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In Toronto I cannot dump drywall/construction waste at the regular dump.. There is a special location for rip out waste. Never thought it might ne fertiliser material... maybe I'll just dump it in my own garden from now on :O)
Also on the small size possibilities.. It really is a tuck it a way stock but I was in rabid profit/cash protection mode late 2007 so sold into strength..
Yes, wish I could be sure that they are wrong ... I just played that game on the previous pop..
Yeah, why don't those guys in the low 4s just wait for 10 LOL..
I owned a fair bit but got out a while back... still on watch
I thought that was a before and after ad...
So I should just tuck my shares away in the sock drawer and wait..
ooops... the sock drawer is not big enough :0)
My plan has been to be high cash before summer 2008 for quite a while.. The date has been a moving target... too bad I didn't go 80% cash end of December.. I'm still off my highs but it's in plain sight again :O)
Sure is... I just mean that often these analysts are no better than your blind bat :o)
Even a guy like Don Coxe... totally goofed on the subprime mess and took a few months to admit that after the last time he poopooed the idea that it was very significant.. and he's one I listen to :O)
Is that the guy that does Berman's call on BNN ? He called for gold to retreat to 750 before hitting the 9's.... Just another voice in the woods... but smart enough to get paid for what he says... almost as good as getting elected LOL....
Maybe he's right this time... we'll hear about that a lot if he is... :O)
yes I saw that one on a Silicon Investor thread I frequent... BLR was playing a little closology itself :O)
chat rooms... worse than analysts... brokers or investment advisors ? and look at the camaraderie there is to be had :O)
HF.TO is lagging here too but not as badly ... at least it's headed in the right direction... No position in either.. still with lots of cash here.. been scalping liquid stuff like COS.UN..
Depends upon where you look...
I think KCL is a better bet..
MGO.to having trouble staying above the 200DMA financials out.. sold out before the drop... looking to re-enter..
http://biz.yahoo.com/ccn/080212/200802120441465001.html?.v=1
maa.v a mixed bag.. have owned it, not in.
http://biz.yahoo.com/ccn/070629/200706290399963001.html?.v=1
Raytec may be cheaper Thursday.. we will see how the PP is received although no dent today to be sure... printed some woody today...
also SCP.TO with the Sprott name.. will level off for a while ? or slip back... I sold half mine the other day..
CAGC.. no position... http://www.chinaagritechinc.com/index.htm
wrt RAY... With all the be careful out there talk from you guys I didn't bite... now maybe I may give RAY a shot when the dust clears... ... been buying some U's .. I sold some KCL into the pop the other day... bought them back today.. cheaper :O) I'm overweight KCL.. Sold half my SCP 2.47 the other day.. still have 10K, again cheaper in the wrong sense.. :o( ...
I notice MGO is bucking the trend and down again today sell the news ??? What's the matter here ?
http://biz.yahoo.com/ccn/080212/200802120441465001.html?.v=1
Migao Announces First Quarter Financial Results
Tuesday February 12, 7:00 am ET
- Gross Profit Margin Improves to 24% -
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Feb. 12, 2008) - Migao Corporation (TSX:MGO - News), a China-based leading specialty potash fertilizer producer, is pleased to report sales of $24.7 million for the three-month period ended December 31, 2007 compared to $21.7 million for the same quarter in 2006. EBITDA for the first quarter was $4 million or 16% of revenue. Net income was $3.1 million or 13% of revenue for the quarter compared to $2.4 million or 11% of revenue in the same quarter in 2006. Basic earnings per share were $0.08 for the quarter, similar to the same quarter in 2006.
ADVERTISEMENT
"We are very pleased with our first quarter performance," stated Mr. Liu Guocai, President and CEO of Migao. "We continued to experience strong demand for our products and were able to return to our typical high margins in light of rising raw material prices."
Gross margin improved dramatically compared to the previous quarter as the Company successfully passed through increased raw material prices. Gross profit margin was 24% for the fiscal 2008 first quarter ended December 31, 2007, compared to 17% in the previous quarter and 22% in the first quarter of fiscal 2007. Global supply and demand imbalances have caused sulphuric acid prices to increase. The Company is pleased to report that despite the price increases in sulphuric acid, the supply is stable and secure. The price of Migao's main raw material, potassium chloride is expected to increase in China once current price negotiations are concluded. Currently, Migao is experiencing uninterrupted deliveries of potassium chloride and has approximately 5-6 months of potassium chloride in inventory.
