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"QE2 bubble attacks!" That's pretty much all I am hearing these days.

 

I don't hear many people saying what I'm feeling: What are we supposed to do, tolerate ultra-high unemployment and just accept it as a fact? What are we supposed to do, just "hope" that things will get better? What are we supposed to do, depend on Congress to help us? What are we supposed to do, rely on our trading partners to help us? You know, the ones that we defend with our military, our treasure, and the ones that have dumped stuff on us forever?

 

Is that the plan?

 

We haven't seen the last of the "flash crash" -- that trading nightmare that took the Dow Jones industrial average for a 700-point ride in May.

Get ready for the sequel: Spawn of Flash Crash.

Individual stocks are seeing miniature flash crashes with alarming frequency, The New York Times reports. One victim was Progress Energy (PGN), which saw its share price inexplicably plummet nearly 90% in September. 

By Chuck Epstein, InvestorPlace.com

Exchange-traded funds are the newest investment instrument to access the water industry because they are based on some new indexes.

Here are three ETFs that access all aspects of the global water industry:

Inception: September 2005

Expenses: 0.64%

Underlying Index: Palisades Water Index

Investment Goal: Invests 90% of assets in common stocks and ADRs which comprise the index.  The modified equal–weighted portfolio is re-balanced and re-constituted quarterly.

 

By Theresa McCabe, TheStreet 

 

Hasbro (HAS) will introduce a device that allows users to watch three-dimensional content on the Apple (AAPL) iPod or iPhone.

 

The handheld device, called My3D, will be compatible with Apple gadgets. Hasbro promises the attachment will offer a 360-degree experience in gaming and entertainment.

 

The My3D will cost $30 and will be available next spring in stores where Apple's iPhones and iPod touches are available.

 

By Don Dion, TheStreet

 

I have consistently advised investors to gain exposure to gold through the use of various ETF products. With economic turmoil still raging across many regions of the globe, prices have risen to staggering all-time highs, making for an attractive destination for frightful investors.

 

With discussions heating up this week in light of the G-20 meeting, the prospects for the yellow metal and the funds designed to track it appear promising.

 

In a Sunday opinion piece for the Financial Times, World Bank President Robert Zoellick proposed that leading world economies may want to consider using gold as a standard for their currency valuations in order to inject stability.

 

There have been a lot of changes at General Motors since its 2009 bankruptcy filing, subsequent government bailout and current plans for an IPO. In less than two years the company has shed 900 dealers, about a dozen auto plants and a number of brands, including Pontiac, Hummer, Saab and Saturn.

 

Though GM has purportedly pulled out of its tailspin and claims it has returned to profitability, that doesn’t mean there aren’t still big changes in the works. The latest business division on the chopping block is the car’s dealer service brand.

 

That’s right, after 37 years, Mr. Goodwrench is getting a pink slip.

 

Individual investors are coming out of hiding and getting back into the stock market. The Wall Street Journal says the "dumb money" is returning to stocks.

Why are investors coming back? A perfect storm of strong earnings, an economy on the mend and the Federal Reserve upping its bond-buying game.

And chief executives are dusting off their pompoms as well. Nearly 200 companies, including eBay (EBAY) and UPS (UPS), raised profit estimates above analyst projections last month, Bloomberg reported. Only 130 companies cut them. 

Who in heck gave the green light to coal? This post-election rally won't quit, even as it has been almost a week. These stocks act as if the government has spoken and decided that coal is the protected fuel.

 

Now, it is true that some of the big natural-gas players, like Devon (DVN), Range (RRC) and Chesapeake (CHK), have caught bids, and natural gas is threatening to take out $4. But this is a spectacular run in coal of all kinds -- good, bad, dirty and clean.

 

Massey's (MEE) "for sale" sign has brought out talk of heavy consolidation and sent both potential acquirers and targets rallying. Patriot (PCX) is a target, Arch (ACI) a buyer, Peabody (BTU) a buyer, and Cloud Peak (CLD) a target. Consol Energy (CNX) also is a buyer, and Walter (WLT) could be a target. The latter still doesn't have a CEO after a long search, and even though it is as at its 52-week high, it has the highest-quality coal seam for steel in the country -- coal that the Chinese value the highest of any in the world.

