Most people think competition is good, and it usually is — for consumers. For established companies, however, the story is different. Companies that must face competition — which is very nearly all of them — must constantly worry about the quality of their goods or services, changes in consumer preferences,… Read More

The emergence of China and other developing markets has exponentially and permanently increased the trade of goods across the globe. In the past decade alone, world trade has exploded to a level far beyond what the world has ever known. Then came the financial crisis. Read More

Big is in. The question marks lingering about the strength of the recovery has prompted many investors to seek shares in large, stable companies that have weathered the downturn in good shape. The 100 largest public companies in the world have beaten the MSCI… Read More

When the market hit new lows in March, it was understandably hard for investors to pull the trigger. They knew they’d be buying into an investment landscape rife with risk. Hindsight is 20/20. Just six months later, investors can see the returns they might have captured had they taken the… Read More

I just found one of the safest 13.0% yields I’ve ever seen — and it’s in a place practically no income investor dreams of looking right now. In addition, I’ve found securities few American investors even know exist that are offering incredible dividend growth… Read More

You could find a boring stock with a solid, dependable dividend. No problem. Or you might want to take your chances with some high-flying, hotshot growth company. Plenty of them have made lots of money, there’s no doubt about it. But the problem is… Read More

The financial crisis felled some banks. Others were left crippled and may never recover. Still others were hardly affected at all. Those institutions are the ones in the best position to profit going forward. Investors should look at these stable… Read More

The recent announcement to host the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro is a major coup for Brazil. Much like the decision to host the 2008 Olympics in China, it is a signal that the country is an economic powerhouse that’s here to stay. Not to take anything away from… Read More

The Chinese Civil War ended Oct. 1, 1949. The (winning) communists controlled Mainland China and the (losing) Chinese Nationalist Party was relegated to Taiwan. The relations between the two governments since have generally been hostile. Each side hated the other and claimed they were the legitimate Chinese government. Now, after… Read More

Just how influential is Warren Buffett? He was in China last week and went to a store called Dalian Dayang. Buffett told the store owner the suits were wonderful, and three days later the store’s shares had risen +23%. Buffett’s endorsement should count, too,… Read More