Forex All eyes on Fed

Forex

It is Fed interest rate and policy decision day , so nothing much will happen till that time. Market has been anticipating Fed response to slowdown in economy.

Sometime the first reaction to the Fed is a fake out. As most would have seen there are number of studies that show Fed day to be positive day. 

Earn Multi year range breakout

Earn

The market had a breakout last week. The breakout was preceded by 13 days of base. The breakout also coincides with market taking out multi year high.

Below the surface quality breakouts on momentum stocks are increasing. The breadth trends are positive for last couple of weeks.

Signals Hotel industry looks for deal pace to pick up

Signals LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hotel companies and real estate firms are optimistic that deal transactions will pick up this year despite concerns about Europe's economy and challenges in obtaining debt financing. While a business-led economic recovery has helped lift U.S. hotel occupancy rates, development is still a soft spot as tight credit conditions have limited new-hotel builds. Still, there is a growing sense that the hotel sector has momentum and performance will continue to improve. 'People are expecting 2012 to be a pretty positive year, with solid performance by the industry in terms of the demand for hotel accommodations and the ability to get deals done,' Arthur de Haast, chairman of Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, said at this week's Americas Lodging Investment Summit. The hotel investment services firm has forecast that hotel deals in the Americas this year will at least match the 2011 level in value of an estimated $15 billion. U.S. hotel deal activity picked up in the first half of 2011 but calmed in the latter part of the year as debt woes in Europe began dominating the headlines. While Europe is still a risk, attendees at the three-day hotel conference said a continued recovery marked by rising room rates would make the sector attractive for investment. 'There's a lot of money on the sidelines waiting to pounce and find opportunities,' said Christian Charre, president and chief executive of the Charre Group, a Florida-based hotel brokerage and consulting firm. FOREIGN MONEY Private equity funds that have capital will be in a good position to make acquisitions, some said. Real estate investment trusts were active buyers in the first half of 2011 but are expected to be quieter this year as their share prices suffered in the latter part of 2011. 'The mix of the investors probably will change,' said Sri Sambamurthy, co-founder of real estate firm West Point Partners in New York. He said Middle Eastern, European and Asian investors especially find the U.S. market to be extremely attractive now. 'The U.S. is still considered very safe, the dollar has performed extraordinarily well,' Sambamurthy added. Hotel companies said they were looking to make acquisitions in a bid to expand their reach. 'No question that we'll be active in the marketplace in 2012,' said Paul Whetsell, president and chief executive of Loews Hotels, which owns and/or operates 18 hotels. The unit of Loews Corp (NYSE:L - News) has committed more than $500 million to acquiring hotels or developing new properties. Whetsell said Loews is looking for 4-star or higher-rated hotels in major cities where it does not have a presence such as Boston, Washington, San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles, as well as smaller markets like Charlotte, North Carolina, and Baltimore, Maryland. Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH - News), which franchises hotels focused mainly at the mid-tier and economy market segments under brands such as Comfort Inn and Econo Lodge, said it is in the hunt to acquire a value-oriented, full-service upscale brand that would help attract more business customers.

