A Defensive Portfolio Is the Best Offense: Paolo Lostritto
Source: Brian Sylvester of The Gold Report  (4/30/12)
Paolo Lostritto, mining equity research analyst with National Bank Financial, attributes development companies' current struggles to both the recent trend for capital and operating cost increases and to the European sovereign debt crisis. But there are opportunities as long as investors look for companies with free-cash-flow growth and solid balance sheets. In this exclusive Gold Report interview, Lostritto shares some names of companies that have these attributes. More >

Dollar's Slide Fuels QE Speculation
Source: Ben Traynor, BullionVault  (4/30/12)
"The dollar's slide was compounded on Friday after preliminary gross domestic product data showed the U.S. economy had slowed by more than expected in Q112, leading to speculation that the Fed might embark on a third round of quantitative easing." More >

A Return to Real Money
Source: Rick Mills, Ahead of the Herd  (4/30/12)
"There is no doubt that the Fed is, first and foremost, looking out for the special interests of its shareholders, the banks, insurance companies and securities firms." More >

Europe's Gold Miners Getting Their Hands Dirty Again
Source: Geoff Candy, Mineweb  (4/30/12)
"With the entire Eurozone feeling the pinch of austerity measures and jobs in scarce supply, put-upon politicians are looking increasingly favorably on industries that can provide employment, including mining." More >

Rare Earths Riches Could Give Canada Competitive, Political Advantages
Source: Dorothy Kosich, Mineweb  (4/30/12)
"Canada's REE richness could transform it from being the U.S.'s unassuming neighbor into a powerhouse in terms of political leverage and influence, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce suggests." More >

It Takes More Than Being a China Hawk to Produce Rare Earth Metals
Source: Foreign Policy, Steve LeVine  (4/30/12)
"Continued delays to developing REE projects show that there will be more to establishing a balanced rare earths supply than mere anti-Chinese rhetoric." More >

An Impasse in the Iran Crisis
Source: Kent Moors, Oil & Energy Investor  (4/30/12)
"Official Tehran continues to convey an impression that the sanctions are having no effect on either Iran's ability to sell its crude or entice foreign companies to enter into projects. However, the arguments are ringing hollow." More >

India's New Uranium Operation Could Host One of World's Largest Reserves
Source: Shivom Seth, Mineweb  (4/30/12)
"For a country that has been importing uranium to fuel its nuclear power plants from across the world, the commissioning of the mine has been hailed as a significant step to help fill the void." More >

Iran's Customers Start to Drift Away as Oil Sanctions Loom
Source: Margaret McQuaile, Platts  (4/30/12)
"E.U. and U.S. sanctions targeting Iran's oil export revenues have yet to come fully into force but have already led countries and companies to take steps to reduce their purchases of crude from the Islamic Republic." More >

Catastrophically Successful Life Extension
Source: Patrick Cox, The Daily Reckoning  (4/30/12)
"Our lives will be profoundly affected by emerging biotechnologies that will push maximum healthy life spans up much faster and further than ever before." More >

ER Doctors Face Quandary on Painkillers
Source: New York Times, Catherine Saint Louis  (4/30/12)
"The frequent prescription of narcotics in emergency departments for dental pain has been quantified for the first time by research financed by the National Institutes of Health, bringing to light another way opioids get into circulation and contribute to the rampant abuse of painkillers in the United States." More >

Do Central Banks Still Love Gold?
Source: Eric McWhinnie, Wall St. Cheat Sheet  (4/28/12)
"Central banks around the world continue to prepare for currency devaluations by purchasing gold." More >

The Top LNG Export Projects in Canada
Source: Keith Schaefer, Oil & Gas Investments Bulletin  (4/28/12)
"Shipping LNG to Asia is not just a great opportunity for Canadian producers, it's a necessity. U.S. gas production is expected to stay strong—and prices low—for years." More >

