Halliburton shareholders seek class action lawsuit for stock price losses

April 24, 2011 · Posted in futures contract · Comment 
Tom Ramstack – AHN News Legal Correspondent

Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments Monday in a case that could make it easier for corporations to get rid of lawsuits by shareholders angered when their stocks lose money.

The business community is intensely interested in the outcome, as evidenced by a large number of amicus, or friend-of-the-court, briefs filed in the case of Erica P. John Fund Inc. v. Halliburton Co.

It involves a lawsuit by shareholders of construction giant Halliburton. They accuse the company of securities fraud by misrepresenting its assets and liabilities in financial statements.

When the truth was disclosed later, Halliburton’s stock value dropped, making shareholders lose investment value.

Afterward, the shareholders got together to ask a federal court in the Northern District of Texas for class action status to sue Halliburton. Class action refers to a single lawsuit that represents the interests of many people.

They say Halliburton violated the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Securities Exchange Commission Rule 10-b5.

The shareholders reasoned it would be easier for them to prove they suffered damages in a joint lawsuit than as individuals.

The proof of damages has become the key issue in the lawsuit before the Supreme Court.

The Court must decide whether shareholders must prove misguided actions of the corporate directors caused their losses before they can sue in a class action.

Under current law, a jury decides at trial whether corporate bungling made shareholders lose money.

If the Supreme Court rules damages must be proved before shareholders get authorization for a class action, the number of lawsuits proceeding to trial is likely to plummet, according to securities lawyers.

Legal experts say fewer shareholders would try to sue if they know their chances of reaching trial are small.

Halliburton comes to the Supreme Court with a history of recent controversy.

Oil giant BP accuses Halliburton of shoddy work in construction of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico last year, leaking millions of barrels of oil into the water.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney was the company’s president until 2000.

Suspicions followed him into the White House about whether he used his political influence to improperly steer defense contracts to the company. Halliburton has played a big support role for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Shareholders are alleging similar behind-the-scenes moves in the financial statements that led to their lawsuit.

They say the company’s directors downplayed their liability for asbestos claims. They also say the directors misrepresented Halliburton’s likelihood of collecting revenue from construction contracts and exaggerated the benefits from a merger with Dresser Industries.

Later audits revealed what the shareholders say were misrepresentations. Wall Street responded immediately with a sharp drop in the company’s stock value.

Halliburton argues in its Supreme Court briefs there is no benefit to leaving decisions on evidence for a class action lawsuit to a jury.

Instead, a judge should resolve any class action authorization issues before trial, thereby eliminating costly, drawn-out and often frivolous lawsuits, Halliburton says.

The company’s brief also argued shareholders should not be granted a class action lawsuit because the evidence was too weak they lost money from the company’s incorrect financial statements, thereby “sever[ing] the link between Halliburton’s alleged misrepresentations and that market price.”

So far, Halliburton has won at the lower court level.

The Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that before the shareholders can sue for securities fraud, they must prove a stock price decline “resulted directly because of the correction to a prior misleading statement.”

The Erica P. John Fund has not proved Halliburton’s “misleading” statements made shareholders lose money, the court said.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

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Asian stocks lower as commodities retreat

January 4, 2011 · Posted in commodity trading · Comment 

Asian stock markets were lower for the first time in eight days as a stronger dollar and lower prices for gold and oil sent commodity shares into retreat

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Why Take Risks In The Gold Market?

December 17, 2010 · Posted in commodity trading · Comment 

Anyone who has traded in the stock market knows that there is always some risk involved, this is true of the gold market as well. Most of the trades in the gold market are OTC trades, usually between mining companies and banks. What many people are talking about when they say gold market is actually a futures market or options market. Many people who are new to stock trading will have no idea what a futures market or options market is. These are generally more advanced trading strategies.

