netflix

Netflix Shorts

Hedge fund managers who like to short overvalued stocks have their sights set on Netflix (NFLX). Whitney Tilson of T2 Partners makes the case in his article Why We’re Short Netflix, pointing out the company’s lofty valuation and competitive vulnerabilities.

upside down

Up on a Down Day

On big down days like today, one of the things we like to do is to screen for securities that are moving up while most other assets are declining.

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Natural Gas Data Overstated

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the Energy Department has discovered that it has been overstating U.S. natural gas production data. Turns out that the Energy Information Administration was only collecting output information from large producers and then estimating production from the rest of the industry.

small

SmallCap Stocks on a Winning Streak

The WSJ’s Kristina Peterson is reporting that the S&P SmallCap 600 index finished higher again on Friday, exending the streak of positive runs to 10 days. That marks the measure’s longest streak since Aug. 21, 2003.

euro

Going Long (or Short) on the Euro

Whether it’s debt concerns in PIIGS (Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain) or anemic eurozone GDP growth, recent news about the euro has been negative—but maybe that’s a positive for you.

hidden

More Hidden Costs of Mutual Funds

Trading costs for mutual funds are typically not disclosed and higher than you might think. That’s the finding of two recent studies profiled in the WSJ article That Fund’s Total Expenses Area Higher Than You Think.

trap

Closed End Funds and the Yield Trap

Jason Zweig warns investors against chasing high yields offered by some closed end funds in the column High Yields Aren’t Always a Good Thing. Problem number one arises from the fact that the yields posted by the funds can include both income and return of capital.

drugstores

Swine Flu, Drugstores and ETFs

The Wall Street Journal recently ran a story on how drugstores might benefit from the upcoming swine flu season. We take the question one step further and ask which ETFs might benefit if the H1N1 virus returns this fall.

active

Active Bond Funds Underperform

The fact that active mutual fund managers regularly underperform their benchmarks when it come to equities is well known. Now, evidence points to the same poor performance on the part of active bond managers.