As we explained yesterday, small-cap investments are a historically-proven way to beat the market.  Our goal when we started Project Alpha was to selectively pick small-cap stocks which could outperform the market without excess risk. Since our first pick in March of last year, the Project Alpha portfolio has returned 12.8% while the S&P 500 has returned a meager 0.19%. #-ad_banner-#While Project Alpha was originally reserved for premium subscribers, we have decided to open the series to all our readers. And today, we are excited to bring you our first new pick this summer. This Misunderstood Company Could Be The Next… Read More

As we explained yesterday, small-cap investments are a historically-proven way to beat the market.  Our goal when we started Project Alpha was to selectively pick small-cap stocks which could outperform the market without excess risk. Since our first pick in March of last year, the Project Alpha portfolio has returned 12.8% while the S&P 500 has returned a meager 0.19%. #-ad_banner-#While Project Alpha was originally reserved for premium subscribers, we have decided to open the series to all our readers. And today, we are excited to bring you our first new pick this summer. This Misunderstood Company Could Be The Next Big Tech Breakthrough Though small caps outperform the market in the long term, these picks are far from a dime a dozen. In fact, small-cap companies often face more obstacles than their larger counterparts. One of the biggest difficulties small-cap companies encounter is staying on top of innovation. Frequently strapped for R&D capital, these firms can easily be crushed by well established companies with huge budgets and armies of researchers. It’s even harder for these companies to achieve sufficient market penetration, and it is rare for them to gain the traction needed to compete with the “big kids” on the… Read More

The major U.S. stock indices finished slightly lower last week, as fears of a Brexit (the U.K. leaving the European Union) put pressure on the market.  The Nasdaq 100 led the way down, losing 1.9%, and the benchmark S&P 500 finished the week almost exactly at the same level it did on April 1, as the index continued to negotiate major overhead resistance at 2,104 to 2,135. A sustained move above this resistance area is necessary to clear the way for the next multimonth advance in the broader market. Until it clears resistance, stocks remain vulnerable to a pullback. Read More

The major U.S. stock indices finished slightly lower last week, as fears of a Brexit (the U.K. leaving the European Union) put pressure on the market.  The Nasdaq 100 led the way down, losing 1.9%, and the benchmark S&P 500 finished the week almost exactly at the same level it did on April 1, as the index continued to negotiate major overhead resistance at 2,104 to 2,135. A sustained move above this resistance area is necessary to clear the way for the next multimonth advance in the broader market. Until it clears resistance, stocks remain vulnerable to a pullback. #-ad_banner-#Last week’s decline was modest but broad based, as nearly every sector of the S&P 500 finished lower, led by financial services (-3%). Brexit fears have nervous investors flocking to the relative safety of U.S. Treasuries, driving long-term interest rates lower, which dampens profitability in the financial sector. Real estate was the only sector to eke out a small gain. Investor Fear Warns Of More Market Weakness In last week’s report, I pointed out that the Volatility S&P 500 (VIX) jumped above its 50-day moving average on June 10 after months… Read More

As the publisher of StreetAuthority’s sister company, Profitable Trading, I get to see every investment opportunity my analysts uncover. You see, we publish a total of five paid financial research services. Each is run by one of our seasoned trading professionals. They’re sharing the very same techniques and strategies that helped them become financially independent early in life — and it’s paying off big-time for our subscribers. #-ad_banner-#But since our services deal with trading strategies, many folks are intimidated right off the bat. On top of that, the thought of ponying up $699 or… Read More

As the publisher of StreetAuthority’s sister company, Profitable Trading, I get to see every investment opportunity my analysts uncover. You see, we publish a total of five paid financial research services. Each is run by one of our seasoned trading professionals. They’re sharing the very same techniques and strategies that helped them become financially independent early in life — and it’s paying off big-time for our subscribers. #-ad_banner-#But since our services deal with trading strategies, many folks are intimidated right off the bat. On top of that, the thought of ponying up $699 or more a year for one newsletter can be a little daunting, especially if you’ve never traded before. So that’s when I had this crazy idea… What if I used my unique position as Publisher to bring you a sampling of each and every one of these newsletters (and the strategies behind them) for a fraction of the price? That’s how Trade of the Week was born… and the timing for this new service couldn’t have been any better. On May 31, our inaugural issue, the S&P 500 hit 2,130.82 — just… Read More

There’s an old adage in finance that goes, “sell in May and go away,” and it’s not without good reason. According to the Stock Trader’s Almanac, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has returned -1.1% on average from May to October since 1950 compared to an average 8.4% return from November to April. #-ad_banner-#Selling all your holdings every summer isn’t always reasonable, though, due to transactions costs and various tax penalties. Instead, we here at StreetAuthority decided to focus on a different strategy. Small-Cap Companies: A Proven Approach To Beating The Market Rather than investing in a lagging market over the… Read More

There’s an old adage in finance that goes, “sell in May and go away,” and it’s not without good reason. According to the Stock Trader’s Almanac, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has returned -1.1% on average from May to October since 1950 compared to an average 8.4% return from November to April. #-ad_banner-#Selling all your holdings every summer isn’t always reasonable, though, due to transactions costs and various tax penalties. Instead, we here at StreetAuthority decided to focus on a different strategy. Small-Cap Companies: A Proven Approach To Beating The Market Rather than investing in a lagging market over the summer, we wanted to find small stocks primed to outperform in the long-term. It’s a pretty simple concept — just like people, companies have the most room to grow when they are still small. Historically, small-cap companies (firms with a market value of less than $2 billion), have significantly outperformed their larger peers in the S&P 500. The chart below shows the performance of a small-cap ETF compared to the S&P 500 since 2000.     ​   Guided by this principle, we started a series called Project Alpha. On Wall Street, alpha is a term to describe high returns… Read More

