Today we’re going to salute some little guys who wouldn’t give up. Small (er) cap stocks that refused to quit and have made their true-believer shareholders money this year, in one of the worst environments imaginable. What these names have in common is that they all are consumer-oriented companies, 4 of them are engaged in the…
Barron’s
The Case of the Mysterious Wendy's Bond Issuance
Barron’s devoted quite a bit of space to an update on the combined Wendy’s/ Arby’s merger that Nelson Peltz and his Trian investment vehicle put together last year. They didn’t manage to explain the mysterious bond offering from Wendy’s (WEN) but I will attempt to add some dimension to that story here. The big question…
Smart Balance: It's Like Buttah…Maybe
I’ll start by saying that this is not a post that contains any investment advice. I do not make specific recommendations or market calls to anyone through The Reformed Broker. In this piece, I’ll be discussing the merits of one small cap company that I consider to have a very interesting story. It could double…
The "Always a Bridesmaid" List of Software Companies
Here’s a cliché I’ve heard just about enough of: So-and-so analyst/commentator “expects a wave of software consolidation to begin.“ Barron’s Eric Savitz discussed Citigroup analyst Brent Thill‘s latest consolidation prediction this week and I was really embarrassed for all involved. It’s almost amazing how many times this list has been regurgitated over the years. Here…
Barron's Mid-Year Roundtable and January Picks Report Card Up
I don’t look forward to much in the world of newspaperage, but I love me some Barron’s Roundtable. Before posting a link to both the mid-year feature from this weekend as well as the report card from the 12 panelists’ January 2009 trading ideas, I’d like to print a phrase that has probably never been…
Who's Ready to Start Picking Stocks Again?
Over the long holiday weekend, I was asked the same question in different settings by friends, neighbors and family members again and again. “Is the market going to go up or back down from here?” Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice change of pace from the big question from January and February, “Why would…
Update: Ackman/ Target
William Ackman, the man behind Pershing Square‘s activist battle with Target (TGT), appeared on CNBC this morning and did a reasonably good job at explaining his reasons for his challenge to the company. He did make some compelling arguments regarding the lackluster backgrounds of some of the existing board members and management’s own non-history of…
Why Ackman Can't Back Down from Target Fight
Barron’s writer Andrew Bary gave voice to a question that is probably on many analysts’ and investors’ minds…what exactly is Bill Ackman‘s beef with Target (TGT)? The company has done just about everything right. Pershing Square‘s Ackman is basically barking up the wrong tree and I think I know why. He’s painted himself into a…
Droppin' Knowledge: Ron Baron
“this is the most attractive time to be an investor in my lifetime” – Ron Baron, May 2009 If you read pages 30 to 31 in Barron’s this weekend, then you, my friend, were Carpet-Bombed with Knowledge from one of the most interesting minds on The Street. Ron Baron, a 40-year market veteran with over…
The Ener1 Situation is Exactly Why We Suck
I haven’t made many recommendations for clients in alternative energy stocks because a lot of the names that look commercially viable just seem too far away from profitability or are subject to drastic margin erosion (solar stocks, anyone?). I guess I’d rather be late but at least be involved in something proven. I read about…
