Opinions

Consumers always shop for bargains and lower prices regardless of the economy. In fact, after going through the recession, consumers are probably stuck in the mind-frame of looking for the best deals when shopping. I know I prefer to buy goods on discounts and rarely for the original ticket price.

If E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (DD) didn’t have its burgeoning agriculture business, the stock would be in the tank. Instead, this slow-growth conglomerate has really surprised with its performance on the stock market this year. It’s definitely a value play among institutional investors—and a dividend one

Instead of the employment picture getting better in this country, it’s getting worse! In today’s jobs report, we’re told 169,000 jobs were added in the U.S. jobs market in August. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 6, 2013.) Aside from the fact we need a minimum of 200,000 jobs a

Well, it may be time for you to begin looking at Europe again as a buying opportunity. As my readers know, in these pages, I have shown some previous negativity toward the region; however, let me explain why I feel Europe may offer a buying opportunity now. There are over

It seems as though not a day goes by in which we don’t get new information about how weak the average American’s level of income and consumer spending really are. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, personal income for the month of July rose only 0.1% month over month,

While so many are chattering on about how the emerging markets are dead—I’m not one of them. Yes, the emerging markets are struggling to find some ground, given the stalling in the economies of their key partners, China and Europe; but my feeling is that the worst may be over,

We all know that the vast majority of the American economy is based on consumer spending. Over the past few months, there have been mixed data indicating how healthy the current economic recovery really is. I’d like to reiterate one thing: investors need to focus on consumer spending as an

Emerging markets seem to be gaining popularity these days when it comes to the “next big thing” for investors. The reason for this is very simple: emerging market equities have come down in value significantly from their recent highs, leaving investors asking if its time to jump in and buy

I’m sure you are not surprised to see the housing market continuing to move lower. After several strong years of recovery in the housing market, during which home prices rose and home starts and building permits moved higher, we are now facing some hesitancy in the housing market. As many

Well, that didn’t take long. Over the past few months, I’ve been warning readers that higher interest rates are coming, and this will affect millions of Americans through increased levels of mortgage rates. In just the last couple of months, we’ve seen the rates for mortgages jump significantly. While many

We may be headed for an opportunity driven by chaos. These are the times when money can be made. The stock market is on full alert with the news that the United States may mount a military intervention against the controlling government in Syria on speculation of it using chemical

One of the keys to investing that I have tried to convey to my readers is the importance of market sentiment. Even if the long-term fundamentals remain strong, over the short term, shifts in market sentiment will cause prices to become quite volatile. As I pointed out many times over

In my previous article, I talked about the U.S. economy and how it will likely stall this year. The second estimate for the second-quarter real gross domestic product (GDP) growth comes out tomorrow, and I’m not that optimistic. In fact, I’m becoming more pessimistic towards GDP growth going forward. If

When I talk to friends and family, one of the most common concerns they tell me about is their frustration over the current economic recovery—with the slow pace of job creation and the relatively high number of unemployed keeping a tight lid on wages. A new study has quantified the

Gold prices have bounced back, jumping above $1,350 an ounce; but I contend that the advance will not be sustainable as the metal remains in a bear market. The problem we are seeing is that the mining sector is under duress, especially the junior miners who are struggling to maintain

The debate to drive up the minimum wage continues in America; many are calling for an increase from the current $7.25 per hour to over $10.00 per hour. While I totally agree the minimum wage established in July 2009 needs to increase, I also warn that a higher minimum wage

When it comes to buying stocks, one question I am often asked is: what is one of the most overlooked factors that investors miss? While some people might create an investment strategy for buying stocks based on valuation or growth levels, one common variable that is crucial for long-term success

The recent minutes of the last Federal Reserve meeting (July 30-31, 2013), were released last Wednesday. Looking through the minutes, my opinion has not changed that the Federal Reserve will indeed begin to reduce its asset purchase program sometime this year. While the U.S. economy is clearly not in an

A friend of mine recently asked me a question that many others might be asking as well: why do mining companies swing so often from optimism to pessimism? If we take a look at how the mining companies have reacted to price over the past few years, we can see

The low trading volume in the stock market implies that many investors and institutional money may be sitting on the sidelines. Yet for the professional money, such as hedge funds and private wealth, you cannot just sit on cash, since you’re usually paid a lofty amount to manage money and