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Chris Versace

Chris Versace

Chris Versace, the "Thematic Investor," is the director of research at Think 20/20, an independent equity research and corporate access firm located in the Washington, D.C. area. Before Think 20/20, Mr. Versace was the portfolio manager of Agile Capital Management (ACM), a thematically driven alternative investment fund. The groundwork for ACM was laid during Mr. Versace’s tenure as senior vice president of equity research at Friedman Billings Ramsey, where he produced award-winning, differentiated research coverage using an ecosystem perspective of the mobile phone industry and enabling component technologies across various material technologies, including RF semiconductors (RFID, GPS), LEDs and display technologies. During his tenure at FBR, Mr. Versace received honorable mentions in Institutional Investor annual research analyst rankings, was a five-star analyst by Zacks Investment Services and a four-star analyst ranked by Star Mine. Mr. Versace was also an analyst at Donaldson Lufkin Jenrette, as well as Salomon Brothers. Mr. Versace is currently a weekly contributor to The Washington Times. He has been quoted extensively in the Wall Street Journal, Investors Business Daily, The Street.com, USA Today and other publications. He has participated in numerous industry panels, including the Northern Virginia Tech Council, We Media and others, and has appeared on Fox Business, CNBC, CNBC Europe, CNNfn and "America's Morning News." Mr. Versace earned bachelor's degrees in economics and mathematics at Fairfield University before earnings an master of business administration degree in Finance at Fordham University.

Articles by Chris Versace

VERSACE: Keeping an eye out for catalysts

Just as we must keep on the lookout for solid investments, we must keep an eye peeled for those events that may give rise to new product announcements, strategic shifts or an update to a company's outlook.

January 6, 2011

VERSACE: Expect 2011 to be good but not great

This year was an interesting year for the stock market, as measured by the move in the Standard & Poor's 500, and 2011 will prove to be just as interesting to watch.

December 30, 2010

VERSACE: Expert offers some valuable pieces of advice to collect

Normally I tend to discuss topics about investing, stocks, economics or something along those lines. Every once in a while, I break form to discuss something I feel is noteworthy. In this case, there are some pending changes in the estate tax law that affect an alternative form of investing - collectibles.

December 23, 2010

VERSACE: Independent and for the individual

As I head toward the end of the year, I tend to reflect on the past 12 months, and as an investor, it's always wise to examine our portfolio choices — both good and bad — made in the past 12 to 18 months. I find that by understanding where I went wrong, as well as where I went right, is just as important to sharpen my investment lens.

December 16, 2010

VERSACE: The era of ‘the cashless consumer’?

It seems that pretty soon you will not only be able to leave your wallet at home, but you will be able to have your money, your way — or at least spend it your way — as "the new cashless consumer."

December 9, 2010

VERSACE: Jobs, jobs, jobs

In case you have been under a rock the past several months, one of the greatest concerns across the country is job growth. On Friday, we get the latest view on this when the Labor Department issues its November Employment Report.

December 2, 2010

VERSACE: Chew over thoughts of Apple and spices

It seems that retailers and more are bracing for a better holiday shopping season. However, just because the retailers have the goods does not necessarily translate into shopping being up across the board.

November 25, 2010

VERSACE: Options crop up with commodity prices

Recent headlines have favored the postelection fallout, what may or may not have been accomplished at the recently completed Group of 20 meetings and renewed concern over eurozone issues.

November 18, 2010

VERSACE: Investing in smartphones could be a good call

Arguably, mobile phones are a competitive market and smartphones even more so. That said, I suspect that over time the smartphone space will ultimately consolidate around a handful of manufacturers, much the way the PC industry and others, including the larger mobile-phone market, have evolved.

November 11, 2010

VERSACE: All aboard the freight car rebound

This past week was both an interesting one and for the most part one that turned out I would say as expected. I'm referring to both Election Day and the formal announcement of what many have come to call QE2, or Quantitative Easing Part 2, by the Federal Reserve.

November 4, 2010

VERSACE: Investment community may get tricks or treats

As one would suspect in late October, many are thinking of the tricks and treats to be had this Halloween weekend. As I look out over the next few days, I am wondering whether the investment community will get treats or tricks of its own.

October 28, 2010

VERSACE: There’s a new scarce resource on the rise

Normally when investors think of commodities, things like corn, wheat, soybeans, hogs, cocoa, lumber, gold, silver and coffee enter the mind. While those are key ones to watch, there are a number of others and a certain subset are getting all the attention. What I'm talking about are rare earth elements.

October 21, 2010

VERSACE: Dour forecasts begin for yule shopping season

A few columns ago, we were in the thick of the Back to School shopping season, and as we exit that window of buying, eyes are increasingly looking through to the year-end holiday shopping season. It seems that this bonanza of buying creeps further ahead each year, and the shopping mentality has started to eclipse the Thanksgiving holiday.

September 30, 2010

VERSACE: On the defense in stagnant economy

Contrary to the news flow, it's been a rather quiet week for me. One that reminds me of crickets, not so much because of the noise crickets make but the absence of other noise that lets you hear the crickets. With some slack in the schedule, I thought a nice change of pace would be to open the ol' mailbag, or, in this case, the ol' e-mailbag, and answer some readers' questions.

September 2, 2010

VERSACE: Back-to-school sales augur economy

As Labor Day approaches, many of us are contemplating the end of summer, pre-season football and squeezing in the last bit of vacation. There are others, however, who are gearing up for back to school.

August 26, 2010

VERSACE: When investor’s confidence is shaken

One of the more frustrating aspects of investing, from my perspective, is when the stock market and investors fail to see what I do. I suspect at least a few reading this think to themselves, "What an overconfident ...."

August 19, 2010