Jeff Reeves and I chat about the prospects for the housing market.  Read Jeff’s comments from his write-up on The Slant: Charles Sizemore stopped by the office last week to talk about the current state of the housing market, and demographic trends that could mean long-term growth for real estate even if the short-term outlook is rocky....Read More

In the international currency war, it would appear that Guido Mantega has turned traitor and gone over to the other side. If you’re not familiar with Mr. Mantega, he is the colorful—and quotable—finance minister of Brazil and one of the most vocal critics of the easy money policies pursued by the United States, Europe, and...Read More

There is no precise or fool-proof way to know that a stock has bottomed out after a large decline.  Successful timing is often more of an art than a science.  All the same, there are certain signs you can look for.  And in my view, one of the most useful signs is the way a...Read More

For a staid old department store with a 111-year-old history, JC Penney Company (JCP) has been in the news a lot this year, though not for any noteworthy operational developments; the retailer continues its slow march into irrelevance, and it’s not likely to change course any time soon. The headlines have mostly surrounded one particularly...Read More

Last month, I ran a screen of “Magic Formula” stocks from hedge fund guru Joel Greenblatt’s screener. I recommend you read the original piece because I explain what the Magic Formula is and how it works.  But for the sake of simplicity, I can summarize it like this:  the Magic Formula is a list of...Read More