Browse by Tags
-
Posted
Mar 02 2009, 10:50 AM
by
James Dlugosch
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
Is this market driving you crazy? How about the economy and mounting job losses? Are you tired of government intervention? What about bailouts that fail and stimulus that does not stimulate?
If you are suffering from anxiety from any of these issues, you might want to try making an appointment with a psychiatrist. Better yet, you might want to buy shares in Psychiatric Solutions (PSYS).
The impact of recessions and bear market reaches far beyond the loss of value in an investment portfolio. For example, sleeplessness is on the rise as more and more people lose sleep worrying about the economy.
In addition to sleeplessness, homelessness is on the rise as well. In fact school districts around the country are feeling the strain of displaced children needing services. It is a wonder that any of us have our sanity.
Read More...
-
Posted
Mar 05 2009, 01:37 PM
by
James Dlugosch
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from partner site InvestorPlace.com.
Investors are hopping mad, and for good reason. The misdeeds on Wall Street and corporate boardrooms pile up on a daily basis.
No wonder stocks are tumbling to lows not seen in 12 years or more. The losses coincide with a complete lack of confidence. Unabated greed has failed us, and where we go from here is anyone's guess.
Management should be on our side, but they aren't. Time and time again, a signal that all is well is met down the road with a reality that takes a huge bite out of earnings or market valuation.
Does anyone have a clue anymore?
Read More...
-
Posted
Mar 10 2009, 09:57 AM
by
James Dlugosch
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from partner site InvestorPlace.com.
Investors have been pummeled in 2009, with what is seemingly a never-ending decline in stock values. But one thing is certain: Stocks do not go down every single day. In fact, a very strong case is being made for a bear market rally that will end this current bout of selling.
The pessimism about stocks has gone beyond capitulation. People are doing more than just throwing in the towel. Investors are giving up completely on the idea of positive investment returns in the market.
An entire population of investors will be lost in this bear market, never to be replaced. Without those investors in the market, it will be difficult to see sustainable rallies. You can survive this bear market.
There are huge reserves of capital sitting on the sidelines looking to be deployed, and this cash hoard can and will provide the fuel for a bear market rally in the short term.
Read More...
-
Posted
Mar 11 2009, 10:56 AM
by
James Dlugosch
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from partner site InvestorPlace.com.
One of the interesting consequences of the credit crisis, economic havoc and bailout nation is the intense change in corporate behavior.
Businesses, especially those seeking government bailouts, are being scrutinized for what may appear to be egregious, self-indulgent spending under the guise of marketing and relationship building.
Business culture has embraced unabated spending on market-related activities, including sponsorships of sporting events and boondoggles to prime locales like Las Vegas or the Caribbean.
These activities often took place with question as to value. Anecdotally, it was accepted that such practices more than paid for themselves with hard-to-measure brand equity.
Today some are claiming that these garish expenses do not provide any value whatsoever. At a minimum, such spending simply looks bad in times of distress. Like most things, though, the pendulum is swinging too far.
Read More...
-
Posted
Mar 16 2009, 02:50 PM
by
James Dlugosch
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from partner site InvestorPlace.com.
In an interview on CBS's "60 Minutes," Ben Bernanke made clear his anger and frustration over actions by executives at American International Group (AIG).
If there is a flash point for the current pain we are now experiencing in this country it is the supposedly well-respected insurance giant. While there is plenty of blame to go around, the outrageous risks and actions taken by AIG in the name of making a quick buck are the worst of the worst.
Now we learn that the same jokers that nearly brought the world to its knees are allocating millions of dollars to pay bonuses. Even worse, those dollars are flowing to the same division responsible for the failure of the company.
Read More...
-
Posted
Mar 23 2009, 02:11 PM
by
James Dlugosch
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from partner site InvestorPlace.com.
In his Contrarian Chronicles, Bill Fleckenstein asks if you've "Got gold?" In what has been a long chorus for Fleckenstein, he equates last week's Federal Reserve expansion of the balance sheet as the "functional equivalent of Pearl Harbor for the U.S. dollar."
That indeed was the reaction of currency markets upon the announcement that the central bank would begin a process of buying some trillion dollars worth of Treasury securities, mortgage-backed securities and government-sponsored enterprise debt.
With the printing presses turned on, speculators immediately sold dollars, assuming that Federal Reserve actions would come with a severe case of inflation. On the buy side, commodities, notably gold and oil, found a bid.
Read More...
-
Posted
Apr 01 2009, 11:58 AM
by
James Dlugosch
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from partner site InvestorPlace.com.
I will be very blunt: I despise gold and everything it stands for.
It's an abhorrent example of materialism and serves no real purpose. Lust for gold is over-the-top excess, and despite the protestations of the gold bugs, there is no real basis for the metal serving the currency needs of the world.
The fearmongers will have you believe that the world is collapsing and that inflation has run amok. As a result, the only real currency out there is gold. Given that gold is in finite supply, it should be bought and hoarded . . . or so the theory goes. Gold is the only thing that you can count on.
What hogwash -- there is no place for gold on the global financial stage.
I recently wrote about five reasons to avoid gold. Here are three of those reasons:
Read More...
-
Posted
Apr 06 2009, 12:37 PM
by
James Dlugosch
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from partner site InvestorPlace.com.
Was late February the bottom of the bear market? It sure looks like we are out of the woods, with stocks up 25% from the lows. But another setback in the financial sector could cause us to revisit the bottom.
One thing is certain: When a bottom is reached, cheap stocks will be the ones that perform best during the next up cycle. History has shown this to be the case.
This cycle will be no different.
What cheap stocks should you buy now? To clear through the clutter, I turned to the experts at InvestorPlace.
Here are three cheap stocks our investment experts recommend now:
Read More...
-
Posted
Apr 07 2009, 02:42 PM
by
James Dlugosch
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from partner site InvestorPlace.com.
Will Capital One (COF) receive the death penalty for past transgressions?
Given the fallout in the financial sector, such an outcome should be expected by investors. Like Countrywide in the mortgage market, Capital One was a leader in aggressive consumer credit lending.
We all know the outcome for that aggressiveness at Countrywide. Now it seems that many are predicting credit debt to be the next shoe to drop in this financial crisis. If so, the future of Capital One may be in jeopardy.
At the end of last year, I put Capital One on my list of Top 10 Stocks to Avoid in 2009 for just that reason. Considering shares started the year at $31.89 and now sit at $12.81, I would say that was a rather astute move.
Where does Capital One go from here?
Read More...
-
Posted
Apr 15 2009, 03:18 PM
by
James Dlugosch
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from partner site InvestorPlace.com.
The chief of AT&T (T) is dying to hold on to its exclusive iPhone deal with Apple (AAPL), which expires next year. And I can't blame him.
But it might not be a great deal for Apple.
I mean, Apple's a great company. It's one of those absolute must-own stocks that should be in every investor's portfolio. In fact, back in March I suggested that, rain or shine, Apple (AAPL) was one of the rare companies that could perform well irrespective of economic conditions. (Get four more recession-proof stocks here.)
How could you not own the stock -- and how could AT&T not want to keep playing? The iPhone is a perfect example of what Apple has done year after year -- innovate, dominate and grow the business. You could argue that it's everything that the "big T" isn't.
That's why Apple's smartest move may be to spread the iPhone wealth.
Read More...
More Posts Next page »
|
