I spent some time working in a bank branch as a financial advisor back in the early 2000s. It’s a pretty good gig, if for no other reason than the inordinate number of paid holidays (Columbus Day, Flag Day, Arbor Day). But what really amazes me is that almost 20 years later, the bank hasn’t really changed a bit. This is a timeless business model. —Recommended Link— Shocking Marijuana Discovery Could Turn Every $1,000 Into $61,770​ Scientists have stumbled on a technology that could drive every marijuana “grow op” into bankruptcy. Early investors have a… Read More

I spent some time working in a bank branch as a financial advisor back in the early 2000s. It’s a pretty good gig, if for no other reason than the inordinate number of paid holidays (Columbus Day, Flag Day, Arbor Day). But what really amazes me is that almost 20 years later, the bank hasn’t really changed a bit. This is a timeless business model. —Recommended Link— Shocking Marijuana Discovery Could Turn Every $1,000 Into $61,770​ Scientists have stumbled on a technology that could drive every marijuana “grow op” into bankruptcy. Early investors have a shot at returns up to 6,077% on the biotech that’s become Wall Street’s “best-kept secret.” A Senate vote within weeks could change the marijuana industry forever. Click here for details. Just think of the number of products and services that have been disrupted or rendered obsolete since then. VCRs. Dot Matrix printers. Fax machines. Floppy disc drives. But banks are just as viable and important today as they were a century ago. More than that, you could argue the financial system is the backbone of the entire economy. After all, borrowing and lending are what grease… Read More

Christmas just came early. That’s because it’s time for my monthly check-in on companies that are likely to announce a dividend hike in the coming month. If you’re new to this, here’s how it works… In each issue of my premium newsletter, High-Yield Investing, I scan the market for noteworthy special dividend hikes on the horizon, as well as for potential dividend hikes over the next four to six weeks. I give special attention to outsized double-digit increases and reliable dividend-payers that have been steadily growing payouts for a decade or more. I flag these stocks first for my premium… Read More

Christmas just came early. That’s because it’s time for my monthly check-in on companies that are likely to announce a dividend hike in the coming month. If you’re new to this, here’s how it works… In each issue of my premium newsletter, High-Yield Investing, I scan the market for noteworthy special dividend hikes on the horizon, as well as for potential dividend hikes over the next four to six weeks. I give special attention to outsized double-digit increases and reliable dividend-payers that have been steadily growing payouts for a decade or more. I flag these stocks first for my premium readers. Then, I share them with the public. It’s that simple. If you’re looking for potential portfolio additions to research further, I can’t think of a better place to start. So without further delay, here’s what I’ve found this month… 1. Coca Cola (NYSE: KO) – Coca-Cola doesn’t really need an introduction, other than a reminder that this global beverage giant is far more than just its namesake soda. Yes, the Coke brand is one of the world’s most valuable, worth an estimated $59 billion. But it’s just one of twenty thoroughbred brands in the stable that each rake in… Read More

As you may be aware, there’s been a lot of political news recently. From the impeachment to the primary debates, we’ve had wall-to-wall coverage all over the TV networks.  And while the impact of politics on the markets is a little overstated, it is true that some of what happens will affect the market in one way or another.  As we enter 2020, get ready for the volume to be turned up all the way to eleven. But before the beginning of the long process — one that includes caucuses, primaries, conventions and billions of dollars in commercials — I… Read More

As you may be aware, there’s been a lot of political news recently. From the impeachment to the primary debates, we’ve had wall-to-wall coverage all over the TV networks.  And while the impact of politics on the markets is a little overstated, it is true that some of what happens will affect the market in one way or another.  As we enter 2020, get ready for the volume to be turned up all the way to eleven. But before the beginning of the long process — one that includes caucuses, primaries, conventions and billions of dollars in commercials — I wanted to look at how the stock market generally fares in election years. —Recommended Link— The 5G Revolution Is About To Explode This Ignored $5 Stock​  5G has the potential to add $3.5 trillion to the U.S. economy and turn more everyday investors into millionaires than any other technology in mankind’s history. A new report reveals how one bargain-basement $5 stock is positioned to decimate the 5G competition and turn a $5,000 stake into $117,385 inside of 12 months. But time’s running out… Click here for details. The chart below shows… Read More

The first Federal inheritance tax was passed in 1898. Corporate taxes were written into law in 1909. And in 1913, the Sixteenth Amendment was ratified, paving the way for federal income taxes as we know them today. Ironically, that first attempt at taxing income from wages, property, and investments was the byproduct of a fierce debate on tariffs. Politicians of the day wanted to reduce tariffs and abandon the nation’s protectionist policies. Income taxes were seen as a way to offset lost federal revenues. Over a century later, we are still arguing over these same issues. But whatever transpires on… Read More

