Stock Analysis
Super Value In Groceries
SuperValu's name and ticker symbol, SVU, are quite contradictory. One indicates a value manager's dream - super value, a great investment, while the other is an acronym for the special victims unit.
Exxon Apostasy
A basic property of religion is that the believer takes a leap of faith: to believe without expecting proof. Often you find this characteristic of religion in other, more unexpected places--like the stock market.
Exxon Apostasy
Today's discussion is about another religion stock that is about to get its religious veil stripped. I have to warn you, it is another infallible corporate icon that can do nothing wrong: Exxon Mobil--the biggest oil company in the world.
Frame of Reference
It is important to have an appropriate frame of reference when we evaluate things. Yes, things in the US will get worse in the near future, especially if your frame of reference is the recent past, late 90s and 2000s.
The Incredible Jos. A. Bank
When I think of the Jos. A. Bank (JOSB), I think of Yogi Berra's saying "Nobody goes there because it is too crowded."
Audio Interview with Chuck Jaffe at MarketWatch
I had a fun radio/podcast interview today with Chuck Jaffe at MarketWatch, we “played” hold it or fold it with some of the stocks we own.
AmEx as a Bank Holding Company
AmEx becoming a bank holding company (BHC) is not just net positive for the company it is simply positive. When a highly leveraged investment bank like Goldman Sachs turns into a BHC, its future profitability suffers as its leverage drops to commensurate level of the bank.
Stuff Stocks Still Too Expensive
I am probably right about what I am about to say: The global slowdown is just starting and will last longer than most expect.
Interview with Advisor Perspectives
I was interviewed by terrific Robert Huebscher at Advisor Perspectives. We've revisited my range-bound markets thesis, possible economic scenarios for our economy, and discussed global economy including Europe, Russia, Middle East, and of course China.
You are not as dumb as you think – or – Psychotherapy for Bear Markets
Today I've slightly rewritten the same article to address underconfidence of bear markets.You are not as dumb as you think - or - Psychotherapy for Bear Markets.
Forbes Video Interview: Dotcom portfolio
I was interviewed by Forbes in early October. I discussed my favorite "dotcom" portfolio of stocks.
Thoughts about the market
Some thoughts about the market. In today’s market you see some unbelievable opportunities. For the first time, in a long, long time, we can actually put a full portfolio together where we don’t have to compromise on Quality, Valuation or Growth when we pick stocks
Gold, Doomsday Currency?
I got a call today from a financial journalist asking me if gold is “the” asset for the doomsday portfolio. I took this question very seriously.
Five things that will be different after the ‘bailout’
"Don't worry they'll bail them out." Though I love putting my clients at ease, there are consequences to the bailout.
Nokia is So Cheap!
Several weeks ago I made a case for why I liked Nokia in an interview with Kate Welling for Welling@Weeden. I said something along the lines of, "I have to pinch myself because I can buy Nokia so cheap."
Jos. A. Bank’s Margins
Reader asked me a question about Joseph A. Bank's profit margins, as a follow up to my early JOSB analysis.
The Most Misunderstood Stock On Wall Street – Joseph A. Bank
I tell you, every time I talk to someone who has shopped at Jos. A. Bank, has seen company's commercial on TV, or simply read the company's quarterly earnings report, I have to pinch myself to remind myself that the company is still around.
You Don’t Have to Be Sick To Own HMOs
You want to buy straw hats in the winter. This sums up an important kernel of successful value investing: making decisions that are unpopular at the time.
Kimberly Clark, an Opportunity?
If you believe at some point oil prices will follow the fate of the global economy and decline, Kimberly Clark (KMB) is one of the better ways to play it.
Income Pie Implications
The NY Times came up with a very interesting way to look at consumer spending. In the long run, consumer spending is a function of consumer income.
