The year was 2001, and the landscape was littered with internet companies gone bust. The list included such once-promising names as Pets.com, Webvan and eToys.com. That’s when a worried Marc Benioff, CEO of a two-year-old startup called Salesforce.com, sought the advice of Michael Dell, founder of the game-changing personal computer company bearing his name. The way Dell tells it today, “I knew then, as I know now, that economic shakeouts need not bode misfortune for technology companies. Not, at least, the innovative ones. Technology does not recognize economic recessions or depressions; it always continues.” To say that Dell had a… Read More

The year was 2001, and the landscape was littered with internet companies gone bust. The list included such once-promising names as Pets.com, Webvan and eToys.com. That’s when a worried Marc Benioff, CEO of a two-year-old startup called Salesforce.com, sought the advice of Michael Dell, founder of the game-changing personal computer company bearing his name. The way Dell tells it today, “I knew then, as I know now, that economic shakeouts need not bode misfortune for technology companies. Not, at least, the innovative ones. Technology does not recognize economic recessions or depressions; it always continues.” To say that Dell had a good point is an understatement. Truly innovative companies aren’t subject to the same forces that shape many of their contemporaries whose businesses are based on older, more established trends. —Recommended Link— Pick And Shovel Investing For The 21st Century ‘Gold Rush’ From Russian gas and Saudi oil to the isolated cobalt mines of Central Africa — the next decade will see the beginning of a global commodity “gold rush” unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Cash in before it’s too late… That’s just one of the game-changing insights in Marc Benioff’s book, Behind the Cloud: The Untold Story of How… Read More

If you’re like most investors, you have some kind of goal in mind. And while there are many specific goals and plans to reach them, at the end of the day, I’m willing to bet that the ultimate goal is long-term wealth. Specifically, you want to be a millionaire. If that’s your goal, then it simply can’t happen without dedicating a portion of your portfolio to aggressive growth stocks. Now don’t get me wrong. You should invest in stable, reliable assets like dividend-paying stocks, blue chips, index funds, and the like. In fact, most of your portfolio — let’s say… Read More

If you’re like most investors, you have some kind of goal in mind. And while there are many specific goals and plans to reach them, at the end of the day, I’m willing to bet that the ultimate goal is long-term wealth. Specifically, you want to be a millionaire. If that’s your goal, then it simply can’t happen without dedicating a portion of your portfolio to aggressive growth stocks. Now don’t get me wrong. You should invest in stable, reliable assets like dividend-paying stocks, blue chips, index funds, and the like. In fact, most of your portfolio — let’s say 80% — should go into these types of investments. But the other 20%? That’s different. Invest that other 20% of your money into big ideas that are changing the world. —Recommended Link— Leaked: Stock Indicator Predicts Market Crash This indicator avoided the 2008 market crash… and got you back into the market just four days after the bottom. To use it, click here. Why? Well, to put it simply, these are the companies that stand the best chance of dramatically increasing your profit potential. That special 20% is important. In fact, it’s the entire focus of y premium newsletter,… Read More

2017 may well go down in history as the best year the stock market has ever witnessed. But it could also be remembered as the year the roaring bull market ended and the economy plunges into dark days. While no one knows which outcome the rest of the year will bring, investors can prepare for any situation by investing in the major themes of this year. #-ad_banner-#The biggest theme dictating which stocks to watch in 2017 is uncertainty. Despite the massive bull market of 2016, many investors believe the major index ceiling has been set. Should this prove to be… Read More

2017 may well go down in history as the best year the stock market has ever witnessed. But it could also be remembered as the year the roaring bull market ended and the economy plunges into dark days. While no one knows which outcome the rest of the year will bring, investors can prepare for any situation by investing in the major themes of this year. #-ad_banner-#The biggest theme dictating which stocks to watch in 2017 is uncertainty. Despite the massive bull market of 2016, many investors believe the major index ceiling has been set. Should this prove to be the case, consumer staple stocks make sense. Even if the market continues higher, these stocks can make a great addition to your portfolio. Next, regulatory changes are on the forefront. 2017 has proven to be a year of transition, both in the world of taxation and the social space. One of the most dramatic changes is the acceptance of and decriminalization of marijuana in the medical sector, and some places for recreational use. An ongoing megatrend that will very likely to continue in 2017 is pet ownership. Not only do consumers own more pets, but they are also spending more… Read More

From humble beginnings as an online book retailer, few companies have had more of an effect on the retail sector — indeed, the daily lives of all of us — than Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN). Today, it’s a $438 billion behemoth, selling just about any product imaginable. That’s the cover story. But Amazon is much more than an online retailer. #-ad_banner-#We’re talking about a company with the analytical capabilities to know what its customers likely want even before they begin searching its website. We’re talking about warehouses strategically placed across the country, carefully stocked with inventory based on its vast databases… Read More

