Signals Stuck in the mud

Signals

Stuck in the mud is the current stage of market.

Every time it tries to rally it gets pulled back in range. Every time it attempts breakdown , it gets pulled back in range.

The breadth on either up or down attempt is also low. So no major breadth thrusts on either side.

The large cap stocks are holding up well compared to the small cap stocks.

The Fed day did not produce any spark. The ECB also opted for no change in policy.

The market needs a catalyst for big move in either direction. Till then stuck in mud.

Oil BBDA - One of My Best Alerts Ever Forming Cup and Handle?

Oil

BBDA was an alert to my subscribers at $.0003/.0004 a share.  The stock recently hit almost $.02 a share.  Today the stock is still holding to gains and is looking very strong.

http://thepennystockgurus.com/articles/bbda-stock-soars-from-0003-0004-to-0144/

BBDA continues to maintain strong bid support, and could have formed a cup and handle.  This means this stock is poised to break to new highs?  We will soon find out.

Earn SRGE Continues It Strong Move Out Of Triple Zero's

Earn

Southridge Announces Record Mineral Production and Revenues for Fourth Quarter of 2012
DALLAS, TX, Sep 05, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Southridge Enterprises Inc. (PINKSHEETS: SRGE) ('Southridge' or the 'Company') is pleased to announce that it has recorded milestone mineral production and revenues for the fourth quarter and year ending August 31, 2012, from its 60 ton per day (tpd) mill site at Cinco Minas in Jalisco, Mexico. In fiscal 2012, the Company processed over 9,000 tons of ore and recorded revenues of $3.14 Million.

Cinco Minas is the Company's flagship mineral property with a 60 tpd mill and 2 year supply of ore production currently on surface. In 2012, the Company confirmed the surface stockpile grades cited in the 2007 Behre Dolbear Report and released the planned expansion to increase the mill capacity to 500 tpd. Additionally, the Cinco Minas property has a world-class confirmed gold and silver resource of 235,000 oz. gold, and 23.3 million oz. silver with 80% of the known vein system at Cinco Minas has yet to be tested. Today's market value of the confirmed resource at Cinco Minas is well over $1 Billion USD, prior to the completion of further planned exploration to expand the resource.

'We are excited to announce our initial mineral production and revenues. It has been a challenging couple of years for both management and shareholders, since we first began our new Mexican gold and silver exploration and production initiative. Today's announcement of our record revenues clearly shows our undeniable success in making the Company's goals a reality,' expressed Southridge President & CEO, Michael Davies.

In other recent Company developments, the anticipated and long-awaited public update at the Mexican Mining Registry of the Cinco Minas mineral concession ownership being duly reflected in Southridge's name is now complete. Also, the Company had now engaged the necessary professional services to migrate and up-list the Company's reporting status back to the Over-The-Counter Bulletin Board. It is anticipated that this process will be complete before the end of 2012.

Additionally, Mathers Research has initiated research coverage of Southridge, with a 'Speculative BUY' Opinion and a near term price target of $0.20 cents per share. The Mathers Research report is available as a free download on the Mathers Research Website @http://mathersresearch.com/srge-report

For further information on the Company's Gold and Silver projects, visit our website, http://www.southridgeminerals.com

Southridge Investors can access the following Southridge Minerals social media channels:

YouTube Cinco Minas Mexico Project: (http://youtu.be/R6P8oght4Ik)

(http://youtu.be/o2LfLaSu8ww)

(http://www.facebook.com/pages/Southridge-Minerals-Inc/163457600376466 ) (http://twitter.com/SouthridgeSRGE)

About Southridge Minerals, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: SRGE) Southridge Minerals, Inc. is a U.S.-based mineral exploration company dedicated to acquiring and developing mineral resources in geologically permissible and politically stable areas of the world. The Company seeks out early stage opportunities with good mineralization indicators that exhibit significant blue-sky potential. Southridge pursues and advances these projects that are or will be of interest to mid-size and major producers. By forming alliances on individual projects, the Company expects to develop its interests in mines operated by its partners, allowing it to continue to build value through continued exploration. Southridge is currently focused on projects in Mexico.

What sets Southridge apart is its vast experience in Mexico and the knowledge of the geological conditions and formations pertaining to known large gold deposits that have received very little attention to date. This comparative advantage, combined with a specific geographical and mineral focus, will allow for more efficient asset and income growth in the future for the benefit of shareholders' investments.

Forward-Looking Statements Although the Company believes that the forward-looking statement of beliefs, plans, expectations, and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance those beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consider all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosed in the Company's published current and periodic reports.

Signals Swing trading opportunities

Signals

Several stocks are breaking out and there are some nice setups showing up in our scans. Many stocks are going sideways during market consolidation and are now breaking out. 

Oil SAGD - Chart Looks Promising

Oil

Even with SAGD's 80%+ gain today, I think the stock has more room to rally.  With continued buying pressire the stock should break $.01 tomorrow and head into the weekend with some strong momentum.


South American Gold Expands Baltimore Silver Project
RICHMOND, IN, Aug 23, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- South American Gold (OTCQB: SAGD) is pleased to announce it has acquired two unpatented mining claims which expands its Baltimore Silver Mine project by forty acres.

The Baltimore Silver Mine is a former producing silver mine in a historic mining district located on private land in Jefferson County, Montana, at an elevation of approximately five thousand eight hundred feet above sea level. The company has signed a memorandum of Understanding to lease the mine with an option to purchase. The new unpatented mining claims acquired expand the project to a total of approximately one hundred acres, and an existing tunnel is on the property which will need rehabilitation.

--  The additional mining claims have been untested by modern drilling
    methods and technology, thus are considered an early-stage exploration
    prospect. Parallel structures have been identified to the south of the
    Baltimore Mine area according to initial evaluation.
--  Our initial exploration objective is to determine whether veins from
    the Baltimore Mine extend onto the newly-acquired claims.

Our recent site visit resulted in our consulting geologist identifying these unpatented mining claims for acquisition by location, and we have identified dumps from prior production activities that we intend to sample. For more information please consult our recently filed 8k on the project.

About South American Gold:

South American Gold Corp (OTCQB: SAGD) is an exploration mining company focused on the discovery, acquisition, exploration and development of gold and silver deposits in North and South America. Our strategy is to acquire a pipeline of mining prospects in historic mining districts to explore, develop or joint venture, with an objective of establishing commercial production. The company in the last ten months has acquired mining prospects in Arizona, Nevada, and Montana; and continues to consider projects in Colombia, Mexico and Southeastern Europe.

