For nearly the past year and a half, the Technology sector has been one of the volatile areas of the economy to try to follow, as tariffs and trade tensions have rocked stocks in practically every industry within the sector to some extent or another. Despite that volatility, a number of those stocks have performed […]
Read MoreAs a value-oriented investor that uses fundamental analysis to screen the market for attractive opportunities, I’ve had to learn over the years how to differentiate between a stock that looks like a good bargain versus those that really are. The irony of that statement is that just as no stock investment is ever guaranteed, the […]
Read MoreCisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) is one of the most recognizable and established companies in the Technology sector. With a market cap of nearly $200 billion, they are also one of the largest, if not THE largest player in the Networking & Communications segment. They are, without question, the standard that all other networking businesses are […]
Read MoreWhile the weekend’s news of a partial trade deal between the U.S. and China seems to have given the market some hope that better things are ahead on the trade front, I think there are still some risks. Monday’s market action gave a pretty good view of that reality as investors tried to parse through […]
Read MoreOne of the most volatile industries in the American economy over the year – and perhaps the most sensitive to trade tensions and intrigue – has to be the Semiconductor industry. Semiconductor companies make up the backbone of the entire Technology sector, since this is the industry that produces everything that makes modern computing possible. […]
Read MoreWhile the market has been volatile amid worries on the trade front as well as in the political arena as impeachment rumors and speculation swirl, it does seem to be looking for yet another bullish foothold as we move into the end of the week. Yesterday President Trump tweeted that talks were progressing well and […]
Read MoreOver the last couple of days, I’ve focused my attention in this space on stocks in the Beverages industry of the Consumer Staples sector as defensive-oriented stocks that smart investors might want to think about working with under current market conditions. Volatility has been the word of the past month or so, with the market […]
Read MoreIf the market’s uncertainty, as seen so far in a rough start to October that has seen the S&P 500 drop almost 5% from its last peak in mid-September, is any indication, the time might be right to start thinking seriously about readjusting your investing strategy. This is especially true if you’ve been riding the […]
Read MoreI think the rough seas the market had to navigate in the month of September, which is traditionally a pretty volatile month for the stock market anyway, could be precursor to continued uncertainty and volatility that could persist throughout the of the year. Barring some kind of major news development, like an unexpected but much-hoped-for […]
Read MoreStarting into the fourth quarter of 2019, the market seems to be a bit on edge. It’s been a year since the market saw its last significant correction, dropping almost -20% before finding a bottom on Christmas Eve 2018. Continuing questions about trade, increasing scrutiny around impeachment hearings, and questions about whether the economy is […]
Read MoreWhen markets become volatile, it usually means that investors are becoming increasingly uncertain and nervous. Uncertainty can come from all kinds of different things – concerns about inflation, wage growth, central bank monetary policy, earnings trends, and geopolitical events. For most of the last three months, most of the uncertainty in the market has revolved […]
Read MoreI find it pretty interesting that despite all the hand-wringing about trade, many of the companies in industries that are most directly affected by tariff uncertainty, including semiconductors, have performed incredibly well this year. Technology companies are among those that everybody recognizes are the most directly impacted by trade, and since tariffs between the U.S. […]
Read MoreA little over six weeks ago, I wrote about HAL in this space, using the stock to analyze the potential opportunity a narrowing spread between the prices of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil and Brent crude could represent. At the time, and through a big portion of September, pressures from Permian pipeline restrictions (which are […]
Read MoreIf you’re like me, you’re probably a little bit tired of hearing all of the talk about tariffs, China and trade talks. More than simply “the new normal,” trade seems to dominate most of the questions that arise about the health of the global economy and the sustainability of economic growth in the United States. […]
Read MoreAnother week, another wave of trade-centered speculation. Earlier this week, the market decided to rally after President Trump said that a trade deal could happen “sooner than you think.” Yesterday, investor’s mood seemed to sour a bit as a report suggested that the U.S. is unlikely to extend a waiver allowing American companies to do […]
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