On the last trading day of November, the Dow Jones Industrial Average opened at a new record of 19,136, having just broken through a historic barrier of 19,000 a few days earlier. Before you break out the party hats, though, it seems that most investors and analysts are holding off the big celebration until Dow 20,000. And a mere 5% upside move would take it there. The post-election market action seems to provide reasons for such optimism. Stocks rallied, bonds sold off, and gold weakened. But what’s been especially remarkable about this market action isn’t that equities and bonds went… Read More

On the last trading day of November, the Dow Jones Industrial Average opened at a new record of 19,136, having just broken through a historic barrier of 19,000 a few days earlier. Before you break out the party hats, though, it seems that most investors and analysts are holding off the big celebration until Dow 20,000. And a mere 5% upside move would take it there. The post-election market action seems to provide reasons for such optimism. Stocks rallied, bonds sold off, and gold weakened. But what’s been especially remarkable about this market action isn’t that equities and bonds went their separate ways. What stood out over the past month is the difference, or spread, between “risky” assets (aka stocks) and “safer” ones (like bonds). —Recommended Link— Prediction: These 10 Stocks Could Be 2017’s BIGGEST Investing Success Stories StreetAuthority’s experts have pinpointed over two dozen game-changing tech stocks in the last few years — but this year’s “Virtual Reality Revolution” is set to break all our past records… But first you have to know how to play it… The chart below depicts the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, long-term Treasuries and gold, through a variety of exchange-traded funds… Read More

One of the coolest things about Wall Street is the ability to follow in the footsteps of ultra-successful investors. Unlike the secretive world of other investments, the stock market has regulations requiring large investors to disclose their holdings to the public on a quarterly basis via the SEC Form 13F. This disclosure applies to all institutional money managers with over $100 million in qualified assets. #-ad_banner-#Following the 13F filings of these money managers can provide smaller investors both direct and indirect guidance as to how to invest. Direct guidance can be gleaned by following what holdings are new, added, or… Read More

One of the coolest things about Wall Street is the ability to follow in the footsteps of ultra-successful investors. Unlike the secretive world of other investments, the stock market has regulations requiring large investors to disclose their holdings to the public on a quarterly basis via the SEC Form 13F. This disclosure applies to all institutional money managers with over $100 million in qualified assets. #-ad_banner-#Following the 13F filings of these money managers can provide smaller investors both direct and indirect guidance as to how to invest. Direct guidance can be gleaned by following what holdings are new, added, or lessened during the quarter. Indirectly, investors can observe the movement of money into and out of sectors and industries to obtain inside knowledge of burgeoning market trends. One of my all-time favorite mega-investors to follow is Carl Icahn. At 80 years old, Mr. Icahn has built his reputation, and over $16 billion in personal wealth, as an activist shareholder and buyout specialist. Icahn has most recently been in the news as being a candidate for Treasury Secretary under Donald Trump. However, it is unlikely he will accept any official government position beyond informal advisor. He explained to FOX Business Network,… Read More

Is the Facebook, Inc. (Nasdaq: FB) story still intact or is time to turn the page? As with several other technology stocks, shares of the social media giant have been under heavy selling pressure ever since Donald Trump’s surprise victory. Both retail and institutional investors have abandoned high-growth stocks like Facebook in favor of banks, industrials, and biotechs. Where Facebook Stands In the case of Facebook, it’s debatable how much of the stock’s recent decline has to do with investors shifting out of tech and into other areas. The shares have fallen as much as 15% since reaching a… Read More

Is the Facebook, Inc. (Nasdaq: FB) story still intact or is time to turn the page? As with several other technology stocks, shares of the social media giant have been under heavy selling pressure ever since Donald Trump’s surprise victory. Both retail and institutional investors have abandoned high-growth stocks like Facebook in favor of banks, industrials, and biotechs. Where Facebook Stands In the case of Facebook, it’s debatable how much of the stock’s recent decline has to do with investors shifting out of tech and into other areas. The shares have fallen as much as 15% since reaching a 52-week high of $133.50 on October 25 after management spooked investors in the third-quarter conference call by warning that ad revenue growth will slow in the quarters ahead. Add in the fact that Facebook hinted of high capital expenses in 2017, which may yield lower earnings per share, and investors quickly moved on to looking for the next great stock. #-ad_banner-#Those who have stuck with the company are now questioning their decision on the heels of recent missteps such as misreporting video ad metrics and a failure to deal with fake news. All of that said, it’s still too early… Read More

Have you ever booked a restaurant reservation online? If so, you most likely went through a website or program offered by OpenTable, a company that was founded in the middle of the dot-com craze in 1998 to make that chore easier. #-ad_banner-#Unlike many other internet companies of that time, OpenTable survived and prospered. It went public in 2009, but was snatched up by Priceline Group (Nasdaq: PCLN) in July 2014. Though it might seem like a strange pairing, the acquisition made sense: Both OpenTable and Priceline are consolidators (in their own specific ways, of course), and OpenTable has managed to… Read More

