NOTE TO EDITORS: The Following Is an Investment Opinion Being Issued by WallStSense.com

NOTE TO EDITORS: The Following Is an Investment Opinion Being Issued by Ridgewater Equity (RWE).

The market for initial public offerings is thawing, but retail investors shouldn't expect to find access to this notoriously exclusive market any easier -- though a few back doors are open for those who know where to look.

Rio Tinto PLC (RTP) was downgraded today by analysts at Credit Suisse and the stock is now at $209.76, down $4.09 (-1.91%) on volume of 506,827 shares traded. The analysts downgraded ...(Click the story link or go to http://www.marketintelligencecenter.com for the full story)

Speculation about a correction in oil prices -- potentially on a scale of $10 to $15 a barrel -- hangs over energy stocks, which extend their losses from Thursday's session.

Coal producer Cloud Peak Energy Inc. fell 2.2% to $14.69 in its stock market debut on Friday on the New York Stock Exchange.

Rio Tinto's Cloud Peak Enegy Falls In IPO Debut

A new fuel technology - unveiled just two weeks ago - is about to revolutionize the energy business. I saw it firsthand. General Electric Co. (GE) asked me to present “The Future of Natural Gas” at the company’s Gas Turbine Symposium in Greenville, S.C. That’s where GE revealed a new generation of its market-leading ...

A new fuel technology – unveiled just two weeks ago – is about to revolutionize the energy business. I saw it firsthand. General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) asked me to present “The Future of Natural Gas” at the company’s Gas Turbine Symposium in Greenville, S.C. That’s where GE revealed a new generation of its market-leading turbine technology.[More...]

U.S. President Barack Obama has begun a nine-day tour of Asia at a time when the U.S. economy is struggling to emerge from a deep recession. But nothing looms bigger than China, the largest holder of U.S. debt (around $797.1 billion, up 10% this year), has emerged from the global economic downturn in an ever stronger position. When Obama sets foot in China for the first time, he will confront a dramatically altered balance of power between the two nations.[More...]

U.S. President Barack Obama has begun a nine-day tour of Asia at a time when the U.S. economy is struggling to emerge from a deep recession. But nothing looms bigger than China, the largest holder of U.S. debt (around $797.1 billion, up 10% this year), has emerged from the global economic downturn ...

U.S. stocks surged Monday, with the Dow Jones industrial average storming to its highest level in more than 13 months as finance ministers from the Group of 20 industrialized nations pledged to continue economic stimulus measures to help the global economy.

The Dow Jones industrial average, which was well supported by strength in its all but one component, rose 203 points, or 2.0%, to a 13-month high of 10,227.  The S&P500 climbed 2.2% for its sixth straight session gain to 1093 and the tech-heavy NASDAQ gained 2.0% to close at 2154.  The market’s measure of volatility, the CBOE Vix, plunged 4.3% to 23.15.

All ten S&P500 industry groups ended in the green, led by gains in basic material shares (+3.5%) and financials (+3.5%).  Crude prices added $2.00 to close at $79.43 even as Hurricane Ida was downgraded to a tropical storm.  Gold prices went past the $1100 level, up $5.70 to $1101.40, as the metal shined brightly on its inflation hedge appeal.  At the same time, greenback took a beating on such concerns, declining 1.0% against a basket of currencies, to a 15-month intraday low of 75.04.  Shares of Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX) advanced 4.6%; Rio Tinto (NYSE:RTP) surged 5.9%.

A weak dollar helped shares of companies with large exposure to overseas markets.  Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) jumped 4.2%, DuPont (NYSE:DD) gained 3.7%, Boeing (NYSE:BA) rose 3.4%, and General Electric (NYSE:GE) added 3.4%.

Financials rose 3.5% with American Express (NYSE:AXP) jumping 4.9%, Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) up 4.8%, Discover Financial Services (NYSE:DFS) up 5.9% and Capital One Financial (NYSE:COF) up 5.6%.  The Fed noted that of the ten bank holding companies that underwent US government’s stress tests only GMAC has raised its capital reserves sufficiently to meet the economic risks of higher unemployment and slowing growth. On Thursday, the FDIC meets to address the negative implications of an accounting rule change requiring credit-card firms to bring back on to their books card loans that are bundled into securities and sold to investors.

While the economic calendar remains light and corporate earnings schedule slim, Fed speak schedule is heavy, with Atlanta Fed President Lockhart slated to take the stage at 9:15 ET; San Francisco President Yellen at 10:15. Boston Fed President Rosengren is due to speak at 4:15, Dallas Fed President Fisher at 7:30 and Fed Governor Tarullo at 8:30.  Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd is expected to release a draft of the bill on financial regulatory reform.

Zacks Investment Research

Companies featured in this segment: AMEC plc (LSE:AMEC), Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG), BHP Billiton Limited (NYSE:BHP), Rio Tinto plc (NYSE:RTP), Vale SA (NYSE:VALE), ArcelorMittal (NYSE:MT), ThyssenKrupp AG, Adani Power Limited (BSE:533096), Lanco Infratech Power Projects Limited (BSE:532778), Tata Power Company Limited (BSE:500400), Reliance Power Limited (BSE:532939), Vedanta Resources (LSE:VED), Praxair Incorporated (NYSE:PX)

Companies featured in this segment: Rio Tinto plc (NYSE:RTP), Baoshan Iron and Steel Company Limited (SHA:600019), BHP Billiton (NYSE:BHP), Vale S.A. (NYSE:VALE), Siemens AG (NYSE:SI)

Companies featured in this segment: Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F), Fiat SpA (OTC:FIATY), Ivanhoe Mines Limited (NYSE:IVN), Rio Tinto plc (NYSE:RTP), Salzgitter Group AG (ETR:SZG), Lonza Group AG (VTX:LONN), Linde AG (ETR:LIN), E.ON AG (OTC:EONGY)

Companies featured in this segment: Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO), Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO), Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX), Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM), Jacobs Engineering Group (NYSE:JEC), Fluor Corporation (NYSE:FLR), Areva SA (EPA:CEI), El Paso Corporation (NYSE:EP), Rio Tinto plc (NYSE:RTP), BHP Billiton Limited (NYSE:BHP), Baoshan Iron and Steel Company (SHA:600019), ArcelorMittal (NYSE:MT), ABB Limited (NYSE:ABB), Abengoa Solar SA (MCX:ABG), Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE:DB), E.ON AG (OTC:EONGY), Munich Re (BIT:MUV2), RWE AG (OTC:RWEOY), Siemens AG (NYSE:SI), Wisconsin Energy Corporation (NYSE:WEC), Iberdrola SA (OTC:IBDRY), BHP Billiton Limited (NYSE:BHP), China Shenhua Energy Company Limited (SHA:601088), Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU), Vale SA (NYSE:VALE), Gazprom OAO (OTC:OGZPY), Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE:DB), JPMorgan Chase & Company (NYSE:JPM), Rio Tinto plc (NYSE:RTP), Severstal’ OAO (MCX:CHMF), Itochu Corporation (OTC:ITOCY)

Companies featured in this segment: Fiat SpA (OTC:FIATY), Volkswagen AG (OTC:VLKAY), Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX:FMG), BHP Billiton Limited (NYSE:BHP), Rio Tinto plc (NYSE:RTP), Edison SpA (BIT:EDN), Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM), BP plc (NYSE:BP), Eni SpA (BIT:ENI), Enel SpA (BIT:ENEL), Gas Natural SDG SA (MCE:GAS), RWE Power AG (OTC:RWEOY), Hindalco Industries Limited (BSE:500440), Larsen & Toubro Limited (BSE:500510)