Oil looks to be on the way down and I have a way you can potentially take advantage of the opportunity with an inverse exchange-traded fund (ETF) First, I want you to take a look at the chart for the… Read More

As tech stocks were exploding in the late 1990s, companies offering video conferencing technology were all the rage. Investors assumed that all business meetings would eventually be replaced by video and audio feeds, allowing for virtual face-to-face collaboration. A decade later, the industry has made major inroads (if not completely… Read More

During downturns in the business cycle, companies focus on cutting costs as it becomes more difficult to grow sales. Existing customers generally spend less and it is very challenging to find new customers when everyone is battening down the hatches. The severity of the current downturn could… Read More

Over the next few quarters, look for Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) to keep up the pressure on Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) as it enters the music download business, strengthens the Android software platform’s capabilities, and likely rolls out a few new technologies and services we have not yet heard about. [Read: Apple’s… Read More

As the market grinds down toward the end of the summer, we’re seeing the typical seasonal malaise when a number of good companies quietly drift down to 52-week lows. And the selling may not be over. The S&P 500 has historically been the weakest in September, dropping an average of -1.3%. The good news: stocks really build a head of steam after that. The S&P 500 typically rises +0.7% in October, followed by average monthly gains of +1.5%, +1.9% and +2.1% in each of the next three months. Savvy investors always keep some cash on hand for… Read More

As the market grinds down toward the end of the summer, we’re seeing the typical seasonal malaise when a number of good companies quietly drift down to 52-week lows. And the selling may not be over. The S&P 500 has historically been the weakest in September, dropping an average of -1.3%. The good news: stocks really build a head of steam after that. The S&P 500 typically rises +0.7% in October, followed by average monthly gains of +1.5%, +1.9% and +2.1% in each of the next three months. Savvy investors always keep some cash on hand for these summer doldrums, as it can be a fertile time to start researching unloved stocks that should find new appreciation as summer turns to fall. Here are four names hitting new 52-week lows on Friday that should be quite appealing for long-term investors. MedcoHealth Solutions (NYSE: MHS) Earlier this summer, we saw a considerable dust-up between CVS (NYSE: CVS) and Walgreen (NYSE: WAG) as those two firms fought over a pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) contract. As we looked into the PBM sector in June, we saw still-considerable growth prospects,… Read More

One of the prevailing theories about the economy is that it is consumer-driven, a postulation I happen to agree with, given that consumer spending accounts for 70% of all economic activity. Part of the reason this recession began is because credit… Read More

Investors tend to steer clear of any company or industry with limited growth prospects. But there is money to be made if the rest of the market looks to shun such investments. After all, these largely matured businesses don’t need to invest much money to develop products and fuel new growth, so they can generate an outsized level of profits on their revenue streams. That’s why some investors love tobacco stocks. They’re unloved by many, but they typically offer very juicy dividends, making them a favorite among income-oriented investors. Friday morning, we were reminded… Read More

Investors tend to steer clear of any company or industry with limited growth prospects. But there is money to be made if the rest of the market looks to shun such investments. After all, these largely matured businesses don’t need to invest much money to develop products and fuel new growth, so they can generate an outsized level of profits on their revenue streams. That’s why some investors love tobacco stocks. They’re unloved by many, but they typically offer very juicy dividends, making them a favorite among income-oriented investors. Friday morning, we were reminded just how profitable these companies are: Lorillard (NYSE: LO), which makes Newport cigarettes, announced that an already juicy dividend would be boosted +12.5%, and the company plans to buy back another $1 billion in stock. Let’s take a deeper look to see if the sector should merit your investment dollars. Final spurt of growth Many of us (myself included) assumed that Big Tobacco is already in decline. Yet as the table below notes, the biggest industry players are still seeing a bit more revenue growth this year, thanks in part… Read More

One of the most fertile areas for investment research can always be found among stocks that trade for less than the price of a deluxe cheeseburger. When a stock is below $5 or $6, many mutual funds are prevented from owning them. Yet if these stocks can… Read More

The United States isn’t yet teetering on the brink of insolvency like Greece — but it’s not for a lack of trying. In fact, we’re on an eerily similar path. According to the U.S. Treasury, our national debt is currently more… Read More

Throughout the last winter and spring, solar stocks fell deeper and deeper out of favor. Investors fretted about a sharp slowdown in government subsidies right at a time when many companies were expanding their factories to boost output. Prices for solar panels and other components were in freefall as inventories piled up. But industry executives in China had a hunch that they could find ample demand for their rising output. They were right. Demand is better than many had expected, and this sector is now in rally mode. In the last three months, Jinko Solar (NYSE: JKS),… Read More

Throughout the last winter and spring, solar stocks fell deeper and deeper out of favor. Investors fretted about a sharp slowdown in government subsidies right at a time when many companies were expanding their factories to boost output. Prices for solar panels and other components were in freefall as inventories piled up. But industry executives in China had a hunch that they could find ample demand for their rising output. They were right. Demand is better than many had expected, and this sector is now in rally mode. In the last three months, Jinko Solar (NYSE: JKS), Solarfun (NYSE: SLF), ReneSola (NYSE: SOL) and Trina Solar (NYSE: TSL) have all risen by at least +40%. If you missed those moves, ample opportunities remain for some of the other industry players. Jinko sets the tone Little-known Jinko Solar has single-handedly established a more bullish tone for the entire sector. The May, 2010 IPO was flat-lining around $10 two months ago, but has since surged nearly +150% thanks to recent blowout earnings. The company turns re-processed and virgin silicon into solar panels and… Read More