by Aaron Falk

In the world of ecommerce, consumer is king. As the economy continues to remain sluggish, recent data has showed that both consumer confidence and consumer spending is up – some consumers are even digging into their savings to shop.

Recent reports suggest that online retail sales continue to post significant gains and are projected to account for nine percent of total retail sales. As consumers persist in heading online – one survey found that more than 38 million Americans shop while they’re on the toilet – the traditional bricks-and-mortar business model is becoming an antiquated framework.

Even the future of online shopping is changing. In December, IBM published its annual “5 in 5” report in which it highlights the next era of computing, which, in this case, was cognitive computers. With cognitive computing, consumers can feel the fabric on a set of sheets their interested in purchasing.

“Bricks and mortar stores face an accelerating trend of e-commerce and must shore up their foundation in the face of digital competitors and in light of consumer sensitivity to rising gas prices,” stated Mike Martin, president of UnbeatableSale.com, in a press release. “The buying-cycle is closing – consumers have the ability to research pricing and products unlike ever before.”

Since its foundation in 2004, UnbeatableSale.com has become one of the top online retailers by offering the best deals, the best sales and the lowest prices on millions of items for its millions of customers. Located in Lakewood, New Jersey, the company offers savings of between 30 percent and 70 percent on high-quality products on their website.

UnbeatableSale.com has transitioned into the epicenter for savings on the latest items, whether it’s the newest video games, refrigerators, tablets, home decor and millions of other products. With a management team that has more than 50 years of experience combined, the company always reviews its inventory to ensure that it is keeping up with changing consumer demands and needs.

To provide the easiest shopping experience, UnbeatableSale.com offers an array of features: lists and detailed descriptions of items, easy-to-understand instructions, price-match guarantees, an online order tracker, a 30-day returns policy and fast and courteous customer service.

UnbeatableSale.com offers thousands of brand names and also operates several niche brands: Comfort Market, Greater Medical, Halloween Mall, Pet Shop, Fun Toy Mall, Techno Outlet and Boncui.

Since being established, the company has earned a number of accolades, including being an accredited BBB member for close to a decade and being given a top A+ rating. The website has also been ranked 287^th in the Internet Retailer Top 500 guide and placed on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private American companies in 2009 and 2011.

In 2010, the company posted a three-year growth of 170 percent, or $17 million, with just 60 employees, up from a workforce of 40 three years prior. Last year, the company announced that it set records with big brand partners even in this tough economy.

“The 21^st Century consumer is online all the time, adding pressure to retailers to be where their buying audience is, when they need to be, with the products these shoppers are looking for, to make the sale,” said Mike Martin, UnbeatableSale.com president, in a press release.

“UnbeatableSale has proven its value as a partner to some of the biggest names in retail such as Barnes & Noble and Best Buy Co. Inc. – by offering a cost-effective, easy solution to implement that taps into a wider and deeper product mix, with more ways to find relevant products at the most competitive better prices, with higher quality support and technologically sophisticated systems. Top tier retailers in growing numbers are drawn to UnbeatableSale to meet their sales targets and expansion goals in multiple areas.”

Just like others involved in ecommerce and its competitors, UnbeatableSale.com has generated a large number sales and continues to grow with each passing year.

With tax season here, fewer Americans expect to get a tax rebate from their tax return this year. But if you’re one of the millions of Americans receiving a refund, UnbeatableSale.com encourages people to check out its blog post of 12 ways to spend your tax refund, which was published early last year.

There is a mining boom based largely on wildly-oversized construction spending in the People’s Republic of China. This can’t continue forever, and mining-sector stocks often risk price drops for their commodity products. Moreover, governments are keen on taxing mines and restructuring rights to natural resources. Given these risks, investors should only invest in miners at attractive valuation multiples.

Congo Government Wants 35% of Mine Projects in Code Changes

Governments love to lean on mining projects. After all, it’s not like miners can relocate their projects hundreds or thousands of miles away.

