T.S. Eliot once wrote that “April is the cruelest month.” Yet a half-dozen companies that sell optical networking equipment would beg to differ: March has been quite cruel and they’re hoping April will be far kinder. The entire group rallied higher in the first week on word… Read More

Think of the economic cycle as a wheel…     This image roughly captures the whole cycle, highlighting the various stages of economic growth and contraction. Right now, we’re just past “9 o’clock” on the wheel, as commodity prices have been steadily rising (although with some recent profit-taking). We’re surely done with the “8 o’clock” phase, where we saw stocks post a remarkable two-year rally after a sudden plunge. If the current cycle plays out as it has in the past, then more stock gains lie ahead, but perhaps in a more limited… Read More

Think of the economic cycle as a wheel…     This image roughly captures the whole cycle, highlighting the various stages of economic growth and contraction. Right now, we’re just past “9 o’clock” on the wheel, as commodity prices have been steadily rising (although with some recent profit-taking). We’re surely done with the “8 o’clock” phase, where we saw stocks post a remarkable two-year rally after a sudden plunge. If the current cycle plays out as it has in the past, then more stock gains lie ahead, but perhaps in a more limited fashion than some realize. We may be looking at an extended period of economic expansion in coming years, but stocks prices always look ahead and have already anticipated some of that expansion. [For more on how sector rotation can lead you to the right stocks to profit, go here.] The economy has started to sputter back to life, as seen by rising employment figures and positive quarterly gross domestic product (GDP) reports. We’re just about at “9 o’clock,” or “general recovery.” When monthly employment trends really start to… Read More

You’ve no doubt heard plenty as to why commodities are going through the roof. Yes, turmoil in the Middle East plays a part. As does a weakening U.S. dollar. But perhaps the underlying catalyst in the commodities pits is China. The… Read More

Warren Buffett takes a seemingly cavalier approach to leadership succession plans. The 80-year-old investing legend likes to insist that when it comes time for him to step down from Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-B), very little will change. After all, the Berkshire has a deep bench of executives, all of whom are well-schooled in the firm’s winning investment philosophy. In reality, a change in leadership at Berkshire brings significant risk. First, Buffett’s unique intellectual skills can be hard to replicate. Simply mimicking his approach is not the same as thinking creatively, as he does. Second, even if such… Read More

Warren Buffett takes a seemingly cavalier approach to leadership succession plans. The 80-year-old investing legend likes to insist that when it comes time for him to step down from Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-B), very little will change. After all, the Berkshire has a deep bench of executives, all of whom are well-schooled in the firm’s winning investment philosophy. In reality, a change in leadership at Berkshire brings significant risk. First, Buffett’s unique intellectual skills can be hard to replicate. Simply mimicking his approach is not the same as thinking creatively, as he does. Second, even if such a successor were a very solid candidate, it will be hard to follow Buffett’s plain-spoken folksy style that really connects with investors. A successor that lacks Buffett’s charisma may not be able to retain the key relationship between Berkshire and its investors, turning the firm into just another anonymous mega-sized investment organization. Since Warren Buffett dropped hints at a March 21 conference in India that Berkshire insider Ajit Jain could easily assume the reins, investors need to take a close look at his background and style. Could he really fill those giant shoes? A… Read More

The capital markets are enjoying a bit of a renaissance in maniacal, pre-IPO valuation for Internet companies, more specifically, social networking businesses. The 900-pound gorilla of social networking, Facebook, has an estimated value of $50 billion or so thanks in part to the fact it decided to be Goldman… Read More

In a broadly diversified portfolio, it always pays to hold a batch of blue-chip stocks and a few more speculative names. Some of these speculative names can surge very quickly, giving your portfolio a healthy boost. Since the start of 2011, roughly a dozen stocks (with a… Read More

It’s one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. I added the shares to my High-Yield Investing portfolio in January 2009. Over the following two years, I received $2.54 a share in dividends thanks to a 5% yield. Meanwhile, the price rose steadily for a… Read More

Would you be interested in a simple investment strategy that allows you to capture more dividends? Savvy income investors can use a neat little trick that does just that. It’s not hard, but it will require a little research. The rewards can be great — you can easily earn yields… Read More

It’s been nearly 80 years since economists Benjamin Graham and David Dodd wrote their investing bible Security Analysis. Their book established a framework for value investors like Warren Buffett and David Dreman to make their fortunes. Graham and Dodd’s whole approach was based on one simple premise:… Read More

A private think tank with an all-but unlimited budget… A maverick genius with a history of world-rattling results… A secret Pentagon “skunk works” defense project… And a fuel technology that could not only reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil, but also reverse global warming. Read More