Nicholas Vardy
‘The Seven Secrets of Successful Speculation’
“Speculation” has an image problem.
Index fund pioneer John Bogle recently wrote a book on “The Clash of Cultures: Investing versus Speculation,” where he trashed the idea of trying to make money by doing anything else besides investing in an index investment fund (presumably from the Vanguard firm that he founded).
Summer of 2013: Out with a Whimper
The summer of 2013 ended last week with a whimper, with the Dow Jones dropping 1.33% and the S&P 500 falling by 1.84%. Global markets continued to struggle as the MCSI Emerging Markets Index dropped another 1.63%. Most of your Bull Market Alert positions pulled back along with the market. The sole exception was your […]
Suffering From Mr. Market’s Moodswings
It was another tough week for stock markets around the globe, as the S&P 500 dipped 1.32%, while the MSCI Emerging Markets Index tumbled 2.94%. Only two positions in your Alpha Investor Letter portfolio eked out gains — Visa Inc. (V) and last month’s bet on biotechnology through the Market Vectors Biotech ETF (BBH), which […]
The World’s ‘Stealth’ Bull Markets
If you’ve been investing only in U.S. stock markets this year, you probably haven’t noticed that 2013 has been a rough year for global stocks. For all of the current hand wringing about the impact of the Fed’s imminent tapering on global financial markets, with its 17.7% return year-to-date, the U.S. stock market ranks #2 […]
Betting on the Online Travel Revolution — and a New Option Recommendation
It was a mixed week in U.S. and global stock markets. The Dow Jones was down 0.47% while the S&P 500 ended the week 0.46% higher. Global markets continued to struggle, with the MSCI Emerging Markets Index tumbling 1.65%. Big gainers in your Bull Market Alert portfolio included Bank of Ireland (IRE), which soared 13.42%. […]
Mr. Market’s Moodswings and a Special Presentation From the Money Show
It was another tough week for both U.S. and global stock markets. The Dow Jones fell 2.90% and the S&P 500 was down 2.47%. The MCSI Emerging Markets Index also tumbled 3.70%. As a result, several of your positions in the Alpha Investor Letter dropped below their 50-day moving averages and moved to a HOLD. […]