Sears seems to be doing a better job at managing their inventory and halting the decline in same store sales.  These are definitely positive trends but it doesn’t change my agnostic outlook towards the viability of their retail operations.  I think Sears is an asset play and the key thing for investors is to understand...Read More

Starwood Capital Group LLC CEO Barry Sternlicht discusses his investments in out of favor malls in smaller towns as a hedge for inflation.  He believes that malls are attractive because they can be refashioned to improve profitability, and he estimates that current purchases have the potential for double digit cash on cash returns.  He is...Read More

This article provides interesting insight into the buoyant market for junk bonds.  Investors hungry for higher yielding investments have been willing to offer very favorable terms to companies in less than ideal financial condition.  This is actually a decent time to be investing in junk bonds as the economy is improving but has likely not...Read More

While I’m happy to see that the board has taken some action and has split the Chairman and CEO roles, I don’t think this action went far enough.  McClendon has abused his power to an extreme extent and I think that it would be in shareholder best interests if he were to step down.  Chesapeake...Read More

It seems that the Federal Reserve is criticizing the banks models for the stress test.  Some of the concerns revolve around the assumption that the 20% drop in housing would be uniform across the country, and that the banks requested the ability to pay dividends.  I really don’t understand that Fed’s comfort in dealing in...Read More

Avon Products (AVP) continues to struggle as increased costs are eroding margins. This is really a throwaway quarter for Avon as they are transitioning to a new CEO, and they are dealing with the bid from Coty.  There is a lot of work to be done for this company and they really need to streamline...Read More

Sears (SHLD) is making a lot of interesting moves right now to monetize their assets and raise cash.  While the environment for their appliance heavy retail operations is not very favorable, there is a lot of value in various components of Sears Holdings that can add value to shareholders. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-01/sears-spinoff-plan-may-boost-lampert-s-control.html INVESTING IN THE FINANCIAL MARKETS...Read More

Thomas Brown nails this topic on the head as there is so much hypocrisy when it comes to bank earnings.  People are so quick to believe the losses are real but the profits are somehow created through “fudging” the numbers.  This is the type of sentiment that has created the opportunity to buy some of...Read More