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Recent Press Releases (U.S. and international) for magazine issues and staff changes may be found below. Please note that for many issues there exists only a highlights sheet, while for others there may also be a full press release. The cover of FORTUNE's current issue is pictured at right. Please contact the appropriate communications staff member with any questions.
Highlights of the December 25, 2006 Issue of FORTUNE
SPECIAL ISSUE: INVESTOR'S GUIDE 2007
Best Stocks, by Jon Birger and David Stires, page 32 With oil prices and a housing bust threatening the economy, FORTUNE discovered ten solid stocks that can still pack a punch. PLUS: Smart bond moves, gold plays, and winners and losers of 2006.
What's Ahead for 2007, by Geoffrey Colvin, page 54 Five top investment strategists size up the forces that will shape the economy and markets in the coming year. Looking ahead—Don't expect the U.S. stock market to return more than 10% annually for the next 10 years, says the panel. • Abby Joseph Cohen and David Herro predict 8% to 10% • Rich Bernstein expects we'll get 5% to 7% • Jeremy Grantham sees 5%
Funds That Mint Money, by Yuval Rosenberg, page 68 Seven great mutual funds that can help you make the most of your investment dollars. PLUS: Top performers—and worst laggards—of 2006.
Getting Real About Real Estate, by Ellen Florian Kratz, page 82 How bad will the housing bust get? FORTUNE's annual region-by-region analysis of America 's 100 largest markets tells you where conditions are best and worst. Sellers: lower your expectations, Buyers: drive a hard bargain, consider renting, step away from the exotic mortgage, shop for a rate drop, and keep an eye on your equity. Market Watch • Four of the ten hottest U.S. home markets forecast for next year are in Texas . • California is home to the chilliest markets. A projected six of the top ten are in the Golden State . • Boston , New York , and Washington D. C. , are forecast to drop in 2007. • Syracuse, N.Y., Memphis, and Atlanta are projected to climb next year.
Ten Rules for Building Wealth, by Jia Lynn Yang, page 130 Fumbling at investing? Don't panic. There are easy ways to get your money to work for you.
The Right Retirement Mix, by Jeremy Kahn, page 135 The way you allocate investments among IRAs, 401 (k)s, and taxable accounts can dramatically affect your savings.
The Search for the Next Great Eurostars, by Nelson D. Schwartz, page 170 Americans may drink French wines, drive German cars, and wear Italian suits, but when it comes to buying shares, they prefer to stay close to home. Europe 's economies may be growing slowly, but its markets are heading for a fourth year of double-digit increases. FORTUNE found six promising stocks. • British Petroleum (BP) • Rio Tinto (TRP) • Credit Suisse (CS) • Banco Santander (STD) • Veolia (VE) • Royal Philips Electronics (PHG)
Queen of the Mall, by Corey Hajim, page 100 Dana Telsey has recently taken the plunge on a new adventure: opening her own investment-analysis shop that she hopes can redefine the world of Wall Street research. As many big firms de-emphasized research, Telsey chose to invest millions of her own dollars in a new venture called Telsey Advisory Group (or TAG), to deliver data and analysis not only on the retail sector but, eventually, across all parts of the consumer economy. Many other independent research houses have popped up in recent years, but to equate Telsey's effort—and her ambition—with theirs is a little like seeing all black suits as the same. “I don't know how many sure bets there are,” says CEO Michael Gould of Federated's Bloomingdale's chain, “but if there is anyone who is going to be enormously successful doing this, it is going to be Dana Telsey.”
Monster on the Loose, by Matthew Boyle, page 116 Four-and-a-half years after a once-sleepy Southern California beverage company called Hansen Natural launched its Monster-brand energy drink, Monster accounts for about 80% of the $600 million in sales that analysts project for 2006 and more than 80% of Hansen's profits. It's also entirely responsible for the stratospheric rise of Hansen's stock, which is up 6,000% since Monster's debut. However , Hansen, once chugging along nicely, has recently encountered some distress of its own. How Hansen responds to these issues will go a long way toward determining whether it remains a steady-growing firm or becomes the next Krispy Kreme, another Wall Street darling that grew too big, too fast.
The Man Who Saw the Futures, by Oliver Ryan, page 124 Leo Melamed, Godfather of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, changed investing forever with financial derivatives. Melamed, 73, chairman emeritus since 1991, recently sat down to reflect on the revolution he helped make and to talk about where it is all going. “ The last 30 years witnessed the development of derivatives markets in North America and in Europe , and it took the better part of 30 years. Asia has been lagging in this development, although there were pockets in Singapore and in Korea, and somewhat in Japan . But for the two major parts of Asia, which are China and India , it is just beginning. And China just announced it will open a derivatives market for financial products. It will be opened early next year, and it will be a stock index market. So the growth coming will mostly be from Asia , but it won't take 30 years because everything is so much faster.”
How He Nails the Market, by Pat Jordan, page 142 Lenny Dykstra has transformed himself from an ex-Major Leaguer to a minor-league stock picker. According to the baseball star, bad traders and bad batters are alike in that they swing for the fences when they should stay focused on merely getting on base. “I got one rule in stocks. When I make a $1,000 gain, I sell. GTC, dude. Good-till-cancel order. Buy it at $10, sell it at $11.”
Proxy Muses, by Shawn Tully, page 159 Mighty CEOs and maverick raiders alike —all must humble themselves before the power of Institutional Shareholder Services. ISS's 178 analysts, mostly based at its headquarters in Rockville , Md. , churn out reports advising clients on how to vote. ISS isn't alone in the proxy advisory game, but it is the industry's pioneer and dominates the business. Here's how a bunch of guys you never heard of decide corporate America 's toughest fights.
Rolling the Dice on China 's Banks, by Clay Chandler, page 181 By the time it was all said and done, an astonishing $22 billion had been vacuumed up in a matter of hours. So frenzied was the desire for this initial public offering—the largest in history—that institutional investors placed $350 billion in orders only to find that few could squeeze their way into the euphoric buying. The subject of this hysteria? It wasn't Google. It was a bank. And not some sort of newfangled, Internet-enabled, you've-never-seen-anything-like-it confection that claims it will transform the way money is managed. No, it was the Industrial & Commercial Bank of China , a sprawling state-owned lender run by political appointees chosen by China 's Communist Party. It's an institution better known—like all Chinese banks—for a legacy of bloated payrolls and bad debts than for its commercial prowess. This mania didn't take place on Wall Street—it occurred in Hong Kong . And what happened in late October was only the latest hot Chinese-bank IPO for that stock market. Here's what investors need to know about the latest improbable gold rush.
COLUMNS Value Driven Keeping America 's edge in capital markets. Curious Capitalist Corporate profits are at their highest level since 1929. What does this mean for the stock market? Giving Back A charity of one's own: donor-advised funds. Life After Work Janet Hanson helps young women pursue careers in business. You Do What? Money maker John Mercanti. While You Were Out Strategies for your nest egg.
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