Stocks Doubled

Posted by & filed under Financial Planning, Growth & Valuation, Market Analysis.

Description:  Four years ago the stock market was in free fall. Since then, it’s regained plenty of altitude. Many people missed out on the rally, though; rather than investing, U.S. households stashed a record $8.6 trillion in cash deposits. Source: Businessweek.com Date: Oct 11, 2012 Link:  http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-10-11/stocks-doubled#r=nav-f-graphic Questions for Discussions: What does this chart tell… Read more »

5 charts every investor needs this quarter

Posted by & filed under Financial analysis, Market Analysis.

Description:  Neither previous quarterly performance nor the election year cycle have proved to be good predictors of the Dow Jones Industrial Average’s. Source: Moneywatch.com Date: Oct 05, 2012 Link:  http://www.marketwatch.com/story/5-charts-every-investor-needs-this-quarter-2012-10-05?dist=lcountdown Questions for Discussions: What do each of these charts tell you about investing? Which do you think is most relevant today? Which other charts would… Read more »

Stung by Losses, Main Street Investors Fail to Notice Market’s Rebound

Posted by & filed under Financial Planning, Market Analysis.

Description:  Although the memory of Lehman Brothers’ 2008 collapse may be fading on Wall Street, the shock still lingers on Main Street—and may again be hurting ordinary investors. A new survey of individual investors is a reminder of just how much we are primal creatures that remember the pain of loss more than the joy… Read more »

Do shaken transport stocks signal a sell?

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Economic Analysis, Growth & Valuation, Industry Analysis, Market Analysis.

Description:  Commentary: Rough week for FedEx, railroads rattles Dow Theorists Source: Marketwatch.com Date: Sep 21, 2012 Link:  http://www.marketwatch.com/story/do-shaken-transport-stocks-signal-a-sell-2012-09-21 Questions for Discussions: Summarize the theory that concerns some investors at this time. Do you think there is reason to be concerned? What else might explain a decline in the transportation sector that is disconnected to the… Read more »

The economy 4 years after Lehman

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Economic Analysis, Governments & Regulators, Growth & Valuation, Industry Analysis, Management Issues, Market Analysis.

Description: CNNMoney takes a look at Wall Street jobs and where the country’s money is concentrated four years after Lehman Brothers went bankrupt. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Sep 14, 2012 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2012/09/14/n-economy-four-years-after-lehman-collapse.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: Summarize the changes that have taken place during the past four years. What change can be considered “for… Read more »

Why It May Be Too Late for QE3

Posted by & filed under Economic Analysis, Governments & Regulators, Growth & Valuation, Market Analysis.

Description: Paul Vigna and Spencer Jakab discuss why another round of bond buying may be wishful thinking, and Miriam Gottfried looks at what a hologram of Tupac means for investors. Photo: Reuters. Source: Moneywatch.com – video report Date: Sep 13, 2012 Link: http://on.wsj.com/ROw9CJ Questions for Discussions: Summarize the analysis presented in this report. Do you… Read more »

In the Calm of Summer, Stocks Climb Gingerly

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Economic Analysis, Growth & Valuation, Industry Analysis, Market Analysis.

Description: Stocks approached their highest levels of the year on Friday in the wake of some mildly encouraging economic data, closing out their sixth-straight positive week. Source: NYTimes.com Date: Aug 17, 2012 Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/18/business/daily-stock-market-activity.html?ref=business Questions for Discussions: Summarize the summer activity in stock markets. Do you agree with the explanations provided for this behavior? Where… Read more »

Happy Fifth Birthday, Financial Crisis

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Economic Analysis, Financial analysis, Governments & Regulators, Growth & Valuation, Market Analysis.

Description: WSJ’s Matt Phillips stops by Mean Street to mark five years since the global credit crunch which sent the global economy into a tailspin. (Photo: Reuters) Source: Marketwatch.com – video report Date: Aug 09, 2012 Link: http://live.wsj.com/video/happy-fifth-birthday-financial-crisis/2F60CB68-CE72-4D21-B7AF-099008A6D84C.html Questions for Discussions: Summarize the history of the financial crisis as reported. What do you think was… Read more »

The Market’s Facebook Freakout

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Growth & Valuation, Market Analysis.

Description: It’s the dog days of summer, and Facebook’s (FB) stock price is locked in the kennel. Investors are obsessing over everything that’s wrong with the social network. Mark Zuckerberg hasn’t figured out how to make money on smartphones. Several million of its nearly 1 billion active accounts are duplicates, according to the company, and… Read more »

Canadian Companies Shop for European Assets

Posted by & filed under Growth & Valuation, Market Analysis.

Description: Canadian companies and pension funds are on a European acquisition binge, even as U.S. and Chinese buyers slash spending on takeovers there. Europe’s low valuations and the robust Canadian dollar are spurring deals by Canadian companies such as Brookfield Asset Management (BAM) and Alimentation Couche-Tard. “Canadian companies are basically punching above their weight in… Read more »