The ancient city of Istanbul is one of my favorite places in the world. The beauty, commerce and dining opportunities of this famous port city are unmatched. Considered a central hub between the Eastern and the Western economies, Istanbul thrives on diversity… Read More

Throughout the first eight months of 2012, investors could not be dissuaded from buying stocks. Bad news was met with a shrug, while good news were heartily embraced. These days, the half-full glass is now perceived as half-empty. Case in point: A solid employment report from the Department of Labor… Read More

The investment takeaway from this earnings season is unmistakable: Growth is slowing as companies do their best to ensure that current sales don’t fall below the levels seen in late 2011. And this changing growth dynamic is slowly causing investors to… Read More

Overleveraged homeowners combined with falling home prices created a perfect storm that caused untold financial damage to many who depended on their home value for a savings or retirement plan. But this storm appears to have finally blown itself out and now the housing… Read More

If you’ve ever wanted to invest in the early stages of a corporate turnaround, read on. Three of the companies below have already made money for investors who got in at the right time. And that’s precisely what makes the… Read More

As I noted in this recent column, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that focus on homebuilders, biotechs and banks have been among the top domestic performers of 2012. Considering “a body in motion tends to say in motion,” some of these ETFs may well… Read More

I am always on the lookout for stocks I can hold for the long haul because they are so valuable, I cannot afford to let them go. The first thing I look for is a company in a segment with strong demand during good times and bad. This means I… Read More

With the major market averages up about 10-15% thus far in 2012, it goes without saying that many exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have risen by a similar amount. But a handful… Read More

For an income investor, peace of mind comes from being able to offset monthly expenses with dividend income. This can be easily accomplished by owning monthly dividend stocks.  There are many advantages to owning stocks that pay out monthly, rather than quarterly… Read More

During the past couple of weeks, the equity markets have seen a lot of weakness. The selling last week was prompted by a host of companies reporting earnings misses, either on the top line or the… Read More