Quick, what’s in your wallet right now? #-ad_banner-#My guess is you have some family pictures, a few credit cards and maybe some old business receipts. If you’re more old fashioned like I am, you might hold a few greenbacks in there as well… just in case. Why am I asking? Because I predict that within the next five to ten years you won’t need a wallet.  Simply put, I predict a small technology company is going to make all material forms of currency obsolete. And it’s… Read More

  Quick, what’s in your wallet right now? #-ad_banner-#My guess is you have some family pictures, a few credit cards and maybe some old business receipts. If you’re more old fashioned like I am, you might hold a few greenbacks in there as well… just in case. Why am I asking? Because I predict that within the next five to ten years you won’t need a wallet.  Simply put, I predict a small technology company is going to make all material forms of currency obsolete. And it’s going to do so with help from technology juggernauts like Apple and Google. If that sounds crazy, then consider this. It took a few thousand years to go from coins to paper money and then onto charge cards. It took 18 years for debit cards to surpass checks. Four years after that, more than 50% of all transactions were electronic. This year, nearly two-out-of-three transactions (64%) will be made electronically. While many of those transactions will be online, a large portion will come from something called near field communication (NFC) —… Read More

  We have seen some impressive turnarounds in 2014.   #-ad_banner-#Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) experienced an embarrassing and costly data security breach in late 2013, but its misfortune has reversed, shares are up 18% year-to-date and are now at all-time highs.   After a long stretch of underperformance that culminated in its ejection from the Dow Jones Industrial Average in 2013, the former ‘king of aluminum,’ Alcoa, Inc. (NYSE: AA), is finally looking a lot better, too. Its stock has soared 46% this year.   Meanwhile, shares of the nation’s third-largest pharmacy chain, Rite Aid Corp. (NYSE: RAD), have gained… Read More

  We have seen some impressive turnarounds in 2014.   #-ad_banner-#Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) experienced an embarrassing and costly data security breach in late 2013, but its misfortune has reversed, shares are up 18% year-to-date and are now at all-time highs.   After a long stretch of underperformance that culminated in its ejection from the Dow Jones Industrial Average in 2013, the former ‘king of aluminum,’ Alcoa, Inc. (NYSE: AA), is finally looking a lot better, too. Its stock has soared 46% this year.   Meanwhile, shares of the nation’s third-largest pharmacy chain, Rite Aid Corp. (NYSE: RAD), have gained 34% on the company’s makeover efforts.   These are just a few examples of this year’s many comeback stories. The question for investors: Which comeback stocks are most likely to continue delivering solid gains?   Investors should consider the rejuvenated diner chain Denny’s Corp. (Nasdaq: DENN). The firm is in making a major transformation, and the payoff to shareholders has already been enormous.     A half-decade ago, Denny’s was struggling and not just because of the recession. At the time, it was losing market share to other better-managed rivals, particularly DineEquity, Inc. (NYSE: DIN), which owns the… Read More

To say that Uber has been disruptive to the taxi industry is quite the understatement. In New York City, some investors are already wondering if the traditional yellow cab may soon vanish from the streets of Manhattan.   The threat posed by Uber was not yet fully evidenced when I profiled Medallion Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: TAXI), earlier this year. The company’s namesake business involves financing taxi cab medallions, which are required to operate a taxi cab in many major cities like New York City.   Since my profile, the stock has taken a healthy drubbing.  … Read More

To say that Uber has been disruptive to the taxi industry is quite the understatement. In New York City, some investors are already wondering if the traditional yellow cab may soon vanish from the streets of Manhattan.   The threat posed by Uber was not yet fully evidenced when I profiled Medallion Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: TAXI), earlier this year. The company’s namesake business involves financing taxi cab medallions, which are required to operate a taxi cab in many major cities like New York City.   Since my profile, the stock has taken a healthy drubbing.   Uber, a smart phone-based application that lets users hail a ride in a privately-owned car, has done an impressive job of grabbing the media spotlight. If I had a dollar for every time I heard “Uber” uttered on CNBC or Bloomberg, then I’d have a lot of dollars.   This startup is viewed as a classic disruptive business that turns the traditional standing-on-the curb-waving-your-arm-to-hail-a-cab business model on its ear. Lyft is a rival app targeting the same niche.   #-ad_banner-#The herd has sold off their Medallion shares in fear of the inevitable death by Uber or Lyft. Read More

  Although our nation’s healthcare is often seen as too costly, it is credited with many important medical innovations. And benefits accrue to people not just here in the United States, but around the world.   #-ad_banner-#Take obstructive sleep apnea, as an example. The common and insidious sleep disorder, in which breathing briefly stops dozens of times during the night, affects 25 million Americans and 100 million people globally. The prevalence could climb much higher due to rising rates of obesity, a chief sleep apnea risk factor.   Although sleep apnea is most commonly associated with snoring, it’s a major… Read More

