The deeper into the year we get, the more uncertainty seems to be the theme that will define 2022. From geopolitics to economics, together it has all created a pretty constant state of uncertainty, and elevated volatility in the stock market. Economic uncertainty usually suggests that cyclically-sensitive industries are the most exposed to downside risk. […]
Read MoreDuring the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the sectors of market that experienced major shifts in its business models was the Healthcare sector. The entire system – local clinics, hospitals, and more – has been forced for a large portion of the last two and a half years to shift its focus […]
Read MoreCurrent market conditions can make it hard for even the most patient, disciplined bargain hunter to find useful investing opportunities. The trick is being able to identify pockets of the economy where current conditions create opportunity or where companies may have been able to buck broader industry and market trends to create their own success. […]
Read MoreIt seems that every year, economic and market activity finds a way to revolve around one or two primary themes. It’s safe to say that no matter where you start, the primary economic theme for 2022 boils down to inflation. Economic metrics were clearly starting show that inflation was picking up steam in late 2021, […]
Read MoreWith persistently high inflation that has kept interest rates rising throughout the year, economically sensitive industries have been the most vulnerable. The Consumer Discretionary sector is a perfect example. As reflected by the S&P 500 Consumer Discretionary Sector SPDR (XLY), the sector has followed the broad indices into its own bear market. This is a […]
Read MoreCisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) is one of the most recognizable and established companies in the Technology sector. With a market cap of more than $188 billion, they are also one of the largest, if not THE largest player in the Networking & Communications segment. CSCO has stood for decades as the standard that all other […]
Read MoreGrowth investing leans heavily on the principle that “a stock tends to follow the direction of its previous trend,” which may just be a nerdy way to say that the longer a stock has been going up, the more likely it is to keep going up. It is also why growth investors shun stocks that […]
Read MoreThe Tech sector has enjoyed the lion’s share of attention among all segments of the economy for a number of years. That’s been a good thing during bull markets, but it also means the sector really gets pummeled when uncertainty increases. Since 2020, that attention – driven in no small part by the increasingly central […]
Read MoreFor a sizable portion of this entire year, the Basic Materials sector has offered some of the most interesting cases for value-based investing. That case included a number of stocks that diverged from the uncertain, bearish conditions of the rest of the market until the beginning of summer. While a number of those stocks have […]
Read MoreThere are any number of dynamics that come to play in the markets at any given time. That means that the ebb and flow of economic health on either a national or global scale can be tied to a lot of other societal elements. Those varying elements include political and geopolitical shifts, social perceptions and […]
Read MoreStrict, quantitative value and fundamental analysis would dictate that you stick to the numbers, and to distrust anything but what the numbers tell you. Sometimes, however, answering the question of whether a stock represents a legitimate, attractive value opportunity is more art than science. Sometimes I find it necessary to try to look beyond the […]
Read MoreOne of the fundamental differences between growth and value investing lies in the way that the extreme ends of price swings are interpreted and used. Where growth-focused investor view a stock at or near historical highs as a great thing, for example, a value seeker will usually shrug their shoulders and move on to something […]
Read MoreNo matter how tired we get of hearing about COVID-19, there is no denying that ever since the virus found its way to American shores almost three years ago, a lot of media attention has been given to the Healthcare sector – and especially to the Biotechnology industry. Besides vaccines and their booster follow-ups, anti-viral […]
Read MoreListening to talking heads and market news media can lead you to believe that the most effective investing methods are those that focus on growth, and on the stocks that you hear about the most on those channels. Value-oriented, contrarian-minded investors like me tend to think a little differently, and to look for opportunities in […]
Read MoreLooking for value in the stock market is something that tends to get dismissed by most pundits simply be cause it isn’t very sexy – at least, when the market is going up. When the market turns bearish, however, I get amused by how a lot of those pundits start talking about beaten-down stocks have […]
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