Investing

A 2009 study revealed that, in aggregate, three of four stocks on the U.S. markets lost value between 1980 and 2008, even though the S&P 500 returned 10.4% annualized. That means the winning stocks won big and compensated for the overwhelming number of losing stocks. But if you hope to be invested in the winners, you need to choose carefully.

Margins matter. The more Rockwell Collins (NYSE: COL) 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 with sector peers and competitors, and any trend that may tell me how strong Rockwell Collins' competitive position could be.

Is Boeing's (NYSE: BA) vaunted 787 Dreamliner really just a carbon-composite lemon with wings?After years of bad news about the 787's progress, you can be forgiven for thinking so, and you're not alone. Over in Russia, the national carrier Aeroflot has finally realized that it's not going to get the 787s it bargained for -- or at least, not in a timely fashion. For now, at least, it's decided to make do with what it can get: Boeing 777s.

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.

We think Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) and Lender Processing Services are going down. Yesterday, my fellow Dada Portfolio co-manager, Ilan Moscovitz, explained why he felt that bearish positions on BAC and LPS would be a great way to play the unfolding mortgage fraud crisis that has the potential to be a thorn in the side of mortgage servicers like Bank of America, JPMorgan (NYSE: JPM), Citigroup (NYSE: C), and Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC).

We think Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) and Lender Processing Services (NYSE: LPS) are going down. Yesterday, my fellow Dada Portfolio co-manager, Ilan Moscovitz, explained why we felt that bearish positions on BAC and LPS would be a great way to play the unfolding mortgage fraud crisis.

Margins matter. The more CSG Systems International (Nasdaq: CSGS) 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 CSG Systems International's competitive position could be.

It seems Fool readers were a little more optimistic about the timing of Arena Pharmaceuticals' (Nasdaq: ARNA) resubmission of its obesity drug to the Food and Drug Administration than the company is.

Michael Dell bought a few shares of Dell (Nasdaq: DELL) on Friday. Judging by the market reaction to the mandatory Securities and Exchange Commission filing of this transaction, you'd think he were taking the whole company private.Well, he's not.

Margins matter. The more Autodesk (Nasdaq: ADSK) 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 with sector peers and competitors, and any trend that may tell me how strong Autodesk's competitive position could be.