From humble beginnings as an online book retailer, few companies have had more of an effect on the retail sector — indeed, the daily lives of all of us — than Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN). Today, it’s a $438 billion behemoth, selling just about any product imaginable. That’s the cover story. But Amazon is much more than an online retailer. #-ad_banner-#We’re talking about a company with the analytical capabilities to know what its customers likely want even before they begin searching its website. We’re talking about warehouses strategically placed across the country, carefully stocked with inventory based on its vast databases — with workers increasingly replaced by more efficient robots — to ensure rapid fulfilment. (Soon, drones may replace delivery drivers.) Its innovations in logistics alone are enough to fill a doctoral thesis. And that’s just half the story. Amazon is also a game-changer in the media business… The advertising business… The cloud business… The list goes on and on. It’s for this reason I call Amazon one of the “World’s Greatest Businesses.” There’s just one problem. For years, Amazon has defied traditional investing logic. Think about it… It’s one of the few “internet” companies that survived the dot-com crash relatively… Read More

There’s a growing concern percolating beneath the surface of the stock market. And, no, I’m not talking about a looming correction or anything like that. It’s a problem that’s making it even tougher for individual investors to find market-beating stocks. It’s a problem that will require investors to have a system, like Maximum Profit, to have any hope… This predicament became even more glaring on April 19 when the world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock (NYSE: BLK) reported quarterly earnings. #-ad_banner-#BlackRock’s report included an astonishing achievement, even by its own standards. The company’s assets under management (AUM) reached… Read More

There’s a growing concern percolating beneath the surface of the stock market. And, no, I’m not talking about a looming correction or anything like that. It’s a problem that’s making it even tougher for individual investors to find market-beating stocks. It’s a problem that will require investors to have a system, like Maximum Profit, to have any hope… This predicament became even more glaring on April 19 when the world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock (NYSE: BLK) reported quarterly earnings. #-ad_banner-#BlackRock’s report included an astonishing achievement, even by its own standards. The company’s assets under management (AUM) reached an all-time record of $5.4 trillion. That’s bigger than JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM), Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) and Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) combined. They accomplished this impressive feat, in large part, by leading a trend that’s radically changing the investment world. You see, fewer and fewer investors are picking individual stocks. Instead, they are opting for index funds, and BlackRock has become a leader in low-cost index funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), as opposed to actively managed funds. Now, index funds can play a vital role in portfolio management, and I like the fact that they allow investors easy… Read More

The financial sector was on fire in 2016. Immense annual gains of 50%, 60%, and greater were pocketed by investors who caught the trend. Don’t worry, I’m not talking about speculative fintech or other risky high-tech financial names. Believe it or not, the outsized gains were made in solid, multi- billion dollar companies like JP Morgan (NYSE: JPM) and Bank of America (NYSE: BAC). Hopefully, your portfolio captured some or all of this historic upside. But It’s Not Too Late If you missed riding the uptrend higher, or simply want to have a chance to pocket additional gains, it’s… Read More

The financial sector was on fire in 2016. Immense annual gains of 50%, 60%, and greater were pocketed by investors who caught the trend. Don’t worry, I’m not talking about speculative fintech or other risky high-tech financial names. Believe it or not, the outsized gains were made in solid, multi- billion dollar companies like JP Morgan (NYSE: JPM) and Bank of America (NYSE: BAC). Hopefully, your portfolio captured some or all of this historic upside. But It’s Not Too Late If you missed riding the uptrend higher, or simply want to have a chance to pocket additional gains, it’s not too late. I have identified five solid financial stocks that still have tremendous upside potential and pay hefty dividends. #-ad_banner-#Amazingly, these stocks trade in a market that has never had a financial calamity since the 19th century. This industry remained stable during both the Great Depression and the global banking crisis of 2008. This market, the Canadian banking industry, never experienced a financial crisis due to a myriad of reasons that are beyond the scope of this article. Suffice to say; the Canadian banking system is widely considered to be a bastion of stability. In comparison, the United States… Read More

The car business is in trouble. But it could actually help one of my holdings in Top Stock Advisor. Let me explain… On April 3, Autodata released March sales numbers and they revealed that vehicle sales fell to the lowest level in more than two years. Auto sales have risen every year since the financial crisis and hit a record 17.6 million vehicles last year. But since the turn of the New Year sales have begun to fade. And the situation is likely only to get worse. #-ad_banner-#You see, used-car prices are beginning to fall. According to the National Automobile… Read More

