Comment on The Motley Fool: Building a moat for your castle

In business jargon, an economic moat refers to sustainable competitive advantages that a company may have that protect its market position and defend against competitors or would-be competitors. Examples include brand power, switching costs, patents, economies of scale and barriers to entry. Trading was halted for General Motors because there was "news pending" - the company announced a big new round of recalls (7.6 million vehicles) and a big increase in the cost it expects to incur repairing the recalled vehicles. Trading was halted in GM's stock so that no one would be buying or selling shares without the benefit of the new information. (I even own and run some Japanese resorts.) In addition, I encompass the separately managed vehicle company that is now the world's second-largest motorcycle maker and also makes golf carts, outboard engines, snowmobiles, water vehicles and more. COF, the successful consumer and commercial banking franchise with a strong market position in credit cards, auto loans and home loans. Capital One has a convincing track record in growing its core business segments and has become the 13th-largest domestic bank in terms of total assets. Thanks to cyclical tailwinds generated by higher consumer spending, Capital One's business segments should experience significantly higher demand, which should translate into higher share prices. Thanks to its strong balance sheet, the bank plans to funnel back substantial amounts of cash to shareholders in the form of dividends and share buybacks.