Environmentalism is becoming a big deal. More and more companies, including Wal-Mart (WMT (http://finance.yahoo.com/q?d=t s=SBUX)), are jumping on the environmental bandwagon, straining themselves to make changes so that they can show consumers how environmentally conscious they are.
The market was selling off today which hit consumer stocks added to that was the fact that the Russell Index Rebalancing that occurred today tends to push down the stocks of companies that have been engaging in buybacks.
So what's a greedy trader to do? Since, I don't like shopping in stores, I went shopping in the market.
Here's what i bought:
(http://thepanelist.com/Hot_Topics/Alternative_Energy/Crude_Oil_Prices_Mi...)Photo: jpchan (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jpchan/2272586724/), Creative Commons, Flickr
After easing up a bit, oil prices are back on the rise, and nothing the Saudis say about increased production and a meeting with producers and consumers seems to be stopping the gains. As a result, the broader stock market is down (helped along by additional worries over the continuing credit market crisis), and even the energy sector is seeing some setbacks.
Big Oil companies are currently offering value investing opportunities. While the stock market takes a break today, with oil prices falling back a bit and gas prices easing a very little, oil companies may provide good buying opportunities. Among those that stand a good chance include Total (TOT (http://finance.yahoo.com/q?d=t s=TOT)), the French supermajor oil company.
The Honda FCX Clarity is a hydrogen powered car (http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/16/autos/honda_zev.ap/index.htm?section=mon...) that claims to have twice the efficiency of traditional gas and electric hybrid vehicles. And it doesn't emit greenhouse gases. Ever. No matter what mode it's in. (Although one could argue that the greenhouse gases involved in creating the electricity portion are an issue.)
(http://thepanelist.com/Hot_Topics/Alternative_Energy/Exxon_Mobil_%28XOM%...)Photo: emilyd10 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/emilyd10/1125564985/), Creative Commons, Flickr
(http://thepanelist.com/Neubert%27s_Trades/Neuberts_Trades/Profit_From_Cl...)Photo: Ian Muttoo (http://www.flickr.com/photos/imuttoo/2315345223/), Creative Commons, Flickr
A couple of days ago, XTO energy (XTO (http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=XTO)) announced that it is acquiring Hunt Petroleum.
Hunt Petroleum is a privately held company, and its absorption into the XTO family comes on the heels of recent equity acquisitions from Linn Energy (LINE (http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=LINE)) and the privately held Headington Oil. The deal is $4.3 billion in stock and cash. Forbes reports on what the Hunt Petroleum deal is expected to add to the reserves available to XTO:
(http://thepanelist.com/Neubert%27s_Trades/Neuberts_Trades/Obama_Advisor_...)Photo: drp (http://www.flickr.com/photos/drp/1291603/), Creative Commons, Flickr
Would the Fed hold back on stopping inflation just to protect its new mortgage portfolio?
