The price of gold reached an all-time high of nearly $1,610 an ounce this week as new buyers continue to stream into the market, seeking safe haven from the U.S. dollar and a shaky global economy.
Data from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) continues to show a surge in gold buying from large financial institutions and money managers, despite record prices.
But while gold continues to shine in the limelight, silver has been the real moneymaker...
The price of silver has surged over 50% since the beginning of the year, making it the single best performing major commodity of 2013 so far.
Best Stocks To Watch For 2013:HopFed Bancorp Inc. (HFBC)
HopFed Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for Heritage Bank that provides various banking products and services primarily in western Kentucky, and middle and western Tennessee. The company offers a range of deposit products, including demand deposits, time deposits, money market accounts, passbook savings accounts, individual retirement accounts, and certificates of deposit. Its loan portfolio comprises one-to-four family residential loans, multifamily residential loans, construction loans, nonresidential loans, commercial real estate loans, and land and land development loans, as well as loans secured by deposits, other consumer loans, and commercial loans. The company, through its subsidiary, Fall and Fall Insurance Agency, sells life and casualty insurance products to individuals and businesses. HopFed Bancorp offers its products and services through its branch offices located in Hopkinsville, Murray, Cadiz, Elkton, Fulton, Calvert City, and Benton, Kentucky; and in Clarksville, Pleasant View, Ashland City, Kingston Springs, and Erin, Tennessee. The company was founded in 1879 and is headquartered in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.Best Stocks To Watch For 2013:The Cushing MLP Total Return Fund (SRV)
Cushing MLP Total Return Fund is a closed-end mutual fund launched by Swank Capital, LLC. The fund is managed by Swank Energy Income Advisors L.P. It invests in the public equity and fixed income markets across the globe with a focus in United States. The fund typically invests in MLPs, Other Natural Resource Companies, and global commodities. It primarily invests in the securities of MLPs, other equity securities, debt securities, and securities of non-U.S. issuers employing a fundamental analysis. Cushing MLP Total Return Fund was formed on May 23, 2007 and is domiciled in Dallas.Best Stocks To Watch For 2013:Citizens South Banking Corporation (CSBC)
Citizens South Banking Corporation operates as the holding company for Citizens South Bank that provides various commercial banking services to local customers in the United States. The company offers a range of retail products, commercial banking services, and mortgage lending services. It provides retail deposit products, such as checking, savings, negotiable order of withdrawal, and money market accounts, as well as time deposits and individual retirement accounts. The company also offers commercial analysis deposit accounts, business checking accounts, and repurchase agreements for business customers. In addition, it provides various consumer and commercial loans, including business, real estate, residential, and consumer loans. Further, the company offers consumer and business credit cards, debit cards, commercial letters of credit, and safe deposit box rentals, as well as electronic funds transfer services, including automated clearing house and wire transfers. Additionally, it provides online banking, remote deposit capture, cash management, bank-by-phone capabilities, and ATM services. The company also acts as a broker in the sale of uninsured financial products. As of March 31, 2011, it operated through 21 branch offices located in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. The company was founded in 1904 and is headquartered in Gastonia, North Carolina.Best Stocks To Watch For 2013:Consolidated Edison Company of New York Inc. (ED)
Consolidated Edison, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides electric, gas, and steam utility services in the United States. It provides electric service to approximately 3.3 million customers and gas service to approximately 1.1 million customers in New York City and Westchester County, as well as provides steam service to office buildings and apartment houses in parts of Manhattan. The company also provides electric service to approximately 0.3 million customers in southeastern New York and in adjacent areas of northern New Jersey, and northeastern Pennsylvania; and gas service to approximately 0.1 million customers in southeastern New York and adjacent areas of northeastern Pennsylvania. In addition, Consolidated Edison involves in the sale and related hedging of electricity to wholesale and retail customers; operation of generating plants; participation in other infrastructure projects; and provision of energy-efficiency services, including the design and installation of lighting retrofits, high-efficiency heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment, and other energy saving technologies to government and commercial customers. It serves residential, industrial, and large commercial customers. The company was founded in 1884 and is based in New York, New York.Best Stocks To Watch For 2013:WD-40 Company (WDFC)
