Gold ETP Holdings Have Record Monthly Drop (Audio) + MORE

April 30 (Bloomberg) — Gold holdings in exchange-traded
products plunged 174 metric tons in April, the biggest monthly
drop ever. Jason Toussaint, managing director of investments at
the World Gold Council, comments on the sell-off. Bloomberg
Radio’s Catherine Cowdery reports on Exchange Traded Funds.

On the surface, it seems like a great headline: America will pay down its debts in the current quarter, marking the first time in six years that has happened.
But the details are disturbing … and a sign that federal spending continues to be slashed right when the economy needs it most.
The U.S. Treasury said it expects to pay off $35 billion of debt in the April-to-June quarter…

Bloomberg ran an article April 29 speculating that Rue 21, Abercrombie & Fitch and Aeropostale are all possible private equity targets. Analysts believe that given the high number of deals that took place in 2012–38 valued at $5.7 billion–many more will be forthcoming in 2013.    

Buffett’s automaker seems to be improving and heading toward a leaner, more profitable machine.    

Time flies … I can’t believe I last bumped this two years ago! Still one of the most useful bookmarks I have under ‘financial’ …

As we head toward Memorial Day weekend, summer travel plans are being discussed around many kitchen tables.
Americans are hitting the road again, packing hotels in major cities as some national parks brace for a record number of visitors. Many conversations in foreign languages will be heard in these places as well, as international tourists are trekking to the United States in record numbers…

Sometimes as investors we become obsessed with the next new thing. What’s that new company, innovation or strategy the market does not know about? If we get in on the ground floor, we tell ourselves, we’ll make a ton of cash.
But in our pursuit of finding what’s new, we sometimes overlook what’s right in front of our face…

By SA Editor Miriam Metzinger: Stocks discussed on the Lightning Round segment of Jim Cramer’s Mad Money Program, Monday April 29.
Editor’s Note: There were no bullish calls on Monday’s program.
Bearish Calls:
SunPower (SPWR): “The Chinese have pulled back from solar.”
Sandstorm Gold (SAND): "These companies help fund the development of gold and now we have
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The housing story, by now, is old news. Two years ago, analysts were putting out reports that housing starts were at record lows and that, by logical measures and plain common sense, we were likely entering a housing boom. Whether you heeded the advice or not, it’s clear that these reports were spot-on, if underplaying the start-and-stop nature of the industry…