If you’ve ever been to Mexico, then Carlos Slim owes you a gracias. It’s almost impossible to go a day in this country without spending a peso in one of his business. Slim is the third richest person in the world, behind Bill Gates and Warren Buffett,… Read More

The fourth-largest grocer in the United States was in trouble. Its debt was growing and its earnings were shrinking, an unsustainable combination. It needed a turnaround — and quick. Read More

It took a talking duck to make one of the largest insurance companies rise from obscurity to one of the most recognized names in the business. Aflac Inc. (NYSE: AFL) provides health insurance for 40 million people worldwide and has received numerous awards for being the best-managed… Read More

The S&P 500 lost ground during the past decade, but this drug maker’s shares returned a gravity-defying +1,179%. That’s the good news. The better news is that the company looks like it’s setting itself up for a repeat performance. Read More

Fossil fuels are out, alternative energy is in and dozens of companies are likely to benefit from the transition. Investors can use one security to capture these imminent gains. Leaders of 192 countries are meeting at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen to… Read More

Unemployment hit 10.2% in October. That’s only the second time that figure has ventured into double-digit territory since World War II. And it may get worse. Many economists predict the unemployment rate won’t peak until mid-2010 at 11%. That’s bad news for most sectors… Read More

First GM needed a bailout. Then AIG. Then the banks. Now, the country that sits atop the world’s largest oil field says it needs one, too. Saudi Arabia says it will lose $19 billion a year in oil revenue beginning in 2012. OPEC stands by the claim. Oil ministers fear… Read More

“Stupid.” That’s what Buffett’s right-hand man Charlie Munger had to say about not investing in railroads sooner. That was two years ago. Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-B) now has a stake in three of the four major railroads in the United States. But he is so fond of one, he owns… Read More

If you think “widow and orphan” utility stocks are boring, then you’ve never heard of this one. It’s an electric utility that has increased its dividend each year for the past 20 years. Not only does it offer its shareholders an… Read More

Just how influential is Warren Buffett? He was in China last week and went to a store called Dalian Dayang. Buffett told the store owner the suits were wonderful, and three days later the store’s shares had risen +23%. Buffett’s endorsement should count, too,… Read More