Alcoa, the largest US aluminum producer, is almost always one of the first companies to report quarterly earnings. Whether you own their stock or not, they’re a great company to follow because aluminum is used in the production of so many things. They reported earlier this week and I was pretty happy with some of…
Fiscal Cliff
(Unfortunately this is one of those boring yet important posts…) At this point I’m sure everyone has heard that Congress struck a deal. And boy did the stock markets around the world react positively. It’s crazy how quickly things can change with the stroke of a pen! We’re not out of the woods yet though. …
History Does Repeat Itself
You know that age-old adage by everyone’s favorite British Philosopher and Statesman Edmund Burke: “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it?” Well I’m afraid we’re doing it again! So how did we get in this mess in the first place? From my point of view, it’s a lack of education and a…
Municipal Bonds
I suppose that sometimes being lucky is better than being good. I think we’re now seeing the shock to muni bonds that I was expecting, just didn’t expect it this quickly! High yield muni bonds look like someone pushed them off a “fiscal cliff,” falling 4.5% the past 3 days trading days alone. That’s an…
Opportunities Lie Ahead…
I made some major changes to municipal bond holdings again this week. Always a tough decision since they’re held in taxable accounts and thus it is a taxable event, but managing risk always trumps avoiding taxes. While everyone is focused on the exciting stock market, it’s the bond market that is starting to worry me. …
Lead
With signs that China’s economy may be picking up again, I think it’s time to buy some lead. Yes, lead… As everyone knows, lead poisoning can be very harmful, if not fatal, making lead probably the most hated resource over the past 30+ years. After the US banned the use in paints, solders and gasoline…
Wish you had more control of your investment outcome?
If you’ve been following the economic news the past few weeks, you’re probably as sick as I am of hearing the term “fiscal cliff.” Last week Congress says they’re making progress and the stock market rallies. Today they say they’re not happy because of the lack of progress and the stock market immediately tips over. …
High Yield Municipal Bonds
Earlier today I cut positions in high yield muni bonds in half. Why am I selling muni bonds when everyone else seems to be buying them? Well, that’s part of the answer. Since president Obama won reelection, there’s been a flood of new money coming into municipal bonds (all types of muni’s), pushing them from…