With the market oscillating between down and flat for the year, an old friend of mine, Tom, asked the other day why I was so chipper about the market. He had just received his 401(k) statement and was very disappointed. “I’m up,” I told him. “I’m way… Read More

The word “bankruptcy” is anathema to most investors. Holding shares of a company in this position means investors are likely to be wiped out. Sometimes, however, a bankruptcy can be exactly the right thing for both the company and investors, if handled properly. Read More

For many years, investors had to sit and wait for profits as cable and satellite companies re-invested every spare penny into building their business. That wait is now over, most notably for investors in DirecTV (NYSE: DTV). The satellite TV provider is now throwing off large amounts of… Read More

More than a century ago, governments in the United States and Europe decided to pave over dirt roads. They knew that many citizens would soon be driving automobiles and would soon sour on bumpy, rutted dirt paths. Now, a similar move is afoot. A wide range of incentives are being enacted to enable a smooth transition to the age of the electric car. Luckily for patient investors, the companies that stand to benefit from the coming e-car revolution have already fallen out of favor, and their share prices stand near all-time lows. Putting the Pieces in Place… Read More

More than a century ago, governments in the United States and Europe decided to pave over dirt roads. They knew that many citizens would soon be driving automobiles and would soon sour on bumpy, rutted dirt paths. Now, a similar move is afoot. A wide range of incentives are being enacted to enable a smooth transition to the age of the electric car. Luckily for patient investors, the companies that stand to benefit from the coming e-car revolution have already fallen out of favor, and their share prices stand near all-time lows. Putting the Pieces in Place A number of auto makers have announced plans to sell electric and hybrid cars and trucks that utilize lithium-ion batteries. Toyota’s (NYSE: TM) popular Prius uses older heavier battery packs, but many of the planned cars will have driving ranges of less than 100 miles. So consumers will need access to frequent and convenient recharging stations. The U.S. House and the Senate have released separate bills that would provide millions of dollars to a handful of select cities that install a network of charging stations. The regions chosen will likely be the first ones to see robust… Read More

During the past decade, investing in housing, the stock market, or gold has been an eye opener for U.S. consumers. The value of houses soared and then crashed. Gold slumped and then surged ahead. Oil prices rose to unimaginable peaks and then fell by more than -75%. All the while,… Read More

As far as many investors are concerned, airline stocks should be avoided like the plague. Every time the economy hits a rough patch, these heavily-indebted companies look as if they’re lunging toward bankruptcy. Countless investors have had to dump airline stocks after losing most… Read More

One of the challenges of buying an industry leader such as Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) is that it is “priced to perfection.” The value of its stock implies that the company will fulfill all of the high expectations placed upon it. More than likely, Apple will keep on delivering winning products,… Read More

In business, there are some items you can control and some things that are out of your hands. For the folks that run the major truck-based freight carriers, they are almost completely vulnerable to issues beyond their control. All they can do is try to make the best of the… Read More

In a bid to keep a lid on runaway prescription drug prices, many companies have turned to Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). These firms act as a middleman, handling all prescription-related paperwork and gently nudging consumers toward lower-priced generic drugs and an increased use of low-cost mail-order services. Over time, the… Read More

Warren Buffett seemed to take it on the chin last week. In fact, he’s been hammered for a couple of months now. First came the annual Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-B) shareholders meeting, the annual Woodstock for Capitalists and Buffett love fest held each May,… Read More