I’m always a little skeptical of any stock market screen called a “magic formula,” but I do like to consult Joel Greenblatt’s screener by that name from time to time. Greenblatt, who made the screen famous in his book The Little Book that Beats the Market ranks stocks using two criteria: Valuation, as measured by...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

With the 10-year Treasury yield hitting new multi-year highs and all dividend-focused stock taking a beating as a result, income investors can be forgiven for feeling a little uneasy at the moment.  It’s unsettling to buy a REIT, MLPs or dividend-paying stock in the hopes of enjoying a nice 4-5% yield only to lose two...Read More

It’s that time again.  Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) released its quarterly 13F filing today, which details stock by stock what Buffett and his managers have been buying and selling. At the top of the list?  A 17.8-million-share position in Suncor Energy (SU), Canada’s biggest oil and gas producer.  Suncor is a major producer in the...Read More