[Foreign] Investing Russia

The R of BRIC The BRIC four nations - Brazil, Russia, India, and China have attracted millions of investors due to the rich of resource. While countries such as India and China are providing the global supply chain with low cost and talented human resource, Brazil and Russia offer rich natural resource.

In the previous articles we have mentioned stocks from China, India and Brazil. Today lets take a look at some of the stocks from Russia that you can trade from the US Stock Exchange.

• Vimpel-Communications (VIP): the Moscow based firm provides wireless communication services in Russia and Kazakhstan. The company has strong revenue growth against its peers with 47% and fat gross margin of 82%. The stock is currently trading near the 52 weeks high of $46.8 per share at P/E ratio of 19.12.
• Golden Telecom Inc. (GLDN): the Moscow based firm offers voice, data and Internet services to corporations, operators and consumers in major metropolitans such as Moscow and St. Pertersburg. The company has growing revenue and profit year after year and had reached half billion in revenue in 2004. Trading at P/E ratio of 14, the company should be a great bargain at $28.98 per share for a growing Russian market.
• Moscow CableCom Corp. (MOCC): the New York headquartered firm offers cable television and Internet access services in Moscow, Russia. As for December 31, 2005, the company has subscribers from the pay tv services of 15,618, gaining 114.9% for the year and Internet subscription about 34,600, an increase of 115.4% for the year. As a result the company is expected to bring in revenue of $2 billion for the fourth quarter, an increase of 27% from the third quarter. The stock is currently trading near the 52 weeks high of $6.5 per share.
• Templeton Russia and East European Fund Inc. (TRF): this is a more diversify investment on Russia market as the copmany invests in stocks of Russia and eastern European countries in industries such as telecommunications, metal and mining, banks, electric utilities and pharmaceuticals. Last December the company distributed dividend of $8.92 per share or a yield of 13.4%, far better than bank CD and many other stocks and funds.

Smart Stocks on the Move - January 30

The smart stocks on the move today are:

• Nanophase Technologies (NANX): up 5.39% to $7.24 per share; has gained 20.47% since we began the coverage on December 1.
• Distributed Energy Systems (DESC): up 5.22% to $10.08 per share; has gained 27.59% since the coverage began on December 22.
• Hydrogenics (HYGS): up 11.51% to $4.07 per share; has gained 52.43% since the coverage began on December 22.
• Millennium Cell (MCEL): up 10.42% to $1.59 per share; has gained 8.16% since the coverage began on December 22.
• GigaMedia Ltd. (GIGM): up 8.07% to $5.22 per share; has gained 93.33% since the coverage began on December 6.
• 8x8 Inc. (EGHT): up 6.35% to $2.01 per share. the coverage on the stock began last Friday.
• Energy Conversion Devices (ENER): up 8.04% to $51.75 per share.
• Evergreen Solar(ESLR): up 8.45% to $15.15 per share; has gained 35.27% since the coverage on November 4.
• Sunpower Corp. (SPWR): up 9.69% to $39.39 per share; has gained 15.92% since the coverage on January 13.
• Suntech Power Hldgs(STP): up 7.96% to $40.27 per share; has gained 14.37% since the coverage on January 13.
• Rediff.com (REDF): up 8.44% to $21.45 per share.
• TOM Online (TOMO): up 6.14% to $23.35 per share; has gained 9.83% since the coverage on January 10.

Scoreboard - January 29

The last week of January 2006 ends with upbeat note of all the major indices as positive earning results help the boost. However the ultimate winner of the week goes to Brazil stocks as the overall percentage gain of the portfolio advanced more than 10% to 27.44%, taking the lead way from the Hydrogen Cell stocks. On the other hand, the long underdog Nanotech stocks out of nowhere took the second place from the superior performance by Altair Nanotechnologies(ALTI), which ends the last session of the week with a 19.93% spike, pushing the total gain of the stock to 51.65% since we covered the stock last December. Last week's winner Hydrogen Cell stocks fall to third place with 18.66% gain while Taiwan stocks remained at the fourth place with 18.12% gain, about 6% higher than last week. The last week second place voice over ip stocks fall to fifth place with 13.75% gain, down about 3% overall.

Here is this week's top five portfolio as well as the top five individual stocks. Please note that the overall amount is shows how much the portfolio is worth as if you invested $1000 for each stock:

Brazil (Brazil1/Brazil2)
Stock / Current / Start / Change(%)
RIO / 49.8 / 40.3 / +23.57%
ITU / 29.5 / 23.49 / +24.52%
EWZ / 40.32 / 33.17 / +21.56%
BBD / 38.2/ 29.41 / +29.89%
GGB / 21.5 / 15.97 / +34.63%
SID / 27.1 / 21.36 / +26.87%
PBR / 90.0 / 68.77 / +30.94%
Overall $8,990.1 +$1935.91 +27.44%

