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

Just like the title character in the play Waiting for Godot, the much-anticipated housing rebound has yet to make an appearance on stage. Many had assumed a housing recovery would be underway by now, but we’re still at least a year — or more — away from… Read More

Absent a bullish press release, virtually every stock is taking it on the chin right now. There is no safe haven in large companies or small ones, value stocks or growth stocks. This is what happens in brutal markets. Buyers go on strike and sellers rule the day. But when… Read More

Many publicly-traded firms are in a steady state of flux, acquiring rivals and jettisoning businesses no longer deemed core to the parent company‘s mission. Both situations can be lucrative for astute investors — buyouts can deliver big premiums over current market values, and… Read More

Spurred by the Obama administration and public pressure around the world, this industry will have to change — and fast. New environmental regulations are emerging from Washington and Europe that are compelling the industry to change its ways and play a bigger role in the fight against global warming. 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

The Dow Jones Industrial Average has notched another loss this morning, a triple-digit decline as I write this, with some wondering if the blue-chip index can remain above the 10,000 mark. All sectors are in the red. What… Read More

Among the biggest losers in Wednesday’s early trading are Chico’s FAS (NYSE: CHS), Solarfun (Nasdaq: SOLF) and Cost Plus (Nasdaq: CPWM).    Top Percentage Losers — Wednesday, May 19, 2010 Company Name (Ticker) Intra-Day Price Intra-Day % Loss 52-Week High 52-Week Low Chico’s FAS (NYSE: CHS) $12.21 +13.7% $16.57 $7.46 Solarfun (Nasdaq: SOLF) $6.08 +9.8% $10.78 $4.48 Cost Plus (NYSE: CPWM) $4.80 +10.7% $5.98 $0.95 *Table includes companies with minimum market capitalizations of $200 million and three month trading volumes of at least 100,000 shares. All percentage returns are listed as of… Read More

Among the biggest losers in Wednesday’s early trading are Chico’s FAS (NYSE: CHS), Solarfun (Nasdaq: SOLF) and Cost Plus (Nasdaq: CPWM).    Top Percentage Losers — Wednesday, May 19, 2010 Company Name (Ticker) Intra-Day Price Intra-Day % Loss 52-Week High 52-Week Low Chico’s FAS (NYSE: CHS) $12.21 +13.7% $16.57 $7.46 Solarfun (Nasdaq: SOLF) $6.08 +9.8% $10.78 $4.48 Cost Plus (NYSE: CPWM) $4.80 +10.7% $5.98 $0.95 *Table includes companies with minimum market capitalizations of $200 million and three month trading volumes of at least 100,000 shares. All percentage returns are listed as of 10:30AM Eastern Standard Time. Click on ticker symbols for up-to-the-minute price quotes and percentage gain data. Retailers’ Slump Presents Opportunity for Chico’s Investors often get spoiled. Once they see a company repeatedly blow past estimates, they expect more of the same. So when Chico’s FAS (NYSE: CHS) simply met first quarter profit forecasts on Wednesday, shares were dumped to the tune of -8%. Investors had only recently chased up shares of retailers on expectations of sustained sales and profit growth. But that retail trade has evaporated: shares of Chico’s, in particular,… Read More

The Greek debt crisis sent the world’s financial markets reeling, particularly across the so-called “PIIGS” nations in Europe — Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain, five European countries considered to be in the most questionable financial shape. The fear is that… 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