Adolescence can be rough. Everyone doesn’t get to party with the cool kids. But those who are most ignored sometimes wind up being the big winners after all. Stock markets often resemble high school in this way. Cliques of stocks are more popular than others from time to time. This is especially true during rallies. The sector beneficiaries of the current rally are the financials, energy, industrials, and materials. However, after enjoying healthy gains since the financial crisis of 2008, consumer staples stocks have turned in the second-worst performance this past year, coming in just behind utility stocks. Stocks of… Read More

Adolescence can be rough. Everyone doesn’t get to party with the cool kids. But those who are most ignored sometimes wind up being the big winners after all. Stock markets often resemble high school in this way. Cliques of stocks are more popular than others from time to time. This is especially true during rallies. The sector beneficiaries of the current rally are the financials, energy, industrials, and materials. However, after enjoying healthy gains since the financial crisis of 2008, consumer staples stocks have turned in the second-worst performance this past year, coming in just behind utility stocks. Stocks of consumer staples companies, such as food manufacturers, are often referred to as defensive stocks. If economic times are tough, staples companies should still perform well due to the necessary nature of their products. People have to eat. #-ad_banner-#However, what’s always struck me as odd is that people have to eat in good times as well as bad times. Nevertheless, consumer staples stocks are currently out of favor, creating opportunities for bargain hunters. One of my favorite stocks in the staples space is roll-up act B&G Foods (NYSE: BGS). Shares have been beaten up a bit this year. Read More

No matter how you look at it, food service is changing in the United States. In fact, research indicates that Americans now eat 50% of their meals out of the home. That’s up from just 2% in 1920. This shouldn’t be surprising, given our cultural penchant for instant gratification.  Whether this trend is good or bad, one thing is abundantly clear: The days of a family gathering around the dinner table eating a meal from scratch — à la The Waltons — has gone the way of the 1970s television show.  However, eating out can be very expensive. A twice-weekly… Read More

No matter how you look at it, food service is changing in the United States. In fact, research indicates that Americans now eat 50% of their meals out of the home. That’s up from just 2% in 1920. This shouldn’t be surprising, given our cultural penchant for instant gratification.  Whether this trend is good or bad, one thing is abundantly clear: The days of a family gathering around the dinner table eating a meal from scratch — à la The Waltons — has gone the way of the 1970s television show.  However, eating out can be very expensive. A twice-weekly trip to a fast casual restaurant for a family of four can cost the same as a week’s worth of groceries. To some extent, the high cost of eating out helps explain the explosive growth of meal-kit services like Blue Apron (NYSE: APRN), HelloFresh, and Plated that deliver uncooked ingredients to be prepared in the home. #-ad_banner-#But even the convenience of meal kits isn’t particularly appealing to families stretched for time. Late hours at work combined with an endless stream of extracurricular activities for kids has left many parents deprived of the time to cook dinner — even meal kits. Read More

After doubling more than 19 times in the last five years, it would be easy to buy into the mainstream narrative that this global leader is overdue for a correction.  But that would be a mistake.  Despite a market-crushing 57% return in 2017, I expect it to be one of the best performing stocks of 2018. Not only is it the most innovative company in the S&P 500 with a proven history of disrupting multiple industries, it is successfully expanding into high-growth international markets and has major upward momentum. #-ad_banner-#Let’s take a closer look at why Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX) could… Read More

After doubling more than 19 times in the last five years, it would be easy to buy into the mainstream narrative that this global leader is overdue for a correction.  But that would be a mistake.  Despite a market-crushing 57% return in 2017, I expect it to be one of the best performing stocks of 2018. Not only is it the most innovative company in the S&P 500 with a proven history of disrupting multiple industries, it is successfully expanding into high-growth international markets and has major upward momentum. #-ad_banner-#Let’s take a closer look at why Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX) could be the number-one stock of 2018. Netflix Is The Most Innovative Company In The S&P 500 Netflix has completely disrupted three separate industries in the last 15 years. Netflix’s radical idea to send movies through the mail would eventually lead to industry giant Blockbuster filing for bankruptcy. When it became apparent streaming was the future of content distribution, the company was one of the first to market with its streaming service in 2007. Its streaming service has delivered a crushing blow to the traditional cable industry, giving birth to the term “cord cutter” after tens of millions of cable… Read More

Oh, the perils of our digital age: A few weeks ago, some users of two of Showtime’s websites noticed that their computers and phones had slowed to a crawl. Some devices had become non-responsive.  It took a while to connect the dots, but the cause was found (and corrected). The issue? A rogue string of code had invaded these people’s computers and was secretly running super-heavy calculations in the background.  —Sponsored Link— As Bitcoin Explodes Watch Out For This $0.09 ‘Super-Bitcoin’ You’ve heard about Bitcoin reaching record level prices… But chances are you didn’t hear… Read More

