Virtus Investment Partners, Inc.

• 7 Steps to Find Winning Stocks

  By Mark Morelli - May 2, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, BRLI, SAM, VRTS

  Last year I had a problem. I had taken some profit on part of my investment in Apple and needed somewhere to put the gains.

  I bought three stocks, and two of them enjoyed significant run-ups. I nearly doubled my investment in one of them within six months. The third has dropped slightly.

  Apple had experienced a nice run up over the previous few years (and I had realized a more »

• The Year in Review

  By Mark Morelli - December 26, 2012 | Tickers: AAPL, T, JNJ, PHM, VRTS

  The year is almost over. Time to reflect on the past and look forward to 2013.

  Generally it has been a good year for the stock market. As of Dec. 21, the S&P500 Index was up 14.5%, including dividends. In 2011 the market was generally flat so the two-year performance has averaged 7% a year, slightly below the long-term trend. Unless the bottom drops out of the market more »

• Earnings News: Whole Foods, Qualcomm, and More

  By Mark Morelli - December 8, 2012 | Tickers: BRLI, QCOM, VRTS, WFM

  Here is a review of some earnings announcements made over the past few weeks.

  Bio-Reference Laboratories (NASDAQ: BRLI): The Elmwood Park, NJ based medical testing laboratory is the fourth largest in the country. It has a broad customer base of physician's offices, clinics, hospitals, private companies and some government entities, and there is plenty of room to expand. 

  For the quarter ending Oct. 31, Bio-Reference reported a 16% increase more »

• Math 201: Three Financial Equations for Investing

  By Mark Morelli - November 26, 2012 | Tickers: AMZN, AAPL, MSFT, VRTS

  I'm in the process of reading the book "The 7 Most Important Equations For Your Retirement," by Moshe A. Milevsky. As indicated by the title, the author describes mathematical formulas that should be understood by those planning for their golden years. 

  I thought I'd write about three financial equations that every investor should be aware of. I've already written about simple concepts like P/E ratio and more »

• 3 Growth Stocks I Bought Last Week

  By Mark Morelli - November 23, 2012 | Tickers: BRLI, SAM, BWLD, PNRA, VRTS

  Most of my new investments over the past few years have been in dividend paying stocks. As I transition to retirement I will need to supplement my pension and part-time work income.

  However, last week I bought three growth stocks to address the other part of my plan to ensure that my portfolio can also reap even higher returns than those typically offered by the stalwart, but relatively slower growth more »

• The Johnny Depp of Closed-End Funds Talks CUBA

  By Nick Slepko - October 3, 2012 | Tickers: FRCL, CUBA, STNR, VRTS

  Like the passionate, talented, and independent-minded Johnny Depp, whose Caribbean franchise success is well-known, there is so much more to Tom Herzfeld, the world’s leading expert on closed-end funds.  Since 1984, he has chaired Thomas J. Herzfeld Advisors, Inc. – the first investment management firm specializing in closed-end funds.  Similar to Depp, Herzfeld has done well by being judicious in his choice of partners and selective in the interests he more »