Nanotechnology
Stock / Current / Start / Change(%)
NANX / 6.87 / 6.01 / +14.31%
NGEN / 3.16 / 2.91 / +8.59%
ALTI / 3.67 / 2.42 / +51.65%
PXN / 18.37 / 17.17 / +6.99%
Overall $4,808.63 +$814.61 +20.4%

Hydrogen Cell
Stock / Current / Start / Change(%)
DESC / 9.58 / 7.9 / +21.27%
HYGS / 3.65 / 2.67 / +36.7%
MCEL / 1.44 / 1.47 / -2.04%
Overall $3,638.85 +560.46 +18.66%

Taiwan
Stock / Current / Start / Change(%)
GIGM / 4.83 / 2.7 / +78.89%
EWT / 13.56 / 12.21 / +11.06%
TSM / 10.82 / 9.94 / +8.85%
UMC / 3.36 / 3.33 / +0.9%
AUO / 15.4 / 13.43 / +14.67%
TMIC / 34 / 33.74 / +0.77%
MXICY / 1.47 / 1.29 / +13.95%
ASX / 4.53 / 3.9 / +16.15%
Overall $8,968.23 +$1,451.04 +18.12%

VOIP
Stock / Current / Start / Change(%)
DDDC / 2.86 / 2.64 / +8.33%
NTOP / 2.06 / 1.96 / +5.1%
SONS / 4.58 / 3.81 / +20.21%
LVLT / 3.62 / 2.97 / +21.89%
Overall $4,765.33 +563.53 +13.75%

Top 5 Stocks
GIGM +78.89%
ALTI +51.65%
HYGS +36.07%
GGB +34.63%
PBR +30.94%

The Brazil stocks are the huge winners of the week as each stock in the portfolio(about seven stocks) gained at least 21% and the best one GGB gained 34%. No woner the portfolio can have an average gain of 27.44%. Every stock but one in the top five portfolio is in positive territory. In another word, 25 out of 26 stocks are winning and the only losing stock, MCEL is losing 2%.

[Technology]More VOIP Stocks

VOIP Stocks Since we introduced the voice over ip(VOIP) stocks in December, these stocks have broght in a overall gain of nearly 15%, not bad for a portfolio in less than two months. Strong players such as LVLT and SONS have gained 23.91% and 20.47% respectively. Today we will introduced some other companys also engage in this new telecom revolution.

• 8x8 Inc. (EGHT): the Santa Clara, CA based company offers voice over ip and video communications service, virtual offie and videophone equipments. The biggest deal that the company grabbed came last December from telecom bellwether BellSouth. Recent news however doesn't look pretty as the company posted a wider third quarter loss as it spend more money on promoting and expanding voip service. The coming year should be critical as the company will be focusing on deliver the service to BellSouth and also grab more customers from the voip market.
• GlobeTel Communiations (GTE): the Pembroke Pines, Florida based firm offers prepaid calling services and IP Telephony using voice of ip equipment. The company offers worldwide service in Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico, UK, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Philippines. On December 30, the company annouced it signed a contract to install broadband phone services in 30 Russian cities, adding one more country to its worldwide customer list. The stock is trading at $3.32 per share, near the same price it was traded a year ago but could have more upside in the near term.

[Foreign]More Red Hot Brazil Stocks

Red Hot Brazil Stocks The brazil stocks are red hot now as the benchmark Bovespa index in Sao Paolo rose 767.92 points or 2.1% to 37,399.67, passing the 37,000 mark for the first time. Although we have already listed several Brazil stocks in two previous articles - first one on December 20 and second one on December 27, there are still a lot of Brazil stocks that we haven't talked about. Here we will introduce more Brazil stocks that are what you may want to have in your emerging market portfolio.

• Net Servicos de Comunicacao (NETC): the Sao Paulo, SP based copmany offers cable television, pay-per-view programs and broadband internet services in Brazil. It has 1.4 million tv subscribers and 189,000 internet subscribers as of December 31, 2004. The company has generated 574 million in revenue in 2004 up 70 million from previous year. The stock is trading at new 52 week high of $5.4 up 100% from early last year.
• Embraer-Empresa Brasileira De Aeronautica (ERJ): the Sao Jose Dos Campos, SP based firm designs and makes commercial aircraft and general aviation aircraft for Europe, Latin America, Middle East and Asia. Think of it as Boeing of Brazil. The company has generate 3.4 billion in revenue in 2004, up from 2.1 billion in previous year. The stock is trading at 52 week high of $40.1 per share.
• Tele Norte Leste Participacoes (TNE): the Rio De Janeiro, RJ based company provides telecommunications services in Brazil including local, long distance and mobile. In 2004 the telecom firm generated $5.9 billion in revenue versus $4.8 billion in 2003 and $3.3 billion in 2002. The stock has rose about 30% for the year and is now trading at P/E ratio of 16 at $18.06 per share.

[Trend]Sport for the Baby Boomers

Baby Boomers This decade is probably the decade for the baby boomers as more and more business is trying to please these asset rich and ready to retire customers. In the past we have introduced two industries - senior housing and recreation vehicle that could benefit from the boomers. Today lets take a look at another industry for the boomers, the Golf industry.