Invest in Africa Now: Nana Sangmuah
Source: Brian Sylvester of The Gold Report  (4/27/12)
Last year, Africa was the region that witnessed the strongest growth in gold-mining operations. In an exclusive interview with The Gold Report, Nana Sangmuah, managing director of research with Toronto-based Clarus Securities, expects that trend to continue and suggests some immediate smart investments in Ghana, Mali, Liberia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. More >

Palladium, Nickel Seen Gaining from China Consumption Shift
Source: Bloomberg, Glenys Sim  (4/27/12)
"Aluminum, nickel, palladium and gold may benefit from China's shift toward consumption-driven growth from an economy fueled by investment, while agricultural products are set to lag behind, according to Barclays Capital." More >

US House Bill Aims to Reduce Permitting Process
Source: Dorothy Kosich, Mineweb  (4/27/12)
"'In a world in which the competition for mineral resources is increasingly fierce, America can no longer afford to benignly neglect a permitting process that stalls investment-threatening raw materials shortages and downstream economic activity,' National Mining Association CEO Hal Quinn told a House subcommittee." More >

Chinese Yuan to Become Key Commodities Currency
Source: Reuters, Christopher Johnson and Emma Farge  (4/27/12)
"Chinese customers and end-consumers such as refiners and fabricators now typically pay for imports with dollars, but bankers at a Financial Times commodities conference in Switzerland think that will change, possibly quite rapidly." More >

Yukon, Nunavut Witness High Growth in 2011
Source: Canadian Press  (4/27/12)
"The Yukon saw 5.6% growth amid record levels for gold and silver exploration. In Nunavut, where output of gold and silver ore mining increased for a second consecutive year, GDP rose 7.7%." More >

Gold Traders Get More Bullish as Central Banks Hoard More
Source: Bloomberg, Nicholas Larkin  (4/27/12)
"Gold traders are more bullish after central banks expanded their bullion reserves and hedge funds increased bets on a rally for the first time in three weeks." More >

Gold's Delicate Balancing Act
Source: Scott Wright, Zeal Intelligence Newsletter  (4/27/12)
"One big factor that has radically altered gold's supply cadence is an actual loss of one of its major sources. Just in the last couple years gold supply from central-bank sales has completely dried up. In fact, the CBs have since become substantial net buyers of the metal." More >

Three Words Sum Up Recent Markets
Source: Frank Holmes, U.S. Global Investors  (4/27/12)
"Market behavior over the past few months can be summed up in three words: China, Gold and Apathy." More >

Fed Crystal Ball: Clear or Cloudy?
Source: Kevin Cook, Zacks Investment Research  (4/27/12)
"To many, the Federal Reserve and its monetary policies seem mysterious and ill-defined. How do they decide on a policy that sees the necessity for near-zero interest rates for the next two years?" More >

Investing in Biotech Stocks: The Buyout Binge Continues
Source: Money Morning  (4/27/12)
"The biotechnology buyout deals just keep coming, meaning those investing in biotech stocks have scored some juicy profits, with more on the way." More >

Down-Under Energy Opportunities: Ivor Ries
Source: Zig Lambo of The Energy Report  (4/26/12)
Most investors may not have Australian resource companies on their radar screens, but that doesn't mean that there aren't some great opportunities worth pursuing Down Under. In this exclusive interview with The Energy Report, Ivor Ries, utilities and energy analyst at E.L. & C. Baillieu Stockbroking Ltd., one of Australia's oldest securities firms, describes the challenges faced by energy-related companies in his country and how they are taking advantage of the opportunities available both at home and in the U.S., Canada and South America. More >

Tap into Low-Risk Biotech and Specialty Pharma for Growth: Steven Palmer
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report  (4/26/12)
The somewhat obscure specialty biotechs and pharmas seek to add value by giving new life to older technologies and molecules. President and Chief Investment Officer Steven Palmer of AlphaNorth Asset Management embraces this strategy to generate exceptional returns while mitigating some of the risks inherent in drug development. In this exclusive interview with The Life Sciences Report, Palmer shares favorite life sciences names that could offer huge returns. More >