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Stock Market Articles, Stock Reviews, Screens and Idea Stocks


Economic Data Often Drives Capital Markets

by May 10, 2013

Macro changes to economic circumstances are a significant driver of the flow of money throughout the globe. As economic information is released to market participants and investors absorb new information their wiliness to commit capital to specific areas changes. Global macro changes can cause specific influences to certain securities such as currency pairs, sovereign debt, [...]

Rare Interview With Seth Klarman and Charlie Rose

by May 8, 2013

This interview dates back to 2011. As you know, Klarman generally does not appear with media, so any interview you can find with him is pure gold. In this interview, Klarman talks about his philanthropic cause and spends a lot of time imparting his experience and wisdom on value investing. (For those who do not [...]

Exited $UVE: 73.14% Total Return in 6 Months

by May 7, 2013

It might appear that I am raising cash because I believe that the market is frothy. There might be some of it but in reality the investment process I follow makes me buy when the stocks are low and sell when they are high. Disciplined investing with the right strategy automatically makes you cash heavy [...]

Exited $ROICW: 199.11% Return in 1 Year

by Shailesh Kumar May 6, 2013

Last Friday we exited our best performing investment. Purchased Sold Apr 19, 2012 May 3, 2013 Price: $1/warrant Price: $3/warrant Net Gain: 199.11% net of commissions   The warrants have tripled one time before as Andrew Tobias points out. With this triple, the warrants have returned 9 times the original investment in the last 3.5 [...]

Exited EBIX: 34.41% Return in 44 Days

by May 1, 2013

Ebix Inc has entered into an agreement to be acquired by Goldman Sachs for $20/share. After the news broke (May 1, 2013), I recommended members to sell all EBIX stock and sold my position at $20.50/share. We were able to sell the shares at prices ABOVE the acquisition price for two reasons: The market believes [...]

Gold Holds Gains after the UK is Downgraded

by Guest April 23, 2013

Gold exchange traded fund prices rallied for the third consecutive day, moving out of oversold levels as investors moved back into precious metals. The strong performance led gold minors higher which helped the broader equity indexes gain traction. Overall sentiment remain negative, and it will likely take a while before bullish sentiment in the precious [...]

Exited American Greetings: 36.62% Total Return in 15 Months

by April 3, 2013

As you probably know, American Greetings (AM) is going private. A group of the founding family members (Weiss) have offered $18.20/share and the board has accepted the offer. The deal is expected to close in Jul 2013. I recommended and bought the stock first in Dec 2011. Over the last 15 months, I have added [...]

Choices, Decisions & Common Sense and a Few Investing Stories You Very Likely Missed

by Shailesh Kumar March 30, 2013
Investment Choices Small

There is a significant difference between patience and indecision. When recommending or buying a stock, I will often wait patiently until the time and the price is just right. However, once the purchase decision is made, the execution is quick. Same holds for selling the stock. For example, if a stock is within my buy [...]

Record Gains in S&P and We are Back in the Lead

by March 28, 2013

Q1 has ended for the market in 2013 and the S&P horse that bolted off the gates at the beginning of the year has not yet slowed. As of today the S&P 500 has chalked up a 10.60% return YTD, including dividends. If this was not enough, the index today also bested its previous high [...]

Will Europe’s Malaise Spill Over into the US?

by Guest March 23, 2013
Cyprus problem

Spring is in the air and similar to the last three spring seasons, issues related to the Euro zone has taken center stage injecting a modicum of fear back into the capital markets. Although US investors were treated to an early fiasco in the form of the Italian elections, the banking disaster in Cyprus is [...]

Herd Mentality: You Are Being Set Up to Fail

by March 21, 2013
Sheeple

Think back to a moment when you were younger, a teenager perhaps, and there was something you wanted to do because it was suddenly cool and it seemed like everyone you know—and many people you didn’t—were doing it. Just as you’re about to dive into whatever the fad of the season is, someone (a parent, [...]

[Member] Recommending a Purchase of Ebix Inc Stock

by Shailesh Kumar March 15, 2013

Note: This is a position that we have exited now and was originally recommended to premium members. It is quite straightforward to value Ebix. It is a growing company in the right place at the right time and can be bought at a very good price today. However, there are a few considerations that we [...]

5 Ways Your Brain Tricks You Into Bad Investment Decisions

by February 25, 2013

You are rational with your money. You spend weeks agonizing over the new microwave oven. You read countless reviews and compare features and prices. You worry about risk and insist on a good warranty. You demand value for every hard earned dollar you spend. When it comes to buying stocks, however, the story is different. [...]

KKD Stock Quick Review: Overvalued at the Current Prices

by Shailesh Kumar February 20, 2013
Krispy Kreme Logo

After reporting substantial losses between fiscal years 2005 and 2009, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (KKD) is now profitable again. The stock is currently selling at multiples that may seem attractive compared to the industry, but in reality it is not.   KKD SBUX DNKN P/B 3.52 7.89 11.49 P/S 2.07 2.99 6.11 P/E 5.74 29.02 39.89 [...]

Is BBBY Stock (Bed Bath & Beyond) a Good Buy Now?

by February 14, 2013

Bed Bath & Beyond has been expanding. In 2012, it purchased Linen Holdings and Cost Plus World Markets. It estimated 41 new store openings in the fiscal year 2012. Still the stock (BBBY) today can be purchased at 13 times multiple, which is in the low range of the historical multiple its shares have commanded. [...]

