As Cyber Monday Grows, Grab a Winner

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 ...
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This Holiday Season, look for the Retailers That Don’t Need a Bargain

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 ...
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Add This Big Tech Stock to Your Holiday Shopping List

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 ...
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Bear Markets Are Boom Times for Value Investors

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 ...
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This Momentum Play Can Continue to Move Higher Following Strong Earnings

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 company Analog Devices (ADI), is ...
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Pick Up Shares of Companies that Can Grow in Slow Markets

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 ...
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Good Companies and Great CEOs Are a Powerful Combination

The tenure of a company CEO can be judged in part by the stock price performance. Those who do a great job will see their shares rise well above that of other players in the industry. And when a great CEO announces their retirement, it’s likely that shares will drop on the concern that the replacement won’t be as good. Likewise, the announcement of a new CEO after a lackluster one can often give a company’s stock an immediate boost. That’s especially ...
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Consumers May Soon Be Down, But They Won’t Be Out

Consumer spending makes up about 70 percent of the US economy. Currently, sales remain strong, but there are some signs that consumers may be increasing their credit card usage to do so. If that continues, it’s likely that spending will start to come down in some parts of the economy. However, some retailers could benefit from that trend. Discount stores tend to hold up well no matter what the economy is doing for groceries or other basic supplies. In the clothing space, ...
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