Institutional investors are still buying earnings safety and predictability in an otherwise slow-growth environment. In any market, good businesses stand out both in terms of operational growth at a faster rate than the general economy and good share price performance. The Sherwin-Williams Company (SHW) and Alliance Data Systems…

In any market, there are good businesses with operating dynamics that exceed the normal cyclical nature of economic activity. They are often non-brand-name enterprises, the kind of companies that might fall under the category of “special situations.” They are the kind of businesses that institutional investors hold without…

With the broader stock market gyrating based on expectations of the Federal Reserve’s possible interest rate increase, the NASDAQ Biotechnology index and Russell 2000 are still holding up near their highs. A closer look at the current market dynamics suggests rising interest rates won’t be the cause of…

The lull between earnings seasons is always long and the marketplace is clamoring for something from which to trade off. A number of companies have already reported good numbers and they are a good precursor for what’s to come. This market is looking pretty tired and it’s been…

It really is a great time to be in the railroad business. Cash flow is abundant and these stocks are poised for more capital gains. While coal shipments have been a weak spot for railroad companies, virtually all other major customer sectors are producing excellent comparable growth. And…

It looks like large-cap technology stocks, especially those related to online businesses, are experiencing a slowing down of what’s traditionally been some very solid growth. Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN), Netflix, Inc. (NFLX), LinkedIn Corporation (LNKD), and Groupon, Inc. (GRPN) have all been under pressure. Many pure-play online businesses are…

It really is quite amazing the amount that spot oil prices have dropped. Naturally, in a lot of areas, the price of gasoline has not dropped the same percentage. Lower oil prices help a lot of industries. The railroads and airlines, for instance, should show a material gain…

According to the Investment Company Institute, assets in institutional money market funds increased $17.19 billion to $1.69 trillion for the week ended on September 24, 2014. This was the biggest weekly increase in these money market funds in the last five months. (Source: Investment Company Institute web site,…

There’s a lot the stock market has to deal with these days, but that’s par for the course. Uncertainty, risk, and fear are basic components of equities these days. But good businesses are good businesses and NIKE, Inc. (NKE) hit a grand slam with its latest quarterly earnings.…

A lot of good companies with solid investment prospects going into 2015 are pushing new highs in an otherwise trendless stock market before the end of another reporting period. Market leaders have kept their momentum the last few years and are likely to keep doing so as earnings…

Very soon we’re going to hear the earnings news straight from the horse’s mouth. Quarterly earnings are beginning to trickle in and even if you aren’t interested in the stocks that you don’t own, corporate reporting is the most important market intelligence you can review. For years, Paychex,…

Despite the choppy trading action before the end of the third quarter, a lot of the market’s best stocks are still ticking higher. And the positive trading action remains especially prevalent with large-caps and dividend-paying blue chips. Big investors want earnings reliability and dividend income in a slow-growth…

Large-cap technology stocks, particularly old-school names, have really been on the rise, though they remain an untold story this year. Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) is on a major upward price trend and is getting close to its all-time record-high set during the technology bubble of 1999. The company’s stock…

There’s good resilience to this market. On most days, the NASDAQ Composite is still beating both the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average comparatively, which is bullish. Lots of stocks are pushing new highs and many seem to be breaking out of their previous near-term trends. NIKE,…

So long as transportation stocks are ticking higher, the stock market is much less susceptible to a price retrenchment. The Dow Jones Transportation Average just blew past 8,500, recently hitting a new record-high after taking a well-deserved break around mid-July and August. Airline stocks led the index’s recent…

Countless stocks are pushing new highs and a lot of them are still blue chips. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is lagging the other indices this year, but this is not unusual. The fact that many blue chips are still slogging higher is further indication of a bull…

As incredible as it may be, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (CMG) recently spiked above $600.00 a share and is now closing in on $700.00. This position could no doubt benefit from a share split. The stock is trading with a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of approximately 40, and…

Top wealth creators don’t have to be the fastest-growing companies. In an environment where institutional investors are buying earnings safety and dividend income, consistency and reliability are top financial attributes. And there actually aren’t a lot of companies able to provide consistency in business growth, especially among mature…

The stock market has an underlying strength to it, seemingly only to be undone by geopolitical events. Fed action always has the potential to shock the system. Negative economic news isn’t fazing this market. On the back of a pretty decent second quarter, many corporate outlooks predict another…

A top stock for investors and a strong equity market leader has been, and continues to be, The Walt Disney Company (DIS). It’s a Dow Jones component, a solid dividend payer and, similar to other dividend-paying blue chips, it’s offered earnings (growth) safety to date. Institutional investors have…