Just like the title character in the play Waiting for Godot, the much-anticipated housing rebound has yet to make an appearance on stage. Many had assumed a housing recovery would be underway by now, but we’re still at least a year — or more — away from… Read More
Value Investing
Absent a bullish press release, virtually every stock is taking it on the chin right now. There is no safe haven in large companies or small ones, value stocks or growth stocks. This is what happens in brutal markets. Buyers go on strike and sellers rule the day. But when… Read More
Many publicly-traded firms are in a steady state of flux, acquiring rivals and jettisoning businesses no longer deemed core to the parent company‘s mission. Both situations can be lucrative for astute investors — buyouts can deliver big premiums over current market values, and… Read More
Spurred by the Obama administration and public pressure around the world, this industry will have to change — and fast. New environmental regulations are emerging from Washington and Europe that are compelling the industry to change its ways and play a bigger role in the fight against global warming. Read More
If there’s one thing investors should always keep in mind, it’s this: there is a potential investment idea in everything. Even in this market. For example, every item you find in your supermarket, even the supermarket itself, is a potential investment idea. There may also even be… Read More
The Dow Jones Industrial Average has notched another loss this morning, a triple-digit decline as I write this, with some wondering if the blue-chip index can remain above the 10,000 mark. All sectors are in the red. What… Read More
The Greek debt crisis sent the world’s financial markets reeling, particularly across the so-called “PIIGS” nations in Europe — Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain, five European countries considered to be in the most questionable financial shape. The fear is that… Read More
Sometimes life throws a curveball into your windshield. Or a hurricane might sweep your SUV away. In either case, owning a piece of this company provides some additional insurance. Such is the case with Copart, Inc. (Nasdaq: CPRT), which deals in what it euphemistically terms “automobile remarketing… Read More
There is a company that has long been one of the top holdings in the mutual funds of legendary asset manager Ron Baron. I wondered why Mr. Baron has, for so long, put so much faith in this entity. I did some research and discovered the answer was literally encapsulated… Read More