Is it "Bull Market 2009?"

The answer to that question depends on whether you believe the three-week surge we've just been through is the start of a prolonged advance for U.S. stocks, or was just the kind of "dead-cat bounce" fake-out move that temporarily interrupts a protracted bear-market decline.

It's not an easy call to make, although all the stimulus, bailout and fix-up-plan money flowing into the U.S. financial system certainly makes a strong case for at least a near-term bull-market advance.

Long term? Don't bet the farm on it, not going to happen!


Larry Potter

www.ATicketToWealth.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObVVfulxlBk

Wall Street to Baby Boomers: "Drop Dead!"

So, turns out the brokers and bankers have been robbing us blind behind our backs for years.

But now it's time to extract sweet revenge on the fat-cat scoundrels with your own profitable (and ethical) "Off-Wall Street" retirement recovery plan.

But first, the crooks need to stand trial for their sins...

Assault Upon the American Dream.
Verdict: Guilty on all counts.
Our Revenge: Our best revenge is going to be living well!

That's right... The best revenge we could get out of this mess will be to end up living the good life... sort of the way these robbers did for so many years.

Larry Potter
www.ATicketToWealth.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObVVfulxlBk

Utilities Are No Longer a Refuge for Safe Investors

By Andrew Gordon

About a month ago, I told subscribers to my INCOME service to sell the Virginia-based utility company Dominion Resources. I got them out with a double-digit profit.

Of all the utilities in the S&P 500, Dominion had the best earnings growth (38.5 percent) last quarter. So why did I tell my readers to get rid of the stock? When I recommended it in mid-2005, electricity consumption was still increasing and regulated rates were providing cover for rising energy costs. But now, that sector is heading in the wrong direction.

Hey, utilities have advantages - like fixed prices, monopoly-like markets, and a consistent revenue stream. But that revenue stream has sprung a few leaks. Listen to CEO Lewis Hay of Florida Power & Light (FPL)...

"A lot of people think demand for electricity is inelastic. It's not. Our customers are cutting back, and they're not paying their bills, either."

The recession has finally caught up to the utilities. As a result, utilities are husbanding their cash along with all the other companies. Georgia Power is cutting back on spending. And in the strongest sign yet that the utility sector is no refuge for investors, two utilities cut their dividends last month: Ameren and Constellation Energy.

Investors made a lot of money shorting banks. I'm not ready to put utilities in the same camp as banking, but the weaker companies in the utility sector definitely present shorting opportunities.

[Ed. Note: Investment expert Andrew Gordon is just one of 14 masters of making money who will be giving you the inside scoop on some very hush-hush secrets for turning a nifty buck in the scary economic times we're all going through right now. Find out how to get your hands on these experts' SAFEST and most PROFITABLE income-generating and entrepreneurial opportunities right here.]

Larry Potter

www.ATicketToWealth.com

Iraq and Afghanistan

By Andrew Gordon

Two things will define 2009 for the U.S. One is the huge $787 billion economic stimulus package featuring "smart grids," roads, and bridges. The other is the winding down of the war in Iraq.
Obama will begin withdrawing troops as soon as he can. That may not be until 2010, but much of the planning will be laid out this year.

But downsizing troops doesn't mean downsizing our involvement. The goal is to save lives. And the quid pro quo will be spending more money.

So talk about reducing contractor levels in Iraq is just that - talk. The next stage will be a big increase in outsourcing reconstruction and security functions to the private sector.
Iraq will be getting loads of new stuff, including tow trucks, communications vehicles, hauling vehicles, aerial platforms for construction, fire and garbage trucks, and heavy-load hauling vehicles.

And Uncle Sam, of course, will be paying the bill.

The companies that can take advantage of both of Obama's huge infrastructure programs - the one that will play out in the U.S. and the one that will play out in Iraq and Afghanistan - will be big winners in 2009 and 2010.

Larry Potter
www.ATicketToWealth.com

It's A Whole New Ball Game

This investing environment is eluding some of the most tuned-in stock market participants.

It's almost become a full-time job trying to predict the buying opportunity of a lifetime in the stock market.

It's not a game of here's what company looks good; it's a game of here's what company is going to look good, we hope.

Larry Potter
www.ATicketToWealth.com


Twitter on Steroids Tip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV_WtBA83fI

Bad Investment?

YUM

Now this quality fast-food server appears to have triple bottomed with prior reversals at around $22.

YUM could be purchased as either a long-term position or a trade with a near-term objective of $30.


Larry Potter
www.ATicketToWealth.com

SSG

Now with further weakness in the technology sector and better upside volume in this UltraShort

ETF, it may be able to punch through the 200-day moving average and into the target for this

trade which is the gap at $87 to $119.


Larry Potter
www.ATicketToWealth.com

Key terms to understand when investing in dividend-paying stocks:

Declaration Date - The date on which the board of directors of a company announces the amount of the next stock dividend and its ex-dividend date, record date, and payment date.

Ex-Dividend Date - The date on which the stock trades without a dividend. So if you buy the stock on or after the ex-dividend date, you will not receive the next dividend. If you sell the stock before the ex-dividend date, the buyer - not you - will receive the dividend. If you sell after the ex-dividend date, you - not the buyer - will receive the dividend.

Record Date - The date on which the company determines the list of shareholders who qualify for the stock dividend. To be a shareholder of record, you must own the stock at least one day before the ex-dividend date.

Payment Date - The date on which the stock dividend is paid to shareholders of record in the form of a dividend check or a credit to their account.

Adding dividend-paying stocks to your portfolio could be just the ticket for the steady growth of your bottom line.

Larry Potter
www.ATicketToWealth.com