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Is TD AMERITRADE the Perfect Stock?

Fri, 12/11/2010 - 11:56 by Dan Caplinger

 Everyone would love to find the perfect stock. But will you ever really find a stock that gives you everything you could possibly want? One thing's for sure: If you don't look, you'll never find truly great investments. So let's first take a look at what you'd want to see from a perfect stock, and then decide whether TD AMERITRADE (Nasdaq: AMTD) fits the bill.

 

Check This to Find Out Whether Evergreen Solar Will Bomb

Fri, 12/11/2010 - 11:51 by Seth Jayson

 There's no foolproof way to know the future for Evergreen Solar (Nasdaq: ESLR) 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.

Thrift Savings Plan -- A Great Option for Federal Government Employees, Not Military Members

Fri, 12/11/2010 - 11:34 by Military Money

 The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is a great option for Federal government employees because they earn a matching contribution from the Federal government. But, for members of the military (e.g. Army), who do not earn a match, there may be better options for retirement investing depending on their tax situation. So before deciding to contribute to the Thrift Savings Plan, members of the military should consider other alternatives, such as a Roth IRA, and weigh their options carefully. First, let me explain exactly what the Thrift Savings Plan is, and then I'll go on to explain why it's not a great option for military members:

 

Is Boston Scientific's Management Creating Value?

Fri, 12/11/2010 - 11:31 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."

 

Is the Cash Machine at Chevron Running on Empty?

Fri, 12/11/2010 - 11:30 by Seth Jayson

 Although business headlines still tout earnings numbers, many investors have moved past net earnings as a measure of a company's economic output. That's because earnings are very often less trustworthy than cash flow, since earnings are more open to manipulation based on dubious judgment calls.

 

NetLogic Microsystems Plunged: What You Need to Know

Fri, 12/11/2010 - 11:28 by Anders Bylund

 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. What: Shares of fabless chip designer NetLogic Microsystems (Nasdaq: NETL) briefly dipped 10% below last night's closing price in early trading today, before recovering to a more modest 4.5% fall.

 

Is This Trend Your Friend at Hercules Offshore?

Fri, 12/11/2010 - 11:24 by Seth Jayson

 Margins matter. The more Hercules Offshore (Nasdaq: HERO) 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 Hercules Offshore's competitive position could be.

 

Investing Options for Military Members -- Why You Can't Afford NOT to Invest

Fri, 12/11/2010 - 01:11 by Military Money

 A survey conducted by the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB), which runs the  Federal Government Thrift Savings Plan (the government's version of the 401k retirement plan), found that 23% of eligible employees believe that that they do not have enough money to contribute to their retirement plan. Only 4.3% did not contribute because the plan lacked good investment options, and 2.2% did not invest because the choices were too complex. The participation rate in the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is approximately 83% for civilian employees, but a dismally low level for the military where only 38% of them contribute to TSP.

 

A123 Systems Sees Shipment Shrink, but Tomorrow Better, Really

Fri, 12/11/2010 - 01:06 by Michael Kanellos

 Another quarter, another urge to look to the future from A123 Systems (Nasdaq: AONE). The Massachusetts-based battery company today reported third quarter revenue of $26.2 million, an increase of $23.6 million, and reiterated an alliance to produce car batteries for the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp.

 

Are Shorts Watching L.B. Foster?

Fri, 12/11/2010 - 01:01 by Seth Jayson

 There's no foolproof way to know the future for L.B. Foster (Nasdaq: FSTR)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.

 

Is This Trend Your Friend at United States Steel?

Fri, 12/11/2010 - 00:56 by Seth Jayson

 Margins matter. The more United States Steel (NYSE: X)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 United States Steel's competitive position could be.

 

Why China Hates QE2

Thu, 11/11/2010 - 23:25 by Tim Hanson

 In lean economic times like these, it's only natural that rational actors consider self-preservation first and foremost among their priorities. That seems to be precisely what Ben Bernanke was doing when he cited the Federal Reserve's congressional mandate to "promote a high level of employment and low, stable inflation" to justify the Fed's repurchase of $600 billion worth of long-term Treasury securities in a recent Washington Post opinion piece -- a strategy that's since come to be known as QE2. Facing criticism from Germany, Russia, China, and others during his current trip to Asia ahead of the G-20 summit, President Barack Obama reiterated domestic priority, noting that "the Fed's mandate, my mandate, is to growour economy" [emphasis added].