The market rebound, which began in March, has so far increased the value of the S&P 500 by about +55%. Economic indicators are still weak, but the market tends to lead the recovery by several months. Despite the worry, cyclical stocks — those affected by the economic cycle — are… Read More

Carl Icahn is up to his usual tricks. The “activist investor” has been involved in an attempt to gain control of the board of directors at Biogen Idec (Nasdaq: BIIB), a leading biotechnology company. His end game is to force a sale of the company. If he… Read More

When it comes to investing, there are almost never any guarantees or absolutes. But I can give you one iron-clad, take-it-to-the-bank prediction — wireless communication is going to throw off buckets of profits during the next few years. I’m not exactly going out on a limb. Across the globe, the… Read More

I’m pretty sure I’ve discovered the next winning “green” tech company. Not only does it have serious technology to bring to the table, it has the most powerful financial force on the planet backing it up. This company, which is developing the batteries that will be used in the next-generation… Read More

“Advertising is totally unnecessary. Unless you hope to make money.” – Jef I. Richards What’s true for companies is also true for investors. Advertising spending can be a leading indicator, one that provides valuable information on future stock-market leaders and laggards. Read More

Wall Street loves to make things hard. People are mystified by the black arts practiced in the world’s financial capitals. These sorcerers hold a secret that everyone from a lowly financial adviser to a big-time deal maker doesn’t want you to know . . . The secret: It’s not hard… Read More

You might not be familiar with the cigarette brands Liggett Select, Grand Prix, Eve, Pyramid or USA. But these brands have helped turn the company that makes them into an income powerhouse. Investing in cigarette companies isn’t for everyone. Millions die from tobacco-related illnesses each year, and that understandably turns… Read More

Investors hooked on green energy, government spending, and developing economies are looking in the right place. They just aren’t looking at the right stock. When the global economy slammed on the breaks, General Cable (NYSE: BGC) took it on the chin. It slid… Read More

China has had an impressive run. Its GDP has grown at double-digit rates while holders of Chinese stocks have earned triple-digit returns. While everyone else is talking about China, savvy investors should be asking where the next big growth story is. The investment company… Read More

Government spending cuts would utterly devastate most companies that rely on Uncle Sam for business. But there’s one company that would almost certainly earn hundreds of millions of dollars more if the federal government would make a very specific spending cut, one that lawmakers propose nearly every year. As the… Read More