As the boomers are getting older they are also getting more health conscious and therefore getting enough exercise becomes the primary goal for them. Playing basketball may be a little bit too demanding so a softer sport such as Golf provides not only enough exercise in walking and arm swinging but also great outdoor experience with beautiful scenary. Since many of the boomers are near retirement, they will have plenty of time even to spend a few days at golf resorts in famous destinations such as Palm Spring.

Therefore to analysis the golf industry for the boomers we want to talk about not just the maker of the golf club but also the companys who owns golf courses or resorts.

• Callaway Golf(ELY): the Carlsbad, CA based sporting good firm is the leading international golf clubs and golf balls maker with direct sales in United States, Europe, Japan, Canada, Korea, Australia and distributors in 65 different countries in Asia, Africa and South America. The company is expected to post the earning tomorrow on the 25th and is expected to have consecutive annual revenue growth for 2005.
• Intrawest Corp. (IDR): the Vancouver, Canada based firm owns golf courses and luxury golf and ski resort in Canada and United States. It also owns beach front resorts which should be popular for the boomers. The company has generated total of 1.6 billion in revenue last year.
• Golf Galaxy (GGXY): the Eden Prairie, MN based firm owns and operates chain of golf specialty retail stores in the northern and midwestern states. The company has total of 45 stores in 19 states plus ecommerce site which bring in 31.8 million in revenue last quarter. The company just went public last July and is trading near IPO price at $17 per share.
• Consolidated Tomoka Land (CTO): the Daytona Beach, Florida based real estate firm owns golf courses including Champions Golf Course which was part of LPGA Tour for five years. The company has consecutive revenue growth for the past few years as well as net profit.

Scoreboard - January 22

The third week of 2006 ends with sharp decline that makes us wondering if the rally in Dow and Nasdaq which began around late last October has finally come to an end. Although many stocks have pulled back in the last trading session, the top five spots of the smart stock portfolios haven't changed much. The only portfolio out of the top five is Tamiflu stocks replaced by Solar Energy Stocks. On the other hand, last week's winning portfolio - the VOIP stocks fall back to the second spot while the fifth spot Hydrogen Stocks claimed the top spot for the first time with 21% gain.

Here is this week's top five portfolio as well as the top five individual stocks. Please note that the overall amount is shows how much the portfolio is worth as if you invested $1000 for each stock:

Hydrogen Cell
Stock / Current / Start / Change(%)
DESC / 10.05 / 7.9 / +27.22%
HYGS / 3.58 / 2.67 / +34.08%
MCEL / 1.5 / 1.47 / +2.4%
Overall $3,638.85 +634.7 +21.13%

VOIP
Stock / Current / Start / Change(%)
DDDC / 3.17 / 2.64 / +20.45%
NTOP / 2.04 / 1.96 / +4.08%
SONS / 4.77 / 3.81 / +25.2%
LVLT / 3.41 / 2.97 / +14.81%
Overall $4,765.33 +665.74 +16.24%

Brazil (Brazil1/Brazil2)
Stock / Current / Start / Change(%)
RIO / 46.46 / 40.3 / +15.29%
ITU / 27.67 / 23.49 / +17.79%
EWZ / 37.54 / 33.17 / +13.17%
BBD / 33 .8/ 29.41 / +14.93%
GGB / 17.8 / 15.97 / +11.46%
SID / 24.19 / 21.36 / +13.25%
PBR / 83.95 / 68.77 / +24.98%
Overall $8,174.29 +$1120.1 +15.88%

Taiwan
Stock / Current / Start / Change(%)
GIGM / 4.72 / 2.7 / +74.81%
EWT / 12.54 / 12.21 / +2.7%
TSM / 9.87 / 9.94 / -0.7%
UMC / 3.09 / 3.33 / -7.21%
AUO / 14.39 / 13.43 / +7.15%
TMIC / 31.73 / 33.74 / -5.96%
MXICY / 1.48 / 1.29 / +14.73%
ASX / 4.32 / 3.9 / +10.77%
Overall $8,968.23 +$960.9 +12%

Solar(Solar1/Solar2)
Stock / Current / Start / Change(%)
AFCO / 23.25 / 22.32 / +4.17%
ENER / 54.45 / 51.21 / +6.33%
ESLR / 13.39 / 11.2 / +19.57%
SPWR / 33.85 / 33.98 / -0.38%
STP / 40.13 / 35.21 / +13.97%
Overall $5,432.43 +$435.73 +8.72%

Top 5 Stocks
GIGM +74.81%
HYGS +34.08%
DESC +27.22%
SONS +25.2%
PBR +24.98%

Strong performace from HYGS(+16.48% to +34.08%) and DESC(+11.9% to +27.22%) elevates the hydrogen cell portfolio from fifth place to first place with overall gain of 21.13%. On the other hand, last week's winner VOIP stocks dropped 2% overall due to pull back from DDDC(+28.41% to +20.45%) and SONS (+28.35% to +25.2%) despite advancing LVLT(+12.79% to +14.81%). Although most Brazil stocks have gained resuting in overall percentage gain of 1% from +14.87% to +15.88%, the appreciation fall a little big short yet the gap with VOIP stocks is less than 1%.

