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Strategies & Market Trends : 2026 TeoTwawKi ... 2032 Darkest Interregnum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Elroy Jetson who wrote (29638)	2/19/2008 3:50:47 AM
From: Maurice Winn	Respond to of 217549

Elroy, CNG is a different kettle of fish. There's a LOT of stored energy waiting to bust out. But I guess CNG would be much safer than petrol in vehicles overall. A statistical review around the world with only one death attributed to CNG refueling is not much to determine whether petrol, LPG or CNG is safer to drive around with as a fuel. You presumably "have a bee in your bonnet" about CNG, or have a very limited understanding of statistics. The subject was LPG in crashes vs petrol. We can extend the question to CNG and refueling accidents if you like. Shall we include cancer due to benzene and other carcinogens too? Mqurice

To: Elroy Jetson who wrote (29638)	2/19/2008 8:01:24 AM
From: elmatador	Respond to of 217549

Brazil's Real Closes Stronger Amid Rising Stock Markets. Rising stock market in Brazil often is accompanied by growing inflows of investor dollars into Brazil, boosting the real. Elroy, time for you to put some money in Brazil! The thing is unstoppable! You should embark on this inflow. It is not too late! Brazil's Real Closes Stronger Amid Rising Stock Markets,Mon, Feb 18 2008, 19:16 GMT djnewswires.com Brazil's Real Closes Stronger Amid Rising Stock Markets By Bernd Radowitz Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES RIO DE JANEIRO (Dow Jones)--Brazil's real closed stronger against the U.S. dollar Monday amid rising stock markets in Brazil and Europe. The real closed at BRL1.736 per dollar in spot contract trading on the Brazilian Mercantile and Futures Exchange, or BM&F, from BRL1.753 per dollar on Friday. A rising stock market in Brazil often is accompanied by growing inflows of investor dollars into Brazil, boosting the real. The Brazilian market got a lift from news that major Asian and European steelmakers accepted price hikes of up to 71% for iron ore from Brazilian mining giant Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (RIO), or Vale. A surging Vale stock helped lift Brazil's Ibovespa stock index higher. The mining giant is a heavyweight on Sao Paulo's Ibovespa stocks index. Brazilian stocks also got a boost from stocks in Europe, which rose following the announcement by the U.K. government to nationalize embattled mortgage lender Northern Rock. The news boosted banking stocks across Europe. Brazil's Central Bank late in the session bought an undisclosed amount of U.S. dollars at a snap auction for 1.7379 reals per dollar, the bank said. The auction didn't alter the exchange rate considerably. In local rate futures trading, rates on the most heavily traded contract, January 2010, ended lower at 12.35%, down from 12.46% at Friday's close. Brazil's interbank overnight rate receded slightly to 11.08% from 11.09%. -By Bernd Radowitz, Dow Jones Newswires; +55-11-8193-5722; bernd.radowitz@dowjones.com; (END) Dow Jones Newswires February 18, 2008 14:16 ET (19:16 GMT) Copyright 2008 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

To: Elroy Jetson who wrote (29638)	2/19/2008 12:24:48 PM
From: elmatador	Respond to of 217549

Brazilian Real Rises to Eight-Year High on Investment Outlook. Brazil is a champion in investment and business opportunities for foreigners right now Brazilian Real Rises to Eight-Year High on Investment By Adriana Brasileiro Feb. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Brazil's real strengthened to an eight-year high as a boom in exports and the highest inflation- adjusted bond yields in emerging markets lure investors. ``Brazil is a champion in investment and business opportunities for foreigners right now,'' said Emilio Garofalo, a former director at the central bank who now runs investment consulting company EBS Capital in Sao Paulo. He expects the currency to rise above the 1.70-real-per-dollar-level ``in the very short term.'' The real gained 0.18 percent to 1.7322 per dollar at 12:09 p.m. New York time, from 1.7353 per dollar yesterday. It touched 1.7262, the strongest since March 24, 2000. It has increased 2.9 percent this year and 21 percent over the past 12 months, the best performer against the U.S. dollar among the 16 most actively traded currencies tracked by Bloomberg. Brazil received a record $34.6 billion of foreign direct investment last year, according to the central bank. Trade Ministry figures show that revenue from the sale of products such as beef and commercial jet planes to foreign investors rose to a record $160.6 billion in 2007. Cia. Vale do Rio Doce, the world's biggest iron-ore producer, yesterday won a 65 percent price increase from the largest Asian steelmakers, reflecting rising demand for the main material used to make steel. Brazil's real interest rate, or the difference between the 11.25 percent benchmark lending rate and annual inflation of 4.56 percent, is 6.69 percent, the highest in emerging markets. Turkey has the next highest, 6.05 percent. In the U.S., the real rate is negative 1.1 percent. Rate Expectations The allure of local fixed-income assets will increase as rates in the U.S. are forecast to fall, while local interest rates will probably remain stable, Garofalo said. Interest-rate futures in the U.S. show traders forecast the Federal Reserve will lower its benchmark lending rate next month for a sixth time since September. The rate cuts have made Treasuries less appealing. In Brazil, economists in a weekly central bank survey published yesterday forecast the benchmark Selic rate will end the year unchanged at 11.25 percent. The yield on Brazil's zero-coupon bond due in January 2009 rose 5 basis point, or 0.05 percentage point, to 11.79 percent, according to Banco Votorantim SA. To contact the reporter on this story: Adriana Brasileiro in Rio de Janeiro at abrasileiro@bloomberg.net Last Updated: February 19, 2008