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Gas prices have risen every day for three weeks, and motorists are starting to wonder when the surge will end.

Nationwide, the average price for a gallon of regular gas is up 26.3 cents, or about 8%, this year to $3.55, the highest level since the end of October.

And the 17.4-cent spike in the average price of gas between Jan. 28 and Feb. 4 was the largest weekly increase in almost two years.

Unfortunately, it's unlikely gas prices will drop anytime soon.

Here's why.

To continue reading, please click here...

Gas prices have risen every day for three weeks, and motorists are starting to wonder when the surge will end.

Nationwide, the average price for a gallon of regular gas is up 26.3 cents, or about 8%, this year to $3.55, the highest level since the end of October.

And the 17.4-cent spike in the average price of gas between Jan. 28 and Feb. 4 was the largest weekly increase in almost two years.

Unfortunately, it's unlikely gas prices will drop anytime soon.

Here's why.

To continue reading, please click here...

MLPs are investments that are similar to income royalty trusts, except that they are structured as limited partnerships. MLP's differ from high income stocks in several ways. Since they pass through income without being taxed at the corporate level, they avoid double taxation. In addition, tax deductions can be passed through to the holders of MLPs, providing sheltering of the MLP dividends.

But there are differences when you compare them to income royalty trusts. MLPs shouldn’t be put into a retirement plan because of the UBTI or Unrelated Business Taxable Income problem, which could jeopardize the tax deferred status of retirement plans. The UBTI issue is way beyond the scope of this article so you should certainly talk to your accountant about any and all tax consequences of MLPs. Also, MLPs don't send out 1099 forms, they send out a Schedule K-1 Form, and the income is reported differently on tax returns. This may mean extra hours and aggravation when you or your accountant prepare your taxes.

One example is Mid-Con Energy Partners, LP (MCEP), which pays a yield of 8.8%. The dividend is paid quarterly. This Dallas, Texas based company explores, develops, and produces oil and natural gas on properties in southern Oklahoma, northeastern Oklahoma, and parts of Colorado. The MLP trades at 11.9 times trailing earnings and 10.5 times forward earnings.

Pioneer Southwest Energy Partners L.P. (PSE), based in Irving, Texas, yields 8.2%. The company has a price to earnings ratio of 11.5 and forward PE of 10. Pioneer operates in the Spraberry field in the Permian Basin area of west Texas.

One high yield company that is actually structure as an LLC instead of a MLP is Linn Energy, LLC (LINE), which operates in the Mid-Continent, the Permian Basin, Michigan, California, and the Williston Basin. Linn pays a dividend rate of 6.8%. It has a forward PE of 24.9. It was the first publicly traded independent oil and natural gas limited liability company in January 2006.

In spite of the fact that Linn is an LLC, it is classified as a partnership for tax purposes, so a unitholder is considered a partner and receives a Schedule K-1. In regards to the taxation of the income, the company website says "In general, cash distributions received from LINN Energy are not taxable. You are typically only required to report in your tax return items of income, gain, loss, deduction or tax credit reflected on your Schedule K-1. However, if the cumulative cash distributions received from LINN Energy exceed your tax basis in the Company, you could be taxed on the amount exceeding your tax basis."

For a free list of all of the oil and gas exploration and production master limited partnerships including three that pay more than 9%, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. The list can be downloaded, updated, and sorted.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

]]> DailyFinance.com: #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-372771{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-372771, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-372771{width:620px;height:439px;display:block;} View PollView ... Read more]]> There is a natural gas utility company that is the eighth oldest listed stock on the New York Stock Exchange, and celebrated its 120 year anniversary on December 7, 2009. In addition, it was one of the original stocks in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, back in 1896. How's that for a track record.

And the name of the stock is Laclede Group Inc. (LG), formerly known as Laclede Gas Company. This is a natural gas utility that yields 3.9%, trades at 15.9 times trailing earnings, and has a forward price to earnings ratio of 15.8. The company pays out $37.37 million in dividends, very well covered by the company's operating cash flow of $94 million. The company has increased its dividend every year since 2003. Net economic earnings for the latest quarter were $0.40 per share compared to $0.65 per share last year. Excluding prior year earnings of $0.27 per share from the propane sale, net economic earnings grew by 5% from the prior year.

Other natural gas and propane gas utilities with high yields are available. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has turned up over 20 gas utilities with yields ranging from 2% to in excess of 10%, such as Nicor (GAS) yielding 4.5%, Spectra Energy (SE) yielding 3.8%, and Chesapeake Utilities (CPK) yielding 3.1%.

You might also consider investing in electric utilities, which also pay fairly high yields, many in excess of 5%.

To see a list of 20 gas utilities, you can get a free downloadable Excel database of natural gas and propane stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

]]> Gerald Celente — Middle East conflict. Marin Katusa — Oil and Coal. Danielle Park — Market highlights.]]>
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