Tony Daltorio

Editor's Choice

• Not a Happy New Year for E-Book Reader Makers

  By Tony Daltorio - December 28, 2012 | Tickers: AMZN, AAPL, BKS, GOOG, MSFT |

  In the midst of a disappointing sales season for retailers, there have been several bright spots. One of those has to be the number of e-book readers that appeared under Christmas trees. 

  But the cheer is not expected to last throughout 2013. According to some technology analysts, this category of tech gadgets is expected to see a very rapid decline in its fortunes over the coming months thanks to competition more »

• Japan Says Sayonara to Nuclear Power

  By Tony Daltorio - September 24, 2012 | Tickers: CCJ, HTHIY.PK, NLR, MSBHY.PK, PKN.DL |

  It is 18 months since the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, and finally, the Japanese government has made a decision about the future of nuclear power in the country. The government has stated that it will phase out nuclear power entirely by 2040. This would make Japan the second major country, after Germany, to announce such a withdrawal from nuclear power.

  Prior to the Fukushina disaster, nuclear power more »

• Best Shale Investment: US Railroads

  By Tony Daltorio - September 17, 2012 | Tickers: BRK-B, CP, CSX, PSX, TSO |

  The boom in US shale gas and oil is now a fact of life for investors. But the best way to play that boom is not directly through oil and gas companies. Look at how many of them have suffered thanks to an excess of supply and the resulting plunging prices for both natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs). 

  The best way to play shale is from owning the more »

• US Drought Reignites Ethanol Debate

  By Tony Daltorio - August 15, 2012 | Tickers: ADM, SAFM, SFD, CORN, VLO |

  Once again economics and politics are colliding as the ongoing drought, the worst in 50 years in the United States, has reignited the debate about ethanol. The debate centers on whether it makes sense, at a time of food shortages globally, to turn corn into fuel. The U.S. ethanol industry uses roughly 5 billion bushels of corn annually, or about 40 percent of the U.S. crop. 

  Already strains more »

• The Coming Leadership Battle in Network Virtualization

  By Tony Daltorio - August 4, 2012 | Tickers: CSCO, EMC, JNPR, ORCL, VMW |

  There is perhaps no hotter area in the technology space than cloud computing and network virtualization. Two recent deals put the spotlight on that fact: the $1.26 billion acquisition of Nicira by VMware (NYSE: VMW) and the purchase of Xsigo by Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) for an undisclosed sum. Xsigo's software simplifies cloud infrastructure and data center operations. Oracle now can offer clients a full set of virtualization capabilities more »

• Electric Cars Looking for a Spark

  By Tony Daltorio - July 27, 2012 | Tickers: FIATY.PK, F, GM, NSANY.PK, TM |

  The idea of electric cars has been around for more than a century. In fact, an electric vehicle held the vehicular land speed record until 1900. Henry Ford bought his wife two electric vehicles in the early 1900s. But the costs and the technology have never been just right in order to produce electric vehicles for the mass market. 

  That was all supposed to change with the introduction of the more »

• Shale Oil Boom Boosting US Refiners

  By Tony Daltorio - June 27, 2012 | Tickers: ENB, PSX, SUN, TSO, VLO |

  The shale oil and gas boom in the United States continues to reshape a wide variety of American industries. For some industries, it's a blessing (petrochemicals) while for other industries (such as coal), it's a curse.  

  Another sector being affected greatly by the shale boom is the US oil refining industry. The good news here is that the effect looks to be a positive one. Many US refineries more »

• Phillips 66 to Ride the US Shale Boom

  By Tony Daltorio - June 13, 2012 | Tickers: CVX, COP, PSX, RDS-A, DOW |

  The shale revolution occurring right now in the United States will produce a number of winners for investors, some of them rather surprising. One winner that many investors are unaware of is the chemicals and refining company Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX), which was spun off last month from ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP). 

  Why Phillips 66? Because the shale boom and the resulting cheap, abundant natural gas and natural gas liquids has more »

• Fiat to Join in US Manufacturing Renaissance

  By Tony Daltorio - June 4, 2012 | Tickers: CAT, CNH, FIATY.PK, GE |

  The chairman of Fiat SpA (NASDAQOTH: FIATY.PK) since 2004, Sergio Marchionne, has been driving to reorder and globalize the company. Part of that plan involved Fiat itself taking majority control of US automaker Chrysler, of which it now owns 58.5 percent. He plans to bring Chrysler public again by 2014, most likely in the form of Fiat listing on a major US exchange. 

  Just last week Mr. Marchionne more »

• Brazil No Longer a Sweet Investment

  By Tony Daltorio - May 18, 2012 | Tickers: BG, CZZ, EWZ, RDS-A, CANE |

  Not long ago, one of the hottest places on the map for investors to get a great return was Latin America's biggest economy, Brazil. The country was in the sweet spot, blessed with abundant natural resources that the world's largest emerging country – China – wanted and needed. 