We have fewer than 80 million shares issued and outstanding, of which 2.5 million shares are held by current officers and directors.

Disclaimer

This release contains forward-looking statements that are based on beliefs of South American Gold Corp. management and reflect South American Gold Corp.'s current expectations as contemplated under section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. When we use in this release, the words 'estimate,' 'project,' 'believe,' 'anticipate,' 'intend,' 'expect,' 'plan,' 'predict,' 'may,' 'should,' 'will,' 'can,' the negative of these words, or such other variations thereon, or comparable terminology, are all intended to identify forward looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views of South American Gold Corp. with respect to future events based on currently available information and are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, risks and uncertainties pertaining to development of mining properties, changes in economic conditions and other risks, uncertainties and factors, which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievement expressed or implied by such forward looking statements to differ materially from the forward looking statements. The information contained in this press release is historical in nature, has not been updated, and is current only to the date shown in this press release. This information may no longer be accurate and therefore you should not rely on the information contained in this press release. To the extent permitted by law, South American Gold Corp. and its employees, agents and consultants exclude all liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of, or reliance on, any such information, whether or not caused by any negligent act or omission. This press release incorporates by reference the Company's filings with the SEC including 10k, 10Q, 8K reports and other filings. Investors are encouraged to review all filings. The company has limited financial capability to implement its business plan. The Baltimore Mine information is based on historic information, and the company has not conducted a preliminary economic assessment, nor has determined the costs of rehabilitation to gain access to historic production areas. There is no assurance of an economic deposit on the property, nor the capital required to be available for drilling, rehabilitation and infrastructure construction.

Investor Inquiries: 

1-765-356-9726
1-765-356-9737 (FAX)

Web Site: www.sagoldcorp.com

Email: info@sagoldcorp.com 

SOURCE: South American Gold

Oil SRGE Continues To Soar This Time On News

Oil

Southridge Announces Major Multi-Million Dollar Expansion of Cinco Minas Mill to 500 Ton per Day (tpd)

Marketwire   'Press Releases'
DALLAS, TX -- (Marketwire) -- 09/10/12 --
Southridge Enterprises Inc. (PINKSHEETS: SRGE) ('Southridge' or the 'Company') today announced it has begun a Multi-million Dollar expansion of its Cinco Minas Mill (CMM) located at Cinco Minas, Jalisco, Mexico. The new facility's high efficiency expansion will raise full production capacity to 500 ton per day (tpd), a more than 8 fold increase from the current 60 tpd production level, by the end of 2013.



The expanded CMM design and layout is complete and foundations are now under construction. All the major system components have been requisitioned and are confirmed for transfer and delivery to the Cinco Minas property. The required secondary facilities including buildings, electrical power, water and road access, are also nearing completion. Additionally, the CMM environmental permitting processes are moving forward rapidly and the Mexican Governmental Agencies have commented that they are satisfied with the progress and the diligent care demonstrated in the Company's environmental protocols and safety programs. The Company has taken a critical success factor approach in the planning of this major expansion of the Cinco Minas Mill by the commitment to maintaining current Gold and Silver production levels during the construction period. The CMM 500 ton per day (tpd) project, which will be developed and implemented in various phases over the following year, is scheduled for completion by November, 2013, at a total budgeted cost of $21-$23 million.



Southridge's recent $15.6 million financing, arranged within the European investment community through Duvernoi Capital Investments Inc. ('DCII'), has begun with the advance of the first tranche of $4.8 Million. The funds will be used exclusively for CMM 500 ton per day (tpd) Mill construction.



The CMM expansion is being led by Southridge's Engineering professionals and the Mill Assessment Committee (MAC). With Phase I already well underway, the project team has been carefully ensuring that quality, technology, safety and proficiency are incorporated into every aspect of the expansion. Southridge has already begun the hiring process to fulfill the construction manpower required with 18 new employees now in place. The Company expects to add another 35 employees, with a variety of skills and experience, to complete the construction workforce over the next year of the CMM expansion.



'We believe the factors driving long-term growth in Gold & Silver demand are unlikely to reverse,' said Company President and CEO, Michael Davies. 'The goal moving forward is to bring the Company's shareholders added value by increasing revenues, using economies of scale to reduce costs and expand our mineral resources through exploration.'



In conjunction with the mill expansion project, the Company hosted a several day visit of two research and mining analysts at the Cinco Minas -- Gran Cabreara Gold and Silver Mines. At Cinco Minas, the analysts attended the ground-breaking ceremony that officially launched the commencement of the 500 tpd mill expansion construction.



Southridge recently announced that the 2012 4th Quarter Earnings and Production values at Cinco Minas. In fiscal 2012, the Company processed over 9,000 tons of ore and recorded revenues of $3.14 Million. Subsequent to the completion of the 500 tpd facility in 2013 and assuming full capacity operations and stable metal prices and grades, the Company has projected its 2014 production revenues to exceed $60 Million.



In other recent Company developments, the anticipated and long-awaited public update at the Mexican Mining Registry of the Cinco Minas mineral concession ownership being duly reflected in Southridge's name is now complete. Also, the Company had now engaged the necessary professional services to migrate and up-list the Company's reporting status back to the Over-The-Counter Bulletin Board. It is anticipated that this process will be complete before the end of 2012.



Additionally, Mathers Research has initiated research coverage of Southridge, with a 'Speculative BUY' Opinion and a near term price target of $0.20 cents per share.



The Mathers Research report is available as a free download on the Mathers Research Website @ http://mathersresearch.com/srge-report.



For further information on the Company's Gold and Silver projects, visit our website: http://www.southridgeminerals.com.



Southridge Investors can access the following Southridge Minerals social media channels:

YouTube Cinco Minas Mexico Project:

(http://youtu.be/R6P8oght4Ik)

(http://youtu.be/o2LfLaSu8ww)



Facebook:

(http://www.facebook.com/pages/Southridge-Minerals-Inc/163457600376466)



Twitter: (http://twitter.com/SouthridgeSRGE)



About Southridge Minerals, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: SRGE)

Southridge Minerals, Inc. is a U.S.-based mineral exploration company dedicated to acquiring and developing mineral resources in geologically permissible and politically stable areas of the world. The Company seeks out early stage opportunities with good mineralization indicators that exhibit significant blue-sky potential. Southridge pursues and advances these projects that are or will be of interest to mid-size and major producers. By forming alliances on individual projects, the Company expects to develop its interests in mines operated by its partners, allowing it to continue to build value through continued exploration. Southridge is currently focused on projects in Mexico.



