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William Bias

Editor's Choice

  • 4 Qualities of an Excellent Company

    By William Bias - April 19, 2013 | Tickers: LECO, WMT, WAB | Editor's Choice

    When researching the stock market you may ask, “What constitutes a good stock market investment? What qualities should a person look for in a company?” When you buy a share of a company’s stock you effectively become part owner. Thinking like an owner will help you invest better. The four qualities discussed here will tell you what you need to contemplate before assuming that role.

    Sells a needed product more »

  • 4 Companies I Hope Warren Buffett Doesn’t Buy

    By William Bias - February 22, 2013 | Tickers: BRK-A, CHD, SJM, HSY, WAB | Editor's Choice

    Food condiments maker Heinz will soon be jointly purchased by Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A) and private equity firm 3G Capital in a deal valued at $28 billion, robbing the public retail investor of another great company. The four companies outlined below represent great businesses that hopefully won’t get poached by Warren Buffett or other private equity firms.

    With roughly $30 billion remaining on Berkshire Hathaway’s balance sheet after more »

  • The Trip to the Bottom Continues…..

    By William Bias - November 9, 2012 | Tickers: BODY, RUE, WTSL | Editor's Choice

    On Nov. 1, specialty apparel retailer Body Central (NASDAQ: BODY) came out with its earnings announcement and had its conference call. This announcement confirms that Body Central’s trip to the fundamental bottom continues. Its comparable store sales declined 12%. Net revenue edged ahead a mere 1.2% due to unjustified store expansion. Net income declined to $153,000 versus $2.8 million this time last year. After four months of observing Body Central I came up with four issues that this company can’t seem to resolve. It’s “curtains” for this company unless they can come up with some viable solutions for these problems.

  • Are Stock Buybacks a Waste of Money? (Revisited)

    By William Bias - September 25, 2012 | Tickers: INTC, NVR, CAKE | Editor's Choice

    In a previous article I discussed how and why companies purchase their own shares of stock. I also outlined better ways to deploy the cash such as paying a dividend to help boost positive perceptions from the market thus increasing share price appreciation, discussed how money used for share repurchases could be used to acquire businesses and develop technologies to boost overall fundamentals, and indicated that cash could be used to pay down debt.

  • The Many Facets of Risk

    By William Bias - May 31, 2012 | Tickers: AMAT, BBY, CMG, HAS | Editor's Choice

    Risk is a given in the financial world. Anytime you invest or save, there is a risk that the investment will not perform as expected or even lose money. Even with “risk-free” investments such as treasuries or certificates of deposits you can lose money because the yields are generally less than inflation. In stock market investing there is always a high chance for loss of money and there are many more »