Introduction Today Investors are keenly focused on income while simultaneously very risk averse.This current behavior brings with it a level of frustration.The appetite for yield is high precisely at a time when yields on the traditionally safest investments like bonds and CDs, etc. are at historic lows.On the other hand, dividend yields on many blue-chip …
Research Articles
3 Consecutive Double-Digit Years for the S&P 500?
The question posed by the title of this article is whether or not 2011 will be the third year in a row of double-digit returns for the S&P 500. In calendar year 2009 the S&P 500 returned 26.4% and followed this up in 2010 by earning 15.06%. As we look forward to 2011 we see …
The S&P 500 2010 Target of 1254 Reached
On September 5, 2010, we published an article on Seeking Alpha that suggested that the S&P 500 would reach 1245 by year end. Then on November 2, 2010 we republished our fair value S&P 500 calculation based on updated earnings forecasts by Standard & Poor’s Corp. The new forecast implied that the S&P 500 would …
Principles of Valuation Part 3: The Key to Avoiding the Obvious Mistakes
In this, our 12th and final installment of our series of articles on when and why to buy a stock, we will focus on how to use the principles of valuation to avoid obvious mistakes. As mentioned in previous articles, investing is never a game of perfect. The best that an investor can hope for …
Buffett’s Burlington Northern Santa Fe Move: Foreshadowing the Growth of American Rail?
In late October/early November of 2009, Warren Buffett announced that Berkshire (BRK.A) was purchasing Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (BNI). At the time, Burlington Northern Santa Fe was trading at just under 15 times earnings and offered a dividend yield of 1.9%. Even so, Warren Buffett received mixed reviews from the media. Some even went …
Principles of Valuation Part 1: Price Is What You Pay, Value Is What You Get
Why have these three stocks historically commanded approximately the same True Worth™ price earnings ratio? SCANA Corp. (SCG), a public utility, has a historical earnings growth rate averaging 3.2% per annum, VF Corp. (VFC), an apparel manufacturer, has a historical earnings growth rate averaging 7.4%, and United Technologies Corp. (UTX), an aerospace and technology conglomerate, …
Five Fast Growing Dividend Stocks vs. Five Fast Growing Growth Stocks Paying No Dividends
Introduction This article will review 10 fast growing stocks that we feel are in the sweet spot for investors interested in above average total return. In order to be considered a fast-growing company, the stock has to have demonstrated a consistent rate of change of earnings growth of between 15%-25%. We consider this the sweet …
10 Super-Fast Growth Stocks With Explosive Returns
Introduction One of the things that continuously frustrates us about the investment industry is how imprecise it can be with its definitions of important terms. A second frustration that follows muddy labels is the application of statistical analysis based on faulty or inaccurate descriptions of these important terms and concepts. In our opinion, ”value investing …
Six Cyclical Stocks: When to Hold ‘Em, When to Fold ‘Em
For any investor considering investing in cyclical stocks, the admonition from Kenny Rogers’ famous song “The Gambler” should be heeded: “You got to know when to hold ’em / Know when to fold ’em / Know when to walk away / And know when to run.“ As the recent great recession has so emphatically reminded …
10 High Yield REITs: Do the Yields Justify the Risk?
When I first entered the investment business, a mentor taught me that there were really only two ways that an investor could position their portfolios; they could either act as owners or they could act as loaners. Owners typically invested in equities and were therefore owners of the underlying asset class they invested in. Loaners, …