Earnings are supporting higher stock prices, and new records for the S&P 500 seem within reach. S&P 500 2,000? SPDR S&P 500 (NYSE: SPY) ended the week virtually unchanged. Friday’s close of $169.11 was only 6 cents below the previous week’s close, a difference of 0.04%. It was a relatively dull week with the difference from the low to the high being only 1.38%. Since the bull market… Read More

Earnings are supporting higher stock prices, and new records for the S&P 500 seem within reach. S&P 500 2,000? SPDR S&P 500 (NYSE: SPY) ended the week virtually unchanged. Friday’s close of $169.11 was only 6 cents below the previous week’s close, a difference of 0.04%. It was a relatively dull week with the difference from the low to the high being only 1.38%. Since the bull market began in 2009, the average weekly range of SPY has been 3.38%. Earnings continued to come in above expectations, and quarterly earnings for companies in the S&P 500 are on track to reach an all-time high. Analysts are optimistic that this trend in earnings should continue for at least the next year, expecting earnings per share (EPS) for the stocks that make up the S&P 500… Read More

Every year, I read dozens of books on investing, finance, economics and related topics. At last count, my Kindle contained well over 100 books about these subjects, and that doesn’t count the scores of paperbacks and hardbacks overflowing from my bookshelf and piled up in the corner of my office, threatening to collapse upon some hapless visitor. #-ad_banner-#I’ve even co-authored two investing books myself, one on energy and the other on emerging markets, but… Read More

Every year, I read dozens of books on investing, finance, economics and related topics. At last count, my Kindle contained well over 100 books about these subjects, and that doesn’t count the scores of paperbacks and hardbacks overflowing from my bookshelf and piled up in the corner of my office, threatening to collapse upon some hapless visitor. #-ad_banner-#I’ve even co-authored two investing books myself, one on energy and the other on emerging markets, but I digress. The sad truth is that among all these books, less than a dozen were truly memorable. Some were entertaining to read on a long-haul flight, but memory of those titles often faded before I jumped into a taxi at my destination. But there are a handful of books that make wading through all those forgettable titles worthwhile. These must-read titles contain truly useful information and analysis that prompt me to think about investing in a new way or develop new strategies and themes. “Shareholder Yield: A Better Approach to Dividend Investing” by… Read More

It’s a story that hasn’t gotten a whole lot of press recently, but U.S. banks are doing well. Very well. Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) shares hit an all-time high on July 8. The other three large U.S. banks are also on the rise: Citigroup (NYSE: C) is up 25%, Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) is up 14%, and JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM) is up 24%. The reason? Put simply, banks make… Read More

It’s a story that hasn’t gotten a whole lot of press recently, but U.S. banks are doing well. Very well. Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) shares hit an all-time high on July 8. The other three large U.S. banks are also on the rise: Citigroup (NYSE: C) is up 25%, Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) is up 14%, and JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM) is up 24%. The reason? Put simply, banks make money by borrowing at a low rate and lending at a high rate. The rates being offered for the average savings account are next to nothing these days. Yet banks are able to turn around and issue loans to businesses and individual customers for rates of 4% to 5%. This difference is called the interest rate spread. On top of that, banks are able to loan many times the amount… Read More

I love most aquatic sports. From fishing and kayaking to powerboating and waterskiing, if it’s warm out, I want to be near or on the water. I grew up near several major rivers where I often fished and boated as a youngster. Although these rivers were hundreds of yards wide, they were usually shallow. They were constantly becoming silted in from runoff, debris and assorted other factors. The same thing occurred in local reservoirs, where the water got continuously shallower as mud and silt piled up against the dam. If you have ever stepped… Read More

I love most aquatic sports. From fishing and kayaking to powerboating and waterskiing, if it’s warm out, I want to be near or on the water. I grew up near several major rivers where I often fished and boated as a youngster. Although these rivers were hundreds of yards wide, they were usually shallow. They were constantly becoming silted in from runoff, debris and assorted other factors. The same thing occurred in local reservoirs, where the water got continuously shallower as mud and silt piled up against the dam. If you have ever stepped into this muddy, silt-filled mess when boating or fishing, then you know it’s pretty disgusting. Not only is the silting of rivers and reservoirs a real issue for recreational users of waterways, but it can impede crucial transportation and navigation routes.  It’s a problem begging for a solution — and in a twist of fate, I discovered a company that provides one. Several weeks ago, when researching the Gold Trust ETF (NYSE: GLD), I inadvertently added an extra “D” to the GLD… Read More

Earnings are supporting higher stock prices, and new records for the S&P 500 seem within reach. S&P 500 2,000? SPDR S&P 500 (NYSE: SPY) ended the week virtually unchanged. Friday’s close of $169.11 was only 6 cents below the previous week’s close, a difference of 0.04%. It was a relatively dull week with the difference from the low to the high being only 1.38%. Since the bull market… Read More

Earnings are supporting higher stock prices, and new records for the S&P 500 seem within reach. S&P 500 2,000? SPDR S&P 500 (NYSE: SPY) ended the week virtually unchanged. Friday’s close of $169.11 was only 6 cents below the previous week’s close, a difference of 0.04%. It was a relatively dull week with the difference from the low to the high being only 1.38%. Since the bull market began in 2009, the average weekly range of SPY has been 3.38%. Earnings continued to come in above expectations, and quarterly earnings for companies in the S&P 500 are on track to reach an all-time high. Analysts are optimistic that this trend in earnings should continue for at least the next year, expecting earnings per share (EPS) for the stocks that make up the S&P 500… Read More

