Opinions

The tax increases and lack of wage increases appear to be impacting America; for a country needing to see its gross domestic product (GDP) expand, this is not what you want to hear. Of course, sluggish consumer spending and GDP growth may also force the Fed to refrain from cutting

With the second-quarter earnings season nearly completed, I must admit the results were average at best. In fact, with about 450 of the S&P 500 companies having reported, 72% beat their mean estimate, according to statistics from FactSet. (Source: “FactSet Earnings Insight: S&P 500,” FactSet, August 9, 2013.) You may

I’ve always been a fan of long-term investing, as it allows big picture thinking to be more important than short-term gyrations. One of my concerns when it comes to developing a long-term investing portfolio is the Chinese economy. Over the last 10 years, we’ve seen the Chinese economy take a

Japan reported disappointing second-quarter GDP growth last week, which rattled the stock market. Now, while Japan’s economy is the third-largest in the world, its importance in the global economy is not as significant now as it was over 30 years ago. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is going to make the

This past weekend, I was at a barbecue at a friend’s house. While we did talk about such usual topics as the upcoming NFL season as well as the ongoing soap opera that is Alex Rodriguez, one of the questions I was asked was about the Federal Reserve. More to

If Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke were a baseball player, I doubt he would be very good. He may be able to drift around the minor leagues, but clearly, he’s not “big league” material. I surely wouldn’t have him as a manager or bench coach either. As some of you

When we enter the 2013 fall season, we will surely be hit with yet more talk regarding government debt. As the U.S. hits the debt ceiling once again, political grandstanding will be the name of the game. While the budget deficit has improved from the depths of the recession, it

When America began to spend and spend in the 1980s with very little regard for its mounting federal national debt, we all realized it was not sustainable, especially if the cost side was not controlled. The end result was higher taxes and budgetary cuts from the sequestration. When a country’s

The recent shift in market sentiment towards interest rates has caused many people to begin scratching their heads, wondering what this means for their investment strategy. This move up in interest rates should not be a surprise to my readers, as you’ve been hearing me discuss this issue since last

A common question that I receive from readers is in regard to gold bullion. Many people over the past few years have begun allocating a portion of their investment strategy into the yellow precious metal and are curious about what’s possible in the near future. Naturally, with gold prices down

Another record for the S&P 500 last Thursday. More money in my trading account. So why, then, am I not that pleased to see record levels and great advances in the stock market? Here’s the thing: the gains in the stock market are great, but it’s not an easy market

Sometimes something that is viewed as ugly by one person is absolute beauty in someone else’s eyes. This is what the phrase “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” represents. The same argument can be used in analyzing stocks. For instance, when I examine stocks, I will look at

With the S&P 500 at all-time highs, market sentiment clearly is in the bullish camp; this must mean that all of our problems are solved and the future is bright for everyone— Hold on a minute: if this were true, why would consumer confidence regarding the future decrease? The Conference

Wow, what the heck just happened at Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ/MSFT)? The company reported earnings that missed the target by a whopping $0.23 per diluted share. I should also add to that question: what explanation did CEO Steven A. Ballmer offer? Could you imagine the look on Bill Gates’ face when

There is a simple fact in the stock market: restaurant stocks can make good money. Not only are restaurant stocks a sector in which you can do well as a speculator/trader, but they’re also a sector that provides a great barometer on consumer spending. Always follow both the established names

By now, we all know Detroit, once a notorious manufacturing hub in the U.S. economy, filed for bankruptcy. The city defaulted on its municipal bonds simply because it didn’t have the money to give its creditors. The city had three main reasons for filing bankruptcy: out-of-control budget deficits, declining revenues,

I love watching Chef Gordon Ramsay blowing a gasket in one of his many cooking shows, including Master Chef and Hell’s Kitchen. While the outbreaks are often quite hilarious, the popularity of cooking shows has grown over the past years since we first saw Iron Chef come on air over