The gains realized by Migao's high value crop customers allow them to absorb the increased costs of Migao's specialty potash based fertilizers and still be highly competitive. The demand for high value fruits and vegetables from China's growing middle class has created market conditions that are much less price sensitive.
As at December 31, 2007, Migao reported cash of $21.1 million and working capital of $39.6 million. At December 31, 2007, long term debt was nil and current bank debt was $4.7 million.
SUMMARY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
3 months ended 3 months ended
December 31, 2007 December 31, 2006
($'000)
Sales 24,680 21,731
Gross Profit 5,840 4,674
Net Income 3,100 2,409
EBITDA 3,991 3,087
Basic EPS 0.08 0.08
Diluted EPS 0.08 0.08
Weighted average number of
shares (in millions of shares)
Basic 37.2 29.1
Diluted 40.1 29.2
Balance Sheet Highlights
($'000)
3 months ended 3 months ended
December 31, 2007 December 31, 2006
Current ratio 2.09:1 3.03:1
Cash 21,144 17,453
Working Capital 39,584 36,669
Total assets 124,870 100,027
Debt to Equity Ratio 0.41:1 0.22:1
Income tax during the quarter totaled $0.37 million. Each of Migao's wholly owned operating subsidiaries qualify for a favourable tax program whereby the first two profitable years are tax exempt and the next three years' tax rate is half of the prescribed corporate rate. Income tax paid during the quarter is a result of Sichuan Migao being in its second of the three-year tax reduced rate and Guangdong Migao being in its first of the three-year tax reduced rate.
During the quarter ended December 31, 2007, Migao announced expansion activities at its Sichuan and Changchun Migao facilities had been completed and were fully operational.
- A 20,000 tonne potassium nitrate expansion at the Sichuan Migao facility was completed in early October and production began on October 26th. The expanded production capacity increased the total capacity of the Sichuan Migao facility to 80,000 tonnes of potassium nitrate.
- Changchun Migao, located in Jilin Province in northeastern China, was completed on October 18th, 2007. The new 40,000 tonne per year potassium sulphate facility was completed ahead of schedule and began full scale production in late December. The impact on revenue from Changchun during the first quarter was negligible, however second quarter results will be positively impacted by a full three months of production and delivery.
The outlook for China's domestic chemical fertilizer market is positive. The main factors that drive the growth in the fertilizer industry in China include increasing demand for high value crops and favorable government policies towards investment in agriculture aimed to boost the rural economy. As China's citizens continue to benefit from strong economic growth they will demand more and better agricultural products.
"Migao is in an excellent position to benefit from the significant consumption growth of our products in China," said Mr. Liu Guocai. "The changing diet of the Chinese population is putting tremendous pressure on the country's finite amount of arable land. Specialty fertilizers are a vital component in helping to maximize agricultural yields. With our plan to increase specialty fertilizer capacity to 500,000 tonnes by the end of 2009, from our current 260,000 tonnes, our vision of being China's predominant producer of specialty potash fertilizers is approaching reality."
Conference Call
Migao will be hosting a conference call to discuss the first quarter results at 10:00am Tuesday February 12, 2008. The details are as follows:
Dial in number: 416-695-6622 or 1-866-766-6630
Taped replay (until February 19, 2008): 416-695-5800 or 1-800-408-3053
Taped replay access code: 3252166#
About Migao
Migao Corporation, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, owns and operates fertilizer production plants in various strategic locations across China for the production and sale of specialty potash fertilizer (potassium nitrate and potassium sulphate) to China's agricultural market. Migao Corporation is subject to, and complies with strict government regulations that govern safety, quality and environmental protection. Migao's Sichuan facility is ISO 14001 certified, an international environmental management standard. Please visit www.migaocorp.com for further information.
This press release contains statements that may constitute forward-looking statements, which may include financial and other projections, as well as statements regarding future plans, objectives or economic performance. Forward-looking information involves significant risks, assumptions, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual future results or anticipated events to differ materially from those expressed or implied and accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause results to vary include those expressed in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulatory authorities. All information presented herein should be read in conjunction with such filings.
