Some companies assume that when things are going well, that trend will continue forever. That can sometimes lead to unpleasant surprises. During last year’s pandemic, a number of companies cut or suspended dividends or share buybacks, for instance. However, companies in the commodity space tend to recognize the power of cycles. When things are going well, they may be more inclined to pass the good times on to shareholders rather than overinvest when times are good. Case in point?Royal Dutch Shell (RDS-A). The Anglo-Dutch energy giant sees higher oil prices boosting its bottom line. B...

The economy has been moving strongly past the pandemic, but concerns over inflation and supply chain disruptions have led to some uncertainty. While markets are generally heading higher, one area is likely to continue plugging along at a steady and growing rate. That space? Retail. Pent-up consumer demand is coming out as the labor market looks to not only stabilize, but do so at higher wages. That bodes well to companies across the retail spectrum. Most investors would do well to focus on the big-box retailers that dominate a niche space and can continue to deliver solid returns to ...

There’s nothing wrong with a company trading in a range, moving up a little and down a little, but mostly unchanged over time. But investors who look for catalysts can likely find hints as to whether a company will break out of its range higher or lower. Right now, one range-bound stock is also one of the biggest out there. Shares ofAmazon (AMZN) have been stuck in the low $3,000 range after a massive rally over the past few years. Now, one key catalyst has arrived for the stock’s next move. The company has a new CEO, Andy Jassy, who formerly built and ran the company’s value-gene...

It’s a simple trading strategy: Find a company that’s performing well and just posted great quarterly earnings numbers. Then, if shares drop because the company’s guidance isn’t bullish enough, buy the dip and wait for the rebound, following the fundamentals. That’s as strategy likely to pay off well in this market throughout earnings season. One such trade has already presented itself inWalgreens Boots Alliance (WBA). The drugstore chain posted great growth, but shares got knocked down last week following earnings anyway. That partially unwound some of the firm’s gains over the past...

The first half of the year saw a slowdown in tech stocks, and better relative strength in value names. While growth has started to rise in recent sessions, investors who continue to invest in both growth and value can do well in this market. Some of the best values may be in value names that have now underperformed over the past year. Any positive surprises in such a company may result in a jump higher in shares with low downside risk. One such value play isPepsiCo (PEP). The company is set to report earnings later this month, which may give the company a boost higher as some analyst...

A number of sectors are looking strong going into the back half of the year. In one sector, costs are going down, expenditures look likely to drop, and prices remain robust, which makes for an attractive move going forward. The sector? Oil and natural gas. A number of companies are looking good as OPEC is set to meet on production, with oil potentially capable of seeing oil hit $100 per barrel. Case in pointis ConocoPhillips (COP). The energy giant just increased its share buyback by $1 billion, from $1.5 to $2.5 billion. That’s on top of the strong dividend that shares pay now of 2....

Even when inflation rates weren’t rising at multi-year highs, prices for some goods have been rising far higher than the national average. One of the biggest areas with increasingly higher prices has been in drug costs. EnterWalmart (WMT). The retail giant is now offering a private-label insulin. The diabetes drug is priced at nearly 50 percent lower than brand names, potentially saving users thousands of dollars per year. The company’s ReliOn NovoLog brand of insulin vials and pens has started being filled in company pharmacies this week, and will soon be rolled out to the company’s...

Big tech companies have been in the spotlight over a number of their business practices. While the jury is still proverbially out on more regulation for big tech, one judge recently threw out a lawsuit againstFacebook (FB). The lawsuit was an FTC complaint regarding a number of antitrust complaints, given the company’s anti-competitive nature. Shares of the social media firm rallied on the news, allowing the firm to hit a $1 trillion market cap for the first time. There’s likely room to run from here. The company’s dominance of social media makes it an advertising powerhouse, with st...

With inflation running at annualized rates near 5 percent right now, the notion of locking up money in a 10-year government bond that pays just 1.5 percent seems ridiculous. But rather than go all the way up the risk scale, investors looking for income can find better starting  yields and even find opportunities to grow that income over time. But instead of the bond markets, those with a multi-year time horizon will likely do best with dividend growth stocks. With many companies cutting, suspending, or failing to grow their dividends in the past year, a handful have started to announ...

The stock market has always been rife with rumors. From big players talking up positions or trying to talk down a shorted stock, it’s part of the great game. This week, merger speculation occurred thatComcast (CMCSA) was looking to merge or buy out a number of smaller players. While Wall Street analysts are trying to downplay these rumors, the possibility has been floated that the cable giant turned media powerhouse is looking to buy up eitherRoku (ROKU) orViacomCBS (VIAC). Both companies look interesting here. ViacomCBS has seen its shares drop more than 50 percent from their highs ...