Wyatt Research Year in Review, Part I

Happy Boxing Day!
It was a short week for Wall Street with the Christmas holiday falling on Friday. I hope all of you reading this missive are enjoying a pleasant and relaxing long weekend.
In a break from my usual weekly roundup issue, I’ve decided to compile a two-part list of my favorite Wyatt Research articles of 2015. I’ll follow up with the second installment in a week’s time.
Bear in mind that the following articles haven’t been altered since their publication dates. As such, stock prices, general market conditions and even entire investment theses may have changed in the interim. Please do your due diligence.
So, with that disclaimer out of the way, here are some of the articles that I particularly enjoyed reading and editing during 2015:
Is McDonald’s Dividend Overcooked? – As the naysayers tell it, a more fearsome breed of burger slingers is slated to eat into McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD) dividend.
Are Mexican Stocks Heating Up? – The Mexican peso is down 14% against the U.S. dollar during the past year. That’s great news for companies manufacturing products in Mexico that are listed on U.S. stock exchanges. Click here to find out which stocks are poised to benefit most from the decline of the peso.
Berkshire Hathaway Forever Stocks: 3 Holdings That Will Outlast Buffett – How will Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-B) look 50 years from now? As Warren Buffett stated at Berkshire’s latest shareholder meeting, he thinks it will be much the same. And there’s also the chance that it will still own these three stocks.
Land of the Rising Stocks: How to Play Japan’s Bull Market – On April 22, the Nikkei 225 index, Japan’s blue chip barometer, closed above 20,000 for the first time since March 2000. And while Japan’s stock market has seen many false dawns over the past few decades, Wyatt Research analyst Tony Daltorio thinks this time is different.
A Must-Read for GE Shareholders – Forty-five percent of General Electric (NYSE: GE) shares are owned by investors 65 and older – a demographic that typically seeks more income than people still building their nest egg. Wyatt Research options expert Andy Crowder has an income strategy that has generated a return of 13.2% since he added GE stock to his High Yield Trader service 18 months ago.
Time Warner Cable Deal Puts John Malone Back on Top – After a two-year pursuit, it looks like John Malone, the “godfather of U.S. cable,” finally claimed his prize: Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC).
The Best Large-Cap Stock to Play the Connected Home – The best large-cap stock to play the connected-home trend has been around since the early 20th century and came to prominence via an 1885 invention. Get the name here.
The Real Reason Behind the Rash of Semiconductor Consolidation – In two separate record deals recently, Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) agreed to purchase Altera Corp. (NASDAQ: ALTR) for $17 billion in cash, and Avago Technologies (NASDAQ: AVGO) agreed to buy Broadcom Corp. (NASDAQ: BRCM) for $37 billion in cash and stock. But the industry-wide semiconductor consolidation is about more than just cost synergies. It’s a significant change for the hardware industry as a whole.
The Best Pure-Play Concrete Stock – Concrete isn’t the sexiest industry out there, but consider for a moment that on a ton-for-ton basis, concrete is the most widely used building material on the planet. Twice as much concrete is used as steel, wood, plastics and aluminum combined. Growth stock expert Tyler Laundon’s favorite concrete stock has a market cap of just $560 million and trades at a modest current-year price-earnings ratio of 13, based on estimated earnings of $2.90 per share.
Lessons From a Late Great Billionaire Investor – Billionaire investing legend Kirk Kerkorian died this year at the age of 98. Though the reclusive financier always did things his way, investors can learn a lot from the man who bought and sold MGM three times, and whose hotel properties once accounted for over half the rooms on the Las Vegas Strip.
Wall Street Firm Takes Aim at Main Street Lenders – Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) wants to lend you some money. No really, the nearly 150-year-old Wall Street firm is hoping to break into Main Street lending. If all goes as planned, Goldman’s new consumer lending business could put pressure on conventional lenders, as well as “new” lenders like Lending Club (NYSE: LC). But will it work?
Tough Love Is Needed in Greek Debt Crisis – Since its admittance to the European Union in 2000, Greece has lied about its finances, floated far too much debt and overspent on a grotesquely bloated public sector.
Why I’m Not Buying the Top Media IPO in Years – The planned initial public offering of Univision, the largest Spanish language broadcaster in the U.S., could be the biggest media IPO we’ve seen in years. But there’s a big reason for Univision’s success in the form of an already publicly traded company, which could be the better investment opportunity.
Africa: Investing’s Final Frontier – It is the last ground-floor investment opportunity left on Earth. And yet, all but the most adventurous of investors are even aware of it. But Africa is finally starting to get the notice of some big players. One of the largest U.S. pension funds – the New York Common Retirement Fund – plans to invest as much as 3% of its portfolio in Africa over the next five years. That translates to about $5 billion. But what about African investments for the average investor?