Summary: - Bank Of America reported strong Q4 2018 results that beat top- and bottom-line estimates. Additionally, the bank's results for full-year 2018 were significantly better than for the prior fiscal year. - I believe that the investment thesis for Bank Of America is not only still intact, but that it has actually gotten stronger over the last four quarters. - Bank Of America is my largest holding and I plan to stay long the stock. Bank of America ($BAC) reported Q4 2018

Summary: - General Electric and Wabtec modified their asset merger agreement. - I believe that both companies should be viewed a winners under the new agreement, but it is a different story for GE shareholders. - I plan to stay long both General Electric and Wabtec, and I look forward to reading your thoughts about the new deal. On January 25, 2019, General Electric ($GE) disclosed that it modified the terms of the asset merger agreement with Westinghouse Air Brake Tech. (WAB

Summary: - Disney is restructuring its business, so management recently released recasted its financial results for the last three fiscal years. - The company is losing money in the streaming business, but I view this as a necessary evil. - I am long Disney, and I recently added to my position. Walt Disney ($DIS) stock has not performed well lately, the shares have still outperformed the broader market over the last year. Investors have been concerned about Disney's future, a

Summary: - Citigroup reported strong Q4 and full-year 2018 results that were well-received by the market. - The company is well-positioned for 2019 and beyond, as management still anticipates for the bank to achieve its 2020 financial targets. - I am long this large financial institution and I plan to keep banking on Citigroup. Citigroup ($C) recently reported strong Q4 and full-year 2018 results that were well-received by the market (the stock finished the trading day up ~4%

Summary: - Honeywell's stock has underperformed the broader market over the last year, but I believe that HON shares are a great long-term buy at today's price. - Additionally, the recent spinoffs have the potential to be a major catalyst for Honeywell's stock over the next 12-18 months. - I am long Honeywell, and I have plans to grow my position in 2019. Honeywell ($HON) is a core holding in the R.I.P. portfolio, and the stock has performed well over the last 3 plus years. M

Summary: - Synchrony Financial's stock has underperformed the broader market over the last year. - The company is operating in a challenging business environment, but I believe that the risks are baked into the stock. - I am long Synchrony Financial and I plan to stay long the stock. Synchrony Financial's ($SYF) stock is down big over the last year, as SYF shares are now approaching levels not seen since the mid-2014 IPO. More recently, Synchrony's stock has been under pressu

Summary: - Verizon pre-announced strong subscriber numbers for the period ended December 31, 2018, and the stock popped ~3%. - Verizon should be viewed as an income play (with some growth prospects as a kicker - e.g. 5G) that has a supportable dividend and great dividend growth prospects. - I am long Verizon and plan to get longer in the months/quarters ahead. On January 8, 2019, Verizon's ($VZ) stock jumped by almost 3% after management reported strong subscriber numbers for

Summary - It is being reported that Apollo is working on a deal to buy GE's jet leasing business (GECAS) for $40 billion. - I will dig into the numbers and provide my thoughts on the proposed "deal". - I am long General Electric and I plan to stay long the stock. General Electric's ($GE) stock has been a major disappointment over the last two years, as GE shares are down by approximately 73% over the same period of time when the S&P 500 (SPY) is up 24% (yes, that is 97 percen

Summary: - This real-money portfolio was first introduced to the Seeking Alpha community in December 2015. - The portfolio significantly underperformed its benchmark in 2018, with several factors being significant contributors, but I believe that the portfolio is positioned to benefit from several major trends. - The financial holdings were a major drag to the portfolio's full-year 2018 performance but, looking out, the large financial institutions are well-positioned for the