After an extended period of 50%-plus annual growth, China recently surpassed the United States as the largest car market in the world. This is just the tip of the iceberg, as only 2% of the Chinese population owns cars. In other words, the market has vast potential to grow significantly… Read More

Virtually every blue-chip company has been focusing on a key issue for the past two years: Costs. Trimming expenses wherever possible was an absolute necessity during the scariest phases of the economic downturn. Those cost cuts, in turn, powered a remarkable expansion in profit margins and enabled many companies… Read More

Throughout my career, I’ve developed what I see as a habit (others may see it as a quirk) of gravitating toward genuinely un-sexy stocks while the herd seems to be chasing the sexy ones of a particular moment. As the tech boom began to strut its stuff in the mid… Read More

He may be an American-investing icon, but Warren Buffett still owns a few foreign stocks. Why? The funny thing about a disciplined value-investing approach is that it works all over the world — not just in the United States. The bullish kicker for Buffett is how these stocks not only… Read More

Careful readers of my articles will note a clear trend: I always want to buy the best companies, but I want them at bargain prices. That means watching and waiting and identifying positive potential catalysts when everyone else is running away. And right now, I can’t think of any $100… Read More

Throughout the past few years, I’ve been focusing on the remarkable turnaround at Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F). Management’s rejuvenation efforts will be talked about in business schools for decades to come. Yet, as shares marched from below $2 in early 2009… Read More

The last time this happened in this sector was 14 years ago, in 1997. Back then, Warren Buffett had investments in this sector during the phenomenon (and made millions from it). Meanwhile, investors watched the prevailing prices in the sector soar from $4.25 an ounce to above… Read More

It’s been one of the most overlooked aspects of earnings season… I’m not talking about the market’s strong gains or the recent robust employment growth. I’m talking about stock buyback announcements. I’ve counted more than 30 companies that have announced plans to buy back at least $1 billion… Read More

For better or for worse, many successful investments revolve around products or services that aren’t necessarily good for consumers. The best examples include products that aren’t very healthy: cigarettes, soda and junk food come to mind, as do gambling, pawn shops and credit cards. For individuals who… Read More

In the recent economic crisis, global investors fled to the safety and solidity of the U.S. dollar, pushing it up in value after a steady downward trend. As the global economy begins to strengthen, the dollar is once again losing altitude. And all signs point to yet further weakness, perhaps by a significant amount. And that’s why you need to be prepared… A perfect storm The dollar is being buffeted by a range of factors, led by expectations that European interest rates are bound to start rising before the U.S. Read More

In the recent economic crisis, global investors fled to the safety and solidity of the U.S. dollar, pushing it up in value after a steady downward trend. As the global economy begins to strengthen, the dollar is once again losing altitude. And all signs point to yet further weakness, perhaps by a significant amount. And that’s why you need to be prepared… A perfect storm The dollar is being buffeted by a range of factors, led by expectations that European interest rates are bound to start rising before the U.S. Federal Reserve hikes rates. European Central Bank head, Jean-Claude Trichet, said on March 3 that interest rates may increase in April for the first time in 23 months. The euro now stands at $1.40 to the dollar, up from $1.30 in early January. The Japanese yen, Australian dollar and Swiss franc are also rising in value against the dollar.   In times of crisis, such as is occurring in the Middle East and North Africa, the dollar has tended to strengthen as investors take a “… Read More