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Reuben Brewer

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  • Investing For The Other Half

    By Reuben Brewer - May 17, 2013 | Tickers: DRI, JNJ, MCD, DIS

    The severe market sell offs after the tech and housing bubbles appear to have left a large swath of the American public fearful of investing. That's not surprising, but it is a sad remnant of a difficult period. Dipping a toe back in the stock waters, however, can be done in a fun and relatively safe way by buying what you know.

    50%, or so

    The New York Time more »

  • Desperate For Video

    By Reuben Brewer - May 17, 2013 | Tickers: NFLX, DIS, YHOO

    Now that Yahoo's (NASDAQ: YHOO) efforts to buy a controlling stake in Dailymotion have come to an end, the rumor is that the company is looking to buy Hulu. That could be a costly mistake.

    Life After Being Googled

    Yahoo! has been outgunned by Google for years. While the company is still an important industry player, revenues peaked in 2008 and have been generally heading the wrong way the more »

  • Are Tesla and Google Teaming Up?

    By Reuben Brewer - May 17, 2013 | Tickers: F, GOOG, TSLA

    An off the cuff remark by Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) CEO Elon Musk about working with Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) on a driverless car made headlines recently. The notion was quickly squashed by both Musk and Google. Is Tesla's quick price advance over, too?

    News

    Tesla shares have seen a heady advance over the last six months, with the bulk of the gain coming in the last month or so. The more »

  • Apple Needs New Markets, Fast

    By Reuben Brewer - May 17, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, BBRY, SSNLF

    Investors have been less than enthused about Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) prospects, despite still solid business results. The change in sentiment is largely a result of the fact that Apple is looking more and more like a consumer products company. That means it needs new markets, but so far it isn't finding them.

    Changing the World

    There is no question that Apple products have changed the face of the more »

  • Two Value Ideas And A Stock To Trim Back On

    By Reuben Brewer - May 17, 2013 | Tickers: FIS, HPQ, TDG

    Value Focused Weitz Value Fund (WVALX) recently initiated small positions in TransDigm (NYSE: TDG) and Fidelity National Information Services (NYSE: FIS). It also started to trim its stake in Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ). All three stocks are worth a quick review.

    A Value Family

    Wallace Weitz, Bradley Hinton, and David Perkins are the co-mangers of Weitz Value Fund. The fund has bested the S&P 500 Index on an annualized basis more »

  • A New Drug Sales Model

    By Reuben Brewer - May 17, 2013 | Tickers: NVO, PFE, TEVA

    Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) is trying a new sales paradigm, selling direct to patients. If this effort works, it could completely change the pharmaceutical industry.

    Little Blue Pills

    One of Pfizer's best selling drugs is Viagra, which is used to treat erectile dysfunction. That particular ailment carries material social stigma and the pills, which are still under patent protection for many more years, can be expensive. That has proven to more »

  • Pick Your Income Poison

    By Reuben Brewer - May 17, 2013 | Tickers: BKW, DRI, MCD, RDS-B

    “If you’re looking for income, you pretty much just have to pick your poison these days.” That's a quote from Barron's Income Investing columnist Michael Aneiro. It is, however, an apt description of a market in which bond prices hover near historic lows and the stock prices for steady dividend payers have run up to all time highs. Now might be a good time to look for more »

  • Avoiding A Sweeney Todd Haircut Part Three

    By Reuben Brewer - May 17, 2013 | Tickers: T, FII, SO, VZ

    While the old market saying is sell in May and go away, Bill Gross of PIMCO suggests that investors “gradually reduce risk positions in 2013.” In his typically fun-loving manner, the Bond King compared the risk of investing today to a Sweeney Todd haircut, which makes going away sound better than Gross' advice. However, you can't collect dividends if you aren't invested. AT&T (NYSE: T), Verizon (NYSE: VZmore »)

  • Avoiding A Sweeney Todd Haircut Part Two

    By Reuben Brewer - May 17, 2013 | Tickers: COP, RDS-B, TOT

    In his May market commentary Bill Gross of PIMCO compared the risk of investing today to a Sweeney Todd haircut. Losing one's head in the market isn't a very promising outlook, but you can't collect dividends if you aren't invested. Gross suggests that investors “gradually reduce risk positions in 2013.” Here are some ways to do that with a perpetually in-demand commodity.

    A Bubble

    Bill Gross more »

  • Avoiding A Sweeney Todd Haircut

    By Reuben Brewer - May 17, 2013 | Tickers: ARLP, MO, EXC

    Bill Gross of PIMCO recently compared the risk of investing today to a Sweeney Todd haircut. No one wants to lose their head, but you can't collect dividends if you aren't invested. Gross suggests that investors “gradually reduce risk positions in 2013.” Here are some outside the box ways to do that.