Have you ever booked a restaurant reservation online? If so, you most likely went through a website or program offered by OpenTable, a company that was founded in the middle of the dot-com craze in 1998 to make that chore easier. #-ad_banner-#Unlike many other internet companies of that time, OpenTable survived and prospered. It went public in 2009, but was snatched up by Priceline Group (Nasdaq: PCLN) in July 2014. Though it might seem like a strange pairing, the acquisition made sense: Both OpenTable and Priceline are consolidators (in their own specific ways, of course), and OpenTable has managed to find an industry where it could connect end consumers with hundreds and thousands of diverse markets (in its case, independent restaurants).  As it turns out, the restaurant industry offers even more chances for innovative companies to come in and put their own stamp on the way restaurants do business. And investors who get in early on the trend could end up doing very well. That’s why I recently added GrubHub (Nasdaq: GRUB) to the portfolio of my premium newsletter, Game-Changing Stocks.  —Sponsored Link— The Saudis’ NEXT Big Move Could Tank The Dollar The Saudis are… Read More

Every now and then they let me take out my turban and crystal ball to do my Professor Marvel impression in regards to the market. So, as the embers flicker out on an interesting (to say the least) 2016, what does 2017 have in store for us? The Economy: Still Chugging Along Fiscal/economic stimulus junkies are still on a placebo high from President-elect Donald Trump’s suggested infrastructure improvement proposal that might range somewhere between $500 billion to $1 trillion. However, as I discussed in a previous article, it’s going to be a while before we see the effects of… Read More

Every now and then they let me take out my turban and crystal ball to do my Professor Marvel impression in regards to the market. So, as the embers flicker out on an interesting (to say the least) 2016, what does 2017 have in store for us? The Economy: Still Chugging Along Fiscal/economic stimulus junkies are still on a placebo high from President-elect Donald Trump’s suggested infrastructure improvement proposal that might range somewhere between $500 billion to $1 trillion. However, as I discussed in a previous article, it’s going to be a while before we see the effects of the inevitable infrastructure build-out. Until then, I’m afraid I’m going to sound a bit like a broken record: the economy will most likely continue to chug along at the tepid 2% or so rate we’re used to hearing. Inflation will remain moderate at best. Sure, we’ll see some inflation in selective areas such as healthcare, but nothing major. Interest Rates: A Hike On The Horizon? Currently, the market is almost 100% sure that Dr. Yellen and Co. are going to hike rates in December. While that may or may not be the case, the bond market has already accepted… Read More

This is BIG… For the first time since 1933, the SEC is now allowing regular people like you and me to invest in brand-new explosive-growth companies BEFORE THEY GO PUBLIC. Imagine getting in on the next Facebook for 33 cents a share or the next Apple at 78 cents. In StreetAuthority’s Pre-IPO Millionaire, I vet six to eight deals like this one each month, and offer my exclusive in-depth analysis of a single opportunity that I believe could return 1,000% or more. Click here for more information. — Joseph Hogue, CFA It won’t be long before nearly every electronic device… Read More

This is BIG… For the first time since 1933, the SEC is now allowing regular people like you and me to invest in brand-new explosive-growth companies BEFORE THEY GO PUBLIC. Imagine getting in on the next Facebook for 33 cents a share or the next Apple at 78 cents. In StreetAuthority’s Pre-IPO Millionaire, I vet six to eight deals like this one each month, and offer my exclusive in-depth analysis of a single opportunity that I believe could return 1,000% or more. Click here for more information. — Joseph Hogue, CFA It won’t be long before nearly every electronic device you own will be a connected device. But while the Internet of Things (IoT) revolution opens up a new world of convenience and freedom, it can also create huge problems that are only now being understood. #-ad_banner-#In order to connect and control your IoT devices, you have to share massive amounts of personal information with outside companies like Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO) and Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) that manage the hardware servers that store the information. This leaves you open to hacking, spamming and any number of problems that come from access to your personal data. I’ve found a startup that has… Read More

Cutting-edge and high-yield are not two terms that are heard together often. Cutting-edge conjures up thoughts of growth focused internet or high-tech firms creating novel products and services. High-yield, however, makes one think of stodgy, slow-growing REITs or blue-chip stocks producing a high dividend yield but not much upside. Despite… Read More

While 50% of the country is unhappy with the outcome of the election, I think we can all agree we’re glad that it’s over. Not only do we no longer have to suffer through a barrage of campaign ads, we can finally start planning for the future without the uncertainty of an election looming over us. The presidential cycle is a four-year pattern in the stock market that many analysts have identified. There are variations of the pattern with some analysts starting the cycle in January when the new president assumes office, while others believe it starts in November with… Read More

While 50% of the country is unhappy with the outcome of the election, I think we can all agree we’re glad that it’s over. Not only do we no longer have to suffer through a barrage of campaign ads, we can finally start planning for the future without the uncertainty of an election looming over us. The presidential cycle is a four-year pattern in the stock market that many analysts have identified. There are variations of the pattern with some analysts starting the cycle in January when the new president assumes office, while others believe it starts in November with the election. Either way, though, the general consensus is that the first two years of a president’s term are the most difficult for the market. Once in office, a new president must make a variety of tough decisions. There are almost always problems the previous president was unable to resolve, and there are new problems that develop. In the first two years, presidents seem more willing to take decisive action, likely because there is a better chance voters will forget about any wrong moves by the time the next election rolls around. In the past, this has led to below-average… Read More