The stock market is making things awfully uncomfortable for short sellers. The S&P 500 rose 11% in the fourth quarter of 2011, and is up another 5% this month. That mini-rally has pushed up a number of heavily-shorted stocks, and if history is… Read More

In discussing the retail sector, I’m constantly reminded of Einstein’s classic definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. This is especially applicable to consumer-electronics retailers. Historically, many of the names were typically regional players (The Wiz, Rex, CAMPO, Crazy Eddie are… Read More

Investors have sought out “GARP” stocks for decades. These investments, which represent Growth at a Reasonable Price, typically sport reasonable P/E ratios and possess superior growth prospects. There are a variety of ways to find such a combination of value and… Read More

When it comes to stocks, it’s unwise to depend on hearsay. A reporter from a media outlet may be relying on dubious sources, or an analyst’s conjecture may simply be “thinking out loud.” Still, I pay close attention when a report emerges about a company I really know. And I… Read More

As the 2012 trading year starts to unfold, investors may already be forgetting an important lesson learned in 2009, 2010 and 2011: There is no such thing as an extended rally or an extended slump. The market fixates on good news for a… Read More

To make money in a churning market, you need to have firm discipline when it comes time to buy and sell. If you’re watching a stock make a solid upward move, then it often pays to wait out the mini-rally, finding a more compelling entry point for that holding. Read More

We’re entering one of the most important phases of the year for investors. In the weeks ahead, many companies will set the tone for the remainder of 2012, laying out strategic goals along with sales and profit targets. For many… Read More

In light of all of the headwinds buffeting the global economy in 2011, it was a bad year to own richly-valued stocks. High-flying names such as Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX) fell 79.5% before a recent rebound, while Open Table (Nasdaq: OPEN) fell about 73% its… Read More

The big question in the market never changes. Investors only want to know one thing: What’s next? To the degree that such a question is answerable, one must consider four aspects. 1. The historical underpinnings… Read More

We’ve reached the time of year when investors flip the calendar and try to anticipate the events to come for 2012. I’ve weighed in with my own near-term strategies and provided a glimpse of my three favorite sectors for the coming year. Right now,… Read More