The past year was a profitable one for most investors: The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose nearly 10%, while the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq rose around 15% each. Toss in dividends, and total returns were a few percentage points higher. Of course, the goal of… Read More

These days, everyone is looking for ways to squeeze more profits from their portfolio of investments. This is particularly true during times of low volatility when stocks just seem to sit there for extended periods. One proven tactic for boosting income from… Read More

Stock prices generally reflect expectations for the future. If investors believe earnings will grow, then stock prices can soar, and they can fall just as quickly if earnings disappoint. The yearly chart of Hot… Read More

Election years always bring out predictions about which stocks will do best under the next administration. These predictions are usually little more than informed guesses since no one really knows what policies will be implemented until after a president takes office and begins… Read More

The wholesale price of coffee is down 40% on the year from $2.50 to $1.50 per pound after recent peaks above $3 in 2011. The commodity price discount increases profit margins on the expensive… Read More

The disappointing earnings from Yum Brands (NYSE: YUM), operator of Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants, has been attributed to the slowdown in China. The sharp pullback that began at the end of November has found support at the… Read More

Few companies can claim they actually contributed to changing the world. But less than 30 years ago, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) and Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) did change the world as they defined the standards for personal computers (PCs). With Intel providing the hardware standards and Microsoft defining software, those two companies… Read More

There seems to be widespread agreement that tax rates affect stock prices. Unfortunately, for traders looking for an edge in the stock market, there is no evidence showing what that effect is. There have been… Read More

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters’ (Nasdaq: GMCR) shares have dropped from atmospheric heights over $100 in 2011 to finally stabilize at the $20 level, which the stock has not seen since 2009.    As of this writing, Green Mountain is trading around… Read More

At one point in its history, this stock was synonymous with success in the cellphone market. But not any longer. During the past year, it has reported billions in operating losses, closed several of its worldwide manufacturing sites, cut tens of thousands… Read More