Contact:
Jay Hussey
Migao Corporation
Vice President Corporate Finance
(416) 869-1108 ext. 104
Email: jay.hussey@migaocorp.com
Paul Zhang, C.A., C.P.A.(IL)
Migao Corporation
Chief Financial Officer
(416) 869-1108 ext. 103
Email: paul.zhang@migaocorp.com
Started nibbling on UUU.TO and STM.V, Small positions. To keep me interested ...
I was kinda looking for it to smack into 3ish ... low volume and dribbling away today though...
Next they are going to decry plate tectonics... We need to stop the continents from drifting... it must be due to human obesity :O)
Jail Suzuki for hubris and hypocrisy if he flies again instead of using broadcast technology to speak at conferences..
He and Gore... two peas in a pod..
metaphorically of course LOL.. What a dick
http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/301963
Climate change will wipe out Quebec skiing, study predicts TheStar.com - Canada - Climate change will wipe out Quebec skiing, study predicts
February 09, 2008
Sean Gordon
Quebec Bureau Chief
MONTREAL–The powder hounds' prayers have been answered with a pair of February snowfalls, but even a thickening blanket of the white stuff can't bury the grim truth about one of Quebec's favourite winter pastimes.
A vast climate study is predicting the ski season in southern Quebec will shorten dramatically – perhaps by as much as half – over the coming three decades, with even sharper changes in store beyond 2040.
"There will be a marked reduction in the duration of the ski season over the coming years, especially in more southern regions," wrote the study's principal authors, professors Bhawan Singh and Christopher Bryant of the University of Montreal's geography department.
According to a summary of Singh's analysis published by the university last month, warming effects mean "the skiable season could go from four months to fewer than two months. And even making artificial snow won't really help. To make snow, you need the mercury to fall below zero."
December was the second snowiest month on record in Montreal, with more than double the average monthly snowfall measured since the 1940s, but January told a different story, with 11 days of temperatures above freezing.
That's part of a long-term trend that foreshadows potentially devastating consequences for Quebec's $600 million ski industry.
Bryant first began measuring the impact of climate change on agriculture in the early 1990s. Singh sat on the intergovernmental climate-change panel that won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.
The implications are also clear for ski enthusiasts in New England and Ontario: As the planet warms, people will have to travel farther afield to find reliable ski conditions.
In southern Quebec, average winter temperatures have risen between four and five degrees since the 18th century, the study showed.
There are 84 major ski resorts in Quebec, although the 15 largest, mostly located within an hour's drive of Montreal, haul in 70 per cent of the business. "Some places are more vulnerable than others," Bryant said in an interview.
The three biggest ski resorts in the province – Mont Tremblant, Mont Sainte-Anne and Le Massif – should continue to thrive because of their altitude and the fact they are in more northern latitudes.
Indeed, there are plans afoot for a $230 million expansion of Le Massif, which is in the Charlevoix region northeast of Quebec City.
But in the Eastern Townships, home to the province's oldest downhill ski runs, the situation will grow increasingly perilous.
Weather statistics show 55.6 centimetres of snow fell on the Montreal area in January, compared with 112.8 centimetres in December, with a mean temperature of about half a degree warmer than in 2007.
The region around Montreal received about as much rain as it did snow in January (of 99 millimetres of total precipitation, 55.6 was rain or sleet, according to Environment Canada's preliminary readings). The picture is worse if you exclude a New Year's Eve storm that dumped 20 centimetres on the region. And in the Eastern Townships, records showed 40 per cent less precipitation in January than in Montreal and 12 days at or near zero degrees.
The results of the study on the ski industry were first released in late 2006 to Ouranos, a provincially funded environmental research consortium. But the researchers have continued to do a series of follow-up studies, which primarily consider the impact of climate change on agricultural practices in southern Quebec.
"We believe the results haven't changed; they're based on an examination of long-term trends," Bryant said.
Peaches ?
You're the cutest thing
That I ever did see
I really love your peaches
Wanna shake your tree.
a Lovey-dovey, lovey-dovey, lovey-dovey all the time
Ooo-eee baby, I'll sure show you a good time
Steve Miller ~ The Joker
Might not be that bad :o)
Nothing But Flowers Lyrics
Artist(Band):Talking Heads
Here we stand
Like an Adam and an Eve
Waterfalls
The Garden of Eden
Two fools in love
So beautiful and strong
The birds in the trees
Are smiling upon them
From the age of the dinosaurs
Cars have run on gasoline
Where, where have they gone?
