Jobs in America: The Ugly Truth Behind Those Unemployment Numbers

More people have jobs in America this month than they did last month, so says the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). But the headline unemployment rate of 8.3% isn't the whole story. It's not that there wasn't positive news. The addition of 243,000 new jobs far exceeded economists' expectations for an increase of 150,000. It was the seventh straight month of increases of 100,000 or more. And yet buried in the BLS report are numbers that paint a different picture. One of the main

Jobs in America

The Hunt for Higher Yield: Investors Pour into Emerging Market Debt

The never-ending hunt for higher yield is leading investors to bet record amounts on emerging market debt. In just the first two weeks of 2012, governments of undeveloped economies from Asia to Africa sold more than $30.6 billion in dollar-denominated bonds according to Bloomberg News. That's up from roughly $19.9 billion in the same period last year and the most since 1999, when Bloomberg began collecting data. Typically, investors shun emerging market bonds during times of

emerging market debt

NEWSFLASH: Mitt Romney Has Rich "Friends"

Campaign fund documents show that Mitt Romney is far more dependent on very wealthy donors than any other presidential candidate, making him even more vulnerable to accusations that he's too close to the rich. The former Massachusetts governor has raised just 9% of his campaign funds from small donors - contributions of $200 or less, an analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics has revealed. And that doesn't include money given to the Romney-friendly super PACs, which have

Mitt Romney

LNG Stocks Are Set to Take Off

As I have discussed over the last two years, liquefied natural gas (LNG) is going to be a complete game-changer. And along the way, a small group of LNG stocks will become the main focus for investors. Remember, the LNG process cools natural gas to a liquid form, allowing it to be shipped over long distances. Upon arrival, the liquefied gas is returned its original state before being injected into pipeline for delivery to foreign consumers. Already, the construction of LNG

LNG stocks

Buy, Sell or Hold: A Look at Carnival Corp (NYSE: CCL) After the Costa Concordia Tragedy

Carnival Corp. (NYSE: CCL) is the world's largest provider of vacation cruises operating under the names Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, and Seabourn in North America; and AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Ibero Cruises, and P&O Cruises in Europe, Australia, and Asia. As you know, Carnival has been all over the news lately because of the deadly sinking in Italy, when the Costa Concordia suffered one of the largest cruise ship accidents in

Carnival Corp.

Options 101: How to Win Big on Toll Brothers (NYSE: TOL) with a Calendar Spread

Last week, I explained how to profit from housing-sector stocks like Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) using a modified option straddle. Today, we'll look at an alternative options strategy - known as a long-term calendar spread. This strategy is better suited to stable or trending stocks. It's particularly appropriate for companies, whose share prices aren't likely to make a major move until the housing recovery picks up more steam. In this case, I'm talking about a company like the

Toll Brothers

Robo-Signing is the Tip of the Iceberg for the Banks

What may be good news for delinquent credit card holders may also be really bad news for banks. It turns out the "robo-signing" of foreclosure affidavits is just the tip of the iceberg. In what one judge called "robo-testimony," falsely attested-to statements by bank document custodians have been submitted in courts around the country by banks trying to win judgments against delinquent credit card debtors. Apparently, tens of millions of credit cards issued by banks have not been

robo-signing