Stock Market

Lombardi Publishing was originally established in 1986 as an investment newsletter publisher offering stock market analysis to its readers. Today, we publish 26 paid-for investment letters most of which provide stock market direction and individual stock picking analysis. Profit Confidential is our daily free e-letter that goes to all our Lombardi Financial customers and to any investor who wishes to opt-in in to receive it. Written by Lombardi Financial editors who have been offering stock market guidance for year to Lombardi customers, Profit Confidential provides a macro-picture on where the stock market is headed, what sectors are hot, what sectors to avoid. Our two most recent and popular calls were telling investors to bail from stocks in 2007 and telling investors to jump back into the stock market in March of 2009.

Changes to International Tariffs Giving This Stock a Boost

By Sasha Cekerevac for Investment Contrarians | May 17, 2013

Changes to International Tariffs When it comes to buying stocks for long-term investing, the short-term gyrations can be difficult for investors. It’s important from a long-term investing viewpoint to look out onto the horizon over many years, and search for short-term pullbacks and opportunities that might allow attractive entry points.

We are all aware of the troubled situation economically in Europe; however, there are still potential opportunities for buying stocks that could benefit from significant market changes when it comes to long-term investing.

One example is the automobile industry. While no one would suggest that Europe is a strong sector for growth in automobiles, don’t discount the carmakers when considering buying stocks. Volkswagen AG (OTC/VLKAY) is continuing to set the foundation for growth globally over the next decade.

The company’s Audi division is continuing to make inroads in many markets, including India, China, and the U.S. Additionally, a decrease in tariffs for many countries is now opening the door for European automobile makers to gain market share.

South Korea recently dropped the import duty on European vehicles from eight percent to only 3.2%, which has resulted in an increase of foreign automobiles making up 41% of the South Korean market versus 28% just two years ago. (Source: Kim, R., “BMWs Cheaper Than Hyundais in Korea as Tariffs Crumble,” Bloomberg, May 15, 2013, accessed May 15, 2013.)

The U.S. has also cut tariffs for imported cars substantially and will completely eliminate them by 2016. This will open the door for competition, and vehicles such as Audis, which are of premium quality, have the potential to gain market share.

Volkswagen is continuing its expansion in emerging … Read More

How Understanding the Investment Climate Equals Stock Market Success

By George Leong for Investment Contrarians | May 17, 2013

Understanding the Investment Climate Equals If you invested all of your money in the stock market, you would be exposed to extraordinary risk of a market retrenchment.

Of course, you could also make a lot of money, especially with how well things are going in the current bullish stock market that continues to somewhat defy gravity.

Yet this is also the time you need to take some extra precaution and think about where you are at and what your end goal is in the stock market.

You don’t want to risk your entire investing capital on the stock market, in spite of any temptation to do so. This is when you have to fight against the greed that might be in you—the greed that’s in most of us—and it won’t be easy.

Remember what happened after each of the multiyear peaks in the stock market over the past decades, when the stocks retrenched. I’m not saying the stock market is at a peak. In fact, the bulls look like they are in full control and heading higher on the chart.

You just need to be on top of things, and don’t let greed ravage your sensibility toward the stock market.

Chasing dreams is one thing, but being prudent is another.

I’m not going to say you should run for the exit, but you need to be aware of where your capital is being invested and understand the associated risk factors.

The reality is that a sound investment strategy means understanding asset allocation and diversification to increase the risk and return of your portfolio.

By asset allocation, I refer to the asset mix of your portfolio … Read More

One Sports Car Stock That’s Shocking the Market

By George Leong for Investment Contrarians | May 16, 2013

Car Stock A year ago, I was able to take a close look at a cool-looking electric-powered sports car. I even got to sit in it. I noticed that it was not made by a manufacturer that I had recognized—it was built by Tesla Motors, Inc. (NASDAQ/TSLA), but I really didn’t give it a second thought.