Oh, the perils of our digital age: A few weeks ago, some users of two of Showtime’s websites noticed that their computers and phones had slowed to a crawl. Some devices had become non-responsive.  It took a while to connect the dots, but the cause was found (and corrected). The issue? A rogue string of code had invaded these people’s computers and was secretly running super-heavy calculations in the background.  —Sponsored Link— As Bitcoin Explodes Watch Out For This $0.09 ‘Super-Bitcoin’ You’ve heard about Bitcoin reaching record level prices… But chances are you didn’t hear about this “penny cryptocurrency”… Even though it was a rare occurrence, it jumped a mouthwatering 2,871%… in 24 hours! And there are dozens of these “Super-Bitcoins” hitting the market, all the time… Go here now to find out the “Dirty Truth” about Bitcoin. Somebody was mining for cryptocurrencies. On other people’s computers. Without their knowledge. And, of course, without sharing the proceeds.  Why go to all this trouble? Because mining for cyber currencies is, just like any other type of mining, a resource-intensive endeavor. The major difference, in this case, is visual. There’s no huge hole… Read More

OK. I know I’ve been on a bit of a thematic rant about investing ahead of tax reform. I’ve also touched on the current administration’s national infrastructure spending aspirations. I think it’s worth staying on the tax reform path. However, it’s also time to look at the infrastructure theme again. I’ve found a way to follow both developments with one stock, AND get paid quite well in the process. Investment giant Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX) has always been one of my go-to stocks for growth and income. Historically, both have been outstanding. The stock has moved a stunning… Read More

OK. I know I’ve been on a bit of a thematic rant about investing ahead of tax reform. I’ve also touched on the current administration’s national infrastructure spending aspirations. I think it’s worth staying on the tax reform path. However, it’s also time to look at the infrastructure theme again. I’ve found a way to follow both developments with one stock, AND get paid quite well in the process. Investment giant Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX) has always been one of my go-to stocks for growth and income. Historically, both have been outstanding. The stock has moved a stunning 54.5% in the last 12 months. Throw in the dividend and investors collected a blockbuster 65%.  #-ad_banner-#After a run that strong, and what some pundits view as a toppy broader market, conventional wisdom might tell one to avoid owning this stock. I disagree.   With a consolidated market cap of $41.3 billion, Blackstone stands out as one of the world’s premiere investment managers focusing on what’s known as the alternative space (i.e. NOT purely stocks and bonds). The firm operates four business segments: private equity, real estate, hedge fund solutions, and credit. Helmed by founder Steve Schwartzman, the company is poised… Read More

A funny thing happens when the market keeps surging higher: It gets harder and harder to pick good stocks.  Outsiders think the higher the market goes, the easier it is to make money. The truth is, the higher the market goes the harder it is to find growth stocks as an individual investor. Everything looks overvalued, and it’s hard to determine what stocks will continue higher and which ones will fizzle out.  From experience, I have found that looking at historic and/or projected earnings per share (EPS) growth is one way to discover growth stocks that will continue to gain… Read More

A funny thing happens when the market keeps surging higher: It gets harder and harder to pick good stocks.  Outsiders think the higher the market goes, the easier it is to make money. The truth is, the higher the market goes the harder it is to find growth stocks as an individual investor. Everything looks overvalued, and it’s hard to determine what stocks will continue higher and which ones will fizzle out.  From experience, I have found that looking at historic and/or projected earnings per share (EPS) growth is one way to discover growth stocks that will continue to gain value through any market situation. It’s this type of stock that investors should seek to buy and hold.  The following five stocks with a history of EPS growth, as well as expected growth ahead, look poised to continue with their winning ways. #-ad_banner-#​1. Concept Therapeutics (Nasdaq: CORT) This pharmaceutical company is the very definition of a growth stock.  Shares have rocketed over 170% in the last year alone. What makes these gains truly astounding is that the industry as a whole advanced just 2% over the same time. Typically, this type of hyper-appreciation would throw up a few red… Read More

There’s lots of talk about how companies are exploiting the so-called Internet of Things (IoT). Truth be told, they’ve barely scratched the surface.  That’s because the technology of connecting billions of sensor-laden consumer products, as well as industrial machines and equipment, to the internet remain in the very early stages of development. But the technology is growing more massive every year. According to McKinsey Global Institute, the IoT will generate up to $11 trillion in economic benefit by 2025. Of course, those numbers include profits to device-makers, efficiencies, new businesses, and savings to consumers from more efficient products. But it’s… Read More

There’s lots of talk about how companies are exploiting the so-called Internet of Things (IoT). Truth be told, they’ve barely scratched the surface.  That’s because the technology of connecting billions of sensor-laden consumer products, as well as industrial machines and equipment, to the internet remain in the very early stages of development. But the technology is growing more massive every year. According to McKinsey Global Institute, the IoT will generate up to $11 trillion in economic benefit by 2025. Of course, those numbers include profits to device-makers, efficiencies, new businesses, and savings to consumers from more efficient products. But it’s still a trend investors ignore at their own financial peril.  #-ad_banner-#Further adding credence to the McKinsey data, another forecast from market research company IHS Markit makes a bolder prediction. IHS Markit claims that more than 75 billion smart devices will be in use by 2025. That’s a 400% increase over the roughly 15 billion devices in use today. Now, to put this number in perspective, chip manufacturers must build microchips at a rate that is six times greater than has ever been produced since microchips were first developed in 1958 by Texas Instruments (Nasdaq: TXN).  And it’s… Read More