What sets Southridge apart is its vast experience in Mexico and the knowledge of the geological conditions and formations pertaining to known large gold deposits that have received very little attention to date. This comparative advantage, combined with a specific geographical and mineral focus, will allow for more efficient asset and income growth in the future for the benefit of shareholders' investments.



Forward-Looking Statements

Although the Company believes that the forward-looking statement of beliefs, plans, expectations, and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance those beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consider all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosed in the Company's published current and periodic reports.

Contact:
Southridge Enterprises Inc.
Investor Relations
Tel. (214) 699-6255
Email: info@southridgeminerals.com
http://www.southridgeminerals.com

Source: Southridge Enterprises Inc.

Signals Mexico says G20 to look at smoothing capital flows

Signals Mexico says G20 to look at smoothing capital flows Mexican Finance Minister Jose Antonio Meade speaks during an interview with Reuters in Mexico City February 14, 2012. REUTERS/Henry RomeroView Photo Mexican Finance Minister Jose Antonio Meade speaks during an interview with Reuters in Mexico City February 14, 2012. REUTERS/Henry Romero MONTEVIDEO (Reuters) - Mexico will include possible steps to blunt the impact of sharp capital flows on the Group of 20's policy agenda after discussions with Latin American neighbors, Finance Minister Jose Antonio Meade said on Sunday. Mexico, which holds the G20's rotating presidency this year, hosted a seminar about G20 priorities on the sidelines of meetings of Inter-American Development Bank. The bloc's only Latin American members are Brazil, Mexico and Argentina. Meade said via his Twitter account that suggestions from the region would help to enrich the work of the G20, including a push to ease the impact of capital inflows and outflows and tools to administer flows better. One suggestion Mexico would take on board was to 'develop a better capacity to absorb financial flows in domestic financial systems,' he said. Many delegates at the IADB meeting have expressed concern about a recent move toward protectionism, particularly by Brazil, which last week pushed Mexico to curb auto exports over the next three years to boost its industrial sector, hit by an appreciating currency. Brazil blames loose monetary policy in developed economies for the foreign cash flows that have pushed up the real and unleashed a flood of cheap imports, hurting the competitiveness of Brazilian industries. Officials present at the Montevideo meeting said Uruguay, Paraguay and other countries had pushed for Mexico to make sure the G20 addressed currencies and trade barriers. 'Mexico was asked to raise issues of protectionism, exchange rates and capital flows,' Paraguay Economy Minister Dionisio Borda said. Meade told Reuters the G20 remained committed to combating protectionism and there was no intention to change this. 'In every G20 meeting what we have done is reconfirm the promise to combat protectionism, recognizing that this is a measure which does not contribute to global growth,' he said. In the G20 leaders' November communiqué, the group said multilateral trade was important as a way to avoid protectionism and called for more exchange rate flexibility. Protectionism and capital flows were not specifically mentioned in the communiqué following the G20 finance ministers' meeting in Mexico City in March, but Mexico has said one of its G20 priorities is economic stabilization. (Reporting by Krista Hughes and Guido Nejamkis; Editing by Maureen Bavdek)

Earn URA had good breakout

Earn

.11% move in the market tells you the story. Nasdaq and Russell were better performing indexes. Overall it is a consolidation near high after a choppy move higher.




The Uranium ETF had a good breakout. It has been down for many month after the Japanese disaster. This might be possible start of bottoming process. 

Signals Netflix shares rise on investor optimism

Signals NEW YORK (AP) -- Shares of Netflix Inc. rose Friday on expectations that its shares will get a boost from the upcoming release of its fourth-quarter results. THE SPARK: Netflix shares have risen more than 40 percent in just the past week, prompting investors to wonder just how high they can go. But B. Riley & Co. backed its 'Buy' rating for Los Gatos, Calif.-based Netflix, saying that investors should hold on to their shares until after the company's fourth-quarter conference call on Jan. 25, when it's expected to update its outlook for the year. THE BIG PICTURE: Netflix shares took a beating and subscribers fled after the company said in July that it would increase U.S. prices by as much as 60 percent. Things only got worse two months later when Netflix said it would spin off its DVD-by-mail rental service into a separate website called Qwikster. It scrapped that idea in October. Since peaking in mid-July, Netflix shares have lost about 70 percent of their value. THE ANALYSIS: Analysts for B. Riley noted that Netflix shares are rapidly approaching the firm's $100 price target and said the company will probably post quarterly losses through at least the first half of the year. But they also said that Netflix's customer base appears to be stabilizing, which should reassure investors that the company is holding its own against the competition. 'We continue to believe that Netflix offers consumers the greatest content variety versus price relationship of the various choices,' the analysts wrote in a note to investors. 'And with the surprisingly positive announcement early last week that Netflix streamed more than 2 billion hours of movie and TV show content in the fourth quarter, we believe this is more likely to be the case than not.' In addition, the company should eventually get a boost from the expansion of its steaming services into new international markets. THE SHARES: Up $2.32, or 2.5 percent, to $94.47 in afternoon trading.

Oil Is the Euro Decoupling From U.S. Stocks?