Well I wish I had now, as Tesla is seeing its shares supercharge on the price chart, up 70% in the first few weeks of May and 167% so far in 2013, based on my stock analysis. Tesla is up a sizzling 198% over the past 52 weeks compared to the S&P 500’s 23% increase.

My stock analysis suggests that the maker of the sharp-looking electric sports car has really shocked the stock market with its superlative price appreciation. Who would have known?

Tesla Motors Inc Chart

Chart courtesy of www.StockCharts.com

I thought Tesla was interesting and gimmicky in some ways, but never in my wildest imagination did I expect the stock to surge as much as it has.

According to my stock analysis, you can thank the short-sellers for running to the exits and unloading their positions in a classic short squeeze. At the end of April, there were 27.5 million shares of Tesla shorted. The share price was $53.99. Fast-forward 10 sessions, and the price has surged to over $90.00.

Now you can’t blame short-covering for all of the increase in the share price. Tesla did deliver some awesome numbers that tore apart Wall Street’s estimates, according to my stock analysis.

In the first quarter, Tesla sold 4,900 vehicles. That’s it. By comparison, General Motors Company (NYSE/GM) sold … Read More

SEC Raises Requirement for Chinese Companies for U.S. Listings; Chinese Companies Looking Elsewhere

By George Leong for Investment Contrarians | May 15, 2013

SEC Raises Requirement for Chinese Companies Chinese initial public offerings (IPOs) could be hot again this year, but don’t look to America as the breeding grounds: the flow to the U.S. is dead.

The big market for Chinese IPOs will be at home in China where there could be as many as 349 IPOs this year, according to a calculation by Goldman Sachs. (Source: “IPO deep dive: The Sword of Damocles or Paper Tiger?,” Goldman Sachs web site, January 23, 2013, last accessed May 14, 2013.) Of course, we have seen only a trickle this year, so the Goldman estimate seems to be more fiction than fact.

In the U.S., there are no Chinese IPOs scheduled for the immediate future, a stark contrast to the 60 Chinese stocks that debuted on U.S. equities markets from 2008 to 2011.

The more recent numbers look even worse, and tell us a tale of misfortune for Chinese IPOs.

In 2012, there was one Chinese listing on U.S. equities markets, but we saw the delisting of several Chinese stocks that have been taken private. Since August 2011, 23 Chinese stocks have delisted from U.S. equities markets, according to Money Week magazine.

Based on what I have been reading, I doubt that there will be much activity this year or next for Chinese IPOs, unless the rules of engagement for financial reporting and auditing are made better and meet U.S. standards. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) wants any Chinese company aiming for access to U.S. capital markets to use one of four approved U.S. Big Four auditors. That request is fine, but the problem lies in the SEC also wanting … Read More

Is It Time to Book Profits in Bank Stocks?

By Sasha Cekerevac for Investment Contrarians | May 14, 2013

Time to Book Profits in Bank Bank stocks have been one of the strongest sectors in the market over the past year. Bank stocks have rallied sharply after many investors dumped shares on fears that the financial crisis might worsen. Those fears obviously never materialized, and many bank stocks have begun to resume paying dividends and generating profits.

There are two questions I am often asked: 1) is it too late to incorporate bank stocks into one’s investment strategy; and 2) if someone has already owned bank stocks over the past couple of years, is this the time for that investor to start taking profits?

Since the fall of 2011, an index of bank stocks has almost doubled in value. Clearly, an investment strategy that owns a number of bank stocks has seen significant gains in this sector. But no one can rationally expect this type of return to continue forever.

Part of my cautious view on bank stocks, in terms of reducing the sector weighting in an investment strategy, is the fact that there is a limit to upside capital appreciation in every sector. A big question when developing an investment strategy: what is the future outlook for the sector?

Obviously, the low-hanging fruit has already been picked when it comes to bank stocks. Regardless of what was thought about bank stocks in the past, as an investor you are only interested in the potential for growth in earnings and revenues. Large gains have already been realized; now we need to consider how bank stocks fit into an investment strategy over the next decade.

Large concerns for bank stocks shareholders are increased regulation and a … Read More