Trading on the gold market can most closely resemble forex trading. In both cases you are gambling on what the price or value of the gold or money will be worth in the future. While there are strategies to reduce you chance of loss it is still a risk each time you choose to make a trade. Even with the gold IRA accounts you will find that the account offers you the chance to invest in newly minted coins or bars rather than in gold stocks. Unless you are considering purchasing stock in a gold mining company there is really no gold stock as such. Investing in gold coins or bars is a much more secure way of investing in your future.

A safer investment than the gold market may be gold coins. While coins cannot be actively traded on a market there is a thriving trade for those interested in investing in gold coins. Certified gold coins are guaranteed to be in the specified condition that they are sold as. Pricing for gold coins in generally based on the actual amount of gold used to create them. The gold coins most often bought for investment purposed are newly minted.

Another option is buying rare or antique gold coins; however, this can be a riskier proposition unless you know a lot about the coins you are considering. With rare or antique gold coins the value is not based on the gold content alone but on the age, rarity, and condition of the coins being sold. It is wise to make sure that any rare or antique gold coin you are considering has been certified by either the PCGS or NGC standard before you purchase it. Investing in rare and antique gold coins can have just as much risk involved as the gold market does.

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What Criteria Will You Use To Exit A Trade With A Profit

December 13, 2010 · Posted in commodity trading · Comment 

What Criteria Will You Use To Exit A Trade With A Profit in Stock Market Once you reach this stage you are starting to get into the nitty-gritty of trading. Stock Market makers generally make only a few ticks on the majority of their profitable trades. On the other hand, long-term trend followers often need to ride major trends for a long time in order to maximize their

profitability in stock market. Once again this is a personal decision but it is important to make some decisions ahead of time for several reasons. First, oddly enough, one of the most

difficult things for many futures traders to do is to ride a winning trade in stock market. When you get into a trade that immediately goes in the right direction the desire to “take the money and run” can be overwhelming. It can also be a huge mistake. For example, if you are a trend following trader who generally experiences 60% losing trades, you absolutely have to have some big winners in order to offset the majority of smaller losses you incur along the way. If you take profits too soon on a regular basis you are essentially shooting yourself in the foot by doing exactly the opposite of what you need to be doing given your chosen approach to trading. (The “hard work” of trading usually involves making and sticking to difficult decisions in stock market. Fighting off the urge to cash out a winning trade when your approach tells you to hold on is a perfect example of his type of “hard work.”) On the other side of the coin, if you are a counter-trend trader—selling into rallies and buying on dips—you may need to take profits more quickly before the trend turns back against you in stock market. If you develop some objective profit-taking criteria which has a realistic probability of helping you to make money and you stick to it trade in and trade out, you are farahead of the majority of other traders in stock market. es’> markets knock you around. It is far more painful when you do it to yourself. Subjective trading involves entering into trading with the idea in the back of your head that when the time is right to enter or exit a trade “I’ll just know.” This approach is fraught with peril. On the other side of the coin, it should be clearly understood that utilizing a purely mechanical trading system in no way guarantees that you will be trade profitably in stock market. What it does mean is that you may be able to drag around a lot less emotional baggage than the subjective trader. A subjective trader who “makes it up as he goes along” will likely have a number of opportunities to “beat himself up” over the bad trades he has made that he shouldn’t have and the great trades that he didn’t take when he had the chance.

Whether you choose to trade systematically, subjectively or somewhere in between there are certain criteria that you need to address in stock market. The more clearly stated and objective your answers to these questions, the greater the likelihood of your long-term success in stock market.

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Hoyt Tucker Stock Market

E Broking India is Safe And Reliable

December 3, 2010 · Posted in commodity trading · Comment 

A lot many people today do not have the time to visit or keep in touch with their brokers every single day which is why E-Broking India was devised to help them also participate in the stock market and earn money. This is the best options for the employed professionals and those who are into their own businesses and are looking for ways to add to their present income by investing in the various stock market investment instruments. With the help of E-Broking India you can invest from the comfort of your own home or office or even from your cell phone should you be on the move. But it is advised that you consult an e-broking firm initially as they shall guide you with the nuances of the stock market and also help you understand the tricks that you can use while trading in shares and other stock market instruments and investment options. Here is a basic guide that you can refer to for the tips on how to invest with a firm that caters to E-Broking India.

