In this business, it all comes down to profits and inflation. Anything else counts only if it impacts one or the other. It’s that simple.   That’s why we’re far less concerned with the budget and trade deficits than with the Fed and commodity prices. While… Read More

AAA-rated, and bargains to boot   THE OUTLOOK: Increasing economic uncertainty and turbulence are likely on the way and, as always, such unsettled conditions will favor high-quality growth stocks that have rock-solid balance sheets. Moreover, right now you can scoop these stalwarts up at bargain prices. Read More

We also add Exelon, while shedding Fifth Third and Tiffany   Our Growth Portfolio is rigorously constructed as a collection of high-quality dominant companies positioned to capitalize strongly on one or more of three key trends: Chindia’s emergence, rising energy prices, and aging populations. With that… Read More

MLPs are hot, and Kinder Morgan is one of the best of the breed   Just as REITs became hot income vehicles in the past decade, today Master Limited Partnerships are winning favor with income investors, and for good reason. Our Income Portfolio already contains one… Read More

RS Global gives you gold and aluminum along with oil and gas   Optimists like to say that when one door shuts, another opens. That’s not a bad philosophy for fund investors, either. Last issue we noted that one of our favorite energy funds, Vanguard… Read More

Demand for coal will rise, and Arch Coal will be there   While Vanguard Energy fund is closed to new investors, that doesn’t mean we can’t tap the brains of its savvy management to see what stocks it likes. Not surprisingly, many of the… Read More

Our 7 aggressive health care plays offer outsized potential   Time for an update. Our Fast Track portfolio is a collection of stocks in assorted growth areas. Our biggest category is health care, with seven stocks. It includes biotechnology (Amylin, Sepracor, and… Read More

From spy cameras to cash cows, a lot to like   Unlike the stocks in our various portfolios, those presented each issue in Sector Sense aren’t actual recommendations (unless they also happen to be in a portfolio). Rather, we use the column to spotlight interesting, occasionally… Read More

Barry Bosworth: Our Kids “Should Be Mad as Hell”   Brookings Institute economist Barry Bosworth doesn’t think huge U.S. budget deficits will derail the economy shorter term. “The budget deficit isn’t a crisis. It’s an intergenerational conflict,” he says. “Our children should be mad as hell… Read More

The good, the bad, and the ho-hum   For most people, the market is synonymous with “the Dow”, i.e., the Dow Jones Industrial Index. This venerable bluechip index is comprised of 30 stocks representing a wide swath of U.S. commerce. TCI’s first article in this issue… Read More