The Significance of the REIT

Real estate investment trusts — REITs — are a specific type of company which are both taxed and structured uniquely. Because they give most of their profits in the form of dividends to avoid higher taxes, REITs are popular with retirees and income seekers,...

Bausch and Lomb Takeover and the Importance of Market Timing

Successful Canadian drugmaker Valeant Pharmaceuticals (VRX) has made an aggressive push into the eye care market with a deal to acquire Bausch & Lomb, a private holding company, for $8.7 billion in cash and loans. The takeover will clear the eye care...

Buffett’s Downgrade Explained: A Historical Look at Insurance Dividends

An interesting development happened Friday–Warren Buffett’s insurance and investment giant Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A, BRK.B) saw its credit rating fall a notch yesterday, which did little to the stock, but is a significant development for anyone looking to...

Large Cap Stocks are Stalling

Now three days in a row stocks are up in America, with the S&P 500 showing a modest uptick that is humble compared to last week’s strong rallies. Still, the market is showing not only resilience but the ability to clock in modest gains, so far defying the...

A Closer Look at Bond Performance in 2013

Investors ignore bonds at their own peril. While there is theoretically infinite growth potential in equities, and no growth-oriented investor can ignore stocks, bonds play an important role in mitigating risk and augmenting returns. Most bonds offer a set return on...