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"The acronym 'BRIC-standing for Brazil, Russia, India, and China-is in vogue as shorthand for the emergence of the developing world.

"But we're herewith proposing an emended version: 'BRAC'-standing for Brazil, Russia, Australia, and Canada.

"That's because these four countries are the ones most brimming over with essential natural resource, with each one a net exporter of fuels and other natural products. In a world where resource shortages will only get worse, these countries will stand out from the pack.

"Don't get us wrong. China and India remain the largest and fastest growing emerging economies and still face exceptional futures.

"But their major resources are cheap labor, which will become less cheap as their economies keep growing. Indeed, labor costs in these countries already have begun to rise relative to the rest of the world.

"Meanwhile, continued gains in commodities mean that Australia and Canada are gaining relative to the rest of the world. It's hard to overstate just how important relative resource independence is in a world where resources are becoming ever more scarce and expensive.

"How can you benefit when the US dollar turns up?" asks Leonard Goodall. For his latest "Investment Spotlight" in his No-Load Portfolios, he looks at two exchange-traded vehicles that offer an easy way to play currencies.

"Have you been to Canada, Europe, or Asia lately? If so, you know first-hand what has happened to the purchasing power of the US greenback. Everything is more expensive, and in some cases, ridiculously so.

"Sooner or later, change will come. The dollar will strengthen against our trading partners and a reversal of fortunes will occur. Foreign goods (including gasoline) will become cheaper and overseas tourism will experience a revival.

"What could cause this to happen? A rise in US interest rates without a corresponding rise in the interest rates of our partners will do the trick. When will this happen? No one knows, but sometime within the next 6 to 8 months is a good guess.

"Is there any way to make money when the dollar turns up? One easy way is through the purchase of the Morgan Stanley Market Vectors Double Short Europe ETN (NYSE: DRR), which provides a dollar versus Euro play.

"Natural gas is one of the world's most-sought-after fuels; not only is it cleaner burning and more efficient than traditional fossil fuels, it's also more efficient to transport," says Keith Fitz-Gerald.

In his always-intriguing The Money Map Reporter, he explains, "Our latest featured idea is Bermuda-based Teekay LNG Partners LP (NYSE: TGP), a liquid natural gas shipper which we consider a safe port in any economic storm."

"Many investors don't realize that liquid natural gas (LNG) comes from Indonesia, Malaysia, Qatar and other faraway places – transported by specially designed ships – and that we don't have the industrial capacity to meet modern-day demand.

"Teekay LNG Partners LP is a publicly traded master limited partnership formed by Teekay Corp. (NYSE: TK), a provider of international transportation services for petroleum products.

"The company provides marine transportation services for LNG through a fleet of ships that it owns or operates under various long-term contracts known as 'time charters.' These 15 to 20-year pacts are reached with such major energy companies.

"The financial sector got a boost after our Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC), a buy recommendation in our model income portfolio, reported better-than-expected earnings," notes Jack Adamo.

The editor of Insiders Plus, explains, " While Wells, like virtually every other bank, is dragging its heels a bit on recognizing losses on bad mortgages, there were elements of the report that were unquestionably great.

"In its latest quarterly report, Wells Fargo reported:

• Revenues were up 16% year-over-year.
• Average loans were up 18% year-over-year.
• Net interest margin was 4.92%, up 23 basis points from Q1
• Net interest income increased 21% year-over-year.

"The fact that Wells is one of the few banks that is still well-capitalized enough to write loans was a large contributor to its increase in revenues.

"Gold is the only financial asset that isn't someone else's liability and it's the only asset that's reliably held its value over time," notes global investor and resource expert Yiannis Mostrous.

In his Vital Resource Investor, he adds, "Indeed, gold has held its value for millenia. An ounce of gold still buys a quality men's suit, just as it did in the days of ancient Greece." Here, he reviews a trio of ideas, each for investors with various levels of risk tolerance.

Mostrous explains, "To date, Americans have never had to experience the society-wrenching events that have affected much of the world for centuries. But most of the globe's population hasn't forgotten the value of gold in times of extreme strife and social turmoil.

"And with incomes rising in many of these countries, beneficiaries have used their newfound savings to beef up their holdings. That's a trend with serious legs, particularly as Asia continues to grow.

"Then there's inflation, the ultimate debaser of all paper currencies. Despite surging energy and food prices, core inflation remains at elevated -- but still relatively moderate -- levels in most of the developed world.

"Developing world inflation, however, is a far different story. And many countries have seen sharp price acceleration across the board, including China.

"Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM) is my favorite stock for gains over the next 12 months," says Chuck Carlson. Here's his bullish assessment from The DRIP Investor newsletter.

"Yes, the market is declining. And, yes, it is often scary to buy during such market periods. Nevertheless, there's an adage that 'the best time to invest was yesterday; the next best time is today'.

