Roughly a decade ago, consumers finally realized they were truly addicted to the Internet.  If you spent a few days offline, without checking e-mail or favorite websites, then withdrawal symptoms began to occur. More recently, we’ve become dependent on a new fix: “WiFi.” As we roam towns and cities, or… Read More

Dividend reinvesting is a time-honored method of building wealth. Even when market gains slow down, dividends offer regular and dependable income that, when reinvested, quickly… Read More

When the market hit bottom in March 2009, investors needed to weigh two variables: The negative pull of a weak economy against the positive push of compelling low valuations. That push-and-pull dynamic has stayed… Read More

Very few hedge fund managers get to have an investing maxim named after them. But so many people follow in the slipstream of activist hedge fund manager Carl Icahn, trying to profit from his moves, that there’s even… Read More

I’m a strong believer in following the big money when it comes to stock investing. Most of the time, when I need an investment idea, I look for the stocks hedge funds are buying. The good thing is that the reversal… Read More

I want to show you one of the most interesting charts of the past few weeks. Two weeks ago, fears over the “fiscal cliff” sent stocks tumbling. In the six trading days following the election, the S&P 500 fell more than 5%. Stocks of… Read More

I’ll bet you’ve heard of this company many times… But I doubt you are aware of how important it is. I learned long ago to have this stock on my radar at all times. And after you hear what I have to say about it, I think you… Read More

Takeovers and takeover rumors can fuel large stock moves, often with the company being acquired going up and the company completing the acquisition falling. These price moves are logical. Takeover targets tend to be undervalued and the… Read More

“Black Friday” is considered the most important day of the year for many retailers. But if the current trend continues, then it’s only a matter of time before a new champion sits atop the throne.#-ad_banner-# In the past few years, consumers have increasingly turned to online shopping so they can avoid the madness of deal-thirsty shoppers lining up outside traditional brick-and-mortar operations. That was on full display recently, with e-retail sales jumping 29.3% on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday, while store sales were virtually unchanged, according to Internet intelligence firm comScore (Nasdaq: SCOR) and payment processor Chase Paymentech. And… Read More

“Black Friday” is considered the most important day of the year for many retailers. But if the current trend continues, then it’s only a matter of time before a new champion sits atop the throne.#-ad_banner-# In the past few years, consumers have increasingly turned to online shopping so they can avoid the madness of deal-thirsty shoppers lining up outside traditional brick-and-mortar operations. That was on full display recently, with e-retail sales jumping 29.3% on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday, while store sales were virtually unchanged, according to Internet intelligence firm comScore (Nasdaq: SCOR) and payment processor Chase Paymentech. And that’s not including Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving, which many online retailers use to unleash great deals and drive sales growth. Total sales on Cyber Monday reached $1.98 billion, a 17% increase from last year, according to a report from Adobe Systems (Nasdaq: ADBE).  But bullish online sales on Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are just a glimpse of a larger trend changing the way consumers shop. About 66% of consumers prefer Web retailers while 73% of survey participants complete almost 50% of their shopping online, according to a recent survey conducted… Read More

If every era of investing can be characterized by a few select themes, then the current one can surely be noted by a stunning rise in corporate cash balances. Many companies have spent the past few years in cash-generating mode, yet they have seen few opportunities to invest that cash… Read More