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Damian Ford

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  • 3 Reasons to Get Excited About Sherwin Williams

    By Damian Ford - May 2, 2013 | Tickers: EXPE, HD, LEN, PHM, SHW, TRIP

    Steampunk, Exotic, Theatrical Romanticism, Retro Fun, Flirty and Feminine...These don’t jump out as financial buzzwords or technical analysis, but they do describe Sherwin Williams’ (NYSE: SHW) latest trend setting color families.  Interior designers, automobile manufacturers, home builders, and clothing designers synergistically play off this trendsetting company creating anticipation every year as fabric and wallpaper companies, furniture and automobile companies flock to market highlighting these latest  color trends.

    The more »

  • 5 Stocks To Consider Before The 'End Of The World'

    By Damian Ford - December 19, 2012 | Tickers: AMZN, COST, OLN, SWHC, RGR

    Wouldn’t You Like To Be a Prepper Too?

    I heard a startling statistic yesterday.  According to a Reuters Poll, twenty-two percent (22%) of all people in the United States believe the world will end in their lifetime.  I’ve been mostly peripherally curious at this point, however recent events in Connecticut have caused me to look at this statistic a little closer.   For the record, I am NOT a more »

  • Barnes and Noble Doubles Down on Bricks and Mortar

    By Damian Ford - September 3, 2012 | Tickers: AMZN, BKS, MSFT, SBUX

    William Lynch, CEO at Barnes and Noble (NYSE: BKS) at his recent F1Q13 earnings call August 21, 2012 said, “What we are seeing encouragingly is an increase in the pipeline of our peers from schools looking to outsource their physical and online campus bookstores. These schools see the growth in text book rentals and recognize the pending growth of digital content and are unable or unwilling to invest in managing the distribution of course materials in these formats themselves.”  Is Barnes and Noble fine-tuning their physical location offerings, or are they positioning themselves for the inevitable growth of the digital textbook market?

  • RadioShack’s Reckless Abandon

    By Damian Ford - August 23, 2012 | Tickers: AMZN, BBY, RSH

    I ventured into my local RadioShack (NYSE: RSH) today.   I was immediately hit with a wall of mobile phone options from all the major carriers.  I also witnessed a resetting of display which enhanced Apple’s iPad, and iPhone displays although the iPads are behind glass so you can’t touch them.    All of this is additional evidence the company is persistently moving away from the Shack which served transistor tinkerers of years past and trying to capture any remaining mobile market share in an already saturated market.

  • Chipotle's Recent Quarter Offers Clues to Consumer Behavior

    By Damian Ford - July 31, 2012 | Tickers: CMG, MCD, PNRA, WFM, YUM

    It is unnerving to watch a stock like Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) go down almost $90 or nearly 24% in one day, but it also forces me to take a closer look at a stock that I have been invested in for over three years.  I am a big fan of the giant burritos and the fresh lightly salted nachos served in a brown paper bag.  Considered to be on the high-end of the quick-food market, the feel-good health story of antibiotic and hormone free naturally raised beef, chicken, and pork and chain-wide recycling efforts keep even the most peripheral tree-huggers coming back for more.  Are consumers being drawn to a lower priced menu from McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD) who recently expanded their dollar menu choices or YUM! Brands’ (NYSE: YUM) less expensive spicy offerings from Taco Bell in lieu of the average $10 bill at Chipotle or will they still pay up for heathy food options?


  • My 14 Year-Old is Not Bullish on Facebook!

    By Damian Ford - July 23, 2012 | Tickers: AAPL, EBAY, FB, ZNGA

    When I arrived home from work the other evening, my 14 year-old announced to me “I deactivated my Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) account” with a smile on her face.  I asked if there was a problem, or was she a victim of cyber-bullying.  She responded that she didn’t want to be a part of the daily drama.  A very mature statement from a young person, whom we all assume drives this social site.  So what can an investor learn from this young person’s actions?

  • A Look at Best Buy...Buffett Style

    By Damian Ford - July 17, 2012 | Tickers: AMZN, BBY

    I am going refer to an article from The Motley Fool Buffet’s Top 10 Investing Secrets to take a look at the value in Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) and to give a little more “value” to those who read my last blog on the company.  For this particular story I want to refer to the investing secrets that relate to stock picks, rather than investing style.  I will list several points as they appeared in the article.


  • Blind Faith or Brand Loyalty?

    By Damian Ford - July 16, 2012 | Tickers: AAPL, T, GOOG

    Announcing Apple’s (NASDAQ: AAPL) new iPhone 5 complete with two titanium cans and a faster fiber-optic string and it works seamlessly with our complete line of iProducts.  Of course this exaggerates the point a bit, but there isn’t much that Apple announces that goes unnoticed (or unconsumed) by today’s consumer.  Are we led to believe that anything Apple puts in front of us is going to be magical, or has there been a consistency in the consumer experience that buys a loyalty not seen by very many brands?


  • Are Best Buy's Days Numbered?

    By Damian Ford - July 13, 2012 | Tickers: AAPL, BBY

    Best Buy Co., (NYSE: BBY) the largest U.S. electronics retailer has announced another 2,400 job cuts as reported in this story by the Wall Street Journal.  Eighteen hundred store employees and six hundred employees from their Geek Squad service and repair department.  Is the cost-cutting effort for this U.S. employer too late or will they be able to successfully negotiate this period of slowing sales and decreased demand?

  • Retailers, Open Your Eyes to Apple

    By Damian Ford - July 6, 2012 | Tickers: AAPL, COST, DIN, SBUX

    Shopping has always been a form of entertainment for the American consumer.  But can this “experience” be replicated with the very portable, very accessible iPhone, or iPad?  Wandering through small towns, peaking in various retail establishments, partaking in the various “experiences” offered by that particular store or town or strip mall has long been a favorite past-time.  Is this “experience” being replaced by the digital experience Apple (NASDAQ:  AAPL) has engineered for todays consumer?