A report from the Democratic Republic of Congo business association revealed that the government is planning to increase its involvement in mining projects from five percent to thirty five percent. It also plans to increase the amount of royalties charged on mineral exports. Martin Kabwelulu, the Mines Minister said, “These proposals will be submitted to all parties for a consensus.”

Cliffs Cuts Iron Production

Beyond government confiscation, there is simple market risk that confronts commodity producers.

Cleveland-based mining company Cliffs Natural Resources (CLF) announced it will lay off approximately 625 staff after it shuts down and scales down projects in Minnesota, Michigan and Quebec due to poor iron demand. Its Empire Mine in Palmer, Michigan will dissolve 500 jobs. It had also postponed plans of expansion in its Bloom Lake mine in Quebec.

Cliffs spokeswoman Sandy Karnowski said:

It’s a tough day for all of us at Cliffs and we’re hopeful to see the market conditions improve in the future. To continue reading, click here.

As the auto industry has been booming, some investors have been disappointed that General Motors (GM) has not been making as strong of gains as other companies. Its new money-back, no-haggle-price promotion is an attempt to attract more customers and gain market share, but in comparison to promotions involving Chrysler, Nissan, Honda (HMC), Toyota (TM), Ford (F) and even eBay (EBAY), this does not seem like such a big deal. I think the General Motors promotion has received too much hype and will ultimately have no significant impact on the company. Due to its low price, I suggest watching for other developments, but I would not recommend this stock quite yet.

General Motors is currently trading around $21, which is at the low end of its 52-week range of $19 to $31.30. It has a market cap of $31.11 billion and a trailing P/E of 5.98. GM’s revenue and gross profit numbers are up from this point last year, though perhaps not as much as investors would like.

Other companies have been passing by General Motors this year, as auto sales grew by 15% industry-wide, but sales increased by just over 6% for General Motors’ Chevrolet brand. As a result, General Motors is offering a 60-day money-back promotion, where customers will be able to return unwanted new Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, and Cadillac vehicles within 60 days of their purchase. The requirements are quite reasonable, furthermore, as the vehicle must be undamaged, it must have less than 4,000 miles, and the customer must be up to date on payments. To continue reading, click here.

One great way to make money in equities is to find a growth company in a growth business, but do so before the company actually grows so the stock is dirt cheap. As for the business, it makes no sense to invest in a new and better sewing machine manufacturer, for instance, as sewing is not a growth industry. One industry that fits the bill for a true growth industry is mixed martial arts. As established sports leagues and events as popular as the National Football League and NASCAR have experienced actual drops in attendance these past few years, mixed martial arts bills itself, quite correctly, as the fastest growing sport in the world. That makes the arena of providing product and services to the mixed martial arts industry an attractive proposition to any company.

One company that is in a position to take advantage of both the growth of mixed martial arts and the fact that its primary target audience is persons under 35 years of age is Respect Your Universe (RYUN). It is a young company, with limited sales to date and no profits. It describes itself on its website as “a premium training apparel and equipment company rooted in and inspired by mixed martial arts.” Yet, when looking at any sort of developmental company, one must first look at the managers. When it comes to Respect Your Universe, I like what I see. Its Chief Executive Officer and Director, Christoper Martens, is formerly an executive at Nike (NKE), specifically serving as its General Manager and Merchandise Director. He served also as Global Director of Apparel for the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. Prior to Nike, he served eleven years in the apparel division at Eastern Mountain Sports.

John Wood is President of Respect Your Universe, and also a board member. Prior to coming to his current position, he was Director of Customer Development at two major Las Vegas nightclubs, putting him in contact with many of the promoters and participants in Ultimate Fighting Championship events. He is also a martial arts expert on his own accord. His contacts make him the “point” man for Respect Your Universe’s efforts to become the “inside” apparel maker for the mixed martial arts community.

Steven Eklund is the Chief Financial Officer. He has decades of experience in finance with large consumer operations like Nike, General Mills (GIS), and Eddie Bauer. He is 64 years old, substantially older than the other officers, and will add a nice bit of seasoning to the management team.