Forex Comments from G20 finance chiefs meeting in Mexico

Forex Comments from G20 finance chiefs meeting in Mexico MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Following are comments from policymakers attending the meeting of Group of 20 finance ministers and central bankers in Mexico City on Saturday. U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY TIMOTHY GEITHNER 'I think it's important to give Europe's leaders credit for what they have accomplished ... and put in place in terms of the architecture of a credible response in the last four months.' 'They have had a big impact in reducing the downside risks to growth ... though it's important not to rest on that progress.' 'I hope that we're going to see, and I expect we will see, continued efforts by the Europeans ... to put in place a stronger, more credible firewall.' CANADIAN FINANCE MINISTER JIM FLAHERTY 'I do want to encourage Germany to take that leadership role very seriously and come up with an overall euro zone plan.' 'I think that what I'd like to see in the communique is language that indicates that the real question is, when will we see the euro zone plan. And that discussions about other countries through the IMF supporting the euro zone plan should await the answer to the first question.' 'I don't think we're ever going to be able from the outside to impose a deadline on the euro zone. That's up to them.' GERMAN FINANCE MINISTER WOLFGANG SCHAEUBLE 'It does not make any economic sense to follow the calls for proposals which would be mutualizing the interest risk in the euro zone, nor in pumping money into rescue funds, nor in starting up the ECB printing press.' 'I am worried the overriding problems ... have not been tackled sufficiently. We have to be more daring when it comes to these large and fundamental challenges.' 'You know that Greece is a special and unique case...The main difficulty is a serious lack of competitiveness.' JAPANESE FINANCE MINISTER JUN AZUMI 'I'd like to see how Europe will make concrete efforts and then discuss how we can contribute.' 'I said that I expect debate on strengthening of the IMF lending capacity will progress on condition that the problem of Europe's debt crisis is put to an end by the G20 meeting in Washington in April.' 'The present firewall involves strengthening of EFSF and increase of upper cap on ESM. But I said (at G20) that they should be further strengthened.' 'The economy is somewhat picking up in the world as a whole, including Japan, and (we) want to put an end to the Europe crisis in the early spring and to accelerate the global economic growth.' BRAZILIAN FINANCE MINISTER GUIDO MANTEGA 'Emerging countries will only help under two conditions; first that they strengthen their firewall and second for the IMF (quota) reform be implemented.' 'I see most countries sharing a similar opinion that the Europeans have to strengthen their firewall.' JAY COLLINS, SENIOR CITIGROUP EXECUTIVE 'The lack of a firewall decision coming out of Europe takes a toll, speed matters.' 'Speed and urgency is critical.' BANK OF JAPAN GOVERNOR MASAAKI SHIRAKAWA 'Heightening geographical risks and some bright movements in advanced economies after the New Year are factors behind the underlying crude oil price hikes. Of course, monetary easing has been continuing but I don't see it as a major factor for driving up crude oil prices. Generally speaking, we'll closely watch effects and side-effects of monetary easing.' MARK CARNEY, BANK OF CANADA GOVERNOR AND CHAIRMAN OF THE FINANCIAL STABILITY BOARD 'We are cursed with living in extraordinary times. There are two critical challenges that are really facing policymakers at the moment. Restoring growth and stability in Europe. There's been quite appropriately tremendous attention paid to that. But at the same time, just doing that will not be enough.' 'We need to rebuild strong, sustainable, balanced growth in the global economy.' 'One of the issues in these G20 meetings has been that the issue of the moment has often, not surprisingly, crowded out this fundamental medium-term issue.' 'For emerging markets, the weak growth prospects and large accommodative monetary policies in the G3 (major advanced economies) tends to push capital flow towards them, exacerbating concerns about sudden stops and potentially causing a reaction in terms of capital controls.' 'Some emerging markets are reluctant to abandon exchange rate strategies which have served them so well in the past, and so there's a vicious circle here.' BANK OF ITALY GOVERNOR IGNAZIO VISCO 'During the G20 meeting we will discuss the outlook for the global economy and we will probably talk about the developments on the oil markets. Tensions are growing.' 'We have to be vigilant regarding oil.' 'At the moment we don't see the need for a new LTRO by the ECB, but we will have to see the whole effects of the second one (on February 29) before taking a decision.' 'Italy has made remarkable progress on the budget side, now it has to work on growth, even Europe should insist on growth.' OECD SECRETARY-GENERAL ANGEL GURRIA 'The Greek bailout was not a deal, it was an ordeal ... the problem was it came too late.' 'I don't know if Greece's debt target of 120 percent of GDP will be enough -- that will depend on whether Greece delivers on its policies.' 'We have run out of monetary policy room ... we have run out of fiscal room in most countries, some have a little fiscal room now.' 'The ECB's LTRO (long term refinancing operation) is no substitute for a European firewall.' 'It's already six months to a year late... We need a massive European firewall now.' (Compiled by Kieran Murray)

