economic

Is Big Lots' Management Creating Value? Fri, 12/31/2010 - 17:25 by Dan Dzombak Warren Buffett's partner, Charlie Munger, once said, "I think I've been in the top 5% of my age cohort all my life in understanding the power of incentives, and all my life I've underestimated it. And never a year passes but I get some surprise that pushes my limit a little farther." Comments Read more	Does Trina Solar Measure Up? Wed, 12/22/2010 - 11:00 by Seth Jayson Margins matter. The more Trina Solar (NYSE: TSL) 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 Trina Solar's competitive position could be. Comments Read more	6 Dividend Stocks Making Moves Fri, 12/17/2010 - 10:30 by Dan Caplinger Many investors rely on dividend stocks to pay them regular income and provide solid growth over time. Given how many stocks don't pay a dividend at all, it's impressive for a company to be able to maintain and increase their dividend payments over time. Being able to grow steadily through good times and bad is truly a mark of success, and it takes that kind of growth to support dividend payments even during recessions and slowdowns. Comments Read more
Here's How Varian Medical Systems Is Making So Much for You Thu, 12/16/2010 - 11:05 by Seth Jayson Margins matter. The more Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR) 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 Varian Medical Systems's competitive position could be. Comments Read more	Does Mettler-Toledo International Measure Up? Wed, 12/15/2010 - 09:55 by Seth Jayson Margins matter. The more Mettler-Toledo International (NYSE: MTD) 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 Mettler-Toledo International's competitive position could be. Comments Read more	Is Cummins Working Hard Enough for You? Sat, 12/11/2010 - 12:48 by Seth Jayson Margins matter. The more Cummins (NYSE: CMI) 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 Cummins's competitive position could be. Comments Read more
ECB says European banks still vulnerable Fri, 12/10/2010 - 06:48 by Prince damin Frankfurt, Germany -- The European Central Bank said Thursday banks in Europe remain vulnerable due to sovereign debt issues, but they are healthier than six months ago. In a biannual report on Europe's banks, the ECB said, "The overall economic and financial situation is still fraught with risks for financial stability. "The main source of concern stems from the interplay between sovereign debt problems and vulnerabilities in segments of the euro area banking sector," the central bank said. Economic growth, however, "is expected to further strengthen its (the banking sector's) resilience and profitability in the period ahead," the ECB said. Comments Read more	10 Things I Wish WikiLeaks Would Release Thu, 12/09/2010 - 12:33 by Nick Kapur Each morning, the world is greeted with new, fascinating, and potentially very dangerous disclosures on the WikiLeaks website. Abuzz with the possibility of what might be next and whose names might be exposed, politicos and plebeians alike are hooked. Comments Read more	Here's How Thor Industries May Be Failing You Thu, 12/09/2010 - 12:03 by Seth Jayson Margins matter. The more Thor Industries (NYSE: THO) 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 Thor Industries' competitive position could be. Comments Read more
How Halliburton May Be Failing You Thu, 12/09/2010 - 11:56 by Seth Jayson Margins matter. The more Halliburton Company (NYSE: HAL) 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 Halliburton Company's competitive position could be. Comments Read more	These Tech Stocks Will Make Me Rich Mon, 12/06/2010 - 11:39 by Tim Beyers Welcome to week 119 of my stock-picking throwdown with Mr. Market. Let's get right to the numbers. Comments Read more	Consumers Are Still Scared Out of Their Minds Sat, 12/04/2010 - 09:58 by Morgan Housel There's a surefire way to undermine an economy: (1) Scare people. (2) Wait. As James Madison put it: "The circulation of confidence is better than the circulation of money." Here's the good news: Consumer confidence rose in November to the highest level since June, and is now more than double the level of early 2009. Comments Read more