Paul Ausick

Recent Articles

Auto Sales Jump Again in April (F, TM, HMC)

By Paul Ausick

Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F) reported today that sales for April 2010 rose nearly 25% from April 2009, to 167,542 vehicles. Ford's results were better than analysts' expectations.The industry is still seeing sales gains as a result of buyer incentives. According to Edmunds.com, Ford's combined incentives totaled $3,374 in April, Toyota Motors (NYSE:TM) spent $2,498 per vehicle on incentives, and Honda Motor Co. (NYSE:HMC) spent $1,787 per vehicle.

Miners Vale, NorskHydro Discuss Merger Amid Glenocore Xstrata Deal (NHY, VALE)

By Paul Ausick

Privately-held commodity trading company Glenocore International AG and Xstrata plc, a publicly-traded mining company on the London and Swiss exchanges, are discussing a merger that would create a mining and trading group valued at about $85.4 million. In another big mining transaction, NorskHydro ASA (NYSE:NHY) has agreed to buy several aluminum and bauxite assets from Vale SA (NYSE:VALE) for $4.9 billion.

Gold Rises as Risks in Europe Grow (GLD, GDX)

By Paul Ausick

Crude oil is trading above $85/b today, the dollar is strengthening against the euro, and gold futures are above $1,180/oz. That all three things are happening at the same time is a bit unusual, but then these are unusual times. Both the SPDR Gold Shares ETF (NYSE:GLD) and the Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (NYSE:GDX) are at new highs for 2010 and at their highest point since gold topped $1,200/oz back in December 2009. The climb back to the peak has been more or less steady, and if news from Europe doesn't get better over the weekend, $1,200/oz is not out of the question for next week.

Carbon Trading Exchanges Acquired by ICE (ICE, F, UTX, DD, POT, AEP, FMC)

By Paul Ausick

In the U.S., the Chicago Climate Exchange and the Chicago Climate Futures Exchange trade voluntary carbon permits that are legally binding. Members of the CCX, as the Chicago exchange is known, include Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F), United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX), DuPont (NYSE:DD), Potash Corp. (NYSE:POT), American Electric Power Co. (NYSE:AEP), and FMC Corp. (NYSE:FMC).

Potash Earnings Could Lift Ag Stocks (POT, MON, MOS, SYT, AGU)

By Paul Ausick

Agricultural stock and fertilizer maker Potash Corp. (POT) reported a 46% hike in earnings today, from EPS of $1.01 in the first quarter of 2009 to $1.47 in the first quarter of 2010. The POT earnings spike was mainly due to sales of potash, which generated 72% of the company's total first-quarter gross margin. Agri-business companies Monsanto Corp. (MON), Mosaic Corp. (MOS), and Sygenta AG (SYT) have already reported first quarter results that were mixed at best. Another large manufacturer, Agrium Inc. (AGU) does not report earnings until next week.

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