Peter Staas

Peter Staas earned a BA from the State University of New York at Binghamton and attended graduate programs at the University of Delaware and the State University of New York at Buffalo. He also coauthored a textbook about real estate valuation models that's used by federal bank examiners. Peter is managing editor of Personal Finance and associate editor of Louis Rukeyser's Wall Street and Louis Rukeyser's Mutual Funds.

Content Posted by Peter Staas

Pugh Clauses and Shale-Gas Activity

Drilling activity in unconventional plays remains robust despite depressed natural gas prices--a puzzling disconnect that prompts many investors to steer clear shale-gas producers. Pugh Clauses explain part of this anomaly.

Big Fracking Deals: Investing in Shale Gas Production

Recent deal activity in pressure-pumping services reflects strong growth prospects in shale-gas plays.

Insurers and the BP Oil Spill

Going forward, energy insurers should enjoy higher premiums as operators seek to bulk up coverage, and models price in substantial risks.

The Future of Shale Gas is International

Expect China’s big three energy companies to continue to invest in North American and Australian shale-gas operations.

Regime Change and Australia's Resources Super Profits Tax

A leadership change in Australia suggests that the draconian resources super profits tax will be watered down--an incremental positive for the mining industry. But the main reason to invest in coal miners down under remains intact: growing demand from China and India.

Coming down from a Sugar High

Should individual investors be sweet on Brazil’s sugar industry?

Focus on Fundamentals

Over the past year energy-focused MLPs have become more popular for the very same reasons as in the mid-1980s: high yields and tax advantages. Forget yields--focus on fundamentals when making your investment decisions.

Energizing Local Economies

Although large investment banks have profited enormously from commodities trading over the years, community banks in areas with strong ties to the oil and gas industries usually benefit from robust local economies.

Bonds Unbound

The managers of this inexpensive fixed-income fund scour the globe for securities that offer attractive yields and reliable income. But just because they have the purview to invest far and wide doesn’t mean they stray from their disciplined approach to security selection.

Master Class

Markets are undergoing massive structural changes in the wake of the crippling financial crisis and economic downturn, but value investing never goes out of style. This fund offers overseas exposure and leverages the lessons of legendary investor Ben Graham to provide long-term growth and income.

Nothing to Sneeze At

Kimberly-Clark's (NYSE: KMB) proactive response to headwinds facing consumers staples companies and continued focus on exploiting opportunities in emerging and developing markets separate it from the pack.

Gross Profits

Funds with a flexible investment mandate are a mixed bag. Although limited restrictions theoretically enable fund managers to avoid the worst-performing market segments, this freedom sometimes proves dangerous--a rash of ill-advised decisions can prove deleterious to investors’ capital. This relatively inexpensive bond fund has a history of providing total returns and is helmed by the king of the bond world.

Hold the Phones

The telecom industry continues to evolve as customers increasingly shed wireline connections for wireless services. Telecom’s giants still generate reliable earnings, and the explosion in smartphone sales and revenues from data services is fueling growth. This household name traces its origins back to Alexander Graham Bell but continues to dial up profits by innovating and changing with the times.

Across the Street

Two investing experts tell us what to buy now and why.

Welcome Back, Failure

Bank failures are expected to spike over the next two years. These bank stocks should go up as the competition goes under.

Safety Pays Off

This fund manager eschews making the quick buck in transitory bubbles, instead seeking stocks that the market undervalues and dividend-paying equities that offer exposure to long-term growth trends.

Seven-Year Rich

This fund manager recently celebrated his seventh year at the helm, marking another year of happy returns for investors. With a focus on low-debt, high-growth companies that trade at a discount, this fund should continue to perform over the long haul.

Buy the Numbers

We discuss which energy-related industries offer the best valuations with the manager of one of the top performing energy-focused mutual funds over the past three years.

