Is Mexico the new China? Until recently, China was the “go-to” manufacturer of choice. Thanks largely to the country’s low wages, companies across the industrialized world were able to have their products produced cheaper in China than at home — or in Mexico. The advantage known as the “China price”… Read More

Is Mexico the new China? Until recently, China was the “go-to” manufacturer of choice. Thanks largely to the country’s low wages, companies across the industrialized world were able to have their products produced cheaper in China than at home — or in Mexico. The advantage known as the “China price” still sends tremors through hometown manufacturing facilities in much of the West. But during the past decade the playing field has tilted.#-ad_banner-# Ten years ago, Chinese wages averaged a quarter of those in Mexico. These days, according to The Boston Consulting Group, China’s average manufacturing wage tops Mexico’s, when… Read More

Is Mexico the new China? Until recently, China was the “go-to” manufacturer of choice. Thanks largely to the country’s low wages, companies across the industrialized world were able to have their products produced cheaper in China than at home — or in Mexico. The advantage known as the “China price” still sends tremors through hometown manufacturing facilities in much of the West. But during the past decade the playing field has tilted.#-ad_banner-# Ten years ago, Chinese wages averaged a quarter of those in Mexico. These days, according to The Boston Consulting Group, China’s average manufacturing wage tops Mexico’s, when productivity differences are taken into account. Add to that the proximity to the world’s largest economy — an economy that’s again showing life — and the China price advantage loses even more luster. After all, shipping and travel between the United States and Mexico can be done at a fraction of the time and cost of doing business halfway around the world. Cultural barriers, moreover, are usually less of a hindrance between friendly neighbors than friendly nemeses. Now, I’m not saying China is looking over its shoulder just… Read More

Let me share with you three disparate items from my news clip file that, taken together, point to game-changing opportunities for one of our top commodity plays… Item #1: Smog is alive and well. Even after years of progress, air quality in Los… Read More

[Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in Insider, which is a free publication for StreetAuthority subscribers.] Last Monday, I asked each of the StreetAuthority stock market strategists to… Read More

It’s every investor’s dream. And this one came true… For lucky shareholders in this formerly tiny maker of automated medicine dispenser machines, last November’s election changed everything. No, not that election. And, no, not just any medicine.#-ad_banner-# I’m referring to the state ballot in Massachusetts… along with a medical treatment… Read More

This week’s investment idea comes with a 9% yield, and a deep contract backlog to fund its payouts. Read More

In November, I told you about a company I suggested as The Market‘s Next Big Turnaround Story. And if ever a company had room to turn around, then it was this… Read More

It’s a question we’ve been getting almost daily from our subscribers: “What does the fiscal cliff mean for stocks, and how we can adjust our portfolios accordingly?” Our strategists have different opinions on the topic. I think, however, that the most interesting… Read More

At mid-week last week, there were 240 holdings spread out among a dozen real-money and model portfolios in the various StreetAuthority advisories. Nearly 70% of these stocks were in positive territory. To put it in the parlance of a daily stock market update,… Read More

One of these companies offers a breakthrough in detecting cancer. Another buys gold for just $400 an ounce. Still another company has $45 billion in cash on its books and has earned record revenue in each of the past three years.#-ad_banner-# And if you’re interested in income, then pay attention. Read More