Stocks had a pretty strong rally on reports that the Federal Reserve would lower the rate at which it increases interest rates. But that rally ended as traders realized that rates would still rise—and a slower pace would allow the increases to continue for longer. However, we’re likely closer to the end of the rate hike cycle than the beginning. And for investors looking for year-end buys, it could be time to pick up some beaten-down names, particularly in big tech. That includes a number of chip-related companies, which have been hit so hard this year that they’re well priced for th...

There’s always some technological revolution going on somewhere. The past decade has seen a number of trends, and those growing trends have been great for investors in the right place. One of the most interesting trends today is the shift by major automakers from conventional gas-powered cars to hybrids and electric vehicles. While some challenges remain, it’s clear that investors like the trend overall, and rising EV sales tend to prove a boost for share prices. One company seeing its EV sales grow by leaps and bounds isFord Motors (F), which just doubled its EV sales for November c...

Some traders are betting the worst is over for markets. That’s based on the view that the Fed will start tapering its interest rate hikes. But as long as interest rates are being hiked, they’ll continue to weigh on stocks. For investors who don’t want to get whipsawed while this plays out, there are a number of investment strategies to focus on instead. The simplest and arguably best is simply to buy and hold dividend-paying stocks in industry-leading companies. While such a strategy seems boring in a bull market, in a bear market it plays out well. For instance, beverage giantCoca-C...

The past few years have seen a number of companies come to compete for cloud services. Most have focused around providing the hardware itself. That oligopoly looks fairly secure. But there’s still a rich environment for cloud services providers to benefit. Some are new players to the tech space, built up quickly over a few years. Other players aren’t new to the tech space, but have adapted with the times. One of those latter players is performing surprisingly strongly now. That company isHewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE). The company sees itself benefitting from the explosion of data,...

Cyber Monday’s growing influence over retail sales encompasses both the sale of physical goods from retailers online, as well as services that can be made online. The latter category, without storage or shipping costs, can be a higher profit-margin center for companies with such services. With this year’s holiday spending underway, a few early winners from Cyber Monday have emerged. And investing in those companies could make profits even beyond the holiday season. For instance,Electronic Arts (EA) saw some best-selling games this Cyber Monday, thanks to FIFA 23 and Madden 23, the an...

Black Friday and Cyber Monday have come and gone. It’s likely that the biggest bargains in retail for the holiday season have already been made. Sales appear to be higher, but adjusted for inflation, overall volumes may be lower. One way traders can wade through the opportunities in retail in the coming weeks is to look for companies that didn’t have excess inventory to clear, or needed to resort to massive discounts this holiday season. One potential winner is already emerging:Decker Outdoors Corporation (DECK). The maker of footwear is best known for its UGG brand boots, and the...

The past year has been brutal for tech companies. That’s true of both early-stage small-cap stocks or large-cap established names. But for those who have been patient, this year’s selloff has set the stage for a future rally – meaning it may be time to start buying in tech. Investors can start by buying the big-cap names. These are the companies that have the cash flow and market share to thrive right now, and aren’t as dependent on market conditions as smaller stocks. Among some of the biggest tech names isAmazon (AMZN). The company has become the first in history to lose over $1 tr...

Value investors are often ignored or derided during a bull market. That’s because high-growth names tend to take off. But when markets sell off, more value stocks emerge. Those who buy into value names can earn above-average returns, and often do so with less volatility. Investing in such stocks makes it easier to compound wealth over time, and often makes it easier to ride out extreme market conditions. Long-term investors can find a number of value names today. One place where investors can quietly compound wealth is in industrial stocks.Ingersoll Rand (IR), a maker of pumps and co...

There are many different strategies for beating the stock market. And as long as a trader finds one that works for them and follows it consistently, things can work out well. Some traders swear by momentum, which is simply the name for the idea of buying a stock that’s been trending higher. Those who combine a stock with strong momentum with another factor, like an earnings beat, can likely continue to see the share price rally. Semiconductor companyAnalog Devices (ADI), is one such play now. Shares are at a 52-week high. And, they just beat on earnings when they reported on Tuesday,...

Whether stocks move up or down, a company’s earnings remain fundamental to its long-term share price. A growing company will reflect that in growing earnings, whereas a struggling company may find all sorts of “one time” reasons why they didn’t hit their estimates. For companies that can fare well during a high-inflation, slow-growth economic environment, proving themselves now is a sign of success in any market condition. Investing in growing companies in a soft economy can lead to great results. One surprising winner right now is in the retail space.Best Buy (BBY) came in ahead of ...