Coal has been an important fuel source since the dawn of history. Scientists have found evidence that Neanderthals used coal as a fuel in Les Canalettes, France as far back as 73,500 years ago. Today, coal counts as the largest source of electric energy worldwide. #-ad_banner-#Of course, there’s one major… Read More

One would think that the company would be making headline news after returning over 360% in the last 52 weeks. However, this high-return stock is not very popular among investors. The majority of today’s stock market players seem to prefer the latest technology or cutting edge pharmaceutical stock to this top performer. In fact, the entire sector has fallen out of favor due to years of underperformance and lackluster returns. But things are changing and changing quickly. Investors who caught this trend early have earned handsome profits, but don’t worry — there are still plenty of profits to be made… Read More

One would think that the company would be making headline news after returning over 360% in the last 52 weeks. However, this high-return stock is not very popular among investors. The majority of today’s stock market players seem to prefer the latest technology or cutting edge pharmaceutical stock to this top performer. In fact, the entire sector has fallen out of favor due to years of underperformance and lackluster returns. But things are changing and changing quickly. Investors who caught this trend early have earned handsome profits, but don’t worry — there are still plenty of profits to be made by risk-embracing investors. #-ad_banner-#Rest assured, I’m not talking about flash-in-the-pan, sky-high-return penny stocks with shady marketing, or questionable biotech stocks with “miracle cures.” This company has existed for over 115 years, and counted many of them as the market-leader. It boasts revenues of nearly $12 billion annually and a market cap of almost $7 billion. I can’t think of many companies further away from the penny stock arena. The company is Pittsburgh-based steel company U.S. Steel (NYSE: X).  Once one of the leading industrial firms in the nation, the company has suffered since the 1980s due to cheap imports. It… Read More

Last week, I told you that my colleague Joseph Hogue had just put the finishing touches on his new book about investing in innovative startup companies before they go public. Joseph is one of the foremost experts in what’s known as “pre-IPO investing” through the relatively new form of online crowdfunding. I also explained how we are extending a special offer to StreetAuthority readers who want to get their hands on Joseph’s new book. (To read that article, go here.) For newcomers, I won’t be spending much time going over the basics of how this works today. Frankly, we’ve covered… Read More

Last week, I told you that my colleague Joseph Hogue had just put the finishing touches on his new book about investing in innovative startup companies before they go public. Joseph is one of the foremost experts in what’s known as “pre-IPO investing” through the relatively new form of online crowdfunding. I also explained how we are extending a special offer to StreetAuthority readers who want to get their hands on Joseph’s new book. (To read that article, go here.) For newcomers, I won’t be spending much time going over the basics of how this works today. Frankly, we’ve covered this topic extensively and I don’t want to get too much into the weeds. Suffice it to say, as we’ve pointed out many, many times before, we think pre-IPO crowdfunding represents one of the absolute best chances to make the kinds of life-changing returns every regular investor has always dreamed about. —Sponsored Link— Did Elon Musk Just Lock In FAST 985% Gains For HZNM? Tesla Motors needs as much lithium as they can get to keep up with demand for their electric cars. Recently discovered Horizon Minerals (HZNM) could give them exactly what they need!… Read More

Blockbuster drugs are like rocket fuel for pharma stocks. When a hot new drug reaches blockbuster status with $1 billion in annual sales, two good things usually follow: Record revenue and record share prices. This was recently on display with pharma industry leader Gilead (Nasdaq: GILD). In 2012, Gilead released a promising drug called Sovaldi designed to treat Hepatitis C. Sovaldi was a big hit right away, reaching blockbuster status in its first year. That sent shares of Gilead soaring for the next three years. Take a look at the huge gains below. Today, I see this same… Read More

Blockbuster drugs are like rocket fuel for pharma stocks. When a hot new drug reaches blockbuster status with $1 billion in annual sales, two good things usually follow: Record revenue and record share prices. This was recently on display with pharma industry leader Gilead (Nasdaq: GILD). In 2012, Gilead released a promising drug called Sovaldi designed to treat Hepatitis C. Sovaldi was a big hit right away, reaching blockbuster status in its first year. That sent shares of Gilead soaring for the next three years. Take a look at the huge gains below. Today, I see this same pattern unfolding. One of the largest pharma companies in the high-growth cannabis sector is moving closer to the first ever cannabis blockbuster. Its promising new drug is in Phase 3 FDA testing, with a final decision expected by the end of 2017. I wrote about the promise of the medical cannabis industry last November. Here’s what I said at the time: This recent wave of legalization has given birth to the fastest-growing industry in North America. Market research firm Arcview is projecting North American legal cannabis industry sales to grow more than 200% in the next… Read More

Rising interest rates is one of the most oft-referred-to topics on Wall Street right now. Some see higher borrowing costs as the straw that could break the market’s eight-year bull run while others see it as needed counter-weight to emerging inflationary pressures. Members of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) already expects three rate hikes this year, and we may see more monetary tightening than that if fiscal stimulus jump-starts the economy. #-ad_banner-#Bond investments and dividend-paying stocks have sold off on a 33% jump in the rate on the 10-year Treasury since the beginning of November. Existing bond prices drop… Read More