Signals Why Brand Value Still Matters

Signals Why Brand Value Still Matters RELATED QUOTES Symbol Price Change PVH 74.26 +0.36 RL 143.11 -1.43 PVH's (NYSE: PVH - News) 2010 acquisition of Tommy Hilfiger turned out to be a good long-term prospect. PVH posted a handsome growth in profits in its third quarter, spurred mainly by Tommy's international sales. The growth speaks volumes for PVH, known to be a high-end clothier trying to sail through a struggling, cash-strapped economy. Let us take a closer look at what makes PVH tick. Good third-quarter showing PVH's net income came in at $112.2 million, a 12% rise from $99.8 million in the year-ago period. Continued healthy sales for both its Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger brands of clothes spurred this growth. Strong sales, both domestic and international, also boosted revenue by 9% from last year to $1.65 billion. This even exceeded management expectations. Tommy Hilfiger, in particular, went a notch ahead of Calvin Klein, as the former's strong international sales base led it to post an earnings increase of 27% over Calvin Klein's 13%. Naturally, PVH felt confident enough to raise its full-year outlook. What spurred the growth Tommy Hilfiger's strong international sales were a major boost to PVH's third-quarter figures, as the brand registered a 17% growth in revenue over last year, spurred by key markets such as the United Kingdom, Italy, and France. Of course, one of the main reasons behind Tommy Hilfiger's acquisition was because the former is known to generate a large chunk of its revenue from international markets. But then, its other flagship brand Calvin Klein was not far behind either as its revenues went up by a healthy 11%. However, PVH needs to check back on its competitors' progress as well. For instance, rival Ralph Lauren (NYSE: RL - News) also cashed in on robust sales figures to post a 14% increase in second-quarter profits. PVH needs to be particularly wary of Ralph Lauren, which is a highly aspirational brand, and whose overseas revenue is around 38% of the consolidated total. Ralph Lauren also caters to a similarly wealthy segment and is in the process of launching new brands such as Lauren footwear. The Foolish conclusion PVH is certainly not getting complacent as it aims to spend around $5 million more than what it did last year on international marketing, with the stress being on holiday campaigning through television and cinema. This is one company that has brand recall, caters to the high-end segment that is not really 'discount-dependant,' and has structured future plans. It may be a good idea to stock up on PVH. Fool contributor Subhadeep Ghose does not own shares of any of the companies mentioned in this article. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Earn Japan sees upward pressure on yen waning

