Andrew Gordon

Andrew GordanAndrew Gordon is the investment director at ETR. He has 20 years of experience working in infrastructure and environmental projects around the world. When he wasn’t traveling, he taught marketing and finance courses at the state university of Maryland.

He is currently the editor of The Wealth Advantage and INCOME, and contributes a weekly column to Investor’s Daily Edge. Mr. Gordon has authored several books for McGraw Hill and other publishing companies on energy markets, global countertrade practices and the hot growth sectors of China and Russia.

He is also a top-rated speaker at financial conferences.

Recent Articles

Falling Market Great for Buyers
by Andrew Gordon (10/04/2008)

Unless you follow the market closely every day, you should have two stock-investing modes - as a holder of stocks and as a purchaser of stocks. And what about selling? Selling now is not a good idea. The

Preferred Shares Aren’t Just for the Pros
by Andrew Gordon (09/29/2008)

One of the more unpopular asset classes right now is a stock/bond hybrid called preferred shares. While they’re called shares, they have more in common with bonds. Preferred shares have a par value, coupon, and maturity date, just like bonds. And the nice thing about them is that common shareholders don’t get a penny in dividends or distributions until preferred shareholders are paid off.

The Business Behind the Name Is What Counts
by Andrew Gordon (09/25/2008)

I was watching Fox Business News one Friday morning when I heard that statement. I waited to hear the name of the company, but it didn’t come up again. The broadcast moved on to another topic - oil - and my attention was diverted.

Market Analysts, Economists, or CFOs - Who to Trust?
by Andrew Gordon (09/23/2008)

Behind door number one are the market analysts. Behind door number two are the economists. And behind door number three are the CFOs. In a survey done about a month ago, they were all telling us very different things about the economy. Which group should we believe?

Fantasy Value Can Lead You Down the Wrong Path
by Andrew Gordon (09/17/2008)

If you like to buy companies on the cheap - like I do - you probably look at their P/Es. That’s fine. Just know what you’re looking at. If it’s a forward P/E, ignore it. What’s a forward P/E? Let me explain....

Making Time Your Ally
by Andrew Gordon (09/12/2008)

You can be the envy of every stockbroker… floor trader… and intra-day trader who is a prisoner of the flashing green and red indicators on his laptop. They all have to pay attention to the market. Every day. All the time.

Where’s the Party?
by Andrew Gordon (09/08/2008)

In theory, you can make a lot of money investing in bubbles. But you have to deal with one killer problem: when to leave the party. As John Stumpf, CEO of Wells Fargo, puts it, “It is more difficult to attend a party and leave before the trouble starts than not to attend the party at all.”

For Companies, Spending Isn’t an Extravagance… It’s a Must
by Andrew Gordon (09/02/2008)

Answer me this: Why have Exxon Mobil and some of the other oil majors been spending more of their cash on share buybacks than on exploration and production?

How to Handle Economic Predictions
by Andrew Gordon (08/29/2008)

Economists really stink at predicting one of the most important events they track: Recessions. A recent study of 60 recessions that hit various countries in the 1990s found that only 3 percent of "consensus forecasts" (as they’re known in financial circles) made by groups of economists correctly predicted one of those recessions a year in advance. And when they did see one coming, they underestimated its severity by a long shot.

Breaking Down an “Obvious” Rule of Investing
by Andrew Gordon (08/27/2008)

Invest in strong sectors. Avoid weak ones. This seems obvious, yes? But too often, people invest in weak sectors and avoid strong ones. Here are some of the culprits behind this backward thinking:

Simple Investing Works Best
by Andrew Gordon (08/20/2008)

The longer I invest, the more I realize that simple investing works best. The fewer rules you have, the better. Simple investing should be a natural outgrowth of having more knowledge and a better understanding of how investing works. Your ability to pick out what’s truly important and what works for you is key.

The No-Risk Contrarian Way to Make a Lot of Money
by Andrew Gordon (08/07/2008)

Wilbur Ross is a multi-billionaire and legendary investor. He made his money by buying hated assets - like steel when nobody was touching it and Japanese banks when they were saddled with debt. (Sound familiar?)

Even in a Bear Market, Not All Sectors Are Down
by Andrew Gordon (08/06/2008)

Last year, eight out of 10 major sectors went up. The reverse is happening this year. Eight out of the 10 are now in negative territory. Materials and energy are the only holdouts. Is either one worth investing in? Or are they just laggards that will be heading down any day now?

Australia: Where the Beer Is Great and the Bonds Are Better
by Andrew Gordon (07/29/2008)

Australian government bonds have never looked better than they do right now. And this is the perfect time to jump into them...

Wall Street’s Most Lethal Fallacies
by Andrew Gordon (07/04/2008)

Wall Street has its own less helpful spin on "live and learn." It's "read and retch." So much of what we hear and read from so-called experts is simply garbage. Worst of all, it can lead to bad investment decisions.

