Russia is worried about U.S. shale...

Russia is worried about U.S. shale... Cisco sees U.S. recovery, shares pop... A first for the Atlas 400...

 Russia's $105 billion gas giant Gazprom is becoming aware of what the U.S. shale oil boom means to the global economy.

On Monday, we wrote how the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that the U.S will overtake giants like Saudi Arabia and Russia as the No. 1 energy producer during the next decade.

Today, the Financial Times reports that Russian leader Vladimir Putin has warned the state-controlled Gazprom to pay more attention to the shale gas boom in the U.S. This comes less than a month after Gazprom announced the launch of its new flagship project, the Bovanenkovo gas field situated above the Arctic Circle. The Financial Times says the Bovanenkovo field has enough reserves to supply Europe for decades. It has taken years to develop and over $44 billion in capital.

For years, Gazprom has denied the importance of the U.S shale development, believing its stronghold on the European energy market would remain intact. But with booming production around the world, Putin is starting realize its European monopoly isn't as safe as it once thought.

The small Arab nation of Qatar is the No. 2 gas-exporting nation on the planet – behind Russia. It exports 78% of its production in liquid form (through liquefied natural gas, or LNG). Australia is ramping up for LNG exports and experts say it could overtake Qatar by 2017. U.S. exports are negligible right now – simply because we don't have the facilities in place yet. But with Stansberry's Investment Advisory pick Cheniere's export terminal in production, things will soon change. The company plans to begin exports in 2015.

For years, Russia has been the dominant supplier of gas to Western Europe. And it's locked countries into long-term contracts with high prices. But this year, Russia has been forced to renegotiate its contracts...

Gazprom is currently under an anti-trust investigation by the European Commission for possible abuse of its dominant position in the gas market. The outcome is still unknown, but the Financial Times reports Gazprom has reduced prices on its European contracts this year. These reductions will slash $4.5 billion from Gazprom's bottom line in the first half of the year.

 European countries still pay around three times more for their gas than the U.S. Japan pays around six times more.

 High gas prices mean higher production costs for manufacturers. And as we wrote Monday, German car engineer Volkswagen is now outsourcing products to reduce costs.

Many companies are starting to reinvest in factories on U.S. soil to take advantage of the cost savings in energy. It can also heavily affect companies that use oil and natural gas for raw materials in their production. The Financial Times says the shale boom will create 600,000 jobs directly by 2020.

We expect this trend to continue... And we'll continue to update you here.

 In Monday's Digest, we discussed "big, cheap tech" stocks... Many of the best names in the business – like Apple, Intel, and Microsoft – had sold off hard following the election.

But Editor in Chief Brian Hunt noted how cheap one tech stock was: Networking giant Cisco. Earlier this week in our free e-letter Growth Stock Wire, he wrote...

While the rest of the tech world disappointed with its latest round of earnings, Cisco surprised the market with bullish news. We discussed the disappointing numbers from Intel, Microsoft, and Google – which hurt the broader tech sector – here.

 In Cisco's earnings announcement, CEO John Chambers said the company saw a demand recovery in the U.S. He believes it's indicative of a global economic recovery...

"The U.S. has to lead the total globe out of this slowdown," Chambers said. "It's not going to come from Europe, and the emerging economies are not strong enough."

If the improving U.S. demand over the past six months continues into next year, Chambers believes we'll see an increase in capital spending and hiring.

 Cisco's revenues rose 6% in the company's first fiscal quarter to $11.9 billion (despite a 10% drop in Europe), beating expectations of 4% growth. Net income jumped 18% to $2.1 billion. Shares rallied 7% on the news.

 For the first time in the Atlas 400's four-year history, we're inviting prospective members to join us on an event. (Normally, our trips are exclusive for members and their guests.)

We've had dozens of requests from applicants to "get a taste" of Atlas before signing up for membership. And until now, that hasn't been an option. But we'd like to invite you to join us on an exclusive hunting excursion in January.

 A few hundred subscribers joined us at the beautiful Sea Island resort in southern Georgia for our annual Alliance meeting. The day before our meeting, I sneaked off with a fellow Atlas member to tour one of Georgia's finest hunting plantations, Cabin Bluff.

Cabin Bluff is a sprawling 24,000-acre estate in Woodbine, Georgia (just 30 minutes from the Jacksonville airport). Sea Island actually used to own Cabin Bluff. But after its reorganization several years ago, paper giant MeadWestvaco bought the property. Today, the property is largely closed to the public – used for MeadWestvaco corporate retreats.

 But thanks to the personal connections of our Atlas members, Cabin Bluff has granted us exclusive use of the plantation from January 23rd to January 27th. We'll hunt quail and wild boar. If you're rusty, you can practice your shooting on the retreat's sporting clay grounds and five-stand facility.

We'll also have unlimited use of the private 18-hole golf course that PGA Tour golfer Davis Love III designed... And we'll take a few fishing trips on the boat.

The boat dock is well-lit at night, so you can actually sit there with your friends, enjoy some scotch and cigars, and fish late into the night... Leave anything you catch in the cooler on the dock, and Cabin Bluff will make sure you have fresh fish with your eggs in the morning.

 The purpose of the Atlas 400 is to bring like-minded, successful folks together in world-class, exclusive destinations. We believe true friendships and connections are made when you're out of your office and normal routine – in a fishing boat or in the fields hunting for quail.

And our hunt in Cabin Bluff certainly fits the bill... Presidents and top business executives from around the world have enjoyed the plantation since 1928.

If you'd like to meet a few of our members, and spend the week on a beautiful plantation with Porter and me, we'd like to invite you to join us...

The approximate cost of the trip is $5,000 per person (a special price Cabin Bluff granted us). This price includes the activities above, nightly accommodations, guns and shells, meals, snacks, and beverages.

 Please contact Karen Campbell (kcampbell@theatlas400.com) to reserve your spot for the trip. She can also answer any questions you may have. Act quickly, as there are a limited number of spots available to non-members on this event.

Porter and I hope to see you in January... And if you have a good time, maybe you'll join us in Scotland or Tuscany later in the year...

Also, in the meantime, please take a look at this video we made for the Atlas 400 – It shows some of the events we've hosted in the past, and includes interviews with actual members. We hope you enjoy... click here to view it.

 New 52-week highs (as of 11/13/12): None.

 A rare piece of positive feedback in today's mailbag. We enjoy it when we get it... Send us a note, good or bad, to feedback@stansberryresearch.com.

"Porter and crew, as a paid up subscriber I am anxious and excited to hear the news this Friday. You all do a splendid job in breaking everything down. As a relative new investor, I have made money by taking the advice of Stansberry. As a result, you're research is the only investment research I trust. It's a no-non-sense, no 'bull sh*t' approach to the market which is closely tied to politics. I always get a 'kick' out of those people that write in and complain or wine about the OPINIONS of Stansberry. These IDIOTS not only do not want the TRUTH, they can't handle the truth!

"I say 'good riddance' when they leave the advice of your firm. They do not deserve the hard work and integrity that Stansberry provides them! You all have helped me from stepping in many 'pot holes' that I am certain, had I not had access to this research, (as a novice) and an un-experienced investor- I would have made MANY in financial mistakes. Keep up the good work. I refer you to many!" – Paid-up subscriber David Allenson

Regards,