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Posted
Jul 01 2009, 04:20 PM
by
James Dlugosch
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
If you owned or purchased cheap stocks at the beginning of the year, you have been rewarded handsomely for your risk taking. Many of the stocks that were summarily crushed during the credit crisis last fall bounced hard off lows reached in November and March. In fact, some have doubled or tripled in a very short period of time.
But that should come as no surprise to investors -- historically, owning cheap stocks at the end of a recession can deliver big returns. That certainly has been the case so far this year, and the likelihood of more gains is quite promising. Ask any professional trader which approach is working best of late, and you will hear: "Go long on cheap, high beta stocks and do so aggressively."
With so much potential money to be made by speculating on cheap stocks, I'm in the process of launching an exciting new service for investors called Penny Stock Winners that focuses entirely on these low-priced gems.
Take a look at these three cheap stocks for July.
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Posted
Jul 01 2009, 10:42 AM
by
Kim Peterson
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
 Oh, we've heard plenty about the spectacular investing prowess of Harvard University. Well, guess what? Schools with smaller endowments are now outperforming the prestigious university by significant margins.
The biggest college endowments, with their complex investment strategies, aren't doing as well as smaller schools with far simpler approaches, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Endowments with less than $1 billion fared better by choosing fixed-income investments, and not the riskier plays like hedge funds, the Journal says.
"Their superior performance is a sharp reversal from most years, when elite colleges profited from investments like hedge funds, private equity and real estate to finish at the head of the class," the Journal writes.
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Posted
Jul 01 2009, 09:45 AM
by
Kim Peterson
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
 Baaaa! Investors are acting more like sheep than ever, and that spells doom for the markets, according to Bloomberg's Eric Martin and Michael Tsang.
Their recent article saying that cash is the best strategy right now has some folks buzzing this week. "Investors are moving in lockstep like never before, driving up stocks, commodities and emerging markets and risking a replay of last year, when they all plunged the most since World War II," they write.
Markets have started moving together in weird ways. The S&P 500 is moving in tandem with the price of crude oil, FT Alphaville says. Same with emerging markets, hedge funds and commodities. This scenario is throwing a curveball at investors. It's great when everything rises together, but there's a good chance everything will fall together, too. How can you diversify?
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Posted
Jun 30 2009, 03:28 PM
by
James Dlugosch
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
Do you remember how to play musical chairs? Set up five chairs for six people, and start the music. When the music stops, the six people race for a chair, and the last one standing is eliminated. Repeat this, removing a chair with each round, until there is only one chair and one person sitting -- and that person is the winner.
In the stock market, it seems the popularity of musical chairs is on the rise, especially with the trigger-happy institutional investor who has zero interest in being the last person standing when the music stops.
As a result, there is a tendency to sell a stock before the music stops. Do that playing the real game, and you're eliminated. But in the market there is no such elimination. In fact, those investors who sell early lock in a profit or avoid a larger loss. The penalty, though, comes when a stock is sold early and then continues to gain in value, resulting in money being left on the table.
Apollo Group (APOL) appears to be a victim of big-time players in the market guessing when the music might stop.
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Posted
Jun 30 2009, 04:20 PM
by
Louis Navellier
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
July 4 is coming up this Saturday and the nation will celebrate its 233rd birthday. The past year has been pretty rough for the old Republic, with the economy going through its worst spat in 80 years.
Still, I'm an optimist and I think we'll come through this stronger than ever. To honor America's birthday, I want to highlight three great all-American brands that deserve a place in your portfolio. I always like companies with strong brand names because it helps them weather tough economic times better than unknown companies.
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Posted
Jun 29 2009, 11:13 AM
by
Catherine Holahan
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
 Are human beings hard-wired for financial folly?
Yes, according to an article in this month's issue of Scientific American. Behavioral economists and scientific researchers interviewed by the magazine say human brains simply can't account for inflation.
According to the researchers, humans suffer from a biological flaw called "money illusion." To put it simply, our brains get excited when we receive large sums of money, even when prices have increased sufficiently to prevent any real gains in purchasing power. The human mind is simply fascinated by more money, even when it's not worth any more.
If you've followed the markets at all in the past year, you probably know this intuitively; people buy when it seems like everyone is buying and they sell when it seems like everyone is selling. We are motivated by fear, greed and, perhaps above all, group-think. It's in our DNA.
So how do we make sound financial decisions when our very brains may be conspiring against us?
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Posted
Jun 26 2009, 01:09 PM
by
Louis Navellier
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
 Summer is sizzling. What better way to celebrate summer than with an outdoor barbeque? I know I’m using my Alfresco natural gas grill a whole lot more of late. I suspect many of you are doing the same.
And if you're like me you're always looking for ways to bring variety to your grilling. One sure-fire way to mix things up a bit on the fire is to add a great spice rub. You don't have to be a top chef to do it either. These days, you can buy excellent prepared spice rubs for a fraction of what it would cost to prepare your own.
As such, spice is a big growth business in my opinion. It is also a defensive category that should do well while the rest of the economy is struggling.
McCormick & Co. (MKC) is one of my favorite spice manufacturers. This $4 billion plus market cap company dominates the spice market and includes some of my favorite brands, such as Lawry’s, Thai Kitchen and Old Bay.
If you are a crab fan you know what I am talking about. You simply can't cook crabs, crab cakes or even make a decent crab soup without Old Bay.
Yesterday, the company reported earnings that beat expectations. Excluding items, MKC generated a profit of $.42 per share in the quarter ending May 31. Analysts were expecting a profit of $.41
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Posted
Jun 25 2009, 09:47 AM
by
Louis Navellier
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
 Is there such a thing as a must-own stock?
It wasn't that long ago when the market was full of names that investors could depend on for strong returns over a long period of time. Buy the stock and put it away forever. Ah, those were the days when widows and orphans stocks were plentiful.
Today that is not the case. In fact, I'm not sure there is a stock trading today that is a must-own stock. But there is one that comes close: Amazon (AMZN).
The company is a survivor of the dot com boom and bust and appears to be thriving even during this difficult economy. I rate Amazon a big fat A, or strong buy.
Here are just three of the reasons why this company should be part of your portfolio today
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Posted
Jun 25 2009, 08:44 AM
by
Louis Navellier
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
 The housing market is slowly emerging from a very long slumber based on new and existing home sale data. Though the results may be artificially inflated by speculators taking advantage of big discounts, the news is most welcome to companies dependent on the housing market for business.
The depth of the recession in the home market has had major ancillary consequences across the entire economy. Those impacted the most include retailers in the home furnishing market.
Companies like Williams Sonoma (WSM), Pier One (PIR), and Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) have all seen sales collapse and profits evaporate. A few, like Linens N Things, have actually closed up shop completely during the decline.
It has not been a pretty sight, but in most instances, the best time to buy stocks is when things are dire.
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Posted
Jun 24 2009, 03:25 PM
by
James Dlugosch
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
The movie "The Godfather" made famous the phrase, "go to the mattresses" -- meaning to get ready for battle.
After the carnage we've seen in the market, individual investors might want to go to the mattresses. By which I mean, the mattress-making business, which has been decimated by the recession but could soon bounce like a coin on a well-made bed.
Last week, the founder of the Magic Fingers Bed passed away at the age of 92. That famous coin-operated vibrating bed became the hit of the motel world when first introduced.
That invention led to multiple manufacturers with various gimmicks that promised a relaxing night of slumber. They enjoyed a boom that began in the late 1990s, fueled by the housing bubble -- and out-of-control debt.
When housing came crashing down, mattress sales plummeted.
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