Reputations can take decades to build…and only minutes to throw away.  I thought of this last week when I read that American Express (NYSE:$AXP) was gutting its travel services, laying off more than 5,000 employees—or roughly 9 percent of its workforce—most of whom worked in travel. Remember, Amex is the card for the global elite—executives...Read More

The market, like the Greek gods on Olympus, has a cruel streak.  It seems to enjoy toying with us mere mortals, and it seems to enjoy teaching us a little humility as well. This time last year I threw my hat into the ring of InvestorPlace’s “10 Stocks for 2012” contest with my recommendation of...Read More

If McDonalds (NYSE:$MCD) were a tech company, it wouldn’t be Apple (Nasdaq:$AAPL) or Google (Nasdaq:$GOOG).  It would distinctly be Microsoft (Nasdaq:$MSFT). Yes, I realize that I’m talking about the world’s largest chain of burger joints, and it might seem odd to mention it in the same breath as America’s top tech titans.  But hear me...Read More

I originally penned this articled in December 2011.  Given Sears’ stock action in the year that has passed, it’s worth another read. A well-respected value investor buys an old American company in decline, promising to restore its fortunes.  Alas, the recovery never comes.  The economics of the industry have changed, and the company cannot compete...Read More

For the past year, it’s been a swinging-from-the-chandeliers party in booze stocks.  High-end alcohol distillers have kept investors buzzed in an otherwise sobering stretch. Diageo (NYSE: $DEO), the biggest and best diversified of the lot, is up 37% over the past 52 weeks.  But Pernod-Ricard (Pink:$PDRDY) and Beam, Inc. (NYSE:$BEAM) are both up more than...Read More