While rates have a direct impact on low income consumers first, as interest rates have remained high, relative to recent history, they have impacted high end consumers as well. But, with the rate and economic cycles on the mend, these consumers are historically the first to put discretionary funds back to work, and this could […]

As the possibility of the interest rate cycle turning comes into clearer relief, utilities, which have been underperforming in a rising rate environment, should switch back on and begin to outpace their non-dividend paying rivals. And a utility that both pays a dividend AND is growing earnings, would be a great play at this point […]

Small cap investing has taken a big hit over the past year as the Federal Reserve has raised rates faster and farther, on a percentage basis, than anytime in history. But there are signs the rate cycle is topping, which could be a huge boon for small cap stocks. But with landmines, many in the […]

If you’ve recently had to hire an electrician, or have your HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system replaced or serviced, you may have asked yourself if you went into the wrong profession. Demand for these professionals is high, and the commensurate rates they can now charge, leads me to my (barely) under $10 stock […]

Inflation is eating into earnings, and buying power. But this holiday the kids still want that new TV to play their new video games on, so what’s a parent to do?  If they still want to deliver that cheery smile from their kids, but the dollar needs to stretch a bit this holiday season, then […]

You may have seen the recent headlines around Chevron’s (CVX – Get Rating) purchase of Hess (HES – Get Rating) or Exxon’s (XOM – Get Rating) big merger with Pioneer (PXD – Get Rating). Splashy headlines, and lots of CNBC interviews, but those deals will likely take years to integrate and the CVX/HES deal in particular may take a lot longer to be profitable.  I prefer less “splash” and more […]

Most investors make the mistake of trying to buy the bottom. Wall Street even has a catchy saying to describe this kind of investing, “trying to catch a falling knife”. The preferred strategy used by most professionals is to find a stock moving higher, buy it, and well it even higher.  When you think about it, this […]

With positive noise around a possible resolution of the automobile workers (UAW) strike, it isn’t a bad time to start looking at auto related names. I’m not as excited about the automakers themselves, as they are going to have higher costs related to labor moving forward.  But, auto suppliers who were beaten down both in […]

In the current climate where geopolitics, interest rate fears, and a general sense of unease continue to roil markets, it often pays to diversify not only across industries, but geographically as well. Sasol (SSL – Get Rating) is a South African based chemicals and energy company that trades as an ADR (American Depository Receipt) on the NYSE, and is […]