Patrick Vail:  The U.S. coal industry is facing a perfect storm and has taken a beating recently, bringing coal stocks down with it. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), electricity generated by coal was down more than 20% in 2011. So it’s no surprise that U.S. coal producers have been hit, Read more…

NASDAQ:PKOL, NYSE:KOL

Patrick Vail:  You’ve no doubt heard about the building scarcity of water. It’s the reason savvy shareholders have been busy investing in water stocks. Here’s why.  Read more…

NYSE:CGW, NYSE:PHO, NYSE:PIO

Patrick Vail:  February is typically a month when gas prices recede – but not this year.  Average gas prices currently are about $3.69 according to AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report. That’s higher than the average for the whole  of 2011, which was the priciest year ever for gasoline. Read more…

NYSE:UGA, NYSE:USO, NYSE:XLE