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Monthly Archives: April 2010

Apple: A Stock I Could Really Fall in Love With

April 22, 2010
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Apple: A Stock I Could Really Fall in Love With

Well, it’s happened again.  Apple has blown by analysts’ expectations for the umpteenth time and the stock is getting another boost. Apple managed this trick by selling way more iPhones than analysts expected it would.  In fact, 8.75 million iPhones flew out of Apple stores, while professional Apple watchers had estimated that just a few more than seven million would be sold.  That’s a 131% gain in sales from the same quarter last year.  And these sales are coming even though everyone who’s paying attention knows that Apple will be bringing out a new iPhone model this summer! Just...

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Looking Under the Hood of the iPad

April 20, 2010
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Looking Under the Hood of the iPad

Easter Sunday, my wife and I took the kids over to her parents’ house for dinner. My father-in-law, a computer engineer, is one of those people who love cutting edge technology. He bought the original iPhone on its release day, hooked a TiVo to his TV before I knew what a digital video recorder was, and became the first person I knew who dropped his landline telephone in favor of just a cell phone. So it was no surprise to walk in the door and see he had the iPad, released the day before, standing on the mantle displaying...

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Investing Lessons with Jesse Livermore

April 19, 2010
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Investing Lessons with Jesse Livermore

Now let’s move on to my real passion, the stock market. We’re about six to eight weeks from the point where the market confirmed its latest rally, depending on the method you use.  At this point in the current intermediate-term rally, most of the best leading stocks have already lifted off, hit new price highs and made good advances.  That doesn’t preclude new leaders from emerging during earnings season (some always do), or some slow-to-get-going stocks from also gapping on earnings. But for the most part, the leaders are extended from proper buy points.  If you bought some of...

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The Importance of Investor Sentiment

April 18, 2010
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The Importance of Investor Sentiment

As you may know, I have a Twitter account that lets me keep in touch with subscribers and other investors. In addition to “meeting” people that I never would have otherwise, it’s also a great barometer for stock market sentiment, which we consider a secondary (but still important) market timing indicator. This week, people were exclaiming with glee when the market was rocketing higher. Of course, I’m always happy to see the market in the green. But this unadulterated joy made me a little nervous. If you’re new to investing this may seem odd. But longtime readers will know...

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Fashion as Economic Indicator

April 17, 2010
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Fashion as Economic Indicator

This week’s New York Times Style section brought a story about how fashion trends relate to the economic climate. A similar story was published in 2008 when all was going to hell in a handbasket, announcing that longer hemlines were in for the duration of the recession. This latest article said quite the opposite. Apparently, colorful prints are the new black. As more positive economic indicators come in each week and the stock market continues its march higher, women are tossing aside their drab clothing in favor of bright colors. (Just a thought, but the changing of the seasons...

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