U.S. News: Lift Your Returns With a Barbell Strategy

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Here's a puzzle: Should you invest in last year's beaten-down stocks, or should you stick with the winners and put even more money there?

The answer appears to be yes, do both.

That conclusion is based on an analysis conducted by S&P Capital IQ conducted exclusively for U.S. News & World Report. It looked at 25 years of data going back to 1990 and found that investing in last year's 10 worst and 10 best-performing subsectors of the Standard & Poor's 500 index is historically a winning strategy.

Read more here.

Forbes: How To Be The Worst Boss Possible -- Part 6

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Pin the Blame on the Donkey

Part six of a continuing series, which outlines how you too can be an appalling manager. Read part 5 here.

The holidays are almost upon us and what better way to celebrate than for fun and games in the office. As a potential “worst boss possible” you should consider running a continuing game of Pin the Blame on the Donkey, which is just like the pin the tail on the donkey game you played as a child. However, it is far more destructive to workplace morale.

Read more here.

Forbes: How To Be The Worst Boss Possible -- Part 5

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Part four of a continuing series, which outlines how you too can be an appalling manager. See parts one through four, here, here, here, and here.

Most of what’s been mentioned in this series has been of a tactical nature such as lambasting employees and reducing morale. However, when it comes to the topic of leadership you can actually implement a strategic initiative that will wreak havoc on whole companies.

Leadership is such a misunderstood topic, which is why you, as a potential terrible manager, can use the many nebulous definitions to your advantage. Read more here.

Photo by Robin Battison on Unsplash

WSJ: A Mark Against Broker-Sold Funds

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Should investors hesitate before buying an actively managed U.S.-stock mutual fund through a broker?

A new study finds evidence that suggests that when such funds are sold through brokers, their returns—after fees are taken into account—underperform those of similar funds sold directly to investors.

Read more here.

WSJ: What Is a Short Squeeze?

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Sometimes when a downtrodden stock jumps, it is due to a “short squeeze” rather than some massive change in the fortunes of the company. So what is a short squeeze and why does it matter?

Short sellers sell borrowed stock, hoping to buy the shares back at a cheaper price and lock in a profit. It is considered a particularly risky strategy because while the price of a stock can’t fall more than 100%, it can go up indefinitely, causing potentially infinite losses.

Read more here. 

Forbes: The Diabolical Tale Of Hitler's Art Thief

By SIMON CONSTABLE

There are times in history when business and government start working together in a diabolical way. Most recently we’ve seen the so-called Islamic State develop an industry of looting priceless artifacts from the middle east and selling them to willing collectors around the world. They are but the latest group to engage in such behavior.

Back in the 1930s and 1940s the Nazis teamed up with art experts to rob Europe’s Jews of enormous caches of priceless art, often via forced sales. Paintings were then shipped off to collectors in New York, for instance. Susan Ronald chronicles one man’s extraordinary career of thievery in her recent book, Hitler’s Art Thief: Hildebrand Gurlitt, the Nazis, and the Looting of Europe’s Treasures.

Read more here.

U.S. News: Why Defensive Stocks Aren't Safe Any More

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Nervous investors should think twice before diving into so-called defensive stocks, especially those securities with high dividends. You might end up putting more risk into your portfolio than you realize. 

Stocks that have less volatility than the overall market and pay higher dividends than most other stocks are often seen as a way to reduce risk in a portfolio. Traditionally, these are found in the defensive sectors, including consumer staples, utilities and health care.

Read more here.