Over the years, I’ve learned to pay attention to the Energy sector as a way to measure a number of different aspects of the global economy. One of the those elements that is very interesting is the difference between U.S. oil production versus the rest of the world. The financial markets use futures contracts on […]
Read MoreOne of the most interesting sectors in the market right now, in my opinion is the Energy Sector. It’s proven to be pretty sensitive to trade pressures, like most sectors in the market; but progress towards compromise between the U.S. and China appears to be on track for an expected meeting between President Trump and […]
Read MoreOne of the things that I find fascinating about the stock market is the way that economic and industry dynamics impact stock prices. Part of the challenge – and therefore, the intrigue – comes from the fact that stocks don’t always react the way you would expect. What you may perceive as good news or […]
Read MoreLast month, I highlighted WDC. The semiconductor industry has benefitted all year long from positive news on the trade front, and WDC has followed that pattern as well – at least until the middle of September. From that point, the stock has strayed from the industry pattern, dropping a little over-18%. In the last few […]
Read MoreWith most market indicators seeming to point in a bullish direction right now, it probably seems a little counter-intuitive to focus on areas of the economy that don’t generate a lot of buzz or attention. As a value-oriented investor, however, I’ve gotten a lot of mileage over the years out of finding fundamentally solid companies […]
Read MoreOver the last few months, trade tensions and uncertainty have made stocks in the Industrial sector some of the most volatile in the marketplace. The thing that most investors tend to assume about volatility, however is that it is automatically negative, and can only drive prices lower. I believe the last few weeks have proven […]
Read MoreThe market’s recent surge in bullish momentum, driven by trade optimism, generally better-than-expected earnings, and lower interest rates appears to be giving investors lots of reasons to be as bullish as ever as we start the week. Monday the S&P 500 set a new all-time high, something that from a technical standpoint could mark the […]
Read MoreAs the market wades through the biggest portion of the latest earnings season, a lot of reports are giving investors reasons to feel encouraged, and if the market over the past week or so is any indication, even more bullish. Add to the mix the Fed’s interest rate cut last week and optimism on the […]
Read MoreOver the last year or so grocery stocks have been one of a number of industries that have held my interest as an analyst. Part of that is because of the extremely extended state of the market’s bullish trend, which has stretched well past the decade mark. The longer any given trend lasts, the more […]
Read MoreA little over a month ago in this space, I highlighted Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (GT) as a stock that offered a nearly compelling value argument. This icon of American business has really been beat down for most of the past two years, as broader industry trends pointed to weakening automotive sales growth on […]
Read MoreIt’s always been interesting to me, up to a point, to note how practically all of the talking heads on popular media seem to focus almost exclusively on growth-driven investing strategies. Not that it’s surprising – after all, they’re generally trying to play to the broadest possible market, which means they need to emphasize strategies […]
Read MoreBeing a contrarian investor can mean a few different things. One is that while most investors shy away from stocks that are trading at historically low levels, a contrarian will usually immediately see an opportunity to look for a terrific bargain. That’s at odds with the natural way of thinking; it’s a lot easier to […]
Read MoreAs an analyst, I take a lot of interest in trying to find reasons the market stages some of the moves it makes. The factors, geopolitical, economic, or emotional, that drives trends over any time period can be widely varied, and sometimes it’s interesting to see not only what is influencing the market today, but […]
Read MoreYesterday I highlighted Royal Dutch Shell plc (RDS.A), because despite the company’s elevated status in the Energy sector as an oil supermajor (one of only seven companies across the globe that fit that description), the stock is sitting near multi-year lows. Much of the pressure on the oil industry over the last few months can […]
Read MoreOver the last couple of months, as market sentiment has focused heavily on geopolitical news like the U.S.-China trade war, Brexit, and Iran-driven tension in the Middle East, I’ve noticed an increasing number of analysts start talking about a shift in market momentum away from growth-oriented stocks and focusing on more defensively-positioned strategies. That conversation […]
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