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Andrés Cardenal

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  • Apple is Right, the Tax Code is Wrong and Tim Cook is a Strong Leader

    By Andrés Cardenal - May 24, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, GOOG, MSFT

    Tim Cook didn´t have it easy when testifying before the congress on issues regarding Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) ´s tax avoidance strategy. But he proved three things: Apple is doing the right thing, the tax system needs to be reformed and Cook himself is a strong leader.

    What?

    Let´s be clear about this, nobody is saying that Apple is doing anything illegal; the company is reducing its tax burden more »

  • Dimom is a Good CEO and a Lousy Chairman

    By Andrés Cardenal - May 23, 2013 | Tickers: BAC, JPM, WFC

    Jamie Dimon has finally got what he wanted and he is going to remain as both CEO and Chairman of the Board at JP Morgan (NYSE: JPM).  Unfortunately for investors in the company, Dimon´s victory is comes at the expense of better corporate governance.

    Two different jobs

    There is a reason why CEO and Chairman of the Board are separate jobs; they are two different roles with their own more »

  • 3 Reasons to Buy This Global Payments Powerhouse

    By Andrés Cardenal - May 23, 2013 | Tickers: AXP, DFS, MA, V

    It´s no secret that plastic is rapidly replacing cash and checks all over the world -- a strong secular tailwind that can benefit companies in the debit and credit card business. But the really big opportunity lies in emerging markets, where this still-young trend could generate years of growing demand for this industry. When looking for the best alternatives to capitalize this opportunity, MasterCard (NYSE: MA) seems to enjoy a more »

  • The Yahoo-Tumblr Deal is a Good Idea

    By Andrés Cardenal - May 22, 2013 | Tickers: FB, GOOG, YHOO

    Now that Yahoo (NASDAQ: YHOO) has finally announced the acquisition of Tumblr, the media is all over this deal, mostly with a pessimistic tone. There are some solid reasons to be skeptic about this acquisition, and Yahoo still needs to go a long way in order to prove it can remain a relevant player in its industry. However, the deal makes a lot of sense considering the circumstances.

    The glass more »

  • Investing to Profit From the 3D Printing Revolution

    By Andrés Cardenal - May 22, 2013 | Tickers: DDD, SSYS

    3D printing is much more than a futuristic fantasy, the technology has been working for a long time now, and it´s already being applied in different industries and business areas. Companies like 3D Systems (NYSE: DDD) and Stratasys (NASDAQ: SSYS) can offer exposure to some pretty unique growth opportunities in the long term, but investors need to consider the risks and manage their positions accordingly. Investing in 3D printing more »

  • 3 Industry Leaders With Strong Dividend Growth Prospects

    By Andrés Cardenal - May 20, 2013 | Tickers: BAC, CSCO, C, F, WFC

    Making good investment decisions doesn´t need to be too complicated. On the contrary, sometimes the best alternatives are the most simple and straightforward. The following three industry leaders have rock solid competitive positions, nice dividend yields, and more than enough resources to continue raising their payments in the long term. You don´t need a degree in rocket science to tell that they are positioned to deliver solid returns more »

  • The Battle of the Social Networks: Facebook vs. LinkedIn

    By Andrés Cardenal - May 20, 2013 | Tickers: FB, GOOG, LNKD

    Coke vs. Pepsi, Apple vs. Microsoft or American Airlines vs. decent customer service, corporate battles are a big part of global business history. Although it's a much younger rivalry, Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) and LinkedIn (NYSE: LNKD) have emerged as the two leading social networks, and they directly compete against each other in areas like online advertising.

    Let's take a look at these two companies from an investor's more »

  • Socially Responsible Investing: Ethical and Very Profitable

    By Andrés Cardenal - May 17, 2013 | Tickers: CMG, COST, MCD, WM

    Socially responsible investing has gained a lot of attention over the last couple of years, and for good reason. Some companies allow shareholders to sleep better at night by knowing they are investing in businesses with a positive impact to society as a whole, and they can also be outstandingly profitable from a purely economic perspective. When your conscience and your wallet are pointing in the same direction, investing decisions more »

  • The Right Way to Replicate Hedge Fund Holdings

    By Andrés Cardenal - May 16, 2013 | Tickers: ALFA, AIG, GURU, JCP | Editor's Choice

    Replicating the moves of the most famous and renowned hedge fund managers is certainly an interesting idea. After all, they are supposed to be the “smart money” and they should be able to make some really smart investing decisions to justify the hefty fees they charge to clients for their services.

    But investors need to be careful in their approach to this strategy, hedge funds holdings can be a fertile more »

  • Why Apple May Have Bottomed After Earnings

    By Andrés Cardenal - May 16, 2013 | Tickers: AMZN, AAPL, GOOG, SSNLF

    After reaching new lows for the year of about $385 per share, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) finally reported earnings on April 23, and the stock has made a nice turnaround to levels of roughly $450 since them. Maybe it´s too soon to tell, but there are some good reasons to believe that we may have already seen the bottom in the share price.

