Boring, for lack of a better word, is good. Boring is right. Boring works. You could do worse for investment advice than to paraphrase Gordon Gekko in this way.  Burritos trading at $400-plus a share and a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 37? No thanks. DVDs and streaming content for $260 a share and a P/E of 187? I’ll pass.  No, give me a company that’s been doing basically the same thing for 85 years with very little… Read More

Boring, for lack of a better word, is good. Boring is right. Boring works. You could do worse for investment advice than to paraphrase Gordon Gekko in this way.  Burritos trading at $400-plus a share and a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 37? No thanks. DVDs and streaming content for $260 a share and a P/E of 187? I’ll pass.  No, give me a company that’s been doing basically the same thing for 85 years with very little debt, great management, and a dividend that has grown for 57 consecutive years — over half a century. Those are the types of stocks that make you rich and keep you rich. That’s Genuine Parts Co. (NYSE: GPC). Founded in 1928, Genuine Parts is the leading independent U.S. distributor of automotive replacement parts. Auto parts represent roughly half of the business, with industrial parts accounting for about a third, and wholesale office supplies and electronic materials making… Read More

I love James Bond flicks, preferably from the Sean Connery era. “Goldfinger” is one of my favorites. I am often reminded by the classic scene in which a captive James Bond is seconds away from being charred by a laser. James Bond: “Do you expect me to talk?” Goldfinger: “No, Mr. Bond — I expect you to die!” Quintessential 007: Ridiculous stunts and jams, sports cars, beautiful women and a dastardly, almost clownish villain — in this case, one whose plan was to poison the U.S. gold supply at Fort Knox to create… Read More

I love James Bond flicks, preferably from the Sean Connery era. “Goldfinger” is one of my favorites. I am often reminded by the classic scene in which a captive James Bond is seconds away from being charred by a laser. James Bond: “Do you expect me to talk?” Goldfinger: “No, Mr. Bond — I expect you to die!” Quintessential 007: Ridiculous stunts and jams, sports cars, beautiful women and a dastardly, almost clownish villain — in this case, one whose plan was to poison the U.S. gold supply at Fort Knox to create global financial chaos. His endgame? Simply to drive up the value of his own gold holdings.#-ad_banner-# Frankly, it sounds like walking around the block to get across the street. But hey, it’s a James Bond movie. Since the financial crisis of 2008, the global villain that seemed destined to wreak havoc wasn’t a fat guy who liked to cheat at golf. The perceived villain was hard-core, runaway, Weimar/Zimbabwe-style global hyperinflation caused by central bank quantitative easing programs. However, that scary train hasn’t arrived at the station yet… Read More

Beleaguered shareholders of this coal miner probably feel like Lee Dorsey in the classic 1966 song “Working in the Coal Mine”: “Lord! I’m so tired! How long can this go on?” That’s a good question. It’s been a wild ride for Walter Energy (NYSE: WLT) over the past seven years. The share price is lower than it was during the apex of the financial crisis. But while there was a massive sell-off of all types of assets in 2008 and 2009, current conditions seem much more stable. So what gives? The End Of The Supercycle With… Read More

Beleaguered shareholders of this coal miner probably feel like Lee Dorsey in the classic 1966 song “Working in the Coal Mine”: “Lord! I’m so tired! How long can this go on?” That’s a good question. It’s been a wild ride for Walter Energy (NYSE: WLT) over the past seven years. The share price is lower than it was during the apex of the financial crisis. But while there was a massive sell-off of all types of assets in 2008 and 2009, current conditions seem much more stable. So what gives? The End Of The Supercycle With explosive economic growth in emerging markets such as the BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India and China) has come a rapid escalation in commodity prices based on what has seemed like an insatiable need for raw materials. Commodity producers and investors have enjoyed very good returns. How good? This 10-year chart of the S&P GSCI Commodity Index says it all. But these days? Not so much. As the U.S. dollar strengthens, commodity prices… Read More

Beleaguered shareholders of this coal miner probably feel like Lee Dorsey in the classic 1966 song “Working in the Coal Mine”: “Lord! I’m so tired! How long can this go on?” That’s a good question. It’s been a wild ride for Walter Energy (NYSE: WLT) over the past seven years. The share price is lower than it was during the apex of the financial crisis. But while there was a massive sell-off of all types of assets in 2008 and 2009, current conditions seem much more stable. So what gives? The End Of The Supercycle With… Read More

Beleaguered shareholders of this coal miner probably feel like Lee Dorsey in the classic 1966 song “Working in the Coal Mine”: “Lord! I’m so tired! How long can this go on?” That’s a good question. It’s been a wild ride for Walter Energy (NYSE: WLT) over the past seven years. The share price is lower than it was during the apex of the financial crisis. But while there was a massive sell-off of all types of assets in 2008 and 2009, current conditions seem much more stable. So what gives? The End Of The Supercycle With explosive economic growth in emerging markets such as the BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India and China) has come a rapid escalation in commodity prices based on what has seemed like an insatiable need for raw materials. Commodity producers and investors have enjoyed very good returns. How good? This 10-year chart of the S&P GSCI Commodity Index says it all. But these days? Not so much. As the U.S. dollar strengthens, commodity prices… Read More

Whenever I need inspiration for a new stock idea, I think about Levi Strauss. Yes, Levi Strauss — the man who invented blue jeans. As a scrappy European immigrant to the land of opportunity, Strauss went West during the California Gold Rush in the mid-1800s seeking his fortune. But he didn’t go as a prospector. Instead, Strauss made his first fortune selling pickaxes, shovels and other supplies to 49ers in search of gold. His second and much larger fortune was made when he decided to make pants out of tent canvas, dye them blue… Read More

