Bartiromo: I was upset because CNN wasn’t one of the major networks at the time. Remember, this was before the Gulf War, which really put CNN on the map, and it was a time when cable television was still very small. I was completely wrong in that assessment, because CNN gave me an opportunity to do so much and learn so much.
When I first started out at the New York Stock Exchange, there were plenty of people who didn’t take me seriously. The mentality of being in a boys’ club where the information should only be shared among members and not with the individual was very strong. In a situation like that, I can only recommend making sure that you do your homework, you know your stuff—that’s most important—and that you stand firm and be determined, as I try to be. Being a woman on Wall Street has had its challenges in that regard.
Reader Questions for Maria Bartiromo
People are sensitive about their money, so the CNBC audience has a lot of emotion invested in the programming. Is this why you seem to be scrutinized, inspected, worshiped, and characterized more than most other on-air personalities?-Graham Thorne
Bartiromo: I’m not sure what the reason is. At CNBC, I always stick to business. You don’t hear me joking around on the air, you don’t hear me making light of people’s money. I don’t appreciate it in other people, and I believe that investors have appreciated that about me. I also believe I’m one of the most connected financial journalists out there today and I try to open up my Rolodex and share information that was not readily accessible before.
What should a person do who bought all of their tech stocks at a high valuation and has very little capital left to invest at these lower prices? Is our best hope to wait it out over the long run or sell so much at a time to recoup what we can as capital losses on our income taxes?
Very Truly,
-Sam Pusateri
Bartiromo: I’m a reporter. I don’t claim to be a stock picker or a money manager. I want to be very clear on that. Having said that, I would be re-evaluating what my holdings are. Ask yourself the questions I go through in the book: Has the story changed? Is the reason that you bought that stock in the first place still there? Often people buy stocks because of a product line or because of earnings growth or maybe they like the management team. You need to ask yourself if the reason you bought that stock is still there. If it is, I would probably wait it out. If not, you could average down or sell it.
Are stocks that pay dividends out of favor? If so, why? Also, if I want to invest in dividend paying stocks, how do I find them. Are there other measures to determine what are “good” investments?
-Bonnie
Bartiromo: Dividend paying companies are not out of favor. Look at tobacco, real estate investment trusts and utilities. All three have done very well in a tough environment for the rest of the market. In any case, dividends alone are not the best measure of whether a company is a good investment. As I point out in the book, you need to evaluate all of the company’s fundamentals to get a clearer picture of its financial future.
What are your top five stock picks for the next two quarters, and your outlook on Primedia stock?
-Jamie R., About, Inc.
Bartiromo: I cannot and do not pick stocks. It’s not my job and it’s against my company policy. However, as I’ve written in the book, I would look for companies that are growing earnings faster than the rest of the market, because in an environment where earnings are slowing down, it will likely be the companies that have above-average growth over the next several quarters and several years that will move higher.
If you could wear anything on-air what would it be?
-Cynthia
Bartiromo: I actually am very comfortable with what I wear on-air. I love wearing chic-looking pantsuits that are simple yet professional, and comfortable, too.
