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Monthly Archives: April 2009

IPOs: Future Stock Market Leaders

April 30, 2009
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IPOs: Future Stock Market Leaders

A few years ago, cradles and lawnmowers were the furthest thing from my mind … and my friends’, as well. But I’m now at the age where every few months, another goofy friend that I’ve known for years reveals that he’s going to be a father. Crazy! In fact, one of my recent conversations included a talk about my soon-to-be new house and some of the landscaping I want to do, while my buddy talked about how he was recently in the town I’m moving to … shopping for a baby carriage. Age, it seems, is catching up to...

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Where to Invest Now: Small-Cap Stocks

April 29, 2009
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We’ve now enjoyed seven consecutive weeks up, and we’re still optimistic that higher prices lie ahead. Granted, major challenges remain for the U.S. economy, particularly in the auto industry, the banking industry and the housing industry.  But remember, the market is always looking ahead, and its actions in recent weeks convince us the worst has already been discounted. The theme of earnings reports in recent weeks has been “Not as bad as expected,” like Ford losing “just” $1.8 billion in the first quarter.  (Man, that’s hard to write with a straight face.) So where do you invest? One area...

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CMG: Burritos con Profits!

April 28, 2009
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CMG: Burritos con Profits!

My stock pick today is based on the advice of Peter Lynch, the investing legend who advised people to buy stocks of companies whose products they knew and used.  Lynch followed his wife’s approval of L’Eggs panty hose to a big profit in the company and used his own preference for Gillette razors to guide him to another big winner. I’ve recently eaten at a Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG), and I’d have to say that my tummy approves of this stock pick. Chipotle is a chain of over 800 Mexican-themed restaurants that has turned a simple menu of tacos,...

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DIY: Finding Great Growth Stocks

April 27, 2009
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DIY: Finding Great Growth Stocks

You ask a simple question, sometimes you get an answer so complicated that you’re sorry you asked.  That’s one of the discouraging truths about the universe. Here’s the simple question: “How do I find great growth stocks?” Since I work for a company that sells advice on stock investing, I have a couple of obvious suggestions, but I’ll keep them to myself for a while. The real question is, how can an individual investor find leading growth stocks? A few obvious choices probably don’t work. For instance, you probably won’t find great growth stocks by scanning the lists of...

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A Sea Change in Teenagers’ Spending Habits

April 24, 2009
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A Sea Change in Teenagers’ Spending Habits

Breaking news: Teenagers have stopped caring (as much) about brands and labels and are starting to shop based on savings and sales. Who ever thought we’d see this day? This week’s New York Times contained the story of how the recession has turned teenage shoppers, one of the most powerful spending groups, into penny pinchers. This, of course, has hurt some of the higher-priced teen shops, like Abercrombie & Fitch, while others, like A&F’s lower-priced sister Hollister, are benefiting from this change. (Full disclosure: I worked at Abercrombie & Fitch in college for about a year. Yes, it’s dark...

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