The first important thing that you need to know is the fact that whichever company you may be investing your money in be fully aware of its past as well as present performance so that you can earn good profits in the future. And for getting these details stock charts are what you shall have to learn to read. These charts hold the same value in the stock market as the Holy Bible holds for Christians and the Samvad Bhagvat Gita holds for the Hindus. This is because it holds an open picture of the company, past performance, present trends and rates, projected rates, highs and lows and other vital details and information. You can ask your E-Broking India firm to help you learn how to read these chars which is a very simple task to be honest.

About Author
Sushil Finance provides excellent environment and services for equity trader whether he is an investor or a day trader. to know more visit here : http://www.sushilfinance.com

What Criteria Will You Use To Exit A Trade With A Profit in Stock Market

November 30, 2010 · Posted in commodity trading · Comment 

Once you reach this stage you are starting to get into the nitty-gritty of trading. Stock Market makers generally make only a few ticks on the majority of their profitable trades. On the other hand, long-term trend followers often need to ride major trends for a long time in order to maximize their profitability in stock market. Once again this is a personal decision but it is important to make some decisions ahead of time for several reasons.

First, oddly enough, one of the most difficult things for many futures traders to do is to ride a winning trade in stock market. When you get into a trade that immediately goes in the right direction the desire to “take the money and run” can be overwhelming. It can also be a huge mistake. For example, if you are a trend following trader who generally experiences 60% losing trades, you absolutely have to have some big winners in order to offset the majority of smaller losses you incur along the way. If you take profits too soon on a regular basis you are essentially shooting yourself in the foot by doing exactly the opposite of what you need to be doing given your chosen approach to trading. (The “hard work” of trading usually involves making and sticking to difficult decisions in stock market. Fighting off the urge to cash out a winning trade when your approach tells you to hold on is a perfect example of his type of “hard work”).

On the other side of the coin, if you are a counter-trend trader—selling into rallies and buying on dips—you may need to take profits more quickly before the trend turns back against you in stock market. If you develop some objective profit-taking criteria which has a realistic probability of helping you to make money and you stick to it trade in and trade out, you are farahead of the majority of other traders in stock market.

About Author
For more information please visit www.snpnifty.com

Charles Dow-A Stock Market Innovator

November 27, 2010 · Posted in commodity trading · Comment 

Charles Henry Dow, was born in Sterling, Connecticut on November 5, 1851. He was the son of a farmer, but knew early on, he did not want to be involved in that profession. Dow decided to try journalism for a while. During this time, he became quite interested in Wall Street.

In 1882, Dow teamed with Edward Jones, and they started their own agency, Dow Jones & Company. The team realized Wall Street needed another financial news bureau. This new bureau believed in honesty, and refused to manipulate the stock market. Ultimately, in 1889, the partners gave birth to “The Wall Street Journal”. The Journal became one of the most respected financial publications in the world.

In 1896, through extensive research into market movements, Dow devised what would be called, “The Dow Jones Industrial Average”. The DJIA tracked the closing prices of twelve companies. The number for the average was figured out by adding up the closing prices of the twelve stocks, and then dividing that number by twelve. The first DJIA result appeared in the Wall Street Journal in May of 1896. In 1897, an average was also created for railroad stocks.

Dow developed a series of principles for understanding and analyzing stock market behavior. This became known as the “Dow Theory”. It consisted of six basic tenets which included, the market discounts everything, the market has 3 trends, there are 3 phases of primary trends, the market indexes must confirm each other, volume must confirm the trend, and the trend remains in effect until a clearly defined reversal occurs. This theory layed the groundwork for what is now called technical analysis.