The other director, Erick Siffert, is Chief Operations Manager. He too has decades of experience in operations, much of that for Nike. All told, this is an idea combination of experience, contacts, and energy for any developing company to be lucky to have. This team gives me great confidence that Respect Your Universe will have every chance to succeed.

Respect Your Universe purports to base its products on foundation beliefs in respect, strength, honor and sustainability. Its products all have special markings, taken from ancient Swahili iconography to designate it is a moisture wicking fabric “Air Weave”, a weather resistant fabric “Wind Weave”, thermal control fabric (Fire Weave), and environmentally friendly fabric (“Terra Weave”).

Respect Your Universe sells a wide variety of performance athletic and leisure wear for indoor and outdoor, competition and training. All its products either incorporate recycled materials, or organic fabrics. Offerings are for men and women, everything from performance shorts to hoodies and duffel bags. The bulk of its sales have been through its web site, but inroads have been made with national retailers also such as Von Maur department stores and Eastbay. Earlier this month, Respect Your Universe reached an agreement to open its first, and flagship, retail store in Las Vegas. It will be placed in an upscale mall, across from a Burberry (BURBY) store.

I do not know of any company as uncompromising to quality and environmentalism as Respect Your Universe purports to be. Its biggest downside is it has no real track record. It has a market capitalization of a little less than $40 million, and trailing 12 month revenue of $67,000 through March 31, 2012. At that time it held a little more than $2 million cash on hand, $0.5 million in inventory, $0.8 million in deposits, and $1.7 million in prepaid expenses. The company recorded a loss in the second quarter of the year of $1.94 million, and since the inception of the company in 2008 has recorded a cumulative loss of a little over $10 million. It carries virtually no long term debt.

This company bears all the hallmarks of a young company in its development stage. It will begin to receive real revenue in the current quarter through its new retail marketing partners and its web site, which only because operational in February of this year.

Perhaps the “grown up” company that most resembles what Respect Your Universe might someday be is Lululemon Athletica (LULU). This high cap ($8.8 billion market capitalization) company has achieved terrific growth without taking on long-term debt. Its operating margin of 28% is more than double Nike’s and Under Armour’s (UA). Its return on equity of 35% is outstanding in any sort of business. And best of all, it is selling at a lower 5 year PEG than Nike, Under Armour or Adidas (ADDYY). Lululemon has obtained this enviable record and position by securing a market, in its case the yoga market, and from that position it is chewing on the virtual heels of Nike and Under Armour in running and other athletic apparel. That, in my opinion, is the way for Respect Your Universe to sustain years of growth. Secure the mixed martial arts market, and then slowly make inroads in other athletic or fashion areas. Time will tell.

Transparency/Disclosure: I am not a registered investment advisor and do not provide specific investment advice. The information contained herein is for informational purposes only. Nothing in this article should be taken as a solicitation to purchase or sell securities. Before buying or selling any stock you should do your own research. I am a consultant to a third-party and have received one hundred fifty dollars for independent research. Always discuss investments with a licensed professional advisor before making any financial decisions. Statements made herein are often “forward-looking statements” as stipulated under Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. While I have researched this company thoroughly, my due diligence is not a substitute for your own.

In recent remarks, David O’Reilly, CEO and chairman of Chevron (CVX) until January 2011 and now chairman of the National Petroleum Council, indicated he is betting against U.S. oil independence based on shale extraction. O’Reilly said, “I do believe that we will still be importing oil 20 to 25 years from now, and that is one area of vulnerability we have in our supply system,” citing weakness in the current infrastructure and a lack of economic scale. O’Reilly’s view partly explains why Chevron is moving slowly on entering unconventional plays in the lower 48 states, which I believe is ultimately to Chevron’s detriment.

