Stock Analysis
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.
Plane Lessors Headed to the Desert
Plane leasing looks like a great business. Despite U.S. and global economies facing a slowdown and oil prices making all time highs, demand for planes is still very strong.
Lloyds TSB, Still a Good bank but cautious…
My firm sold Lloyds TSB Group (LYG) a couple of weeks ago. I still think it's one of the best run banks in the world, but its exposure to loans underwritten by other banks made us pause and rethink our thesis.
Look to the margins when using the price/earnings ratio
I love the price/earnings ratio, but like all investment tools, it is flawed. This is because it is only as good as the numbers that go into it.
Additional Thoughts On Starbucks
After I wrote a piece on Starbucks (SBUX) raising questions about its future success in international expansion and questioning the growth premium built into the stock, I got a lot of great emails that really made me think.
Is it a Bull, Bear or Cowardly Lion Market?
Are we in a bull, a bear, or a cowardly lion market? As we will see, the answer can make a huge difference in your investment portfolio.
Starbucks International Growth
I was surprised to find very few Starbucks (SBUX) shops in Vienna. Despite traveling extensively around the city I counted only two.
Jackson Hewitt – To Be or Not to Be?
The certainty that we have to file a tax return every year, that the number of tax returns is rising, tax preparation is getting more complex and thus despite availability of tax preparation software more and more people outsource their tax preparation peaked my interest in Jackson Hewitt.
Down to the Last Drop of Profit Growth (in Barron’s)
STOCKS ARE ALLEGEDLY CHEAP NOW, at 17 times 2007 earnings. And they are cheap by historical standards.
What does Hank know?
Hank Greenberg, the ex-chairman of AIG (AIG), the guy who made AIG what it is today, hired an investment banker to help him figure out what the company is worth.
BusinessWeek Video Interview
I talked to Jim Ellis at BusinessWeek about my book Active Value Investing. As you will see, if you tie my hand I'd go mute.
Bank of America – The Contrarian
I welcome the Bank of America (BAC) acquisition of Countrywide (CFC), as for the first time as I can remember BAC acts as a contrarian investor.
Dragged Down by IRS and IRS is Your Friend
Jackson Hewitt (JTX) declined significantly yesterday on news the IRS proposed regulation to ban refund anticipation loans, or RALs.
Will Gold Shine Again?
This article was originally called Will Gold Shine Again? It was excerpted from my book Active Value Investing and appeared in the Rocky Mountain News.