  Although our nation’s healthcare is often seen as too costly, it is credited with many important medical innovations. And benefits accrue to people not just here in the United States, but around the world.   #-ad_banner-#Take obstructive sleep apnea, as an example. The common and insidious sleep disorder, in which breathing briefly stops dozens of times during the night, affects 25 million Americans and 100 million people globally. The prevalence could climb much higher due to rising rates of obesity, a chief sleep apnea risk factor.   Although sleep apnea is most commonly associated with snoring, it’s a major health problem. Sleep apena sufferers have a higher risk of heart disease, stroke and daytime fatigue that is severe enough to cause people to fall asleep at the wheel.   Such consequences have spurred massive and growing demand for the devices used to detect and treat sleep apnea. The market for treatments is on pace to expand to $19.7 billion by 2017, from $8 billion in 2011, according to India-based research firm MarketsandMarkets.   Many publicly traded companies are jumping on this trend. But my favorite is ResMed, Inc. (NYSE: RMD), a mid-sized medical device firm with nearly three decades… Read More

Earlier last week we did things a little different in an issue of StreetAuthority Daily. #-ad_banner-#We didn’t tout some big investment you need to jump into before the holidays. Rather, we focused on educating our readers a little more and gave you an inside look at a question that was asked of Andy Obermueller, Chief Investment Strategist for Game-Changing Stocks. Andy explained to his readers how he incorporates some of Warren Buffett’s investment principles into his mission to find innovative stocks with triple-digit gain potential. Today, I want to… Read More

Earlier last week we did things a little different in an issue of StreetAuthority Daily. #-ad_banner-#We didn’t tout some big investment you need to jump into before the holidays. Rather, we focused on educating our readers a little more and gave you an inside look at a question that was asked of Andy Obermueller, Chief Investment Strategist for Game-Changing Stocks. Andy explained to his readers how he incorporates some of Warren Buffett’s investment principles into his mission to find innovative stocks with triple-digit gain potential. Today, I want to share with you Andy’s response to another question, where a subscriber asked about the best investment advice Andy has ever received.         Q. In your previous issue, you talked a little about Warren Buffett. It made me wonder: What’s the best investment advice you ever got? — Sue P., Madison, New Jersey A. When I was a kid, I had to ride the bus to a magnet school about an hour from our home. In those days, the Wichita Eagle-Beacon published a “Neighbors” section zoned to various areas of the city. It… Read More

There’s a little green fruit sitting on the desk in front of me. I don’t know what it’s called. But it means a lot to me. #-ad_banner-#I’m writing this from a hotel room in Yangon, the capital of Myanmar. I’ve been visiting the country a lot lately in search of “The Next Big Thing” in the investment world. Many western companies, like MasterCard, Coke and Yum Brands, are jostling to get into Myanmar, which many believe is one of the last great untapped markets on Earth.   With a… Read More

There’s a little green fruit sitting on the desk in front of me. I don’t know what it’s called. But it means a lot to me. #-ad_banner-#I’m writing this from a hotel room in Yangon, the capital of Myanmar. I’ve been visiting the country a lot lately in search of “The Next Big Thing” in the investment world. Many western companies, like MasterCard, Coke and Yum Brands, are jostling to get into Myanmar, which many believe is one of the last great untapped markets on Earth.   With a population of 53.7 million — making it the 24th most populous country in the world — Myanmar boasts a huge market that is just now becoming a force in the global economy. But despite its massive size, the country only recently emerged from a period of extreme poverty. That’s why I was touched when a local I met offered me a small green fruit (that is now sitting on my desk). It was a kind gesture from a fellow who I could tell had very little. I kept that fruit as a reminder of… Read More

      As the debate rages in the U.S. over the minimum wage, we can all agree that it’s awfully hard to support a family on the current $7.25 an hour rate.   #-ad_banner-#Yet for many people living in emerging markets, $7.25 a day — let alone $7.25 an hour — has  meant a ticket to the swelling ranks of the middle class.   In fact, $10 a day seems to be the magic number. In many emerging market economies, that’s the pay rate at which consumers start to consider discretionary purchases.   China is a prime example. According… Read More

      As the debate rages in the U.S. over the minimum wage, we can all agree that it’s awfully hard to support a family on the current $7.25 an hour rate.   #-ad_banner-#Yet for many people living in emerging markets, $7.25 a day — let alone $7.25 an hour — has  meant a ticket to the swelling ranks of the middle class.   In fact, $10 a day seems to be the magic number. In many emerging market economies, that’s the pay rate at which consumers start to consider discretionary purchases.   China is a prime example. According to a report published by McKinsey and Company, Chinese consumers purchase appliances, such as refrigerators and washing machines, as their incomes approach $10,000 annually.   One company is prepared to smack what Warren Buffett refers to as the “fat pitch”: Whirlpool Corp. (NYSE: WHR).     In two years’ time, the stock has more than tripled, which leads to the question: Can this stock  go higher?    Yes it can. By 2030, 60% of the world’s one billion households will be earning $20,000 a year or more. Almost all of the growth will be coming… Read More