Chevron’s reluctance to participate in shale plays puts it behind all of its U.S. based competitors. Marathon Oil (MRO) is betting heavily on shale to fuel its growth. Exxon Mobil (XOM) is now the largest producer of natural gas in the U.S. following its acquisition of XTO Energy in 2009. It was not until February 2011 that Chevron acquired Atlas Energy to obtain its first foothold on U.S. shale gas, though the deal was nowhere near as large or as successful as Exxon Mobil’s acquisition of XTO. As of the end of 2011, Chevron owned 700,000 acres in the Marcellus and 600,000 acres in the Utica, but is apparently not very excited about the prospects here as these plays are not even mentioned in the company’s first quarter earnings presentation.

If Not Drilling in the U.S., then Where?

Chevron’s strongest area of focus remains its natural gas projects, primarily centered in Australia, where it operates the Gorgon and Wheatstone projects, among others. To continue reading, click here.

One of the leading independent energy companies leading the way in the exploration and development of natural gas liquids (NGL) is Devon (DVN). While other energy companies are searching out alternative resources because of the downward pricing of natural gas, Devon is going for the liquid.

This is a smart move especially when analysts are expecting this company’s growth, due to NGL, to be close to 13% this year. Of course NGL is not Devon’s only energy resource to bring to market. The company is expecting growth of up to 24% from its oil plays. In the most recent quarter, the company reported record production of 694,000 barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) per day in the most recent quarter, up 10% from the first quarter of 2011. Devon is a company that I believe investors should not just keep a keen eye on, but own the company while watching its phenomenal growth.

Two of Devon’s competitors, Apache (APA) and Anadarko (APC) are in for a surprise when Devon’s plans finally begin to take hold. Lesser competitors such as Cabot Oil & Gas (COG), Comstock Resources (CRK), and Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ) will also need to be on their toes as Devon begins taking action on its lofty goals. The company has set a goal to spend $1 billion more than originally planned for oil exploration, or close to $6.5 billion, with expectations of increasing its oil and gas production by 6% to 8% on an annual basis over the next five years.To continue reading, click here.

The number of homes refinanced under the new and improved Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) nearly doubled in the first quarter of 2012. That should benefit mortgage REITS that invest in government guaranteed mortgages, such as AG Mortgage Management (MITT), Hatteras Financial (HTS), American Capital Agency (AGNC), and Annaly Capital Management (NLY).

Stocks from mREITs like these should see a small boost in profits from this news. Even though the volume of refinances under HARP 2.0 has nearly doubled, the number is still very low. Around 180,000 mortgages were refinanced under the program in the first quarter, compared with around 93,000 in the last quarter of 2011.

The number of refinances does seem to be refinancing dramatically – around 80,000 HARP refinances were completed in March. The reason for this increase appears to be new mortgage refinancing software written expressly for HARP. The New York Times reported that the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHA) only made the program fully available at that time.

These numbers show that the refinancing business is getting a dramatic boost, which should increase the volume of business at mREITs. This should also increase their cash flow and profits. Also increased will be the amounts that those companies can leverage.

The major factor holding the number of HARP refinances down is the requirement that homeowners be current on their mortgage payments. Many underwater homeowners have had a hard time meeting mortgage payments because of the dismal economy.To continue reading, click here.

People are increasingly putting their money into health and well being, with the focus on living longer through the use of medicines and other artificial means. That means companies like Abbott (ABT) have a really good chance of staying on top of the heap for a long time, since their healthcare products are in high demand.

Companies like Merck (MRK) have some concerns with the development of generic medicines curtailing its sales. It is easy to see the problems with a market where products are in such high demand. Competitors undercut you simply by developing cheaper substitutes. Yet, should this be a lingering concern for big, established companies? No. This is really only a temporary concern. These are generic medicines with no brand loyalty. Even though generics are a setback for now, they shouldn’t cut too far into the earnings of the big pharmaceuticals.

