Out Fox The $treet

By all accounts, it appears that Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold ( NYSE: FCX     ) is wrapping up any lingering issues with the Indonesian government. The stock fell more than $7 back in January on a decree by the government to impose a heavy export duty on unprocessed materials, including copper and gold. Freeport-McMoRan is a leading copper producer with global operations, though the largest mine is located in the Grasberg mining complex in Indonesia. Similar to Newmont Mining ( NYSE: NEM     ), the stock was affected by the government decree, though expectations were for a peaceful resolution. The stock remains down nearly $5, providing an opportunity for long-term investors willing to accept some of the global risk but also the rewards of a diversified portfolio of commodities. Read the full article here. Disclosure: Long FCX. Please review the disclaimer page for more details. 

While the export tax issue in Indonesia gets all the press, the real reason Newmont Mining ( NYSE: NEM     ) continues to hit new 52-week lows is related to gold prices. Though facing the same issue in Indonesia, Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold ( NYSE: FCX     ) has seen some bounce-back with a bigger focus on copper and oil. Both miners export a considerable amount of material from Indonesia and have so far failed to obtain export licenses or waivers on the new export tax. Back in January, the Indonesian government entered an order for punitive taxes for miners that don't process materials in the country. While Freeport-McMoRan has publicly discussed plans of potentially building a smelter, Newmont hasn't done the same. Read the full article here. Disclosure: Long FCX. Please review the disclaimer page for more details. 

Last week, the Indonesian Ministry of Finance announced a punitive tax on the export of ore concentrate mined within its country. Considering Freeport-McMoRan ( NYSE: FCX     ) operates a massive mining facility in the country that produces substantial copper and gold ore, the impact is very concerning to the bottom line for shareholders. The decree also impacts mining operations of Newmont Mining ( NYSE: NEM     ) so Freeport-McMoRan will have some extra help in lobbying for a reprisal of the proposed new law. For numerous reasons highlighted in the recent earnings conference call, investors shouldn't be so quick to dump the stock. Jefferies recently named Freeport-McMoRan a top franchise pick, and this the type of scenario where investors can pick up long-term winners at bargain prices. Read the full article here . Disclosure: Long FCX. Please review the disclaimer page for more details. 

Most investors are familiar now with the BRIC notation standing for Brazil, Russia, India, and China as standing for the 4 economies with huge populations living on sub-standard per capita earnings, but huge political desires to lift themselves up to European or US standards. Based on the list below, all 4 countries have populations in the Top 10 in the world so its not surprising that a big movement in their per capita earnings combines with the population size could have a huge impact on the world. What is surprising is that several other countries like Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nigeria appear on the Top 10 list, but aren't global economic powers. Morgan Stanley thinks that at least one of them should belong with the other growing global powers based on this snippet on Bloomberg . The country is Indonesia and to most peoples surprise they are the 4th most populated country in the world yet they only have the 19th largest economy. This only means more pressure on the li...