The Sign We All Want to See
by Andrew Gordon (07/03/2008)

It doesn't matter whether we're in a recession or an economic slowdown (which falls just short of a recession). The main point is, the economy is hurting.

Why You Could Soon Be Rooting for Higher Gas Prices
by Andrew Gordon (06/23/2008)

Who's making money off of high gas prices?

The Book on Bears and Bulls
by Andrew Gordon (06/21/2008)

What’s the Cure for a Sick Economy?
by Andrew Gordon (06/20/2008)

Take my word for it. We're in a recession. It affects you as an investor and as a consumer. Is there anything that can bring us out of this economic tailspin? It's time to ask a few questions about the leading candidates.

Small Caps’ Unexpected Giddy-up
by Andrew Gordon (06/14/2008)

Sooner or later, the market is going to hit bottom. And when it does, you'll want to be invested in small caps (companies with capitalizations of around $3.8 billion or less).

Professional Stock Pickers Are Failing Their Test
by Andrew Gordon (06/12/2008)

Chances are your actively managed mutual fund is disappointing you. You'd probably get better returns investing in an index fund that charges lower fees.

Language Matters
by Andrew Gordon (06/02/2008)

Why This Trend Trumps the Tally
by Andrew Gordon (05/31/2008)

What's wrong with depending on the collective wisdom of the analysts who follow stocks day in and day out?

Barbells, Ladders, and Avoiding Bondage
by Andrew Gordon (05/27/2008)

Investing right now – when the economy is so shaky – may sound mighty risky. In fact, your main concern is probably not how much money you can make ... but how well you can keep your existing money safe.

Unhealthy Investments Are Best
by Andrew Gordon (05/23/2008)

What trumps a stalled economy? Demographics. And what are the two biggest demographic trends today?

Why Most Expensive Stocks Are Rip-Offs
by Andrew Gordon (05/22/2008)

Many investors swear by the "efficient market theory." All it means is that through the magic of millions of investors buying and selling stock every day, you get what you pay for. If a company is cheap, it's cheap for a reason. If it's expensive, it's expensive for a reason.

All-Weather Investing
by Andrew Gordon (05/21/2008)

Guess what? What with the recession... the subprime crisis... foreclosures... inflation... and more, your portfolio is very likely flying into uncharted weather.

Our Next ATM Machine
by Andrew Gordon (05/20/2008)

At the end of 2006, only 11 percent of workers had outstanding loans from their retirement plans. At the end of 2007, 18 percent had such loans. As we're approaching Memorial Day weekend, I'm betting it's well over 20 percent.

The Difference Between 30-Year Bond Returns and 30-Year Bondage
by Andrew Gordon (05/14/2008)

If you want to invest in bonds (these are U.S. bonds but you can do the same exercise with bonds from other countries), which ones do you choose? Here's how to break this chart down in order to select the best deal.

Follow That Boomer!
by Andrew Gordon (05/13/2008)

The two surefire ways to make money off boomers is now down to one. But that one way looks stronger than ever - and if you haven't invested accordingly, you should do it now.

Oil’s Last Harrah
by Andrew Gordon (05/08/2008)

Oil is still making new highs and supply is still very tight. Wait for the price to head down. Then simply be willing to believe in and act on what you're seeing.

Emerging Markets Not Done Yet
by Andrew Gordon (05/01/2008)

Some say the emerging market countries have great economic growth and fundamentals that are being ignored. Others say their markets are valued almost as high as the U.S. markets. They're not a great buy anymore.

The Last Frontier
by Andrew Gordon (04/28/2008)

To make money on stocks, go where the growth is. Right now, the so-called frontier markets are hogging it.

When Others Are Fleeing the Bear
by Andrew Gordon (04/26/2008)

Maybe you know we're in a bear market. But do you know what stage of the bear we're in?

The Attack of the "Old Maids"
by Andrew Gordon (04/25/2008)

Dozens, if not hundreds, of companies are pretending they're not holding the Old Maid. In other words, they're hiding the full extent of their bad debt, assets, and hedges.

Exporters’ Spins Cover Company Sins
by Andrew Gordon (04/10/2008)

You didn't read it here first. The companies that now look the most attractive are those that can take advantage of the falling dollar...

The Upside to Inflation
by Andrew Gordon (04/08/2008)

Can you make money from inflation? Sure you can. Just figure out where the inflation is coming from.

Spendthrifts Unite!
by Andrew Gordon (03/31/2008)

This quarter, according to a new number from TrimTabs Investment Research, we're poorer than we were a year ago.

Edging Away From the Cliff
by Andrew Gordon (03/27/2008)

For the economy to turn around, individuals have to stop living off their credit cards. (If you're in debt, how can you save? How can you follow my investment tips? How can you sleep at night?)

Making Your Own Headlines
by Andrew Gordon (03/24/2008)

I can see it now. The first good week the market has, there will be a slew of headlines using the same words but making very different points.

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