share-price movement that tops at 99. The rating shows how a stock’s performance over the last 52 weeks holds up against all the other stocks in IBD’s database. The EPS rating is 98.
Genuine Parts Stock
GPC stock gained 2.8% to 162.35 Friday after the company topped earnings views with its Q3 results on Thursday. For the week GPC advanced 5.1% as the stock held its 50-day line and is in a flat base.
GPC has an official 165.09 flat-base buy point after a three-week rally, according to MarketSmith analysis.
The relative strength line for Genuine Parts stock has rallied sharply to highs over the past several months.
On Thursday, the Atlanta-based auto parts company raised its full-year guidance on growth across its automotive and industrial sales.
Genuine Parts earnings per share advanced 19% to $2.23 and revenue grew 18% to $5.675 billion in Q3. GPC’s full-year guidance is now calling for EPS of $8.05-$8.15, up from $7.80-$7.95. The company now forecasts revenue growth of 15%-16%, up from the earlier 12%-14%.
During the Covid pandemic, supply chain constraints caused a major upheaval in the auto industry, sending prices for new and used cars to record levels. This has made consumers more likely to hang on to their existing vehicles for longer, driving mileage higher and boosting demand for auto replacement parts.
Fellow auto stocks O’Reilly Auto Parts (ORLY) and AutoZone (AZO) have also rallied near buy points amid the struggling market. O’Reilly reports on Oct. 26.
IBD ranks Genuine Parts first in the Retail/Wholesale-Auto Parts industry group. GPC stock has a 96 Composite Rating. Its Relative Strength Rating is 94 and it has an EPS Rating of 89.
Shoe Repairs And Several Other Things When I Was 7
Shoe Repairs And Several Other Things When I Was 7
My Dad repaired most of our shoes believe it or not, I can hardly believe it myself now. With 7 pairs of shoes always needing repairs I think he was quite clever to learn how to “Keep us in shoe Leather” to coin a phrase!
He bought several different sizes of cast iron cobbler’s “lasts”. Last, the old English “Laest” meaning footprint. Lasts were holding devices shaped like a human foot. I have no idea where he would have bought the shoe leather. Only that it was a beautiful creamy, shiny colour and the smell was lovely.
But I do remember our shoes turned upside down on and fitted into these lasts, my Dad cutting the leather around the shape of the shoe, and then hammering nails, into the leather shape. Sometimes we’d feel one or 2 of those nails poking through the insides of our shoes, but our dad always fixed it.
Hiking and Swimming Galas
Dad was a very outdoorsy type, unlike my mother, who was probably too busy indoors. She also enjoyed the peace and quiet when he took us off for the day!
Anyway, he often took us hiking in the mountains where we’d have a picnic of sandwiches and flasks of tea. And more often than not we went by steam train.
We loved poking our heads out of the window until our eyes hurt like mad from a blast of soot blowing back from the engine. But sore, bloodshot eyes never dampened our enthusiasm.
Dad was an avid swimmer and water polo player, and he used to take us to swimming galas, as they were called back then. He often took part in these galas. And again we always travelled by steam train.
Rowing Over To Ireland’s Eye
That’s what we did back then, we had to go by rowboat, the only way to get to Ireland’s eye, which is 15 minutes from mainland Howth. From there we could see Malahide, Lambay Island and Howth Head of course. These days you can take a Round Trip Cruise on a small cruise ship!
But we thoroughly enjoyed rowing and once there we couldn’t wait to climb the rocks, and have a swim. We picnicked and watched the friendly seals doing their thing and showing off.
Not to mention all kinds of birdlife including the Puffin.The Martello Tower was also interesting but a bit dangerous to attempt entering. I’m getting lost in the past as I write, and have to drag myself back to the present.
Fun Outings with The camera Club
Dad was also a very keen amateur photographer, and was a member of a camera Club. There were many Sunday photography outings and along with us came other kids of the members of the club.
And we always had great fun while the adults busied themselves taking photos of everything and anything, it seemed to us. Dad was so serious about his photography that he set up a dark room where he developed and printed his photographs.
All black and white at the time. He and his camera club entered many of their favourites in exhibitions throughout Europe. I’m quite proud to say that many cups and medals were won by Dad. They have been shared amongst all his grandchildren which I find quite special.
He liked taking portraits of us kids too, mostly when we were in a state of untidiness, usually during play. Dad always preferred the natural look of messy hair and clothes in the photos of his children.