The car business is in trouble. But it could actually help one of my holdings in Top Stock Advisor. Let me explain… On April 3, Autodata released March sales numbers and they revealed that vehicle sales fell to the lowest level in more than two years. Auto sales have risen every year since the financial crisis and hit a record 17.6 million vehicles last year. But since the turn of the New Year sales have begun to fade. And the situation is likely only to get worse. #-ad_banner-#You see, used-car prices are beginning to fall. According to the National Automobile Dealers Association, used car prices fell roughly 4% in February and are likely to continue heading that direction as a plethora of previously leased vehicles hit the market. The weakness in used-car prices puts pressure on new car sales. Think about it this way. If the price of a used car isn’t that much different from a brand spanking new one… why not get a new vehicle? But as used car prices fall, then the disparity in price makes it easier for consumers to choose used. But the real problem looming in the auto industry — one hardly anyone is… Read More

Is it time to invest in energy stocks? Oil prices have been volatile, and there is tremendous excitement in the energy space. The question has always been will oil continue to climb higher, or will the price momentum fade? Maybe the commodity will crash, or maybe it will just keep moving up. No one knows what will happen next, and with many energy stocks are dependent on oil prices, investors are unsure of where they can safely buy in the space. Believe it or not, not all oil company stocks are dependent on the price of crude. I have identified… Read More

Is it time to invest in energy stocks? Oil prices have been volatile, and there is tremendous excitement in the energy space. The question has always been will oil continue to climb higher, or will the price momentum fade? Maybe the commodity will crash, or maybe it will just keep moving up. No one knows what will happen next, and with many energy stocks are dependent on oil prices, investors are unsure of where they can safely buy in the space. Believe it or not, not all oil company stocks are dependent on the price of crude. I have identified five stocks that should continue to climb higher regardless of what happens to oil prices. A History Of Volatility Oil is among the most volatile commodities on earth. Just three years ago, it was trading for over $100 per barrel. Next time it hit the headlines, it had plunged to around $30 per barrel in early 2016. Prices have since climbed back up to around $53.00 per barrel. The volatility is custom made for active futures traders. This hyperactive subset of the investor population can change from long to short instantaneously and profit no matter which way the commodity… Read More

If I had to name the biggest game-changing trend of the past decade — a trend that has disturbed the most companies, made the biggest organizational impact, changed the way businesses are structured, and impacted the most lives — it would be cloud computing. Nothing short of a paradigm change, the advent of the cloud has truly transformed the way most technology companies do business. Even consumer companies have been significantly affected by the shift. #-ad_banner-#The premise behind the cloud computing is simple: When technology — from simple applications to complete data centers — is delivered over the internet, it… Read More

If I had to name the biggest game-changing trend of the past decade — a trend that has disturbed the most companies, made the biggest organizational impact, changed the way businesses are structured, and impacted the most lives — it would be cloud computing. Nothing short of a paradigm change, the advent of the cloud has truly transformed the way most technology companies do business. Even consumer companies have been significantly affected by the shift. #-ad_banner-#The premise behind the cloud computing is simple: When technology — from simple applications to complete data centers — is delivered over the internet, it can be delivered as-needed, or on-demand. This on-demand business is now known as the cloud. The on-demand feature makes everything easier. Companies have found that signing up for on-demand services is the easiest way to meet their future needs; the cloud-based model can easily get you more (or less), depending on how those needs change. It also turns out that consuming technology over the internet is less expensive than doing it the traditional way: Basically, you pay for what you use — no more, no less. It requires much less hardware, too: All the hard work is done somewhere off-site… Read More

I had a manager at a firm I used work with. This guy had been in the investment racket for what seems like forever. He was always available to give young brokers advice on stock selection. He would refer to stocks that carried too much risk as “chocolate covered hand grenades.” They looked enticing but sooner or later were guaranteed to blow up in your face. #-ad_banner-#Coming of age in the business during the Tech Bubble of the mid-1990s, I learned a lot about ridiculous valuations. Stock prices and investor expectations can get a little over their skis if the… Read More

I had a manager at a firm I used work with. This guy had been in the investment racket for what seems like forever. He was always available to give young brokers advice on stock selection. He would refer to stocks that carried too much risk as “chocolate covered hand grenades.” They looked enticing but sooner or later were guaranteed to blow up in your face. #-ad_banner-#Coming of age in the business during the Tech Bubble of the mid-1990s, I learned a lot about ridiculous valuations. Stock prices and investor expectations can get a little over their skis if the right conditions are present in the market. The S&P 500 index has delivered around a 5.5% return year-to-date, sparking the pundits to wring their hands and wonder aloud if the market is overvalued. The S&P 500 is currently trading at about 18 times expected earnings. If you’re a value-oriented investor, then that may seem a little expensive, especially if forward P/E is one of your primary valuation metrics. Otherwise, there’s not really cause for widespread concern about the market. However, I’ve identified three widely traded stocks that I would categorize as chocolate covered hand grenades. At their current levels, I’m… Read More