The first Federal inheritance tax was passed in 1898. Corporate taxes were written into law in 1909. And in 1913, the Sixteenth Amendment was ratified, paving the way for federal income taxes as we know them today. Ironically, that first attempt at taxing income from wages, property, and investments was the byproduct of a fierce debate on tariffs. Politicians of the day wanted to reduce tariffs and abandon the nation’s protectionist policies. Income taxes were seen as a way to offset lost federal revenues. Over a century later, we are still arguing over these same issues. But whatever transpires on Capitol Hill, one thing is for sure: income taxes are here to stay. —Recommended Link— “Banks want a hit of the marijuana business” — how you could profit (15x potential) If there’s anything we learned from 2008: Big Banks get what they want. But it’s not all bruises & bailouts this time… because their rumbling appetite for a slice of the pot pie — is putting HUGE pressure on a trillion-dollar reservoir of cash… Washington Post reports “banks want a hit of the marijuana business”… Energy & Capital says “Big Banks Want in… Read More

When Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) unveiled the “personal assistant” Siri in its iPhone in 2011, it was just the beginning… What was a basic glimpse into the field of conversational artificial intelligence (AI) at the time has now become commonplace. Today, the use of speech-based assistants has flourished inside our homes, including Siri, Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home. And it’s only going to bet bigger. What many don’t know is that this tech has also flourished in the business world. A lot of that is thanks to Nuance Communication (Nasdaq: NUAN). Nuance is a pioneer and leader in the conversational artificial… Read More

When Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) unveiled the “personal assistant” Siri in its iPhone in 2011, it was just the beginning… What was a basic glimpse into the field of conversational artificial intelligence (AI) at the time has now become commonplace. Today, the use of speech-based assistants has flourished inside our homes, including Siri, Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home. And it’s only going to bet bigger. What many don’t know is that this tech has also flourished in the business world. A lot of that is thanks to Nuance Communication (Nasdaq: NUAN). Nuance is a pioneer and leader in the conversational artificial intelligence space. However, we’re not talking about the basic personal assistants like Siri or Alexa, but rather more sophisticated AI that can be utilized by large corporations like hospitals, banks, telecommunications, retail, and the government. Nuance offers customers cutting-edge solutions like high accuracy speech recognition, natural language understanding capabilities, dialog and information management, biometric speaker authentication, and text-to-speech. Without getting too deep into the details, suffice it to say that Nuance’s tech is used by police stations, hospitals, banks, telecommunications companies, automakers and more. Simply put, the stakes are high for Nuance’s customers. And if you’re going to use a… Read More

Homebuilders from Georgia to California haven’t been this busy in well over a decade. Housing starts have quickened for five straight months and are now running at an annualized pace of 1.3 million units. That means more than 100,000 new homes are going up each and every month. While residential construction rates can be choppy from quarter to quarter depending on weather and other factors, this steady upswell is gaining strength.  Building permits (a good indicator of future construction) have climbed 14% from a year ago to reach 1.46 million. That’s a new 12-year peak.  We haven’t seen numbers this… Read More

Homebuilders from Georgia to California haven’t been this busy in well over a decade. Housing starts have quickened for five straight months and are now running at an annualized pace of 1.3 million units. That means more than 100,000 new homes are going up each and every month. While residential construction rates can be choppy from quarter to quarter depending on weather and other factors, this steady upswell is gaining strength.  Building permits (a good indicator of future construction) have climbed 14% from a year ago to reach 1.46 million. That’s a new 12-year peak.  We haven’t seen numbers this strong since before the financial crash. The question is, can the gains continue?  To understand where the housing market is headed, you first have to see just how far we’ve come. —Recommended Link— 18,000 Legal Weed Businesses BEG to be “Robbed” (Grant their wish) ​​ There’s now a legal way to “rob” all of the 18,000 marijuana businesses in America… incredibly, these “robberies” could shove $7,081 in fast cash into your pockets – for every $20 you invest. Our most elite lawmakers are quietly voting to encourage it! Even crazier – ALL… Read More

It’s been a downhill slide for AMC Entertainment Holdings (NYSE: AMC) over the past couple months. Fortunately, underlying business trends have been moving in the opposite direction. AMC welcomed 87.1 million visitors to its theatres last quarter – a record. Even more impressive, it managed to push through a 3.3% hike in average ticket prices, while its peers only hiked by 0.65%. The company continues to dramatically outperform the industry average by several hundred basis points in terms of attendance growth and revenue growth per screen. #-ad_banner-#More of those guests lined up at the concession stand for popcorn and beverages… Read More

It’s been a downhill slide for AMC Entertainment Holdings (NYSE: AMC) over the past couple months. Fortunately, underlying business trends have been moving in the opposite direction. AMC welcomed 87.1 million visitors to its theatres last quarter – a record. Even more impressive, it managed to push through a 3.3% hike in average ticket prices, while its peers only hiked by 0.65%. The company continues to dramatically outperform the industry average by several hundred basis points in terms of attendance growth and revenue growth per screen. #-ad_banner-#More of those guests lined up at the concession stand for popcorn and beverages too. Food and drink revenues per patron rose 5% to hit a new third-quarter high. So, what does all this mean for revenue? Well, AMC took in $1.32 billion over the past three months, a healthy increase of 8%. After adjusting for a non-cash accounting change, EBITDA rose 33% from a year ago to reach $157 million. Of course, that figure excludes interest expense, which can’t just be ignored (AMC paid $85 million in interest for the period). But operating cash flow has improved sharply as well, rebounding to $56 million from just $2 million a year ago. I suspect… Read More