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John Maxfield

TMFMaxfield

I write about banks, trying my best to balance the good and the bad.

Recent Articles by John Maxfield

Sep 24, 2013 by John Maxfield

KB Home's Third-Quarter Earnings: What You Need to Know

Shares of KB Home are surging today after the company reported third-quarter earnings. But don't let this fool you because its performance suggests that there may be reason for concern.

Sep 24, 2013 by John Maxfield

Lennar's Third-Quarter Earnings: What You Need to Know

The nation's third largest homebuilder by volume said this morning that its third-quarter earnings rose by 35% over the same period last year.

Sep 24, 2013 by John Maxfield

Home Prices Rise at Fastest Rate Since 2006

According to the S&P Dow Jones 20-city home price index, home prices rose by 12.3% in July over the same month last year.

Sep 23, 2013 by John Maxfield

Bad Banks. Good Banks. Great Banks.

In times of trouble, bad banks fail and good banks become great banks.

Sep 23, 2013 by John Maxfield

The 5 Best Bank Stocks Since 1983

A list of the best-performing bank stocks over the last 30 years.

Sep 23, 2013 by John Maxfield

7 Banks That Failed Investors

If you invest in the nation’s largest banks, you should be able to rest easy knowing that their executives will be responsible stewards of your capital. But as we’ve come to learn, this simply isn’t the case. Let's look at Huntington Bancshares, Citigroup, Regions Financial, Zions Bancorp, KeyCorp, Bank of America, SunTrust Banks

Sep 22, 2013 by John Maxfield

1 Thing Great Stocks Have in Common

Most of the best-performing stocks over the past 30-plus years have done two things consistently: pay and increase their quarterly dividends.

Sep 22, 2013 by John Maxfield

Are Higher Mortgage Rates Boosting Home Sales? Nobody Knows.

The question of whether higher mortgage rates are helping or hurting home sales has been one of the biggest conundrums that economists have run into of late.

Sep 21, 2013 by John Maxfield

The Best-Performing Stock on the S&P 500 Since 1980

In 1980, had you invested a mere $1,000 in what went on to become the top-performing stock of S&P 500, then you would be sitting on a cool $1.2 million today.

Sep 21, 2013 by John Maxfield

Warren Buffett Won't Abandon Bank of America

In an interview last week, the Omaha-based billionaire acknowledged that he won't be exiting his investment in the nation's second largest lender anytime soon.

Sep 20, 2013 by John Maxfield

Bank of America's Dividend Plans

How much can shareholders expect to earn in dividend payouts from the megabank once its earnings normalize?

Sep 20, 2013 by John Maxfield

The Buffett of Banks

If Warren Buffett were a bank, which bank would he be? (Here’s a hint: It’s not Wells Fargo.)

Sep 20, 2013 by John Maxfield

Home Sales Continue to Skyrocket

It's hard to imagine a better scenario for the nation's largest homebuilders, such as D.R. Horton and Toll Brothers, to operate in.

Sep 20, 2013 by John Maxfield

The Best-Performing Stock Since 1980

For the average investor, it's virtually impossible to figure out which stocks have performed the best over multiple decades. But fear not, here's the absolute best performing stock since 1980.

Sep 19, 2013 by John Maxfield

The Unlikely Leader of Mobile Banking

Despite all its faults, Bank of America has quietly emerged as a leader when it comes to mobile banking.

Sep 19, 2013 by John Maxfield

BB&T Will Boost Buybacks, Not Dividends

At a recent conference, BB&T's CEO admitted that the bank will probably choose buybacks over dividends for the foreseeable future.

Sep 19, 2013 by John Maxfield

Why Risky Bankers Get Fired (and Conservative Ones Don't)

Risk is cool and sexy. It’s also what destroys financial institutions and gets executives fired.

Sep 18, 2013 by John Maxfield

Everyone Gets It Wrong: The Fed Won't Taper

This afternoon, the Federal Reserve announced that it had voted overwhelmingly against tapering.

Sep 18, 2013 by John Maxfield

Mortgage Applications Ricochet Higher Ahead of Fed Decision

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported today that applications for home loans notched a double-digit increase last week.

Sep 18, 2013 by John Maxfield

Housing Starts Up in August

One of the most important indicators of the housing market has confirmed for another month that the ongoing recovery is still on track despite the recent surge in mortgage rates.

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