Stocks dominated by investor fear - KSAT 12 Stocks dominated by investor fear - KSAT 12

Monday, June 4, 2012

Stocks dominated by investor fear - KSAT 12

Stocks dominated by investor fear - KSAT 12
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -

Worries about a global growth slowdown and uncertainty surrounding Europe's debt crisis kept investors on edge and trading choppy on Monday.

Still, U.S. markets ultimately closed the day not far from where they opened.

"Europe is front and center, back, left and right," said Dan Greenhaus, chief global strategist at BTIG.

Anxieties over the health of the Spanish banking system and the possibility that Greece could soon exit the euro remain high.

"Last week was so terribly negative that even the absence of negative news gives some support to the market," Greenhaus added.

Still it's impossible to ignore the fear factor still gripping the markets as 10-year Treasury yields remain near all-time record lows. That shows that global investors are willing to forego returns simply for the safety of holding debt backed by the U.S. government.

CNNMoney's Fear and Greed Index remained deeply entrenched in extreme fear territory.

There are also worries about slowing growth in emerging markets such as China and India. Recent reports out of China last week showed the manufacturing sector contracted more than expected in May.

The S&P 500 closed flat. The Nasdaq gained 12 points, or 0.5%. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 17 points, or 0.1%.

Trading was light on both sides of the Atlantic Monday, according to several traders. Investors are wary of making major moves before they know whether central bankers in Europe and the U.S. would consider further stimulus.

Investors are betting that European leaders might be willing to make tough choices to stave off larger problems in the region.

"There's a belief that with their backs against the wall, European leaders will at least come up with a short-term resolution to help the Spanish banking system," said Peter Boockvar, equity strategist at Miller Tabak.

U.S. stocks tumbled more than 2% Friday in the worst trading day of the year. The Dow erased all its gains for 2012, and the S&P 500 and Nasdaq moved into correction territory -- down more than 10% from the year's highs.

Bond prices retreated slightly in Monday trading, allowing the yield on the 10-year note to rise just above 1.5%.

World markets: European stocks closed mixed. The DAX in Germany fell 1.2%, while France's CAC 40 rose 0.1%. British markets were closed for a bank holiday.

Asian markets ended lower in their first day of trading since the U.S. jobs report. The Shanghai Composite tumbled 2.7%, and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong fell 2%. The Nikkei in Tokyo fell 1.7%.

Economy: Factory orders declined 0.6% in April, the government reported Monday. The report was weaker than the 0.1% increase expected by economists surveyed by Briefing.com. The March decline was revised to a deeper 2.1% drop.

Companies: Shares of Facebook, which have gotten hammered since the company's IPO, continued to fall.

Groupon shares dropped more than 7% after falling sharply Friday. The online discount service, which has been dogged with questions about its accounting practices since its initial public offering in November, ended its lock-up period Friday, meaning that insiders who own shares are now able to sell them.

Shares of Chesapeake Energy rose after the embattled natural gas company said it is replacing four members of its board of directors in response to urging from two of its largest shareholders, including Carl Icahn.

Shares of AutoNation, the largest U.S. car dealership, jumped after it reported its May new car sales rose 45%. That was almost twice as good as the 26% rise in industry-wide U.S. car sales reported by major automakers Friday. But the industry-wide sales pace was generally less than forecast, as it was the weakest pace of 2012.

Shares of Starbucks rose after the coffee chain said its top executives would discuss new steps to boost its domestic retail business later Monday.

Research in Motion's stock sank to a low not seen since 2003 amid growing speculation that the BlackBerry maker will soon put itself up for sale.

Currencies and commodities: The dollar rose against the euro and Japanese yen, but fell versus the British pound.

Oil for July delivery gained $1.07 to $84.30 a barrel.



Money matters could drive Florida State from ACC to Big 12 - USA Today

That is the simplest way to summarize a week spent in Kansas City.

Start first with the obvious: The Big 12 has money right now that the ACC doesn't.

Oklahoma State President Burns Hargis announced last Friday that the Big 12 agreed to distribute $19 million to eight of its members to close out the 2011-12 fiscal year. Departing members Missouri and Texas A&M did not receive payouts; neither did incoming members TCU and West Virginia.

That's $4.9 million more than Florida State received this year as a member of the ACC.

That's $4.9 million that Florida State's athletics department - heck, Florida State's entire campus - sorely needs right now.

That's raises for basketball coaches. That's a new paint job for Doak Campbell Stadium. That's restocking the cash reserves in the athletics department. That's transferring money over to FSU President Eric Barron's budget so he can save some teaching jobs or academic programs - or both.

That's a lot of money. And the Big 12 has it right now.

The pot for Big 12 teams is expected to grow next year. League officials confirmed during the Kansas City meetings that they have agreed to two separate television contracts - one with ESPN and the other with Fox Sports - that will bring in nearly $2.6 billion in total revenues.

