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Gulab Ram Parab

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  • An EZ Way to Play Gold

    By Gulab Ram Parab - October 18, 2012 | Tickers: CSH, EZPW, FCFS

    Pawn shop operators are a less obvious way to play gold. For these companies, a significant share of revenues comes from the merchandise and scrap sales of gold and other jewelry, so they tend to do better when the price of gold rises. There are three publicly-traded players in this industry: First Cash, EZCORP, and Cash America.

    Of the three, First Cash Financial Services (NASDAQ: FCFS) is the purest pawn more »

  • This Stock is Reducing its Reliance on Aluminum Pricing

    By Gulab Ram Parab - October 18, 2012 | Tickers: AA, KALU, RS

    Earnings season kicked off last Tuesday, as Alcoa (NYSE: AA) reported EPS ex-items of $0.03. Underlying the figure is a divergence in performance between upstream and downstream segments:

    Segment After-Tax Operating Income (ATOI)
    Alumina  ($9 million)
    Primary Metals  ($14 million)
    Global Rolled Products   $98 million
    Engineered Products & Solutions $160 million

     

    Lower LME-based pricing hurt both upstream segments. Year-on-year, Alumina ATOI dropped $163 million, while Primary Metals ATOI fell $124 more »

  • What the Dow Transports are Really Signaling

    By Gulab Ram Parab - October 10, 2012 | Tickers: CSX, FDX, NSC, UNP, UPS

    According to classic Dow Theory, any rally among industrials must be confirmed by a rally in transports. Over the decades, the U.S. economy has shifted away from manufacturing toward services, but purists maintain that the Dow Jones Transports Index, which is flat on the year, is currently signaling a warning to investors.


    Transports such as FedEx (NYSE: FDX) and United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) have shown flat to sluggish more »

  • Will GE Jump For Joy?

    By Gulab Ram Parab - October 1, 2012 | Tickers: CAT, GE, JOY

    In May, General Electric (NYSE: GE) unit GE Mining announced its first two acquisitions, Fairchild International and Industrea Ltd., as part of a development program to expand to support roughly 35% of the underground mining value chain.

    Virginia-based Fairchild primarily makes scoops, haulers, continuous miners, and maintenance vehicles; whereas Australian equipment maker Industrea makes various explosion-proof vehicles and towables such as carriers, dozers, and shearers.  

    Newly appointed GE Mining CEO more »