Browse by ▼

Kyle Colona

All Posts

  • Home Depot Beats Expectations

    By Kyle Colona - May 24, 2013 | Tickers: HD, LOW, LL

    Home Depot (NYSE: HD) reported higher quarterly sales and earnings figures this week. The strong results were due in part to the housing market recovery that is slowly gaining momentum. This article will provide an overview of the company’s quarterly results and the 2013 outlook for Home Depot and some of its competitors.

    Home Depot’s First Quarter Earnings

     Home Depot is the Nation’s largest home improvement retail more »

  • Big Banks Catch a Break on New Swaps Rules

    By Kyle Colona - May 21, 2013 | Tickers: GS-PC, JPM, MS

    The Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced long anticipated new swaps rules last week. The new rules tighten oversight on derivative transactions, but the big banks will also continue to control the swaps market. This article will provide an overview of the new rules and how it affects key swap players.

    New Swaps Rules at a Glance

    Derivative transactions come in a number of forms such as Interest Rate and more »

  • 2013's Top 5 Companies for the Ordinary Investor

    By Kyle Colona - May 20, 2013 | Tickers: CVS, HD, JNJ, SBUX, WFM

    Since joining The Motley Fool blog network in January, my articles have linked public policy issues and current events to market sectors and companies in those sectors for ordinary investors to consider. This article takes a look at 5 of those suggestions across a number of market sectors based on first quarter performance and prospects for continued growth.

    The Health Care Sector

    Since the financial crisis of 2008 through the more »

  • Volcker Rule Still Sitting in Limbo

    By Kyle Colona - May 14, 2013 | Tickers: GS, JPM, WFC

    The Volcker Rule provisions of the Dodd-Frank reform measure ending proprietary trading have still not been established by federal regulators as financial firms set up contingency plans. This article will provide an over view of the rule and discuss its effect on some key firms.

    A Brief History of the Volcker Rule

     The Volcker Rule is designed to prohibit banks with federally guaranteed deposits from trading on their own account more »

  • Retail Pharmacies Have the Profit Remedy

    By Kyle Colona - May 10, 2013 | Tickers: CVS, ESRX, WAG

    The retail pharmacy sector had an excellent first quarter across the board. These outfits offer investors a safe harbor in the choppy water of the overdue economic recovery. This article will focus on the three key players: Walgreen (NYSE: WAG), Express Scripts (NASDAQ: ESRX) and my personal choice, CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS). All three reported strong sales, and the share price of each saw solid gains in the first quarter more »

  • Big Banks Face New Legal and Regulatory Woes

    By Kyle Colona - May 8, 2013 | Tickers: BAC, JPM, WFC

    The hits keep coming for Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) and JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM) all of which are facing new legal and regulatory actions.

    As has widely been reported the New York Attorney General intends to file suits against Bank of America and Wells Fargo for alleged violations of the $26 billion foreclosure settlement reached in 2012. Meanwhile, JPMorgan Chase is under the microscope of more »

  • Key Reasons To Invest in Whole Foods Market

    By Kyle Colona - May 7, 2013 | Tickers: TFM, KR, WFM

    Whole Foods Market owns and operates a chain of natural and organic foods supermarkets. This article will discuss key reasons to invest in Whole Foods.

    Overview: Whole Foods Market

    Whole Foods Markets (NASDAQ: WFM) is a leader in the organic food market sector. It continues to offer great value to investors looking to make long-term profits. And for those looking for an ethical and "green" investment, Whole Foods offers produce more »

  • Ethical Investing for the Ordinary Investor

    By Kyle Colona - May 2, 2013 | Tickers: NEE, SBUX, WFM

    Editor's Note: This post has been updated with the correct information about the TIAA-CREF Social Choice Equity fund; Motley Fool apologizes for the error.

    Socially responsible investing has become a growing concern for some investors in the wake of the financial crisis of 2008. This article will provide a brief overview of ethical investing and investment options for the ordinary investor.

    Socially Responsible Investing 

    Socially responsible investing (SRI) is more »

  • Got Health Care?

    By Kyle Colona - April 24, 2013 | Tickers: CVS, HCN, JNJ

    Since the financial crisis of 2008 health care has been one of the best performing sectors in the market. And that trend should continue for the rest of 2013. This article will look at some investment options for retail investors.

    The Health Care Sector at a Glance

    Health care is a broad and diverse sector. Companies in this industry provide a wide range of healthcare services. This includes medical care more »

  • REITs a Good Play as Real Estate Market Recovers

    By Kyle Colona - April 19, 2013 | Tickers: BRE, TCO, VNQ

    Investors should consider REITs as the broader real estate market recovers. As the economic recovery gathers steam, real estate trusts should show better yields and pricing if and when the housing market definitively recovers.

    A Brief Primer on REITS

    Investing in REITs lets individuals get into the real estate market without actually owning property. A real estate investment trust is a security that sells like a stock, and invests in more »

  • Market Surge Takes ETFs Along for the Ride

    By Kyle Colona - April 17, 2013 | Tickers: SCHH, SLY, VTI

    Stocks continue to rise, and U.S. markets have hovered at or close to all-time highs, taking exchange-traded funds along for the ride.

