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Andrés Cardenal

Editor's Choice

  • 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 »

  • Buying Gold is Not Investing

    By Andrés Cardenal - April 16, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, IAU, GLD | Editor's Choice

    Gold has enormous masses of followers and even fanatics who think that it's the best possible investment someone can make in the current economic and political environment, perhaps even the only reasonable one. Especially now that volatility has increased and the price of gold has taken a serious hit, the discussion is getting more intense and louder than ever.

    Gold bulls are pointing fingers and talking about price manipulation more »

  • Buying Gold is Not Investing

    By Andrés Cardenal - April 16, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, IAU, GLD | Editor's Choice

    Gold has enormous masses of followers and even fanatics who think that it's the best possible investment someone can make in the current economic and political environment, perhaps even the only reasonable one. Especially now that volatility has increased and the price of gold has taken a serious hit, the discussion is getting more intense and louder than ever.

    Gold bulls are pointing fingers and talking about price manipulation more »

  • 3 Indestructible Dividend Companies for Times of Uncertainty

    By Andrés Cardenal - April 3, 2013 | Tickers: KO, XOM, PG | Editor's Choice

    If you have been reading the news lately, you most likely know that the conflict with North Korea has been escalating rapidly over the last days. Unfortunately, there is no way to know for certain how these things may turn out, but let´s hope for everyone´s sake that this is just another episode of inflamed rhetoric by a decaying dictatorship and it does not become anything more serious more »

  • The Problem with Microsoft

    By Andrés Cardenal - March 20, 2013 | Tickers: AMZN, AAPL, GOOG, MSFT | Editor's Choice

    To say that the last decade has been uninspiring for Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) investors may be an understatement. Shareholders in the company have basically seen their stock moving sideways over the past 10 years, while other tech titans like Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) delivered amazing returns.

    The problem with Microsoft is not about products or technologies; the issue is its management team and an more »

  • Apple is Still a Growth Stock

    By Andrés Cardenal - February 14, 2013 | Tickers: AMZN, AAPL, CMGE | Editor's Choice

    Most of the negativity surrounding Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) seems to be focused on the belief that the company has allegedly lost its status as a leading growth stock. Apple is strictly secretive about new product launches, so there is no way to know for certain what's in its pipeline of new products. With competitors like Samsung gaining market share in emerging markets, many believe that Apple is now a more »

  • The Best Thing Apple Can Do With its Cash

    By Andrés Cardenal - February 9, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, BRK-B, BRK-A, NFLX | Editor's Choice

    Hedge fund manager David Einhorn has made a lot of waves recently by urging Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) to put its cash to better use. Einhorn is right in pointing put the fact that the company is mismanaging its assets by keeping an enormous amount of cash in low-return investments as opposed to unlocking that value in the benefit of shareholders.

    His proposal regarding that money is certainly smart and innovative more »

  • The Product That Apple Needs to Build

    By Andrés Cardenal - February 6, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, GOOG | Editor's Choice

    Investors are eagerly awaiting the next big thing from Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), especially now that Wall Street analysts are questioning the company’s ability to continue innovating and growing. From a new Apple TV to a smart watch, there are all kind of rumors and speculations, many of which have some real long term potential. But simple and less dramatic innovations, like a bigger iPhone, should not be dismissed.

    A more »

  • Apple: Enough Already!

    By Andrés Cardenal - January 24, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, MSFT | Editor's Choice

    At this stage, many Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) investors are feeling a combination of anger and confusion due to the market´s brutal reaction to the company´s earnings report, falling by more than 10% to $460 on Thursday morning—a loss of nearly 35% from September’s highs.

    But before you panic and make a regrettable move, like selling your Apple shares or setting an Apple store on fire, there more »

  • Apple: New iPhone Coming?

    By Andrés Cardenal - January 4, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, CMGE, GOOG, MSFT, NOK | Editor's Choice

    According to reports by different Wall Street analysts, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) may be planning to launch a new iPhone in the upcoming months. While Topeka Capital analyst Brian White believes it will see the market in May or June, Peter Misek from Jefferies has a slightly longer timeframe, expecting it by June or July. Numerous technology blogs and websites are supporting this rumor too, so it has been gaining a more »

  • Apple: Growth Opportunities Are Underestimated

    By Andrés Cardenal - December 20, 2012 | Tickers: AMZN, AAPL, GOOG, NFLX, VOD | Editor's Choice

    Jay Arrow from Business Insider recently published an interesting article regarding Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), basically stating that the years of extraordinary growth for the company are now in the past. Some Wall Street analysts have been reducing their price target for the company due to lower growth forecasts, so the issue is quite relevant for investors.

