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Peter Pham

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  • Yahoo’s Identity Crisis Continues Despite Profitable Q1

    By Peter Pham - May 16, 2013 | Tickers: GOOG, MSFT, YHOO

    Yahoo's (NASDAQ: YHOO) most recent quarterly earnings may have topped estimates, but the company did not show any improvement in ad revenues. In fact, in this quarter, search has made a bigger contribution to the top line than ads. The latest ComScore data has shown that Yahoo’s explicit core search market share has slightly increased. But the company’s overall revenues have fallen, and even a rising bottom more »

  • This Biotech Giant Is Continuing Its Growth via M&A

    By Peter Pham - May 13, 2013 | Tickers: ILMN, LIFE, TMO

    A group representing some of the biggest private equity firms in the world, the Blackstone Group, Carlyle Group, KKR, and Singapore’s Temasek Holdings are eyeing California based bio-tech firm Life Technologies (NASDAQ: LIFE). They forwarded a bid of $62 per share, which values the firm at $11 billion. But, the analytical and laboratory equipment behemoth, Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE: TMO) came forward with a much higher bid of $75 more »

  • Two Gold Stocks for Emerging Market Plays

    By Peter Pham - May 11, 2013 | Tickers: AU, ABX, GDXJ, GLD

    While most of the gold exploration and production companies, from the giant Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX) to the junior plays such as Valor Gold (VGLD.OB) are increasing their focus on the Nevada’s gold rush, others such as B2Gold Corp (BGLPF.PK) and Continental Gold (CGOOF.PK) are eyeing some of the key areas in the emerging markets. Both B2Gold and Continental are based in Canada and have recently more »

  • Chinese Oil Majors Create Smörgåsbord for Bond Investors

    By Peter Pham - May 11, 2013 | Tickers: SNP, CEO, LQD

    The second half of April saw record setting bond sales Hong Kong and New York. Asia’s leading oil refiner Sinopec (NYSE: SNP) sold $3.5 billion, which was the not only the biggest bond sale by a Chinese company in the last ten years, but also the single largest sale in Asia, excluding Japan. Two weeks later, CNOOC (NYSE: CEO) announced an even bigger bond sale worth $4 billion more »

  • China’s Yuan Clearing Continues Building Without the Dollar

    By Peter Pham - May 2, 2013 | Tickers: FXA, VNM, CYB

    Yuan trade settlement scheme and the offshore Yuan market have expanded rapidly in recent years. Chinese authorities have sought to promote the international use of the Yuan in trade and investment. Yuan-denominated trade accounted for about 10% of China’s total foreign trade in July 2012. WisdomTree Chinese Yuan (NYSEMKT: CYB) tracks the changes in the Yuan/Dollar pair.

    Offshore Yuan deals can be cleared via two routes. Transaction goes more »

  • Chinese Refiners Are Free to Make a Profit

    By Peter Pham - May 2, 2013 | Tickers: SNP, PTR, BNO

    China’s refining sector continually struggles to come to grips with government control of the price of fuel and the incessant volatility of oil prices amidst global monetary stress. Asia’s leading refiner and China’s second-biggest oil firm China Petroleum and Chemical (ADR) (NYSE: SNP), otherwise known as Sinopec, posted a dip in annual profits as it was hit by fuel price controls at its home in the face more »

  • Allied Nevada: New Management Creates Confidence

    By Peter Pham - May 1, 2013 | Tickers: ANV, ABX, SLV, GLD

    Allied Nevada’s (NYSE:ANV) stock surged after the company reported its preliminary Q1-2013 results. The business is one of the key players of Nevada’s current gold rush and owns more than 100 exploration properties at various stages of production throughout the state. The company’s stock has bounced finally after almost touching the 52-week low as it informed investors that it was going to meet its six-month guidance more »

  • PC Sales Hit the Wall of Wintel Indifference

    By Peter Pham - May 1, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, INTC, LNVGY.PK, MSFT

    The latest IDC and Gartner data on PC shipments has revealed that things as bad as leading players as had been projected; in fact, they are much worse. The decline in PC sales has been far worse than anticipated and, as expected, Lenovo (NASDAQOTH: LNVGY.PK) has once again emerged as the sole survivor. According to IDC, Total PC shipments have dropped by 13.9% to 76.3 million units in more »

  • Toyota and Ford Battle in the U.S and China

    By Peter Pham - May 1, 2013 | Tickers: F, GM, TM, VLKAY

    Recently, Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) and Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) both claimed that they had the world’s best-selling car model in 2012. Toyota’s iconic Corolla has been on top for so long that it’s usually fait accompli, but this time Ford claimed, on the back of data provided by automotive research and marketing firm Polk & Co., that it sold 1.02 million Ford Focuses while more »

  • Novartis’ Patent Loss Underscores Future Growth Dangers

    By Peter Pham - May 1, 2013 | Tickers: MRK, NVS, PFE

    In a much hyped and landmark case, Novartis (NYSE: NVS) has had its patent revoked by Indian authorities. Authorities made it clear that India can step forward to revoke drug patents in the occurrence of any serious disease or pandemics.

