Home

Investing

Why Skyworks Solutions' Earnings Aren't So Hot

Tue, 14/12/2010 - 12:04 by Seth Jayson

Although business headlines still tout earnings numbers, many investors have moved past net earnings as a measure of a company's economic output. That's because earnings are very often less trustworthy than cash flow, since earnings are more open to manipulation based on dubious judgment calls.

Rio Tinto's Dividends May Not Last Forever

Thu, 09/12/2010 - 12:51 by Motley Fool

Whether you're a beginning investor or a near-retiree, the importance of purchasing stocks that pay dividends cannot be overstated. Not only do companies that have quarterly or annual payouts provide you with a steady stream of income, they also have the potential for capital appreciation. Simply put, dividend stocks can you give your portfolio what almost no other investment can -- both income and growth.

3 Stocks Ready to Roar

Thu, 09/12/2010 - 12:48 by Rich Duprey

There are plenty of strategies for picking stock winners, from finding low P/E stocks to seeking companies selling at a discount to their future cash flows. At the small-cap investment service Motley Fool Hidden Gems, even in this market, the analysts are able to stay ahead of the pack by finding undervalued stocks that Wall Street and investors have ignored.

Changes in Brazil Boost Petrobras

Thu, 09/12/2010 - 12:43 by David Lee Smith

It'll be awhile before U.S. deepwater oil and gas drilling returns to its prior pace. But that's far from the case in Brazil with its steady string of offshore discoveries. In fact, with the clear intention of preventing a catastrophe in their own increasingly active waters, Brazilian authorities were the first from outside the U.S. to sit down with BP (NYSE: BP) once the company's investigation of its own Gulf of Mexico accident had been wrapped up.

Did Boeing Just Lose the Tanker Contract?

Thu, 09/12/2010 - 12:34 by Rich Smith

One year ago -- almost to the day! -- I penned a short piece here posing the puzzler: "Did Boeing Just Win the Tanker Contract?" Sadly, today I regret to say I'm being forced to ask the opposite.

Is Union Pacific a Sell?

Thu, 09/12/2010 - 12:30 by Jeremy Phillips

Should you sell Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) today?

The decision to sell a stock you've researched and followed for months or years is never easy. If you fall in love with your stock holdings, you risk becoming vulnerable to confirmation bias -- listening only to information that supports your theories, and rejecting any contradictions.

Here's How Dell May Be Failing You

Thu, 09/12/2010 - 12:27 by Jordan DiPietro

Margins matter. The more Dell (Nasdaq: DELL) keeps of each buck it earns in revenue, the more money it has to invest in growth, fund new strategic plans, or (gasp!) distribute to shareholders. Healthy margins often separate pretenders from the best stocks in the market. That's why I check on my holdings' margins at least once a quarter. I'm looking for the absolute numbers, comparisons to sector peers and competitors, and any trend that may tell me how strong Dell's competitive position could be.

AK Steel's Dividends May Not Last Forever

Thu, 09/12/2010 - 12:21 by Jim Mueller

Whether you're a beginning investor or a near-retiree, the importance of purchasing stocks that pay dividends cannot be overstated. Not only do companies that have quarterly or annual payouts provide you with a steady stream of income, they also have the potential for capital appreciation. Simply put, dividend stocks can give your portfolio what almost no other investment can -- both income and growth.

Rising Star Buy: Transocean, Again

Thu, 09/12/2010 - 12:15 by Jim Mueller

This article is part of our Rising Stars Portfolios series.In early November, I chose Transocean (NYSE: RIG) as the first purchase for my Messed-Up Expectations (MUE) Portfolio. At the time, the market was expecting free cash flow (FCF) growth of 0.7% per year or less for a decade, followed by no more growth -- ever.

Big Brother Dumps Big Banking

Thu, 09/12/2010 - 12:13 by Rich Smith

Question: If the stock symbol for General Motors (NYSE: GM) was short for "Government Motors," then what, pray tell, did Citigroup's (NYSE: C) ticker denote?

RIM CEO Opens Mouth, Inserts Foot

Thu, 09/12/2010 - 12:06 by Anders Bylund

I'm done defending Lazaridis now. Onstage at this week's Dive Into Mobile industry conference, he came across more as a clueless spin-meister than a brilliant technologist. That is not how you save a dying dinosaur from extinction.

Invest Where Items Are Flying Off the Shelves

Thu, 09/12/2010 - 12:03 by Selena Maranjian

P/E ratios and profit margins are all well and good, but to find the best retailers and manufacturers, you'll need to keep an eye on inventory as well.