It might be one of the most controversial statements I’ve ever made. You aren’t likely to hear anyone else say it, as it goes against one of investors’ longest-held beliefs.#-ad_banner-# I think diversification actually hurts your returns. Read More

Some of the best investment opportunities happen when pessimism is high. And right now, there is an unusual amount of pessimism hanging over third-quarter earnings season.#-ad_banner-# That’s because for the first time in three years, total S&P 500… Read More

The current stock market looks vulnerable to further selling right now, but in such an uncertain market, long positions are needed to capture potential gains if stocks should rise. However, risk should be carefully considered before entering any trade.#-ad_banner-# Low-priced, small-cap stocks… Read More

Every country has its icons. In America, we have the bald eagle, baseball and apple pie. Of course, we also have a plethora of corporate icons. These are American companies that personify the essence of the country.#-ad_banner-# Now, I would never buy a stock, or even a product, just because… Read More

Outspoken entrepreneur and real-estate mogul Donald Trump is well known for stating that he doesn’t like gambling. Instead, he says he prefers to own the casinos — The Trump Taj Mahal Casino resort, Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino and the Trump Marina Hotel Casino, all in Atlantic City, N.J., to… Read More

At first glance, it seems as if data-storage companies are all growing at a torrid pace. Fusion-IO (NYSE: FIO), for example, which I discussed this past spring, is on track to boost sales roughly 50% in fiscal (June) 2013, while many other industry players look set for double-digit sales gains… Read More

If you paid close attention during last week’s presidential debate, then you may have been tipped on a big investment opportunity and not even realized it.#-ad_banner-# I’m talking about Governor Mitt Romney’s barb about government-subsidized corporations, when he told President Barack Obama that the government doesn’t pick… Read More

Have you bought a personal computer lately? Probably not, and neither have your friends. Technology research consultancy Gartner Group just released a report showing an 8.3% year-over-year drop in global PC sales in September, the worst annualized drop in recent memory. And things are likely to get even worse in… Read More

Last week, Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) announced a far steeper-than-expected drop in 2013 profit, which sent the stock to a nine-year low. You may be asking yourself whether a company that was founded in 1939 and is expected to report more than $100 billion in… Read More

Warren Buffett made billions with his trusted buy-and-hold model. But in the past 12 years, with investors battling abnormal amounts of volatility and getting burned in the dot-com bubble of 2000, the 9/11 attacks, the housing crash of 2006, the financial crisis of 2008 and the U.S. credit rating downgrade in 2011, many investors have chosen to abandon the buy-and-hold strategy to stay more nimble. Take a look at the… Read More

Warren Buffett made billions with his trusted buy-and-hold model. But in the past 12 years, with investors battling abnormal amounts of volatility and getting burned in the dot-com bubble of 2000, the 9/11 attacks, the housing crash of 2006, the financial crisis of 2008 and the U.S. credit rating downgrade in 2011, many investors have chosen to abandon the buy-and-hold strategy to stay more nimble. Take a look at the chart below for a closer look at how volatility has rocked the market ever since the dot-com implosion of early 2000 — it’s truly remarkable: S&P 500 Monthly Chart 1950-2012 This volatility trend has driven the growing popularity of technical indicators designed to help investors decide when to buy and sell stocks. Unlike fundamental analysis, which uses earnings, dividends and valuation, technical analysis… Read More