Earn Japan sees upward pressure on yen waning Foreign exchange dealers are seen beneath an electronic board displaying the Japanese Yen's exchange rate against the U.S. dollar at a foreign exchange trading company in Tokyo February 22, 2012. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonEnlarge Photo Foreign exchange dealers are seen beneath an electronic board displaying the Japanese Yen's exchange rate against the U.S. dollar at a foreign exchange trading company in Tokyo February 22, 2012. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon By Tetsushi Kajimoto MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A senior Japanese Finance Ministry official said the upward pressure on the yen was easing and he saw nothing strange in the currency's movements as it pulls away from record highs below 80 yen versus the dollar. The official, speaking after the first day of the weekend gathering of Group of 20 finance ministers and central bankers, said the yen was not discussed at the meeting which was dominated by talks on the euro-zone sovereign debt crisis. But the G20 did discuss volatility in currencies as well as crude oil prices, the official said, adding that these issues may be mentioned in the communique expected at the end of the meeting on Sunday. Brent crude futures settled near a 10-month high above $125 a barrel on Friday on heightened concerns over tensions with Iran about its nuclear program. Japanese authorities will continue to respond to excess volatility in currencies, he added, signaling readiness to intervene if speculators push up the yen too high again to deal a blow to the export-reliant economy. 'We hear opinions overall, including at deputies' meeting, that volatility exists in the foreign exchange market, so I expect (G20) may mention that volatility warants close monitoring,' the official said. 'We have said that (the yen's) moves have been excessive including before and after (last year's) earthquake, which was not reflecting economic fundamentals. But I see nothing strange in the current movement,' he added. The yen, meanwhile, tumbled across the board, a downtrend that started with the Bank of Japan's recent monetary easing. Japan's trade deficit, widening interest rate differentials with the United States favoring the dollar and rising crude oil prices also have hurt the yen's prospects. The dollar hit a fresh 7-1/2-month high of 81.062 yen on trading platform EBS and was last 80.990, away from 75.31 yen hit last October when Japan intervened heavily to protect exporters and drew criticism from the United States. The Bank of Japan, along with the European Central Bank and the U.S. Federal Reserve, is taking unconventional steps to boost the economy. The BOJ boosted asset purchases by 10 trillion yen on February 14 and pledged to keep ultra-easy policy until a 1 percent inflation goal is in sight. Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa said on Saturday that policymakers were also closely watching the effects of monetary easing on crude prices. But he said he did not see monetary easing as a big factor and the recent spike was more due to geopolitical tensions and some bright spots in advanced economies after the New Year. 'Generally speaking, we'll closely watch effects and side-effects of monetary easing,' he said. (Additional writing by Krista Hughes; Editing by Ed Lane)

Signals BBDA Gearing For Third Leg Higher?

Signals

I have successfully called each of BBDA's rallies this year.  First the rally from $.0004 to over $.004, which I alerted my subscribers to before the stock moved, when the stock was virtually dormant and trading only $5,000 to $10,000 a day at most compared to the $500,000+ its has been seeing on this latest rally.  The second from $.0029 to $.0199.  Both ended up being very profitable.  Had you bought at $.0004 (there were millions upon millions of shares for sale when I alerted it at $.0004) and sold at the recent high of $.0199 you are looking at a possible $400 into $19,900 return.

Right now I think BBDA is gearing up for its next leg higher, a move that will take the stock over 100% higher from current levels.  The short term chart is showing a cup and handle formation which is bullish. Also note that any bouts of selling only sends the stock down temporarily.  The uptrend is not done yet.

BBDA's most recent news:


BeBevCo: E-Z Shops are Latest Chain to Jump onto the Relaxation Revolution with KOMA UNWIND
STATESVILLE, N.C., Sept. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Bebida Beverage Company (OTC markets: BBDA) (BeBevCo), a developer, manufacturer and marketer of liquid relaxation products, announced today that E-Z Shop Convenience Stores will join the relaxation revolution by carrying Koma Unwind products in their 28 stores throughout eastern South Carolina. This is in aftermath of the roll-out of Koma Unwind at a major retailer in South Carolina that began in August.

'It is amazing how many new store chains and distributors are coming out of the woodwork following our announcement on 28 June, 2012. We have gained a huge amount of credibility in the beverage market in the last few weeks. Now, our European expansion is well underway and we expect that the sky is the limit. After all, in today's busy world, people everywhere need to relax and unwind as well as get a better night's sleep. It won't be long now before liquid relaxation products are everywhere; and, we are a market leader,' said Brian Weber, CEO of Bebida Beverage Company.

About BeBevCo

BeBevCo (Bebida Beverage Company) develops, manufactures and markets liquid relaxation products including KOMA Unwind 'Liquid Relaxation' (TM), KOMA Unwind Sugar-free 'Liquid Relaxation' (TM) and KOMA Unwind 'Liquid Relaxation' Shot(TM) as well as Potencia Energy, Potencia 'BLAST' energy shot, Relax 5 shots and Piranha Water.

Safe Harbor Statement

Except for historic information contained in this release, the statements in this news release are forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause a company's actual results in the future to differ materially from forecasted results. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the company's ability to attract qualified management, raise sufficient capital to execute its business plan, and effectively compete against similar companies.