The quest for useful value in the stock market is one of those things that applies to any market condition – bull, bear, or none. The current state of the market and the economy in general is what tends to shift the value focus from one sector to another. The last year and a half […]
Read MoreThe stock market has had a tumultuous, but mostly positive run so far in 2023. Whether that run continues, of course depends on a variety of factors, including whether interest rates will finally begin to level off, or maybe even begin to go down, which naturally depends on the wide range of inflationary conditions that […]
Read MoreHaving a contrarian temperament has been very useful for me as an investor, because of the way it helps me find excellent long-term opportunities at bargain-level prices. Having a contrarian temperament generally means doing the opposite of what most people would do. That’s why, while most people flock to stocks trading at or near all-time […]
Read MoreThere is a pretty significant difference in the way different investors perceive a stock in a long-term trend. For growth oriented-investors, the longer the upward trend lasts, the more attractive the stock is, simply because the expectation is that the longer, bullish trend will outlast any near-term, bearish sentiment or momentum the stock may see. […]
Read MoreOne of the big recovery stories over the past couple of years has come from the Aerospace industry, which includes commercial airlines. From a disastrous 2020, and the first part of 2021, this is a sector that was radioactive not so long ago. The “reopening” theme that became a part of market commentary in the […]
Read MoreThere are any number of dynamics that come to play in the markets at any given time – and not all of them come from company earnings announcements or national events. The reality of our ever-more connected world means that the ebb and flow of economic health on either a national or global scale can […]
Read MoreOne of the sectors of the economy that I’ve learned to follow over the course of my investing career is the Energy sector. This is a sector that has a broad carryover effect on multiple other sectors in the economy, which is why I have learned that it’s useful to pay attention to the price […]
Read MoreIf you’re looking for a sector of the economy that tends to lead the broad market higher or lower, a good place to start is Technology. The Technology sector led the market lower throughout 2022, with a lot of Tech stocks extending their losses well past traditional bear market levels. That marked a distinct change […]
Read MoreOne of the challenges for every investor is the task of assimilating different storylines to put the market in practical context. Beginning In 2022, the focus began to shift away from pandemic-driven questions to concerns about the pace of inflation and the rise in interest rates that some fear could push a growing economy into […]
Read MoreWhen uncertainty is high in an industry, and you’re a bit of a contrarian, there’s a natural temptation to gravitate to the industry’s largest, most dominant companies. It takes a contrarian mindset to focus on industries where uncertainty and fear are driving volatility higher – because in those situations most growth-oriented investors are certainly looking […]
Read MoreOne of the first technical principles I learned more than two decades ago has become a primary reference point for helping me think about a stock’s current direction: “the trend is your friend.” For bullish traders, this phrase means that if you can find a stock that is already going up, it is likely to […]
Read MoreSometimes, trying to find a positive story thread for the stock market might seem a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack. That’s only true, however if your strategy for the markets relies exclusively on looking for growth. In bear market conditions, or amidst the kind of broad certainty the market has seen […]
Read MoreOver the course of my investing career, I’ve learned to rely on a lot of fundamental data to describe the underlying strength of any stock I might consider using for a value-based investment. I’ve also learned to go beyond easy-to-reference, quick-glance data like earnings per share and price-to-earnings ratios, and to expand my view of […]
Read MoreThe word, “uncertainty” has characterized the market for most of the last year and a half, as questions about inflation, interest rates, and the risk of recession have been top of mind for most investors. Extended periods of uncertainty make it harder for investors to find good ways to keep their money working for them. […]
Read MoreOne of the primary criteria I’ve learned to use to filter through the thousands of publicly traded companies in the stock market is the payment of dividends. Dividends are a useful, relatively quick-reference approach to finding stocks with superior fundamentals than what most average investors pay attention to. Over time, they’ve also become more than […]
Read More