Michael Carter

Third quarter earnings for Krispy Kreme showed improvement nearly across the board, but they didn't meet analysts' expectations in a few key places which sent the stock into freefall. In order for Krispy Kreme to beat expectations from this point forward, the company will need to address several business areas while also considering the strengths of Dunkin' Brands and Starbucks.

If you walk into the mall today, you will see sales at all of your favorite clothing stores. It makes sense to believe that the growing promotional environment is why Aeropostale and Express had mediocre to poor third quarter earnings, and that it is the reason for their downbeat yearly outlooks. However, despite the promotional environment and even the sector threats by companies like Kohl's, Gap, and H&M, there are far more elements that are killing Aeropostale and Express.

American Eagle, Big Lots, and Five Below recently joined the group of retailers who gave gloomy fourth quarter guidance. Many retailers seem to be saying the same thing as Wal-Mart did in mid-November regarding the competitive retail environment. However, there are many other reasons why retailers are betting on disappointing fourth quarters - despite the upcoming holiday shopping season.

Many analysts claim that mobile gaming will replace console gaming sooner rather than later. This is despite the fact that both Microsoft and Sony have introduced their eighth-generation consoles to the market while console-focused gaming developers like Activision Blizzard and Take-Two Interactive continue to see success. In contrast, companies like Zynga have experienced how short-lived mobile gaming can be. In the end, mobile gaming will die well before console gaming.

If you ask someone if a glass of water is half empty or half full, you get many answers depending on how optimistic or pessimistic the person is. The same is true when it comes to opinions on Yelp and Angie's List and how possible threats from eBay, Google, or even Facebook could end either business. Sometimes, you even get the person who says that the glass is always full and that both Yelp and Angie's List can not only succeed, but can even coexist.

Two-thirds of the U.S. adult population is considered overweight or obese. This trend has caused many clothing retailers to address the size ranges they provide. Abercrombie & Fitch recently announced plans to add new plus-sizes for women in 2014. In contrast, Urban Outfitters has ignored this issue while Gap has sold plus-sizes for years. Overall, Abercrombie & Fitch's new plus-size initiative will only add more problems for the controversial clothing retailer.

Wendy’s pretzel bun was a huge success for the company this past quarter. Ruby Tuesday also attempted to capitalize on the pretzel bun craze with far worse results. However, against logic, Wendy’s is phasing out its pretzel buns and Ruby Tuesday is not.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Dunkin Brands offer great investment plays on coffee’s increasing popularity. However, Starbucks will be the real winner and not only because of coffee products as its subsidiaries Evolution Fresh and Teavana change the specialty drink landscape.

Wolverine is a one-of-a-kind character within the Marvel Universe. Like Wolverine, there probably won’t be another Chipotle – but there doesn’t necessarily need to be, either.

‘Product differentiation’ is often an overused term to describe why a particular company will succeed or fail – now or in the future. Claiming that Potbelly is doomed because of a lack of product differentiation is really the pot calling the kettle black.

KFC's Go Cup could be the catalyst for industry competitors to jump in on the action. Since the drive-thru contributes 60-70% of all sales for the major chains, it only makes sense if others, like McDonald's, follow. Given the dynamics of fast-casual peers, don't expect Chipotle Mexican Grill and Noodles & Company to take advantage.

This fast food king has a better future than many of its healthier peers as consumer demands require healthier menu choices.

While this is usually uncomfortable for anyone to admit the biggest weakness about themselves, it is a completely different story when analyzing stocks. In fact, identifying the greatest weakness of a mature large-cap company can be the catalyst to pull the buy trigger.

Statistically, you already own at least one of the following ‘kitchen stocks’ either through direct purchase, your company’s 401K plan, or one of the hundreds of S&P 500 mutual funds. These are safe picks, but they are also not dinosaurs since they are still growing.

New home applications are up. Mortgage rates are up. Both Zillow and Trulia are up. But how much higher can both companies go when they have already soared to share prices and valuations that many analysts and investors consider way too high?