    A Bubble

    In his May market commentary, Bill Gross explains that the best way to avoid more »

  • Misunderstood And Room To Grow

    By Reuben Brewer - May 17, 2013 | Tickers: FR, PLD, STAG

    STAG Industrial (NYSE: STAG) CEO Ben Butcher explained to me in an interview that he believes his company is undervalued relative to industrial real estate investment trust (REIT) peers because it is misunderstood. He's also optimistic about STAG's growth prospects. Despite a steep share price advance, that could make now a great time to buy the shares.

    We Considered Other Things

    In 2003, when STAG was just getting more »

  • Video Deal Falls Through, Thank Goodness

    By Reuben Brewer - May 17, 2013 | Tickers: GOOG, JCP, YHOO

    Yahoo!'s (NASDAQ: YHOO) efforts to buy a controlling stake in foreign video streaming giant Dailymotion have come to an end because of the French government. While it could be viewed as a setback, it's probably a blessing in disguise.

    A Collection of Links

    Although it's a very different company today, Yahoo! started life as a collection of links that helped to organize the web. It was a more »

  • Google Expanding Into Finance

    By Reuben Brewer - May 17, 2013 | Tickers: EBAY, GOOG, TWX

    Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG) big success is in being a toll taker. That means setting up systems that others use to create businesses. A recent investment in Lending Club could be setting the stage to take that same idea in a new direction.

    Peer-to-Peer Lending

    Lending Club is an interesting concept. It basically has a marketplace in which lenders and borrowers can get together and create a structured loan. Lending more »

  • Good News For Health Care Stocks Part 3

    By Reuben Brewer - May 17, 2013 | Tickers: NTRI, SNY, WTW

    A recent study showed that providing Medicaid coverage to lower-income residents of Oregon led to an increased use of health care services. While not at all a surprising outcome, taking that finding a step further can lead to some interesting investing ideas.

    The Oregon Study

    The New England Journal of Medicine recently released the results of the Oregon Study. That research tracked Oregon's test of randomly assigning lower-income adults more »

  • Good News For Health Care Stocks Part 2

    By Reuben Brewer - May 17, 2013 | Tickers: JNJ, PRGO, TEVA

    It isn't surprising that providing Medicaid coverage to lower-income residents of Oregon led to an increased use of health care services. However, taking that finding a step further can lead to some interesting investing ideas.

    The Oregon Study

    The New England Journal of Medicine recently released the results of the Oregon Study. That research tracked Oregon's test of randomly assigning lower-income adults into a group that received Medicaid more »

  • Good News For Health Care Stocks

    By Reuben Brewer - May 17, 2013 | Tickers: CAH, CVS, NVO

    New research shows that Medicaid coverage leads to an increased use of health care services. That's not surprising, but it does have big implications for health care stocks.

    The Oregon Study

    The New England Journal of Medicine recently released the results of an important study. The Oregon Study, as it's called, tracked that state's test of randomly assigning lower-income adults into two groups, one that received Medicaid more »

  • Why Apple Needs Debt...

    By Reuben Brewer - May 17, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, MSFT, STX, WDC

    Technology giant Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) recently announced it would increase its dividend and buy back shares. The company plans to use debt to fund these shareholder friendly moves. For a cash rich company that doesn't sound like it makes much sense, but it does.

    Apple Grows up

    Apple has seen its highs and lows throughout its history. After the company ousted Steve Jobs it spiraled into near obsolescence. After more »

  • Big Risks From A Market Plunge Part 3

    By Reuben Brewer - May 17, 2013 | Tickers: CLMS, CNS, JNS

    The asset management business can be great when the market is headed higher. But if bearish market pundits are right and the stock market falls by 40% or more, not only would the stocks of asset managers go down, but so, too, would their assets under management (AUM). That could have lasting implications for their top and bottom lines.

    Perma Bears

    Although his weekly commentary can be dense and filled more »

  • Big Risks From A Market Plunge Part 2

    By Reuben Brewer - May 17, 2013 | Tickers: AB, EV, LM

    With bearish market pundits calling for a market plunge of 40% or more, virtually all stocks would take a hit. Asset managers, however, would take a double hit. Not only would their stocks go down, but so, too, would their assets under management (AUM). That would could be particularly bad for long-term results.

    Perma Bears

    “It’s a good reminder that the average bear market loss represents a run-of-the-mill market more »

  • Big Risks From A Market Plunge Part 1

    By Reuben Brewer - May 17, 2013 | Tickers: AMG, BLK, WETF

    Some market pundits are calling for the stock market to fall by 40% or more. That type of decline would take virtually all stocks with it, however asset managers would feel a double whammy. Not only would their stocks go down, but so, too, would their assets under management (AUM). That would have lasting implications for their top and bottom lines.

    Perma Bears

    There is a collection of very concerned more »

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