Oil Is the Euro Decoupling From U.S. Stocks? Companies: EUR/USD S&P 500 NASDAQ Composite RELATED QUOTES Symbol Price Change EURUSD=X 1.2832 +0.0123 ^GSPC 1,291.87 -0.61 ^IXIC 2,715.73 +4.97 ^DJI 12,432.35 -17.10 FXE 127.78 +1.22 For much of the last 15 years the S&P 500 and euro (the EU currency) have been moving in the same direction. Since its May 4, 2011 high (the euro topped two days after U.S. stocks) the euro has tumbled 15%. Worse yet, the euro has been falling over the past few weeks even though the S&P has remained stable. Will the S&P soon catch up with the euro, or is the euro about to decouple its positive correlation with U.S. equities? Euro Problems Euro problems are the reason for the bad euro season. U.S. stocks got to enjoy the Santa Claus Rally while the euro was stuck with debt concerns that include: - Eurozone governments need to refinance more than $1.3 trillion in debt in 2012. - Yields on Italian bonds crept up about 7% again (above 7% yields send Greece into a tailspin). - Standard & Poor's is expected to strip France of its AAA rating as early as this month. - Spain's banks need to raise an extra $65 billion to cover bad property loans. - In February, Italy needs to sell more debt than could be covered even if investors used all the proceeds of maturing securities to buy the bonds. Euro Hope Things are so bad for the euro (EURUSD=X), they are good. So it seems at least. The chart below shows the euro holdings of the 'smart' and 'dumb' money published by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The first gray graph shows total non-reportable short positions. Non-reportable are small traders considered the dumb money. The second gray graph shows reportable commercial short positions. Commercial traders are the 'pros' that actually provide a commodity or instrument and are considered the smart money. The data shows that non-reportable short positions are pretty high right now (data as of Tuesday) while commercial traders have closed nearly all their short positions. Based on COT sentiment data, the euro should be close to a bottom, at least a temporary one. Cause for U.S. Stock Rally? But wouldn't a rising euro translate into rising U.S. stocks? Under normal circumstances, yes it would. A look at the chart below shows that a rising euro usually correlates with a rising S&P 500. The red boxes highlight periods of falling euro and rising S&P (such as lately). The green box identifies a period of time when a rising euro (NYSEArca: FXE - News) coincided with falling (even rapidly falling) U.S. stock prices. This happened from October 2007 - July 2008. Putting Odds in Your Favor It's no secret that I declared the rally from the October lows to be a counter trend rally. Back on October 2, I stated via the ETF Profit Strategy updated that: 'I don't think October will 'kill' this bear market, but it should spur a powerful counter trend rally. Towards the end of this rally Wall Street may applaud the Fed for launching Operation Twist and QE3 may be considered unnecessary. This kind of positive environment would be fertile soil for the next bear market leg (Q1 or Q2 2012). From a technical point of view this counter trend rally should end somewhere around 1,275 - 1,300.' To identify high-probability trade setups, I like to see technicals, sentiment, and seasonality point in the same direction, such as they did in early October. From a seasonal perspective, October has the reputation of a 'bear market killer.' Sentiment polls showed the most bearish readings in over a year and the VIX (Chicago Options: ^VIX) was close to the 2010 high. At the same time, the S&P had reached rock bottom support. Based on the weight of evidence, the October 2 ETF Profit Strategy update also predicted that: 'The ideal market bottom would see the S&P dip below 1,088 intraday followed by a strong recovery and a close above 1,088.' On October 4, the S&P briefly dipped below 1,088 and closed the day at 1,124. A massive counter trend rally was born that day. The Next Setup? Seasonality is once again turning bearish (or at the very least less bullish). Since 2002, the S&P reached a January top followed by a drop greater than 8% five (out of ten) times. 51.1% of all investment advisors and newsletter-writing colleagues (polled by II) are bullish on stocks (the highest reading since May 3) while only 17% of individual investors (polled by AAII) are bearish, the second lowest reading in six years. From a technical point of view, the S&P (SNP: ^GSPC - News) is about to reach a daunting resistance cluster comprised of Fibonacci levels and various long and short-term trend lines. The Dow (DJI: ^DJI - News) is about to encounter two trend lines that go back nearly five years. The resistance clusters for the Nasdaq (Nasdaq: ^IXIC - News), Russell 2000 (NYSEArca: IJR - News), and financials (NYSEArca: XLF - News) are not as glaring but they're there. The only thing that doesn't quite fit into the equation is the euro's sentiment data illustrated above. Nevertheless, the weight of evidence suggests that a turnaround for stocks, and possibly another significant market top, may be just around the corner. The high probability strategy is to short U.S. stocks as soon as the resistance cluster is reached or support is broken. The ETF Profit Strategy Newsletter identifies the target of this rally along with a short, mid and long-term outlook and the corresponding ETF profit strategies.

Earn BBDA - One of My Best Alerts Ever Forming Cup and Handle?

Earn

BBDA was an alert to my subscribers at $.0003/.0004 a share.  The stock recently hit almost $.02 a share.  Today the stock is still holding to gains and is looking very strong.

http://thepennystockgurus.com/articles/bbda-stock-soars-from-0003-0004-to-0144/

BBDA continues to maintain strong bid support, and could have formed a cup and handle.  This means this stock is poised to break to new highs?  We will soon find out.

Forex Stocks open mixed; jobs report comes in weak

Forex Stocks open mixed; jobs report comes in weak FILE - In this Jan. 10, 2012 photo, a pair of specialists study a screen as they work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Strong bond auctions in Italy and Spain dramatically drove down their borrowing costs and lifted stocks Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012, providing a reprieve from Europe's relentless debt crisis. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File) FILE - In this Jan. 10, 2012 photo, a pair of specialists study a screen as they work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Strong bond auctions in Italy and Spain dramatically drove down their borrowing costs and lifted stocks Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012, providing a reprieve from Europe's relentless debt crisis. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File) NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks are opening mixed after an increase in unemployment claims dampened optimism about strong bond auctions in Italy and Spain. The Dow Jones industrial average is off 13 points at 12,436 in the opening minutes of trading Thursday. The S&P 500 index is down less than a point at 1,292. Nasdaq composite fell a point to 2,709. The Labor Department said applications for weekly unemployment benefits spiked last week, mostly because companies let go of thousands of holiday hires. Retail sales barely rose in December, but the 8 percent gain in 2011 is the largest percentage increase since 1999. Most markets in Europe are higher after strong bond auctions in Italy and Spain.

Signals Citigroup cut investment bank bonuses by 30 percent: report

Signals Citigroup cut investment bank bonuses by 30 percent: report (Reuters) - Citigroup (NYSE:C - News) has cut bonuses for its investment banking division by about 30 percent on average, Bloomberg said, citing a person briefed on the matter. Some businesses within the securities and banking unit had bonuses reduced by as much as 70 percent, Bloomberg reported. Citigroup was not immediately available for comment. (Reporting by Abhiram Nandakumar in Bangalore; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)

