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Blog Archives

Simple Rules for Stock Investing?

December 1, 2011
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Investing in stocks involves a huge number of variables, so many, in fact, that the whole system simply defies complete analysis. Think about it. Even the most sophisticated organizations (mutual fund houses and hedge funds), with battalions of analysts and rooms full of computers, can’t get the business of making money by investing in stocks down to a science. That’s why most stock investment strategies are exercises in simplifying, seeking to gain an edge on the market by reducing decisions on buying and selling to a manageable system. And the essence of most systems is that there are only...

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Buying the Mouse

November 17, 2011
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My stock pick today is Walt Disney Company (DIS), a media giant that has its fingers in every corner of the entertainment business. Disney owns ABC TV, ESPN, A&E, theme parks and resorts, produces movies through its Disney Studios and Pixar divisions, owns comicbook giant Marvel and licenses its products for toys, clothing and every other product that can have a picture of a princess affixed to it. Disney is a formidable presence in the media business, generally growing revenue in the single digits (revenue growth was positive in eight of the last nine years) and paying a small...

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The Market Wants to Take Your Money

November 4, 2011
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The Market Wants to Take Your Money

Cynicism is common among people who have “dabbled in the stock market.” These are the people who roll their eyes when the topic of stock investing comes up and tell the story about how they jumped into a big bull market rally just in time for it to tip over and head for the basement. They did everything right, they say, and still lost money. And they swear they’ll never do it again. They have every right to be mad, of course. Losing money is a vexation to the spirit, especially for those who waited until what seemed to...

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China Mobile and Brazil Foods: Two Emerging Leaders

November 3, 2011
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China Mobile and Brazil Foods: Two Emerging Leaders

While a few leaders are starting to surface in emerging markets, we’re nowhere near anything like a real bull market. The sensitivity to bad news exhibited by developed market stocks is even higher for their emerging counterparts. I have two stocks that I’ve been following, although the reasons for my interest are different for each. China Mobile (CHL) is the dominant wireless service provider in China, with well over a half billion subscribers. China Mobile became a powerhouse by rolling up the old leading provincial wireless networks and turning them into a national network. The company has hit some...

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A Stock for Your Inner Value Investor

October 21, 2011
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Despite my personal preference for growth stocks, there are times when an investor has to give a nod to reality. In a market like this, great setups for growth stocks are thin on the ground, and some of the old leaders are springing leaks left and right. So it’s a good time to get in touch with your inner value investor, and that’s what I’m doing with Tata Motors (TTM). Tata Motors is an Indian car and truck builder that manufactures an astonishing variety of vehicles, from the Tata Nano, the world’s cheapest, fully enclosed four-passenger car, to Jaguars...

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