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Spicy
Pickle's Pointed Towards The End Zone |
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Spicy
Pickle Franchising Inc. (OTCBB:
SPKL) may
be one of the market's best running backs. How's that? Think about
it...in the world of professional football, superstar ball  carriers
turn to face the other team's end zone, put their head down, and keep moving
their feet. With a little momentum and the right adjustments along the
way, defenders just seem unable to knock these guys down, bouncing off
of
them instead.
While stocks
generally took a turn for the worst in November, Spicy Pickle shrugged
off the market's tacklers that knocked most other companies down. Per
today's press release, the company still seems to be trucking towards the
end zone.
A little
campy? Sure, but accurate all the same. The latest round of news is
at least worth a first down...the company has signed leases for five
new stores.
Three of the
five locations will be the first in their state (New York, Florida, and
Oklahoma). The other two consist of San Diego's second, and Austin's third
restaurant. All the details are in the press release below. In the meantime...
 With
our last
update of the company we discussed the wedge/triangle shape being formed
on the chart. That idea is still half true....the falling resistance
line is still intact, but the rising resistance line has been replaced
by what appears to be a base around the $1.12 level. That's roughly where
the chart bottomed in November, and we've now seen a total of four rebounds
at that line (today was on of them).
As long as SPKL
can keep the line of scrimmage around $1.12, we think a touchdown will
be within reach.
No more cheesy
football comparisons today - we promise.
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Alternative
Energy in Focus |
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While we get
questions from our readers on a regular basis, we usually don't address
them in a pubic forum. However, when answering one of them publicly is
something we can all benefit from, we're more than happy to do so.
 We
recently received this e-mail from Robert regarding the growing oil/energy
crunch (paraphrased and condensed)...
Hello,
I truly believe
that oil prices are forcing all of us to electric power for all needs like
heating, lighting, cars, etc. The only [viable] alternative is nuclear
power plants, which are safer than ever - and cleaner.
Dependence
on oil in developed countries is collapsing economies. No wind or solar
power sources are a [current] solution (we can only play with those two),
and we can't rely on them everywhere.
Uranium is
cheap, efficient, and [the only thing we can] rely on.
Your comments?
Thanks for the
e-mail Robert. It actually couldn't have come at a more perfect time...some
of the areas you were talking about have perked up in the shadow of $100
oil.
 First
and foremost, don't forget 'clean energy' is a macro-trend we
adopted way back on May 20th of last year. The focus at the time was
clean
coal technologies, but as part of a bigger 'clean' investment
theme. (Since then, we've added clean/potable water as an investment-worthy
macro trend.) And when we say macro, we mean macro ....meaning
it could take years for the right investment to pay off. But, if
it does, wow.
The challenge
with those kinds of strategies is largely not being able to see the future.
There's no visible light at the end of the tunnel for most of these green-friendly
companies. As such, successfully investing in them requires fortitude...and
incredible foresight.
The topic can't
be fully addressed in a day. We can barely scratch the surface in one edition.
So, look for a series of ideas and opinions over the course of the next
several newsletters.
In the meantime
- to get the ball rolling - we want to mention a couple of small
cap stocks that have recently displayed some very unusual volume and price
movement. That in itself is not a good thing or a bad thing, but it can
often be a sign something significant is going on. What's so odd about
using the 'odd-volume' filter from yesterday's trading is how two
of the three equities that popped up were 'clean' companies. One was a
water-purification name, and the other was solar cell (photovoltaic) manufacturer.
BioSolar
Inc (OTCBB:
BSRC)
- It was flying high until January 14th...when it fell off a cliff and
plunged from a peak of $1.58 to a low of $0.60. Since then the patient
has stabilized at a price around 70 cents.
What's interesting
about BioSolar is how volume was growing like crazy right up through the
14th, but volume has been shrinking as the weakness has persisted.
In other words, there are still more people 'in' than 'out'. Given its
ability to make strong runs - paired with its ability to hold its ground
(sort
of) - BioSolar has our attention. And why not? The stock's price hasn't
dampened the company's progress one bit.
By the way,
BioSolar is developing a way to use biologically-based solar cells as a
cost-effective alternative to petroleum-based solar cells.