Oil Stocks' correction coming? Not that again

Oil Stocks' correction coming? Not that again Companies: NDX Apple Inc. RELATED QUOTES Symbol Price Change NDX 0.00 0.00 AAPL 585.57 +0.01 Related Content A trader in the S&P 500 options pit at the Chicago Board of Trade looks at an order board shortly after the Federal Reserve's decision to leave short-term interest rates untouched between zero and 0.25 percent in Chicago, January 25, 2012. REUTERS/Frank PolichView Photo A trader in the S&P 500 options pit at the Chicago Board of Trade looks at an order board shortly after the Federal Reserve's decision to leave short-term interest rates untouched between zero and 0.25 percent in Chicago, January 25, 2012. REUTERS/Frank Polich By Angela Moon NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investors are beginning to wonder if this 'Energizer Bunny' of a rally can just keep going without taking a break or a fall. Every Friday for the past couple of months, the question has hung in the back of investors' minds: Is the stock market's rally strong enough to continue without a correction? Even with the S&P 500 above levels unseen since before the financial crisis, the answer remains: Yes. The broad market index broke through 1,400 -- a psychologically important level -- for the first time in four years last week. On Friday, the S&P 500 closed at 1,404.17, its highest since May 20, 2008. At Friday's close, the index was up for nine out of the past 10 weeks. The rally has taken the Nasdaq up to a 12-year recovery high, while it lifted the Dow (DJI:DJI) comfortably above 13,000 to its highest level since December 2007. 'We are seeing this unbelievable rally in the market and yet the market is unbelievably complacent. We haven't been this bullish for a long time,' said Randy Frederick, director of trading and derivatives at the Schwab Center for Financial Research, based in Austin, Texas. Indeed, the CBOE Volatility Index or VIX (MXP:VIX), Wall Street's fear gauge, plunged to a five-year low despite the S&P 500's stunning gain of 12 percent for the year so far. The VIX measures the expected volatility in the S&P 500 index over the next 30 days and generally moves in the opposite direction of the broad market. Investors often use VIX options and futures as a hedge against a market decline. Frederick said the only concern is the wide spread between second- and third-month VIX futures, suggesting a rise in volatility in the longer term. But the front-month futures that expire this week have come down to levels near the spot VIX. The VIX fell 6.2 percent on Friday to end at 14.47, its lowest close since June 2007. 'I would like to see the VIX around 17 just because it tends to have a significant pop when there is bad news at current levels,' Frederick said, adding that 'frankly' there isn't that much negative news out there. STRENGTH IN MIDCAPS Further evidence of the market's bullish sentiment: The S&P 400 Midcap Index <.MID> has popped above the 1,000 mark, an area of strong resistance since last year, according to Ryan Detrick, a senior technical strategist with Schaeffer's Investment Research, in Cincinnati. 'It's a big area of resistance, but we have moved above this. If we manage to stay here, then the strength in the overall market will advance further,' Detrick said. 'Historically, April has been a strong month so we can even see the market going up to 1,440, which is the high made in May 2008,' he added. TRACKING THE BIG APPLE The direction of Apple shares (NSQ:AAPL - News) will also be in focus this week after the stock hit the $600 mark for the first time in history last week, only about a month after it topped 500. Apple currently accounts for about 18 percent of the Nasdaq 100 stock index (NAS:NDX - News). Its weighting was cut to 12.3 percent from 20.5 percent last April, but the price surge has pushed the stock's weighting back up, making this index of 100 well-known companies hostage to the performance of a few technology titans like Apple. With Apple's heavy weighting, investors are questioning whether the broad market can continue to rally even with a pullback in Apple shares. The Nasdaq Composite Index (NAS:COMP), the barometer of tech stocks, closed on Friday at 3,055.26 -- its highest close since November 2000. 'It's a name that a lot of people have exposure to so it definitely has an impact on indexes, but it seems even without Apple, the money gets put to work in other sectors and stocks,' Detrick said. While the VIX has been sliding, the expected volatility in Apple has increased, judging by a VIX index that tracks Apple options. Apple, like IBM and other bellwether names, has its own VIX index. The CBOE Apple VIX index <.VXAPL>, which measures the expected 30-day volatility of the underlying shares of Apple, jumped 35 percent last week, suggesting more gyrations ahead as more investors speculate on short-term moves.

Oil Retail sales: Shoppers pulled back at the holidays

Oil Retail sales: Shoppers pulled back at the holidays CNNMoney.comBy Chris Isidore | CNNMoney.com Consumers pulled back on their spending in December despite the holiday shopping season, according to a government report released Thursday. The Commerce Department report showed that overall retail sales rose only 0.1% compared to November -- falling short of forecasts of economists surveyed by Briefing.com, who were expecting a 0.4% rise. Excluding auto sales, which were relatively strong in the month, sales fell 0.2%; compared to forecasts of a 0.3% rise. Part of the reduced spending came from lower prices. Lower gasoline prices trimmed spending at gas stations by 1.6% compared to November. And spending at grocery stores also declined 0.2% in the same period amid reports of some lower food prices. Paul Dales, senior U.S. economist for Capital Economics, said it was somewhat positive that lower prices allowed non-discretionary spending to decline 0.6%, at the same time that discretionary spending rose 0.4%. 'It appears they're saving money when they go to fill up their cars, and spending it on something more enjoyable,' he said. But there were also declines in some retail categories that typically get a lift from holiday shoppers. The biggest was a 3.9% drop at electronic and appliance stores. Department store sales also fell 0.2%, leading to a 0.8% drop in general merchandise stores. Non-store retailers, typically online retailers, suffered a 0.4% drop. Mark Vitner, senior economist with Wells Fargo Securities, said his firm's measure of 'core' sales -- which excludes autos, gas stations and building materials -- posted the first monthly decline in a year. These excluded sectors are heavily influenced by volatile prices or by the business cycle. 'The decline here gets our attention,' he said. 'We do not think the consumer is completely going into hiding, but we do think that the pace of consumer spending growth is poised to slow.' Economists said that with other economic readings showing that stagnant wages were not keeping up with prices overall, and rising credit card balances, there's a limit in how much consumers will be able to spend -- even as a declining savings rate suggested that consumers were more willing to dip into savings. 'Households have realized that the savings only go so far,' said Dales. Disappointing December spending left overall sales up 6.5%, compared to 6% a year earlier which excludes auto sales. Bucking the trend were clothing retailers, which enjoyed a 0.7% rise in spending; and a 1.6% rise at building material and garden equipment retailers, which Dales said may have been helped by unusually mild weather. View this article on CNNMoney

Earn Citigroup cut investment bank bonuses by 30 percent: report

Earn Citigroup cut investment bank bonuses by 30 percent: report (Reuters) - Citigroup (NYSE:C - News) has cut bonuses for its investment banking division by about 30 percent on average, Bloomberg said, citing a person briefed on the matter. Some businesses within the securities and banking unit had bonuses reduced by as much as 70 percent, Bloomberg reported. Citigroup was not immediately available for comment. (Reporting by Abhiram Nandakumar in Bangalore; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)

Earn Lot of good setups

Earn

As market continues to consolidate near high, lot of new setups are emerging. EW, ANN, WAG, JAH, SBRA, GWR, FLS, and GEVA are few examples of these kind of setups.

If you see the top ranked 10% stocks by momentum , you will see lot of these kind of setups. 

