NEW YORK (Fortune) - Copper topping $8,000 a ton? Just a few years ago the metal ranged from $1,300 to $3,000 a ton. Demand from China plus hedge fund speculators equals crazy prices. It now costs 1.23 cents to make a penny. This shall not stand.

STREETTRACKS GOLD SHARES: Yep, it's one of those new-fangled ETF thingies. Ticker is GLD (Research). Reader Deep Blue pointed this one out. Gone from low $40s to $70 in a year! Deep Blue says: "I'm selling out about 2 weeks after I see it on the cover of a major weekly." Okay, the water's boiling hot, but jump in! Put in a few bucks and sell in two weeks. If it works, credit Deep Blue. If you lose, yell at me, (but, hey no refunds).

DEVON ENERGY: I know, I know, another one that looks to hot to touch. Gone from $15 to $63 since 2001. But the P/E is still 9! Devon, the pride of Oklahoma City, is an exploration and production company, with properties mostly in the U.S. and Canada, though it also has interests in Azerbaijan, China, and Egypt, as well as areas in West Africa, including Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Cote d'Ivoire, (love to say that last one!). The company was smart because it bought a lot of companies over the past few years, which of course is looking good right now. DVN (Research) was founded by Larry Nichols, a lawyer who clerked for Chief Justice Earl Warren. Company's first stake was in the Northeast Blanco Unit of New Mexico's San Juan Basin. So there you go. I say there is still upside here. Take a look at the world ...

NEC: You've all heard how the Japanese stock market has recovered so nicely ... but the rising tide (or should I say rising sun?) has not lifted all ships. This huge maker of chips, phones and PCs is in the doghouse and shows no sign of getting off the leash anytime soon. And get this. Now NEC ... ticker is NIPNY (Research) ... reports an 84 percent drop in its annual profit ! 84 percent! This was a $30 stock in 2000, it now trades for $7 bucks, and it's expensive. Tech is tough right now, and Korean rivals are tough too. Let this dog lie. BARK!

LOOSE CHANGE: Saw some movies the other day: "Fog of War" about Robert Strange McNamara. The parallels between him and Rummy hit you right over the head. This flick was a bit strange (ha ha) in that it didn't have a conclusion really. (Good guy? Bad guy?)...Also, "Badder Santa" a quality film, I see a little bit too much of me in this one...and "Last Waltz" enjoyed seeing a young Neil Young doing "Helpless".....Lots of mail on Hansen Natural juices. Lots of believers...be careful out there!!!

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E-mail Andy Serwer at serwer@fortunemail.com

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