Now, it's nothing but flowers
There was a factory
Now there are mountains and rivers
you got it, you got it
We caught a rattlesnake
Now we got something for dinner
we got it, we got it
There was a shopping mall
Now it's all covered with flowers
you've got it, you've got it
If this is paradise
I wish I had a lawnmower
you've got it, you've got it
Years ago
I was an angry young man
I'd pretend
That I was a billboard
Standing tall
By the side of the road
I fell in love
With a beautiful highway
This used to be real estate
Now it's only fields and trees
Where, where is the town
Now, it's nothing but flowers
The highways and cars
Were sacrificed for agriculture
I thought that we'd start over
But I guess I was wrong
Once there were parking lots
Now it's a peaceful oasis
you got it, you got it
This was a Pizza Hut
Now it's all covered with daisies
you got it, you got it
I miss the honky tonks,
Dairy Queens, and 7-Elevens
you got it, you got it
And as things fell apart
Nobody paid much attention
you got it, you got it
I dream of cherry pies,
Candy bars, and chocolate chip cookies
you got it, you got it
We used to microwave
Now we just eat nuts and berries
you got it, you got it
This was a discount store,
Now it's turned into a cornfield
you got it, you got it
Don't leave me stranded here
I can't get used to this lifestyle
about no National Instrument Inc ?
ooops
Yeah I think I need to spend some time on your solar thread ;O)
I don't think we are going to have the end of the world here but the way we live has to change, a lot.
4$ ? I'm hoping for better than double that... :o)
Volume certainly has been on the perky side lately...
http://siliconinvestor.advfn.com/readmsg.aspx?msgid=24287820
From: CommanderCricket 2/6/2008 10:25:09 AM
of 96478
Depletion didn't take long....25% this year!!
UPDATE 1-Exxon's Sakhalin output to fall sharply in 2008
Wed Feb 6, 2008 3:35am EST
By Vladimir Soldatkin
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssEnergyNews/idUSL0625508620080206?rpc=401&
MOSCOW, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil's (XOM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) Sakhalin-1 project will cut oil output sharply this year, a project partner said on Wednesday amid a gloomy outlook for Russia's overall production this year due to stagnation in West Siberia.
Sakhalin-1, which reported peak production of 250,000 barrels per day early last year, will cut annual average production by over 25 percent this year - much steeper than expected - as the field is getting depleted.
"Peak production of 11.2 million tonnes (225,000 barrels per day), which we saw last year, has passed," said Lev Brodsky, the head of Sakhalin projects at Russian state oil major Rosneft (ROSN.MM: Quote, Profile, Research). Exxon was not immediately available for comments.
Brodsky said production was expected to fall to 7.9-8.2 million tonnes in 2008. Russian officials have previously said the field would produce around 10 million tonnes this year.
Russia, the world's second-largest oil exporter, increased output by 2.3 percent last year to 9.87 million bpd with the growth coming mainly on the back of higher Sakhalin-1 production.
But January output fell by almost 1 percent to 9.78 million bpd due to lower production in West Siberia and a 22 percent slump in output from production sharing agreements (PSA), of which Sakhalin-1 is the biggest by far.
The neighbouring Sakhalin-2 project, co-led by Gazprom (GAZP.MM: Quote, Profile, Research) and Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L: Quote, Profile, Research), last year postponed the launch of year-round production in a move further souring the outlook for Russian output.
"We view the disappointing January output as a result of problems that continue to pile up in the Russian oil sector," Troika Dialog brokerage's Valery Nesterov said in a note.
"These include swelling production costs, the deteriorating quality of Western Siberia's reserve base, a lack of large greenfield project launches last year and, more importantly, a very tough tax regime."
"The only positive spin that we can make out of this sad operating performance is that a further freefall in production may potentially force the government to review its stance on taxation in the industry," he added.
Sakhalin-1 as a PSA deal is subject to special regulations, when its tax status is fixed for a long term. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; writing by Dmitry Zhdannikov; editing James Jukwey)
Potash is a fertilizer made from wood ashes Quaint.. but not up to date... I love analysts... Wouldn't he wonder why we talk about mining the stuff ?
