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Michael Carter
mikecart1
I graduated with honors with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech and later got my MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. I'm a Licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) for the state of Pennsylvania. As an experienced equities investor and Motley Fool member since 2006, I try to show that investing is not only for the pros.
Recent Articles by Michael Carter
Mar 8, 2014
by Michael Carter
Expect Domino’s Pizza to Keep Delivering in All Environments
Domino's Pizza currently competes in a competitive pizza industry with the likes of Yum! Brands' Pizza Hut and Papa John's. Recent earnings from Domino's Pizza suggest that the company benefited from the severe winter weather. However, there are several other reasons why Domino's Pizza will keep delivering in all environments.
Mar 2, 2014
by Michael Carter
Is It a Good Morning in Vietnam for McDonald’s?
McDonald's finally opened its first restaurant in Vietnam earlier this month. Yum! Brands, Burger King, and several other international chains have been in Vietnam for years. How successful can Vietnam be for McDonald's and what can shareholders realistically expect?
Mar 1, 2014
by Michael Carter
Should Shareholders Have More Patience With Potbelly?
Potbelly's recent earnings disappointed shareholders, further pressuring the stock closer towards 52-week lows. Similar to Panera Bread and even McDonald's, Potbelly cited bad weather as one of the main reasons for their sluggish quarter. The real question is whether or not shareholders should have more patience with Potbelly.
Feb 22, 2014
by Michael Carter
Why Whole Foods Market May Have a Big Problem
Whole Foods Market recently reported earnings that disappointed shareholders. Despite the growing sales of natural and organic foods, Whole Foods Market is facing stiff competition from other pure natural and organic plays like Sprouts Farmers Market and The Fresh Market, as well as supermarket-chain giant Kroger. In the end, Whole Foods Market may have a big problem on the horizon.
Feb 15, 2014
by Michael Carter
5 Reasons Starbucks Is Still the Best Coffee Investment
Starbucks, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, McDonald's, and Dunkin Brands Group are all great options to capitalize on coffee's rising popularity worldwide. However, despite improvements and potential game changers from industry competitors, Starbucks still offers the best coffee investment for these five key reasons.
Feb 10, 2014
by Michael Carter
Who Really Benefits if Amazon Increases Prime Membership Costs?
This past week Amazon.com stated that it has considered raising Prime membership costs upwards to $119 a year. Does this give an opportunity for brick & mortar retailers like Wal-Mart and Best Buy to gain customers from Amazon.com? Who really benefits in the end if Amazon.com increases their Prime membership costs?
Feb 8, 2014
by Michael Carter
McDonald’s Is Still not Addressing its Biggest Problem of All
Recent earnings for McDonald's disappointed the market yet again. This occurred even though industry peers like Wendy's and Sonic beat expectations for their last few quarters. Before McDonald's can beat expectations, it first needs to address its biggest problem of all.
Feb 5, 2014
by Michael Carter
How Pizza Chains Are Affecting the Rest of the Fast-Food Industry
The rise of fast-casual restaurants and a weak economy have been used as reasons for the recent struggles of fast-food chains like McDonald's. However, Yum! Brands' Pizza Hut and Domino's, among many other pizza chains, may also be negatively affecting McDonald's and the rest of the fast-food industry overall.
Jan 31, 2014
by Michael Carter
Why Del Frisco’s Steakhouses Aren’t Worried About Rising Beef Prices
Steaks of all varieties are becoming luxury items in the wake of rising beef prices, which are approaching multidecade highs. These soaring prices are expected to affect restaurant chains that specialize in steaks, companies like Del Frisco's Restaurant Group, Texas Roadhouse, and Bloomin Brands. However, Del Frisco's steakhouses are less worried about beef prices than the competition is.
Jan 25, 2014
by Michael Carter
A Data Breach Might Not Be Target’s Biggest Problem
As investigators continue to uncover how massive Target's data breach was, there are other issues the discount retailer must address. Growing competition from Wal-Mart and Costco even as online retailers like Amazon.com continue to take away market share from all brick-and-mortar retailers are just some of the bigger concerns facing Target overall.
Jan 22, 2014
by Michael Carter
Why Jack in the Box Could Pop Much Higher
In the past year, Jack in the Box has seen its stock rise comparably to Chipotle, while industry heavyweights McDonald's and Yum! Brands' stock prices stagnated for much of the same time period. Unlike many of its competitors in the fast-food sector, Jack in the Box is still a growth story and could rise much higher in 2014.
Jan 16, 2014
by Michael Carter
The Real Bed Bugs at Bed Bath & Beyond
Last week, 2013 third quarter earnings disappointed Bed Bath & Beyond's shareholders. Since the Great Recession, Bed Bath & Beyond has enjoyed success despite competition from online retailers like Amazon.com. However, e-commerce and retailers like Pier 1 Imports and Wal-Mart are not the only bed bugs that threaten Bed Bath & Beyond's future.
Jan 11, 2014
by Michael Carter
The 2014 Hunger Games: McDonald’s vs. Wendy’s
With the growing popularity of fast casual restaurant concepts like Chipotle, fast food chains try to hold on to customers with menu innovations and business improvements. McDonald's and Wendy's in particular had very different 2013's, and this showed in their respective stock performances. What should investors pay attention to regarding McDonald's and Wendy's in 2014?
Jan 10, 2014
by Michael Carter
Why Potbelly Has More Upside Than Noodles & Company
Potbelly is going up against a crowded sandwich industry that includes Firehouse Subs, Jimmy John's, Cosi, and Subway. However, Potbelly is often compared to other fast-casual restaurants like Noodles & Company and Chipotle. Despite Noodles & Company's growth opportunities due to its market niche, Potbelly has far more upside long term.
Jan 6, 2014
by Michael Carter
Why Betting on AMC Entertainment Goes Beyond Movies
In recent years, theater operators have relied on technological advancements by companies like IMAX to help drive attendance and revenue. However, the industry has changed since the last time AMC Entertainment was a public company, and betting on AMC Entertainment now goes far beyond movies.
Dec 28, 2013
by Michael Carter
What’s Really Wrong with Olive Garden and Red Lobster?
Darden Restaurants recently announced plans to spin-off Red Lobster from Olive Garden and its other restaurant concepts. While Red Lobster has underperformed in recent quarters, the proposed spin-off doesn't address the real problems facing Darden Restaurants as a whole.
Dec 25, 2013
by Michael Carter
How These 2 Retail Companies Continue to Beat Amazon.com
Recently, brick-and-mortar retailers have attempted to compete with Amazon.com through price wars. However, this doesn't always result in success as the retailers' margins will take a hit and sometimes they still lose to Amazon.com in the end. T.J. Maxx and Marshalls owner TJX Companies, as well as Pier 1 Imports, offer blueprints for how to beat Amazon.com.
Dec 21, 2013
by Michael Carter
What Is a Costco Membership Really Worth?
Costco, Sam's Club of Walmart, and BJ's Wholesale represent the membership-only warehouse club industry in the US. Even though retailers overall have issued downbeat outlooks going forward, Costco continues to outperform the retail industry and its peers. However, the real question is the value of a single Costco member.
Dec 17, 2013
by Michael Carter
Which Restaurants Are the Winners this Football Season?
26.5 billion wing portions, 3 billion pizzas, and millions of burritos will be sold within the United States this year. Given that the NFL playoffs and Super Bowl are approaching while dozens of NCAA football bowl games are on schedule, Buffalo Wild Wings, Domino's Pizza, and Chipotle may be among the best bets on the closing of football season.
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