Tis the Season...

Tis the Season... 24th July 2006
Christmas and (insert your favorite holiday here) come but once a year; earnings season on the other hand, comes four times a year. And while earnings season may be devoid of streamers, balloons and cake...the outcome can be just as festive for penny stock investors.

While blue chip giants are bemoaning the start of earnings season this week, those interested in penny stocks or small-cap stocks have reason to cheer...or at the very least, be extremely optimistic.

After nearly six years of strong performance, small-cap stocks headed into 2005 with many industry analysts saying the honeymoon was over. Small-cap prices were too rich they said...the Johnny-come-lately lemmings were too many...and the bargains too few.

Not surprisingly, penny stocks sailed through 2005, beating their larger counterparts by an equally large margin. For the 12 months ended May 1, 2006, the Russell 2000 index of small-cap stocks returned 31.5%, compared with 14.1% for the Standard & Poor`s 500 index of large-company stocks.

The longer view is even more impressive. Since March 2000 (the official start of this rally) the Russell 2000 index has posted an average annual return of 7.3%, vs. -0.6% for the S&P 500.

Clearly the penny stock soothsayers are i) not worth listening to ii) not invited on my honeymoon.

Now, just because penny stocks have been performing well does not mean that earnings season is a foregone conclusion. In addition, you cannot compare the results of your favorite penny stock pick with those of the blue chip juggernauts.

For example, earlier this week one of the market`s bellwether stocks missed its revenue forecast for the quarter. Analysts pounced noting that the company`s share price "tumbled" 4% on the news. Another company`s missed forecast sent its stock "plummeting" 4.7%.

Penny stocks don`t tumble or plummet 4%. In the world of penny stocks, a daily drop or gain of 5% - 8% is commonplace. Now, should the penny stock on your radar screen climb 10%, 20%, or 50% on strong earnings...that could be described as significant.

Granted, the earnings results from large-cap stocks are a litmus test to how well our economy is doing...and is expected to do. Fortunately, penny stocks don`t follow the same rules as their leviathan counterparts. Penny stocks can defy logic and perform well in bad times...or perform poorly when times are good.

The point is, you can`t read your penny stock company`s fiscal results through the same glasses as you would a triple digit goliath. Penny stocks march to their own tune and experience daily climbs and drops that would churn the stomach of most Wall Street analysts.

Which is fine...most Wall Street fat cats are happy with a 7% return on their safe, boring investment. Penny stock investors are not.

Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_75743_19.html

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Choice of Honeymoon Registries

By: Vlady Peters

You’ve had a good think about it, and you’ve decided to have a Honeymoon Registry. Which one do you choose?

As in everything else, not all Honeymoon Registries are equal. Not only do they have different charges, their charges may sometimes depend on your own plans.

There are those Registries who have set up charges, and those that haven’t. Then there are those who have service charges and set up charges, while others have service charges but no set up charges. In some cases the service charge will be waived if you book your Honeymoon through the Honeymoon Registry and a service charge will be applied if you choose to book your Honeymoon elsewhere. And others, who do have a set-up fee irrespective of where you book your honeymoon, will lower the charge if you choose to book your Honeymoon with them.

Generally speaking, while not all Honeymoon Registries are connected to Travel agencies or are run by Travel agencies, those that are have the expectations that you will use them, and this is reflected in their charges.

The service charge percentage varies from 5% on. The difference in charges may be reflected in different type of service provided. In others, the Honeymoon Registry does not supply as full a service as those who charge a higher fee.

The service charge itself may be added on to the gift, resulting in the guest paying the amount stipulated for the gift, plus extra for the service charge. Other Registries allow the couple to decide whether they want the service fee to be deducted from the gift amount so that the guest pays the nominated price only.

When you start comparing facts and figures of the various Registries, it’s a little bit like buying different brands of the same item. Compare the similarities and the differences before making your choice.

Vlady Peters is an author of “Honeymoon! A Sizzle or a Fizzle?”, a book about planning the perfect Honeymoon no matter what your situation happens to be. To find out more, visit Vlady’s website http://www.betterhoneymoon.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vlady_Peters

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