    Several sources have reported that broader markets continue their forward march. Before cooling off a bit, the S&P 500 recently surpassed an all-time high originally set in 2007. The markets have recovered most of the losses since the 2008 economic crisis.

    Market Advances Follow Federal Reserve more »

  • Market Surge Takes ETFs Along for the Ride

    By Kyle Colona - April 16, 2013 | Tickers: SCHH, SLY, VTI

    Stocks continue to rise and the markets in the U.S. have hovered at or close to all time highs taking Exchange Traded Funds along for the ride.

    Several sources have reported that broader markets continued their forward march. For instance, the S&P 500 recently surpassed an all-time high that was originally set back in 2007 before cooling off a bit. So, the markets have recovered most of was more »

  • Consumer Bureau Gives Mortgage Insurance Companies a Wrist Slap

    By Kyle Colona - April 12, 2013 | Tickers: AIG, GNW, MTG, RDN

    The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced a legal settlement with four mortgage insurance companies last week that will resolve allegations of "kickbacks" to lenders, and require the firms to pay more than $15 million in combined penalties.

    The legal case involved Gemworth Mortgage Insurance, Mortgage Guaranty Insurance, Radian Guaranty and United Guaranty (all units of publicly traded companies). In its press release announcing the settlement agreements, the bureau claims more »

  • More Legal Woes Imperil Bank Profits

    By Kyle Colona - April 3, 2013 | Tickers: BAC, C, UCBI, VLY

    A continuous wave of mortgage-related legal cases may pose a threat to the banking industry’s profits in 2013.

    Several sources have recently reported that since the 2008 economic crisis erupted, banks have been slammed with lawsuits filed by private investors and federal and state authorities. The lawsuits center on the banks’ selling billions of dollars of subprime mortgages that tanked and drove the economy off the hook.

    FHFA Legal more »

  • Housing Market Recovery is Good News for Home Improvement Retailers

    By Kyle Colona - March 30, 2013 | Tickers: HD, LOW, LL

    The long-awaited housing market recovery is sprouting more green shoots. This is good news for the home improvement retail sector.

    Home prices rising in 2013

    Combined news sources recently reported that U.S. home prices rose more than expected during January, compared to a year earlier. According to Standard & Poor's Case-Shiller home-price indexes, this is the biggest increase since the summer of 2006.

    The Case-Shiller index of 10 major more »

  • New SEC Fiduciary Duty Standards Loom Large for Financial Service Providers

    By Kyle Colona - March 27, 2013 | Tickers: AMP, PRI, ALL

    The SEC is crafting so-called new Fiduciary Standards for broker-dealers and investment advisers that could also affect an array of previously exempt financial service providers.

    As has widely been reported, the Securities Exchange Commission has been tasked with devising new standards of care under the Dodd-Frank reform measure. While broker-dealers and investment advisers customarily performed similar duties, brokers have primarily acted in a sales capacity while not offering investment advice more »

  • New SEC Fiduciary Duty Standards Loom Large for Financial Service Providers

    By Kyle Colona - March 27, 2013 | Tickers: AMP, PRI, ALL

    The SEC is crafting so-called new Fiduciary Standards for broker-dealers and investment advisers that could also affect an array of previously exempt financial service providers.

    As has widely been reported the Securities Exchange Commission has been tasked with devising new standards of care under the Dodd-Frank reform measure. While broker-dealers and investment advisers customarily performed similar duties, brokers have primarily acted in a sales capacity while not offering investment advice more »

  • Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Suddenly Back in Play

    By Kyle Colona - March 21, 2013 | Tickers: BAC, FNMA

    A series of recent developments are making housing giants Fannie Mae (NASDAQOTCBB: FNMA) and Freddie Mac (NASDAQOTCBB: FMCC) good long-term investments.

    First, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) recently announced that it intends to consolidate the operations of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. 

    FHFA is the federal regulator tasked with overseeing Fannie and Freddie. The agency said it intends to form a new corporation that would consolidate certain operations of more »

  • Top Utility Companies Will Survive EPA’s Regulatory Agenda

    By Kyle Colona - March 19, 2013 | Tickers: DUK, EIX, SO

    The EPA is set to unleash a host of new regulations that will impact the energy sector, and top utility companies in the U.S. are facing hurdles that will ultimately drive up the cost of supplying energy.

    As has widely been reported, the Environmental Protection Agency has been hammering away behind the scenes to build a new energy sector regulatory infrastructure. This includes plans to enhance restrictions on greenhouse more »

  • How the ACA’s Tax Provisions Affect the Medical Device Sector

    By Kyle Colona - March 13, 2013 | Tickers: JNJ, MDT, STJ

    This article is brief look at the medical device excise tax under the Affordable Care Act and its affect on medical device companies.

    What is the Medical Device Excise Tax?

    The $20 billion tax went into play on January 1. That figure is based on a 2.3 percent tax being levied on the total revenues of a medical device company whether or not the outfit generates a profit. According more »

  • Page 1 of 2