Summary: - General Electric is scheduled to release Q2 2019 results on July 31, 2019. - I cover the two things that investors should closely monitor this week (and for the rest of the year). - I am long General Electric, and I plan to stay long the stock. General Electric ($GE) has been a battleground stock that has actually performed extremely well so far in 2019 (up over 38%). However, GE shares are still down almost 20% over the last year and have significantly underperformed the broader market. 2019 has been a good year for GE shareholders, but the company's management team still has a lot more to prove before the stock will be able to tick higher from here. To do this, management will n

Summary: - AT&T recently reported solid Q2 2019 results that were well-received by the market. - I will take a look at the 2 metrics that are key to the long-term bull case for this company. - I hold a position in AT&T, and I plan to stay long the stock. AT&T's ($T) stock has slightly outperformed the broader market over the last year. The last five years is an entirely different story, as T shares are down 5% while the S&P 500 (SPY) is up almost 50%. However, looking ahead, I believe that there are legitimate reasons to stay long the stock with the company's rich (and supportable) dividend being on the top of that list. Having said that, I believe that investors should pay close attention t

Summary: - Bank of America reported Q2 2019 results that beat the consensus bottom-line estimate. Additionally, the bank's operating results were impressive almost across the board. - The interest rate environment is (and has been) a headwind, but I believe that investors should just keep banking on Bank of America as a long-term investment. - Bank of America is my largest position, and I plan to stay long the stock. Bank of America's (NYSE:BAC) stock has performed well so far in 2019, as BAC shares are higher by approximately 19% over the last seven-plus months. However, the stock has still underperformed the broader market by a wide margin over the last 52 weeks. Financials have been in th

Summary: - Accenture's new CEO, Ms. Julie Sweet, will take over a company that is already well-positioned for the future. Simply put, she will start the game with a pretty sweet hand. - The company's industry is projected to grow materially over the next 5 plus years and, in my opinion, Accenture will be one of the direct beneficiaries. - I hold a position in Accenture and I plan to stay long the stock. Accenture ($ACN) announced that its board approved the appointment of Ms. Julie Sweet as the company's next CEO, effective September 1, 2019. Ms. Sweet has been apart of Accenture's senior leadership team for over a decade and she currently serves as the North American CEO. Ms. Sweet has an e

Summary: - Value investing has continued to morph as the long bull market marches on. - Our panel's views on the market and the way they are approaching all-time highs suggest value remains in the eye of the beholder. - This is leading to finding value in some obvious places - large-cap tech, for example - but also further flung spots like foreign markets and, yes, financials. By Daniel Shvartsman The first half of 2019 saw a lot of green in the markets, as broader indices recovered from the brief bear market in the second half of 2018 and returned to new heights. Despite that, the wall of worry continued to grow, even if the specific concerns changed. Instead of a rising rate environment, e

Summary: - Xinyuan recently announced the resignation of its CEO, and this comes shortly after the company appointed a new CFO. - There are reasons to like Xinyuan at today's price but there are definitely risk factors that need to be considered. - I hold a position in Xinyuan and I plan to stay long the stock. Xinyuan Real Estate ($XIN) is a company/stock that I have followed for years now, and, in my opinion, the market has never been truly sold on the story for this Chinese real estate company. As soon as sentiment improves and XIN shares gain momentum, the stock sells off due to some type of broader market concern. Notice the steep hills and valleys over the last three years. This makes

Summary: - Fifth Third recently raised its dividend by almost 10% and investors should expect more of the same in the years ahead. - This regional bank has a solid long-term story to tell and, in my opinion, the recent acquisition will be a significant catalyst for FITB shares. - I hold a position in Fifth Third and I plan to stay long the stock. Fifth Third Bancorp's ($FITB) stock has been a major disappointment over the last year, as poor sentiment for the financials sector has outweighed what looks to be attractive valuations for the regional banks. However, I believe that FITB shares currently look more attractive than they have in years, especially after you factor in the MB Financial a

Summary: - This real-money portfolio was first introduced to the Seeking Alpha community in December 2015. - The portfolio outperformed its benchmark in Q2 2019 but is still lagging the S&P 500's performance since inception. However, the R.I.P. portfolio is properly positioned for the future. - The financial holdings have been a drag to the portfolio's YTD performance but, looking out, the large financial institutions are well-positioned for the next few years. The Retire In Peace portfolio, or R.I.P. portfolio, was first introduced to the Seeking Alpha community in December 2015 and I have published quarterly articles that captured the activity and performance of the portfolio since that po

Summary: - Bank of America pays a below-average dividend, but investors should expect for this to change in the near future. -There are plenty of reasons to own BAC shares today, but, if you ask me, the bank's dividend growth potential is #1 on that list. - I am long Bank of America, and I plan to stay long the stock. Bank of America's (BAC) stock has been a major disappoint over the last year, as poor sentiment for the financials sector has outweighed what looks to be attractive valuations for the large U.S. banks. I have been long BofA for an extended period of time, but, in my opinion, BAC shares currently look more attractive than they have in years. This large bank has several significa

Summary: - General Electric's stock has performed well so far in 2019, but it is still down by ~23% over the last year. - I believe that the bears are no longer running the show, but any serious misstep by management will change this in short order. - I am long General Electric, and I plan to stay long through at least 2021. General Electric ($GE) has a lot to prove to the market before it is able to get out of the dog house, but I believe that the company's new(ish) CEO, Mr. Larry Culp, has been able to greatly improved investor sentiment since taking over in late 2018. To this point, GE shares are significantly outperforming the broader market on a YTD basis. The stock is still materially