  But the country and its stock market have fallen on hard times in recent months. That is not news to the holders more »

• The Future of American Airlines Is Up in the Air

  By Tony Daltorio - April 11, 2012 | Tickers: AAMRQ.PK, FAA.DL, DAL, UAL, LCC |

  Investors in airline stocks and also the Guggenheim Airline ETF (UNKNOWN: FAA.DL) are well aware that the parent of American Airlines, AMR (NASDAQOTH: AAMRQ.PK), the third-biggest US carrier, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last November. It did so in an effort to reduce the company's debt burden and lower operating costs after nearly a decade of losing ground to its rivals. 

  Ever since the filing, AMR's competitors more »

• AstraZeneca Needs the Right Formula

  By Tony Daltorio - April 11, 2012 | Tickers: AMGN, AMLN, AZN |

  For the past several years, Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca PLC ADR (NYSE: AZN) has struggled to adapt to the rapid changes occurring in the industry. Like the other major drug companies, AstraZeneca – the maker of the blockbuster cholesterol drug Crestor – is facing a number of expiring patents along with an ever thinner pipeline of new drugs to replace them.  

  Under its CEO David Brennan, it has lagged behind its peers more »

• Investors Should Say Goodbye Argentina

  By Tony Daltorio - April 8, 2012 | Tickers: ARGT, REPYY.PK, YPF |

  The emerging market story is well-known to investors. The positives to investing in emerging economies include rapid economic growth, low debt levels, a population becoming middle class, and a government that allows free markets to enrich their populace. 

  Then there is Argentina, a country blessed with an abundance of natural resources but where the government can't stop making stupid economic decisions. Argentina should be using its natural resources, as more »

• Short-term Reprieve for Oil Tankers

  By Tony Daltorio - March 29, 2012 | Tickers: FRO, OSGIQ, TK, TNP |

  Over the past year, almost every facet of the oil and gas industry has been very profitable except one. That one sector is shipping, specifically the tanker vessels that transport crude oil and refined products across the world's oceans. 

  The reason for this sector being a money loser is a simple one...too much supply. During the boom years before the 2008 financial crisis, ship owners thought the good more »

• Hollywood Gets Boost From China

  By Tony Daltorio - March 27, 2012 | Tickers: BONA, DWA, IMAX |

  The number of Americans going to movie theaters has dropped sharply over the past decade. According to the Motion Picture Association of America, the number of moviegoers in North America has fallen from 1.57 billion in 2002 to 1.28 billion in 2011. There are no doubt a number of reasons for this decline including consumers' ability today to rent movies or stream movies at home.

  Box office revenues more »

• Petrobras' Ills Linger

  By Tony Daltorio - March 17, 2012 | Tickers: VALE, EWZ, PBR |

  For years, Brazilian oil giant Petroleo Brasileiro SA ADR, or Petrobras, (NYSE: PBR) was a wonderful way to play both the BRIC country of Brazil and higher oil prices. But in recent months, the Brazilian government headed by President Dilma Rousseff has increasingly interfered in the day-to-day operations of the company, making it a not-so-great investment. 

  Petrobras is not alone though. The same can also be said of Brazil's more »

• The Global Battle for the Digital Wallet

  By Tony Daltorio - March 10, 2012 | Tickers: GOOG, V, VOD |

  The struggle to become to the digital wallet of choice for consumers around the world continues...and with good reason. 

  The market for digital payments made over mobile devices was forecast to be worth roughly $240 billion in 2011 and that number is expected to triple over the next five years. The expansion will be fueled by the growing number of mobile devices with NFC (near field communications) capabilities. Samsung more »

• Hispanic Consumers: An 'Emerging Market' in the US

  By Tony Daltorio - March 7, 2012 | Tickers: GIS, KRFT, PEP |

  If you're a consumer goods company based in the United States, you have a basic problem. How do you generate strong growth in a slow-growing U.S. economy? 

  It's a difficult problem, but more and more companies think they have found the answer. Food companies, for example, are increasingly setting their marketing sights on Hispanic consumers. These companies consider this segment of society as an “emerging market” of more »

• Indonesia Looks Promising

  By Tony Daltorio - February 22, 2012 | Tickers: EIDO, IDX |

  Indonesia has been one the best spots on the globe for investors to put their money the past three years. Its stock market outperformed the regional index by a whopping 130%! But so far this year, it has been a far different story. So far in 2012 the MSCI Indonesia has risen a mere 1.4%, far short of the MSCI Asia ex-Japan index return of 15.8%. 

  Nevertheless, the more »