A little more than 10 years ago, when the market was fixated on high-flying tech stocks like Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL) and Yahoo (Nasdaq: YHOO), a few savvy commodity investors were making a fortune on a certain industrial metal. During that time, orders for this metal were so strong, that all the mining production in the world couldn’t keep pace with demand…  To cover the shortfall, buyers had to dip into reserve stockpiles in Russia. All this drove prices for this metal skyward. Between January 2000 and February… Read More

A little more than 10 years ago, when the market was fixated on high-flying tech stocks like Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL) and Yahoo (Nasdaq: YHOO), a few savvy commodity investors were making a fortune on a certain industrial metal. During that time, orders for this metal were so strong, that all the mining production in the world couldn’t keep pace with demand…  To cover the shortfall, buyers had to dip into reserve stockpiles in Russia. All this drove prices for this metal skyward. Between January 2000 and February 2001, spot market prices surged 157% — from $430 an ounce to $1100 in a matter of months. Why do I bring this up? Because not much has changed in the past decade, and I’m seeing a similar situation play out in the market that could send this metal — palladium — soaring again. Here’s the story… #-ad_banner-#Palladium is an extremely important metal. In fact, I would say it’s indispensable for the global economy.  The metal has a multitude of uses, most notably in the dental,… Read More

Ah yes… it’s 13-F season, the time when investors’ fancies turn to what the investment gurus are buying.  Bill Ackman, the legendary value brain behind Pershing Square Capital Management, has been pretty busy these days. With a focused management style that typically involves accumulating… Read More

For a number of decades, it made little sense to invest in emerging markets. These markets would do very well when the U.S. stock market rose, and they would get crushed when it tanked. Who needs that… Read More

  It is a good thing for long-term investors when the market only looks at things a quarter or two at a time. This short-sightedness causes lots of day-to-day volatility, but it can also create some attractive bargains. Lately, for example, the market has… Read More

During uncertain economic times, true value becomes the consumer’s guiding mantra. Getting your money’s worth on whatever it’s spent on is the definition of true value in this sense. Whether it’s a great meal at a discount, a good deal on a luxury car or going on a first-class vacation at a fraction of the expected price, true value for one’s discretionary income has become a driving force in consumer culture.  Evidence of the consumer seeking his money’s worth is made clear in the success of discount coupon… Read More

During uncertain economic times, true value becomes the consumer’s guiding mantra. Getting your money’s worth on whatever it’s spent on is the definition of true value in this sense. Whether it’s a great meal at a discount, a good deal on a luxury car or going on a first-class vacation at a fraction of the expected price, true value for one’s discretionary income has become a driving force in consumer culture.  Evidence of the consumer seeking his money’s worth is made clear in the success of discount coupon websites like Groupon (Nasdaq: GRPN) and Living Social as well as the proliferation of peer-to-peer deal/auction businesses like eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY). But nowhere is the pursuit of true value followed as strongly as in the leisure/travel business. Limited resources and uncertain economic times force consumers to seek out the most bang for their buck as possible.  And I think I smell an opportunity for investors in this space… The growth in the cruise line business is proof of this search for true value. Once reserved strictly for the wealthy, cruising has become the go-to vacation choice for the masses.  Not… Read More

We’re inching ever closer to an official “market correction.” The S&P 500 is down almost 10% from its recent peak, which means we’ll soon hear that phrase bandied about in the financial media.  These pullbacks are painful but bring a… Read More

As the market moved steadily higher throughout the fourth quarter of 2011 and the first quarter of 2012, insider buying slowed to a crawl and eventually ground to a halt. That’s just how… Read More

It’s one of the most overlooked investments I’ve found. Ask 10 people on the street, and I’d guess that none of them would have heard of this business. It only trades 165,000 units a day. That’s what market darling Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) trades in about three minutes. That’s because this business rarely gets any press. If most investors knew what I’m about to tell you, I think interest would soar. #-ad_banner-#You see, this company doesn’t have a flashy business. It doesn’t sell its product with glossy magazine ads. Read More

It’s one of the most overlooked investments I’ve found. Ask 10 people on the street, and I’d guess that none of them would have heard of this business. It only trades 165,000 units a day. That’s what market darling Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) trades in about three minutes. That’s because this business rarely gets any press. If most investors knew what I’m about to tell you, I think interest would soar. #-ad_banner-#You see, this company doesn’t have a flashy business. It doesn’t sell its product with glossy magazine ads. And it doesn’t have a breakthrough new product that gets a lot of attention. But it does make investors money. In fact, the units just hit a 5-year high. Meanwhile, it’s paid a steady monthly dividend that hasn’t faltered going all the way back to 2005. And one more thing: This business sells a staggering 99% of its product. Earlier this month, I told you that you can find REITs in Canada that are yielding up to 13.5%. As I said, Canadian REITs (CanREITs) are similar in many… Read More

If everybody deserves a second chance, then shouldn’t the same apply to stocks? Most every company faces a major challenge at some point in its history that sends share prices tumbling and yields climbing. A few never recover, but the best ones regain their former luster with… Read More