It’s been an ugly start to 2016. The Dow Jones Industrial Average posted its biggest opening-day loss since 2008 after a weak manufacturing report from China triggered a big drop in Asian and European markets. A meager rebound Tuesday was followed by another steep sell-off Wednesday on a… Read More

Forecasting the price of oil has become the hot topic heading into 2016. There seems to be little consensus on direction, though. Just as many forecasts call for $20 oil as for $50 per barrel.  There have been record inflows into energy ETFs as investors try to time… Read More

Shares of Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) surged nearly 140% in less than two years to an all-time high above $134 in May. Since then, however, the world’s largest company by market capitalization has fallen into a bear market, dropping more than 20% from its peak as bulls and bears… Read More

Shares of Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) surged nearly 140% in less than two years to an all-time high above $134 in May. Since then, however, the world’s largest company by market capitalization has fallen into a bear market, dropping more than 20% from its peak as bulls and bears… Read More

One of the most important points in the curriculum for the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation is diversification across asset classes. More than stock picking or top-down economic analysis, analysts are taught to take advantage of all asset classes to produce risk-adjusted returns for clients.  It’s a sound… Read More

One of the most important points in the curriculum for the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation is diversification across asset classes. More than stock picking or top-down economic analysis, analysts are taught to take advantage of all asset classes to produce risk-adjusted returns for clients.  It’s a sound… Read More

Income investors often use government bond yields as their benchmark. Securities issued by a stable government offer nearly guaranteed income since a government is unlikely to default on its debt. The problem is that government bonds offer so little income right now. U.S. 10-year Treasury notes yield about… Read More

As companies release their profit outlooks for 2016, some investors are getting worried about the six-year bull market. One of the largest companies based in my hometown just released its outlook and it sent shares skidding down toward 52-week lows.  But we’ve heard this story before. Management lowers… Read More

As companies release their profit outlooks for 2016, some investors are getting worried about the six-year bull market. One of the largest companies based in my hometown just released its outlook and it sent shares skidding down toward 52-week lows.  But we’ve heard this story before. Management lowers… Read More

While investors are hyper-focused on retailers this time of year, I see an overlooked opportunity in a prominent department store chain. Macy’s (NYSE: M) popped 8% on July 15 when activist investor Starboard Value announced an undisclosed stake and plans to push for a spinoff of the company’s… Read More

When Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway released its quarterly 13F statement this week, two things were clear. For starters, the filing showed the Oracle of Omaha still has what it takes to make huge profits for his investors. For instance, his backing of the merger between Kraft and Hathaway-controlled Heinz… Read More

Consolidation in the telecommunications and pay-TV markets has put the two industries in flux. We’ve seen mega-mergers like the tie-up between AT&T (NYSE: T) and DirectTV approved while others have been thwarted.  A big deal may be coming soon that could translate to strong upside for a beaten-down… Read More

Bill Ackman spent four hours last week defending his position in Valeant Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: VRX) after accusations of fraud more than halved the stock’s price in less than three months.  The activist investor, whose Pershing Square Capital owns a roughly 6% stake in Valeant, made… Read More

Bill Ackman spent four hours last week defending his position in Valeant Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: VRX) after accusations of fraud more than halved the stock’s price in less than three months.  The activist investor, whose Pershing Square Capital owns a roughly 6% stake in Valeant, made… Read More