One of the biggest drivers of the global economy is energy. That shouldn’t really come as too big a surprise, since energy products – natural gas, electricity, and oil – are a part of virtually every aspect of every sector. Oil in particular is a commodity that has a ripple effect throughout such a diverse […]
Read MoreThroughout this week, one of the biggest news stories, without question, has been the fatal crash of a Boeing 737 MAX jet flown by Ethiopian Air shortly after takeoff on March 10. The crash took the lives of all 157 that were onboard the plane, and it was the second such crash in five months […]
Read MoreOne of the classic benchmarks of the economy’s health and strength is the housing market. Stocks of retail companies like Home Depot (HD) and Lowe’s (LOW) often serve as proxies of to guide the market’s perception of the housing market, but it also isn’t uncommon to see experts and analysts referring to homebuilders like D.R. […]
Read MoreOne of the things about stocks in the Consumer Discretionary sector that is interesting is how widely disparate they are. The general perception of most stocks in the sector is that they are highly cyclical, sensitive to inflationary pressures that make them more risky when the economy is in trouble. One industry in the sector […]
Read MoreThe market has been nervous this week – whether you want to cite trade war fatigue, global economic fears that could be rippling into U.S. economic metrics, or earnings reports from some of the market’s biggest companies that have disappointed investors. I think it’s true that tariffs between the U.S. and its biggest trading partners […]
Read MoreOne of the classic benchmark of the economy’s health and strength is the housing market. Stocks of retail companies like Home Depot (HD) and Lowe’s (LOW) often serve as proxies of to guide the market’s perception of the housing market, but it also isn’t uncommon to see experts and analysts referring to homebuilders like D.R. […]
Read MoreMarket news for the last while has seemed to be almost completely focused on the trade war between the U.S. and China – to the point that investors seem to be getting what some might call “trade fatigue” – which could be a point where even if or when a deal is made, the broad […]
Read MoreA few months ago, I wrote about the merger between pharmacy kingpin CVS Health Corporation (CVS) and healthcare insurer Aetna Inc. I decided to try to determine if the deal, which closed shortly after I wrote about it, offered a compelling reason to buy the stock at its price at the time, which at the […]
Read MoreFor the last week or so, I’ve been focusing a lot of attention and analysis on the Food Products industry in the Consumer Staples sector. A lot of the stocks in this industry have increased nicely since the beginning of the year, but remain well below their 52-week highs. That’s opened up a lot of […]
Read MoreOver the last week or so, I’ve written about a few companies in the Food Products industry that I think offer some interesting possibilities under current market conditions – something that is even more true if the market sees an increase in short-term volatility. Investors are putting a lot of focus on geopolitics right now, […]
Read MoreAs the market continues to recover from its lows in late December, I’m seeing more and more reports and opinions that while economic growth in the United States may begin to slow (and based on some measurements, that might already be starting to happen), it isn’t expected to actually reverse and begin contracting for as […]
Read MoreEconomic reports this week set the market on edge this week, although optimism related to trade gave investors reasons to push the market higher late in the week. One of the risks that I’ve seen some experts and economists start talking about more lately is the possibility that if and when a trade deal with […]
Read MoreYesterday I highlighted General Mills (GIS) as a stock that could offer an interesting value proposition right now. The Consumer Staples sector is starting look like a market segment that smart investors should be paying attention to right now. The market has been moving nicely since the beginning of the year, but with indications that […]
Read MoreThe market has been rallying nicely since the end of December, and the news lately seems to be giving investors encouragement to start thinking in more bullish terms. The Fed seems to be positioning itself to be more dovish in its approach to interest rates through the year, trade talks between the United States and […]
Read MoreThe Consumer Discretionary sector cuts a wide swath across the economic landscape of the United States. It’s easy to think about the sector as the place you’ll find retail stocks, but the truth is that there are a lot of other businesses within the sector that are much more than just the department stores and […]
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