 

Amazon (AMZN) and Diapers.com? An odd combination. Diapers are about as low-tech as you can get; what does the king of e-book readers and digital downloads want with a diaper company?

Plenty. Because for all the talk about new technologies, Amazon still has an important business selling staples to families. And a company that uses computer algorithms to stock warehouses and distribute diapers will melt Jeff Bezos' heart any day of the week.

Amazon spent $540 million in cash to buy Quidsi, who owns the Diapers.com and Soap.com operations. That's about $200 million more than what Quidsi was previously valued at, Fortune reports. 

By Alix Steel, TheStreet

 

The gold standard debate is now back on the table, thanks to recent comments by Robert Zoellick, president of the World Bank, in the Financial Times.

 

With a global currency war front and center at the Group of 20 meeting this week in South Korea, Zoellick raised the possibility of a gold standard.

 

Zoellick said that the world needs a "Bretton Woods II," which would be a global "cooperative monetary system" involving multiple currencies like the dollar, euro and yen, as well as gold. Zoellick said gold should be used as an "international reference point of market expectations about inflation, deflation and future currency values." Zoellick says that gold is not just old money but that markets are using the metal as a viable alternative to paper currencies.

 

Groupon has had a meteoric rise, nailing its business model so thoroughly that it was profitable after a mere eight months.

But is it worth as much as $3 billion? That's a stretch. Yet that's what the coupon website thinks it's worth, and it's looking for funding along those lines. Faced with intense competition from startups and Internet giants like Facebook, Groupon needs more money to expand quickly.

Groupon is in 230 cities and wants to get to 300 by year's end, Bloomberg reports. The site offers a discounted deal each day for things like teeth whitening and restaurant meals, but only if a certain number of people sign up. The result? A popular site with great word of mouth and user excitement. 

SmartMoney

Is inventing games that undermine the nation's productivity really more valuable than inventing, say, the microprocessors that run the nation's laptops? So it might seem, by at least one measure: According to recent estimates, Zynga, which makes social media time-sucks Farmville and Mafia Wars, is reportedly valued at $5.5 billion, slightly more than chip-maker AMD (AMD).

Though they're all still private companies, Zynga and other social media companies -- Facebook, Twitter, Groupon, LinkedIn and others -- have been valued as if they're Google (GOOG) circa 2003.

Twitter, a company without a clear revenue model, is reportedly worth $1.5 billion, 15% more than The New York Times. Facebook is supposedly worth $30 billion, making it bigger than Macy's (M), Whole Foods (WFMI), American Eagle (AEO) and Zale (ZLC) combined. 

By Jake Lynch, TheStreet

 

Fast-foot darling Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) has delivered three-year annualized gains of 19%.

 

Among the market's most beloved stocks, Chipotle commands a lofty book value multiple of 9.1 and a cash flow multiple of 25, premiums of 40% and 98% to restaurant peer averages. Few would argue that Chipotle is a value stock, but for those who believe in the company's growth prospects, it may still be a bargain.

 

The consensus on Chipotle is that it has surpassed fair value. Of analysts following the stock, 11 rate it "buy" and 12 rate it "hold." In fact, Chipotle is roughly 11% above analysts' median target.

 

By Don Dion, TheStreet

 

Here are five exchanged-traded funds to keep an eye on this week.

 

1. Market Vectors Nuclear ETF (NLR)

 

Washington faced a substantial shakeup during last week's midterm elections. There will be no downtime for these newly elected legislators, as the debate over energy reform kicks off.

 

With Republicans leading the House of Representatives, political analysts predict that nuclear energy will receive some welcomed attention. ETF investors looking to gain access to this industry should look to NLR.

 

Jeff Reeves, editor of InvestorPlace.com

 

As one of America's biggest specialty beverage merchants, Dunkin' Donuts has been on the defensive in recent years as other restaurants have tried to steal some of its thunder. McDonald's (MCD) launched lower-priced premium coffees and smoothies via its McCafe menu, Starbucks (SBUX) redefined instant coffee with its Via line, and even Burger King is trying to get in on the act by upgrading its java to the Seattle's Best brand.

• Related Article: McDonald's hints at higher menu prices
  

But Dunkin' Donuts has been firing back, most recently by focusing on a revamped breakfast menu. The move is meant not only to keep its coffee drinkers from defecting but to actually steal some of the morning meal business that companies like McDonald's currently dominate.