Executives at chip-equipment maker Lam Research (Nasdaq: LRCX) pulled off a masterstroke this week. A decision to buy Novellus Systems (Nasdaq: NVLS) has the makings of a “home  run,” according to Citigroup. Why? Because the acquisition may boost Lam’s… Read More

Just because you develop a popular new technology, there’s no guarantee you can control its destiny. Digital video recorder (DVR) pioneer Tivo (Nasdaq: TIVO) convinced cable companies it’s program-recording devices would revolutionize viewing habits, as it was far more functional than a plain-old… Read More

Every time the market hits an air pocket, you’ll notice an uptick in insider buying. That’s because a company’s officers, directors and largest shareholders are looking to pick up… Read More

Call it the non-event of 2011. This was supposed to be the year investors re-embraced GM (NYSE: GM), which went public again in late 2010, with analysts painting a fairly rosy picture for the years ahead. Indeed, at the start of this year, I noted that analysts at Morgan… Read More

To make money in stocks, some investors prefer to “fly under the radar,” holding shares of companies that operate in the background by helping big-name firms do what they do best. One reason I like these “behind-the scenes” companies is they don’t get… Read More

Forget what you’ve heard, the market is not rational. Major news events should have a major impact on stocks that are affected. But investors get so caught up in the rest of the market noise that they can miss these momentum-shifting events. Case in… Read More

When the market falls out of bed, no stock is safe. Investors disregard any potential growth prospects and ignore all financial statements, indiscriminately dumping every kind of stock. This has surely been the case during the… Read More

For many investors, the past decade has been utterly forgettable. After all, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is back where it stood at the end of 1999. The Nasdaq is actually 40% lower than where it stood in the spring of 2000. This lousy backdrop for stocks seems to have… Read More

It’s become one of my favorite stocks. I like to call it my “no-brainer” investment for 2012. I’ve even selected it as one of my “Top 10 Stocks for 2012.” The company is buying back billions of its stock. It has raised dividends at a torrid pace over… Read More

If you’re like a lot of investors, then the eurozone crisis has you so spooked that you’ve trimmed way back on equities and now hold a lot of cash. This is not necessarily bad, especially if you’ll need the money to cover short-term obligations. But if you’re investing for something… Read More