Slippery Market

This Growth Portfolio holding boasts an impressive portfolio of multipurpose maintenance products that includes its eponymous brand as well as a wide array of popular household cleaners.

Across the Street

Two top investing experts tell us what to buy now.

Not Your Government's Insurance Company

Steady income in a beaten down sector.

Land of the Rising Stocks

Head East for profits.

Since You Asked

Dental Supplies, Discount Retailers and Banks.

Regulators, Mount Up

Now that the Federal Reserve and Treasury Dept’s efforts to stabilize the financial system and economy have banished fears of an imminent collapse, the Obama administration is shifting its focus to regulatory reform.

The Denver Globetrotters

Although the US economy and markets appear to have stabilized, analysts widely acknowledge that any growth in the domestic economy will be slow and painful as the deleveraging process wears on. Many investors are looking overseas for both near-term and long-term growth.

Partnering Up

Master Limited Partnerships offer attractive yields and tax advantages, but many individual investors have eschewed this asset class because of confusion about how these securities are taxed. These funds offer all of the income without those taxing headaches.

Value Doesn't Go Boom

We put every stock we consider through a simple, four-step screen. We look for companies whose businesses we understand and then evaluate the relative strength of their balance sheet, free cash flow, return on capital and competitive position. Management also comes under our lens; we look for capable management teams that usually make decisions with shareholders’ best interests in mind.

Value Doesn't Go Boom

This fund manager is bearish on most banks, but bullish on deep value. We find out why.

Good for What Ails You

We profile a healt-care giant that pays a healthy dividend.

The Sporting Life

Growth opportunities in sporting goods.

Financial Spoils

There’s more to the financial sector than broken down banks.

Power Play

Although the worldwide economic downturn continues to weigh on growth, power consumption continues to rise unabated; according to the International Energy Agency, global energy use will double by 2030 as developing nations such as China and India demand more energy.

Prime Meridian

Last year's market meltdown taught a number of painful lessons to investors, including the importance of prudent and sustainable growth. This seasoned fund manager seeks undervalued companies with solid if not necessarily spectacular growth prospects and holds them for the long term.

Corporate America

Bargains still abound among corporate bonds.

Just Clean It

Clean Harbors(NYSE: CLH) is North America’s leading provider of environmental and hazardous waste management services. Only a handful of firms now operate in this sector, as substantial compliance costs have prompted consolidation--both through closures and acquisitions. This has significantly reduced the industry’s overall capacity, while boosting Clear Harbors’ share of the hazardous waste disposal market to nearly a third and its share of the incineration market to about 65 percent.

Across the Street

Two top investing experts tell us what to buy now.

Across the Street

Two top investing experts tell us what to buy now.

Carbonated Cash

Quench your thirst for steady dividends with this shares of this leading beverage company.

Ginnie's Song

Government-backed bonds are all the rage.

Bank Shots

We're looking for a few good banks.

Growth Baron

With consumers and financial institutions in the midst of a painful deleveraging process, challenges persist despite the recent market rally. This fund focuses on undervalued companies that have attractive long-term growth prospects.

Chemical Reaction

This sector fund focuses on investments in the chemicals industry, but doesn't resort to alchemy to produce strong results.

Pay Pals

Shares of payroll and payment processors have sold off considerably, but macroeconomic headwinds aren’t enough to sink the industry’s leaders. Here are three value plays that could pay off over the long haul.

Cash Crops

We check back with a gentleman farmer who discusses his investment philosophy and shares his best bets for sustainable growth.

Corporate Culture

If you know where to look, there's plenty of opportunity in corporate debt.

Shopping Cart

Some retailers grow during a recession.

Rukeyser Interview

We believe the stock market is making a bottom right now and that we’re going to have a rally--probably a violent rally--at some point in the second or third quarter.

Fund Favorite

With both consumers and lenders compelled to atone for the excesses of the past several years by exercising restraint and slowly repairing ailing balance sheets, this fund manager maintains a dour outlook for the overall market’s long-term prospects. The depth, breadth and severity of this recession may be worse than most economists expect, but this fund is positioning itself to preserve capital and profit from pessimism.