    The Supreme Court’s ruling on on April 1st came as a blow to Novartis rejecting the patent application of its cancer drug Glivec. This was one of a more »

  • India’s Partial Deregulation of Sugar Mixes Politics with Economics

    By Peter Pham - May 1, 2013 | Tickers: INCO, SCIF, ICN

    The sugar price in India has finally been partially deregulated by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA). This was a greatly anticipated decision and now allows the sugar companies to sell their product in the open market. This decision is just part of the Committee's Report which covers larger economic reforms of the agricultural industry.

    The government, however, will continue to sell sugar at a subsidized rate from more »

  • Is Nokia Siemens Attractive Enough Yet to Sell?

    By Peter Pham - May 1, 2013 | Tickers: ALU, MSFT, NOK, SI

    The Finnish smartphone manufacturer Nokia (NYSE: NOK) recently released its quarterly results that surprised the market as the company reported an unexpected drop in revenues by 20% year-over-year and 27% from the previous quarter to $7.6 billion. The sales of its flagship Lumia handsets that underpin its turnaround strategy showed solid strength what was a bright spot for most of 2012, its joint-venture with Siemens (NYSE: SI) put in more »

  • FOXCONN Begins Cutting out the Apple Core

    By Peter Pham - May 1, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, HNHAF, MSFT, NOK, SSNLF

    The contract electronics equipment manufacturing behemoth Hon Hai Precision (NASDAQOTH: HNHAF), the biggest supplier of Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), reported a 19% drop in sales caused by weakening demand of the iPhone. FOXCONN’s heavy exposure towards Apple, which until last year was its strength, has now turned into a weakness, having essentially built its business to support Apple. So as FOXCONN goes, in many ways, so will Apple go. This more »

  • Yamaha’s Dirt Cheap Bike Just the Beginning of its Changes

    By Peter Pham - May 1, 2013 | Tickers: FXY, HMC, ICN

    Yamaha (NASDAQOTH:YAMCY) has begun work on the world’s cheapest motorcycle in India. The bikes will be priced at $500 US dollars. There has not been any launch date set as of yet. Yamaha’s new facility, Motor Research and Development India Pvt. Ltd (YMRI) established in Surajpur in Uttar Pradesh in February this year is working to its full capacity in order to manufacture the bike to be more »

  • Exxon Dives Into Australian Waters to Produce LNG

    By Peter Pham - April 29, 2013 | Tickers: BHP, LNG, FXA, XOM, RDS-A

    Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM), the largest U.S. oil company, along with mining giant BHP Billiton Ltd.(NYSE: BHP), are in the planning phase for building the world’s largest floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant off the coast of Australia. It will be half a kilometer long and 75 meters wide. The new project also shows that despite some setbacks, Australia still continues to attract investments in its LNG more »

  • Gold’s Drop Creates Historic Demand for Gold in India

    By Peter Pham - April 29, 2013 | Tickers: FXY, GLD, ICN

    The recent crash in gold--tracked by the SPDR Gold Shares ETF (NYSEMKT: GLD)--prices has brought smiles to the faces of many Indians. Buying gold is more than just tradition in India, and the centuries-old custom of Indians to rely on the yellow to safeguard their wealth from generation to generation is undeniable. Anyone who follows gold knows that the Indian demand on the physical market is one of the more »

  • Family Dollar Treads Water While Retail Changes

    By Peter Pham - April 28, 2013 | Tickers: DG, FDO, WMT

    Dollar retailers have been hit hard by the tough economic environment in which consumers are cutting back on spending. Moreover, the cold spring weather is also not helping. Family Dollar Stores (NYSE: FDO) is now looking toward unattractive lower-margin goods to provide a much-needed boost to sales while it waits for the economy to turn around.

    The second-largest U.S. dollar-store retailer Family Dollar Stores' fiscal second-quarter earnings increased 2 more »

  • Alcoa Looks to Increase Margins Amid Lower Prices

    By Peter Pham - April 25, 2013 | Tickers: AA, BHP, BNO, USO

    Alcoa (NYSE: AA) easily beat analysts’ estimates to kick off earnings season. This is because most of them don’t understand the relationship between metal producer gross margins and the price of energy. So, they look at Aluminum prices and make projections. Alcoa is looking to increase its margins during this oversupply period in the aluminum industry by catering to the specialty market for high-performance aluminum alloys. Alcoa is still more »

  • Best Buy Getting Back to Retail Basics

    By Peter Pham - April 24, 2013 | Tickers: BBY, MCD, YHOO

    Following in Yahoo!’s (NASDAQ: YHOO) much publicized footsteps, Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) has decided to end its ‘work from home’ program as well. Both companies are desperate to turn things around and are looking for greater efficiency. With new leadership has come a new sense of direction and a renewed hope for shareholders--in theory at least.

    Best Buy is going on a cost-cutting drive and is aiming to save more »

  • The Good Problems WeChat is Causing Tencent

    By Peter Pham - April 24, 2013 | Tickers: CMGE, CHU, SOCL, FXI, MSFT, SINA

    The Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings (TCEHY.PK) introduced a blockbuster mobile chat application that is being perceived as a significant threat to the revenues of social networking firms, such as Sina (NASDAQ: SINA) Weibo as well as Chinese telcos such as China Mobile (NYSE: CHL) and China Unicom (NYSE: CHU). WeChat is doing now what Tencent’s QQ did about a year ago by eating massive amounts of the more »

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