Despite suffering pull back from TSM(+4.53% to -0.7%) and TMIC(+7.33% to -5.96%), the skyrocketted GIGM (+48.15% to +74.81%) keeps Taiwan stocks in the fourth spot. The fifth spot this week is the newbie - solar power consists of two winning stocks ESLR and STP as soaring energy price is lifting the solar energy stocks.

The top individual winner is GIGM with 74.81%, unreachable by most stocks as the second place HYGS "only" gets less than half of the gain with 34.08%. The other three of the top five all have gains around 25%.

[Policy]End of Analog TV

According to this weeks commentary in BusinessWeek, February 17, 2009 is the big day for TV as Congress this year will decree that broadcasters must end analog transmissions on that date and switch to digital technology.

Although today many people have either cable or satellite which basically receive digital signal there are still some number of people using analog signal to receive the basic cables such as NBC or ABC. It is still too early for the big change however as the deadline approaches the rest of the audiences would eventually turned to either their local cable or satellite providers which should be great news for these companys.

So lets take a look at the following cable or satellite tv service providers that could benefit from this policy in the long run:

• Comcast (CMCSA): the Philadelphia, PA based cable tv service provider also has broadband internet service and local tv stations. The stock was trading at 52 week low of below $26 per share at the end of December bu has climbed $2 since. The recent partnering with Time Warner to lauch on-demand network would beef up the digital cable content to compete with satellite tv service.
• Charter Communications(CHTR): the St. Louis, MO based cable tv company offering digital cable service, broadband internet and video on demand. Recently the company launched a new music on demand service for a subscription fee of $9.99 per month to tap into the new online music industry which is bringing lots of cash for Apple with the iPOD. The stock is trading at near 5 year low as the net loss surged in 2004. However based on recent quarter data the new annual report should bring good news to the company.
• Cablevision System (CVC): the Bethpage, NY based firm provides cable tv service and high speed internet service. The year has not been friendly for the stock as it is trading near 52 week low of 24.9 per share.
• DirectTV (DTV): the El Segundo, CA based company provides satellite tv service for US and Latin America. By the end of 2004 it has about 13.9 million US subscribers and 1.6 million Latin America subscribers. The company has continuous growth in revenue yet the net loss took a big dip on high cost and recurring charge. The stock has been trading in between 50 day moving average and 200 day moving average.
• EchoStar Communications (DISH): the Englewood, CO based satellite tv service provider has about 10 million subscribers ending 2004. The stock is currently trading at P/E ratio of just 8.99 compare to industry norm of 25.64, quite a discount in the sense. The company is bringing in consistant revenue growth and pretty consistent net income. However the stock hasn't done well last year due to competition from cable tv but has shown sign of recovery recently.

[Foreign] Japan Stocks - Part 2

Earlier this month we have introduced some stocks from the recovering economy of Japan. Most stocks we talked about were the so called blue chip Japan stocks that you are probably more familiar of. Today we will take a look at other Japan stocks also traded in the US stock exchange but may not be well known to most US investors.

• Matsushita Electric Industrial(MC): one of the world's largest consumer electroonic producer based in Osaka, Japan. Most people probably don't know Matsushita but are very familiar of its American operation - Panasonic Corporation of North America. Other brands under the firm in US are Technics and Quasar. Past year has been a strong year for the stock as it went from $14.92 in end of January to $19.38 at the end of December. The stock is currently trading at P/E ratio of 80.12.
• Internet Initiative Japan(IIJI): the company is like the AOL of Japan providing Internet connetivity servcies from dial-up to high-speed. The company are beginning to see turn-around as it went from net loss in 2004 to net gain in 2005. The stock was still a $3 stock in May yet is now trading at $11.08 per share, almost 300% gain in little more than half year.
• Konami(KNM): the Tokyo company is famous for its action and RPG video games. The company also engages in Health and Fitness industries. The stock, currently trading at P/E ratio of 20.71 has been on a rally since 52 week low of $19 per share back in November and is now at $22.99 per share.
• Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp. (NTT): the largest telecom in Japan is equivalent to AT&T in US before it breaks up in to the Baby Bells. The 50 year old company have full time employee of 0.2 million and is bringing in annual revenue of 100 billion, about 5 times more than Verizon(VZ). However the stock is still cheap trading at P/E ratio of 5.78, significantly lower than many other telecom firms in US.

Scoreboard - January 15

The second week of 2006 saw neck to neck competitions heating up as last week's winning portfolio - the Taiwan stocks fall back to the third spot while the second spot VOIP stocks and thrid spot Brazil stocks both advanced one spot with VOIP stocks now become the new leading portfolio. Although by perentage iPOD related stock actually has the most percentage gain with 31.72% so far, yet since there is currently only one stock in the portfolio since it doesn't have enough stocks to accurately reflect the related industry. Having said that now let's take a look at the portfolios or industries that have gained the most so far.

