Trump’s tariff talk has thrown stocks into disarray. No one knows just how this new twist will play out in the economy. It appears to be a safe bet that whatever happens, it will not be bullish for stocks. #-ad_banner-#Long-term investors have a choice to ride out the volatility or take action to attempt to increase profits during the uncertainty. Should you decide to actively invest during these volatile times, here are three ways to make the difficult times work for you. 1. Get Long The VIX Hedge funds and professional traders were thrown for a loop in February… Read More

Trump’s tariff talk has thrown stocks into disarray. No one knows just how this new twist will play out in the economy. It appears to be a safe bet that whatever happens, it will not be bullish for stocks. #-ad_banner-#Long-term investors have a choice to ride out the volatility or take action to attempt to increase profits during the uncertainty. Should you decide to actively invest during these volatile times, here are three ways to make the difficult times work for you. 1. Get Long The VIX Hedge funds and professional traders were thrown for a loop in February as the time-proven short VIX trade blew up. Over the last several years, a significant source of alpha for derivative traders and longer-term investors was short volatility. As long as volatility declined or stayed stable, short biased option strategies and just outright short trades created profits month after month. Then Trump’s tariff talk combined with the regime of climbing rates sent the market to the loony bin. The VIX spiked and stocks plunged, calling the bluff of everyone but the most seasoned investors. While no one knows what the future holds, my bet is the VIX is going to climb… Read More

Every week, I compile a table of all U.S.-listed stocks with dividend yields of 10% or higher. Some of the names come and go, while others reappear time and again. I’ve become familiar with many of them, and can safely say that the list is dominated by tiny companies with market caps between $50 million and $300 million. —Sponsored Link— FREE Blockchain Penny Stock Briefing One tiny blockchain stock could secure Canada’s $8.7 BILLION cannabis market. BUY shares today for less than $1.00! Shares could rocket 818% higher when news gets out. Read More

Every week, I compile a table of all U.S.-listed stocks with dividend yields of 10% or higher. Some of the names come and go, while others reappear time and again. I’ve become familiar with many of them, and can safely say that the list is dominated by tiny companies with market caps between $50 million and $300 million. —Sponsored Link— FREE Blockchain Penny Stock Briefing One tiny blockchain stock could secure Canada’s $8.7 BILLION cannabis market. BUY shares today for less than $1.00! Shares could rocket 818% higher when news gets out. Click here ASAP. Some of these are even smaller nano-caps, such as medical device maker Digirad (Nasdaq: DRAD), whose entire market value is just $36 million. #-ad_banner-#There is absolutely nothing wrong with small businesses. I own shares of quite a few in my personal account. But for the most part, I use them to fill out the growth sleeve of my portfolio and don’t consider them stable income producers. That doesn’t necessarily mean that larger businesses are inherently safer. But when market values are measured by the billion rather than the million, you will usually be dealing with established… Read More

After nearly a decade of stock market gains, good deals in stocks with upside catalysts can be hard to find. Even some of the questionable investments seem to have been bid up in the search for higher returns. Fortunately, there is one segment of the market that never disappoints in offering a buffet of potentially great investments. #-ad_banner-#When everyone seems to love the market, I look at the stocks nobody likes. Beyond finding stocks at bargain-basement prices, taking the contrarian side on a stock with heavy short interest offers the added benefit of protection when market sentiment turns sour. If… Read More

After nearly a decade of stock market gains, good deals in stocks with upside catalysts can be hard to find. Even some of the questionable investments seem to have been bid up in the search for higher returns. Fortunately, there is one segment of the market that never disappoints in offering a buffet of potentially great investments. #-ad_banner-#When everyone seems to love the market, I look at the stocks nobody likes. Beyond finding stocks at bargain-basement prices, taking the contrarian side on a stock with heavy short interest offers the added benefit of protection when market sentiment turns sour. If nobody liked these stocks in the first place, plunging market sentiment isn’t going to affect them as much and share prices tend to hold up in a market rout. That makes investing in heavily-shorted companies the perfect theme for a late-stage bull market. Some People Just Hate For No Reason, Even In Stocks Short selling has exploded over recent decades. Short sales now account for 32% of total trading volume, compared with only 9% in 1984. There are several reasons investors might sell a stock short, some of which don’t even signal a negative outlook on the shares. Investors… Read More

Few sectors have been battered like retail. A trifecta of bearish pressure, including the explosive growth of online shopping, consumer burnout, and with a failure to change with the times, combined to knock the sector lower. #-ad_banner-#Retail stocks are lower by around 30% on average in the last three years. Some have plunged much more, and others have closed their doors permanently. Toys “R” Us is the latest casualty of the retail apocalypse. Over 6,700 retail locations closed their doors in 2017 — a staggering figure no matter how you look at it. Opportunity lays in adversity, and nowhere is… Read More

