"Jim Stack of InvesTech Research was the only panelist
to correctly predict both a recession and bear market in 2001."

- Paul Kangas, Nightly Business Report, January 1, 2002 -

Oil prices recently set a new record high. Crude oil is now double the price from a year ago as political tensions between Israel and Iran have become elevated. Where prices go from here is a KEY wild card for investors. If oil prices crash unexpectedly - due to regulatory investigations or from a release of crude oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve - average Americans will cheer. Investors overweight in energy, however, could feel some pain. Alternatively, if prices continue upward, as some expect, the U.S. economic growth will slow further as consumers re-examine their budgets and pull back on spending. We will keep you posted.

Meanwhile, the InvesTech Housing Bubble Bellwether Index moved perilously close to the record low set in early January of this year. New data showed that home sales remain at recessionary levels and inventories are still swollen. To top it off, mortgage rates marched upward once again! Even though some feel that housing stocks are close to a bottom, we will be looking for a more stable base to materialize.

Previous Charts of the Week
Chart of the Week - 6/23/08
Chart of the Week - 6/16/08
Chart of the Week - 6/9/08

Best Buy Opportunities in Stocks... and the conditions that precede them" -

As any contrarian knows, bear markets lead to great buying opportunities... but it's easy to get caught too early by deceptive (and dangerous) rallies. The key to success, as outlined in this exclusive InvesTech Special Report, is having the right tools and identifying the ideal conditions that precede the "Best Buys" in stocks.