WorldWater
& Solar Technologies Corp. (OTCBB:
WWAT)
- There's more 'water' than 'solar' to this company, but they have a presence
in the industry. This stock was on a roll through November, got crushed
over the last three months, and has been consolidating since the beginning
of February. Trade volume has actually been pretty thin of late except
for the 13th when it bounced from $1.54 to $1.63 on more than four times
the volume of the prior day.
What was
the catalyst? The company raised $35 million with a private placement
deal. Without getting too far into the details, the funder is making a
bet that shares will eventually be worth $1.78 or more. That's above their
current value, and represents an awfully big bet. Curious.
In a nutshell,
WorldWater designs and manufactures high-capacity water purification systems.
Are those two
companies 'the' companies to solve all the worlds energy and water
woes? Not at all - they're just two examples of companies with real solutions
in sight. WorldWater is generating revenues already; BioSolar may have
a revenue-bearing product soon. They're not the only companies in
their arena though.
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The
Answer to the Question |
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So, to partially
answer Robert's question ...nuclear energy is indeed the most readily available
alternative to oil-based energy. But, we can't feasibly create a nuclear
powered car. On the other hand, we can't run the televisions in our house
using a gas-powered generator in our back yard either (at least not if
we want to hear the TV). So, universal functionality is going to be a challenge.
 In
the meantime, there are more solar-power-related companies than
you might think. And, they're closer to a solution than you might think.
As we mentioned
above, today's comments are only the beginning of what we hope is a fruitful
'green friendly' discussion from an investor's point of view. Look
for more thoughts in the near future.
Anyway, check
the blog
tomorrow. We'll post a couple of entries there regarding clean-n-green
investments,
and each of you can respond to those ideas using the 'comments' fields.
Here's the Spicy
Pickle news.
Spicy
Pickle(tm) Announces Five New Lease Signings For Franchise Locations
New Locations
Will Mark First Stores in Three New States
Wednesday, February
20, 2008, 4:10 PM ET
DENVER, CO--(MARKET
WIRE)-February 20, 2008 -- Spicy Pickle(tm) fast casual restaurants (OTC
BB: SPKL.OB) today announced five of its franchisees have recently
signed leases for new locations.
Today's announcement
marks Spicy Pickles first locations in Florida, Oklahoma, and New York.
The other two lease signings represent a second location in San Diego,
California and a third location in Austin, Texas.
Spicy Pickle will
enter the New York metro area with a Brooklyn store. Located at 143 Montague
St, Brooklyn NY 11201, this location is adjacent to the Federal Court House
in Brooklyn, several Universities, and a number of large, white-collar
office buildings.
Edmond, Oklahoma,
just North of Oklahoma City will be getting its first location. The Spicy
Pickle restaurant will be located in Spring Creek Village at 1389 E 15th
St, Edmond, Oklahoma 73013.
Florida will also
be the recipient of its first location. The first Florida Spicy Pickle
will open in the Northern Florida community of Ocala. The store will be
found at the Market Street at Heathbrook, 4414 SW College Road #1020, Ocala,
Florida, 34474.
The last two of
the five new locations will mark the second San Diego, California store
and the third Austin, Texas store. The new San Diego location is just south
of the Little Italy area and adjacent to the downtown financial district.
The store is located in the Aperture Building at 1454 Union Street, San
Diego CA 92101. The third Austin store is located at the 1890 Ranch at
1335 E Whitestone Blvd, Cedar Park, Texas, 78613.
The new locations
in San Diego and Edmond are expected to open in the late spring. The other
three new locations should open sometime in the early summer.
Marc Geman, CEO
of Spicy Pickle commented "We always try to be very careful about getting
the right location, and this is particularly important for a first restaurant
in a new area. Our hard work has paid off with these five leases which
will bring the Spicy Pickle to three new states. Our restaurants have always
generated additional interest in the area where they are located. We look
forward to further expansion in Florida, Oklahoma and New York in the near
future."
About Spicy Pickle(tm):
Founded in 1999,
Spicy Pickle Franchising, Inc. (OTCBB:
SPKL) serves high quality meats and fine artisan breads, baked fresh
daily, along with a wide choice of eight different cheeses, twenty-two
different toppings, and fourteen proprietary spreads to create healthy
and delicious panini and sub sandwiches with flavors from around the world.
