I recently read a survey of feedback from the public regarding what they thought of the stock market currently. Despite the market being close to all-time highs, it seems that people are skeptical of this bull market, perhaps the bitter memories of 2008 are still to close for comfort. In short, I see evidence everywhere […]
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Russia and Putin won the Olympic medal count but lost Ukraine. Let’s call it a draw. And right now, the Kremlin is struggling with political uncertainty, rampant corruption, weak productivity, and falling energy prices, all of which have hammered Russian economic growth and markets. And can you believe it – Russia economy is the same […]
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The market continues acting great considering how weak it was acting just a few weeks ago. The benchmark S&P 500 jumped to a fresh record high on Monday which is very healthy. Late last week, the Nasdaq Composite, Nasdaq 100, Philly Semiconductor index ($SOX), and Mid Cap indices ($MDY) all hit fresh 2014 highs which […]
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Look out over the choppy landscape of the financial markets: they’re up, they’re down. We see pullbacks, we see stocks soar, we see devaluation, inflation, and other seismic events happen all the time. It can be scary. There is one word that can sum up the state of today’s economy: volatile. But please, keep calm. […]
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Question: “Jim, why are you always so interested in what the S+P 500 is doing?” Answer: Because as the broader market goes, so goes individual stocks, and so you need to align your strategy with that. In a bull market we need to be only BUYING stocks. In a bear market we need to only […]
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An interview with Adam Woods, CNBC-quoted hedge fund manager. Jim: Hello Adam and thanks for joining us. In summary, what’s the market doing currently and why? Adam: As always, my pleasure. The market is acting great right now. In 2013, the S&P 500 vaulted a very impressive 30%. Then pulled back in January-early Feb to […]
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According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), there are 7,299 trillion cubic feet of shale gas resources located around the world. That’s as of June 2013. That number represents a 10% increase over its 2011 estimate. In all likelihood, worldwide shale gas reserves will continue to increase as reservoir evaluation continues. When it comes to […]
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Last week’s UAW (United Automobile Workers) vote in Tennessee is getting a lot of attention by the political pundits. No matter what you think of the vote that will keep the UAW out of a Volkswagen factory, one thing is for sure, it is a big win for foreign automakers already building cars in America. […]
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When two technology industry titans come together, the combined company surveys its infrastructure and cherry picks the best people, processes and procedures, then standardizes on the best. The survivors inherit a whole new kingdom, twice the size of the old while the losers lick their wounds. The acquiring company may win market share over the […]
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So the market continues to bounce back, further confirming what we had suspected all along: that this was yet another healthy correction in an ongoing, albeit tired, bull market. If the S+P can top 1851 this week that would really push things along nicely. Most bull markets last 4-6 years, and this one turns 5 […]
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In early October I wrote to you about how lower rates were here to stay – in fact that was the title of the article. I recommended that you buy municipal bonds and buy them through closed-end funds and even recommended one in particular, the Nuveen Municipal Income Fund (NMI). Since then the fund has […]
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After a great 2013, markets and investors are a bit skittish. To a value investor like me, this pullback creates more opportunities, and the Value Bounce watch list is growing every day. Still, it makes sense to hedge your stock picks with what I call “shock absorbers”. Some favorite hedges right now are gold, silver, […]
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The importance of what I’m going to explain today cannot be overstated. It’s quite simply the difference between people who win in the markets and people who lose… Even when you do everything right, even when you take profits, you can still end up with a loss. Why? How is that possible? Can you go […]
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If you’ve been following the news or watching the markets you can’t help but notice that many are linking the current correction to Emerging Markets. These are markets that are not considered solid or stable places to invest a lot of your capital. Markets like Thailand, Indonesia, China, India, Turkey, South Africa and Brazil share […]
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Well, the market went to the edge of the cliff, looked down, and turned back. But are we out of the woods yet? What caused the sell-off and how can you profit from what comes next? The clues are in these simple pictures…
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An interview with Adam Woods, CNBC-quoted hedge fund manager. Jim: Hello Adam and thanks for joining us. A lot has happened since we last spoke in the markets- an unforgiving earnings season, numbers, and the market uncertain? Adam: Yes- the Dow Jones Industrial Average has fallen over 1200 points Since Dec 31! Jim: It seems […]
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This winter will go down as one for the record books. January is already the coldest month on record this century. As a result, the demand for natural gas has been unprecedented. January’s bitter cold resulted in seven of the highest demand days for natural gas since record keeping started. One of the most prolific […]
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As we settle into 2014, markets have been a bit weak and volatile. These are the kind of markets that create some opportunities for the global value investor like Value Bounce subscribers. Let’s take a quick world tour to highlight where we are looking for value to turn into momentum.
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One of the best opportunities I ever encountered was in 1997. It was when emerging markets collapsed after the Asian Financial Crisis. Stocks in markets like Indonesia, Thailand and Turkey fell by more than 50% almost overnight only to recover within a few months. It was one of the best examples of panic selling I […]
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This market is testing us, testing our belief in this bull market. And it’s reminding us that investing isn’t easy. I believe investing is simple, but not easy- there’s a difference. Today we’re going to rifle through some of the signals Mr. Market is sending out to those who are interested in what he’s saying […]
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