I rarely discuss bonds here which could be seen as surprising since it is a huge market, one that every investor ends up buying in. The explosion of ETF’s has also made it much easier and affordable to invest in as well. it has even made it possible to create fully diversified retirement ETF portfolios.

Source: Advanced Currency Markets | G10 Advancers and Decliners vs USD CHF 0.19 EUR 0.18 GBP 0.03 JPY -0.10 AUDUSD has powered higher overnight as the RBA shocked the market by keeping interest rates on hold at 4.25%. The consensus view was that the Australian central bank would opt to cut rates by 25bps for the third time in a row; but instead, policymakers deemed the current interest rate appropriate for now. It is likely that RBA members wish to allow the effect of the last two cuts to feed through…
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The year started off amazingly well as 3 of the 4 first trades that I opened closed out early, all making significant profits but since then, things have calmed down quite a bit. I did update the stock picks results page and hopefully I can keep seeing more early exits but these results are more “typical”. As much as I’d like for stocks that I consider undervalued to rise days after my picks, it is likely to take more time.

Source: ForexYard EUR Bullish After EU Bailout-Fund Agreement
The euro staged a small but significant upward correction during European trading yesterday, following an agreement among euro-zone leaders to set up a permanent bailout fund. The news briefly lifted the EUR/USD above the 1.3200 level, but the pair was not able to sustain its bullish momentum and began falling shortly after. Today, traders can expect heavy volatility in the marketplace ahead of the US ADP Non-Farm Employment Change at 13:15 GMT. A better than expected figure could help the USD in afternoon trading.

As we await the first Fed meeting in a while that no major policy easing or language change should occur, we bring one of FMMF's favorite grumpy eccentric uncles - Howard Davidowitz.  At this point, some of what he is saying is purely for entertainment purposes although there is some underlying reality in much of it.  For those who don't know, Davidowitz plys his trade as a retail analyst so maybe you will take more from the first video than the second, although both provide ear candy. ;)  Warning - he is a tad partisan. :)

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The last post “Biodiesel Rollercoaster” about biodiesel production reminded me that the terms biodiesel and renewable diesel can be a bit confusing.  The key is the production process.  There is nothing stopping us from using the term biodiesel or renewable diesel for a wide range of fuels made from organic materials.  However, the industry itself has set a narrower definition of what qualifies as biodiesel or renewable diesel.  The effort has helped get producers in line with standards for fuel and fuel additives set by the A

The men and women who make it possible for the rest of us to live a life of privilege never get enough credit for their sacrifices.  For the efforts of our military we live in a country where we can speak our mind on any political topic without fear of arrest; move about the country freely without interference and; yes, even drive in large, fuel inefficient automobiles to the mall for mindless shopping.   

Shai Dardashti just sent me a survey asking:

What are the “Top 5″ blogs (or online resources) you particularly enjoy reading?

The Energy Report: Is it fair to say that you are a value investor?
Bill Powers: Absolutely. I’m very much a value investor focused on fundamentals and finding companies that can grow reserves, production and cash flow without taking on too much debt and/or diluting shares. Those are the companies that can have very strong long-term outperformance. That is my theme, and I think it is really powerful right now. The companies I’ve identified do not currently reflect future prices that their stocks will be receiving.