The main character in Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.’s 1965 book, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, is an eccentric philanthropist. He thinks it’s unfair that babies don’t all start with an equal playing field. “I think it’s a heartless government that will let one baby be born owning a… Read More

The short seller is the one trader most investors love to hate. Often misunderstood and maligned, the short seller bets prices will fall rather than rise. This doesn’t earn the short seller much popularity with most investors (who usually buy a stock hoping it will rise), but it can be… Read More

The weak economy has brought a silver lining: companies that were inefficiently operating were forced to take a hard look at their operations and address any shortcomings. And Christopher & Banks (NYSE: CBK) sure had many problems to tackle. The women’s clothing retailer… Read More

Say you and I are friends. And let’s further assume you’re fabulously wealthy. You’ve come to me for advice. What would I tell you to do with your money? I’d tell you to do three things. The first:… Read More

Most businesses hate to see rising interest rates. Higher rates make it more expensive to borrow money. Not every business though. This company welcomes and profits from increases in interest rates. Paychex (Nasdaq: PAYX) collects payroll for its clients’ employees, and sits on the money for a… Read More

Know when to hold ’em, Kenny Rogers taught us. Know when to fold ’em. Know when to walk away. And know when to run. Northrop Grumman CEO Wes Bush evidently knows the song. Mr. Bush has decided to… Read More

If you’ve followed my recommendations for some time now, you know that I utilize a proprietary program I call “CycleProphet,” a market forecasting tool my team developed using decades of research. This sophisticated tool combines and compares peaks and troughs in timewaves with highs and lows in the markets, and has… Read More

Anyone can get lucky once in a while. The same goes for the so-called “experts” on Wall Street. But when the overwhelming majority of experts agree on a handful of stocks, investors should take notice. When a stock has, say, 20 analysts covering it — and all 20 think the… Read More

Interesting data from your federal government: The average wage of the 15.2 million employees in California, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, is $48,090. That’s about $23.12 an hour. Very low on the scale: Private security guards, at $25,950. Also bailiffs, who… Read More

Wednesday I told you what an EPA rule change regarding cellulosic ethanol could mean for the Obama White House and, more important, what it could mean for the shareholders of an ethanol-industry leader. That EPA ruling is a done deal. Another proposed EPA rule… Read More