I have meticulously studied the Dow Theory, and considering it is over 100 years old, I find it astonishing. Dow was truly a pioneer in his efforts to understand how the stock market really worked. Technical analysis is a major component of my overall trading plan. This includes the stock market and the futures market. I recommend reading the complete Dow Theory. Much of it can be applied to the markets of today.

Gary E Kerkow PhotoAbout Author
Hi, I’m Gary E Kerkow, founder of Tradingmarkets4u.com. This site provides information to help traders and investors become successful. I have over 20 years of trading experience including stocks, futures and options. I implement the strategies, methods, and psychology of the world’s best traders and investors. This includes Jesse Livermore, William J O’Neil and others. Visit my website at http://www.tradingmarkets4u.com

Risk Control Method no-2 Proper Account Sizing in stock market

November 25, 2010 · Posted in commodity trading · Comment 

Drawdowns are the bane of futures traders. When you are making money in stock market, everything is fine. It is when losses start to mount that doubt creeps. The longer a drawdown lasts and the deeper it cuts into your equity the more painful it becomes. A trader starts to think “I wonder when I’ll get back to a new equity high in stock market,, or even if I’ll get back up to a new equity high.” It’s like inadvertently getting on the down elevator in a sky rise; you don’t know how long it will be before you get back to the floor you were just on. Drawdowns are never easy to deal with. However, if you experience a drawdown that is within the realm of what you had expected going in, it is a far different situation to deal with emotionally than if you figured you would never experience anything worse than a 15% drawdown and now you are 30% in the hole. Or even worse, if you really had no idea what to expect in terms of drawdowns in stock market when you started out, and you suddenly find yourself deep in the hole in stock market. Under such circumstances it can become almost impossible to maintain confidence in your approach.

Following the steps in Section Two can give you some idea as to what you can realistically expect from your trading approach, both in terms of profitability and drawdown as a percentage of your trading capital. By properly sizing your trading account you take an important step toward minimizing your risk even before you make the first trade in stock market.

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For more information please visit www.snpnifty.com

Why Traders Mistake in Stock Market

November 19, 2010 · Posted in commodity trading · Comment 

The answer to the question “why do traders make this Mistake in Stock Market” could probably apply to all of the mistakes.

The primary cause of Mistake #1 is simply the lure Of easy money. The underlying thought seems to be “why Bother wasting a lot of time planning; why not start getting Rich right away?” This is understandable. There is probably not a soul on this earth who works for a living who has never once dreamed of making some huge sum of money quickly and easily and then living a life of spoiled luxury from that day forward. And the fact of the matters that futures trading offers just that possibility (which is exactly what makes futures trading so alluring, yet so dangerous). Consider these success stories: In a trading contest in 1987, Larry Williams ran $10,000 up to $1.1 million dollars in less than a year. Michael Marcus started with a trading account of $30,000 and over a period of years garnered over $80 million in profits. Richard Dennis became a legendary trader in the grain pits in Chicago in the 1970′s. Starting with a reported $400, Dennis ran it up to over $200 million dollars (his father is reported to have made one of the greatest understatements of all time when he said, “Richie did a ratty good job of running up that $400 bucks”).

Let’s face it; these numbers are staggering. Who in their right mind wouldn’t want to achieve the kind of success that these individuals have? Unfortunately in Stock Market, most individuals tend to focus not on the “achieving” part of the process, but rather the “post-achievement” period. In other words, if you asked the question “could you imagine having this much success trading futures,” most people would not begin mentally drawing up plans as to how they would trade soybeans. Quite the opposite. Most people would start drawing up a mental laundry list of all the things they could do with the money. The “doing” part is not nearly as sexy as the “done” part.

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For more information please visit http://snpnifty.com/

GM roars back to stock market in $20bn float

November 17, 2010 · Posted in commodity trading · Comment 

General Motors returns to the stock market today in the biggest flotation in Wall Street history, capping a remarkable comeback for the carmaker.

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