InvestorTrip.com: Stock Market Tips, Research, Strategies, and Commentary Digest global markets, retirement investing, global ETFs, and currency trading news and analysis.

Despite -4% comparable same stores sales numbers during 1st quarter 2007, Gap Inc. shares remain fairly strong considering all the negative attention surrounding the company. I mentioned many of the Gap corporate changes previously, including the closing of Gap’s Forth & Towne segment, a clothing chain primarily for baby boomer women.

Investing in Vanguard global index funds gives your portfolio the extra global diversification for a fraction of the cost of traditional mutual fund expenses. The truth is 80% of fund managers do not beat their fund matching benchmarks. So if you invest in a benchmark, rather than an overworked fund manager’s often speculative stock picks, [...]

I called up my Fidelity broker to inquire about investing in International REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts). Foreign REITs provide you with added global diversification, and safety against sharp US equity losses.
Investopedia defines REITs as:
A security that sells like a stock on the major exchanges and invests in real estate directly, either through properties or [...]

I was browsing through Flickr when I stumbled upon these intriguing photos of the Kuwait stock market in action.

On May 4th, Starbucks 2nd quarter profits rose 18%, and same-store sales rose a niche 4% over the same period from last year. Starbucks continues to churn profits, and looks like a good long-term play because of its robust international growth initiatives.

Short Term Downgrades Hurt SIRI Shares
Analyst downgrades sent SIRI shares into a downward spiral since April 20th, 2007. Both USB and Stanford analysts downgraded SIRI shares from “buy” to “neutral”, and Wall street took quick notice. The SIRI-XM Merger speculation causes SIRI shares to degrade in value as time passes. Investors become impatient and dump [...]

Microsoft Excel is a highly useful tool to investors who wish to calculate EPS growth rates over a lengthy time period.
By calculating EPS growth rates over a period of 6 years, you develop a more insightful understanding of a company’s long term earnings per share and financial growth rates. Your data explains short and [...]

DRDGold subsidiary Emperor Mines sold a 20% stake in the Porgera gold mine in Papua New Guinea to Barrick Gold Corporation for $250 million. The sale will generate enough free cash flow, so DRDGold can pay off $140 million in total debt and focus on DROOY’s prime South African Gold Assets.

Microsoft Corporation Overview & iPod Rival Announcement
Microsoft is a software company that sells everything from desktop software to Xbox consoles, and now mp3 players. The software giant plans to release a rival product to the Apple iPod, Microsoft’s Zune digital player. This is the first bit of good news Microsoft had heard since Sony announced [...]

Gmarket (GMKT): A Korean Marketplace
Gmarket is an online marketplace for Korean buyers and sellers, and is in direct competition with eBay’s subsidiary, Internet Auction (you have to translate the page). The stock went public in 2003, experienced a rough 2004, and has become especially profitable in 2006. Even though I already own holdings in [...]