What if there was a way to reap high returns in the market…while positively affecting the lives of millions of people? Don’t get me wrong. I work for one of the top financial publishers in the country. And our job is to make our customers money. That’s the bottom line. #-ad_banner-#But is it possible to make money and make a difference?  As investors, we place our money and our trust in companies. Shouldn’t we also have some pride or belief… Read More

What if there was a way to reap high returns in the market…while positively affecting the lives of millions of people? Don’t get me wrong. I work for one of the top financial publishers in the country. And our job is to make our customers money. That’s the bottom line. #-ad_banner-#But is it possible to make money and make a difference?  As investors, we place our money and our trust in companies. Shouldn’t we also have some pride or belief in what that business does?  Warren Buffett has been saying for years that you should only buy “companies you understand.” I think you could also add “companies you respect.”  During a recent interview with Forbes magazine, John Mackey, the co-founder and co-CEO of Whole Foods Market (Nasdaq: WFM), was asked how companies can make a profit and give back to the community. This was his reply: “Businesses can do both by practicing conscious capitalism [and] always being grounded in its “credo”: That… Read More

Hedge funds have been lining up on both sides of the fence regarding nutritional supplement multi-level marketing company Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE: HLF). The stock made a 52-week high of $73 last spring before shares took a huge hit following accusations from hedge fund investor William Ackman that the company was nothing more than a pyramid scheme. The seven-month trading range between $56 and $42 a share projected a downside target of $28 ($14 height… Read More

Hedge funds have been lining up on both sides of the fence regarding nutritional supplement multi-level marketing company Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE: HLF). The stock made a 52-week high of $73 last spring before shares took a huge hit following accusations from hedge fund investor William Ackman that the company was nothing more than a pyramid scheme. The seven-month trading range between $56 and $42 a share projected a downside target of $28 ($14 height of the pattern subtracted from the breakdown level of $42). A volatility spike occurred when the downside channel support at $42 was broken in December, and as often happens at price extremes, the selling pressured the stock to $24 before a rebound.  Recent action has seen the price rally back above breakdown point at $42, which acts as the pivot point, to about $44. As the battle between short sellers and value buyers continues, traders can use a different approach to profit from Herbalife. Because of the high volatility, another word… Read More

So far in 2013, we’ve seen the market basically tread water. After the huge fiscal cliff deal inspired buying in the first trading day of the year, the markets have drifted lower, and we are right about where we were when we started the… Read More

Right now, many quality European multinationals are cheaper than their U.S. peers, as investors’ concerns about Europe’s economy have lowered share prices. The S&P 500 currently trades at 2.14 times book value and 12.4 times projected 2013… Read More

The best dividend-paying stocks are often familiar names that have been around forever, but don’t get much attention from analysts. And right now is the best time to invest in stocks that pretty much provide investors with a steady stream of income that grows… Read More

There’s a wave of wealth sweeping rural areas across North America.#-ad_banner-# Sleepy, rundown towns are bustling with commerce and activity as the new-found money breathes life into the… Read More

U.S. Investors poured a stunning $54 billion into emerging-market exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in 2012, according to research firm ETFGI. That’s a stunning growth from just $3 billion in 2011. The two largest ETFs in the category, Vanguard… Read More

Right now, many quality European multinationals are cheaper than their U.S. peers, as investors’ concerns about Europe’s economy have lowered share prices. The S&P 500 currently trades at 2.14 times book value and 12.4 times projected 2013 earnings, compared with 1.5 times book and 10.8 times estimated earnings for the Euro Stoxx 50 Index, an index for Eurozone blue chips. The EuroStoxx 50 also yields more than 4.5% — double… Read More

Right now, many quality European multinationals are cheaper than their U.S. peers, as investors’ concerns about Europe’s economy have lowered share prices. The S&P 500 currently trades at 2.14 times book value and 12.4 times projected 2013 earnings, compared with 1.5 times book and 10.8 times estimated earnings for the Euro Stoxx 50 Index, an index for Eurozone blue chips. The EuroStoxx 50 also yields more than 4.5% — double the S&P 500’s 2.25%. Yet even with all the negative headlines about Europe, I’ve had great success with several European stocks in my High-Yield International portfolio. Take Sanofi (NYSE: SNY), a French pharmaceutical company that’s up nearly 90% in the few short years I’ve owned it. Or U.K-based National Grid (NYSE: NGG), an electric distribution utility that has been paying a steady dividend since I added it in 2008 and is up 27% in two years. And now, I’ve pinpointed another European company worth considering for your… Read More

The best dividend-paying stocks are often familiar names that have been around forever, but don’t get much attention from analysts. And right now is the best time to invest in stocks that pretty much provide investors with a steady stream of income that grows bigger year after year.#-ad_banner-# Such is the case with Western Union (NYSE: WU), the global leader in money-transfer services. Going strong since the 1850s, the company went public in 2006 when it was spun off from First Data. Not many analysts pay attention to this… Read More

The best dividend-paying stocks are often familiar names that have been around forever, but don’t get much attention from analysts. And right now is the best time to invest in stocks that pretty much provide investors with a steady stream of income that grows bigger year after year.#-ad_banner-# Such is the case with Western Union (NYSE: WU), the global leader in money-transfer services. Going strong since the 1850s, the company went public in 2006 when it was spun off from First Data. Not many analysts pay attention to this stock, but dividend investors should find a lot to like about Western Union. It has a leading market share, 10 years of relatively consistent growth, a business model that produces enormous amounts of cash flow and a firm commitment to returning more of its cash to investors. This is what we here at StreetAuthority refer to as a Retirement Savings… Read More

Although it doesn’t make for a very interesting story, providing replacement parts for consumers can be just as profitable as unlocking the creative innovation that launches a new industry. Case in point: Cooper Tire & Rubber (NYSE: CTB). This company makes replacement tires for cars and trucks. It is the… Read More