The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) began tracking the size of the nation’s herd of cattle back in 1973. Since then, it has never noted such a severe plunge in the number of cows — until now. Ranchers are expected to raise only about 99.4 million head of cattle this… Read More

As CEO and chairman of the board, Warren Buffett officially calls the shots at Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A) (NYSE: BRK-B). But Berkshire’s success has much to do with Buffett’s official sidekick, Charlie Munger, who serves as the firm’s vice chairman. For those not familiar with Munger, he… Read More

An ideal portfolio contains a nice blend of mature, established companies and younger, fast-growing businesses. To round out your exposure, why not also load up on young upstart companies that are still not ready to go public? When they do, the initial… Read More

As Washington struggles in finding a solution for the debt ceiling debate and the eurozone still battles with the devaluation of the euro, the safe havens of precious metals can mean serious profit opportunities for investors. Read More

July 27 marked a major shift in one of the largest and most watched markets in the world. Let me explain… A few weeks ago, I told readers we were near a tipping point. I was speaking about the June 30 end of the… Read More

When investors think about “swinging for the fences,” they usually need to seek out risky small companies that are undiscovered and poised to take Wall Street by surprise. Yet there’s another way to find a “home-run stock” — by looking for large, well-established companies that have moved deeply out of… Read More

By the end of 2011, the world’s population should reach 7 billion. Through 2050, it is estimated to grow by 150,000 people daily and reach 9 billion. As a result, there will be billions more mouths to feed. It will also be even more crucial than ever to lessen the… Read More

The relationship between risk and reward never changes. If you’re seeking great riches — in the form of juicy dividends — then you’re likely pursuing very speculative investments. On the flip side, seeking “safe” dividend payers likely means you’re going to get a paltry… Read More

Commodities are on a tear. Whether we’re talking about precious metals or energy futures, commodities have posted strong gains during the past 10 years. Take silver for example. It’s up 127% this year alone. Oil touched $100 per barrel on July… Read More

If you sat in the corner office at Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) a few years ago, you’d have ample reason to gloat. The company’s key rival in microprocessors, AMD (NYSE: AMD), was headed for oblivion, choking under $5 billion in debt and a weakening product lineup. All Intel had to do… Read More