Consumers may be cutting back on higher-priced goods right now as housing and fuel costs have been on the rise. But for some consumer goods, raising prices to contend with inflation hasn’t been a problem. These consumer goods companies are thus able to maintain their profit margins, even as other companies are facing a squeeze thanks to the high rate of inflation right now. Such companies also provide investors with a safe-haven in the stock market, as growth names have fallen well out of favor. One company delivering on inflation-busting results right now isCampbell Soup Company (CP...

Consumers have been spending more in the past year, but overall sales are down. It’s inflation that’s causing the total rise, at least for the moment. Retailers are having to deal with two conflicting issues. Supply chain disruptions are leading to genuine shortages. And consumers cutting back on spending due to inflation is leading to an inventory excess in other areas. “Cheap chic” retailerTarget (TGT) sounded this unusual warning. The company cut its earnings guidance on Tuesday, leading to shares dropping at the start of the day. However, an excess of inventory could likely lead ...

Companies that lead their industry tend to have some special factor that allows them to make a larger profit than competitors. This can be exploited with higher growth rates… or by using some extra tools to ensure they hold up better than the competition during a market decline. Such tools can come in the form of a dividend, an astute buyback, a major merger, or even splitting shares. A share split may not change the total size of a company, but a lower price can make it easier for investors to trade shares. That may be the reason behind the 20-for-1 split just made fromAmazon (AMZN)...

In frustrating markets, a few long-term strategies can work well that investors may want to consider now. One such strategy is to invest in companies that pay dividends. Taking that approach gives investors a longer-term view. Within the dividend-paying universe, companies that have a history of raising their dividends tend to perform even better than those that just pay a dividend. Over time, the results can compound for market-beating performance, as long as investors remain patient. One such company that just raised its dividend itAlexandria Real Estate Equities (ARE). The REIT sp...

Growth investing isn’t dead. But companies that were posting strong growth in the past year are either going to falter now that the economy has slowed – or they’ll continue to show that they’re strong growth plays in the years ahead. Investors can follow some big trends seeing capital flows and deals occurring now to get an idea of where the best opportunities are for growth stocks. One such trend still seeing investor interest right now is in AI. Otherwise known as artificial intelligence, software being used to create more efficient programs and ways of doing business are seeing tr...

When the economy sours and the business outlook drops, some companies look for an opportunity to increase their business with strategic acquisitions. Those companies can increase their industry dominance and become stronger over time, and shares will likely rally as the economy does. As long as such deals pass regulatory muster, large companies that buy up other companies to grow through acquisition can likely see further growth in the years ahead. One company making long-term strategic moves now isOracle (ORCL). The database giant has received approval from EU regulators to buy Cern...

While the latest bear market may not be over, traders can start targeting top companies likely to recover in time and outperform the market on the next leg up. One way to do that is to find tech companies that underperformed the market on the way down… even as they’ve continued to grow. For many tech companies, that may mean finding a high profit margin or strong revenue growth in today’s environment. One company that could be a winner on a rebound isSalesforce (CRM). The customer relationship management software company reported better-than-expected earnings. That was more than enou...

With stocks near bear market territory, some names have been hit harder than others. A bear market marks a market-wide drop of 20 percent from a top. But some individual tech names, even big players, are down further than that. One such example isNetflix (NFLX). The streaming platform has reported slower growth, a decline in subscribers for the first time ever, and increased competition in the streaming space. Shares are down more than half off their highs as a result. Given the company’s headwinds, the decline makes sense. But there’s also been a market-beating decline inAlphabet (G...

Many tech trends are under way today that will lead to big growth, especially when looking past today’s weak economy. One of those trends is big data, which looks at data sets too large and complex to be reviewed manually. Big data is already allowing companies to find new ways of doing business, with substantial improvements already. Yet the real value of that will only compound in time. One leader in the space isPalantir Technologies (PLTR). Like most tech plays, it’s taking a dive right now, with shares down nearly two-thirds from their peak last year. However, the company is cont...

In a bull market, great companies will rise… but so will ones that aren’t the leaders of their sector. When markets are in turmoil, it’s industry leaders that will likely perform best, even if they’re suffering from a drop in earnings. That can be seen with the most recent earnings season. Many companies across the board were down. But those that are leading in their industry have been faring relatively better. Case in point? Semiconductor companyNvidia (NVDA). The company reported revenue below expectations last week, and shares sold off after hours. But they rallied the next day an...