Blog Entries

Happy New Year - Market Off to a Good Start in 2009

bdean@otcpicks.com — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 01:00:00 +0100

January 4, 2009 -

We hope that all of you had a wonderful and blessed holiday season! We slowed things down a little the last few weeks of the year here at OTCPicks.com, but now the batteries are recharged and we are back in the saddle again and ready to bring you lot of good new trading ideas in 2009.

The tumultuous 2008 is now in [...]

Markets Up Big on Hope and Optimism

bdean@otcpicks.com — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 01:00:00 +0100

December 8, 2008 -

Wallstreet charged ahead bullishly on Mnday as
the Dow and S&P 500 surged ahead more than 3% as investors bet that the
automakers will get a first installment of a bridge loan from congress, and
on Barack Obama's weekend comments on a plan to implement a major infrastructure
investment to help avert a deeper economic slump.

One of the infrastructure hea [...]

The Holiday Rally turns into a Post-Holiday Hangover

bdean@otcpicks.com — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 01:00:00 +0100

December 1, 2008 -

The
stock market today suffered one of its worst days since the financial meltdown
began, slicing 680 points off the Dow Jones industrial average as Wall Street
snapped out of its daydream of a rally and once again faced the harsh reality
of a re [...]

Housing Still the Root Cause of Lingering Economy Problems

bdean@otcpicks.com — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 23:06:01 +0100

November 25, 2008 -

Nationwide sales of existing homes fell more
than expected last month and the median sales price plunged to $183,000. Despite
efforts to shore up the U.S. credit markets and financial industry the housing
market continues to sink.

On Monday th [...]

Auto Bailout Bill Not Getting Overwhelming Support

bdean@otcpicks.com — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:00:00 +0100

November 18, 2008 -

On Tuesday, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson
and members of Congress clashed over the best use for the $700-billion financial
bailout fund, with lawmakers demanding money to stem a national wave of mortgage
foreclosures.

At
a House of Repr [...]

Economic Crisis Deepens, Intel Cut Estimates and U.S. Automakers are on the Ropes

bdean@otcpicks.com — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 01:00:00 +0100

November 12, 2008

"Hold on, we're in for a bumpy ride!"
is the familiar saying that comes to mind right now in the markets. More bad
news keeps coming despite all the government interventions and eye-popping money
being thrown at the worst financial crisis our country has faced in the last
80 years.

Stocks fell to their lowest levels since late
October today af [...]

Traders Guide to Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs)

bdean@otcpicks.com — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 01:00:00 +0100

November 10, 2008 -

ETF stands for exchange-traded funds. ETF's are a lot like mutual funds but trade throughout the day very much like normal stocks. ETF's are index-based, representing baskets of stocks, bonds or other assets and are often lower-cost than comparable index-based mutual funds.

Unlike open-ended funds, which [...]

"Yes We Can!" But Markets Not Ready Just Yet!

bdean@otcpicks.com — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 01:00:00 +0100

November 6, 2008 -

After the euphoria and history of the election
of Barack Obama, the United State's first African American president, markets
were quick to get back to the business at hand, ie. pricing in the negative
effects of a prolonged recession into the market. There are probably lots of
great things in store for the U.S. and world as we usher in a new president
2+ months from now, but the markets [...]

Thank God October is Over! What Now?

bdean@otcpicks.com — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 01:00:00 +0100

November 3, 2008 -

At the end of the day on Friday I walked
outside as the closing bell rang and I swear I could hear the universe exhaling
with a collective sigh of relief ending one of the most volitile months
ever in the U.S. and global markets.

October saw some of the biggest single-day
point drops and single-day point gains ever seen in the marke [...]

Fed Cuts Rates .5% to 1%, Oil Goes Up, Dollar Goes Down

bdean@otcpicks.com — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 01:00:00 +0100

October 29, 2008

Feds Cut Interest Rate Half a Point

On Wednesday Oct 29, the Federal Reserve slashed a key interest rate by half a percentage point as it seeks to revive a [...]

