Microsoft CEO STEVE BALLMER Sells Microsoft Shares Worth $1.3Billion

Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft has sold 49.3 million shares in the company worth about $1.3 billion according to the article below.  However he still holds 4% of the company’s stocks, which means that he is holding another $10 billion. That stock has been doing pretty well lately with the new Windows Phone. Still, those are pretty nice perks!
    . . . June


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Ballmer Sells 49.3 Million Microsoft Shares:
Hima on November 6, 2010

Steve Ballmer has earned $1.3 billion in just three days.

Surprised? Well that’s what you earn when you sell 49.3 million shares of Microsoft stock on the stock market! Thats right, Ballmer has sold a sizable amount of the stock he owns and made a good amount for himself. But he’s not finished yet. He still has 4% of the company’s stocks with him, which means that he is holding another $10 billion!

This sudden decision to sell a huge amount of stock came due to personal financial matters, and it is still not very clear why Ballmer chose this occasion to sell the stock. These are exciting times for Microsoft, with the release of the Windows Phone, and also the Kinect technology for their XBox gaming console.

While it is indeed true that these two products are getting Microsoft new exposure in the market, they are not gaining enough confidence among the stock exchange traders, which is why their stock continues to hold a dull mood and isn’t risingt a good level. Perhaps this is the reason why Ballmer has chosen to get rid of some of the dull stock and get himself a nice big wad of money for enjoying the upcoming holiday season!

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Are We In For A Rollercoaster Stock Market Ride?

 This is an unusually sideways market that we're experiencing. We are finding that there are people betting on boith directions. The writer of the following article is predicting a major move. According to him, "the longer we remain in this sideways coiling process, the more powerful the breakout will eventually be, either up or down . . . and make no mistake, the storm is coming."
   . . . June


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The Calm Before the Stock Market Storm
DIA, SPY) | Benzinga.com:
Sector Selector: Week of October 4, 2010

It was a relatively calm week as global stock markets for the most part flat lined in the face of conflicting economic news and statements from the Federal Reserve.

The bulls and bears have largely been at a standoff since mid September, and while nobody can predict the future, I can tell you with some certainty that this stalemate will not continue.

In fact, the longer we remain in this sideways coiling process, the more powerful the breakout will eventually be, either up or down.

This coming week promises to add significant clarity to the future direction of the market and signal the end to the “calm before the stock market storm.”

Make no mistake, the storm is coming.

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Big Week For IPOs - A Good Sign For Investors

 According to the article below, companies hungry for cash are turning into big winners from the stock market's rally this month and if all the IPOs expected this week get done, a total of nine will go public, the biggest week since November 2007.While the IPO market can quickly turn cold, the fact more companies are successfully going public is encouraging because it shows that investors are still willing to look forward. We hope the good signs keep on coming.
    . . . June


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In good sign for stocks, IPOs are in for a hot week
USATODAY.com:

Companies hungry for cash are turning into big winners from the stock market's rally this month.

Investors snapped up shares of two newly public companies Tuesday, Amyris Biotechnologies and Chinese food chain Country Style Cooking, kicking off the busiest week for initial public offerings since the red-hot days of 2007. If all the IPOs expected this week get done, a total of nine will go public, Renaissance Capital says, the biggest week since November 2007.

The comeback in IPOs is a corporate vote of confidence in the broad market's rally. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 46 points Tuesday to 10,858, pushing it up 12% from 2010's low in July. IPOs rely on a strong stock market, as they tend to be riskier and sensitive to investors' moods. 'This is the busiest week in a long time,' says Francis Gaskins of IPOdesktop.com. 'The window is wide open.'

While the IPO market is fickle and can quickly turn cold, the fact more companies are successfully going public is encouraging because it shows:

•Investors willing to look forward. Both of Tuesday's deals were warmly accepted. Amyris rose 50 cents, or 3%, to $16.50. The company is not profitable and still in its early stages of development. The stock's rise from the IPO price might not seem impressive, but a year ago it probably would have had trouble going public at all, Gaskins says.

