In the past few years, I’ve continually marveled at the stunning piles of cash parked on the balance sheets of many high-tech firms. These companies had been holding lots of cash to stay strong in case industry conditions waned. But even with the sharp economic blows of 2008 and 2009,… Read More

As an income investor, 2012 is a pivotal year for your U.S. and Canadian holdings. First, as you may know, this is the year when the Bush tax cuts are slated to expire on Dec. 31.   We’ve enjoyed nearly a decade of reduced… Read More

Roughly a month ago, I was quite excited to launch a new $100,000 Real-Money Portfolio here at StreetAuthority. The market offered plenty of bargains and was looking quite healthy from a technical perspective. Sure enough, the S&P 500 is up nearly 5% in January and up roughly 15% from… Read More

Finally, the stock market and economy are doing noticeably better. Perhaps the most welcome sign is unemployment, which has gradually worked its way down to 8.5% from a recession high of… Read More

The stock market is making things awfully uncomfortable for short sellers. The S&P 500 rose 11% in the fourth quarter of 2011, and is up another 5% this month. That mini-rally has pushed up a number of heavily-shorted stocks, and if history is… Read More

In discussing the retail sector, I’m constantly reminded of Einstein’s classic definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. This is especially applicable to consumer-electronics retailers. Historically, many of the names were typically regional players (The Wiz, Rex, CAMPO, Crazy Eddie are… Read More

Investors have sought out “GARP” stocks for decades. These investments, which represent Growth at a Reasonable Price, typically sport reasonable P/E ratios and possess superior growth prospects. There are a variety of ways to find such a combination of value and… Read More

When it comes to stocks, it’s unwise to depend on hearsay. A reporter from a media outlet may be relying on dubious sources, or an analyst’s conjecture may simply be “thinking out loud.” Still, I pay close attention when a report emerges about a company I really know. And I… Read More

As the 2012 trading year starts to unfold, investors may already be forgetting an important lesson learned in 2009, 2010 and 2011: There is no such thing as an extended rally or an extended slump. The market fixates on good news for a… Read More

To make money in a churning market, you need to have firm discipline when it comes time to buy and sell. If you’re watching a stock make a solid upward move, then it often pays to wait out the mini-rally, finding a more compelling entry point for that holding. Read More