Oil Glass is still half full for flush American farmers

Oil Glass is still half full for flush American farmers WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Brian Roach scrawled a simple outlook for corn prices in a spiral notebook, with a line diving from the upper left hand corner to the lower right. Sitting in a hotel ballroom at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's annual Agricultural Outlook Forum last week, the commodity broker predicted increasing supplies and weakening demand would slow a boom in the farm economy that has fattened growers' wallets and pushed up food prices. 'Nothing is telling me to think any different right now,' said Roach, president of the Florida-based commodity business Roach Ag Marketing. For the first time in years at the conference that traditionally kicks off the year for America's agri-business sector, forecasters said the seemingly endless upward trajectory on everything from crop prices to farmer income was coming to an end. The price of corn, the big daddy of the major U.S. crops, could fall 20 percent this year and because of expanding production globally, the corn stockpile would double. It is a significant shift after corn prices reached a record high near $8 a bushel last summer on concerns about strong demand draining inventories. The surge in prices is expected to encourage an expansion in planting of crops this year. Farmers are becoming 'very pragmatic about the investments they're making in machinery, equipment and input costs' after spending freely following last autumn's profitable harvest, said Thomas Dorr, president of the U.S. Grains Council. Many built new storage bins and upgraded their tractors and combines. Moving forward, 'the mood is one of caution,' Dorr said. To be sure, farmers are flush with cash after farm income topped $100 billion for the first time in 2011 as the rural economy rebounded from the pothole of the global recession. Even if income slumps to $96.3 billion this year due to larger world and domestic supplies as predicted by the government, farmers and ranchers would be looking at their second-best year ever. Income would remain well above the 10-year average. 'Prospects for U.S. agriculture continue to be strong with record income in 2011 and a strong balance sheet,' said Joe Glauber, the USDA chief economist. Still, there was a sense of deja vu of 2008 at the conference that attracts some 2,000 attendees. That year, farmers enjoyed sky high prices for their crops but marching in lockstep, was the price of crude oil. The recent spike in fuel prices could again add pressure to the farm economy. Energy costs squeeze farmer margins because they depend heavily on tractors, combines, pesticides and fertilizers -- which track the price of fuel -- to get most out of their land. 'Energy costs to a farmer are obviously a serious concern,' said David Berg, president of the American Crystal Sugar Company, based in Moorhead, Minn. 'It's almost like a few years ago where everyone was in a state of panic.' He said sugar beet farmers in Minnesota and North Dakota are doing well but a double whammy of lower prices on the market for the commodity and higher energy prices would be hard to swallow for a number of growers. 'The price of sugar is high enough so that an increase in energy costs is a negative for them, but it's not going to put them under water,' Berg said. 'If the price of sugar goes down from where it is today, it will very likely put some of them under water.' Tyson Foods also is worried about rising fuel costs, with Chief Executive Donnie Smith warning the recent jump in gas prices could dent demand for beef by reducing disposable income of consumers. Beef prices have reached record levels due to a historic drought that reduced cattle herds in the southern Plains and high prices for corn that is fed to livestock. 'You're not moving as much volume of meat but you're paying more for it,' Smith told reporters at the conference. A drop in demand for meat could hurt livestock producers even as increased grain production would cut their feed costs. Farmers are expected to go all out to get their seeds in the ground this spring, especially with the mild winter that is now coming to a close. The USDA estimates they will plant 94 million acres (38 million hectares) of corn, about 2 million acres more than last year and the largest area since 1944. Still, Jon Caspers, a producer of about 8,000 hogs a year in Iowa, is not breathing a sigh of relief due to high gasoline prices and lingering uncertainty about demand. He's also unsure farmers will plant as much corn as expected. Last year, heavy spring rains dashed their plans to plant from fence post to fence post. 'A lot of producers are waiting to see if it really happens,' he said. (Additional reporting by Charles Abbott; Writing by Russ Blinch; Editing by Marguerita Choy)

Earn September 4th Penny Stock Winners and Losers

Earn

Today's Winners and Losers

Today's Bottom Scan

Signals U.S. did not call for strategic oil release: G20 sources

Signals U.S. did not call for strategic oil release: G20 sources U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner (C) and Chairman of Grupo Financiero Banorte Guillermo Ortiz (L) arrive to a meeting of Group of Twenty (G20) leading economies' finance ministers and central bankers in Mexico City February 25, 2012. REUTERS/Tomas Bravo MEXICO CITY, Reuters (Feb 25) - The United States did not openly call for a release of countries' strategic oil reserves during Group of 20 meetings this weekend, Group of 20 sources said on Saturday. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Friday the United States is considering a release from its strategic oil reserves as rising tensions between Iran and the West over its disputed nuclear program fueled a rise in oil prices. At meeting of G20 economies on Saturday, two people familiar with the discussion said finance officials had discussed the risk to the world economy from oil prices, which rose above $125 a barrel on Friday, but the United States did not push for a release of strategic reserves. Countries hold oil reserves as a buffer against sudden drops in supply. A draft communique for the G20 meeting, which is still under discussion, said high oil prices were a risk to the global economy, the sources said, although the outlook was cautiously optimistic. 'The communique says that there are some positive signs in the global economy, coming especially from the U.S. economy, but they are tentative,' one G20 official said. (Reporting by Francesca Landini and Dave Graham; Writing by Krista Hughes)

