SM Energy Company (NYSE: SM) announces today that it is planning to raise at least $300 to $500 million through divestitures of non-strategic assets and/or joint venture agreements over the next 12 months, including the following potential transactions. Read more.

We know, we know, how can we be thinking of X-mas in August? Well, here at Blue Phoenix we pride ourselves on being ahead of the trends. We can’t help but look around today’s marketplace and see lots of things investors should get ready to add to their Santa lists this year. Whether you’ve been naughty or nice, coal in the stocking this year may not be such a bad thing! Read more.

TEHRAN — Thirty-six years after construction began under the shah, Iran finally opened its first nuclear power plant at a ceremony on Saturday.

Attended by senior officials from Iran and Russia, which helped build the station through years of concern by the United States and other Western nations that Iran was using its civilian program to mask a plan to build a bomb, the ceremony marked the beginning of the transfer of low-enriched uranium fuel rods from a storage site into the plant. Read more.

John Licata, chief commodity strategist at Blue Phoenix Inc. and editor of The Commodity Chronicles, talks with Bloomberg’s Pimm Fox about a “bull” market for uranium trading and the risk of U.S. trading tensions with Russia if the country supplies Iran. Click the following link to listen to the podcast Licata Bloomberg 8-18

Gold recently has declined from the record highs achieved in June 2010 as investors have returned to risk and sapped profits. In this in-depth report, Platts looks at how gold managed to rocket so high in the first instance only to be pulled lower. Still, the outlook is price supportive for the yellow metal going forward in to Q4 2010. Click here to read full article which has commentary on gold from Blue Phoenix Commodity Strategist John Licata.

John Licata, chief commodity strategist of Blue Phoenix talks to BNN about his outlook for uranium. Click here to watch video.