Informed Investments

Baidu vs Google

PennyWise — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:29:27 +0000

Should You Invest in Baidu? Or Google? Is Baidu really worth as much as it's trading for? Will Google leave China? If so, will other businesses follow suit, and if so, how will this affect the Chinese economy? This and more, as we discuss the ins and outs of Baidu vs Google and their role in the Chinese and world economies... read more »

Oil and Gas Royalty Trusts

PennyWise — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:57:41 +0000

What is a Royalty Trust? You may have heard a tip from a friend that she has a great oil and gas royalty trust for you to invest in. First, we should point out that by the time a stock tip reaches you, it's usually to late. Do your own research, and inform yourself as to what your best investment is based on your financial needs, investing time horizon, etc. Second, royalty trusts aren't always all they're cracked up to be, especially when it comes to the oil and gas industries... read more »

Buying VALU - Value Line, Inc.

PennyWise — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 21:32:23 +0000

Why Are We Buying Value Line? Value Line is a fundamentally sound company that has taken a beating due to the recent stress on the financial sector. Since Value Line is a service provider it carries no inventory. It has no debt on its books and is currently priced at attractive levels compared to its past performance... read more »

Buying ELMG - EMS Technologies, Inc.

PennyWise — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:13:19 +0000

Is EMS Technologies a Steal? Our bulls feel that EMS Technologies (ELMG) is a steal at its current price. A combination of new management, and a fundamental and technical valuation that indicates significant opportunity has our bulls licking their chops. Our bears, on the other hand, cite economic uncertainty along with a reduction in profits as red flags on ELMG at its current price levels... read more »

Is Gold a Good Investment in 2009?

PennyWise — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:15:24 +0000

How Good of an Investment is Gold Right Now? The markets are volatile - a recent run-up suggests that a full economic recovery might be closer than we think. Or does it? The recession that led to the Great Depression had several short-lived recovery periods on the way to a prolonged downturn. Will continued government intervention cause a rush from the dollar to gold? ... read more »

Starbucks on 15th Ave in Seattle

PennyWise — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:09:56 +0000

If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em Starbucks new stab at innovation is a foray into the world of old European style coffee houses. With their opening of 15th Ave's Coffee and Tea in Seattle, Starbucks veers away from the corporate brand it has been establishing over the past few years, and focuses on replicating the atmosphere of an independent neighborhood café... read more »

Buying SIMO - Silicon Motion Technology Corp

PennyWise — Thu, 07 May 2009 20:55:13 +0000

Why Are We Buying Silicon Motion Technology? We feel that SIMO carries a competitive advantage in the controller market, and has the potential to explode when old disk manufacturers switch to solid state drives. The company's fundamentals are excellent, profit margins are strong, as is cash flow, and Silicon Motion carries little to no debt. We feel this presents a unique buying opportunity... read more »

Economic Stimulus Check Schedule

PennyWise — Wed, 06 May 2009 21:26:50 +0000

When Will I Get My Economic Stimulus Check? Economic stimulus checks are typically issued by the government during difficult economic times to help spur (or "stimulate") consumer spending. 2008 was no different, being the year that bore the brunt of one of the greatest recessions of all time. 124 million households were estimated to receive a stimulus payment. If each household receives an average payment of $600, that amounts to a whopping $74,400,000,000!... read more »

Will Tech Stocks Lead the Recovery?

PennyWise — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:08:13 +0000

Tech Will Lead the Recovery While we have no idea when the market will begin to recover, one thing appears clear - the fact that technology companies are best positioned to lead the recovery. As far as we can tell, the recent rally was a major head fake. There's still $3 trillion (according to the IMF) of write-downs coming for the major banks (so far, they've only reported $1 trillion), much more job cutting on the way, more housing troubles, major shrinkage in retail and manufacturing, and a laundry list of woes that make the light at the end of the tunnel appear farther away than it might be.... read more »

Shorting GS - Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

PennyWise — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:07:25 +0000

Goldman - We Don't Want Your Money! So Goldman recently decided to return all of its government TARP funds. Why, you ask? Maybe because they saw the taxpayer pressure on AIG to return its bonus money. No more thousand dollar shower curtains, corporate jets, and private island vacations. Goldman doesn't want to lose all that just yet. Their problem is, taxpayers are watching them not solely because of their money tied up in government funds, but because of their money tied up in commercial real estate and other assets. Things are going to get significantly worse before they get better... read more »