Archive

Archive for the ‘Investing’ Category

Chinese Electric Vehicle Stocks

August 29th, 2010

I like China, inexpensive electric cars, and companies with products subsidized by their governments so it should be par for the course that I’ve found a new stock that fits my investing mold. One of those stocks is Kandi Technologies, KNDI. Read more…

Investing

Small Cap India ETF from Van Eck (SCIF)

August 27th, 2010

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it a billion times: I love Asian stocks. But as much as I like the opportunities in Asia, exchange-traded fund sponsors have been less willing to offer new Asian niche ETFs. Sure, virtually all countries are covered in one shape or form by an exchange-traded fund, but not many also have a small and large cap niche ETF. Van Eck has come to fill the void for India. Read more…

Investing

Stocks and Stop Losses

August 22nd, 2010

I’ve had a ton of conversations with individual stock pickers. Some were buy and hold investors, and others were short term traders. But one thing all successful investors or traders had in common was a simple exit strategy, one that would limit their losses before they grew large enough to sink their winners. Read more…

Investing

Private Companies Vs Public Companies ROI

August 20th, 2010

Generally, publicly-traded companies sell for multiples several times greater than that of privately held companies. Much of this has to do with the size and risk differential though with stock prices fairly high, and risk just as high, for the first time ever investors may get a better deal out of private company purchases. Even if you have to risk it all. Read more…

Investing

GM IPO: I’m On The Fence

August 13th, 2010

General Motors is set for an initial public offering, one that will reduce ownership by the Treasury to less than 50% of the total company. The move was expected by analysts after the firm started producing a profit after debts were written off in bankruptcy and the US Treasury holdings were converted to stock. Read more…

Investing

Earnings Season Over, Prepare for Doldrums

August 11th, 2010

Another earnings season is under our belts and the consensus is…the economy is still stagnant. Other than the financial sector, consumption spending and investment from businesses remains weak. When businesses aren’t willing to invest, well, you probably shouldn’t either. Read more…

Investing

Money Management – How Does Your Strategy Stack Up?

August 6th, 2010

If we were to poll brokers about customers who “blow up” their accounts, I would venture to guess that most would say the losses came from poor money management by their clients. A trader or investor without a plan to follow with each trade is just another person waiting to lose it all. Read more…

Investing

Putting a Company Up for Sale to Protect Stock Price

August 3rd, 2010

Brick and mortar retail is dying faster than I could ever imagine. As consumers shift toward cheaper online and digital options, and time preference during recession skews toward a longer wait, now more than ever, brick and mortar stores are on the brink. This time, though, the brand in question is oddly profitable, and for sale. Read more…

Investing

Facebook Have Staying Power for a 2012 IPO?

July 31st, 2010

Mark Zuckerburg may have a new movie coming out about his dealings with Facebook and a previous “partner” in the enterprise, but on the minds of investors isn’t a scandal. Nope, we’re looking toward an IPO. Read more…

Investing

How Much Does the Chevy Volt cost? $41,000

July 27th, 2010

In light of terrible business decisions in the past, General Motors is really stepping up its game with a new brand of hybrid…the Chevy Volt. The car, which will cost $41,000, is placed perfectly to dominate its competition, both in the price and its future branding. I love this thing. Read more…

Investing

The Danger of Bottom Line Profit Growth

July 25th, 2010

The summer earnings season is off with a bang. Banks are reporting higher revenues and generally lower loan losses while manufacturers and retail outlets post growth on their bare bones staffing. Bottomline profits are great for a year, but after that, the year-over-year statistics aren’t so pretty. Read more…

Investing

Financial Transaction Taxes Stifle Liquidity

July 21st, 2010

When the federal deficit reaches levels the country has never before seen, politicians get excited about any possibility to raise revenues. A recent approach, one designed to reduce speculation while increasing revenue, is spreading around the world. The financial transaction tax. Read more…

Forex, Investing

The Business of Convenience

July 20th, 2010

I like companies that sell something other than low price. When I’m looking for a stock that will perform, I want it to sell two things: a brand, or easy. Yes, easy, or convenience, is a product. Read more…

Investing

Multiple Streams of Income

July 18th, 2010

Diversification is a must have in any portfolio. But when it comes to our regular, routine, put the food on the table income, so many of us forget what diversification is all about. Many times we see couples that work in the same industry, or even in the same business, or small business owners who have only a few customers or clients. While diversification in your investment portfolio is important, it is even more important in your income statement. Read more…

Investing

You Can Tell a Lot by a Company By How it Handles its Problems

July 16th, 2010

You really can tell a lot about a company by looking at how it handles issues with its customers. People don’t like to be lied to, nor they don’t like it when you beat around the bush, they just want a solution. Read more…

Investing

4 Reasons Why Tesla Won’t Be the e-Car King

July 15th, 2010

Tesla Motors has drawn a strong following from gearheads and investors alike, but there are still several problems that need to be overcome. Read more…

Investing

What Financial Regulators Can Learn from FIFA World Cup

July 12th, 2010

It seems as though both businesses, international soccer and international finance, would be on opposite ends of the spectrum. And they are, but that doesn’t mean the underlying fundamentals are really that different. Read more…

Investing

Growth at a Reasonable Price (GARP)

July 5th, 2010

Keeping up with our fundamental indicators week (maybe a month, we’ll see ;) ) I’d like to talk a little bit about analysis known as Growth At a Reasonable Price. This form of analysis was adopted most prominently by Peter Lynch as a great way to find undervalued stock with strong earnings and growth potential. Read more…

Investing

Return on Equity (ROE)

July 2nd, 2010

Return on Equity is one of the most basic fundamental indicators that investors have to get a very quick glimpse at how well a certain company is performing. Read more…

Investing

Net Profit Margins

July 1st, 2010

In times of poor economic performance, it is time to get back to the basics of investing. One of the most important numbers you should be interested in is the net profit margins, I’ll explain why after the jump. Read more…

Investing

World’s Largest Coin Sale Proves Collectables are Out

June 27th, 2010

Collectables as investments are out. The worlds largest gold coin, a highly collectable chunk of gold, sold at auction this week for nothing more than its melt value. This just goes to show that investors could care less about value added. Read more…

Investing

Whole Life Vs. Term Life Insurance

June 20th, 2010

Whether you’re willing to accept it or not, life insurance is an investment just like any other, and you should do just as much due dilligence with your insurance provider as you would an investment manager. I’ll do a very simple comparison between the two most prominent life insurance options, whole life insurance and term life insurance. Read more…

Investing

Get Ready for the Auto IRA

June 19th, 2010

Get ready, Washington is about to take another stab at finance. As part of a new push to get more Americans to save for retirement, Congress will take on a bill next month to create government sponsored IRAs. The details are still thin, but if the program works as expected, it looks to be a generally good idea. This is, of course, coming from someone who is usually against this type of behavior from Washington DC. Read more…

Investing

Betting On Box Office Movie Hits

June 15th, 2010

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has approved new futures on the success of new movie releases. The futures, traded online, will be a way to get exposure to new movie releases and ultimately finance new box office hits. Read more…

Investing

Time Preference

June 13th, 2010

Any economist knows the term time preference. When it comes to money, finance, banking, and even consumer choice, time preference plays a major role. Consider this scenario: You’re at McDonald’s you can buy a 32oz drink for $1, or go to the nearby gas station and buy one for $.69. Assuming all you have to lose is time, which do you choose? $.31 or 5 minutes of extra time? Read more…

Investing