As the economy struggles to keep its head above water numerous markets--housing banking auto -- are facing plummeting revenue. And now -- contrary to all expectation -- live nude entertainment is feeling the pinch. But in accordance with stringent club policy not literally. With consumers opting not to splurge on magnums of Cristal the champagne rooms at strip clubs have also emptied out. The recent slump in clientele has sidelined 2 companies in particular that cater to men's entertainment. Both Rick's Cabaret International Inc. (RICK) and VCG Holding Corp. (VCGH) have been forced to run damage control on existing ...

I know it’s my civic obligation or whatever but this jury-duty thing is getting annoying. Every morning and afternoon I’m essentially on call. The good news is it all ends Friday and it's three years till they can call me again. Halleluiah! Good riddance. By the way what happened to spring? Asian stocks ended lower. The Hang Seng was off more than 2% and the Nikkei was down but just a fraction. Meanwhile Europe was in negative territory earlier this morning. And here in the US we're currently trading higher. Here's what I am focused on this morning: Insider Plays?I’ve been ...

Eric Langan CEO of Rick’s Cabaret (RICK) the national gentlemen’s-club chain told a reporter “I wouldn’t say we’re recession-proof but we’re recession-resistant.” Langan started his own club with $40 000 he earned from selling his baseball-card collection and eventually acquired a controlling interest in Rick’s which was launched in 1983 and taken public in 1995. “Men will never grow tired of the high-class strip-club experience ” said Rick’s spokesman Lonnie Hanover. “When times are tough there is no better form of escapism than a night at a gentlemen’s club.” One estimate of the economic impact of gentlemen’s clubs in ...

Let's face it: Men are required by convention to do most of the heavy lifting around Valentine's Day mostly to make up for all the things they've done or will do the remaining 364 days of the year. Viewed through the prism of stock-market investing analyst (females) expectations are historically far higher than a company's (males) ability to execute. And therein lies the investment opportunity. How can a smart Valentine monetize her floundering partner's missteps? Minyanville unveils 2 investment indexes specifically designed to capture the wide range of Cupid's romantic dreams... and disappointments. Component Breakdown  1-800-Flowers.com (FLWS) helps kick the day off ...

Finally, someone has come along to consolidate the gentleman's club business. We'll look inside Rick's Cabaret to determine if it's got the legs to succeed long-term.