Conversely, Abbott’s $1.6 billion settlement is definitely something to watch closely. This is even more concerning since the settlement was for the promotion of “off label” usage. This is the second biggest settlement by a healthcare company since Pfizer (PFE) paid $2.3 billion in a settlement way back in 2009. This can be very dangerous for the company’s perception. Yet, this shouldn’t be too much of a problem, as one report indicates. There are still many good reasons to buy Abbott – it has a good dividend policy and stable financials which would allow the company to bounce back.

One should also consider Pfizer’s foray into nutritional supplements for children. To continue reading, click here.

It could be a great time to invest in Oracle (ORCL) after CEO Larry Ellison announced that the company would debut its much anticipated cloud computing software next week. The stock is currently trading at around $26, staying in the same $10 range or so for the last decade. Based on the new cloud software rolled out by the charismatic Ellison, as well as favorable buzz over the safety of the always-consistent stock, I think Oracle could be poised for a solid rise.

The debut of its cloud software – which, according to Ellison, would give Oracle a significant leg up over competitor SAP (SAP) – represents a significant step up in technology for the tech giant. The concept of cloud computing, which has had a meteoric rise over the last few years, is having data access from pretty much anywhere, as opposed to locating data on a physical server. One example of cloud computing most are familiar with is Google’s (GOOG) Google Docs, which allow users to work on documents in the “cloud,” wherever they are. Users are then able to come back to their documents in other places at other times. Cloud software even allows users to work collaboratively in real-time on the same document, since it is in “the cloud” and not based in a physical server room based in any one location. PCMag explains cloud computing as “having every piece of data you need for every aspect of your life at your fingertips and ready for use.” To continue reading, click here.

Exxon Mobil (XOM) is a stalwart integrated oil company that offers very little risk to its investors. Exxon Mobil is the largest publicly owned oil company in the world, with stable earnings and a very consistent stock price that has remained between $67 to $87 over the past 52 weeks.

Currently at the year to date low of about $81, Exxon Mobil stock has stayed steady in the mid $80 range since the beginning of 2012. In the five months since January, investors have pushed Exxon shares against the apparent price ceiling of $87 no less than seven times. Along with the Standard & Poor’s assessment of low qualitative risk, Exxon Mobil deals out a healthy dividend rate of $2.28 per share. Given these factors, I believe Exxon Mobil has prepared itself for sustainable growth. Coupled with the nature of oil and gas prices as summer approaches, I think Exxon Mobil is a valuable stock to own.

Due to regulation from the US Environmental Protection Agency, oil companies like Exxon Mobil must use a special blend of gas for the summer season, putting a cap on vapor pressure in gasoline. Oil refineries often are forced to shut down at the beginning of the season so they can adjust the refinery to the new blend of gasoline they need to produce. This temporarily lowers the supply of oil, and thus gasoline produced by companies like Exxon Mobil. As driving vacation season comes with summer, the demand for gasoline increases in the United States and the final outcome is a rise in the price of gasoline.To continue reading, click here.

An unfortunate aspect of the software industry is that those on the cutting edge tend to underestimate companies that seem down and out. Microsoft (MSFT) is one of these companies, or at least that is the sentiment you get from those involved in the industry. Take a step back and you will see that Microsoft is still among the software elite, and the pace at which it has been developing new products and solutions might make this more evident.

First and foremost, Microsoft has put itself in a very strong position for growth with the introduction of its new Windows 8 operating system. With the recent $300 million dollar investment in Barnes & Noble (BKS), Microsoft added a strong e-book competitor to its Windows 8 lineup. Specifically, the addition of the “Nook” e-book reader puts Microsoft in a good position to compete in the tablet market with the iPad and Kindle Fire. Since Android-based tablets have little market share, the tablet market will be open to a new competitor for those looking to buy a lower-priced tablet than the iPad and a more functional tablet than the Kindle Fire.

Also, Windows 8 will introduce Microsoft to the smartphone market. Although it already has a Windows Phone, you are unlikely to see anyone actually using it. With Windows 8, Microsoft looks to change this. In fact, some think that Windows Phone could take over Android’s market share, slowly pushing it out of the market.To continue reading, click here.