    The slowing iPhone

    Apple has been suffering more »

  • Investing in Brazilian Happiness

    By Andrés Cardenal - May 13, 2013 | Tickers: ABV, VALE, EWZ, ITUB, PBR

    Economic growth in Brazil has stalled lately, yet Brazilians are as happy and optimistic about their future as ever. Although this may seem like an odd phenomenon, there is much more to economic development than GDP growth, and the country is on the right track regarding poverty reduction and rising income levels.

    Brazilians have good reasons to feel confident in the future, and so do investors in the country.

    Beyond more »

  • A Smart Approach to Dividend ETFs

    By Andrés Cardenal - May 11, 2013 | Tickers: DVY, WETF, DON, DES

    Dividend investors typically focus their attention on big and stable companies with a solid reputation, usually in low-growth sectors like consumer staples, telecom or utilities. There is nothing wrong with this traditional approach to dividend investing, but some innovative ETFs may offer a more convenient strategy for superior long-term returns. The case for small-capitalization dividend-weighted ETFs.

    There is wisdom in wisdom tree

    WisdomTree (NASDAQ: WETF) is arguably the most innovative more »

  • Google´s Strength in Mobile Is Amazing

    By Andrés Cardenal - May 10, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, GOOG, SSNLF

    Over the last years Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) has been strengthening its competitive position in mobile to an amazing degree. Not only has the company´s Android operating system reached a market share of more than 75% in global smartphone sales, but Google has also been gaining ground in iOS with its high quality apps and services that are becoming increasingly important for users.

    Be it via Android or iOS, Google more »

  • Rebalance in May and Stay on Your Way

    By Andrés Cardenal - May 8, 2013 | Tickers: CAT, CSCO, KO, NKE

    We´ve all heard the famous saying “sell in May and go away," but being a widely repeated phrase doesn't make it a smart investment advice. Although there is some historical evidence about seasonal patterns in the stock market, buying or selling stocks based on the calendar is not a sound investment strategy by any means.

    But that doesn't mean that investors need to stay completely still at more »

  • This Insurance Powerhouse Will Continue Outperforming

    By Andrés Cardenal - May 7, 2013 | Tickers: AIG, ALL, CB, TRV

    American International Group (NYSE: AIG) rose by nearly 5% on Friday after the company announced better than expected earnings figures on Thursday after the close. The stock is up by more than 20% in the last year, but make no mistake, there is still plenty of upside room in this recovering insurance giant.

    After the storm

    AIG made the worst possible kind of bet during the credit bubble; the company more »

  • 3 Reasons Why Ford Will Keep Moving Forward

    By Andrés Cardenal - May 7, 2013 | Tickers: F, GM, HMC, TM

    Thanks to solid sales data and improving profitability, shares of Ford (NYSE: F) have been running at full speed lately. But the company´s product portfolio provides plenty of potential for growth in the middle term, and the stock is trading at attractive valuation levels. So fasten your seatbelt and keep your hands on the wheel, because Ford is running at full speed.

    Pick up those profits

    With its big more »

  • 3 Tech Leaders With Growing Dividends and Stock Buybacks

    By Andrés Cardenal - May 5, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, IBM, QCOM

    The tech sector has changed materially over the last years, many companies have grown into big and powerful cash flow machines, generating more money than they need to reinvest in the business. This has created big opportunities for growing dividends and share repurchases in the industry, and these three tech leaders look particularly attractive from that point of view.

    Modern engineering at Apple

    Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) has experienced slowing growth more »

  • This Innovative Leader Will Continue Flying Higher

    By Andrés Cardenal - May 3, 2013 | Tickers: EXPE, GOOG, OWW, PCLN

    Technological innovation is permanently disrupting different industries and business areas, and the travel industry is no exception. Online travel agencies - OTAs - are changing the way we make travel reservations, and Priceline (NASDAQ: PCLN) is an industry leader benefiting from abundant growth opportunities in the long term. The flight may get bumpy, so fasten your seat belt, but this stock will be reaching higher altitude over the next years.

    A great more »

  • Amazon Could Make a Killing in Advertising

    By Andrés Cardenal - May 3, 2013 | Tickers: AMZN, FB, GOOG

    There is little doubt on the fact that Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) is one of the most aggressive and disruptive innovators in the tech business, starting as an online bookstore the company has become the undisputed leader in online retail for all kinds of products, and from there it has also expanded into areas like cloud computing services and hardware among many others.

    Looking into the future, advertising could be a more »

  • The Best Way to Capitalize on the ETF Boom

    By Andrés Cardenal - May 1, 2013 | Tickers: BLK, STT, DEM, WETF, DXJ

    ETFs are revolutionizing the investment management industry, and the trend will only get stronger over the following years. When it comes to benefiting from this boom, WisdomTree (NASDAQ: WETF) looks like the smart way to go.

    There is wisdom in Wisdom Tree

    Assets in ETFs increased from $102 billion in 2002 to $1.3 trillion in 2012, representing a 29.3% compounded annual growth rate, according to Cerulli Associates. These more »

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