S&P 500 earnings topped out at about $84 a share in June 2007, while corporate profit margins were 44% above their average since 1980.  At the time, these numbers were inflated by global bubbles in real-estate, commodities, liquidity, and growth expectations–a lot of global bubbles.   

Since 2007, most of the bubbles deflated, stocks plunged, profit [...]

I had a fun radio/podcast interview today with Chuck Jaffe at MarketWatch (here is a link, my portion of the interview starts on the 10:40 mark), we “played” hold it or fold it with some of the stocks we own: American Express, eBAY, Nokia; stocks I would NOT want to own: GE, Goldman Sachs, Bank [...]

This is an excerpt from a comment I read on Daily Speculation. It is such a common misperception that I had to write a response:
“Great stocks [Google, Apple] are to be owned. Companies who dominate their space are to be kept and allowed to grow. Those who have built fantastic franchise names should be accumulated. [...]

I am not a buyer of Abbott Labs(ABT) at this price, as the margin of safety has been depleted by the latest stock appreciation.  But I like its latest transaction with General Electric (NYSE GE). Abbott proved to be a shrewd buyer and seller.  It played Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Guidant (GDT) and Boston Scientific (BSX) masterfully [...]