U.S. Markets Hit 5-Year Low Monday then up 900 Tuesday

bdean@otcpicks.com — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 01:00:00 +0100

October 28, 2008

Tuesday morning stocks roar higher
out of the gate anticipating the Federal Reserve will cut interest
rates at their two day meeting scheduled to begin today. Monday
opened up with stock futures pointing downward but as the session
moved on the Dow rebounded and climbed back several hundred poin [...]

Earnings Worries, A Soaring Dollar and Plummeting Commodities Rock the Market Again Today

bdean@otcpicks.com — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 19:03:25 +0100

October 22, 2008

Wall Street had another rough day today with
the Dow losing 514 points on worries that the global economy is rapidly weakening.
The primary worries have shifted from the credit crunch to worries about corporate
earnings as global markets envision rough times ahead.

The U.S. dollar has soared recently and today
hit a multi-year high against ot [...]

Stocks Up, Market Tests Bottom and the Credit Crunch Starts to Ease

bdean@otcpicks.com — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 03:19:07 +0100

October 21, 2008

Equity markets had a nice positive day on Monday
as credit markets showed signs of thawing. A critical measure of lending between
banks, the three-month Libor rate fell significantly providing signs that
credit is again beginning to flow freely and renewing investor hopes that
the worst of the financial crisis may be over.

You may not have heard much in y [...]

Yet Another Bloody Market Day - No Market Bottom Yet - May be a While!

bdean@otcpicks.com — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:36:06 +0100

October 15, 2008

Wall Street had yet another dismal day today
as the Dow dropped 733 points as very weak and bleak economic data stoked
fear and uncertainty in the markets. Investors are evidently worried that
all the U.S. and global financial efforts will not be enough to stave off
a severe recession.

In addition to the Dows 733 point drop today,
the N [...]

Global Markets Rally with an Impressive Rebound

bdean@otcpicks.com — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 21:16:14 +0100

October 13, 2008

Stocks around the world experience
biggest one day rally in more than 75 years on Monday as the DOW jumps
936 points or 11.6 percent. Morgan Stanley also jumps 87% after nailing
down an agreement from Japan's Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Groups for
a $9B investment for a 21% stake in the company.

October 8, 2008

Today, major central banks around the
world joined together to slash interest rates to assist global credit
markets and provide yet another support for the troubled financial
and credit markets.

It took a while for the markets to
digest this coordinated move by major central banks and sent major
[...]

World Markets Catch U.S. Financial Flu in Steep Global Market Selloffs!

bdean@otcpicks.com — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:46:33 +0100

October 6, 2008

Last Friday congress passed the $700B financial
bailout bill and sent it to the President who summarily signed it. It seems
that global markets did seem to think that the bailout would save us from a
nasty global recession. On Monday global markets endured huge selloffs and a
bear market turned into to full-blown panic selloff around the world.

Also, on Monday oil prices p [...]

Congress Passes the $700 Billion Rescue Plan! Will it be Enough to Sooth Nervous Investors?

mchav06@gmail.com — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 01:00:00 +0100

October 3, 2008

With the economy on the brink and elections looming, Congress approved an unprecedented $700 billion government bailout of the battered financial industry on Friday and sent it to President Bush for his certain signature.

The final vote was 263-171 in the House, a comfortable margin that was 58 more votes than the measure garnered in Monday's stunning defeat. The vote capped two weeks of tumult in Congress and on Wall Street, punctuated by daily war [...]

Congress tries to Rescue the Rescue Plan!

mchav06@gmail.com — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:00:00 +0100

October 1, 2008

Investors have been watching and waiting for more than a week as Congress
tried to hammer out a financial rescue plan for the U.S. banking system and
the economy. On Monday the markets were shocked when the bailout plan failed
a vote in the House of Representatives. The Dow Jones industrial average lost
500 points in mere minutes as the vote took place and ended up down 777 points.
The 777 point drop represented the biggest si [...]

When Everyone Else is Bailing, the Pros like Buffett are Buying!

mchav06@gmail.com — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:24:29 +0100

September 24, 2008

As things seem to grow more dire, and housing prices are dropping like a stone, credit is tightening up, job losses are mounting and everyone is bailing from the market, what is billionaire Warren Buffett doing?

Well, Mr. Buffett and his company Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK) happen to be sinking $5 billion into Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE: GS). Says Mr. Buffett, "I am betting on the Congress doing the right thing f [...]