Although many voters have traditionally seen the Republican Party as “pro-business” and the Democratic party as “pro-consumer,” the reality on the ground isn’t quite so clear. Democrats in Washington are courted by the same business lobbyists as their GOP counterparts. And Republicans, for their part, are well aware of the… Read More

Just as a shark that keeps swimming — even when it sleeps — companies are constantly on the prowl for ways to boost per-share profits. New products can help, as can acquisitions or cost cuts. But the clearest way to boost earnings… Read More

Throughout the first eight months of 2012, investors could not be dissuaded from buying stocks. Bad news was met with a shrug, while good news were heartily embraced. These days, the half-full glass is now perceived as half-empty. Case in point: A solid employment report from the Department of Labor… Read More

Overleveraged homeowners combined with falling home prices created a perfect storm that caused untold financial damage to many who depended on their home value for a savings or retirement plan. But this storm appears to have finally blown itself out and now the housing… Read More

If you’ve ever wanted to invest in the early stages of a corporate turnaround, read on. Three of the companies below have already made money for investors who got in at the right time. And that’s precisely what makes the… Read More

During the past couple of weeks, the equity markets have seen a lot of weakness. The selling last week was prompted by a host of companies reporting earnings misses, either on the top line or the… Read More

In less than a month, Americans will celebrate Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year. People stand in line for hours to get blowout bargains, and many retailers’ cash registers will be stuffed. Immediately after Black Friday, the holiday… Read More

During the past five years, engineers at Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) have managed to upend the consumer electronics industry, delivering a full suite of products that have now found a home in living rooms and on office desks around the world. The rest of the industry can only sit by and… Read More

Some stocks do so well for so long that investors start assuming these stocks will always be superstars, despite mounting evidence to the contrary. It’s a dangerous trap to fall into, since buying on reputation alone can lead to big disappointment if a stock no longer has what it takes… Read More

One of my favorite investing strategies is to follow the big money and mimick what the insiders and large money managers are doing.  Fortunately, insiders are required to make their stock transactions public using the SEC form 13F. These filings can provide you with a… Read More