Since You Asked

Are mutual fund expenses deductible for tax purposes? -- M. Krieger, Baltimore, MD You can deduct a plethora of investment expenses on your Schedule A subject to the 2 percent adjusted gross income floor, including fees paid to financial advisor...

Across The Street

In this environment, it’s easy to find things to sell because every day we learn about new problems, even at companies you would think are immune.

The View from Parnassus

Quality management still goes a long way when choosing a fund.

Showtime at the Apollo

As the largest recipient of Title IV loans, Apollo Group (NSDQ: APOL) should benefit handsomely from President Obama’s stimulus plan, which provides students with an additional $5 billion in Pell Grants over the next two years.

Mortgaging Your Future

With the nation’s housing and mortgage markets in tatters, it’s all too easy to dismiss any real estate-related investment as foolhardy. But this fund, which focuses on government-backed mortgage debt, has proved a safe haven in a stormy market.

 

Bank Shot

The basic drivers behind the financial sector’s implosion are easy to identify, especially after the fact; the real challenge is singling out the institutions that will not only survive the great reckoning but also offer solid growth prospects. Bank on this fund manager’s experience.

Under Pressure

Hit by massive shareholder redemptions and shrinking asset values, some mutual funds find themselves under increasing pressure. We examine the implications for individual investors.

Dynamic Properties

Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE: BAM) owns and manages a portfolio of high-quality real estate and infrastructure assets throughout the US, UK and Australasia, targeting investments that provide reliable, long-term cash flows. Even in this challenging market environment, the majority of its business lines have held up remarkably well, producing $1.4 billion in cash flow over the course of 2008.

Scaling K-1

Figuring out your K-1 form doesn’t have to be as grueling as climbing K2.

Go East For Profits

Near-term headwinds aside, the fundamental drivers of China’s long-term economic growth remain intact. This fund’s savvy manager has positioned the portfolio to weather the storm and participate in the upside.

 

Stocks For Growth

Health care was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dismal 2008, underscoring the sector’s reputation as a classic defensive play. This month we look at a pharmacy benefits management firm that’s well positioned to weather any economic headwinds and offers attractive growth potential

Stocks For Income

And if the economic environment didn’t present enough of a challenge, historically low yields on high-grade fixed-income instruments have likewise weighed on earnings growth.

Street Smart

With the US economy in the doldrums and unemployment numbers expanding as each week passes, few observers were surprised when the Obama administration’s economic stimulus plan allocated massive amounts of funding to a wide range of infrastructure projects.

Retail Retold

The media paints a dour picture of the retail sector’s prospects. But shopping--not baseball--is the true national pastime; it’s worth adding shares of these retailers to your cart.

Banks of Opportunity

There’s a palpable feeling of disgust among taxpayers these days. It’s bad enough that the false prosperity engendered by years of reckless borrowing and lending has given way to the worst financial crisis since The Great Depression. But in some ways the government’s ever-expanding bailout of the banking system is even more galling: From an emotional standpoint, it’s the equivalent of rubbing salt into a gaping wound--repeatedly.

Financial Stability Resides in the Details

Given the complexity of the problems afflicting the financial sector, a quick fix was never in the offing. We look at the Treasury Dept’s revamped plan to nurse the system back to health.

Finding Balance

Flexible investment guidelines and an experienced management team have enabled this fund to continue its steady performance at a time of unprecedented volatility and uncertainty.

On the Defensive

Our recommendations in the health care, utilities, defense and waste management sectors have performed well and positioned the Growth and Income Portfolios to weather the challenges ahead. Here we revisit some of our other defensive picks from 2008.

A Taxing Situation

Partnerships are highly tax-advantaged securities, but these advantages can easily become disadvantages if investors don’t understand the basics of MLP taxation.

