Billionaires Warren Buffett and Bill Ackman have helped make investors serious money in the railroad industry over the past couple of years. If you missed these opportunities while trying to navigate the financial crisis, never fear: There’s still… Read More

“This time, it will be different.”  This phrase is perhaps the most overused and dangerous phrase in the world of finance. It usually means to get ready for a repeat of the same old market pattern or occurrence. As an example, I remember back during the dot-com boom, many investors believed the stock market was going to continue skyward forever. They pointed to things like the unlimited potential of the Internet, the new economic paradigm and a variety of other… Read More

“This time, it will be different.”  This phrase is perhaps the most overused and dangerous phrase in the world of finance. It usually means to get ready for a repeat of the same old market pattern or occurrence. As an example, I remember back during the dot-com boom, many investors believed the stock market was going to continue skyward forever. They pointed to things like the unlimited potential of the Internet, the new economic paradigm and a variety of other factors that supported their bullishness. Well, despite the raging bullish fever and the “new” reasons for why it would never end, we all know what happened. The dot-com bubble burst in the same fashion as all other speculative bubbles during human history.#-ad_banner-# This year, we have experienced a huge bull market. Many pundits are calling for the bullish move to end in a sharp downward correction. These… Read More

Investors define income stocks in different ways. We target those with dividend yields higher than the interest rate of the 10-year Treasury note, which is currently at about 2.7%. Safety can also be defined in different ways. We… Read More

Billionaires Warren Buffett and Bill Ackman have helped make investors serious money in the railroad industry over the past couple of years. If you missed these opportunities while trying to navigate the financial crisis, never fear: There’s still… Read More

The market is flashing big warning signals right now. The biggest concern is the Federal Reserve tapering its quantitative easing program. The impact of the world’s most powerful central bank reducing the size of its monthly… Read More

When the Federal Reserve launched its plans to stimulate the economy through quantitative easing in 2009, virtually all asset classes were expected to benefit as the massive increase in liquidity… Read More

It’s the dream of every investor to find a stock that is down on its luck and ride it higher to riches. These are the turnaround stories: companies that for whatever reason have struggled but are finding… Read More

Europe, which has been long believed to be simply too volatile for prudent long-term investors, appears to have turned the corner.  The world experienced years of one crisis after another sweeping the eurozone. These financial missteps destabilized the equity markets, creating a dangerous place for investors. Last year, European Central Bank President Mario Draghi made the unprecedented promise that he will “do whatever it takes” to save the common… Read More

Europe, which has been long believed to be simply too volatile for prudent long-term investors, appears to have turned the corner.  The world experienced years of one crisis after another sweeping the eurozone. These financial missteps destabilized the equity markets, creating a dangerous place for investors. Last year, European Central Bank President Mario Draghi made the unprecedented promise that he will “do whatever it takes” to save the common currency. This single statement has led to greater stability to the European Union’s (EU) economy and growth in the stock market.#-ad_banner-# Certainly, not all regions are thriving, but things are improving enough to create a compelling case for diversification into the European stock markets.  The primary reason for this improvement is the full-force support of the EU Central Bank for the unified euro currency. Fears of… Read More

There are two ways to invest in retail stocks. You can focus on strong and steady operators such as Costco (Nasdaq: COST) or Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) and hope to secure moderate upside. Or you can be bold and buy shares of truly struggling retailers that have fallen deeply out of favor. That latter approach has been extremely profitable in 2013 for anyone with the guts to invest in GameStop (NYSE: GME) or Best Buy (NYSE: BBY). Just a few… Read More

There are two ways to invest in retail stocks. You can focus on strong and steady operators such as Costco (Nasdaq: COST) or Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) and hope to secure moderate upside. Or you can be bold and buy shares of truly struggling retailers that have fallen deeply out of favor. That latter approach has been extremely profitable in 2013 for anyone with the guts to invest in GameStop (NYSE: GME) or Best Buy (NYSE: BBY). Just a few quarters ago, these companies looked to be in deep trouble as spending on video games and consumer electronics, respectively, increasingly was taking place at rivals. Those two retailers have found a way to lure back customers, and the payoff has been huge. Major investors are now scouring the retail landscape in search of the next turnaround play, and mega-investor George Soros thinks he’s found one. In this year‘s second quarter, he plunked down $3 million to buy shares of J.C. Read More