Summary Points: - General Electric stock performance was terrible in 2017, and 2018 has not been much better. - The company reported disappointing Q4 2017 results, but there were some positive takeaways from the earnings release/management commentary. - There are significant risks that need to be considered, but I plan to stay long the stock. The hits just keep on coming for General Electric ($GE), and at this point in time, even the most loyal shareholders have already thrown in the towel. This industrial company's stock is down ~10% over the first three-plus weeks of 2018, and this poor stock performance comes after GE shares finished down over 40% in 2017. To add insult to injury, the ind

Summary Points: *MetLife recently won a major legal battle with the government, which resulted in the company no longer being designated as a SIFI. *MetLife reported noisy Q3 2017 results two months ago, but I believe that the company is well-positioned for 2018. *MetLife is a long-term buy (3-5 years) at today's price. MetLife ($MET) rarely gets mentioned when investors talk about insurance companies that may be worth investment dollars, and rightfully so, as MET shares have significantly underperformed the broader market over the last year. The underperformance is a tough pill to swallow, especially when you consider the fact that this company has underperformed the market over the last 3-

Summary Points: *Synchrony Financial's bull case keeps getting stronger. *The company reported better-than-expected Q4 2017 earnings but there was some noise in the numbers. *Synchrony Financial is a long-term buy at today's price. Synchrony Financial ($SYF) is a company that I have covered since its initial public offering in mid-2014 (see my first article on this company here), and I am now more bullish than I have ever been on this private-label credit card company. To this point, I believe that investors will be rewarded over the long haul if they pick up SYF shares even at today's price because, in my opinion, the company's long-term business prospects makes the stock a great buy-to-hol

Summary Points: *Warren Buffett recently said that he would buy General Electric at the right number. Makes sense, right? *General Electric's stock has performed well in 2018, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. *Looking out, I believe that General Electric's stock is a long-term buy at today's price. In a recent interview, Warren Buffett told CNBC's Becky Quick that he would buy General Electric (GE) at the "right number," which led to speculation that Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) (BRK.B) may currently be looking to get back into a GE position. Let's remember that it was only a few short months ago that Berkshire disclosed that it sold a small GE position and build its stake in Synchrony Fi

Summary Points: *KeyCorp shares have outperformed the S&P 500 over the last two years, and investors should expect more of the same in 2018. *It recently reported lackluster Q3 2017 results, but that does not change the bank's long-term story. *KeyCorp shares are a long-term buy at today's price. KeyCorp ($KEY) has been one of the best-performing stocks of the R.I.P. portfolio, as shares are up almost 40% since December 2015. In late 2015, I explained why I was bullish about KeyCorp when shares were trading around $13, and my investment thesis has played out well over the past two years. More importantly, I believe that investors can still pick up KEY shares at today's price because KeyCorp

Summary Points: *This real-money portfolio was first introduced to the Seeking Alpha community in December 2015, and it has outperformed the S&P 500 since that point in time. *The portfolio underperformed the S&P 500 in 2017 but the portfolio's projected annual income is up 34% YoY. *The financial holdings were again the top performers for the portfolio. A top-2 position, General Electric, was a major drag on the portfolio's performance over the last 12 months. The Retire In Peace portfolio, or R.I.P. portfolio, was first introduced to the Seeking Alpha ("SA") community in December 2015 and I have published quarterly articles that captured the activity and performance of the portfolio since