In an article in the Harvard Business Review (HBR), former BP plc (NYSE: BP) CEO Lord John Browne said, “Purpose is the litmus test of sustainability in business. Companies that want to be around for decades to come must ensure that society is at the heart of everything they do.” That’s purpose, not profits… and that stands everything we expect from business on its head. #-ad_banner-#Well, almost everything. “Corporate Social Responsibility” (CSR) has been a big buzzword for a while now. The problem is, according to Browne, CSR is more of a lip service and morale booster than a catalyst… Read More

In an article in the Harvard Business Review (HBR), former BP plc (NYSE: BP) CEO Lord John Browne said, “Purpose is the litmus test of sustainability in business. Companies that want to be around for decades to come must ensure that society is at the heart of everything they do.” That’s purpose, not profits… and that stands everything we expect from business on its head. #-ad_banner-#Well, almost everything. “Corporate Social Responsibility” (CSR) has been a big buzzword for a while now. The problem is, according to Browne, CSR is more of a lip service and morale booster than a catalyst for improving society… (In most cases, that is. We’ll get to more about this in a minute.) In other words, CSR allows a company to feel good about doing less bad. Does your company recycle? Grand! Does it donate time and money to community causes? Grand! But that’s not enough. In a recent NPR interview, Browne said: While corporate social responsibility was a very well meaning and worthy thing to have started, it no longer serves a useful purpose in that it is detached from the basics of a business, and it is something, which in the words of one… Read More

In my day job as a geologist, I’ve been fortunate to be involved with a number of resource ventures over the years. I spend a lot of time in the wilderness looking for big mineral deposits and oil and gas fields. The thing is, most geologists are wildly optimistic — almost romantically so. They’re dreamers, and the idea of a big find keeps them going. But as an analyst, I know that in order to make truly outsized gains in this sector, you need to be selective. #-ad_banner-#The junior resource business holds some of the greatest potential… Read More

In my day job as a geologist, I’ve been fortunate to be involved with a number of resource ventures over the years. I spend a lot of time in the wilderness looking for big mineral deposits and oil and gas fields. The thing is, most geologists are wildly optimistic — almost romantically so. They’re dreamers, and the idea of a big find keeps them going. But as an analyst, I know that in order to make truly outsized gains in this sector, you need to be selective. #-ad_banner-#The junior resource business holds some of the greatest potential for wealth creation in any industry on the planet. Shareholders of small firms can easily reap hundreds or even thousands of percent returns in the event of a successful discovery by these companies. For example, October 2014 was an historic month for the natural resources sector. We witnessed an incredible event that underscored just how powerful wealth creation can be when it comes to finding, developing and producing commodities. I’m talking about the birth of a new mine. The operation in question is the Eleonore gold mine in… Read More

The S&P 500 is almost exactly where it was one year ago. But fortunately, it took a bumpy path to get back to this point. Corrections in August and January, and milder but significant selloffs in September, November and February, created ample buying opportunities for attractive stocks — and we were happy to take advantage. Let’s take a look at some of our winners to see whether they remain worthwhile buy candidates, or if holding or taking profits makes more sense. #-ad_banner-#​Arotech (Nasdaq: ARTX) is up about 50% since I recommended it on Dec. 17. The specialty defense contractor makes… Read More

The S&P 500 is almost exactly where it was one year ago. But fortunately, it took a bumpy path to get back to this point. Corrections in August and January, and milder but significant selloffs in September, November and February, created ample buying opportunities for attractive stocks — and we were happy to take advantage. Let’s take a look at some of our winners to see whether they remain worthwhile buy candidates, or if holding or taking profits makes more sense. #-ad_banner-#​Arotech (Nasdaq: ARTX) is up about 50% since I recommended it on Dec. 17. The specialty defense contractor makes simulators, trainers and high-performance batteries for aviation and marine use. Its customers include U.S. and foreign military and homeland security forces. As I wrote in December, the U.S. defense budget is on the rise, thanks to a rare bipartisan agreement between Congress and the White House that loosened the purse strings after a few years of austerity. Arotech’s innovative products are on the shopping lists of every military procurement strategist, as they provide next-generation capabilities of use in modern conflicts. For example, Arotech is the supplier for the U.S. Army’s SWIPES program (Soldier Worn Integrated Power Equipment Systems), which give… Read More

A few years ago I bought a Dodge Ram pickup — fire-engine red. It had a Hemi V8 that could have powered an aircraft carrier. It was ridiculously fast. I’d barely have my foot on the gas pedal, and I’d be doing 90. There was no cruise control, a rubber floor — I was lucky the darn thing even had a radio. It got about 12 miles to the gallon. I loved it. Whoever owned it before me installed some serious exhaust upgrades, and that truck was the loudest-running vehicle I’ve ever heard, including our farm equipment. Read More

A few years ago I bought a Dodge Ram pickup — fire-engine red. It had a Hemi V8 that could have powered an aircraft carrier. It was ridiculously fast. I’d barely have my foot on the gas pedal, and I’d be doing 90. There was no cruise control, a rubber floor — I was lucky the darn thing even had a radio. It got about 12 miles to the gallon. I loved it. Whoever owned it before me installed some serious exhaust upgrades, and that truck was the loudest-running vehicle I’ve ever heard, including our farm equipment. It sounded like a pack of Harleys tearing through a Billy Idol concert. Sometimes I’d sneak out of church early. But my wife, Pastor Jen, always knew — she could hear my truck start up over the mighty old pipe organ. #-ad_banner-# My daughter Laurel loved the pickup. She liked that she was allowed to sit in front, as it had no back seat, and she loved being up high. She was also completely blown away by the windows. She had never before seen crank windows. She thought they were a new feature. She was used to cars… Read More