Please note that the overall amount is shows how much the portfolio is worth as if you invested $1000 for each stock:

VOIP
Stock / Current / Start / Change(%)
DDDC / 3.39 / 2.64 / +28.41%
NTOP / 2.04 / 1.96 / +4.08%
SONS / 4.89 / 3.81 / +28.35%
LVLT / 3.35 / 2.97 / +12.79%
Overall $4,864.16 +764.57 +18.65%

Brazil (Brazil1/Brazil2)
Stock / Current / Start / Change(%)
RIO / 47.32 / 40.3 / +17.42%
ITU / 27.29 / 23.49 / +16.18%
EWZ / 37.7 / 33.17 / +13.66%
BBD / 33 / 29.41 / +12.21%
GGB / 18.06 / 15.97 / +13.09%
SID / 23.4 / 21.36 / +9.55%
PBR / 83.72 / 68.77 / +21.74%
Overall $8,102.85 +$1048.66 +14.87%

Taiwan
Stock / Current / Start / Change(%)
GIGM / 4 / 2.7 / +48.15%
EWT / 13.2 / 12.21 / +8.11%
TSM / 10.39 / 9.94 / +4.53%
UMC / 3.18 / 3.33 / -4.5%
AUO / 14.97 / 13.43 / +11.47%
TMIC / 36.214 / 33.74 / +7.33%
MXICY / 1.6 / 1.29 / +24.03%
ASX / 4.28 / 3.9 / +9.74%
Overall $9,410.89 +$1088.34 +13.59%

Tamiflu
Stock / Current / Start / Change(%)
TEVA / 43.4 / 38.35 / +13.17%
BRL / 65.8 / 56.8 / +15.85%
MYL / 20.56 / 19.94 / +3.11%
Overall $3,340.8 +$324.3 +10.75%

Hydrogen Cell
Stock / Current / Start / Change(%)
DESC / 8.84 / 7.9 / +11.9%
HYGS / 3.11 / 2.67 / +16.48%
MCEL / 1.5 / 1.47 / +2.4%
Overall $3,308.93 +304.78 +10.15%

Top 5 Stocks
GIGM +48.15%
AAPL +31.72%
DDDC +28.41%
SONS +23.35%
MXICY +24.03%

With strong reverse swing from LVLT, from -7.41% to +12.79%, the whole VOIP portfolio got lifted from 12.03% gain to 18.65% gain and took the crown this week. Brazil stocks, now the second place behind VOIP stocks, got help from many stocks such as RIO(+11.66% to +17.42%), BBD(+8.67% to +12.21%), SID(+3.56% to +9.55%) and PBR(+13.86% to +21.74%). Taiwan stocks, on the other hand were hurt by the pull back of TMIC(+14.73% to +7.33%), MXICY(+38.76% to +24.03%) and ASX(+20.51% to +9.74%) and cause the portfolio to slide two spots. The biggest surprise this week are probably the Hydrogen Cell stocks. Coming out of no where the portfolio suddently took the fifth spot away from India stocks as all three stocks in the portfolio got tremendous gains.

The individual stocks winners have very little change as last weeks winner GIGM, MXICY and SONS are still in the top 5. This week's new comer is AAPL and DDDC which took second and third spot respectively.

[Technology]More Soloar Power

Gasoline price has rose again recently. Natural gas price has also gained 50% in some part of United States such as California. With high energy price become normal in the years to come, alternative energy development must be the new growth area especially after California regulartors approved solar-energy package - an incentive program for using solar power.

In the previous article we have covered one of the companys specialize in solar energy Everygreen Solar(ESLR) and the stock price has been up 11% since. Here let's take a look at some other companys that are also engaging in solar technology.

• Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ENER): the Rochester Hills, MI based firm offers Photovoltanics which provides clean energy by coverting sunligh into electricity. The approval of solar power incentive program send the stock to new 52 week high yesterday at $50.63 per share. The stock was traded just below $20 per share a year ago.
• Sunpower Corporation (SPWR): the Sunnyvale, CA based firm sales solar cell, slar panel and inverters that generate electricity from sunlight. The company has just went public last November and is now trading $7 above IPO day closing price of $27.1 per share, a 20% gain.
• Applied Films Corp. (AFCO): the Longmont, CO company provides thin film deposition equipment for solar cell and flat panel display. After hitting 52 week low near $18 per share in early December the stock been on a rally and is now trading at $22 per share. More solar cell demand world-wide should bring in more revenue has company has presense in US, Germany, Belgium, Taiwan, Korea, Japan and China.
• Suntech Power Holdings (STP): the China based company engages in development of solar cells, solar modules, and photovoltanic system. The company sales solar energy products to Europe, America, Middle East, Africa and Asia. After going public last December, the stock has gained more than 60% since and is now trading at $35 per share.

