Utility UIL Will Light Up Your Portfolio

August 30, 2010

This has been the summer of the utility stocks, so let me now shed some light on one of my model’s favorites at this time: Connecticut-based utility UIL Holdings (NYSE: UIL). Its major subsidiary, the United Illuminating Co., which I would nominate as one of the best names ever for a utility, serves 325,000 customers in... More Continue Reading »

Credit Growth May Not Be Sexy, But is the Key Data Point

August 30, 2010

So much economic data is released every week, it makes your head spin. You’re sitting there thinking, “Man, they throw a lot of economic data at us every day. How do I decide what’s important?” Well, leaning on some recent observations by veteran analyst Bert Dohmen, here is a quick primer. Credit Growth is the most important... More Continue Reading »

Why Bigger Stocks Are Better than Small-Caps

August 23, 2010

In the past six months there has appeared to be a disconnect between the strength of stocks in the S&P 500 and all other companies, both public and private. Indeed, earnings growth has been much more impressive among large companies than small companies, which is a fairly rare event. For insight on why this might be... More Continue Reading »

Daily Issues

Bulls March Forward

September 2, 2010

Bulls proved today that they still have some stamina left as the market continued its upward trend for the second day of the month. It would be nice if this continued through September, but statistics show that it is highly unlikely.

So in today's Trader's Advantage, we take a look back in time and see just how much history is stacked against the bulls. I also have a few new trades for you as we continue to look overseas for growth, domestically for value and at chart breakouts for special cases which do well in slowdowns. We also had a disappointing loss today, so we'll close out one position. Continue Reading »

Beginning of the Month Reversal

September 1, 2010

Today's reversal was an expected one on the first day of the month ahead of a holiday weekend. But every time something good seems to happen, in reality it is just a continuous pattern. U.S. equities have been pacing back and forth these past few months, stuck in what seems to be a penalty box, while emerging markets are in secular bull trends.

So in today's Trader's Advantage, we talk about the jail that U.S. stocks, as well as equities of other developed nations are stuck in and why emerging markets are moving forward. I also update one of our holdings and sell a few that showed promise and hardship today. Continue Reading »

The End of a Drab Month

August 31, 2010

We ended a dismal August with the major indexes hovering around the flatline for the session. Somewhat fitting for a market that has shown little life and dismissed any positive earning reports today with a wave and a sniff saying, 'not good enough.'

In today's Trader's Advantage, we'll preview September and discuss why it traditionally hasn't been a great month for bullish investors. We will also take a look at some of our portfolio names that suddenly find themselves in investing sweet spots. Continue Reading »

Poll

The S&P 500 is down 2% for the year. How do your trades stack up against this benchmark index?

  • I'm doing much better.
  • I'm flat for the year.
  • I'm losing more.