Depending on when you were born, you might remember Muhammad Ali when he was a young fighter in his prime during the mid- to late-1960s. Or, if you’re too young to recall but have seen footage of his fights from those days, then you’ll understand why so many sports fans… Read More

Many investors have had the agonizing experience of hanging on to a stock and refusing to let go long after it became clear the stock was no longer a keeper. If that’s you, then you know what I’m talking about — the seemingly endless watching, waiting and hoping against all… Read More

“Good things come to those who wait” is an adage I’ve always subscribed to as an investor, although it may be hard to believe if you’re heavily invested in natural gas right now. The stocks of natural gas firms have seen their share of woe in 2012, with many already… Read More

Although energy stocks have been hot as a group — already jumping nearly 13% so far in 2012 — individual performance is all over the board, ranging from double-digit gains to double-digit losses. And just because a stock is up a lot doesn’t mean it’s worth getting excited… Read More

If you think the main impediment to solid long-term investment returns is lousy stock picking, then think again. Yes, there are many factors that can hinder investment returns — missing out on fast-growing IPOs, having an advisor who steers you wrong, high fund expenses or taxes, an uncertain… Read More

There may be no better time than right now to invest in  energy stocks — particularly in one of my favorites. This stock is a large and well-known oil and gas producer, and is doing markedly better than the energy sector as a whole, jumping about 18% already this year,… Read More

Long-term investors in McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD) have much to celebrate. The stock delivered returns of 20% a year for the past five years, 15.3% for the past 10 years and 11.4% for the past 15 years.   But the Golden Arches could finally be… Read More

There’s nothing like being burned by an investment, and those with money in emerging market stocks learned about it the hard way in 2011. As a group, emerging markets plunged nearly 19%, making them one of the worst-performing… Read More

Many investors have rejected emerging markets, and I can’t say I blame them. As a group, emerging markets really went sour in 2011, dropping nearly 19% and trailing the S&P 500’s 2% gain by about 21%. Still, I urge those who feel these markets… Read More

Investors can very easily get caught up in quarterly earnings reports, rejoicing when their stocks report good results and second-guessing their picks when things go awry. It’s important to remember, though, that investing is a long-term endeavor and that quarterly outcomes are far less… Read More