Even though the markets sold off fairly hard last week, buyers
appeared to remain on strike as we had a quiet start to the new
trading week. It could be the Veteran's Day holiday and schools
being closed that may have kept retail investors away, but we
should see volume pick up as the week goes on.
Two companies that did well out of the gate on news they were
making acquisitions were Sherwin-Williams (
SHW
) and Precision Castparts (
PCP
). Jefferies Group (
JEF
) was also up, but they are actually the company being acquired in
a financial services deal. The tough thing for longer-term
shareholders of JEF is the shares are being bought well off the
company's all-time highs of about $34. The acquisition price of $16
and change is less than half of JEF's high.
Finally, cautious Wall Street commentary had shares of Garmin (
GRMN
) and Johnson & Johnson (
JNJ
) trading in the red. On the flip side, shares of KLA Tencor (
KLAC
) and Citigroup (
C
) gained on positive analyst mentions.
Meticulous in the Right Areas
I was sitting at the gas station the other day waiting for a
fill-up when I couldn't help but notice a person working endlessly
on giving his car's rims (at the car wash that was attached) that
new-car shine. I'm certainly all for things to look immaculate, but
in the back of my mind I wondered if this individual was as
meticulous with his own finances as well. I guess it's the
financial services person in not admiring the effort so much in
making the tire rims look new again, and instead wondering what
this person's finances were like.
I am of the belief that one who works tirelessly in one aspect
of his life has the DNA to do so in many other aspects of their
lives. Now we all know there is a difference between working hard
and working smart, but if you at least have shown the desire to
roll up your sleeves, you will sooner or later find better ways to
make your job/life easier.
Looking at it from another angle, we all know people who simply
can't seem to prioritize their lives correctly. Maybe the person
cleaning those rims just cares about how his car looks to others
and puts endless amounts of time and monies into that particular
pride and joy. Now if it was a antique/classic car, that's one
thing, but that wasn't the case in the vehicle I witnessed getting
the royal treatment.
At some point, most people "get it" when it comes to all things
money. For some, it may be too little too late (their best income
sources have dried up for the most part), but some will be able to
turn it all around and never look back. Let's do our best to make
sure those we care about do the latter.
Veteran's Day Wishes from Dividend.com
We at Dividend.com would like to send out a special, heart-felt
"Thank You" to all of our nation's veterans today.
It's easy for us civilians to get caught up in the trivial
details of our everyday lives. At Dividend.com, many of our
concerns center around the economy, the state of the nation, and
yes, investing opportunities in this very volatile market. We love
America, and we do our best each day to convey honest information
and opinions that we feel are in our country's best interest.
With all of the hubbub about the economy and the elections
lately, it's been all too easy to forget the bravery of those
people who literally put their lives on the line to defend our
great country and its undying commitment to freedom. Indeed, our
men and women in the armed forces, past and present, truly have a
much more sacred idea of what freedom really is.
Those brave souls at home and abroad who have served and
continue to serve us, day in and day out, deserve nothing but our
respect, admiration, and fervent support. They are the reason we're
able to enjoy the benefits of living in the greatest country in the
world.
Our best thoughts and wishes go out to all past and present
members of the U.S. military today. From the bottom of our hearts,
thank you for protecting our way of life and our great nation. You
are our true heroes!
I hope everyone had a chance to check out our
Dividend.com Premium
members-only weekend articles , including new features that
highlight some of the biggest winners and losers from the week that
was, such as analyst upgrades/downgrades and earnings/story stocks.
These articles are a great way to catch up on the week that was in
the markets. We also have a rundown of how various Dividend
ETFs
performed on the week.
Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the
Best Dividend Stocks
, as well as a detailed explanation of
our ratings system here
.