As a leading "fast-casual" concept, Spicy Pickle(tm) offers menu items
that are far beyond traditional fast food -- but without the price point
of casual dining. The hallmark of a Spicy Pickle(tm) restaurant is quality,
service and an enjoyable atmosphere. The company is headquartered in Denver,
Colorado, with restaurants open or under construction across 16 states
and many more in development nationwide. For more about Spicy Pickle(tm),
including franchise information and inquiries, visit http://www.spicypickle.com.
Forward-Looking
Statements:
Certain statements
in this press release, including statements regarding the number of restaurants
we intend to open, are forward-looking statements. We use words such as
"anticipate," "believe," "could," "should," "estimate," "expect," "intend,"
"may," "predict," "project," "target," and similar terms and phrases, including
references to assumptions, to identify forward-looking statements. The
forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information
available to us as of the date any such statements are made and we assume
no obligation to update these forward-looking statements. These statements
are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results
to differ materially from those described in the statements. These risks
and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: factors
that could affect our ability to achieve and manage our planned expansion,
such as the availability of a sufficient number of suitable new restaurant
sites and the availability of qualified franchisees and employees; risks
relating to our expansion into new markets; the risk of food-borne illnesses
and other health concerns about our food products; changes in the availability
and costs of food; changes in consumer preferences, general economic conditions
or consumer discretionary spending; the impact of federal, state or local
government regulations relating to our franchisees and employees, and the
sale of food or alcoholic beverages; the impact of litigation; our ability
to protect our name and logo and other proprietary information; the potential
effects of inclement weather; the effect of competition in the restaurant
industry; and other risk factors described from time to time in our SEC
reports.
COMPANY CONTACT:
Marc Geman, CEO
Spicy Pickle
Franchising, Inc.
303-951-2530
ir@spicypickle.com
Source: Spicy
Pickle Franchising, Inc. |
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For
More Information... |
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| For
more information regarding Spicy Pickle Franchising Inc. as an investment
opportunity, be sure to review the entire research report in a printable
PDF format by clicking the link below:
Spicy
Pickle Report
Or,
to discuss the company, contact:
The
Micro Cap Press
15233
Ventura Blvd.
Suite
#310
Sherman
Oaks, CA 91403
http://www.microcappress.com
1-800-277-9081 |
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Is
Clearly Canadian Finally Quenching Its Long Drought? |
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| Two
months ago, small cap stock Clearly Canadian (OTCBB:
CCBEF) just looked lost. Now it looks like they've been found again...at
least by a small piece of the investing world. After hitting a peak of
$3.25 in 2007, the move to a low of 37 cents in mid-December pretty much
took out even the last of the die-hard bulls. Like your mom often said
though, it's always darkest before dawn. CCBEF has pushed its way back
up to 75 cents, and left behind a chart most technical analysts would consider
very bullish.
Here's
the case...
* Higher
highs and higher lows. We're seeing them for the first time since the first
half of 2007. It's an ugly higher high, and could be argued. However, almost
all recoveries start out as questionable.
* The
key short-term moving averages have been crossed, and are now pointed higher.
Moving averages are incredibly simple technical analysis tools, but that's
why we like them. If they're pointed higher, the trend obviously has to
be bullish. (Who said trend-spotting has to be complicated?)
* Clearly
Canadian shares are coming out of a very long-term, very oversold condition.
The chart's itching for a rally.
* The
current market cap is about $15 million. Last quarter (a seasonally slow
quarter) they drove around $3 million in sales. The last two quarters they've
done about $4.4 million in revenue. Though not by leaps and bounds, the
company is undervalued compared to its peers.
The
key to it all as far as traders are concerned - as we see it - is a break
above 78 cents...the high from early January and again in early February.
If CCBEF can break that ceiling, the 'higher high' theory will decidedly
become reality. By default, January's low of 47 cents will become a 'higher
low'.
With
all that room to move before the next likely ceiling is reached, our technical
analysis leads us to think Clearly Canadian is a high-odds idea worth watching
over the next few days. The 200 day average is at $1.80, and the nearest
Fibonacci retracement level is at $1.48. Either way, the distance between
'here and there' on the chart makes for some big trading potential.
To
see a chart, click
here. |
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Updated: 3:10 pm PST (23:10 GMT), November 20, 2008
