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Healthcare

Novartis: A Great Conservative Growth Stock

February 1, 2011
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Still there are opportunities for investors in Switzerland. Which brings me to this issue’s recommendation. It’s pharmaceutical giant Novartis (NVS), which is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, but does business in 140 countries all over the world. Created in 1996 from the merger of Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz, the company generated $51 billion in revenues last year. Its biggest market was the U.S., accounting for 32% of revenues. Its biggest revenue-generators included Gleevec, Diovan, Lucentis, Amoxicillin, Augmentin, Claritin, and Excedrin. And it’s growing at a good pace, in large part by acquiring smaller competitors with valuable properties. Last year it acquired...

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Can We Balance the Budget?

November 16, 2010
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Can We Balance the Budget?

First the Greeks rioted after their government imposed austerity measures designed to help the country climb out of its deep financial hole. Then the French rioted over President Sarkozy’s plan to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62. (He succeeded last week.) Then the English rioted over their government’s plan to triple college tuitions as part of a multi-faceted effort to stop the country’s financial hemorrhaging. But here in the U.S. … we haven’t had any serious unrest yet, and the reason is not because Americans are better behaved. It’s because our government hasn’t really done anything to...

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Five Problems and Five Good Things

August 11, 2010
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On this day in 1974, Richard Nixon resigned as President of the U.S., to be replaced by Gerald Ford, who had replaced Spiro Agnew as Vice President after Agnew resigned amid criminal charges of tax evasion and money laundering. Thus Ford became the only U.S. President who was elected neither President nor Vice President, while Nixon, who was (and remains) the only person to be elected twice to both offices, became (and remains) the only President to resign! But at least one of Nixon’s greatest achievements has born wonderful fruit.  When Sino-Soviet relations began to deteriorate, Nixon saw the...

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Generate Income as America Slims Down

March 4, 2010
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Generate Income as America Slims Down

Note from Editor Elyse Andrews: Last month, you heard from Chloe Lutts, editor of Dick Davis Digest and Dick Davis Income Digest, for the first time. She’s back writing again, this time about America’s obesity epidemic and a company that’s working to build a healthier America. Enjoy! — Last month, First Lady Michelle Obama launched a campaign against childhood obesity called “Let’s Move!” The same day, President Obama created a task force to combat childhood obesity, underscoring the seriousness with which this administration is addressing America’s obesity epidemic. The administration’s efforts include the establishment of public-private partnerships between federal...

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Two Attractive Healthcare Stocks

February 10, 2010
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Two Attractive Healthcare Stocks

One rule of momentum investing says that growth stocks that can hit new highs, even when the broad market is weak, are likely to do even better when the pressure comes off the broad market.  Think of it like a coiled spring; as soon as the market’s pressure eases, the coil explodes higher.  Many growth stocks do something similar. So last week, as the broad market was tanking, I ran a quick screen, and found a handful of resilient names.  Most interesting to me was the strength in healthcare stocks.  In effect, investors are now saying that with the...

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