S&P 500

3 Consecutive Double-Digit Years for the S&P 500?

The question posed by the title of this article is whether or not 2011 will be the third year in a row of double-digit returns for the S&P 500. In calendar year 2009 the S&P 500 returned 26.4% and followed this up in 2010 by earning 15.06%. As we look forward to 2011 we see …

The S&P 500 2010 Target of 1254 Reached

On September 5, 2010, we published an article on Seeking Alpha that suggested that the S&P 500 would reach 1245 by year end. Then on November 2, 2010 we republished our fair value S&P 500 calculation based on updated earnings forecasts by Standard & Poor’s Corp. The new forecast implied that the S&P 500 would …

Six Cyclical Stocks: When to Hold ‘Em, When to Fold ‘Em

For any investor considering investing in cyclical stocks, the admonition from Kenny Rogers’ famous song “The Gambler” should be heeded: “You got to know when to hold ’em / Know when to fold ’em / Know when to walk away / And know when to run.“ As the recent great recession has so emphatically reminded …

Why Buy and Hold Will Always Be a Sound Investing Strategy

It seems like the debate regarding the merits of the “buy-and-hold” investing strategy is alive and well. We always find these discussions amusing, because we believe that it is such a pointless discussion. There is no general argument or case that can be made to support the buy-and-hold strategy or to negate it. The only …