A trio of “old tech” companies reported quarterly earnings this week, which in the past would have drew yawns from stock market analysts. But with overseas investors fleeing the uncertainty of Europe and Asia for the relative security of the United States, many of these stocks have become de facto… Read More

Sometimes a short seller can’t catch a break. You’d think that a company’s stock would drop when it admits to the Federal Trade Commission that it’s been manipulating customers, will pay a $200 million fee and will enact draconian changes to its business to reduce this deception.But that’s the story of Herbalife,… Read More

Bull markets climb a wall of worry. And there is plenty to worry about these days, which suggests that stocks could continue to move higher over the next few weeks and perhaps even months.  Read More

If you like to profit from mergers and acquisitions, consider investing in our cash-flow rich Personal Finance Growth portfolio stocks. Last week I discussed how Danone’s buyout offer for WhiteWave Foods was an example of the merger and acquisition activity that the Brexit vote will spawn as nervous executives in Europe look to buy… Read More

Investors should be wary of Friday’s U.S. jobs report, which claimed 287,000 jobs were created in June, and which sent the S&P 500 index to an all-time high. This report comes a month after it was reported that a measly 11,000 jobs were created in May.I’m among those doubting that U.S. Read More

After a strong June unemployment number was released Friday, the S&P 500 jumped 1.5%, likely moved by the headline: U.S. created 287,000 jobs in June vs. 175,000 expected.But just as I tempered the despair following a crushingly-low May number (“Don’t Bet the Farm on Non-Farm Payrolls, June 8), I’ll remind you… Read More

Problems at Theranos prove one of the biggest challenges in tech investing is not buying into the hype. Read More

Can you both fish and cut bait? Apparently so, because in the week following the Brexit vote investors ran to both riskier assets such as stocks, and to safer assets such as gold and bonds. So clearly the markets are too fickle at this point to make any rash decisions.In searching for… Read More

In the current crazy retail world, rummaging through racks of discount clothes at Burlington Coat Factory trumps buying Victoria’s Secret bras, and Walmart is beating Target with … groceries.Given consumer spending is increasing at its highest rate since last fall, you’d think all retailers would be doing at least fairly… Read More

The U.S. stock market has some unfinished business.  Two weeks ago in this space I warned that the market was vulnerable to a decline.  And I was both right and wrong, all within a few days, as the market crashed and recovered over the space of a week after… Read More