Frank Boland's blog

Frank Thoughts: The Shoe

In 1930 the global headquarters of Boston-based United Shoe Machinery Corporation was an international colossus.  The “Shoe,” as it was affectionately called by Bostonians, was the largest manufacturer of shoe machinery in the world.  USM did business in over 50 countries and was truly an international monopoly.  The headquarters dwarfed downtown Boston.  In fact it was the city’s first and, in 1930, only skyscraper.  Its manufacturing plant, 30 miles north in Beverly Massachusetts, was in excess of 1,600,000 square feet!

Frank Thoughts: The 800 Pound Gorilla

In this edition of Frank Thoughts, Frank discusses the rise of high-frequency algorithmic computer trading and its inherent disadvantages to long-term investing. 

THE 800 POUND GORILLA

Frank Thoughts: Investing Lessons from Pete Lawson

In this edition of Frank Thoughts, Frank reflects back to the mid-1960s and the key lessons on investing he learned from former Fidelity Magellan fund manager Pete Lawson.

ROBERT F. “PETE” LAWSON

Frank Thoughts: Client or Customer?

In this edition of Frank Thoughts, Frank makes the important distinction between being a brokerage customer and an investment advisory client. 

Frank Thoughts: Volatility

In this edition of Frank Thoughts, Frank takes a look at a concept that has been discussed at length recently: volatility.  Sure, the volatility in the stock market has increased substantially with the current market correction, but as Frank suggests, investors who can withstand heightened volatility can make huge profits in a bull market. 
 

VOLATILITY

Frank Thoughts: An Important Business Lesson

This week we offer up another edition of Frank Thoughts.  In this edition, Frank reflects back to a round a golf he played back in 1966 and the lesson he learned that day: the importace of luck in business.
 

THE RICHEST MAN IN THE CLUB

Frank Thoughts: The Rally

In this edition of Frank Thoughts, Frank expands upon last month's topic "The Bond Market".  Frank examines closely the true catalyst for the bear market in equities and answers the question: Is the current bull market "just a rally" or the start of a long-term (secular) advance for equities?  
 

THE RALLY

Frank Thoughts : The Bond Market

Earlier this week, Bill Gross, manager of the world’s biggest bond fund at Pacific Investment Management Co., said the almost three-decade bond market rally may be drawing to a close.  This might have a lot of investors worried considering they have poured $89 billion into bond funds so far this year!  Is this the end of the bull market for bonds?  Should investors be looking to allocate back to equities? Our Contravisory market veteran Frank Boland says "yes" and explains why in this edition of Frank Thoughts

THE BIGGEST MARGIN CALL IN HISTORY … is over

Frank Thoughts

Today we share with you yet another edition of "Frank Thoughts".  In this edition, Frank recalls back to his days as an analyst at Lehman Brothers in the early 1980's when he covered K-Mart stock.  At the time, discount retail stocks were out of favor but came storming back to perform exceptionally well during the ensuing bull market.  While Frank feels retail stocks are poised to perform well again this time around, will that be the case this time around for discount retail?  In today's day and age, probably not....

“THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN”

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During my eighty-seven years, I have witnessed a whole succession of technological revolutions. But none of them has done away with the need for character in the individual or the ability to think.”

– Bernard Baruch