Country Style Cooking soared $7.80, or 47%, to $24.30, because investors are excited about the company's growth prospects. "Investors are willing to look ahead," Gaskins says. "Speculative juices are starting to appear."

•Foreign companies still interested in U.S. markets. Two more of the week's other IPOs are Chinese companies, turbine maker China Ming Yang Wind Power and Internet company ChinaCache. Another IPO this week, utility meter maker Elster, is based in Germany. "New York has not been forgotten," says Jay Ritter, professor of finance at the University of Florida, adding that the stock markets in China and Hong Kong have been the busiest for IPOs this year.

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Will Devaluation Of The Dollar Impact Emerging Markets Growth?

Foreign Currency Trading

The US dollar is continuing  to gap down. According to the following article, sovereign nations are extremely concerned about the devaluation and are scrambling to stabilize their own economies. They believe this devaluation of the dollar will have an impact on emerging markets' ability to grow and we could continue to see the fallout of a deteriorating U.S. currency. That is quite possible.
    . . . June

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A Look at the Stock Market Cycles
Benzinga.com Posted on 09/27/10 at 2:23pm:

The U.S. Federal Reserve declared war on deflation Tuesday, stating that they will provide additional accommodations should any deflationary signs occur. I wrote several weeks ago that Washington will provide the relief necessary to rescue markets before the November election.

President Obama is in the process of changing his entire economic team before the election, while voters are expressing concern and outrage over high unemployment and the real estate foreclosure crisis.

Their concerns are valid as our unemployment rate is much higher than reported. Although published economic reports should be studied, the most important criteria is price action because that shows the true supply and demand of the global market. There are additional ramifications of Thursday's statement from the Federal Reserve. China and Japan have a seriously appreciating currency versus the dollar.

The dollar is gapping down to new lows. Usually a weak dollar has been bullish for stock markets as investors were less risk averse. However, I don't believe this will be the case this time. Sovereign nations are extremely concerned about the devaluation and are scrambling to stabilize their own economies. I believe this devaluation of the dollar will have an impact on emerging markets' ability to grow and we could continue to see the fallout of a deteriorating U.S. currency.

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Strong Markets Rally to 4th Week of Gains!

According to the article below, stocks notched their fourth week of gains on Friday as investors used a rise in business spending to revive the September rally after three days of losses. Economic data gave a mixed picture, but traders latched on to a rise in August business spending as the latest sign the recovery is on firmer ground.
    . . . June


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Strong rally sends markets to 4th week of gains
Yahoo! News:

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Stocks notched their fourth week of gains on Friday as investors used a rise in business spending to revive the September rally after three days of losses.

Economic data gave a mixed picture, but traders latched on to a rise in August business spending as the latest sign the recovery is on firmer ground. That seemed to trump a lackluster report on new home sales in August.

'Last month investors were positioned for what we thought would be a double-dip recession and massive inflation, but since it ended up being not nearly so bad, we've swung the other way,' said Lawrence Glazer, managing partner at Mayflower Advisors in Boston.

Buying was broad across sectors, with about five stocks rising for each one that fell on the NYSE and four stocks rising for each one that fell on the Nasdaq.

For September, which is historically a weak month, the S&P 500 is up 9.5 percent. Investors said the need for money managers to boost quarter-end performance bolstered buying.

Continuing a recent trend, volume was very light, with only 7.55 billion shares traded on the NYSE, Amex and Nasdaq, far under the previous year's daily average of 9.65 billion shares.

"The volume suggests there's not broad retail participation, and to have conviction in the rally, you'd like to see that," Glazer said.

The government reported non-defense capital goods orders, which are closely watched as a proxy for business spending, surged more than 4 percent in August, a rate twice what had been expected.

The Dow Jones industrial average (.DJI) was up 197.84 points, or 1.86 percent, at 10,860.26. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index (.SPX) finished up 23.82 points, or 2.12 percent, at 1,148.65. The Nasdaq Composite Index (.IXIC) was up 54.14 points, or 2.33 percent, at 2,381.22.

For the week, the Dow was up 2.4 percent, the S&P rose 2.1 percent and the Nasdaq added 2.8 percent.

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