Military heroes typically are made of flesh and blood, but that’s all changing. For defense strategists, pilot-less aircraft outfitted with ultra-sophisticated sensors are a vital tactic in fighting the guerilla wars of the 21st century. These so-called unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are the darlings of reformers in the Pentagon, and… Read More

Everyone likes a good stock tip: a hot new Internet company, a disruptive technology, an acquisition rumor — anything that gets the adrenaline pumping. This type of hearsay-based buying and selling can net investors a buck or two now and then, but rest assured, someone already knows what you know… Read More

Thanks to the recent credit crisis, much of which was its own doing, the financial services industry has experienced one of the most volatile operating environments in its history. Fortunately, a heavy dose of government stimulus and calmer capital markets have brought the majority… Read More

Commodities shape just about every aspect of our lives, from the cost of a tank of gas to the price... Read More

Commodities shape just about every aspect of our lives, from the cost of a tank of gas to the price of a gallon of milk. But instead of being subjected to the whims of volatile commodities, smart... Read More

The objective: buy low, sell high. Sounds easy enough. But old Wall Street pros would say, “not so fast.” A stock trading at or near its 52-week low has not necessarily hit bottom — nor is it necessarily a bargain. What investors might think of as a… Read More

Markets don’t like uncertainty, and a big chunk of it was removed Sunday after Congress passed landmark health care legislation that will extend benefits to 32 million uninsured Americans. As the dust settled the day after America “answered the call of history,” as President Obama put it,… Read More

Investors tend to avoid companies that generate too much revenue from one key customer or project. If that project ends, sales could easily plunge. That fear is the key reason behind a sharp sell-off in shares of Dyncorp (NYSE: DCP), a key government… Read More

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

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