Wyatt Research Week in Review: Sept. 6-12

Labor Day has come and gone. School has started. The days have gotten noticeably shorter. Although the calendar says otherwise, summer has passed.
In a reflection of the post-summer melancholy that afflicts investors and non-investors alike, September is historically the worst month for stocks. Since 1928, the stock market (as measured by the S&P 500 and other pre-1957 Standard & Poor’s composite price indexes) has registered a 1% decline in the month of September.
It’s too soon to call how this September will turn out. As I wrote in this space last week, volatility is king in the current market climate. Plus, it’s anyone’s guess what the Federal Reserve will decide at next week’s policy meeting regarding the unanswered interest rate question.
But for Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) investors – or anyone who uses Apple products, for that matter – September is historically an eventful month. It’s the time of year when Apple traditionally announces new products or upgrades to existing offerings.
Wednesday’s gala Apple event in San Francisco was no exception. Our own Ian Wyatt wrote a roundup of the event, which saw the unveiling of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, an upgrade to Apple TV, and much more.
Here are some of my other favorite Wyatt Research articles from the past week:
Will Apple iPhone Sales Suffer From the China Syndrome? – As recently as 2011, China accounted for just 9% of Apple’s revenues. But now – driven by iPhone sales – it is over 20% and still rising smartly. But according to the International Data Corporation, smartphone sales in China fell by 4% in the second quarter of 2015. That was the first year-over-year decline in six years. But there’s another emerging market where Apple could be poised for an iPhone windfall.
3 Aggressive Buyback Stocks Worth Buying – There’s a lot of noise to sort through when it comes to buybacks. Nearly three-quarters of S&P 500 companies are buying back their shares, but precious few are making repurchases that are both aggressive and smart.
Where Can Investors Find Safe Income and High Yield? – Today, meaningful income is directly correlated with risk. If you want more of one, you have to accept more of the other. But risk can be tolerated with the right mix of investments.
The Best-of-Breed Shale Oil Driller – With oil prices so low and hedges due to expire, the clock is surely ticking on many shale oil companies whose strategy has been: Pump as much oil as you can, ignore the current glut, keep your fingers crossed, and hope for the best. The best they’re hoping for is, of course, to just keep the lights on. But one shale oil company actually looks sane. It has little debt, and for the first time in eight years, the company’s oil output is on the decline. It’s also a relative bargain, with a price-earnings ratio of about 30.
20% of These Companies Are Acquisition Targets – Even though the market has been volatile of late, one trend remains intact: The popularity of U.S. corporate spinoffs as a tactic for unlocking value.
Look Out: Barnes & Noble Stock Is Falling Fast – On Wednesday, Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS) stock fell faster than a hardbound volume of the collected works of Shakespeare dropped from a high-rise building.
2 Attractive High-Yield Dividend Stocks in Big Pharma – The stock market sell-off has been painful for most investors, but the good news is that declining stock prices present new buying opportunities. And in the Big Pharma space, there are plenty of high-yield stocks out there that are ripe for the picking. Click here for two of the best.
Apple Blindsides Google With an Ad Block – While Google’s (NASDAQ: GOOGL) Android mobile operating system is used by more people, the length of time spent on mobile browsing is dominated by Apple’s iOS system. And now Apple is making a statement for any company looking to capitalize on the $70 billion mobile marketing industry, which is, “You have to come through us.”
Have a great weekend!