"Indeed, countless studies have shown that the best thing any investor can do is invest early and often. That is the best way to maximize the power of time, and time will have the greatest bearing on your investment results.

"Thus, investors need to be willing to buy even when it is difficult to do so, or should I so especially when it is difficult to do so. The reason is that we usually are reluctant to buy stocks during market declines. Yet, if you think about it, declining markets should be precisely the time we buy since stocks are cheaper.

"The stock has demonstrated impressive price performance throughout the market volatility in recent months, rising to its highest level in a year above $50 before pulling back.

"In a year wracked by economic uncertainty and stumbling global stock markets, Russia has been an unlikely standout performer," explains global investment expert Nick Vardy.

In his Global Bull Market Alert, the advisor asserts, "The Market Vectors Russia ETF (NYSE: RSX), is a bet that Russia's buoyant stock market performance this year is set to continue."

"Even as China is now down by more than 50%, bad boy Russia's performance has been second only to Brazil this year and it actually has outperformed its BRIC rival by a hair during the past three months.

"Despite Russia's reputation as a country rife with corruption, scant respect for genuine democracy and the Rule of Law, it's always hard to argue with success.

"Scan the Russian press, and it quickly becomes apparent that the contrast between the collective economic mood of Russia and the United States couldn't be sharper. While U.S. drivers cringe at $4 per gallon gas, Russia celebrates high oil prices as the source of its newfound wealth.

"To add insult to injury, the most recent Forbes 400 list confirms that Moscow now boasts more billionaires than New York City.

"As the tech industry has matured, some technology companies are beginning to devote some of their cash flow to dividends," explains George Putnam, who notes, "This helps reduce downside volatility and offers some positive return when the stock prices lag."

In his industry-leading The Turnaround Letter, the advisor highlights some dividend-paying tech stocks; here a look at three of those picks.

"Many tech stocks have underperformed for the last couple of years as capital spending on technology products has been weak. The sector will eventually rebound, but the timing is far from certain.

"A conservative way to play the industry is to focus on technology stocks that pay dividends. That way you at least get paid something while you wait for the rebound. The following technology stocks pay decent dividends, many of them higher than the average 2.1% dividend paid by the stocks in the S&P 500 Index.

"Railroads are a play on three big secular themes: the drive for increased energy efficiency, growth in coal and the agriculture boom," says Elliott Gue, a energy sector expert who has just returned from Japan where he was covering the G8 Summit.

Meanwhile, in his The Energy Srategist, he states, "Railroads are now among the most fuel-efficient forms of freight transport available." Here, he offers a bullish review of Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP).

"My long-held thesis on the group has been that the railroads are no longer totally dependent on the US economy for their growth.

"It's no longer appropriate to look at this sector as viciously economy sensitive. The traditional relationship between the broader market and the rails has been breaking down for several years, but this trend appears to be accelerating.

"In 2007, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR), the average railroad moved a ton of freight a distance of 436 miles on a single gallon of diesel fuel. That makes freight trains roughly three to four times more fuel efficient than trucks.

"Union Pacific is the largest railroad in the US and has long been one of my favorites. The company's network is nearly 33,000 miles long and is concentrated in the West and Midwest. It also offers a convenient example of the bullish forces at work for the rails, particularly in the coal and agriculture industries.

"The 'low-hanging fruit' on our buy list includes refiners," says resource expert Curtis Hesler in The Professional Timing Service. Here, he looks at Valero Energy (NYSE: VLO).

"Refiners enjoy a virtual monopoly. The high price of crude has put the squeeze on profit margins -- especially in the case of gasoline, even though it is selling for over $4.00 now. Gasoline always becomes a political issue during election season.

"Nevertheless, gasoline prices are generally rising. The stock market is also getting 'depression minded,' to the point of paranoia; and this fear is dragging some stocks like refiners lower with the tide.

"The current profit squeeze will not be permanent, but Valero has another arrow in its quiver. They are able to process sour crude, which is becoming more prevalent as exporters keep more of the good stuff (light sweet crude) at home and ship the heavy sour crude.

"If you think filling up an SUV is painful, try footing the bill for a massive 1,000-foot ocean liner -- or in the case of Carnival Corp. (NYSE: CCL), an entire fleet of 84 floating cities," notes value investor Nathan Slaughter.

In his Half-Priced Stocks he explains, "Despite unprecedented fuel costs, the company continues to power forward." Here's his bullish review.

"Last quarter, Carnival shelled out $530 per metric ton for fuel, up sharply from $330 per ton a year ago. And after pumping about 800,000 metric tons, the company rang up a total fuel bill of $425 million.

"For the year, management is expecting fuel costs to come in about $750 million higher than in 2007, which will trim earnings by about $0.92 per share. Fortunately, the company is in a position to absorb those higher costs.

"Over the past three months, two million passengers have boarded a Carnival ship, for an occupancy rate of 104.8% (indicating some berths held more than two guests). And those visitors paid $2.6 billion for their tickets and plunked down another $743 million in the lounges, casinos and gift shops after they arrived on board.

