Dear fellow investors,
Unfortunately, shortsighted greed has led America to a total mess once again. After the 2000 tech crash, one would have thought that the country had learned that nothing goes up indefinitely. Instead, home values here in Orlando and around the country reached unprecedented (and irrational) heights as unscrupulous lenders issued loans to anyone with a pulse and a bank account. Now that the bills for this reckless lending have finally come due, we see the worst housing recession since the Great Depression and a 40% decline of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The SEC announced that Fannie and Freddie, along with several other issuers, were immune to naked short sellers. As investors in the Micro Cap market, that's actually positive in a way as the shorting of stocks and the purchase of put options are excellent risk-hedging tools. Skilled investors like Warren Buffet (and his predecessor Benjamin Graham) have benefited from these tools for many years. Personally, I have hedged my portfolio with puts on the Dow since October of 2007. It's important to remember that small cap stocks are typically what lead us out of bear markets. The small and nimble stocks lead the way as the larger stocks return to full vigor more slowly.
Here are the four Micro Cap stocks that we consider to be the best value plays on the market:
1. AMEX HTM - U.S. Geothermal
With the renewable energy movement buoyed by the recent election of Barack Obama, an avowed supporter of green energy, the political winds bode well for this stock. As well, its recent listing in the Russell 3000 index (the 3,000 largest US companies based on market capitalization) is an excellent indication of the growing strength of this company. Feel free to contact Saf Dhillon at U.S. Geothermal's IR department. Saf is a personal friend of mine who is tremendously knowledgeable about his company & industry and would be happy to answer any questions you may have. In the interests of full disclosure, we do own 21,500 shares of HTM.
U.S. Geothermal is a renewable energy development company that is operating geothermal power plants at Raft River, Idaho and at the San Emidio Desert in Nevada. The Neal Hot Springs project in eastern Oregon is being explored for a commercial reservoir. U.S. Geothermal holds, through ownership or lease, geothermal rights of lands that comprise the Raft River project in Idaho, San Emidio, Granite Ranch, and Gerlach in Nevada, and the Neal Hot Springs project in Oregon.
Please visit the Website at: http://www.usgeothermal.com
Investor Relations
Saf Dhillon of U.S. Geothermal Inc.
1-866-687-7059
2. NYSE ADM - Archer Daniel Midlands
Obviously, Archer Daniel Midlands is hardly a micro cap stock. However, due to its strong economic fundamentals and promising future, I feel compelled to include it here. After all, ADM recently posted a positive quarter despite the weakening economy. Moreover, considering that Obama turned the traditionally red corn-growing state of Iowa blue with the promise of his alternative energy plan, the future prospects of ADM look very strong. After all, the Company is a world leader in generating renewable energy from corn and other crops.
Every day, the 27,000 people of Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) turn crops into renewable products that meet the demands of a growing world. At more than 240 processing plants, we convert corn, oilseeds, wheat and cocoa into products for food, animal feed, chemical and energy uses. We operate the world's premier crop origination and transportation network, connecting crops and markets in more than 60 countries. Our global headquarters is in Decatur, Illinois, and our net sales for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2008, were $70 billion. For more information about our Company and our products, visit http://www.admworld.com.
3. NYSE HMA - Health Management Associates
Health Management Associates is another timely pick; perfectly suited to the objectives of the upcoming Obama administration. Barack Obama's pledge to mandate universal healthcare is very promising for HMA and, in fact, the entire health management industry. There has already been some significant insider buying on this stock which is further confirmation that HMA is likely to be under-priced relative to its real value.
HMA owns and operates 56 hospitals, with approximately 8,000 licensed beds, in non-urban communities located throughout the United States. HMA's mission is the delivery of compassionate and high quality health care services that improve the quality of life for its patients, physicians, and the communities it serves. All references to "HMA" or the "Company" used in this release refer to Health Management Associates, Inc. or its affiliates.
4. NYSE TYW - Top State Holdings
Top State Holdings, a fund that specializes in municipal bonds, is certainly not an ordinary choice for us here at The Micro Cap report. However, we do not live in ordinary financial times vis-à-vis the equity markets so it makes good sense to have some diversification into the bond markets. It is my view that, at present, there is considerable value in Muni bonds. TYW, a Claymore tax advantage fund, is the ideal way of benefiting from the municipal bond market. The chart below breaks down the current state-by-state municipal bond holdings of the fund:
Top State Holdings (as of October 8, 2008)
State % of Managed Assets
| Texas | 25.82% | |
| California | 6.42% | |
| Puerto Rico | 4.57% | |
| Pennsylvania | 2.77% | |
| Missouri | 2.41% | |
| Illinois | 2.27% | |
| Ohio | 2.16% | |
| Michigan | 1.89% | |
| Colorado | 1.77% | |
| Wisconsin | 1.49% |
Certain statements contained in this release, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "believes," "anticipates," "intends," "expects," and words of similar import, constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may include projections of revenue, income or loss, capital expenditures, capital structure, or other financial items, statements regarding the plans and objectives of management for future operations, statements of future economic performance, statements of the assumptions underlying or relating to any of the foregoing statements, and other statements which are other than statements of historical fact.