BTW Very long KCL.. less but a fair bit of SCP FOS/BLR some SVU
Potassium Is a Naturally Occurring Plant Food Element
Potassium helps cotton to grow long, strong fibers.
Fertilizer K is often referred to as "potash". Early American settlers coined that name. They produced potassium carbonate needed for making soap by evaporating water filtered through wood ashes. The ash-like residue remaining in the large iron pots was called "pot ash". This process is registered as the first US patent.
Commercial production of potash in the US began when supplies from Germany were stopped due to military conflicts. Carlsbad, New Mexico, became the hub of US production. Other production from brines was developed in Utah and California. Then, in the early 1960s potash from vast, high quality Canadian reserves became available. As a result, Canada now supplies about three-fourths of the potash used in US crop production.
Most of the known world reserves of K were developed as sea water evaporated and K salts crystallized to become the beds of potash ore being mined today. The deposits are a mixture of crystals of potassium chloride (KCl) and sodium chloride (NaCl), better known as common table salt. Separation of the KCl from the mixture produces a high analysis natural K fertilizer. Other production methods result in the crystallization of potassium sulfate or potassium chloride from brines. . . such as those in the Great Salt Lake of Utah.
Nearly 95 percent of the commercially produced K is used in agriculture. The remaining 5 percent is used for industrial purposes and for products common in the home.
The following blurb is instructive http://www.saskschools.ca/~gregory/sask/potash.html
2 centimetres across the southern regions
That would a merit a 2 day lead time winter storm watch in Toronto...
if we get something that big during PDAC then watch out !!! ;O)
LOL...
Yeah I was thinking Feb 4 because originally I considered doing more than just the Investor Exchange. ..
The 75 bucks for the trade show is each day though.. not the entire conference..
That's the ticket... come to the PDAC March 2-5 Toronto.. Free registration for the investors section (cheap seats) upt to Feb 4 online ...
Uranium ... another go ?
http://siliconinvestor.advfn.com/readmsg.aspx?msgid=24274067
Commods bull Rogers says wouldn't buy platinum nowReuters Friday February 1 2008
By Eva Kuehnen
FRANKFURT, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Investment guru Jim Rogers won't buy platinum at record-high prices but sees uranium as an up and coming play on metals markets.
Asked about platinum , after it spiked to a record of $1,759 an ounce, the Rogers told an investors conference on Friday: "Would I buy it today? No, I wouldn't buy it today."
He said he may consider buying if prices were to come down but Rogers, whose Rogers International Commodity Index <.RICIX> rose some 30 percent in 2007, declined to give an outlook for platinum prices.
"I just don't know how far it's going to go in 2009," he added, when asked where he saw prices in 2009.
A global Reuters poll of 50 analysts and traders showed last month platinum was seen falling to $1,440 in 2009.
He said prospects looked good for uranium .
"Uranium has a great future and atomic energy has a great future... There is a huge amount of nuclear power plants, which have to be replaced," the American investor said.
"Even the environmentalists now say we should use atomic energy, because if properly...contained it is cleaner and it is much cheaper.
"Nuclear energy has a spectacular future. There is a huge amount of nuclear power plants which have to be replaced. No one has been opening uranium mines for decades. I think uranium is a great place to be."
While base metals prices such as copper and aluminium are seen to fall this year amid fears of a global economic slowdown and hence weaker demand, Rogers said he was watching the market closely.
Rogers, who co-founded the Quantum Fund with billionaire George Soros in the 1970s, said he preferred investments in the agriculture sector in the light of tightening supplies worldwide.
Cotton , sugar <1SBH8>, coffee <1KCH8> were currently cheap on a historic scale with inventories running low and in the wake of rising demand from emerging markets and alternative energies, Rogers said.
(Editing by Michael Roddy)
Might want to do a board search on that one here http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/board.asp?board_id=9037
he sure gets around...
At least up here in Canada there is no doubt... we know ours are gone :O)
Heat wave in Toronto... -10 outside my back door without the wind chill ;o)
Taft boomed while announcing he's jetting off to balmy Toronto to give a speech, "then to see hundreds of millions go into subsidies for natural gas prices." He's a regular David Suzuki.. too important to use marvelous video conferencing techniques and only beam his presence .... a fine way to lead by example...: No he needs to fly... one of the worst contributors efficiency wise..