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When Commodities Attack! Thu, 30/12/2010 - 09:39 by Jacob Roche You know about stocks and bonds, but there are a few other investment classes out there that most individuals don't think much about, especially as they relate to individual companies. One is foreign exchange, which I've already talked about. Another is commodities, probably the world's oldest investments. Almost every type of business relies on commodities in some way, making it important for every investor to think about the broad implications of how their companies operate. Comments Read more	How Much Is Mattel Worth? Wed, 29/12/2010 - 13:27 by Matt Koppenheffer We can't say Mattel (NYSE: MAT) made it through the recession totally unscathed. In 2008, the company saw its margins get crunched and that was followed by a sales dip in 2009. Of course, the weakness Mattel experienced was nothing compared to what many other companies experienced, and through the tough times the company stayed solidly profitable and free-cash-flow-positive. Comments Read more	Gushan Environmental Shares Popped: What You Need to Know Tue, 28/12/2010 - 08:39 by Matt Koppenheffer Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis. Comments Read more
TPC Group Shares Popped: What You Need to Know Tue, 28/12/2010 - 08:32 by Travis Hoium Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis. Comments Read more	The Best Dividend Stocks of 2011 Fri, 24/12/2010 - 12:27 by Jim Royal I love fat payouts from dividend stalwarts. In fact, I've recommended a couple that I called "dividend plays for a lifetime" for their strong competitive positions and hidden assets. Those two stocks -- Microsoft andMcDonald's -- are solid long-term dividend plays. But often, it can be more valuable to find higher-yielding stocks that are slower- growing, rather than a Microsoft that is fattening dividends at a prodigious clip. Comments Read more	Corcept May Have Hit Pay Dirt Fri, 24/12/2010 - 12:24 by Brian Orelli After failing to show a statistically significant effect for treating the psychotic features of psychotic depression in three individual clinical trials, Corcept Therapeutics (Nasdaq: CORT) finally found something that its drug candidate, Corlux, is good at: treating Cushing's syndrome. Comments Read more
What the Market Taught Me This Week Fri, 24/12/2010 - 12:00 by Travis Hoium As a member of our 10% Promise team, I see a lot of wild swings in the market. Sometimes there's an easy explanation and sometimes the market knocks us for a loop without telling us why. But every week I learn something new. Here are a few things from this week. Comments Read more	Is Applied Materials Working Hard Enough for You? Fri, 24/12/2010 - 10:30 by Seth Jayson Margins matter. The more Applied Materials (Nasdaq: AMAT) keeps of each buck it earns in revenue, the more money it has to invest in growth, fund new strategic plans, or (gasp!) distribute to shareholders. Healthy margins often separate pretenders from the best stocks in the market. That's why I check on my holdings' margins at least once a quarter. I'm looking for the absolute numbers, comparisons to sector peers and competitors, and any trend that may tell me how strong Applied Materials's competitive position could be. Comments Read more	3 Global Predictions for 2011 Fri, 24/12/2010 - 07:13 by Tim Hanson Ahead of the New Year, I thought I'd share this space this week with our entire Global Gains research team to reveal the major issues we think will affect investors next year. Agree, disagree, or think we're missing one? Add your comments below. And with that, here are our 3 Global Predictions for 2011. Comments Read more
9 Consumer Stocks to Anchor Your Portfolio Thu, 23/12/2010 - 11:20 by Matt Koppenheffer Have you been buying junk? Have you been thumbing your nose at default risk and chasing after companies that have shown more red than the Philadelphia Phillies? If you have, you've probably been pretty happy with the results. As a recent Bloomberg article highlighted, the seemingly lowest-quality companies have watched their stocks outperform so far this year. Bloomberg notes: Comments Read more	Should You Get Out of DuPont Before Next Quarter? Thu, 23/12/2010 - 10:16 by Seth Jayson There's no foolproof way to know the future for DuPont (NYSE: DD) or any other company. However, certain clues may help you see potential stumbles before they happen -- and before your stock craters as a result. Rest assured: Even if you're not monitoring these metrics, short-sellers are. Comments Read more	7 Stocks to Pretty-Up Your Portfolio Thu, 23/12/2010 - 07:57 by Motley Fool 'Tis the season to be judge-y! Oh please, like no one at work brought up Hal's office holiday party dance floor spectacle the following Monday. And look me in the eye and tell me again how you weren't secretly delighted when your high school rival showed up at the New Year's Eve fete with an extra 25 pounds. Seriously, a show of hands please, from those who don't coordinate the entire family's Christmas morning PJs so that everyone looks extra adorable in the home movies you'll be posting on FaceSpace? Comments Read more