Though there are details yet to be worked out syncing the two contracts together, the payouts next year are expected to be $20 million for Big 12 schools. (TCU and West Virginia will only be given a 50-percent share and will not receive full shares until 2016.)

Meanwhile, Florida State won't reach the $20-million mark until the back half of the ACC's deal with ESPN.

And that is why the ACC should be worried right now.

Worried, that it will fall behind in the ever-escalating arms race that rules big-time college athletics.

Worried, that it will continue to be considered a second-tier football league for years to come.

Worried, that the schools in its league that want to spend the money to compete for national championships in football may find another conference to call home.

This is a critical time for the ACC's leadership to reach out to each of its member teams and settle some nerves.

The message is simple: The ACC can catch up - it must catch up - in football.

Yes, the ACC has a chance to re-open its television contract in five years. By then, it's entirely possible Florida State will have rejoined the nation's elite and become a championship contender yet again.

That would make ACC football a more valuable product. That would bring more revenues into the league.

But the burden simply can't be placed on the shoulders of one program. The ACC's place in the pecking order of big-time football is a league problem.

Blame Florida State all you want for how its program has stumbled through the last 10 years, but do so at your own risk.

It's certainly true that FSU failed to compete at a championship level since Chris Weinke left town. But there was no law that prohibited Clemson, Virginia Tech, Miami, Georgia Tech or anyone else from winning national titles the last 10 years.

And that's why Florida State fans should not quickly dismiss the rumors that continue to swirl about a move to the Big 12.

One of the key reasons Florida State joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in the first place was money. Back then, basketball drove the money train in college athletics - and the ACC had the cash that other leagues didn't.

That's simply not the case any longer. Football climbed into the driver's seat in the last five years and, with a playoff system coming soon, the sport looks like it will continue to call the shots when it comes to television revenues.

The disparity in money is simply too much for FSU to completely ignore. A $4.9-million gap? In this economy? How do you not question things right now?

That's why it has to be repeated one more time: The Big 12 has money. The ACC should be worried.

And Florida State fans? Well, never say never.



Financial Guidebook for Widows Receives Tenth Award - YAHOO!

Award-winning Guidebook Wins at 2012 International Book Awards

Highland, MI (PRWEB) June 04, 2012

ACA, the only community of fee-only financial planners focused on holistic planning strategies, announced that Moving Forward on Your Own: A Financial Guidebook for Widows, by Kathleen Rehl, Ph.D., CFP®, has received its tenth award.

The Guidebook is the winner in the 2012 International Book Awards (IBA) in the Women’s Issues category and a finalist in the Business: Personal Finance category.

“I am so grateful for all the support and recognition this publication has received,” said Dr. Rehl.

The Guidebook integrates basic financial information with self-reflective exercises to encourage self-confidence about money issues. The format it is intended to serve as a catalyst to help women make progress after a spouse's death.

In addition to writing about the issues faced by widows, Dr. Rehl is also an active public speaker on the topic. She will deliver a presentation at the 2012 ACA Conference to help educate other advisors on how to work effectively with widows.

To further assist widows with their financial matters, Dr. Rehl partnered with her fellow ACA members to develop a network of qualified, ethical, fee-only financial planners who work with widows. Click on the following link to access this network.

Copies of the guidebook can be ordered by clicking here.

Dr. Rehl is the founder of Rehl Financial Advisors in Land O’Lakes, Florida. She has been an ACA member since 1996.

ABOUT ACA


ACA is a non-profit 501(C)6 organization providing continuing education and support to fee-only financial planners with a passion for holistic financial planning. Its collaborative community continues to develop the next generation of holistic planning concepts and strategies. Currently ACA consists of more than 160 members serving 45 states across the U.S.

Valerie Kriss
Alliance of Cambridge Advisors
888-834-6333 706
Email Information




LPL Financial and Retirement Benefits Group™ Announce Addition of Five Top Retirement Consultants to Retirement Benefits Group™ Platform - Yahoo Finance

SAN DIEGO, May 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- LPL Financial LLC, the nation's largest independent broker-dealer* and a wholly-owned subsidiary of LPL Investment Holdings Inc. (LPLA), and Retirement Benefits Group™ ("RBG"), a highly specialized retirement plan consulting firm based in San Diego, CA, today announced the continued expansion of Retirement Benefits Group through the addition of five top retirement plan consultants to the firm.  The five advisors - Matthew Haerr, Christine Soscia, Amir Arbabi, Peter Littlejohn, and William Brown - will provide retirement guidance to institutional clients in the areas of plan design assistance, compliance updates, and investment due diligence, as well as participant communication and education.  These new advisor additions will be based out of the San Diego, CA, Akron, OH, Las Vegas, NV, and Idaho Falls, ID offices of Retirement Benefits Group.

Retirement Benefits Group is supported by the Retirement Partners division of LPL Financial LLC, which is focused on supporting retirement plan-focused advisors.