"As far as safety goes, Automatic Data Processing (NYSE: ADP) is hard to beat," says Gregory Dorsey in Leeb's Income Performance Report. Here's the advisor's review.

"In our search for stocks that can not only grow in good times, but will also hold up well when the going gets rough, we find ADP. Its steady cash generation means the company has a number of options at its disposal when it comes to maximizing shareholder value.

"ADP offers services including payroll processing, human resource benefits administration products and other outsourcing services. The stock's P/E, using expected year-ahead earnings, doesn't seem so cheap at 18. But relative to the company's long-term growth rate, it's quite reasonable. In fact, the stock is trading at its lowest valuations in more than a decade.

"And ADP's balance sheet has never been stronger. Management's confidence in the company's future recently prompted them to up the stock's payout by 26%. We see good things ahead for ADP as well.

"ADP has demonstrated a record of maximizing shareholder value. For instance, the company has a history of using part of its cash flow generation to repurchase its own stock. In the first quarter the company repurchased approximately 5.8 million shares, and it's likely to continue to buy back shares in the future."

Each day, Steven Halpern's TheStockAdvisors.com offers the latest market commentary and favorite investment ideas from the nation's leading financial newsletter advisors.

"Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) absolutely surprised Wall Street, which had downbeat expectations for lower earnings," reports Richard Rhodes, trading expert and editor of The Rhodes Report.

"WFC earned $1.75 billion or $0.53/share for the April to June period, which is down just a bit from $2.28 billion or $0.67 per share for the same period last year. Provisions for credit losses were $3 billion, which included increase in reserves for future losses of $1.5 billion.

"But what really surprised the market was that fact that WFE raised their quarterly dividend to $0.34/share per quarter from $0.31, a near +10% increase. In a world where most, if not all, banks are raising capital and slashing dividends - WFC sees fit to stand on the Left Coast and shout that 'all is fine in the water, come on in!'

"This should support the banking community today, which given yesterday's better-than-expected earnings out of First Horizon (NYSE: FHN), has tended to cause a bit of short covering in the banks.

"In our view, this will be a large test for the banking sector. We are interested in how it trades today given the good WFC news - WFC is higher by nearly +10% as we finish up writing, for if they can rally and hold their gains, we are apt to put on an aggressive long position to capture a sharper short covering rally that may cause value managers to 'dip their toe' into the water and become buyers.

"Expectations have been inordinately low; the regional banks are showing there are managing their businesses relatively well."

Each day, Steven Halpern's TheStockAdvisors.com offers the latest market commentary and favorite investment ideas from the nation's leading financial newsletter advisors.

"As steel prices continue to climb, one company that is set to profit handsomely is Cleveland-Cliffs (NYSE: CLF)," says Bill Martin.

Adding to the stock's appeal, the editor of BullMarket.com explains, "Event-driven hedge fund Harbinger Capital has been an aggressive buyer of the stock." Here's his review of the situation.

"Shares of Cleveland-Cliffs have been on fire, up over 150% year over year and they have more than doubled year to date. The Cleveland, Ohio-based company is the largest producer of iron ore pellets in North America and a major supplier of metallurgical coal to the global steel-making industry.

"Cleveland-Cliffs benchmarks iron ore prices to the price of steel, so when steel prices rise, so do iron ore prices. The company said all of its North American iron ore mines are producing at or near capacity.

"Cleveland-Cliffs ended the first quarter of 2008 with $186.5 million of cash and cash equivalents and $600 million in borrowings outstanding under an $800 million credit facility. The company expects to generate approximately $700 million in cash from operations in FY08 as it sells through its inventory.

"Event-driven hedge fund Harbinger Capital was an aggressive buyer of the stock in May, paying between $76.96 to $104.75 a share to add to its position in the name. For the month, the firm spent approximately $338.5 million to acquire nearly 3.7 million shares.

"The number one reason I like gold is because of inflation -- now a big problem in the emerging markets and the major economies," says resource expert Eric Roseman.

In his industry-leading Commodity Trend Alert, he says, "One of my favorite companies in the world is Goldcorp (NYSE: GG)." Here, he looks at this gold mining firm.

"Inflation sits at a nine-and-a-half-year high in Asia at 7.5%, a 15-year high in the Euro-zone at 3.7% and in the United States it's at 4.2% -- if you believe government data in the first place. I don't. I say inflation is running closer to 10% in 2008, not 4.2%.

"The cost of living, mainly in food and energy, is now totally out of control and destroying business margins and eroding the purchasing power of consumers, especially in the emerging markets where food and energy consumption devours more than 65% of wages.

"It seems very obvious to me that Asian governments have now lost control of inflation. The same applies to the Gulf countries which peg their currencies to the dollar. And in Europe, the European Central Bank is freaking out because of high inflation.