Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Future Blind - Blog Review

Future Blind

A newer blog that I enjoy is Future Blind. Future Blind looks at investing from a value-fundamental perspective. The blog also takes a look at general economic trends with an eye towards innovation. The posts on Future Blind are well written and the valuation analysis are detailed. While Future Blind does not post everyday, each one is a is worth waiting for as they excel at informing the reader.

Future Blind

Monday, October 15, 2007

Payout Yield - Blog Review

An interesting blog that covers share buybacks is Payout Yield. Payout Yield analyse announced share repurchase for their payout yield. Taking the announced buyback as well as the current dividend payment, Payout Yield examines the yield a shareholder might expect from the combined cash return.
While Payout Yield does not post often. it does provide an excellent resource for those interested in share repurchases.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

COTS Timer - Blog Review

A blog that does a good job of focusing on developing and implementing a trading system is the COTS Timer blog. The COTS Timer blog focuses on trading using the Commitments of Traders (COTS) Reports. The COTS Timer blog provides a helpful resource for those interested in reading how to use a trading system.

Monday, October 08, 2007

Warren Buffett Speaks - Book Review

Warren Buffett Speaks: Wit and Wisdom from the World's Greatest Investor





What Is It About?

This book collected and arranged selected quotes from Warren Buffett, Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. Covering a variety of topics the quotes set forth Warren Buffett’s approach to business, market, and life in general. Until Mr. Buffett’s own book is published next year, this collection of quotes taken from his various speeches and writings is the next best thing.


What Did I Get Out Of It As A New Investor?

What can’t I learn from Warren Buffett? This book provides a handy reference to Warren Buffett quotes culled from his shareholder letters, speeches, and other writings. Good quick read, the book is excellent reading.


The Good News

It is Warren Buffett’s own words in a book.


The Bad News

Not much downside here.


The Bottom Line

Nothing teaches like success and any way you measure it Warren Buffett is successful. Consequently, a book comprised of his quotes should be read by all.


Other Related Reading:


My Review My Review

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Microcap Speculator - Blog Review

Another blog that I enjoy reading is the Microcap Speculator blog. The Microcap Speculator blog covers the microcap realm from all angles, using diffrent styles and time frames to analyze various microcap stocks. Well written the Microcap Speculator blog provides concise commentary that does not waste the readers time. In other words, the blog author gets to the point.
For those looking for a blog focusing on microcaps in an intelligent fashion one may find the Microcap Speculator worthwhile reading.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Stock Market Prognosticator - Blog Review

Another blog I enjoy reading is the Stock Market Prognosticator. As stated on the blog, the Stock Market Prognosticator takes "an alternative view of events in today's financial markets with an emphasis on value and contrarian investing." In taking the alternative view the Stock Market Prognosticator does an excellent job exploring little covered areas of the stock market.
As seen by the series of posts covering "Pink Sheets" (Parts I, II, III, IV, and V) the Stock Market Prognosticator takes the time to introduce readers to little covered and often ignored areas of the stock market. The Stock Market Prognosticator also provides a worthwhile discussion of more general topics related to investing as well. Overall, the Stock Market Prognosticator provides excellent value to those who seek the road less travelled.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Naked Capitalism - Blog Review

Blogs that provide links to relevant investing articles are easily my favorite category of blogs. One such blog that I have added to my daily read is Naked Capitalism. Several times a day the authors of Naked Capitalism post links and excerpts of timely financial, market, and economic news stories. In addition, Naked Capitalism also does a fine job of adding its own analysis to the cited content.
With a copious 100 plus posts each month, Naked Capitalism is a blog that provides its readers with fresh and thoughtful material in abundance. Those looking to add to their collection of blogs that provide worthwhile links will not find disappointment with Naked Capitalism.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Controlled Greed - Blog Review

Controlled Greed

Another fine blog I enjoy reading is Controlled Greed. Controlled Greed offers much to its readers. From detailing the authors current holdings and the rationale behind each selection to providing links and discussion of current news about investing Controlled Greed covers a wide range of topics related to fundamental investing.

As described on the site Controlled Greed is:

devoted to investing in undervalued stocks. The focus is global and typical investments can include net working capital discounts (also known as "net nets"), book value discounts, low P/E ratios, special situations and fallen angels.
Controlled Greed is a well written blog that I believe those interested in fundamental investing can learn much by reading.

Monday, September 03, 2007

SuperCash: The New Hedge Fund Capitalism - Book Review

SuperCash: The New Hedge Fund Capitalism (Wiley Trading)





What Is It About?

This book examines alternative approaches to success in the market. Looking at various techniques such as closed-end fund arbitrage, short-selling, and activism, the author explains to the reader how various strategies work and how an individual can mimic those strategies on a smaller scale. Well-written, the book is a quick read at just over 200 pages.


What Did I Get Out Of It As A New Investor?

