IVV: Buying the S&P 500 Without Commissions
Investors have plenty of ETF options to track major U.S. asset classes. The benchmarks sometimes have significant overlap, and in some cases more than one ETF follows the same index. How do you tell which one is better? One important factor is expenses. Take two ETFs designed to track the S&P...
MINT: A Conservative Way to Stash Cash
Investors are often conditioned to believe that cash is king, or that it is at least a good idea to keep some of your assets in cash to preserve your portfolio’s liquidity. After all, emergencies and unforeseen expenses happen. While this all makes sense, most cash investments offer meager rates...
DELL: Sleeping Giant or Tech Dinosaur?
Investing in Dell Inc. (DELL) stock used to be very profitable. Texas-based Dell revolutionized the way consumers purchased personal computers. Dell was in the right place at the right time, offering customers the ability to pick and choose what they wanted in their computers. This approach was rewarded...
IYT: Transport Provides Clues to Recovery
Investors typically favor stocks and sectors that they view as somehow glamorous or sexy. This could mean high-flying tech stocks like Apple (AAPL) or Google (GOOG) or high-beta commodities and materials stocks like Freeport-McMoRan (FCX). Such an approach can be rewarding, but if you’re looking...
CZZ: Buying Brazilian Sugar
Most investors stick with one game. Stock investors trade stocks. Foreign exchange connoisseurs trade currencies. Most investors stay away from commodities entirely. The low margin requirements and additional risk tend to attract speculators and repel the everyday investor. On the other hand, you...
CHIQ: Buying the Chinese Consumer in 2010
Back in 2001, Goldman Sachs highlighted the growth potential of emerging markets in Brazil, Russia, India, and China, or BRIC. Goldman reasoned the combined BRIC economies could outpace the world’s richest economies by 2050. China is beating Goldman’s expectations on the road to 2050. In fact,...
EZPW: Make Cash From A Pawn Shop
When the economy turns for the worse, it’s easy to spot the industries and the stocks that are going to suffer. High-end retailers, consumer discretionary names and the like usually take it on the chin when the going gets tough. Most investors know this. Finding the sectors and stocks that are...
MNRO: Keep Your Portfolio Chugging Along With Monro Muffler Brake
Some experts think the U.S. economy is beginning to show signs of recovery. Possibly, but with so many folks still unemployed and access to credit at its lowest levels in years, consumers and businesses alike are tightening their purse strings. Over the past year, we’ve highlighted frugalpalooza...
TUR: A Legitimate Emerging Markets Play or “Turkey” of an Investment?
International and emerging markets offerings are the coolest kids at the ETF party right now, favored in a big way over traditional long U.S. equity ETFs. International ETFs saw $5 billion in new inflows in November. Vanguard Emerging Markets ETF (VWO) led all ETFs with $1.3 billion in new investments....
Grab Some Northern Exposure with EWC
Emerging markets are captivating investors again, but tidy profits aren’t always far away. Placing your bets on well-established global markets can also prove rewarding. That’s why we’re looking at Canada. We’ve previously examined Canada as an energy play. That’s still a...