    There are some strong reasons to believe that these observers may be underestimating Apple more »

  • Five Mistaken Reasons to Sell Apple

    By Andrés Cardenal - December 14, 2012 | Tickers: AMZN, AAPL, CMGE, GOOG, MSFT | Editor's Choice

    Shares of Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) look like they just can't stop falling, and all kind of explanations are permanently discussed among analysts and the financial media. Let's take a look at some of the most popular explanations for the fall, so perhaps we can get a clearer image about the big picture for Apple and its long term perspectives.

    1 – Lower Carrier Subsidies

    Carriers in different countries have more »

  • Felix Salmon Is Wrong: Berkshire Will Outperform

    By Andrés Cardenal - December 6, 2012 | Tickers: BRK-B, BRK-A, IBM, SPY, WFC | Editor's Choice

    Felix Salmon published a very interesting column in Reuters this week, where he explains the rationale for believing that the good times are over for Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A)  (NYSE: BRK-B) and Buffett will no longer outperform the markets over the next years.

    Salmon is one of my favorite writers; he is very smart and fun to read, but I believe he is plain wrong this time. In fact, I more »

  • Investing in the Right Kind of Business

    By Andrés Cardenal - November 26, 2012 | Tickers: HPQ, IBM, MCD, SBUX, TEA | Editor's Choice

    “A horse that can count to ten is a remarkable horse—not a remarkable mathematician.” Likewise, a textile company that allocates capital brilliantly within its industry is a remarkable textile company—but not a remarkable business.

    Warren Buffett (1985)

    The above quote from Warren Buffett can be a valuable lesson for investors; even the best company can be a lousy investment when it’s operating in a declining industry. For more »

  • The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

    By Andrés Cardenal - November 14, 2012 | Tickers: AON, GM, GOOG, MANU, NKE | Editor's Choice

    For those of us who understand the passion involved in football –  called soccer in the US –  Manchester United (NYSE: MANU) sounds like a unique opportunity to invest in one of the most powerful teams on the planet, with a tremendous brand power and millions of followers on a global scale. Digging below the surface, however, the economics of an investment in United don't seem very exciting, and the management more »

  • Apple: Who Missed What?

    By Andrés Cardenal - October 26, 2012 | Tickers: AMZN, AAPL, FB, GOOG, MSFT | Editor's Choice

    The headlines are everywhere: “Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) misses estimates” or “Apple delivers disappointing results.” Let´s step back and think for a second, did the company miss estimates or did analysts miscalculate the number? More important for investors: is Apple cheap or expensive according to growth trends and future possibilities? Looking beyond the headlines, the current weakness in Apple may be a great buying opportunity.

    Some perspective, please

    Revenues for more »

  • This Powerful Brand Looks Temptingly Cheap

    By Andrés Cardenal - October 23, 2012 | Tickers: CMG, MCD, SBUX, WEN, YUM | Editor's Choice

    The house of the happy meal is not as full of laughter as it once was. Shares of McDonald´s (NYSE: MCD) are in negative territory for 2012, trading below $88 after being above $100 at the beginning of the year. Growth is slowing and the company is facing some competitive challenges, but the current valuation looks like a big buying opportunity. Value investors looking for opportunities in solid stocks more »

  • Is it Time to Bet on China?

    By Andrés Cardenal - October 23, 2012 | Tickers: AAPL, CMGE, HAO, FXI, YUM | Editor's Choice

    Investors have been very concerned about the economic slowdown in China for several months. The Chinese economy is decelerating from the record growth rates observed in previous years, and the country has a very peculiar economic system that generates considerable noise and uncertainty. Over the last weeks, however, many economic indicators are pointing to a successful soft landing for the Chinese economy and, if this trend is confirmed, Chinese stocks more »

  • Investing to Profit From the Power of Networks

    By Andrés Cardenal - October 17, 2012 | Tickers: AAPL, FB, GOOG, LNKD, MSFT | Editor's Choice

    Finding companies which have delivered superior growth rates in the past is not enough when it comes to choosing the best stocks. Investing is about the future, so investors need to understand the drivers behind those growth rates in order to evaluate if they will be sustainable over the years.  The network effect is one of the strongest sources of competitive advantages, and a big factor for many of the more »

  • The Real Catalyst for Facebook

    By Andrés Cardenal - September 6, 2012 | Tickers: AMZN, EBAY, FB, GOOG, LNKD | Editor's Choice

    Shares of Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) rose more than 5% on Wednesday after investors learned that Mark Zuckerberg was planning to hold his shares of the social network for one more year at least.  The stocks is still more than 50% below the IPO price, so it's a good time to go through some ideas regarding Facebook as an investment.

    Valuations matter to some degree -- they always do -- but in more »

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