Few sectors have been battered like retail. A trifecta of bearish pressure, including the explosive growth of online shopping, consumer burnout, and with a failure to change with the times, combined to knock the sector lower. #-ad_banner-#Retail stocks are lower by around 30% on average in the last three years. Some have plunged much more, and others have closed their doors permanently. Toys “R” Us is the latest casualty of the retail apocalypse. Over 6,700 retail locations closed their doors in 2017 — a staggering figure no matter how you look at it. Opportunity lays in adversity, and nowhere is this more evident than the stock market. Buying when there is blood in the street is a time-proven way of earning outsized returns. However, the question has always been when and what to buy. To be sure, some retailers will not survive the current rout. Others will grow stronger and thrive in the face of the meltdown. This is where technical analysis makes sense. While far from 100% accurate, technical price charts can key you in to when trend changes may occur. Things appear to be slowly improving, with the S&P 500 Retail ETF (XRT) just slightly lower in 2018… Read More

February’s spike in volatility saw the largest one-day drop in the Dow’s history — a rude awakening after several years of stock market calm and rising prices. Not only has general volatility spiked but headwinds in specific sectors are causing massive disruptions in the larger index. Shares of tech companies now account for 27% of the S&P 500 with Monday’s sell-off largely driven by weakness in the sector. #-ad_banner-#The 6%-plus drop in shares of Facebook (Nasdaq: FB) alone took 0.1% off the S&P 500 for the day. With the fiscal stimulus of tax cuts already in the rearview, 2018 lacks… Read More

February’s spike in volatility saw the largest one-day drop in the Dow’s history — a rude awakening after several years of stock market calm and rising prices. Not only has general volatility spiked but headwinds in specific sectors are causing massive disruptions in the larger index. Shares of tech companies now account for 27% of the S&P 500 with Monday’s sell-off largely driven by weakness in the sector. #-ad_banner-#The 6%-plus drop in shares of Facebook (Nasdaq: FB) alone took 0.1% off the S&P 500 for the day. With the fiscal stimulus of tax cuts already in the rearview, 2018 lacks a macroeconomic catalyst to support investor enthusiasm. In fact, investor hope has turned to fear of a potential trade war or at least a tariff-induced slowdown. When uncertainty peaks, I like to seek shelter in best-of-breed dividend names. I look for companies with solid balance sheets and a five-year history of growing dividend payments. These dividend growth picks won’t be immune to a broad market selloff, but those regular dividend payments represent a source of guaranteed positive returns. The companies’ commitment to growing those dividends also means you earn a progressively higher return for years on that initial investment. Could… Read More

The housing market remains on fire in many regions across the country.  Home prices have steadily climbed higher since the devastating global real estate crash a decade ago. In fact, the current market appears to be accelerating to the upside. A thriving job market, low interest rates, and consumers rushing to get a piece of the American Dream before mortgage rates potentially climb to unattainable levels are all powering the upward trajectory. #-ad_banner-#New home sales climbed 10% in 2017 to 615,000, with prices appreciating mid-single digits over the last half decade. Price growth was even higher in coastal areas and… Read More

The housing market remains on fire in many regions across the country.  Home prices have steadily climbed higher since the devastating global real estate crash a decade ago. In fact, the current market appears to be accelerating to the upside. A thriving job market, low interest rates, and consumers rushing to get a piece of the American Dream before mortgage rates potentially climb to unattainable levels are all powering the upward trajectory. #-ad_banner-#New home sales climbed 10% in 2017 to 615,000, with prices appreciating mid-single digits over the last half decade. Price growth was even higher in coastal areas and other hot markets. But what I find most bullish about the next few years is the housing shortage. According to Realtor.com, the United States is facing a housing shortage, particularly for first-time home buyers. Housing inventories are at the lowest level in two decades. Javier Vivas, director of economic research at Realtor.com, said, “It really is a shortage of historic proportions.” The housing shortage translates into longer-term profits for builders and others in the housing business as the low inventory assures continued stable to higher prices and therefore profits. Make no mistake: The SPDR S&P 500 Homebuilders ETF (XHB) is… Read More

Legal cannabis is already the fastest growing industry in North America. North American cannabis sales jumped 30% in 2017, a repeat of 2016’s stunning gain. While that’s impressive on its own, the pace of growth is about to accelerate due to a huge catalyst directly on the horizon. Canada has announced plans to legalize recreational cannabis by July 2018. That would make Canada the first developed country in the world to legalize both medical and recreational cannabis. It’s also set to unleash a multi-billion dollar industry. Cannabis sales are expected to be between $5 and $7… Read More