$SAN Stock: Is this a Good Time to Buy Bank Stocks in Spain?

by Shailesh Kumar January 28, 2013
Banco Santander Logo thumb

The Euro crisis hit Spain hard and Spanish bank stocks have understandably suffered. Now that the EU economy appears to have stabilized a bit, you may wonder if this is the right time to buy SAN or other Spanish banks. The Pain in Spain Spain followed a story line similar to United States. Cheap credit [...]

[Member] Thoughts on American Greetings Go Private Bid Increase

by January 18, 2013

About an hour ago I sent out an email alert indicating that Zev Weiss and family (current CEO and the founding family) have raised their bid for taking the company (AM) private to $17.5/share from the earlier $17.18/share. This follows 2 days of unexplained decline in the stock that allowed us to increase our stake [...]

Does Freeport-McMoran’s ($FCX) Entry in the Energy Sector Make it an Attractive Stock?

by Shailesh Kumar January 14, 2013

Freeport-McMoran Copper and Gold Inc (FCX) explores and mines mineral resources, primarily Copper, Gold and Molybdenum. Recently, the company has made moves to enter the energy market by acquiring Plains Exploration and Production Company and McMoran Exploration Company for $20 B combined, which gives it access to high quality US Oil and Natural Gas reserves. [...]

These 15 Mid Cap Stocks Offer Great Growth and Value in 2013

by January 6, 2013

More Best Stocks for 2013 62 Dividend Stocks for 2013 5 Cheap Stocks Growing Book Value Only 2 Stocks Make the Best Large Caps for 2013 List Best Small Cap Stocks for 2013 If you are looking for growth at a reasonable valuation, the following 15 mid cap stocks are worth keeping an eye on. [...]

Monthly Membership Plan is Being Retired

by Shailesh Kumar January 5, 2013

As we continue to grow, it has become necessary to simplify the membership options. The current plans have worked very well, sometimes too well, but they require more maintenance than I can reasonably put in without affecting the main focus of my work: researching and delivering outstanding investment recommendations. The following change will take effect [...]

An Excellent 2012–Performance, Lessons and Thoughts

by January 2, 2013

Buy and Hold does not make you money. There is no virtue in holding on to a stock that has reached its fair value. Even less so, if it has exceeded it. While this is not a new insight, 2012 provided ample examples supporting this very basic principle of value investing. But let’s start by [...]

Options, Fundamental Analysis and the Fence Sitter

by Guest January 1, 2013

This article today comes from my good friend Tom. Tom Koziol is a partner in http://www.thebesttradinginfo.com. They are the real time, real trade, real money option trading website. Tom’s expertise lies in trading options and while long term investors might consider options as a risky instrument, the utility of options for hedging and strategic use [...]

Only 2 Large Cap Stocks Make the Cut for 2013

by December 26, 2012

More Best Stocks for 2013 Best Dividend Stocks for 2013 27 Small Cap Stocks for 2013 5 Cheap Stocks Growing Book Value 15 Mid Cap Stocks for 2013 What a difference does a year make for value investing practitioners! When I ran this screen last year, I came up with 31 large cap stocks that [...]

Stock Review: $NG- Novagold Resources maybe a Great Bet on Rising Gold Prices

by Shailesh Kumar December 19, 2012

However, rising gold prices are not a given and the shareholders may not necessarily benefit. The problem in making a long term bet on a commodity price is that you can end up being totally wrong. The price of gold, like any commodity, is a result of the demand and supply of the physical material. [...]

5 Cheap Stocks With Excellent Book Value Growth

by December 10, 2012

More Best Stocks for 2013 62 Dividend Stocks for 2013 27 Small Cap Stocks for 2013 Only 2 Stocks Make the Best Large Caps for 2013 List 15 Mid Cap Stocks for 2013 A company that is growing its book value at a good clip while the stock still remains cheap based on traditional valuation [...]

27 Best Small Cap Stocks to Buy or Watch in 2013

by Shailesh Kumar December 6, 2012

More Best Stocks for 2013 62 Dividend Stocks for 2013 5 Cheap Stocks Growing Book Value Only 2 Stocks Make the Best Large Caps for 2013 List 15 Mid Cap Stocks for 2013 Small cap stocks should perform well in 2013, especially if they are chosen carefully for underlying value. We have endured a lot [...]

November Portfolio Update: Up 32.27% YTD, Fiscal Cliff Looms

by December 4, 2012

The Value Stock Guide portfolio is positioned for a strong close in 2012. With just one month to go, the portfolio has returned 32.27% so far this year, which compares well with 12.67% return on the S&P 500 index. In November, we initiated 1 new position and no positions were sold. The following table and [...]

Best Dividend Stocks for 2013

by Shailesh Kumar November 28, 2012

More Best Stocks for 2013 27 Small Cap Stocks for 2013 5 Cheap Stocks Growing Book Value Only 2 Stocks Make the Best Large Caps for 2013 List 15 Mid Cap Stocks for 2013 What are the best dividend stocks in the US in 2013? As an income investor, you look for dividend paying stocks [...]

The HP ($HPQ) Shocker – This Must be the Bottom, Right?

by November 20, 2012

Before you worry that Autonomy sucked the wind out of HP’s sails, remember, HP does not even know where the ship is going. My recommendation? Keep avoiding the stock.

Portfolio Update: 28.70% YTD vs 9.72% S&P, Out of $DEXO

by Shailesh Kumar November 11, 2012

While updating the portfolio performance figures today I realized that I did not report the sale of DEXO from the Premium portfolio, as I typically do for my readers. So here it is DEXO Sale On Oct 25, I sold out of the remaining 50% of the DEXO I still owned and recommended the members [...]