One year ago in the Investor Advisory Service, we highlighted Qualcomm (Nasdaq: QCOM), the large telecom technology business. How has the company and its stock fared since our last review?

The September 2014 Investor Advisory Service issue has been published, with three stock picks and three sell recommendations.

Building a successful stock portfolio doesn’t happen by magic. It requires following a few basic rules and making careful decisions. But the basic concepts of successful investing are surprisingly simple:

In the July issue of Investor Advisory Service, the editors note that international instability has become a theme this year, giving investors reason to worry about ripple effects in the markets. Though the usual warnings of a "bubble" collapse continue, the S&P 500 showed stubborn resilience through the first half of the year and well into the summer. The 10-year and 30-year U.S. Treasury yields have held steady in the short term and gold prices remained unchanged, for a change.

In each issue of IAS, the editors present three stocks to consider and — if warranted — stocks recommended to sell. In the July issue of IAS, the editors present a trio of stocks whose corporate trajectories look promising, with an explanation of the market positioning and opportunities for each. 

The August 2014 issue of the Investor Advisory Service stock newsletter has been published for subscribers. If you're not a subscriber, use the Promo Code UR2X to subscribe on the website and get instant access.

The June 2014 issue of the SmallCap Informer newsletter was released earlier this week.

In the July 2013 issue of the Investor Advisory Service newsletter, we featured Franklin Resources, Inc. (BEN), the mutual fund management business. How has the company and its stock fared since our review?

The July 2014 issue of the Investor Advisory Service is now available online for subscribers. To access the issue, please visit www.investoradvisoryservice.com

Print subscribers should expect to receive their issues by U.S. Mail within five business days.

https://www.smallcapinformer.com/GetEach monthly issue of SmallCap Informer brings you a package of news and information about small-cap stocks, with recommendations of two new stocks to follow plus ongoing news of all followed companies.

In the April issue of SmallCap Informer, the editors selected two companies for portfolio consideration. One is a performer we’ve discussed before and one is brand new to our coverage.

Each month in SmallCap Informer the editors recommend two growth-oriented small-cap stocks, along with insights on key factors affecting smaller companies. In the May issue of SCI, the editor provides a quick primer and debt and leverage and their relevance in the small-cap context. 

At this time last year, low interest rates remained the most important catalyst behind a trend of improving economic growth. Low interest rates are strong fertilizer for consumer spending, which is the biggest component of GDP. In the June 2013 issue of Investor Advisory Service, we noted that Q1 GDP growth for 2013 came in at 2.5%, much better than Q4 2012’s 0.4% growth. Consumer spending grew a very respectable 3.2%. Housing looked even better. The median sale price for homes rose 11% in the first quarter.

The philosophy of Investor Advisory Service is that holding carefully selected stocks over the long term produces the best results. But no stock follows a specific timetable, and there are always ups and downs. Occasionally IAS editors may recommend selling a stock it previously recommended, because sometimes fundamental assumptions made at the time of a stock recommendation can deteriorate, and a revised view is needed.