The old axiom “The stock market always looks ahead” remains in force. And as is often the case, market forecasters are all over the lot as to what we can expect in 2011, 2012 and beyond. The most bearish forecasters can reasonably cite a bearish consumer, stressed… Read More
David Sterman has worked as an investment analyst for nearly two decades. He started his Wall Street career in equity research at Smith Barney, culminating in a position as Senior Analyst covering European banks. While at Smith Barney, he learned of all the tricks used by Wall Street to steer the best advice to their top clients and their own trading desk. David has also served as Managing Editor at TheStreet.com and Director of Research at Individual Investor. In addition, David worked as Director of Research for Jesup & Lamont Securities. David has made numerous media appearances over the years, primarily on CNBC and Bloomberg TV, and has a master's degree in management from Georgia Tech. David Stermanon
Analyst Articles
The Most Speculative Stocks on the Market
We’d all love to find a way to find that +1,000% gainer. To capture this kind of upside, investors will have to take their chances on companies that may have a great future but little to show for it right now. These speculative plays, more often than not, fail to… Read More
It’s an age-old question: Do you chase fast-rising stocks or go after beaten-down names? If you’re in the former camp, check out the stocks in the table below. They’ve posted stunning gains in July and investors may wonder whether yet more gains lie ahead. As is with… Read More
During the past decade, analysts have collectively raised and lowered their rating on Walmart (NYSE: WMT) hundreds of times. Perhaps they shouldn’t have bothered. The stock has gone nowhere in 10 years, having been mostly stuck between $45 and $60 for all of that time. But just because the stock… Read More
Why this Blue Chip Could Double in Three Years
In many respects, the auto industry remains in a funk. Industry sales remain well below previous peaks, competition has never been more fierce, and the need to spend heavily to develop future technologies like electric cars are all creating profit headwinds. In that light,… Read More
BP: A Turnaround in Three Acts
If the BP (NYSE: BP) saga is a tale of three acts, Act One will soon be complete. The company’s leaking well is almost capped, new management is in place and a plan is emerging that will help cover recent costs and make sure the balance sheet doesn’t collapse. Act Two, which will play out during the next 18 months, will involve implementing the turnaround plan. And Act Three, which we’ll likely see in 2012, will be a new, smaller, post-crisis BP that is once… Read More
If the BP (NYSE: BP) saga is a tale of three acts, Act One will soon be complete. The company’s leaking well is almost capped, new management is in place and a plan is emerging that will help cover recent costs and make sure the balance sheet doesn’t collapse. Act Two, which will play out during the next 18 months, will involve implementing the turnaround plan. And Act Three, which we’ll likely see in 2012, will be a new, smaller, post-crisis BP that is once again valued on future profits and not simply a rough guess of assets and liabilities. BP’s debt/cash flow balancing act On its second-quarter conference call, BP management laid out plans to cover the spill’s costs by taking out a $32 billion charge. In our initial assessment back in early June, we assumed that costs would be less, in the $10 to $20 billion range. After our initial analysis, shares fell even further as concerns grew that liabilities would break the company. Shares have recently rallied to… Read More
Soon after taking office, U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner made U.S. banks undergo a stress test to see how they would fare in ever more dire economic scenarios. Almost all U.S. banks passed the test with flying colors. And as investors breathed a sigh of relief, they called their brokers… Read More
This Out-of-Favor Sector Is Poised for Gains
There are dozens of very large ships plying the global waters that do nothing but ferry dry goods. Think of coal, grain, steel and other such bulk goods. When major nations actively trade these goods, bulk ships are in hot demand and the cost to lease them can surge. But… Read More
Three Great Stocks Under $4
According to their by-laws, many mutual funds are forbidden from owning stocks that have a share price of less than $5. Of course, once those stocks hit the $5 mark, a whole new world of buyers takes a look at them. Here are some promising companies that you can buy… Read More
Little White Lies from Your Broker
In recent years, there has been a tectonic shift as Wall Street brokers leave their big firms to set up shop on their own. Generally speaking, such a move is bad news for the biggest clients as they are able to participate in hot IPOs and other transactions, and they… Read More