Investopedia: Wells Fargo Looking Better As Time Goes By

Wall Street is certainly down on banks once again. Given how weak the economy is and how much debris is still left to clean up from the housing crunch, maybe it's not so surprising. Nevertheless, Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) is looking more and more like a bargain as this goes on. The company still has to clean up its balance sheet and the Wachovia integration is going to take time, but this looks like a quality bank that is trading well below its true long run potential. 

A Disappointing Third Quarter 
Although investors seemed reasonably happy with the results posted by Citigroup (NYSE:C), the news was not as encouraging for Wells Fargo. The company actually missed on the top line, and the bottom line results were not so impressive either. Revenue fell 4% sequentially, with net interest income down 5% and non-interest income down 7%. Wells Fargo actually did pretty well on controlling operating expenses (down 5%), but that's not going to encourage investors enough.

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http://stocks.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/2011/Wells-Fargo-Looking-Better-As-Time-Goes-By-WFC-C-BAC-RF-RY-STI-UBS1019.aspx

Investopedia: Here We Go Again - Markets Continue To Move On Governments

Those who believe that the best government is unobtrusive and nearly invisible have probably ground their teeth to dust by now, but as markets open again on Monday it looks like governments on each side of the Atlantic continue to call the tune in the markets. While Europe tries every trick in the book to keep Greece afloat, politicians in the U.S. seem committed to elbowing each other aside in a rush to drill more holes in the bottom of their boat. 

A Government Shutdown?  
If the politicians in Washington continue to court a government shutdown and play a massive game of chicken with each other, the general public may stop caring and the markets may just decide to install a semi-permanent "knucklehead premium" on U.S. government securities. In the meantime, though, investors should expect another spate of debate, controversy and wall-to-wall talk about whether Congress can come together and agree on another short-term funding measure to keep the government working.

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http://stocks.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/2011/Here-We-Go-Again--Markets-Continue-To-Move-On-Governments-TLT-SHY-GLD-DB-UBS-MS-GS0926.aspx

Investopedia: Central Banks Take Another Kick At The Can

Investors who believe that markets work best when governments stay as far away as possible are likely grinding their teeth again. In response to widespread rumors that major European banks are finding dollar-denominated sources of liquidity dry up, most of the Western world's central banks have decided to step in and address the matter. While this will certainly move the markets in the short run, central banks do not have an indefinite supply of fingers to plug the seemingly endlessly leaky dyke that is the European financial system.

The Latest Effort  
With Greece still apparently on an express lane to default, and fears of knock-on effects in countries like Portugal and Italy, investors have started to approach many European banks (particularly French and German banks) from the viewpoint that much of their balance sheet is about to go up in smoke. Accordingly, there are fewer and fewer willing lending partners in the market and many banks have reportedly found it difficult to get the dollar-denominated financing that they need.


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http://stocks.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/2011/Central-Banks-Take-Another-Kick-At-The-Can-STD-BCS-UBS-SPY-IEF-GLD-GE0920.aspx

Investopedia: When Time Are Tough, Should Investors Go Swiss?

When the going gets tough ... the tough go to Switzerland? That may not be entirely (or even mostly) accurate, but it certainly seems true that in periods of economic turbulence and in times where other governments seem profligate or inept, investors look back to Switzerland as something of a safe haven. Switzerland has a well-earned reputation for conservatism and consistency, and there are valid arguments for investors to look to hedge some of their exposure to North American or Eurozone economies with some allocation to Swiss assets.


Swiss Companies to Consider
Consider, then, some of the following Swiss companies. Keep in mind, though, that as Switzerland is such a small country, most successful Swiss companies have become successful by becoming global. So it is a bit of a straw man to think that simply being a Swiss company is a shield against the ups and downs of the global economy.

ABB (NYSE:ABB)
ABB is a good example of a Swiss company that has little to do with what is going on in Switzerland. This global leader in power and automation has been testing 52-week lows as investors' fears of slowing orders outweigh their optimism regarding the company's cost-cutting initiatives and late-cycle positioning. Automation is here to stay, though, and power infrastructure upgrades are a "when, not if" decision, so this looks like an interesting play at it hits lows.


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http://stocks.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/2011/When-Times-Are-Tough-Should-Investors-Go-Swiss-ABB-CS-NSRGY-NVS-SYT-RIG-UBS0914.aspx