Darrell Alford, Principal of Retirement Benefits Group, said, "In an increasingly complex retirement landscape for participants, plan sponsors are looking for advisors with fiduciary expertise to help them choose plan structures and investment options that have the potential to offer greater retirement security for their workers.  We are proud that Retirement Benefits Group has expanded over the years as a leader in this space by acting as just such a partner to plan sponsors.  Our rapid growth continues with the addition of these five leading advisors who have many years of experience in the retirement plan space.  With new offices in Idaho and Nevada, we now cover most of the western United States and will continue to expand east, even as we maintain our total focus on providing retirement plan financial advice that is second to none.  Equally important, we are delighted to work with LPL Financial Retirement Partners, which has acted as a strong enabling partner in our ongoing growth."

Bill Chetney, Executive Vice President of LPL Financial Retirement Partners, said, "We congratulate Retirement Benefits Group for their continued successful growth as a leading firm within the retirement plan space.  We are proud to be an enabling partner to Retirement Benefits Group and other advisor practices focused on this space as they work to help Americans realize their retirement aspirations, and we expect to see strong continued growth in this area."

Matthew Haerr has been a Financial Advisor for over 20 years. He has worked with company sponsored retirement plans, family and personal wealth management, and personal retirement planning throughout his career. Matt has helped business owners and corporations develop strategies for company retirement plans including 401(k), profit sharing and pension plans.

Christine Soscia has been in the financial services industry for over 15 years. She works with business owners in helping design, audit and implement employee benefit programs.  Christine also specializes in working with business owners in the areas of strategic tax planning, wealth management, business planning, estate planning and succession planning.

With her primary focus on 401(k) plans, in 2004 Christine was one of the first to graduate from the 401(k) Coach program.  In 2006, she purchased a TPA firm and managed more than 160 plans.  She has appeared on CNBC and Fox Business and has been quoted in various financial publications.  Christine holds Series 63, 7, 24, and 66 registrations with LPL Financial and Life and Health licenses and is a founding member of the Professional Business Advisor group in Las Vegas.

Amir Arbabi assists companies on plan design, fiduciary oversight and investment due diligence.  Utilizing his years of experience with retirement planning, Amir creates customized plans to meet his clients' unique goals and needs.  In addition to his expertise in plan consulting, Amir has extensive knowledge of wealth and investment management from his training at firms such as Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney.

Peter Littlejohn joins the Retirement Benefits Group as the practice leader in the Midwest, currently domiciled in Akron, Ohio.  Peter has over 27 years of retirement plan experience, most recently at Highmark Capital Management in San Francisco, where he led the DCIO advisory business beginning in 2009.  Earlier he led retirement businesses at Ivy Funds, Wells Fargo, Strong Capital Management and Cigna Retirement and Investment Services, where he was responsible for sales, marketing, client service and strategic development.

About Retirement Benefits Group
Retirement Benefits Group™ ("RBG"), one of the premier retirement plan consulting groups in the country, offers access to brokerage and related retirement-plan services to corporations, governmental agencies, non-profit organizations and their employees through LPL Financial. RBG, which is headquartered in San Diego, CA with additional offices in Irvine, Riverside, Westlake Village, CA, Phoenix, AZ, Gresham, OR, Las Vegas, NV, Idaho Falls, ID, Temecula, CA, Akron, OH, and White Plains, NY, consults on more than $7 billion in retirement plan assets. Visit www.rbgnrp.com for more information.

Financial consultants of RBG are registered representatives with securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Retirement Benefits Group, a registered investment advisor and separate entity from LPL Financial.

About LPL Financial
LPL Financial, a wholly-owned subsidiary of LPL Investment Holdings Inc. (LPLA), is the nation's largest independent broker-dealer (based on total revenues, Financial Planning magazine, June 1996-2011), a top RIA custodian, and a leading independent consultant to retirement plans. LPL Financial offers proprietary technology, comprehensive clearing and compliance services, practice management programs and training, and independent research to over 12,900 financial advisors and approximately 680 financial institutions. In addition, LPL Financial supports over 4,400 financial advisors licensed with insurance companies by providing customized clearing, advisory platforms and technology solutions. LPL Financial and its affiliates have approximately 2,700 employees with headquarters in Boston, Charlotte, and San Diego. For more information, please visit www.lpl.com.

*Based on total revenues, Financial Planning magazine, June 1996-2011

LPLA-A

LPL Financial Media Contacts
Joseph Kuo / Chris Clemens
Haven Tower Group LLC
(206) 420-3851 or (206) 420-1525
jkuo@haventower.com or cclemens@haventower.com

RBG Media Contacts
Larry Deatherage
Retirement Benefits Group
(858) 551-4015
ldeatherage@rbgnrp.com



CANADA STOCKS-TSX stumbles on weak bank, energy shares - Reuters UK

Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.

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