Legal cannabis is already the fastest growing industry in North America. North American cannabis sales jumped 30% in 2017, a repeat of 2016’s stunning gain. While that’s impressive on its own, the pace of growth is about to accelerate due to a huge catalyst directly on the horizon. Canada has announced plans to legalize recreational cannabis by July 2018. That would make Canada the first developed country in the world to legalize both medical and recreational cannabis. It’s also set to unleash a multi-billion dollar industry. Cannabis sales are expected to be between $5 and $7 billion in the first 12 months after legalization. That would be between a 400 percent and 600 percent increase from Canada’s 2017 numbers. If you want to learn how you can potentially profit from this cannabis revolution, let me tell you about one of the most promising companies in Canada’s high-growth cannabis market. #-ad_banner-#​Aphria (TSE: APH) is an early leader in Canada’s high-growth cannabis industry. With a market cap of $2.4 billion, Aphria is the second-largest cannabis company in Canada behind Canopy Growth Corp’s (TSE: WEED) $6.6 billion. Shares of Aphria are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the… Read More

One of the signs of a healthy market is the number and the overall quality of new companies going public. This is how investors get a wider array of choices, as well as a chance to learn more about new ideas. It’s also how we, as investors, get an opportunity to get in on the ground floor. (Or as close to the ground floor as possible.) Indeed, the more choice we have, the better. —Sponsored Link— Bitcoin’s April 27 ‘Flash Point’ Could Ignite A Frenzy April 27 could be a fateful day in the cryptocurrency… Read More

One of the signs of a healthy market is the number and the overall quality of new companies going public. This is how investors get a wider array of choices, as well as a chance to learn more about new ideas. It’s also how we, as investors, get an opportunity to get in on the ground floor. (Or as close to the ground floor as possible.) Indeed, the more choice we have, the better. —Sponsored Link— Bitcoin’s April 27 ‘Flash Point’ Could Ignite A Frenzy April 27 could be a fateful day in the cryptocurrency markets. One that could change bitcoin forever — and send dozens of other cryptocurrencies flying. So what’s this April “Flash Point” Event? You’ll have to click here to find out. HINT: It involves an EXTREMELY popular e-commerce company… Yes, THAT e-commerce company. Click here now, or miss out on this explosive opportunity. This is why I like to watch how initial public offering (IPO) activity is shaping up. My interest in the IPO market isn’t purely academic. It’s not because I love data (although I do love it —… Read More

Have you ever “unplugged” from your cell phone? If you have, you’ve likely experienced the phenomenon of phantom vibrations — the perception that your phone is ringing or vibrating when in fact it’s not. (In the 1990s, people reported incidences of “phantom pager syndrome.”) We’ve become so accustomed to being “connected” that for many it controls our lives. My cell phone is the first thing I reach for in the morning (and usually the last thing I’ve touched before falling asleep). I can turn on and adjust the music streaming through my Sonos speakers, my Apple TV, and my heat… Read More

Have you ever “unplugged” from your cell phone? If you have, you’ve likely experienced the phenomenon of phantom vibrations — the perception that your phone is ringing or vibrating when in fact it’s not. (In the 1990s, people reported incidences of “phantom pager syndrome.”) We’ve become so accustomed to being “connected” that for many it controls our lives. My cell phone is the first thing I reach for in the morning (and usually the last thing I’ve touched before falling asleep). I can turn on and adjust the music streaming through my Sonos speakers, my Apple TV, and my heat and air conditioning. Heck, nowadays you can use your smartphone to lock and unlock your doors, control your lights, open your garage, start your car… I even use it to track the internal temperature of whatever meat I’m smoking. —Sponsored Link— Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks To Buy Now Louis Navellier just completed his latest analysis on more than 5,000 stocks and 10 rose to the top of the list. 10 top-notch stocks that are his top picks for double or triple-digit gains in the months ahead. The full list — every name, every buy… Read More

The dark times of early 2018 may be back upon us. As I write this, bitcoin has lost over 7% of its value in the last 24 hours alone. The current level around $8,500 represents a 26% drop from the February high of $11,600 and a full 56% drop from all-time highs reached in late 2017. #-ad_banner-#Like with the previous drops, the culprits seem to be unfortunate news and the ensuing panic selling (as well as stop-loss algorithmic selling). The news, as is always the case, is questionably relevant to bitcoin’s value. First, Google announced today… Read More

The dark times of early 2018 may be back upon us. As I write this, bitcoin has lost over 7% of its value in the last 24 hours alone. The current level around $8,500 represents a 26% drop from the February high of $11,600 and a full 56% drop from all-time highs reached in late 2017. #-ad_banner-#Like with the previous drops, the culprits seem to be unfortunate news and the ensuing panic selling (as well as stop-loss algorithmic selling). The news, as is always the case, is questionably relevant to bitcoin’s value. First, Google announced today that it will be restricting advertising for cryptocurrencies and cryptocurrency-related content. Bitcoin’s value dropped 12 percent following a similar announcement by Facebook in late January. However, the other piece of news likely affecting bitcoin’s price is more general: regulatory uncertainty. As the SEC and Congress draw nearer to drafting and implementing cryptocurrency policies, uncertainty and doubt over the market’s future is building. Why this is particularly relevant today is thanks to a blog post by European bank Allianz Global. The post declares that bitcoin’s intrinsic value “must be zero” and that a lack of regulation signals… Read More