Among the phrases that investors hate to hear, “accounting restatements” ranks near the top.  #-ad_banner-#At a minimum, it means that a company maintained sloppy accounting standards. Worst case, it means that a fraud was perpetrated, such as a leading sales executive lying about contracts or a financial officer cooking the books.  Yet, there can be a silver lining. It can push shares well below intrinsic value to the point that upside results simply from new management cleaning up the mess. That’s the setup in place for Hertz Global Holdings (NYSE: HTZ). Read More

Among the phrases that investors hate to hear, “accounting restatements” ranks near the top.  #-ad_banner-#At a minimum, it means that a company maintained sloppy accounting standards. Worst case, it means that a fraud was perpetrated, such as a leading sales executive lying about contracts or a financial officer cooking the books.  Yet, there can be a silver lining. It can push shares well below intrinsic value to the point that upside results simply from new management cleaning up the mess. That’s the setup in place for Hertz Global Holdings (NYSE: HTZ).   Hertz’s accounting woes began many quarters ago, and as recently as June, appeared to be attributable to manageable missteps, which analysts at RGL Forensics explained here.  Hertz didn’t have just one set of math errors to justify; it had a litany of them. At the time, the various accounting issues seemed to fall under the umbrella of improper recognition of various expenses, depreciation and receivables rather than any sort of malfeasance.  Nevertheless, many investors stuck around over the summer, expecting an eventual tidy resolution. Yet when… Read More

  One of the greatest virtues of retail and apparel stocks are their ever-changing fortunes. Investors made a killing in hot stocks such as Ralph Lauren Corp. (NYSE: RL) and Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: KORS) in 2012 and 2013, but were forced to rotate elsewhere in 2014 as these stocks began to underperform their benchmarks. Yet not all former winners become eventual laggards. Case in point: Hanesbrands, Inc. (NYSE: HBI) has risen 360% over the past three years and should deliver more gains in 2015. The company is a top provider of necessities like underwear,… Read More

  One of the greatest virtues of retail and apparel stocks are their ever-changing fortunes. Investors made a killing in hot stocks such as Ralph Lauren Corp. (NYSE: RL) and Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: KORS) in 2012 and 2013, but were forced to rotate elsewhere in 2014 as these stocks began to underperform their benchmarks. Yet not all former winners become eventual laggards. Case in point: Hanesbrands, Inc. (NYSE: HBI) has risen 360% over the past three years and should deliver more gains in 2015. The company is a top provider of necessities like underwear, t-shirts and socks. Among its many well-known brands ​are Hanes, Champion and Playtex. The company was spun off from food and consumer products firm Sara Lee Corporation in 2006.     Robust share price gains mean HBI is no longer the bargain it once was, nor is it a bargain in relation to peers. Hanesbrands Inc. Value Metrics   P/E Ratio P/B Ratio P/S Ratio P/CF Ratio HBI 31.6 7.4 2.2 20.3 Industry Avg. 28.4 4.5 2.2 21.8 HBI Historical Avg. 20.4 4.8 0.8 10.5 Source: Morningstar This company has been in favor for one… Read More

I recently returned from a three-week stint in Asia. After a long trip I always take time to go through my e-mail and catch up on news and reports coming in from across the commodities world. One small but revealing item caught my eye. #-ad_banner-#No, I’m not talking about the collapse in oil prices. In fact, as I’ll explain in a moment, the way my Scarcity & Real Wealth readers and I will profit from this has nothing to do with oil prices at all. Let me explain…… Read More

I recently returned from a three-week stint in Asia. After a long trip I always take time to go through my e-mail and catch up on news and reports coming in from across the commodities world. One small but revealing item caught my eye. #-ad_banner-#No, I’m not talking about the collapse in oil prices. In fact, as I’ll explain in a moment, the way my Scarcity & Real Wealth readers and I will profit from this has nothing to do with oil prices at all. Let me explain… What caught my eye was a note about an oil pipeline being built to service burgeoning production from the Permian Basin play of West Texas. What was so interesting about the pipeline was the excessive demand to move oil through it. Simply put, the Permian Basin today has too much oil… and it needs to be transported from the remote locales of West Texas into consuming markets in places like the Gulf Coast. I’ve been on the phone with drillers working in this play. And they confirmed what I’ve heard from sources… Read More