Solid Profits from Solid Waste

You needn't be an alchemist to turn trash into profits.

No Reservations

Cash-conscious consumers and lenders may be pulling back, but the Federal Reserve is pulling out all the stops to improve liquidity, stimulate lending and stabilize the roiling financial markets.

From Bubble to Bottom

Government bailout money aside, a stabilized housing market is essential to any turnaround in the financial sector and broader economy. We examine the prospects for such a recovery.

Preferred Treatment

Uncle Sam, Inc. has pledged hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars to stabilize the ailing financial sector. We look at the bank preferreds that will put some of this cash back in your hands.

Warren's Wisdom

Following the lessons of his mentor and eventual business partner Ben Graham, a professor at Columbia University and author of the seminal text Securities Analysis, Warren Buffett brought so-called value investing to the fore of the public consciousness as his astute investments brought him considerable fame and fortune.

What's Fair in Fair Value Accounting?

If the painful fallout from the interrelated housing, mortgage and credit crises has forced the average American to excavate and come to terms economic trends and issues that had long percolated below the surface, this rude awakening has also introduced a number of slippery terms and concepts to the general lexicon.

Shedding Light on the CDS Market

The fallout from the housing, mortgage and credit crises has raised the public’s awareness of credit default swaps (CDS), adding yet another acronym to the list of all-too-real abstractions that threaten our nation’s financial health.

The New Brokerage Playing Field

Financial crises are typically marked by consolidation and regulatory actions intended to alleviate the severity of the economic contraction; needless to say, these forces produce massive changes in the industry’s dynamics and shape the competitive landscape in a post-bust world.

Closing the GAAP

A few weeks ago the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) unveiled a roadmap for transitioning away from the parochial system of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) in favor of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), a system instituted by almost 100 countries worldwide.

All Aboard for Profits

In the decades leading up to and following World War I, railroads played a leading role both in classic Hollywood films and off the set as the primary mode of long-distance transportation for both freight and passengers.

Information to Bank On

The financial sector is in disarray after reporting over $500 billion in mortgage-related writedowns, but regulators insist that, overall, the US banking system remains on sound footing--albeit in a decidedly weakened state. Eight banks have failed thus far in 2008, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC) appears to be gearing up for additional failures.

A Breath of Fresh, Hot Air

T. Boone Pickens isn't the first energy impresario to stun his peers by embracing and espousing environmentalist positions. Jim Rogers, CEO of Duke Energy, made a lot of enemies in the industry when he acknowledged the dangers of climate change and championed cap-and-trade regulations on carbon emissions.

Identity Crisis

Identity protection providers are making a lot of noise, but are these services just a racket? Here are the best bets for safeguarding your name and credit.

Get Smart

Smartphones are poised for extraordinary growth. Here are the handset and component producers you should grab for profits.

The Mortgage Industry’s Changing Face

Anyone who reads the financial pages is well aware of the mortgage industry’s struggles, and the oft-cited statistics bear testament to a pervasive lack of oversight and due diligence at all levels--from mortgage brokers and lenders to regulators and secondary market investors.

The Grapes of Cash

Over the past fifteen years, wine has come to play an increasingly prominent role in our nation's imagination and drinking preferences, a cultural phenomenon highlighted--and perhaps to some degree fermented--by the success of Sideways, an Oscar-nominated film set in California's wine country.

London Calling, LIBOR Rising

Financial institutions are still coming to grips with the glut of ill-advised lending decisions that has paralyzed capital markets worldwide. Spurred by over $300 million in writedowns, the world’s largest financial institutions are making a concerted effort to build reserves and repair ailing balance sheets.

Digesting the Paulson Plan

History shows that initiatives to regulate the US financial system, though well intentioned, typically originate in the wake of market meltdowns.

Investment News and Alerts

Top 5 Free Reports

Follow Us On...

Investing Topics

Investing Experts

Email Updates