Despite the wild ups and downs it has created, this year’s tug-of-war between the bulls and bears hasn’t amounted to much. To date, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has been flat, while the S&P 500 has dropped a little more than 4%. We’ve essentially been on a hellish rollercoaster ride… Read More

Gyrations in the U.S. stock market have been capturing headlines worldwide, but European stocks have had it even worse. While the S&P 500 Index was down roughly 4% through the end of August, German and French stocks had fallen 17% year-to-date, while English stocks had lost 8% of their… Read More

It’s pretty easy to spot the major investment winners of the last decade. Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) has risen from less than $10 in 2003 to nearly $400 today. Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX), Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG), Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM), and Lululemon (Nasdaq: LULU) and a few dozen other stocks… Read More

The term “accidental high yielder” became prominent in the investment lexicon during the financial crisis. Now, it seems like every time the market falls, pundits and investors alike start talking about a fresh crop of dividend-paying stocks that sport inviting yields. Overused or not, there is something to be said… Read More

In investing, there’s a time to focus on reward and a time to focus on risk. And in a clearly growing economy, it always pays to find the companies best positioned to grow steadily. In better times, investors have been amply rewarded for their… Read More

It’s the safest investment on the planet. There’s no arguing that. Take a look at how it has performed over the past month: The chart above compares this investment to some of the other safe havens — including gold and the Swiss franc. Read More

Since the middle of July, the business headlines have been relentlessly scary as governments, corporations and individuals scramble to stay afloat in a weak global economy. Yet for airline industry executives, each day brings more good news. Oil prices are falling and look set… Read More

Depending on whom you ask, the current stock market is either too expensive and headed for a further fall, or too cheap and poised for a rebound. The issue is irrelevant. The real question involves specific stocks — not the broader market. This is because, in these challenging times, some… Read More

Income stocks have a reputation. They’re boring. They’re stodgy. If you want to earn 4-5% a year — the conventional wisdom goes — then income stocks are for you. If you want to earn higher returns, then you better look elsewhere. In fact, income payers have even… Read More

When the market was in freefall in early August, I suggested intrepid investors could score gains by wading into stocks even as many were pulling out. Sure enough, the market went on to rebound later in August, but we’ve hit a rough patch again in early September. With the market… Read More