Short interest in Twitter (betting that the stock would fall) fell precipitously just before its recent decline. Twitter, the social media/messaging app known by its bluebird silhouette, raced up almost 40% to $25 earlier this month on takeover rumors. When the buyers failed to appear, its wings were clipped and… Read More

Bankers have been in the hot seat thanks to a wave of scandals, ushering in the departure of Wells Fargo’s (NYSE: WFC) CEO and driving Deutsche Bank’s (NYSE: DB) share price below even financial crisis levels. On top of that, while revenue and earnings at most of the major banks… Read More

Over the past three months shares of Best Buy (BBY) gained 25% while the S&P 500 Index declined by nearly 2%. The biggest part of that jump occurred on Aug. 23, the day after Best Buy announced better-than-expected quarterly earnings. And over the past three days it has tacked on… Read More

I shouldn’t have been surprised when I read the news yesterday that Toys R Us was selling FAO Schwarz. Toys R Us bought FAO in 2009 as part of a strategy to take market share during the economic downturn and to raise its profile. Founded in 1862, FAO Schwarz was… Read More

The U.S. economy added 156,000 jobs in September, another solid number.As expected, stocks fell.  That’s because investors interpret continued employment growth to mean that the Fed is more likely to raise rates in December. As we’ve discussed, what’s good for the economy can be bad for stocks if… Read More

As the Chief Investment Strategist for Personal Finance, I am often asked by our readers what stocks are the best to own when the market doesn’t know where’s going. And with the S&P 500 going almost nowhere since July, that’s a question I hear quite a bit.However, not all… Read More

Traditional retailers are in a house of pain. The Sports Authority, PacSun and Aeropostale all filed for bankruptcy this year. Retail darlings Macy’s, Target and Kohl’s all reported declining second quarter sales and lowered estimates for the current quarter.But the Conference Board reported ebullient consumer confidence numbers last week. The… Read More

I’ll give this to the Federal Reserve, it is independent. The Fed turned a deaf ear to a growing chorus of economists and Wall Street analysts saying that the economy can withstand a modest uptick in short-term interest rates, and it didn’t feel compelled to raise rates this week.  Instead… Read More

Wednesday was a good day for the markets, but a great day for a company called The Trade Desk. It was also a day that bodes well for one of my Profit Catalyst holdings.Smart investors are looking for a way to capitalize on the explosive growth in Internet advertising,… Read More

We may be living in the “Year of the Mega Deal,” but the latest announced merger may signal an era is coming to an end.Bayer’s (OTC: BAYRY) proposed takeover of Monsanto (NYSE: MON), is a transaction valued at $66 billion including debt, making it the biggest deal of the year… Read More