I couldn’t believe we were hassling over 1/8 of an inch.   It was the fall of 2010 and I was helping my parents build a new addition to their house. I was assisting their contractor with the foundation, and when we measured everything out before we poured the footers and stem walls we were less than 1/8 of an inch off.  —Sponsored Link— Step 1: Buy These 5 ETFs Now… TQQQ, FAS, UPRO, plus two additional ETFs revealed in this FREE REPORT. Step 2: Follow the simple strategy inside this free trading guide and Step 3:… Read More

I couldn’t believe we were hassling over 1/8 of an inch.   It was the fall of 2010 and I was helping my parents build a new addition to their house. I was assisting their contractor with the foundation, and when we measured everything out before we poured the footers and stem walls we were less than 1/8 of an inch off.  —Sponsored Link— Step 1: Buy These 5 ETFs Now… TQQQ, FAS, UPRO, plus two additional ETFs revealed in this FREE REPORT. Step 2: Follow the simple strategy inside this free trading guide and Step 3: Collect as much as $16,978.31 in a week. Full list of ETF’s and strategy that has generated over $9.9 Million in cash payouts steadily now for 10 years. Revealed here… I thought that was pretty good. I mean, who would notice? Plus, it would be covered up in any event… But the contractor wouldn’t let it go. He wouldn’t be satisfied until we were perfect.    #-ad_banner-#What he taught me that day, I’ve carried over into my financial career.    You see, as you know the foundation is the most important part of any house. And… Read More

When it comes to money, every now and then the U.S. government gets caught in the act of doing something terribly right. The creation of the Roth IRA in 1997 is a great example.  As the Trump administration rolls out its tax plan, the proposed rollback of the corporate tax rate from 35% to 20%, a major component of the plan, might also enter the tax-reform hall of fame. Sure, large multi-national companies  will benefit from the reduction, but these companies also have the luxury of tax benefits in many different countries. For example, in 2016 Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) had… Read More

When it comes to money, every now and then the U.S. government gets caught in the act of doing something terribly right. The creation of the Roth IRA in 1997 is a great example.  As the Trump administration rolls out its tax plan, the proposed rollback of the corporate tax rate from 35% to 20%, a major component of the plan, might also enter the tax-reform hall of fame. Sure, large multi-national companies  will benefit from the reduction, but these companies also have the luxury of tax benefits in many different countries. For example, in 2016 Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) had a domestic loss of $300 million and foreign income of $20.1 billion. The company’s net tax liability was $3.3 billion, or an effective rate of around 16.5%. Small- and micro-cap companies, on the other hand, do much of their business domestically. A 43% cut in the corporate tax rate would be a huge boon to these companies and their stocks alike. However, due to the sometimes esoteric nature of the space, one of the best ways to gain exposure is taking the fund route.  #-ad_banner-#One of the most experienced small-cap funds out there is the Royce Value Trust (NYSE: RVT),… Read More

The further pending legalization of medical marijuana has stirred up an investor feeding frenzy. Like sharks smelling blood, investors have gone crazy over the upside potential of legal pot. And for good reason — early investors in the space are likely to earn handsome returns. Hundreds of companies have sprouted up to exploit the excitement surrounding the coming regulatory changes. However, most of these innovative new players are only suitable for risk-loving speculators. While substantial profits may be earned in the short term, many of these small-caps are one-trick ponies with questionable long-term prospects. Fortunately, there is a solution for… Read More

The further pending legalization of medical marijuana has stirred up an investor feeding frenzy. Like sharks smelling blood, investors have gone crazy over the upside potential of legal pot. And for good reason — early investors in the space are likely to earn handsome returns. Hundreds of companies have sprouted up to exploit the excitement surrounding the coming regulatory changes. However, most of these innovative new players are only suitable for risk-loving speculators. While substantial profits may be earned in the short term, many of these small-caps are one-trick ponies with questionable long-term prospects. Fortunately, there is a solution for cannabis investors who prefer relative security and a long-term outlook. Several large, established firms are actively adding legal medical marijuana-based products to their pharmaceutical lines. The Safest Stock In The Cannabis Space Believe it or not, the plant form of cannabis is not approved by the FDA for pharmaceutical use. This came as a surprise to me as I firmly thought that cannabis was approved as a pharmaceutical ingredient, given all the positive press hype. #-ad_banner-#The FDA has only approved the synthetic form of cannabis in three medications. These medications are Marinol, Syndros, and Cesamet. Marinol and Syndros are… Read More