In the few months since I’ve launched my $100,000 Real-Money Portfolio, the market has continued to surge upward. The gains have been especially pronounced for some of the riskiest and most of unloved stocks of 2011 that have partially been the beneficiary of recent short-covering. That’s… Read More

Whenever assessing a stock’s long-term growth potential, investors also need to focus on the hurdles the company must overcome before growth can take off. If you’re talking about a major technological or regulatory change, for example, then an ample amount of ground work needs to be laid before the stars… Read More

The last weekend of February was a tough one for me. I came across a news item that led me to think I made a big mistake. About a month ago, I recommended Citigroup (NYSE: C) as a pick in my $100,000 Real-Money Portfolio. Read More

A quick review of the stocks contained in my $100,000 Real-Money Portfolio may give the impression that I’m a big fan of turnaround plays. That’s actually not the case. Companies like Ford (NYSE: F) are doing very well, and simply… Read More

Beware the “sideways chart.” When a specific stock or the entire market stops rising in value and their charts “move sideways,” then there is often something else afoot. The change from a rising market to a flattening market signals that… Read More

Although it may seem that most fund managers are simply glorified stock pickers, their task is actually quite different. They don’t beat their benchmarks by simply cobbling together a set of compelling investments. They take a snapshot of the U.S. and global economies and then decide the best ways to… Read More

The U.S. consumer remains in a precarious state. Wages are rising at a slow pace, keeping many workers from boosting their earning — and spending — power on an inflation-adjusted basis. In fact, consumers may start to feel that they are losing ground if gasoline prices hit $4 a gallon… Read More

If there’s one thing I hate, it’s when Warren Buffett is right. He usually is, of course, and that’s one of the things that make the Oracle of Omaha worth listening to. A Buffett adage that very few people seem to take note of… Read More

Right now it’s a booming component of the energy sector, but I’d guess that you’ve probably never heard about it. It’s certainly not covered day-in and day-out by the major media outlets. #-ad_banner-#But just because this story isn’t making front-page headlines, don’t think it’s… Read More

Denver-based Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) started as a single restaurant in 1993. Today, it is a burrito mega-chain, with nearly 1,100 restaurants across the United States. During this time, the company’s stock price has risen almost as spectacularly as its growth in store locations. In 2006,… Read More