Eagle Eye Opener: Revenge of the Twinkie; Bad News from China; Italy’s Credit Rating Lowered

Revenge of the Twinkie (YahooFinancial)

Not since the Jedi resumed their rightful place some 30 years ago has the return of a piece of Americana caused such a stir. But then, nobody expected the Twinkie’s resurrection to go unnoticed. And now that it’s back, consumers will find that this time around, it will be even harder to get rid of the adorable snackcake. That’s because the company now charged with keeping the Twinkie alive has actually increased the product’s shelf life by almost 50 percent. For investors like you and me, that’s sweet news indeed. Not just because one of our favorite vices will continue on into the future, but because it means a stronger profit potential for investments in like GNC or Under Armour — the companies favored by Eagle expert Chris Versace that fall into his Living Longer Lives PowerTrend. For more information on PowerTrends, click here.

A “Grim” Tale from the Far East (Retuers)

China’s June trade data revealed a “grim” export picture from the world’s second largest economy. Last month, the Chinese government had expected to see exports rise by approximately 4 percent. In reality, exports shrank by 3.1 percent. That’s a 7 percent net reversal — and an indication of a potentially bigger crisis looming on the Chinese economic front. And according to Rick Meckler, president of LibertyView Capital Management, the news further reinforces the idea that for the U.S. economy to pick up, it’s going to be a do-it-yourself job: “For the U.S. stock market to really begin to make new highs and push forward you are going to have to see growth in the U.S. economy, more than a fixation on what is happening in China.” And this week, as Q2 earnings are reported, we’ll see if that growth has already started.

Italy’s Sovereign Credit Rating Takes a Hit (CNBC)

With yesterday’s lowering of Italy’s credit rating to BBB, analysts are hoping this will constitute a wake-up call for the fractured Italian government. But it may take weeks of wake-up calls for Italy to actually improve their situation. According to Derek Halpenny, currency expert from the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, “This isn’t about austerity, this is about structural reform — of the lack of it in Italy. Gradually the risks are rising in Italy.” Unfortunately, there’s an equally strong sentiment that the downgrade was “meaningless” — as stated by Michael Hewson, senior analyst at CMC markets. In the end, though, the true effect of this downgrade will be determined by investors. And that starts today.