What will the U.S. economy look like in 12 months? The crystal ball, as they say, is hazy. The odds seem balanced between a renewed recession and a long-awaited upturn. With such uncertainty, it’s wise to focus on stocks with… Read More

In light of the uncertain economy, a wide range of insiders have sought to sell company stock, fearing we may eventually have a repeat performance of 2008 when the economy and the stock market headed south. Yet a few bullish insiders are… Read More

The starting gun has sounded in the consumer staples category. Billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn’s widely reported bid to acquire Clorox (NYSE: CLX) has led investors to focus on the broader sector, looking for other companies that may be in play. On occasion, a deal for one company… Read More

Back in February, I explained how corporate spinoffs (when a company separates, or “spins off” a division into a separate company) have solid track records of beating the market. I’m usually on the lookout for investment opportunities that pay off within 12 to 18 months, but two… Read More

Many investors tend to ignore stock buyback announcements. Seemingly massive share repurchase programs become a lot less impressive when you realize they are mostly attempting to offset generous stock option grants for insiders by reducing growth in the share count. Adding insult, some… Read More

Behind every obvious economic boom there’s a less-obvious boom. The story with China is no different. It easily got back into its pre-recession growth-groove once it was clear the global recession was easing, but it couldn’t have done so without help from these two… Read More

To paraphrase a frequently-cited Warren Buffett quote, it’s only when the tide goes out that you can see who has been swimming naked. To build on his analogy, the financial tide went out quickly during the credit crisis and left many banks without the proper swimming attire to make it… Read More

Michael Dell is surely heaving a sigh of relief. His efforts to revamp his namesake computer company had received little respect on Wall Street, but since last Labor Day, analysts are finally warming up to the stock. Shares have risen more than 30%, and some analysts speak bullishly about… Read More

Imagine showing up to a party and find you’re the only one in the room. This is the lonely feeling many companies experience when they complete their initial public offering (IPO). These companies spend a great amount of energy preparing for their debut,… Read More

I’m not an alarmist by nature, but there’s no denying we’re in a food crisis. How else would you explain angry demonstrations in Mexico protesting exorbitant corn tortilla prices or the fact that Pakistan called in the military to guard flour mills? The recent… Read More