Forex Student Loan Crisis Looms: FICO Risk Survey

Forex Daily Ticker Despite recent headlines cheering positive trends in the economy, there is still much to be concerned about, according to FICO's new quarterly survey of bank risk professionals. More than two-thirds of risk managers are seriously concerned about the debt loads held by students in the country. 67% of respondents believe delinquencies of student loans will rise, up a considerable 19% from the previous survey. 'They are worried about the amount of student loans that are out there and the ability of those students to repay them,' says Mark Greene, CEO of FICO, which provides credit scores used by both consumers and creditors and is widely considered the industry standard. With tuition prices on the rise each and every year, it is no surprise that the total amount borrowed is also on the upswing. The student who graduated in the class of 2009 had an average of $24,000 in student loans. But that's just the average. Some students are accountable for sums totaling $100,000. (See: The Economic Agony of Today's Twenty-Somethings) The Federal Reserve reported last year that student debt has actually surpassed credit card debt and predicts the total amount owed has topped $1 trillion. Greene's advice to students is: 'Be careful what you borrow.' 'Clearly education has a great return on investment so there is no suggestion you should avoid taking out loans, but be careful what you are getting into,' he says. 'Manage your student loans as carefully as you would your mortgage, your credit card or something else.' Other problem areas listed in the survey include credit card debt and mortgage debt. Credit card debt increased 8.5% to $5.6 billion in November from October, the biggest gain since March 2008. 45% of risk managers surveyed expect credit card delinquencies to rise while 21% expect a decline. And 54% of respondents believe credit card balances will rise. Those figures are more pessimistic than the previous quarter. As for mortgage debt, 47% of risk managers predict mortgage delinquencies will rise while 13% expect to see a decrease. 'If you are looking for risk managers to declare that we've turned the corner, they are not declaring that yet,' says Greene. Do you think the economy is improving or still has a long way to go? More from The Daily Ticker: Forget Harvard and a 4-Year Degree, You Can Make More as a Plumber in the Long Run, Says Prof. Kotlikoff Brain Drain: Most College Students Learn Next to Nothing, New Study Says Jame's Altucher's 8 Alternatives to College Related Quotes: ^GSPC 1,292.18 -0.30 -0.02% BAC 6.76 -0.11 -1.60% C 31.36 +0.09 +0.29% GS 98.96 -0.80 -0.80% JPM 36.44 -0.22 -0.60% WFC 29.54 -0.08 -0.29% PNC 61.51 +0.21 +0.34% FAZ 31.80 +0.23 +0.72% FAS 75.30 -0.53 -0.70% XLF 13.83 -0.04 -0.26% ^DJI 12,432.54 -16.91 -0.14% DFS 26.16 +0.30 +1.16% V 100.99 +1.88 +1.90% MA 342.76 +1.29 +0.38% MS 16.92 -0.18 -1.05%

Forex Lloyds chief executive skips annual bonus

Forex LONDON (AP) -- The chief executive of Lloyds Banking Group, which was rescued by British taxpayers during the credit crisis, says he won't take his annual bonus for 2011. Antonio Horta-Osorio said Friday he's doing that because he took a leave of absence, not specifically in response to Prime Minister David Cameron's recent call for restraint on executive pay. Horta-Osorio took two months off last year as he suffered from sleeping problems. He did not disclose the amount in a bonus that he is turning down, but said future payments should take into account Britain's 'tough financial circumstances.' His pay and bonus entitlement will be disclosed next month in the group's annual report. British taxpayers still hold a 40 percent stake in the bank.

Oil Citigroup cut investment bank bonuses by 30 percent: report

Oil Citigroup cut investment bank bonuses by 30 percent: report (Reuters) - Citigroup (NYSE:C - News) has cut bonuses for its investment banking division by about 30 percent on average, Bloomberg said, citing a person briefed on the matter. Some businesses within the securities and banking unit had bonuses reduced by as much as 70 percent, Bloomberg reported. Citigroup was not immediately available for comment. (Reporting by Abhiram Nandakumar in Bangalore; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)

Oil SWI breaking out

Oil

SWI had big breakout on earnings in July. It went sideways for few months after the earnings breakout. Today it is breaking out. 

Signals BBDA hit $.0199 From $.0004 Alert

Signals

The stock fell after hitting $.0199 but recovered its losses and closed higher today.  Strong interest remains in this stock that had almost no interest when I alerted it at $.0003/.0004.

Signals Why You Shouldn't Manage Your Friends' Money

Signals Why You Shouldn't Manage Your Friends' Money So you put away some nice returns this year - not too shabby. While you can't be blamed for bragging about good performance, it's not uncommon for friends to want a part of the action. What would you do if a friend asked you to make investments on his or her behalf? In this article we'll show you the highs and lows of investing for others. Taking Advantage of Your Financial Knowledge It's no surprise that your pals might want you to manage a couple of bucks for them. If you're pulling down decent returns and talking about your investing strategies, you've now become the go-to guy (or girl). These days, money talks and people who understand the financial world are getting a lot of respect as young people realize there's more to investing than they once thought. If you have financial knowledge, people who know you might view you as a very valuable commodity - a free money manager. All too often, the person asking you to invest his or her money is the person who knows a little something about investing - just enough to get into trouble. If you're nailing double-digit returns this year, why couldn't you repeat the performance year after year, right? The Problems with Investing for Others You may think that investing for someone else is just a way of helping out a friend, but the thing is, when you start investing for other people, particularly your friends, you enter a world of complications that you might not have foreseen when you started out. Unrealistic Expectations That friend of yours, the one who thinks that your 35% returns this year are going to happen next year as well, might be in for a nasty surprise when your picks make next to nothing. When you invest for friends, you have to deal with unrealistic expectations that can really put a damper on a relationship. If your friends wants you to invest for them, they likely don't understand all of the risks involved with investing, including not quite meeting the investment goals that they may have been projecting. Losing a Friend's Money Not meeting a friend's investing expectations could jeopardize your friendship, but falling short of your friend's projected returns could be a best-case scenario. When things go wrong, making some money is a lot better than losing money, which isn't an abstract concept for anyone who invests actively. When you bring money into a relationship, things can get uncomfortable pretty fast, especially when that money is hemorrhaging out of an investment account. Do you tell the friend to suck it up? Do you repay the person out of your pocket? Do you try to make up the difference with new picks? Really, there probably isn't a good way to deal with losing a friend's money and you should consider this risk before you agree to invest for anyone. Legal Matters Managing a friend's money is a sticky business and if you go through with it you may be breaking the law. Investment professionals must be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission or have a federal license. They are heavily regulated by the government and by trade organizations like the National Association of Securities Dealers, for the protection of consumers. If you invest for a friend for compensation, you could be breaking laws that are in place to protect investors from people who aren't qualified to have discretionary control over others' accounts. Short End of the Stick Despite the drawbacks, investing for friends isn't always doomed to failure. With skill, smarts and a whole lot of luck, you might rake in the cash. If that's the case, you still have to consider whether or not your friend is taking advantage of you. Helping out a friend is nice, but when that help consists of making significant amounts of money for that person and getting little or nothing in return, you might be suffering from an off-balance relationship. What You Can Do for Friends Now that I've taken the wind out of your sails, and your friend's as well, there are things that you can do to help your friends' investments without burdening yourself with the substantial responsibility of investing someone else's money. One of the best ways to lend a hand is to help teach your friend about investing. Help Them Learn There are a lot of pitfalls out there for new investors. If you're lucky, you've been able to avoid quite a few of them or you learned how you should have gone about avoiding them. The benefit of your experience can be one heck of an asset to pass on to a friend and it won't cost either one of you personally or financially. Therefore, if you want to help your friends, work with them; show them how to analyze a financial statement, how to execute a trade online, how to look up business news, or how to find online resources. Investment Clubs Going farther still, there is a popular way to invest hands-on with friends without taking on the responsibility that an investment advisor would feel for a client - the investment club. The investment club consists of a group of people who vote to decide whether or not to buy or sell their group-owned investments. Investment clubs are great, because they allow a more personal approach with actual investments than just helping someone with investing concepts. These clubs will also give you a vested interest in performance of your friend's portfolio. If you're interested in starting an investment club, there are plenty of resources available, ranging from your broker to the internet. It's important to recognize that an investment club isn't just a couple of people who want to invest together - it's a formal (and legally defined) organization with members who have an equitable claim to their assets. This means you should look into the rules and laws that govern investment clubs where you live before joining or starting one yourself. The Bottom Line Investing for a friend usually isn't worth the amount of trouble it can cause. Money just isn't something you want to bring into a good friendship. In the end, by helping your friends invest on their own, you'll be doing them, and yourself, a much bigger favor.