[foreign]More China Stocks

Many China stocks have been on the slide probably due to the government's control on inflation and overheated economy. However no one should doubt about the optimism of the future of the Chinese economy. After covering some technology stocks in the previous article, let's take a look at some more China stocks that should be on the bullish cycle again.

• 51job (JOBS): the Shanghai based firm is like the Monster.com of China. The company had doubled income and almost doubled revenue with cash in hand. The technical chart shows the stock is now back to bullish cycle again.
• Ninetowns Digital World Trade Holdings Ltd. (NINE): the Beijing based enterprise software maker has almost trippled net income with increasing revenue and cash. The software firm is focusing on custom related software which is used heavily by the international trade industry, one of the biggest industry as China is one of the largest exporter and importer. This should be the stock to have if you are to invest in China stocks.
• TOM Online Inc. (TOM): the Beijing based mobile internet company has 137 million registered users as of December 2004 and will probably add a lot more in 2005. The stock is now trading at 52 week high at $21.26 per share, more than double from 52 week low of $10.78 per share. Strong revenue and income growth show why the stock is also a strong buy.
• China Energy Savings Technology Inc. (CESV): the Hong Kong based company makes energy-saving related products such as street light saver or fluorescent light saver used in buildings supermarkets, street lamps, shopping malls and more. As cities are still growing while energy saving rules are more strict with Kyoto Protocal, the company's future should have plenty of upside. See the big jump in revenue and income and you'll see why the company is poised for another big move.

Gadget for the Baby Boomers

No. This is not the electronic gadget you will find in the local Best Buys or Walmart and this is not the gadget you can hold in your hand like iPOD or PDAs. The gadget, probably as big as the size of the master bedroom in your house, is the favorite for the retirees. Every year, million of people reaching or beyond the age of retirement hop on this big toy called RV, Recreation Vehicle to enjoy their retirement life on the road from cities to cities, coast to coast. Now as the baby boomers are entering the age of retirement, it might be a good time to look at the stocks related to Recreation Vehicle before the big surge coming just like those lifting the Senior Housing stocks.

• Thor Industries Inc. (THO): the Jackson Center, Ohio based Recreation Vehicle maker is the largest of the industry with market cap of 2.42 billion. Last year the company reports record sales on RV with $2.31 billion, up 17% from $1.97 billion the year before and the sales for both RV and bus unit have increase continuously for the fifth year. The company has 26 RV plants in United States with employees over 8000. Citigroup recently began to cover the company with a buy rating. The stock has done well this year and is posting new 52 week high everyday.
• Winnebago Industries Inc. (WGO): the Forest City, Iowa based company manufactures recreation vehicle and motor homes for leisure travel and outdoor recreation. The company has half of the market cap of Thor Industries with 1.1 billion. The softening RV industry in 2005 hurts the revenue and net income. As the result the stock was on the slide from August high of $39 per share to October low of $26 per share. After hitting the 52 week low in late October the stock has bounced bak and is now trading at $33.55 per share.
• Monaco Coah Corp. (MNC): the Coburg, Oregan based RV maker makes high end motor homes that include LCD tv, GPS system and leather furniture. The company's top executives have been bullish about the company recently with numerous purchase of the company's stock. The stock is still trading near 52 week low of $13.76 per share but should see more upside from now on.

Scoreboard - January 8

The opening week of 2006 ended with cheers with most stocks advanced to new highs. Similarily many of the smart stock portfolios have added gains or trimmed losses. Let's take a look at the top gaining portfolios so far. Please note that the overall amount is shows how much the portfolio is worth as if you invested $1000 for each stock:

Taiwan
Stock / Current / Start / Change(%)
GIGM / 3.8 / 2.7 / +40.74%
EWT / 13.21 / 12.21 / +8.19%
TSM / 10.8 / 9.94 / +8.65%
UMC / 3.26 / 3.33 / -2.1%
AUO / 14.88 / 13.43 / +10.8%
TMIC / 38.71 / 33.74 / +14.73%
MXICY / 1.79 / 1.29 / +38.76%
ASX / 4.7 / 3.9 / +20.51%
Overall $9,410.89 +$1403.56 +17.53%

VOIP
Stock / Current / Start / Change(%)
DDDC / 3.13 / 2.64 / +18.56%
NTOP / 2.04 / 1.96 / +4.08%
SONS / 5.04 / 3.81 / +32.28%
LVLT / 2.75 / 2.97 / -7.41%
Overall $4,592.84 +493.25 +12.03%

Brazil (Brazil1/Brazil2)
Stock / Current / Start / Change(%)
RIO / 45 / 40.3 / +11.66%
ITU / 27 / 23.49 / +14.94%
EWZ / 36.75 / 33.17 / +10.79%
BBD / 31.96 / 29.41 / +8.67%
GGB / 18.2 / 15.97 / +13.96%
SID / 22.12 / 21.36 / +3.56%
PBR / 78.3 / 68.77 / +13.86%
Overall $7,835.89 +$781.69 +11.08%