Earnings are supporting higher stock prices, and new records for the S&P 500 seem within reach. S&P 500 2,000? SPDR S&P 500 (NYSE: SPY) ended the week virtually unchanged. Friday’s close of $169.11 was only 6 cents below the previous week’s close, a difference of 0.04%. It was a relatively dull week with the difference from the low to the high being only 1.38%. Since the bull market… Read More

Earnings are supporting higher stock prices, and new records for the S&P 500 seem within reach. S&P 500 2,000? SPDR S&P 500 (NYSE: SPY) ended the week virtually unchanged. Friday’s close of $169.11 was only 6 cents below the previous week’s close, a difference of 0.04%. It was a relatively dull week with the difference from the low to the high being only 1.38%. Since the bull market began in 2009, the average weekly range of SPY has been 3.38%. Earnings continued to come in above expectations, and quarterly earnings for companies in the S&P 500 are on track to reach an all-time high. Analysts are optimistic that this trend in earnings should continue for at least the next year, expecting earnings per share (EPS) for the stocks that make up the S&P 500… Read More

Earnings are supporting higher stock prices, and new records for the S&P 500 seem within reach. S&P 500 2,000? SPDR S&P 500 (NYSE: SPY) ended the week virtually unchanged. Friday’s close of $169.11 was only 6 cents below the previous week’s close, a difference of 0.04%. It was a relatively dull week with the difference from the low to the high being only 1.38%. Since the bull market… Read More

Earnings are supporting higher stock prices, and new records for the S&P 500 seem within reach. S&P 500 2,000? SPDR S&P 500 (NYSE: SPY) ended the week virtually unchanged. Friday’s close of $169.11 was only 6 cents below the previous week’s close, a difference of 0.04%. It was a relatively dull week with the difference from the low to the high being only 1.38%. Since the bull market began in 2009, the average weekly range of SPY has been 3.38%. Earnings continued to come in above expectations, and quarterly earnings for companies in the S&P 500 are on track to reach an all-time high. Analysts are optimistic that this trend in earnings should continue for at least the next year, expecting earnings per share (EPS) for the stocks that make up the S&P 500… Read More

Earnings are supporting higher stock prices, and new records for the S&P 500 seem within reach. S&P 500 2,000? SPDR S&P 500 (NYSE: SPY) ended the week virtually unchanged. Friday’s close of $169.11 was only 6 cents below the previous week’s close, a difference of 0.04%. It was a relatively dull week with the difference from the low to the high being only 1.38%. Since the bull market… Read More

Earnings are supporting higher stock prices, and new records for the S&P 500 seem within reach. S&P 500 2,000? SPDR S&P 500 (NYSE: SPY) ended the week virtually unchanged. Friday’s close of $169.11 was only 6 cents below the previous week’s close, a difference of 0.04%. It was a relatively dull week with the difference from the low to the high being only 1.38%. Since the bull market began in 2009, the average weekly range of SPY has been 3.38%. Earnings continued to come in above expectations, and quarterly earnings for companies in the S&P 500 are on track to reach an all-time high. Analysts are optimistic that this trend in earnings should continue for at least the next year, expecting earnings per share (EPS) for the stocks that make up the S&P 500… Read More

Earnings are supporting higher stock prices, and new records for the S&P 500 seem within reach. S&P 500 2,000? SPDR S&P 500 (NYSE: SPY) ended the week virtually unchanged. Friday’s close of $169.11 was only 6 cents below the previous week’s close, a difference of 0.04%. It was a relatively dull week with the difference from the low to the high being only 1.38%. Since the bull market… Read More

Earnings are supporting higher stock prices, and new records for the S&P 500 seem within reach. S&P 500 2,000? SPDR S&P 500 (NYSE: SPY) ended the week virtually unchanged. Friday’s close of $169.11 was only 6 cents below the previous week’s close, a difference of 0.04%. It was a relatively dull week with the difference from the low to the high being only 1.38%. Since the bull market began in 2009, the average weekly range of SPY has been 3.38%. Earnings continued to come in above expectations, and quarterly earnings for companies in the S&P 500 are on track to reach an all-time high. Analysts are optimistic that this trend in earnings should continue for at least the next year, expecting earnings per share (EPS) for the stocks that make up the S&P 500… Read More

Earnings are supporting higher stock prices, and new records for the S&P 500 seem within reach. S&P 500 2,000? SPDR S&P 500 (NYSE: SPY) ended the week virtually unchanged. Friday’s close of $169.11 was only 6 cents below the previous week’s close, a difference of 0.04%. It was a relatively dull week with the difference from the low to the high being only 1.38%. Since the bull market… Read More

Earnings are supporting higher stock prices, and new records for the S&P 500 seem within reach. S&P 500 2,000? SPDR S&P 500 (NYSE: SPY) ended the week virtually unchanged. Friday’s close of $169.11 was only 6 cents below the previous week’s close, a difference of 0.04%. It was a relatively dull week with the difference from the low to the high being only 1.38%. Since the bull market began in 2009, the average weekly range of SPY has been 3.38%. Earnings continued to come in above expectations, and quarterly earnings for companies in the S&P 500 are on track to reach an all-time high. Analysts are optimistic that this trend in earnings should continue for at least the next year, expecting earnings per share (EPS) for the stocks that make up the S&P 500… Read More