Oil Stuck in the mud

Oil

Stuck in the mud is the current stage of market.

Every time it tries to rally it gets pulled back in range. Every time it attempts breakdown , it gets pulled back in range.

The breadth on either up or down attempt is also low. So no major breadth thrusts on either side.

The large cap stocks are holding up well compared to the small cap stocks.

The Fed day did not produce any spark. The ECB also opted for no change in policy.

The market needs a catalyst for big move in either direction. Till then stuck in mud.

Signals COBI - Chart To Watch at $.001

Signals

The above chart is what COBI looked like when I made it one of my charts to watch for my subscribers at $.001.

This is what COBI's chart looks like after the close today:

Oil Stock Market for 10/12/12

Oil Stock Market for 10/12/12 The Dow Jones and Stock Market were higher on Tuesday. Will the stock market go up or down on Wednesday? Keep tabs on the stock market futures which will predict the open on Wednesday. If you are a stock trader or investor, check out my stock picks group. We are making some big trades in there right now. Sign in and sign up. Dow Jones Futures - Up 3S&P 500 Futures - Up 1NASDAQ Futures - Up 2Gold Futures - 1732Silver Futures - 33.47Oil Futures - 96.93Asian Markets ( Nikkei ) - 8807

Forex France loses AAA-rating in blow to eurozone

Forex PARIS (AP) -- France's finance ministry says Standard & Poor's has cut the country's credit rating by one notch to AA. France's loss of its AAA-rating deals a heavy blow to the eurozone's ability to fight off its debt crisis. The country is the second-largest contributor to the currency union's bailout fund. S&P in December put 15 eurozone countries on creditwatch and other downgrades were expected later Friday. The cut in France's creditworthiness could also hurt President Nicolas Sarkozy's re-election chances. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below. ROME (AP) -- Europe's ability to fight off its debt crisis was again thrown into doubt Friday when the euro hit its lowest level in over a year and borrowing costs rose on expectations that the debt of several countries would be downgraded by rating agency Standard & Poor's. Stock markets in Europe and the U.S. plunged late Friday when reports of an imminent downgrade first appeared and the euro fell to a 17-month low. The fears of a downgrade brought a sour end to a mildly encouraging week for Europe's heavily indebted nations and were a stark reminder that the 17-country eurozone's debt crisis is far from over. Earlier Friday, Italy had capped a strong week for government debt auctions, seeing its borrowing costs drop for a second day in a row as it successfully raised as much as euro4.75 billion ($6.05 billion). Spain and Italy completed successful bond auctions on Thursday, and European Central Bank president Mario Draghi noted 'tentative signs of stabilization' in the region's economy. A credit downgrade would escalate the threats to Europe's fragile financial system, as the costs at which the affected countries — some of which are already struggling with heavy debt loads and low growth — could borrow money would be driven even higher. The downgrade could drive up the cost of European government debt as investors demand more compensation for holding bonds deemed to be riskier than they had been. Higher borrowing costs would put more financial pressure on countries already contending with heavy debt burdens. In Greece, negotiations Friday to get investors to take a voluntary cut on their Greek bond holdings appeared close to collapse, raising the specter of a potentially disastrous default by the country that kicked off Europe's financial troubles more than two years ago. The deal, known as the Private Sector Involvement, aims to reduce Greece's debt by euro100 billion ($127.8 billion) by swapping private creditors' bonds with new ones with a lower value, and is a key part of a euro130 billion ($166 billion) international bailout. Without it, the country could suffer a catastrophic bankruptcy that would send shock waves through the global economy. Prime Minister Lucas Papademos and Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos met on Thursday and Friday with representatives of the Institute of International Finance, a global body representing the private bondholders. Finance ministry officials from the eurozone also met in Brussels Thursday night. 'Unfortunately, despite the efforts of Greece's leadership, the proposal put forward ... which involves an unprecedented 50 percent nominal reduction of Greece's sovereign bonds in private investors' hands and up to euro100 billion of debt forgiveness — has not produced a constructive consolidated response by all parties, consistent with a voluntary exchange of Greek sovereign debt,' the IIF said in a statement. 'Under the circumstances, discussions with Greece and the official sector are paused for reflection on the benefits of a voluntary approach,' it said. Friday's Italian auction saw investors demanding an interest rate of 4.83 percent to lend Italy three-year money, down from an average rate of 5.62 percent in the previous auction and far lower than the 7.89 percent in November, when the country's financial crisis was most acute. While Italy paid a slightly higher rate for bonds maturing in 2018, which were also sold in Friday's auction, demand was between 1.2 percent and 2.2 percent higher than what was on offer. The results were not as strong as those of bond auctions the previous day, when Italy raised euro12 billion ($15 billion) and Spain saw huge demand for its own debt sale. 'Overall, it underscores that while all the auctions in the eurozone have been battle victories, the war is a long way from being resolved (either way),' said Marc Ostwald, strategist at Monument Securities. 'These euro area auctions will continue to present themselves as market risk events for a very protracted period.' Italy's euro1.9 trillion ($2.42 trillion) in government debt and heavy borrowing needs this year have made it a focal point of the European debt crisis. Italy has passed austerity measures and is on a structural reform course that Premier Mario Monti claims should bring down Italy's high bond yields, which he says are no longer warranted. Analysts have said the successful recent bond auctions were at least in part the work of the ECB, which has inundated banks with cheap loans, giving them ready cash that at least some appear to be using to buy higher-yielding short-term government bonds. Some 523 banks took euro489 billion in credit for up to three years at a current interest cost of 1 percent. ___ Steinhauser contributed from Brussels. AP Business writer David McHugh in Frankfurt contributed.