Articles

Don't compromise in investment dating game

Don’t compromise in investment dating game

For a company to find a place in our clients' port­folios it has to have three crucial ingredients: growth, quality and value. Not compromising, and thus avoiding marginal investments, is a true test of discipline - I would opt to hold cash over a marginal stock any time.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Kimberly Clark

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly: Kimberly Clark

Kimberly Clark (KMB) had a very positive development. However, it will take time before price increases will trickle down to KMB's bottom line, as inventory has to be worked out and contracts have to be re-written.

Abbott - Gotta Love It

Abbott – Gotta Love It!

The only pharmaceutical company that we hold company wide is Abbott Labs (ABT). It has all the characteristics of the major pharmaceutical company: very strong balance sheet, great cash flows, nice fat profit margins and return on capital to die for.

Few accept slower growth gracefully

Few accept slower growth gracefully

At some point even the most successful company will reach a size at which a supernormal growth rate is not possible. The law of large numbers is as inevitable as gravity, setting in slowly but surely.

Introduction to Minyanville

Introduction to Minyanville

With this article Minyanville is proud to welcome Vitaliy Katsenelson to the 'Ville. Mr. Katsenelson holds a CFA and has worked in the asset management industry since 1995.

Bitter pill for pharmaceutical companies

Bitter pill for pharmaceutical companies

In the good old days, pharmaceutical companies traded at a significant premium to the market, which was justified by predictable earnings growth, bulletproof balance sheets, Microsoft-monopoly-like profit margins and a return on investment that was the envy of corporate America. Those good old days are gone.

Future Looks Bright for Computer Associates

Future Looks Bright for Computer Associates

I'm satisfied with Computer Associates' performance in the latest quarter, plus, its organic growth numbers look good. I love companies with recurring revenues, Computer Associates has an attractive valuation, an improved corporate and financial profile - and, likely, a brighter future.

Ukraine Developments Are a Positive Sign

Ukraine Developments Are a Positive Sign

I would like to politely disagree with Jeff Matthews and politely agree with Geoff Johnson on the political situation in Ukraine. Though I am sometimes mistaken for an expert on Russia, I am not one.

Dollar General Fails to Show Me the Dollar

Dollar General Fails to Show Me the Dollar

Last quarter I truly hoped that things could not get any worse for Dollar General (DG), but they did. I was a big believer in a Dollar General turnaround, but I think I was wrong.

Higher Rates Are a Clear and Present Danger to Economy

Higher Rates Are a Clear and Present Danger to Economy

Consumers have carried the U.S. economy on their backs for a long time, but lately they are showing signs of fatigue. Consumers' response to higher food prices shows how frail they really are.

IMS Health A Dusty Gem

IMS Health: A Dusty Gem

IMS Health (IMS) is one such gem. On the surface, its financials look very rocky. Its sales and net income have not grown much over the years.

The Intellectual Investor by Vitaliy Katsenelson

Becton Dickinson Finds ‘Sweet Spot’ Pharmas Have Missed

BDX gets all the tailwinds of an aging population with none of pharma's political baggage. I don't remember politicians complaining about syringe prices.

Contrarian edge featured image

Sara Lee Struggling to Pass on Higher Commodity Prices

October 27, 2004 – TheStreet.com: Street Insight Premium consumer brands no longer guarantee pricing power. Sara Lee (SLE) reported earnings ...

Contrarian edge featured image

First Horizon on the Rise

October 26, 2004 – TheStreet.com: StreetInsight FHN is taking market share in the mortgage business from defunct small players. Management ...

Contrarian edge featured image

Sirius Has Made a Deal with the Devil …

October 22, 2004 – TheStreet.com: Street Insight … and I don’t want to be around when payment is due. Paying ...

Contrarian edge featured image

GM Bond Rating Downgraded by Fitch, Moody’s

Fitch and Moody's just downgraded GM's bonds. I think the rating agencies are right — and the pension problem alone tells me this story ends very badly for GM.

Contrarian edge featured image

The Perfect Storm Is About To Hit Automotive Stocks

October 6, 2004 – TheStreet.com: Street Insight Rising interest rates, incentives, and declining profit margins are swirling around the automakers. ...

Contrarian edge featured image

Searching for Truth in Stock Options, I Found Veritas

September 30, 2004 – TheStreet.com: Street Insight Veritas looked like a bargain, but when I adjust my cash-flow model for ...

Contrarian edge featured image

Pharmaceutical Industry Went Legit, Distributors Went Down

September 28, 2004 – TheStreet.com: Street Insight Channel stuffing by pharmaceutical companies had handicapped the drug distribution industry. Drug distributors ...

The Intellectual Investor by Vitaliy Katsenelson

Ending Channel Stuffing Will Pressure Drug Companies’ Multiples

I had a classroom realization: the entire drug distributor industry was built to help pharma companies fake smooth earnings. That premium valuation? It's gone.

Contrarian edge featured image

Merck – Positioning for a Sum-of-All-Fears Scenario

September 9, 2005 – TheStreet.com: Street Insight September 17, 2005 – Realmoney.com Recent clinical studies on Vioxx and Zocor do ...