How would you like a little insurance in case one of your stocks takes a turn for the worse? If that sounds appealing, consider a protective put. At its core, a protective put is exactly what it sounds like—protection. It allows you to hang on to the potential gains from a stock you own, while setting a floor beneath your…
We’ve all been known to flip-flop on occasion. As a protestor outside nuclear power plants during the 1970s, I used to chant “Hell no, we won’t glow!” The bumper sticker on my Volkswagen Beetle declared: “Split wood, not atoms.” Yet here I am, decades later as a financial analyst, avidly recommending investments in the nuclear industry, for both moral and…
The words dividend cut strike fear into the hearts of even the most hardened investor. Not only do they reduce future income, but they also typically trigger capital losses as investors abandon the shares. That’s a painful double-whammy. So it’s important to look for some of the telltale signs. After all, avoiding a loss is just as important as booking a gain.…
Some things never change. Especially when those things have been buried beneath the surface of our planet for millions of years. I thought about that while filling my car with gasoline the other day. The petroleum from which it is made never changes, even though the vehicles into which it goes have evolved enormously since the automobile was invented 140…
Welcome to another installment of “How to Invest While the World Burns.” If you’ve glanced at a headline lately, or accidentally made eye contact with your 401(k), you know we’re living in an age of economic performance art. Amid Beltway buffoonery, mercurial trade policies, and worsening fears of recession, investor confidence is hanging by a thread…and that thread is fraying…
Utilities, such as electricity, water, and natural gas companies, are essential services that people rely on regardless of economic conditions. This leads to stable demand for their products, ensuring steady revenue generation. Since utilities typically operate under regulatory frameworks that allow them to pass costs onto consumers, their cash flows are often both predictable and resilient, even during periods of…
The phrase “dumping U.S. debt” might sound like a political slogan, but its implications are deeply economic. It puts upward pressure on interest rates, tightens financial conditions, and can alter the trajectory of the broader economy. For investors, understanding the mechanics of this process is key to navigating an increasingly complex global landscape. You don’t have to be a bond…
Let’s face it: volatility is back, baby. And it’s louder, meaner, and more erratic than ever. Stocks are soaring one day and plunging the next, amid chaotic tariff pronouncements, rising geopolitical tensions, and the growing buzz that a recession is just around the corner. However, before you renounce capitalism and move to a hut in Patagonia, I’ve got a better…
As recession fears loom and political instability rises, investor sentiment has turned grim. Last week’s massive plunges in global markets might be just the beginning. When the stock market suffers a major sell-off for whatever reason, it’s tempting to freeze, panic, or simply look the other way. But that’s the moment when disciplined investors can actually strengthen their portfolios. One…
The stock market is often perceived as a rational machine, responding directly to fundamental economic changes. However, short-term market movements are largely driven by perception, sentiment, and expectations rather than actual economic shifts. This reality has been on full display in recent weeks as Donald Trump’s tariff threats have sent markets into a tailspin, despite no immediate changes in corporate…