i’ve lived in the US for almost 12 years and rarely has anyone asked me my religion. truth be told, i was raised Catholic by my mom which in practice meant occasional Sunday mass, never missing Easter or Christmas. i was also exposed to Buddhism by way of my dad and there are many tenets worth following (impermance – got it! acceptance – ok!). but when it comes to investing, beware – the Buddhist idea of living in the present may lead to some unenlightened thinking and decisions.
Thursday
26
Aug 2010
26
Aug 2010
Tuesday
27
Jul 2010
27
Jul 2010
it’s that time of the year – quarterly earnings time – when ceos come forth to discuss the company’s Q2 results. hopefully, revenues were up x%, earnings up y%, and the future’s so bright, they gotta wear shades. but in all the we’ve-passed-through-the-valley-of-death talk, pay attention to the anti Q2 commentary or what the ceos are NOT saying. therein lie clues to how the ceo is actually feeling about the future.
Wednesday
23
Jun 2010
23
Jun 2010
if you’ve been following the World Cup, then pat yourself on the back, you’ve got more global awareness than many professional money managers in the US.
granted, this year may be an anomoly year as the US soccer team advances far beyond most people’s expectations. and for this reason alone, more Americans may be tuning in. still it’s amazing to learn that billions – that’s billions – of people are watching the World Cup. soccer (ahem, football) is truly an international sport and in this interdependent, interconnected world we live in, investing must also be approached as an international activity.
Sunday
30
May 2010
30
May 2010
whether you manage money for a living or not, too often people will buy a stock based on nothing more than a 60 second tip (e.g., aunt pam pitching a stock while reaching for the roasted yams at thanksgiving dinner).
now if the tip is coming from a professional money manager who, in theory, has researched the company and done her homework, you may give the tip more cred. and that would make sense, right? you pay investment advisors to research and recommend stocks. but i’ve seen enough portfolio managers buy stocks based on a gut feel, not on research. and in this business, you just have to be right more than you’re wrong to have a “winning” track record.
Tuesday
27
Apr 2010
27
Apr 2010
it’s that wonderful time of year called “earnings season” when public companies report their financial results for the quarter ending March 31st. and i’m noticing, as the saying goes, give them (the investors) an inch and they take a mile.
during the bleakest days when the word “recovery” dare speak its name, the only positive thing companies could point to on these earnings calls was the draconian cost cuts being made - headcount reduced 40%, salaries reduced 10%, no more conference travel, etc. etc. now with lots of “i think we’ve seen the bottom” comments by company ceos and subsequently, a rallying stock market, happy days are here again. and so now investors want to see profits grow for reasons other than because the company laid off a third of their staff. in other words, companies need to show me the money. i want to see the top line or revenues grow.
