The first quarter was tough, with most market averages ending in the red. While not deep, the losses were widespread: about the only groups spared were energy, utilities, and one or two others.   With inflation seemingly low and growth steady, you might wonder why stocks… Read More

The Street is still in deep denial   THE OUTLOOK: Energy stocks are nowhere near their ultimate highs, and one reason is that Wall Street firms are clinging to fantasies that oil prices will come down permanently. HOW TO PROFIT: Continue to overweight a… Read More

So is Air Products & Chemicals, an alternative energy play   As we reported in a “Red Alert” and discussed at length on our Web site, we’ve sold American International Group. This has left us a bit light in the financial sector. We’re remedying… Read More

Buy International Rectifier, a leader in power-saving chips   Convertibles can offer the best of both worlds: income plus the chance for capital gains if the underlying stock goes up. Even if the stock doesn’t appreciate much, you still generally get the bond’s par value while… Read More

Mid-cap value funds are hot, and our newest has a solid long-term record   Lately it seems that almost every month we’ve had to find a fund to replace one that became closed to new investors. We’re not complaining, though—the reason for the “no new money”… Read More

No wonder Artisan and other funds like Jacob Engineering   We’re taking big profits in one midcap value pick—HCA, up 50 percent (with dividends reinvested) since we added it to FundFinds in November—and replacing it with another mid-cap value play: Jacobs Engineering. Read More

Driller or chipmaker, both are leveraged to a continued rise in oil prices   The long-term uptrend in energy will benefit all kinds of companies—energy companies themselves as well as less obvious choices. This issue we’re adding two very different stocks to Fast Track that share… Read More

The industry still is young and offers investors plenty of ways to hop aboard   If you think that one of the biggest trends in today’s world is the rush to wireless, you’re right. Nifty cell phones from which you not only can call home but… Read More

Mark Stahlman: He Knows a Bit about Computers   In TCI we’ve often bemoaned Wall Street’s “groupthink” mentality, pernicious especially when it came to last decade’s tech boom and, more recently, the outlook for oil. That’s why it was refreshing to talk to Mark Stahlman, one… Read More

A bull market for base metals   Late last year, several Japanese carmakers and shipbuilders announced they were forced to cut production because of global steel shortages. Even though steel prices had been rising, production still couldn’t keep pace with demand.   When it comes… Read More