After great ideas in "Fooled by Randomness" and the black sway idea, Taleb seems to have gotten so esoteric that he has confused himself to the point he is like the rest of us. Maybe his fame was and illustration of randomness after all.
As Intel announces a CEO transition, Paul Thurrott reports Windows 8 PC sales have missed Microsoft's (MSFT) internal projections. He adds Microsoft is blaming the inability of OEMs to execute, though like others, he thinks that's far from the only culprit, and calls the OS a "Frankenstein’s monster mix of old and new that hides a great desktop upgrade under a crazy Metro front-end." Separately, Newegg says its Windows 8 sales are slow, though notebook demand is beginning to improve. [View news story]
This appears to be a major blunder by softies. Too confusing for the public target. They should have been happy to just copy Apple with the touch thing, after all the history of MSFT from the very beginning has been to copy success, not make innovation.
When To Buy And Sell Dividend Growth Stocks [View article]
Quite a bit of thuzzy finking going on here from paragraph 2 of article on... My head is spinning. TIming your value investing aimed at dividend growth?? oh, my.
If You Own Dividend Stocks And Are Worried About Taxes, Then Read This... [View article]
You are right on. Also remember that the "wealthy" are on boards of companies and can directly influence what method of payout benefits them (the wealthy) the most. The rapid increase in companies paying dividends recently confirms this. Also watch how fast the tax on dividends is increased on the non-wealthy once the wealthy switch to capital gains. Round and round we go.
Dividends Vs. Buybacks: Putting The Debate To Bed, Part II [View article]
I am always suspicious of stock buybacks in the absence of good dividend payouts. Not so much the opposite. Still, buybacks indicate that management may have run out of ideas on new products or projects. If that is the case, the company is in trouble. Sitting on hoards of cash (much in excess of what is prudent) is also an indication of management that is stagnating. Good companies generate more ideas to make money that there is usually cash available to implement. Not persuing new avenues is a symptom of management in stagnation. No wonder some go to buybacks as evidence of "doing something".
12 Low-Risk Dividend Stocks for a Downturn [View article]
A great idea. CNBC seems always to be struggling for a better idea and this would make a great half-hour, maybe more in depth hour that would get a lot of watchers. Hit 'em up for it. SA has a good group of ready made commentators all ready to go!
Why You Shouldn't Think Of The S&P 500 As A Diversified Basket Of 500 Companies [View article]
Good article, Tim, and lots of good info. Another perspective as to why the S&P 500 index became the predominant vehicle may be as simple as: IT WAS EASY and CHEAP to do. The SPY doesn't have to respond to changes in stock prices, it already reflects the change in cap weight. So almost no trading is involved. These two characteristics help to explain how it became popular with Vanguard and with investors also. That is was not an indication of all stocks behavior in the Market was beside the point. It was really an indicator of BIG stocks like the DJIA. In contrast, the RSP has higher costs because those costs are incurred in keeping the correct balance in stock ownership. I, unlike the other reader above, am not particularly concerned with the higher costs since I know why they are there and that the bottom line is still generally better than SPY even with its inherent lower costs. If you want to know what part of the Market is participating in a rally or downdraft just look at the difference between RSP and SPY!
Is Windows 8 making a bad situation worse for the (non-Apple) PC industry? NPD believes U.S. retail sales of Windows gear is down 21% Y/Y since Oct. 26, the day Win. 8 launched. Notebooks -24% and desktops -9%. Also, thanks to inventory-clearing and perhaps also a cautious enterprise response, Win. 8 has only made up 58% of Windows device sales since launch time, compared with 83% for Windows 7 in its first 4 weeks. 6% of Win. 8 notebook sales involved touchscreens, and ASPs rose to $477 from $433 in the year-ago period. (40M licenses) [View news story]
A major screw-up for the softies. They made it too confusing: RT?? What's that? Just call it Windows Touch and don't confuse us with an upgrade of a just fine Windows 7.
Figuring Out What Kind Of Investor You Are [View article]
I love it when a very thoughtful article like this is published. I also love it when something like the stench-weighted index ETF is proposed. I suppose the symbol would be CRP. Thanks for the laugh.
Income Investors Take Note: Man Can't Live on Dividends Alone [View article]
The Evolution Of Portfolio Theory [View article]
As Intel announces a CEO transition, Paul Thurrott reports Windows 8 PC sales have missed Microsoft's (MSFT) internal projections. He adds Microsoft is blaming the inability of OEMs to execute, though like others, he thinks that's far from the only culprit, and calls the OS a "Frankenstein’s monster mix of old and new that hides a great desktop upgrade under a crazy Metro front-end." Separately, Newegg says its Windows 8 sales are slow, though notebook demand is beginning to improve. [View news story]
The Best Way to Invest in Dividend-Yielding Stocks [View article]
When To Buy And Sell Dividend Growth Stocks [View article]
How Dividend Investors Choose To Fail [View article]
If You Own Dividend Stocks And Are Worried About Taxes, Then Read This... [View article]
Dividends Vs. Buybacks: Putting The Debate To Bed, Part II [View article]
12 Low-Risk Dividend Stocks for a Downturn [View article]
Why You Shouldn't Think Of The S&P 500 As A Diversified Basket Of 500 Companies [View article]
I, unlike the other reader above, am not particularly concerned with the higher costs since I know why they are there and that the bottom line is still generally better than SPY even with its inherent lower costs.
If you want to know what part of the Market is participating in a rally or downdraft just look at the difference between RSP and SPY!
Duke Energy CEO James Rogers' Retirement Is Addition By Subtraction [View article]
Is Windows 8 making a bad situation worse for the (non-Apple) PC industry? NPD believes U.S. retail sales of Windows gear is down 21% Y/Y since Oct. 26, the day Win. 8 launched. Notebooks -24% and desktops -9%. Also, thanks to inventory-clearing and perhaps also a cautious enterprise response, Win. 8 has only made up 58% of Windows device sales since launch time, compared with 83% for Windows 7 in its first 4 weeks. 6% of Win. 8 notebook sales involved touchscreens, and ASPs rose to $477 from $433 in the year-ago period. (40M licenses) [View news story]
Retirement Withdrawal Rates: It's About More Than The Math [View article]
You got that right, Roger.
Figuring Out What Kind Of Investor You Are [View article]
10 Stocks for Retirement [View article]