U.S. stock markets have exhibited a high degree of volatility in recent weeks. There are lots of factors contributing to the turmoil, which will ebb and flow, probably for the rest of our lives. So let’s just circle back to why we’re here: here...
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Trade War Turmoil Trumps a Good Earnings Season
U.S. stock markets took quite a tumble in the last few business days. For those of you wondering, “Should I buy low?”, the answer to that question is usually “yes, but let’s first wait for the to...
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The Dog Days of Summer
We are in the dog days of summer, the hottest, most sultry days of the year. The expression “dog days” is an old one. In fact, it’s really old. The Romans used it.
It’s one of those expressions that everyone but...
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The Federal Reserve is expected to lower interest rates this week, with a likely announcement on July 31. The stock market has fully priced in a rate reduction, which means if the Fed fails to lower rates, investors can expect the market to for...
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Last week’s economic reports delivered good news, presuming that you are rooting for a stable or strong U.S. economy. June retail sales rose 0.4% vs. May, when economists expected an 0.2% increase; and retail sales also rose 3.4% vs. a year ago.
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From a stock market point of view, I suggest avoiding homebuilder stocks in the coming years. Companies that build single-family homes will be competing with a glut of existing homes on the market.
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Dividend reinvestment is one of income investors' most powerful weapons, and DRIP plans are the best way to do it. But DRIPs do have their drawbacks.
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The news media continues to whip investors into a frenzy over the direction of interest rates. Depending on where you look, you can find knowledgeable financial pundits making the case for steady, unchanging interest rates or for the Fed to lower the fed rate...
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More on the Baby Boomer Housing Forecast
In the June 18 update of Cabot Undervalued Stocks Advisor, I wrote about a very serious change in the housing market that could take place over the next decade, as Baby Boomers sell their big homes and to...
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Any income investor should know how to reinvest dividends. Whether you should depends on what you're looking for as an income investor.
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A Cautious View at the Midpoint of the Year
We’ve reached the midpoint of 2019, which means it’s a good time to take some stock of where we are and where we might be headed for the rest of the year.
In several ways, things pretty...
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Last week’s much-awaited pronouncement by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) turned out to be a big “nothing burger.” I did not personally expect a cut in the fed funds rate.
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All across America, but especially in the Northeast and the Midwest, Boomers will be putting their homes up for sale, and often leaving those areas for warmer climates.
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We’re looking at economic data that could push interest rates upward (rising food price inflation and business expansion) and we’re also looking at economic data that could push rates downward (GDP potentially falling due to China tariffs, and slowing employment numbers).
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Assessing the Retail Stock Landscape
After rising 25.3% from Christmas Eve 2018 through April 30, 2019, the S&P 500 stock index fell 6.6% in May. A pullback was clearly overdue, and there was plenty of fuel to keep investors on the edge of their Many...
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The Incredible Opportunity of 5G
Technology seems to provide us with new English words all the time. Nobody ever heard the terms “tweet” or “selfie” or “photobomb” just a few years ago. So many new terms are thrown around that it’s tempting to ignore of...
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Many of our stocks are still recovering from the steep stock market downturn that occurred in the fourth quarter of 2018. As long as their fundamentals (profits, valuation, etc.) remain strong, I’m going to give those stocks some rope and allow them to recover.
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After rising 25% from its December low to its May high, the S&P 500 index is finally taking a breather. I don’t expect a shocking price drop like we saw in December. Rather, I anticipate the S&P 500 receding to 2,750, which would down...
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This coal company beat analysts’ earnings estimates by $0.48 last quarter.
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Property & Casualty Insurance Stocks Are On My Radar
Today I’m taking the opportunity to remove two stocks from the portfolios, in the quest to (a) pare back the number of stocks in the portfolios and (b) add new stocks to the portfolios. Clearly, two...
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