ThinkstockThe master limited partnership (MLP) sector attracts investors because of the high distributions and the special tax treatment of those distributions. Investors think of these distributions as dividends, though they are actually part income…
ThinkstockHedge funds are often copycat artists. When a trade comes in vogue, they all tend to pile into the same trade. There is always one little issue, and that is their use of leverage.…
ThinkstockSemiconductor sales have moved in a slow, sideways range over the past year. The key for the top companies like Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NYSE: AMD) to ramp up…
Wikimedia CommonsThe head of portfolio strategy at J.P. Morgan, Thomas Lee, has been a consistent bull this year. In fact, he stood his ground reasonably well during the May to June sell off prompted…
ThinkstockGiven the dramatic decline in share prices, some investors may perceive gold equities as inexpensive. The analysts at Jefferies strongly disagree. In their opinion, gold equities rarely have been more expensive, when current gold prices…
ThinkstockTuesday saw the wrap up of the 2013 European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) conference in Amsterdam, which featured key data from several of the companies covered by the biotech analysts at UBS. While…
ThinkstockAfter the market implosion of 2007 and 2008, the major U.S. banks were all reeling from the same disease. The housing bust and the slew of horrible mortgage backed securities deals that were floated…
ThinkstockThe Permian Basin in West Texas is truly a story of the Phoenix rising from the ashes. Since its discovery, the oil-rich region has had its ups and downs, with activity sloping downward through…
Often the leading Wall Street firms put out their lists of top stocks to buy or highest conviction lists near the end of the year or right at the beginning of the new year.…
ThinkstockLess than 10 years ago, just about everybody had a cell phone. However, at that point nobody had a smartphone. The smartphone revolution grew out of the ill-fated Palm idea for a personal digital…
ThinkstockWhen Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) ignited the smartphone revolution in 2007, it continued its ongoing policy of using a fairly heavy hand on its suppliers to contain costs and keep its margins at the…
The phrase “A rising tide lifts all boats” is frequently used around Wall Street when the good times roll. It basically helps to explain why in a good market almost everything works, with little…
ThinkstockWhether you are a trader or investor, one of the keys to success is having a meaningful enough position in the stocks you own to take advantage of strong upside price movement. As we…
ThinkstockAlmost daily we are informed by the media of a security breach somewhere: banks, credit cards, Facebook accounts, email accounts, phone records and more. Cyber thieves are constantly finding new ways to get around…
ThinkstockOver the past year and a half, Wall Street has seen increased leveraged buyout (LBO) activity within the specialty retail space. The most recent takeout announcement back in May was for Rue 21. Incidentally,…
ThinkstockBetween the sharp back-up in long-term rates that will penalize mortgage and trading results, and the ongoing political bloodlust that reflects itself in fines and litigation accruals, the banking analysts at Oppenheimer think this…
ThinkstockAs a rule, Wall Street brokers and financial advisors typically try to steer their clients away from stocks that trade under $10, as well as avoid like the plague stocks that trade under $5.…
Courtesy of Abbott LaboratoriesWith many of the companies in the S&P 500 having margins approaching all-time highs, and implied S&P 500 correlations approaching post-crisis lows, it is becoming harder to make a bullish case…
Wikimedia CommonsIn what has become an industry-leading conference, Goldman Sachs once again is holding its annual Communacopia conference. For the 22nd year, the conference will attract the top names in telecommunications, media cable companies…
ThinkstockDespite Republican efforts to defund the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, it is looking increasingly likely that the program will begin enrollment into the new health care exchanges beginning next week, on Tuesday, October…