Investors looking to score big gains should always pay attention to the retail sector. Not the top retail stocks that seem to pound out modest sales gains each year, but the weaker retailers that have hit a rough patch. These retail firms could see shares slide far below prior peaks once same-store sales weaken and investors shun them. Yet these broken retailers can also become vastly oversold — and great bargain-hunting fodder. For example, I suggested that women’s apparel retailer Christopher & Banks (NYSE: CBK) was far too cheap — based on… Read More

Investors looking to score big gains should always pay attention to the retail sector. Not the top retail stocks that seem to pound out modest sales gains each year, but the weaker retailers that have hit a rough patch. These retail firms could see shares slide far below prior peaks once same-store sales weaken and investors shun them. Yet these broken retailers can also become vastly oversold — and great bargain-hunting fodder. For example, I suggested that women’s apparel retailer Christopher & Banks (NYSE: CBK) was far too cheap — based on tangible book value and sure enough, the stock eventually took off like a rocket. In fact, a number of oversold retailers make up the list of leading gainers in the just completed third quarter. In almost every instance, these retailers had traded sharply lower in prior quarters, which is precisely the time that you should be focusing on them. Whether it’s a buyout offer, or simply a… Read More

(Editor’s note: Yesterday, we took a look at how to invest if Obama wins the election in November. To read that article, go here.) Though President Barack Obama leads the latest polls, it’s too soon to write Mitt Romney off as a winning candidate. And if Romney… Read More

Unless the current polls are wrong, or unless Mitt Romney turns things around soon, Barack Obama is likely to remain as President of the United States for a second term. How will this affect the market? More specifically, what should investors do… Read More

Did you have the misfortune of owning for-profit education stocks in the third quarter? Then you’re likely licking your wounds right now, and presumably, cutting your losses. Just look at the third quarter share price drops for some of the leading players in the sector. I noted… Read More

Volatility increased slightly last week and looks like it is returning to normal levels. For short-term traders volatility creates opportunities. We seem to be in a short-term pullback within a long-term uptrend, so there is an opportunity to profit on the short… Read More

With $200,000 in actual cash fronted by StreetAuthority, I was given the go-ahead to build a real-money portfolio using the “Daily Paycheck” strategy.#-ad_banner-# The strategy is straightforward. I’m building a portfolio of income stocks that pays me a dividend… Read More

It’s Nov. 7. Staffers on one presidential campaign are packing their bags for Washington, D.C., while those at the other campaign are posting resumes on Monster.com. Meanwhile, as TV political pundits wallow in post-game analyses like a pig wallowing… er … in whatever pigs like to wallow in, investors are actually relieved. The unknown is now known. And now it’s time to reposition their portfolios based on the change or lack of change in the political landscape. Personally, I’ve never been a huge believer in reactionary trading based on election outcome. Read More

It’s Nov. 7. Staffers on one presidential campaign are packing their bags for Washington, D.C., while those at the other campaign are posting resumes on Monster.com. Meanwhile, as TV political pundits wallow in post-game analyses like a pig wallowing… er … in whatever pigs like to wallow in, investors are actually relieved. The unknown is now known. And now it’s time to reposition their portfolios based on the change or lack of change in the political landscape. Personally, I’ve never been a huge believer in reactionary trading based on election outcome. However, there are sectors that will undoubtedly perform better or worse based on which administration is driving the bus. Some are relatively predictable. Some may surprise you… Either way, even if you don’t plan to restructure your portfolio any time soon, it’s important to know which types of stocks could shine or dive in the next presidential term. President Willard Mitt Romney It’s pretty easy to guess which sectors would benefit from a Romney victory… Big Oil — Historically, Republican presidential… Read More

The hype prior to Facebook’s (Nasdaq: FB) IPO on May 18 was unprecedented. Every media outlet was keenly focused on this revolutionary young company with such massive valuation. Investors competed to be included on the IPO share distribution lists, certain that the world’s… Read More

I love stories of people rising up out of harsh or even ordinary, middle class lives to ones of great influence, wealth and power. Individuals who have experienced life, as most of us have, are generally better suited for having a complete understanding of how markets and economies really work. This is due to the fact that they have firsthand experience making it to the top. Unlike those who are born with a silver spoon in their mouths, this personal experience of making dreams real can teach everyone crucial lessons for any endeavor. These rags-to-riches stories are perhaps best personified… Read More

I love stories of people rising up out of harsh or even ordinary, middle class lives to ones of great influence, wealth and power. Individuals who have experienced life, as most of us have, are generally better suited for having a complete understanding of how markets and economies really work. This is due to the fact that they have firsthand experience making it to the top. Unlike those who are born with a silver spoon in their mouths, this personal experience of making dreams real can teach everyone crucial lessons for any endeavor. These rags-to-riches stories are perhaps best personified by Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates — the largest hedge fund in the world. Dalio was born in Queens, NY in 1949 to a jazz musician and stay-at-home mom. He was never very good at early schooling, wanting to understand the “whys” behind everything. Rout memorization just wasn’t his thing. He caddied in summers to earn spending money and would listen keenly to the golfers talking about stocks and other investments. Those conversations sparked a lifelong obsession with the financial markets. Taking the few dollars he managed to save from his caddie… Read More

While value investing and short-term trading seem to be at opposite ends of the investment spectrum, there are ways short-term traders can use long-term value investing principles to profit. Value investors look for cheap stocks and buy in the hope that over… Read More