Tamiflu
Stock / Current / Start / Change(%)
TEVA / 43.18 / 38.35 / +12.59%
BRL / 64.87 / 56.8 / +14.21%
MYL / 20.65 / 19.94 / +3.56%
Overall $3,322.84 +$306.34 +10.16%

India
Stock / Current / Start / Change(%)
TTM / 14.49 / 13.34 / +8.62%
IBN / 31.67 / 27.82 / +13.84%
WIT / 12.85 / 11.43 / +12.42%
INFY / 81.42 / 77.99 / +4.4%
REDF / 19.56 / 20.83 / -6.1%
SIFY / 12.03 / 9.47 / +27.03%
Overall $6,617.34 +603.38 +10.03%

Top 5 Stocks
GIGM +40.74%
MXICY +38.76%
SONS +32.28%
SIFY +27.03%
ASX +20.51%

The now you know why this week is all about cheering. So far all of the top five winning portfolios have gained at least 10% with stocks from Taiwan doubled the gain last week from 8% to 17%. Voice Over IP stocks also performed well with 12% gained, up from just 2.34% gain last week largely due to the big come back of SONS which went from -2.36% last week to +32.28%. The foreign market stocks are still the top winners as Brazil stocks took the third spot with 11% gain and India stocks at the fifth with 10% gain. Tamiflu related stock still holds the top 5 spot with 10% gain, up from 7% gain last week.

For individual winners we have GIGM, the internet content provider from Taiwan gaining 40% followed by last week's leader MXICY, also a company from Taiwan, getting 38% gain. Sonus network took the third spot with 32% gained, also the biggest comeback stock while SIFY gained 27%, doubled last week gain of 13.62%. Fifth spot is Taiwan's semiconductor testing company ASX with 20%.

With 3 of the top 5 individual gainers from Taiwan, no wonder Taiwan stocks are the leading portfolio so far.

[Technology] Internet Travel

Remeber the days when you scrambled thru local coupon or the thick AAA travel book to find the best hotel deals in town but also worried that you may end up with no place to stay? Or trying to make thousands of phone calls to find the best airfare to Hawaii?

On my recent 7 days trip to the Big Island of Hawaii, booking the flight, finding a decent hotel and reserve a Alamo sadan, which normally would take days to finish was done within 30 minutes. Of course the can't miss Luau show hot seats are reserved as well. So now day's of planning ahead cut to hours and I get to spend more time comparing the photos of each hotel and reading previous visitors reviews instead of relying on the text and diamond counts on the side showing the grade of the hotel which isn't too useful.

Welcome to the world of cyberspace. Now people are so dependent on the internet for travel booking and planning that they probably wouldn't know what to do if you told them to do the whole travel booking process from scratch. It would be just like telling people to ride bike instead of driving a car.

Online travel planning has become a crucial and successful internet business which brings people more convenience - the bottom line for the survival of internet companes. And it should be an industry where you should take a look of. Here are some companys engage in internet travel industry:

• Expedia Inc. (EXPE): three of the big online travel booking agencies previous under Microsoft. The company has been traded on Nasdaq for half year and the stock price hasn't changed much.
• Sabre Holding Corp. (TSG): you probably have no idea what Sabre Holding does but what if we say Travelocity.com? The parent company of Travelocity.com also owns Sabre Travel Network and Sabre Airline Solutions. The travel booking site is one of the three main travel booking site beside Expedia and Priceline. Stock has show strength as it has been on rally since November of last year.
• Priceline.com(PCLN): can't skip the company if talking about online travel booking. The Norwalk, CT based firm was making buzz on its innovative idea of "name your price" type travel booking. The stock has been fluctuating between $20 to $25 range for past two years and may need some breakthru to push the stock higher as the competitions are still intense.
• Travelzoo Inc.(TZOO): the New York based firm publishes travel offers from various travel companies. The company generates revenue from advertising charge adn pay-per-click travel search engine. The service is free for internet user. The stock is trading near 52 week low of $22 per share, down from near $100 per share earlier last year. Recet movement suggests the stock could be on bullish trend again.

The Sun Has Rise Again - Japan Stocks

The economic bubble which resulted in a long ten year deflation has stalled the economic movement of the world's second largest market. Yet after aggressive economic reforms by its high-profile Prime Minister Koizumi, Japan has again shown signs that the country of the sun is now ready to rise again. The Nikkei shares average has surged from the bottom of below 8,000 in 2003 to 16,361 today, doubled in less than 3 years although still less than half of the all time high in 1990.
The recent recovery of Japan's economy and stocks is great news for investors who want to seek investment opportunities overseas yet don't want to take the risk of investing in developing countries. Investing in Japan not only is comparably safer but also may yield high return as the recovery only started not long ago. Different from many emergin markets where you are investing at companys where you have no idea whatsoever exept the name, maybe, stocks from Japan features brand names where you see everyday in United States such as Honda, Toyota and Sony.