The book introduces a new investor or trader to the allocation of assets using alternative investments. Using examples of 13D filings the author demonstrates how the new investor can profitably ride the coattails of professional activist investors. The author also takes the reader through a step by step explanation on how to implement a closed-end fund arbitrage strategy. Several other chapters walk the reader through various other strategies employed by hedge funds. Overall, the book did a good job helping me understand that there are many alternative avenues to investing success.

The Good News

A helpful book for a new investor or trader hoping to understand alternative classes of investing.


The Bad News

The author says don’t read his books.


The Bottom Line

An informative book that provides the new investor or trader with a basic understanding on how to implement alternative investing strategies.


Other Related Reading:

My Review

Monday, August 27, 2007

Best Stock Trading In The World - Blog Review

Best Stock Trading In The World

Depth. It is what I most enjoy about the blogs I read. Depth both in content and quality of writing is what appeals most to me when I am reading a blog. The kind of content depth that forces you to pay attention when you a read a blog post to make sure you don't miss the point. The kind of writing depth that displays a nuanced command of the English language that allows one to read a blog post twice and still feel a sense of freshness the second time around.

A blog that satisfies my criteria is the Best Stock Trading In The World blog. A rather new blog with nine posts in July and eighteen in the current month of August, the Best Stock Trading In The World blog caught my eye a few weeks ago due to the quality of the writing and the depth of the content. To date the blog seems to be posting in a serial fashion as it proceeds to some unknown destination. As such I would recommend that one start at the beginning and read the posts in order to better understand the current posts as they build on each other.

As for what the blog is about I will simply quote from the title page and allow the author to describe it:

This is a blog about thinking. It operates under the pretense of being about the stock market. But this may not be so bad; the stock market as a world is a suitable world in which to think. It is suitable because it has a goal. There is at least but one world more suitable for thinking but that world cannot be so easily entered. It is sometimes said that “One must swim to stay afloat. One must eat to stay alive.” This blog is intended to conquer that. Let us conquer it together.

Friday, August 17, 2007

Zero Beta - Blog Review

Zero Beta

Another fine blog I enjoy reading is Zero Beta. Zero Beta takes a look at the broader happenings in the market and economy and does so in an intelligent and insightful manner. Providing links as well as original content Zero Beta provides thought provoking views on all things finance related. An example of the fine analysis performed can be seen in this post regarding the recent subprime sell off.

Zero Beta


Monday, August 13, 2007

Covered Call Blog - Blog Review

Covered Call Writer Blog

An interesting blog that has made its way onto my feed reader is the Covered Call Writer Blog. The blog is a trading journal of an individual who has a system for writing covered calls. The blog details that system as well as the trades made using the aforementioned system. The blog also provides links to various articles and resources regarding writing covered calls.

An informative blog for the new investor or trader looking to learn about covered call writing.

Covered Call Writer Blog

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

The Financial Philosopher - Blog Review

The Financial Philosopher

Some blogs entertain. Other blogs educate. It is the rare blog that is smart. By smart I mean that feeling one has after reading an article knowing that the clarity of thought expressed is of a level few obtain. I classify The Financial Philosopher as falling into the smart category.

The Financial Philosopher blog provides the new investor or trader with the tools which provoke one to philosophically examine the field of investing and trading. The Financial Philosopher discuses those issues most pertinent to a new investor's or trader's success in the market and does so in a easy to understand manner. Simply put, I enjoy this blog because I agree with the blog author's statement that "everything goes back to keeping things simple and knowing intimately who you are."

The new investor would be well served to take the time to read The Financial Philosopher
blog.

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

The Smart Money Report - Blog Review

The Smart Money Report

Another blog that I have recently found that I like is the The Smart Money Report. The Smart Money Report provides several daily links to interesting articles and blog posts. A good blog for those looking to find things to read without spending a lot of time searching.

The Smart Money Report

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

James Altucher's Daily Blog Watch - Blog Review

James Altucher's Daily Blog Watch

Like Abnormal Returns, James Altucher's Daily Blog Watch is another excellent way to save time. Six times a week Mr. Altucher posts links to several articles and blog posts that merit attention. For those who do not have time it is a quick and easy way to stay on top of the investment blog world.

Additionally, as author of three great books on investing, the creator of the Stockpickr website, and a successful hedge fund manager, James Altucher's Daily Blog Watch provides the new investor and trader with access to a daily news briefing from an individual who offers valuable insight. The best part is that this access is free. So too are many other of Mr. Altucher's writings at TheStreet.com.

James Altucher's Daily Blog Watch has saved me time and provided value to my education as an investor/trader, and I think it will do the same for any new investor or trader.

