Stocks To Buy

Some stocks are cyclical, moving up and down in a somewhat predictable manner. Other companies tend to have steadier returns over time, making for a reasonable investment for the long haul. Sometimes, however, a cyclical company can develop in a way that allows it to undergo a structural change as well. That’s where a new product or service creates substantial new value. It may create a new cycle, or simply break the pattern of trading in one. Traditional automotive companies are breaking ...
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The stock market loves it when a company makes some kind of positive change. If a company announces a dividend or buyback program, shares will often rally heavily on the news. Another event that’s seen a jump in shares in recent years has been the announcement of a stock split. While it doesn’t change the total value of a company, it does change how many share investors have, and the price per share. And as long as the price is low, there’s ...
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There are many investment strategies that best work in a market that’s moving in a direction, whether up or down. In sideways markets, other strategies, often related to income, tend to perform better. While the market is likely in a decline, but is prone to some strong rallies along the way, only a few strategies offer a solid prospective return. One such strategy is arbitrage. It’s best known for trying to find immediate price differences in an asset across markets. However, for ...
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Financial stocks tend to be sensitive and even leveraged to changes in the economy. That’s been the case with a number of financial stocks so far this year. One niche in this space that has been hit the hardest has been in asset managers. These companies have been declining from the one-two punch of a slowing economy, and a decline in asset values as well. These stocks are now down about twice as much as the S&P 500 index. On an economic ...
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Analysts tend to run behind market events. Companies tend to see upgrades after a big move higher. And when a stock is falling, the downgrades will come in too late to protect investors from most of the drop. The same is true with companies reporting their outlook. When things look good, companies tend to overestimate their future returns. When markets sour, they tend to significantly underrate their future returns. Case in point? Micron Technology (MU). The memory maker is reporting a slowdown ...
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The stock market just had its worst start to a year since 1970. That trend looks likely to continue, as interest rates need to rise further to slow down inflation. Most companies are down, with some tech stocks notching losses of as much as 70 percent so far this year. But a few companies have managed to hold steady, or even deliver a slight gain. They may continue to be relative leaders in this market for a few more months yet. One ...
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Some industries are more concentrated than others. While hundreds of bank stocks flourish, for instance, there are only a handful of companies with the overwhelming share of the soft drink market. Markets with an oligopoly, or even a duopoly, tend to become commonplace after an industry consolidates. That also makes those stocks solid investment choices. While a mature and slow-growth industry may not seem like an exciting play, having just a few players keeps those companies profitable. One such area is in ...
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Investors loved growth stocks during the stock market rally. With stocks now in a downtrend, investors are now looking less towards growth and now towards safety. One way investors can find safety is by focusing on companies that pay dividends. However, no dividend is alike. Income investors need to look at a stock’s payout ratio, to ensure a company isn’t paying out more than it’s earning. Another factor to consider is dividend growth. Over time, it’s more rewarding to own companies that ...
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