Whenever I need inspiration for a new stock idea, I think about Levi Strauss. Yes, Levi Strauss — the man who invented blue jeans. As a scrappy European immigrant to the land of opportunity, Strauss went West during the California Gold Rush in the mid-1800s seeking his fortune. But he didn’t go as a prospector. Instead, Strauss made his first fortune selling pickaxes, shovels and other supplies to 49ers in search of gold. His second and much larger fortune was made when he decided to make pants out of tent canvas, dye them blue with indigo and sell the durable outerwear to would-be gold miners. Simply put, Strauss was an expert in finding trends and profiting from them. This kind of savvy reminds me of a company I’ve followed for more than a decade now. I’m talking about Senior Housing Properties Trust (NYSE: SNH), a real estate investment trust (REIT). And I like this company particularly now, because it’s seizing a huge opportunity to make a lot of… Read More

Whenever I need inspiration for a new stock idea, I think about Levi Strauss. Yes, Levi Strauss — the man who invented blue jeans. As a scrappy European immigrant to the land of opportunity, Strauss went West during the California Gold Rush in the mid-1800s seeking his fortune. But he didn’t go as a prospector. Instead, Strauss made his first fortune selling pickaxes, shovels and other supplies to 49ers in search of gold. His second and much larger fortune was made when he decided to make pants out of tent canvas, dye them blue… Read More

Whenever I need inspiration for a new stock idea, I think about Levi Strauss. Yes, Levi Strauss — the man who invented blue jeans. As a scrappy European immigrant to the land of opportunity, Strauss went West during the California Gold Rush in the mid-1800s seeking his fortune. But he didn’t go as a prospector. Instead, Strauss made his first fortune selling pickaxes, shovels and other supplies to 49ers in search of gold. His second and much larger fortune was made when he decided to make pants out of tent canvas, dye them blue with indigo and sell the durable outerwear to would-be gold miners. Simply put, Strauss was an expert in finding trends and profiting from them. This kind of savvy reminds me of a company I’ve followed for more than a decade now. I’m talking about Senior Housing Properties Trust (NYSE: SNH), a real estate investment trust (REIT). And I like this company particularly now, because it’s seizing a huge opportunity to make a lot of… Read More

Warren Buffett is always quick to warn investors about becoming emotionally attached to a stock they own.  To paraphrase the Oracle of Omaha, “That 100 shares of stock doesn’t know that you own it.” I’ve echoed that philosophy on occasion, telling clients that a hundred shares of Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO) won’t tell you it loves you when you come home at night. But as investors, we sometimes find ourselves gravitating toward the same group of… Read More

Warren Buffett is always quick to warn investors about becoming emotionally attached to a stock they own.  To paraphrase the Oracle of Omaha, “That 100 shares of stock doesn’t know that you own it.” I’ve echoed that philosophy on occasion, telling clients that a hundred shares of Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO) won’t tell you it loves you when you come home at night. But as investors, we sometimes find ourselves gravitating toward the same group of stocks because of their dependable performance. Buffett himself is guilty of this with holdings such as Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) or The Washington Post Co. (NYSE: WPO), which have served as two of Berkshire Hathaway’s (NYSE: BRK-A, BRK-B) stalwart holdings for decades.  At StreetAuthority, we refer to these names as “Forever” stocks. But there’s one stock in particular I find myself coming back to time and time again: Intel (Nasdaq: INTC). Long Live The PC Fifteen years ago, the strongest argument for owning shares of Intel was that the company manufactured the brains for 80% of the world’s computers. As… Read More

Warren Buffett is always quick to warn investors about becoming emotionally attached to a stock they own.  To paraphrase the Oracle of Omaha, “That 100 shares of stock doesn’t know that you own it.” I’ve echoed that philosophy on occasion, telling clients that a hundred shares of Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO) won’t tell you it loves you when you come home at night. But as investors, we sometimes find ourselves gravitating toward the same group of… Read More

Warren Buffett is always quick to warn investors about becoming emotionally attached to a stock they own.  To paraphrase the Oracle of Omaha, “That 100 shares of stock doesn’t know that you own it.” I’ve echoed that philosophy on occasion, telling clients that a hundred shares of Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO) won’t tell you it loves you when you come home at night. But as investors, we sometimes find ourselves gravitating toward the same group of stocks because of their dependable performance. Buffett himself is guilty of this with holdings such as Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) or The Washington Post Co. (NYSE: WPO), which have served as two of Berkshire Hathaway’s (NYSE: BRK-A, BRK-B) stalwart holdings for decades.  At StreetAuthority, we refer to these names as “Forever” stocks. But there’s one stock in particular I find myself coming back to time and time again: Intel (Nasdaq: INTC). Long Live The PC Fifteen years ago, the strongest argument for owning shares of Intel was that the company manufactured the brains for 80% of the world’s computers. As… Read More

Toothpaste. Toilet paper. Soap. Cereal. These products aren’t nearly as sexy as smartphones or social networks. But for the past few years, the stocks behind the companies that make and sell the boring items we consume every day have run like… Read More

Typically, investing is about making choices: growth versus value, long versus short, domestic versus international, or cyclical versus staple. Rarely do we get the best of both choices. Fortunately, the stars have aligned for one… Read More