There are some companies that work in distasteful industries. Companies like payday lenders, mortuaries and waste management services just aren’t the sexy companies people get excited about. Some even get on a soapbox and proclaim these businesses to be unethical and immoral. But the simple fact is that investors can… Read More

Can you imagine anything worse than being a retailer in this recessionary environment? What if you knew there was a retailer so adept at reinventing itself while catering to the beautiful people, that it will survive the recession in very good shape? As an investor, it would certainly grab my… Read More

One of the pitfalls of being a global brand name is that investors may think of a company as a one-trick pony that captured lightning in a bottle. They may think a company has leveraged its brand to a point where one can find its product in the most remote… Read More

I’ve been on a kick lately researching global brands. The reason is because these companies not only make for great defensive positions to have in a down market, but a certain number of these stalwarts have been able to reinvent themselves in recent years. This oftentimes transforms companies from boring,… Read More

There are few occasions when investors have an opportunity to own a global brand name at a substantial discount.  There are exceptions, but a company whose name has become synonymous with its product is usually the kind of stock that makes for a great core holding, providing stability in difficult times. Read More

America is getting fatter. The Journal of the American Medical Association released a report earlier this year that showed the obesity rates in men and women had increased from around 27% in 1999 to as high as 34% today. That’s more than 130 million Americans. What better company to take… Read More

If there’s one thing investors should always keep in mind, it’s this: there is a potential investment idea in everything. Even in this market. For example, every item you find in your supermarket, even the supermarket itself, is a potential investment idea. There may also even be… Read More

As investors, we are inundated with so much information that great ideas sometimes get lost amid the noise. Sometimes we become so intrigued by a company that we completely ignore the fact that there may be other entities supporting the company that may be even better investments. Read More

Sometimes life throws a curveball into your windshield. Or a hurricane might sweep your SUV away. In either case, owning a piece of this company provides some additional insurance. Such is the case with Copart, Inc. (Nasdaq: CPRT), which deals in what it euphemistically terms “automobile remarketing… Read More

There is a company that has long been one of the top holdings in the mutual funds of legendary asset manager Ron Baron. I wondered why Mr. Baron has, for so long, put so much faith in this entity. I did some research and discovered the answer was literally encapsulated… Read More