WD-40 Company engages in the production and sale of consumer products. The company offers a multi-purpose maintenance product, which acts as a lubricant, rust preventative, penetrant, cleaner, and moisture displacer under the WD-40 brand name; multi-purpose drip oil and spray lubricant products, and other specialty maintenance products under the 3-IN-ONE brand name, which are used by household consumers for locksmithing, HVAC, marine, farming, construction, and jewelry manufacturing applications; and line of industrial grade, specialty maintenance products that includes lubricants, penetrants, degreasers, and cleaners designed specifically for the needs of industrial users under the Blue Works brand name. It also provides homecare and cleaning products, such as mildew stain remover and automatic toilet bowl cleaners under the X-14 brand name; long-lasting automatic toilet bowl cleaners under the 2000 Flushes brand name; room and rug deodorizers sold as powder, aerosol foam, and trigger spray products under the Carpet Fresh brand name; an aerosol carpet stain remover and a liquid trigger carpet stain and odor eliminator under the Spot Shot brand name; carpet and household cleaners and rug and room deodorizers under the 1001 brand name; and heavy-duty hand cleaner products, which are sold in bar soap and liquid form under the Lava and Solvol brands. The company markets its products in approximately 160 countries worldwide through mass retail and home center stores, warehouse club stores, grocery stores, hardware stores, automotive parts outlets, and industrial distributors and suppliers. WD-40 Company was founded in 1953 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.Best Stocks To Watch For 2013:Concho Resources Inc. (CXO)
Concho Resources Inc., an independent oil and natural gas company, engages in the acquisition, development, and exploration of producing oil and natural gas properties in the United States. Its operations are focused in the Permian Basin of Southeast New Mexico and West Texas. The company also has acreage positions in the Bakken/Three Forks play in North Dakota. As of December 31, 2010, Concho Resources had estimated proved reserves of 323.5 million barrel of oil equivalent. The company is headquartered in Midland, Texas.Best Stocks To Watch For 2013:Cash America International Inc. (CSH)
Cash America International, Inc. provides specialty financial services to individuals primarily in the United States and Mexico. The company operates in three segments: Pawn Lending, Cash Advance, and Check Cashing. The Pawn Lending segment offers pawn loans through its pawn lending locations, which operate under the names Cash America Pawn and SuperPawn in the United States, and Prenda Facil in Mexico. This segment also sells previously-owned merchandise acquired from customers who do not redeem their pawned goods, as well as sells items purchased from third-parties or customers. The Cash Advance segment offers unsecured cash advances in selected lending locations that are operated under the names Cash America Payday Advance and Cashland in the United States; and short-term cash advances over the Internet under the names CashNetUSA in the United States, QuickQuid in the United Kingdom, and DollarsDirect in the Canada and Australia. This segment also involves in arranging loans for customers with independent third-party lenders through a credit services organization program; providing marketing and loan processing services for a third-party bank issued line of credit on certain stored-value debit cards that the bank issues; and purchasing a participation interest in certain line of credit receivables originated by the bank. The Check Cashing segment provides check cashing and other financial services, such as stored-value cards, money orders, and money transfers. This segment operates its check cashing locations under the Mr.Payroll name. As of December 31, 2009, it operated 676 pawn lending locations, including 667 company-owned units and 9 unconsolidated franchised units; 246 cash advance locations; and 120 unconsolidated franchised and 6 consolidated company-owned check cashing locations. The company was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas.Advisors' Opinion:
- By Cutler At 2012-2-23
This chain of pawnshops is a backdoor way to play an increase in gold prices. Pawnshops have now replaced mainstream banks as the lender to the sub-prime community. Not only that, when people borrow from a pawnshop, they often hand over gold as collateral. As gold rises, so do the asset values sitting in the pawn shop. At nine times earnings, this one is cheap going into 2012. I own it.
Best Stocks To Watch For 2013:Eli Lilly and Company (LLY)
Eli Lilly and Company develops, manufactures, and sells pharmaceutical products worldwide. It offers neuroscience products to treat schizophrenia, manic episodes, and bipolar maintenance; depression and diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain; attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in children, adolescents, and adults; bulimia nervosa and obsessive-compulsive disorders; and bipolar depression and treatment-resistant depression. The company?s endocrinology products are used for diabetes; type 2 diabetes; osteoporosis in postmenopausal women; osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and men at high risk for fracture; and human growth hormone deficiency and pediatric growth conditions. It also provides oncology products to treat malignant pleural mesothelioma; pancreatic, metastatic breast, non-small cell lung, ovarian, and bladder cancers; and colorectal cancers, as well as offers cardiovascular products to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension, for the reduction of thrombotic cardiovascular events in patients with acute coronary syndrome, as an adjunct to percutaneous coronary intervention, and to treat adults with severe sepsis at high risk of death. In addition, the company offers animal health products, such as cattle feed additives; antibiotics to treat respiratory and other diseases in cattle, swine, and poultry; leanness and performance enhancers for swine and cattle; protein supplements to improve milk productivity in dairy cows; anticoccidial agents; antibiotics to control enteric infections in calves and swine; parasiticides for use on cattle and premises; products to treat canine separation anxiety; and products that prevents flea infestations on dogs, as well as other pharmaceutical products to treat staphylococcal infections and bacterial infections. Eli Lilly distributes its products through independent wholesale distributors, as well as directly to pharmacies. The company was founded in 1876 and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana.Advisors' Opinion:
- By Tom Hutchinson At 2011-9-20