Here are some Japan "blue-chip" stocks where you may want to have in your portfolio if you are to invest in Japan stocks:

• Honda(HMC): the wow of the US auto industry has little effect on this Japan auto top gun. Hiking gasoline price did not damage the market share of the auto maker as it is famous for making model such as Civic sadan with great gas mileage. It's family targeted Accord sadan and Odyssey minivan are also top sellers in US. Even the luxury Accord series decent sellers. It's no wonder the stock has been doing well last year, up 10% compare to 50% drop of GM.
• Toyota(TM): great company and great cars transfer to great sales and great stock performance. The fleet features top sellers such as Camery and Corolla. The luxury Lexus has become the new favorite challenging BMW and Mercedes. The stock last year had also done well, up more than 20% for the year.
• Nissan(NSANY): Carlos Ghosn has made history by not only becoming the first non-Japanese CEO of Japanese auto industry but also making a big turn-around for the falling auto giant. The next task for the CEO - bring the auto sales and stock price to the next level.
• Hitachi(HIT): the technology and industrial equipment conglomerates has product ranging from liquid crystal display, ATM machine, escalators to nuclear plants. The stock is showing sign of break out and could break out above $70 per share very soon.
• Sony(SNE): the company is in your family room with products such as Playstation game console, tv, dvd player, home entertainment system and digital camera. Stock price didn't change much last year but the stock was recently on a rally up form 52 week low of $31 per share in late October to $41 per share today.
• NEC(NIPNY): the technology firm is famous for its high quality monitors. Tech bubble in 2000 drove the stock from $148 per share to $2.8 per share in 2003. Now the stock is trading at $6 per share and should see more upsides.

Scoreboard - January 1

Happy New Year! As we are entering into 2006 with more optimistic economy yet softening housing market, investing in the right sector with the right combination of stocks could be still as tough as any other year. Here we provide investor with an alternative way of finding stocks according to trend, buzz word, technology or gadgets. Such stocks include : Bird/Avian Flu Vaccine, Tamiflu, Halloween, New Technolog(Solar, Nanotechnology, VOIP), Harry Potter, Hot Gadget(Tivo, iPod, Satellite Radio, iRobot, Xbox 360), Thanksgiving(Turkey, Black Friday, Cyber Monday), emerging market (China , Taiwan, Brazil) stocks and more. Here is a list of some of the big winner "sectors" we have covered. Please note the overall performance is based on buying $1000 for each stock.

Shopping Mall Pick
Stock / Current / Start / Change(%)
BBW / 29.64 / 25.27 / +17.29%
URBN / 25.31 / 26.04 / -2.80%
Overall +$147.06 +7.35%

Tamiflu
Stock / Current / Start / Change(%)
TEVA / 43.01 / 38.35 / +12.15%
BRL / 62.29 / 56.8 / +9.67%
MYL / 19.96 / 19.94 / +0.1%
Overall +$220.98 +7.33%

Taiwan
Stock / Current / Start / Change(%)
GIGM / 2.85 / 2.7 / +5.56%
EWT / 12.48 / 12.21 / +2.21%
TSM / 9.91 / 9.94 / -0.3%
UMC / 3.12 / 3.33 / -6.31%
AUO / 15.01 / 13.43 / +11.76%
TMIC / 38.45 / 33.74 / +13.96%
MXICY / 1.58 / 1.29 / +22.48%
ASX / 4.49 / 3.9 / +15.13%
Overall +645.62 +8.06%

India
Stock / Current / Start / Change(%)
TTM / 14.37 / 13.34 / +7.72%
IBN / 28.8 / 27.82 / +3.52%
WIT / 11.95 / 11.43 / +4.55%
INFY / 80.86 / 77.99 / +3.68%
REDF / 18.07 / 20.83 / -13.25%
SIFY / 10.76 / 9.47 / +13.62%
Overall +199.34 +3.31%

VOIP
Stock / Current / Start / Change(%)
DDDC / 2.91 / 2.64 / +10.23%
NTOP / 2.04 / 1.96 / +4.08%
SONS / 3.72 / 3.81 / -2.36%
LVLT / 2.87 / 2.97 / -3.37%
Overall +96.11 +2.34%

Senior House
Stock / Current / Start / Change(%)
CSU / 10.34 / 10.06 / +2.78%
ACR / 25.13 / 25.22 / -0.36%
ESC / 20.95 / 18.94 / +10.61%
SRZ / 33.71 / 34.65 / -2.71%
Overall +103.39 +2.58%

So far out of the six winning portfolios, in which the overall gain is at least 2%, two portfolios are emerging market stocks with stocks from Taiwan gaining 8% and stocks from India gaining 3%. Brazil stocks are not in the winning list but is still gaining 1.77%. Tamiflu and Shopping Mall stocks still holds top spot with both gaining 7%.

For individual winners we have MXICY, IC and memory chip maker from Taiwan, making 22% return in less than a month. Ex-winner Build a Bear Workshop(BBW) is still holding a 17% gain tieing with hydrogen cell maker HYGS from hydrogen cell portfolio. Semiconductor testing service provider ASX gets 15% gain followed by 14% return from anti-virus provider TMIC and 13% gain from India e-commerce firm SIFY.