I like to keep a pretty broad watchlist of stocks that I can check up on every day. That watchlist feeds most of the investments I end up making; that also means that many of those stocks have become “good, old friends” that I’ve used on multiple occasions. Another advantage of keeping a watchlist of […]
Read MorePost-election, a lot of the focus for the markets has, not surprisingly shifted back to COVID and the pandemic that just won’t stop. Concern is increasing that the colder months of the year will make things even worse, and that a health care system that is already being strained as infections and hospitalizations are pushing […]
Read MoreAs a value-focused investor, I’ve read a lot of books and studied the methods of a lot of well-known money managers who have found success using the same reliance on finding bargains in any market. One of the most successful in the entire history of the U.S. stock market, and arguably the most famous of […]
Read MoreThis year’s pandemic has had a dramatic impact on the operations of just about every type of business in America. One of the business segments that has experienced an especially conspicuous decline is the Auto industry, where stay-at-home, self isolation orders at the beginning of the outbreak cratered demand for petroleum products of every type. […]
Read MoreOver the last several months, one of the best sectors of the stock market’s rally back to, and even above pre-pandemic levels has been the Materials sector. Beginning in mid-May to a peak last week, the sector had increased in value by nearly 93% as measured by the S&P 500 Materials Sector SPDR (XLB). This […]
Read MoreThe last week has been impressive to watch. With elections in the U.S. translating to a change in residency at the White House (Trump out, Biden in), while the House and Senate remain split between parties, the market seems to be interpreting the result in a positive light. Some of that, presumably reflects a hope […]
Read MoreIt’s a bit interesting to me to see that while Healthcare stocks in general have performed well this year in no small measure due to the ongoing pandemic, the gains don’t extend to every single stock in that sector. That’s isn’t altogether unusual; after all, no matter what direction the trend of a given sector […]
Read MoreMarkets are naturally cyclical – they swing from high to low and back again on a consistent, if unpredictable basis over a range of time frames. The different time periods associated with any given cycle, or sometimes even the depth of a certain cycle’s direction, can shade the casual investor’s perception about a stock’s opportunity. […]
Read MoreEven before the coronavirus pandemic started to take down entire sectors of the economy beginning in February, the Auto industry was experiencing quite a bit of bearish pressure. Sales were down globally, reflecting economic slowing in various parts of the world as well as the effects of an extended trade war between the U.S. and […]
Read MoreIt isn’t too hard to argue that one of the most severely impacted industries in 2020 as a result of coronavirus has been the auto industry. As of the beginning of October, auto sales are down across all major U.S. car brands by an average of nearly -17%. That shouldn’t come as much of a […]
Read MoreJust about all of the attention of market analysts and talking heads this year has focused on just a couple of economic sectors as the best places to find opportunities for growth in the stock market. Given the fact that the entire world has had to deal with the effects of the coronavirus epidemic, and […]
Read MoreThere are several dark clouds gathering over the stock market, but UBS warned this week that this overlooked situation “is the single biggest near term risk” to the market. Here’s what you need to know now.
Read MoreMarket commentary seems to have shifted a bit to focus on the political theater – both whether a second set of stimulus programs will be reached before the upcoming election, or speculation about the election itself. The unrelenting focus on COVID-19 vaccines up to now seems to have faded a bit, even though the pandemic […]
Read MoreTo say that 2020 has been a weird year is nothing if not an understatement. Global pandemics have a way of doing that, I suppose, since health concerns really do, and should become the #1 prime consideration that people should be thinking about. Perhaps some of the weirdness comes from the disconnection that is so […]
Read MoreOne of the traps that a lot of investors tend to fall into comes from the idiom “a rising tide lifts all boats.” In the broadest sense, the implication is that when the broad market is going up, stocks in general should be going up. The concept also drills down to individual sectors and industries […]
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