James Altucher's Daily Blog Watch

Sunday, July 22, 2007

The dk Report - Blog Review

The dk Report is a blog that provides an excellent daily overview on what transpired in the market. Mixing commentary with economic analysis accompanied by charts, The dk Report reviews how sectors, industries, and indices are performing.
Well written and detailed The dk Report nonetheless presents the material covered in a manner that even the new trader or investor can grasp. For the new trader interested in learning how to study market trends using charts, The dk Report provides informed analysis while not overwhelming the novice reader.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Cheap and Safe - Stock Screen

Here is a screen that looks for both cheap and relatively safe stocks. It comes from the Stingy Investor website which provides good resources for the new investor. You can make the screen by using the free deluxe screener available at the MSN Money website.



1. A member of the S&P500


2. Debt-to-Equity Ratio less than or equal to 0.5


3. Current Ratio of more than 2


4. Interest Coverage of more than 2


5. Some Cash Flow from Operations


6. Some Earnings


7. Price to Sales ratio of less than 1


Here is a link to the screen and the rationale behind it.

The Aleph Blog - Blog Review

Another solid blog a new investor or trader may benefit from reading is the The Aleph Blog. The Aleph Blog is authored by David J. Merkel,a commentator at the website RealMoney.com. The Aleph Blog covers a wide variety of topics including macroeconomics, derivatives, quantitative strategies, insurance issues, corporate governance, etc. One of the better things that the The Aleph Blog does, as stated on the blog, is a review of the inter-linkages in the markets in order to understand individual markets better.
The highest compliment I give about the blogs I read is that a blog not only informs and educates, but also challenges its reader to think. The Aleph Blog does just that. A new investor or trader should make the effort to read The Aleph Blog.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Best Stock Market Blogs As Voted By You

Last week I posted the top 10 blogs that have helped me the most since I started investing 18 months ago. Now it is your turn.

I created a list on Amazon's Unspun of Stock Market Blogs. The site also allows for the creation of a Widget as you can see on the right.

Either by visiting the above link or using the interactive widget to the right feel free to vote for those blogs you feel are your favourite or that have helped you the most. This list is by no means complete so feel free to follow the above link and add any blog you feel deserves a vote, even your own. Hopefully over time the list will present to the new investor or trader a road map to the more useful blogs.

Please note: Except for the first ten which are the blogs I have learned the most from, I started this list by simply selecting other blogs I enjoy from my blog roll. I will leave it up to you to rank them by voting.


Sunday, July 08, 2007

Top Five Blogs For a new Investor Or Trader - First Half 2007

At the beginning of the year I selected the top five blogs I felt contributed the most to my development in the first 12 months as an investor and trader. You can see that post here. The five blogs I mentioned are Geoff Gannon: Gannon On Investing, Bill Rempel: Nodoodahs Investing, Bill Cara: Capital Markets & Social Equity, Michael Seneadza: Trader Mike, and Howard Lindzon: Trends - Find Them, Ride Them, and Get Off. Those five blogs I thought were essential in my obtaining a 19.63% return for 2006.

All of the above are still great blogs and I think any new investor or trader should read them. Of course learning is not static and as my knowledge grows so does the circle of blogs I draw on to learn from. To build on my previous "Top Five Blogs of 2006" I thought it would help other investors to know what other blogs I am currently learning the most from besides the above five. Therefore, the following are the five blogs (in addition to the aforementioned five) that I feel have had the most impact on my ability to achieve a 14.96% return in the first half of 2007.

1. Traderfeed

Exploring and understanding your competencies and limitations reigns paramount above all else. Traderfeed offers insightful analysis on how to unleash the inner power of your mind to increase market performance while at the same time controlling the destructive mental tendencies we all have that decrease investing performance.

2. Daily Options Report

Daily Options Report is a great resource for an investor or trader looking to utilize options as a means to enhance market performance. The author, Adam Warner, goes out of his way to explain in terms understandable to the uninitiated options trader what options are all about. Mr. Warner is also quick to respond to any questions is readers might have.

3. Maoxian

Since 2001, the author of the Maoxian blog has been providing insightful market commentary on all time frames and every style of investing and trading. While the current material is well worth the read, great value can be found in the extensive archive. For those wanting to read a perspective on the market from someone who was blogging before there were blogs then Maoxian is the place to go.

4. Cheap Stocks

Perhaps the best blog to read on applying the teachings of Benjamin Graham is Cheap Stocks. Each post provides a great teaching tool to the new investor who desires to see an example of the traditional "Grahamian" style of value investing. Reading the blog archive at Cheap Stocks, which dates to 2003, a new investor will be rewarded with a better grasp on traditional fundamental investing.

5. Abnormal Returns

Everyday Abnormal Returns provides a comprehensive review, with links, to some of the best investment and economic related posts on the Internet. Often, the posts are organized around a daily topic or theme. If you are a new investor or trader and do not know what to read, Abnormal Returns can help because it collects the most relevant daily links to the best investment related articles on the Internet which will then provide an invaluable education.

There it is, the five most important blogs to me in the first half of 2007. I think any investor or trader will be well served to read the blogs listed in my "Top Five Blogs of 2006" and the blogs listed currently for the first half of 2007. I know they helped me.