Rising interest rates is one of the most oft-referred-to topics on Wall Street right now. Some see higher borrowing costs as the straw that could break the market’s eight-year bull run while others see it as needed counter-weight to emerging inflationary pressures. Members of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) already expects three rate hikes this year, and we may see more monetary tightening than that if fiscal stimulus jump-starts the economy. #-ad_banner-#Bond investments and dividend-paying stocks have sold off on a 33% jump in the rate on the 10-year Treasury since the beginning of November. Existing bond prices drop when rates increase and investors fear that higher rates will draw others out of dividend stocks for the relatively safety in fixed-income. Financial companies have boomed on the increase in rates as the industry benefits from a wider net margin spread between borrowing and lending rates. But few investors are paying attention to one segment of the market that could get an upside boost. An Unexpected Winner From Higher Rates Short sellers, betting on a drop in prices, have to pay a broker loan rate when they borrow shares to short. The rate varies by broker but can range… Read More

Mario Gabelli is definitely among my stock investing heroes. I consider him to be one of the greatest living stock pickers. His prodigious and unique stock-picking skills landed him a place on Forbes’ billionaire list. And this $1.5 billion fortune is 100% made from the financial markets. His investment company GAMCO manages over $40 billion and earns an average of 12% annually under his guidance. Believe it or not, he talks freely about his research methods and investing philosophy. They are very simple, and any investor can easily apply them to their portfolio. #-ad_banner-#His ideas are built upon theories initially… Read More

Mario Gabelli is definitely among my stock investing heroes. I consider him to be one of the greatest living stock pickers. His prodigious and unique stock-picking skills landed him a place on Forbes’ billionaire list. And this $1.5 billion fortune is 100% made from the financial markets. His investment company GAMCO manages over $40 billion and earns an average of 12% annually under his guidance. Believe it or not, he talks freely about his research methods and investing philosophy. They are very simple, and any investor can easily apply them to their portfolio. #-ad_banner-#His ideas are built upon theories initially popularized in the book Security Analysis by Benjamin Graham and David Dodd way back in 1934. This book is still considered the “Bible” of fundamental analysis. Gabelli adds a twist to the book’s theories by using a value investing approach to screen stocks. He uses Warren Buffett’s idea of buying stocks as if you are buying the company itself. Then he adds his theory of private market value (PMV). Columbia Business School credits him with the creation of the PMV concept. PMV is the value an informed buyer would pay to purchase an asset with similar characteristics. It is calculated… Read More

Dramatic headlines, mostly related to our new president, have driven the market’s erratic undulations since Election Day. From my perspective, many investors are reading the headlines and reacting immediately to hyperbole without understanding the details. Making matters worse is social media’s amplification of this hyperbole into viral movements that further distort the truth. As frustrating as it seems, these factors create opportunity when opinion strays too far from fact. One area where I see massive distortion is in the headlines surrounding Trump’s proposed border wall, the methods in which he intends on paying for it and how it all will… Read More

Dramatic headlines, mostly related to our new president, have driven the market’s erratic undulations since Election Day. From my perspective, many investors are reading the headlines and reacting immediately to hyperbole without understanding the details. Making matters worse is social media’s amplification of this hyperbole into viral movements that further distort the truth. As frustrating as it seems, these factors create opportunity when opinion strays too far from fact. One area where I see massive distortion is in the headlines surrounding Trump’s proposed border wall, the methods in which he intends on paying for it and how it all will affect American companies and consumers. The topic has sparked tremendous opportunity as sheep-like investors flock to companies they think are the obvious beneficiaries and flee the apparent donors of potential legislation. The problem is that they’ve got the story all wrong… And my subscribers and I at Profit Amplifier have a plan to profit from this confusion. —Sponsored Link— Motley Fool Issues Rare Triple-Buy Alert His triple recommendations are averaging an astounding 1,024% gain each. Learn more now. Border Tax Rumblings If you haven’t been keeping… Read More

This is BIG… For the first time since 1933, the SEC is now allowing regular people like you and me to invest in brand-new explosive-growth companies BEFORE THEY GO PUBLIC. Imagine getting in on the next Facebook for 33 cents a share or the next Apple at 78 cents. In StreetAuthority’s Pre-IPO Millionaire, I vet six to eight deals like this one each month, and offer my exclusive in-depth analysis of a single opportunity that I believe could return 1,000% or more. Click here for more information. — Joseph Hogue, CFA The boom in equity crowdfunding has restarted the engines… Read More

This is BIG… For the first time since 1933, the SEC is now allowing regular people like you and me to invest in brand-new explosive-growth companies BEFORE THEY GO PUBLIC. Imagine getting in on the next Facebook for 33 cents a share or the next Apple at 78 cents. In StreetAuthority’s Pre-IPO Millionaire, I vet six to eight deals like this one each month, and offer my exclusive in-depth analysis of a single opportunity that I believe could return 1,000% or more. Click here for more information. — Joseph Hogue, CFA The boom in equity crowdfunding has restarted the engines of innovation and we’re seeing more companies set out to disrupt their markets every week in Pre-IPO Millionaire. Any time a company can completely change the game with a new twist on an old product or a revolutionary idea, the upside potential for early investors can be amazing. Think PayPal and what it did for ecommerce or how Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX) is disrupting the market for entertainment. #-ad_banner-#I’ve found one company that isn’t just disrupting one market, but three. It developed the first real innovation in 35 years in a $2.2 billion market and it’s an innovation that combines two… Read More

If you think Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) shares are expensive now, they are about to get even more so. Back in December, I issued a 12-month piece target of $72. But following the company’s breathtaking fiscal second-quarter earnings results, I am now confident is too cheap. As such I’m raising my price target by $8 to $80 per share. Why the price increase? For starters, Microsoft stock is currently priced at a forward P/E of just 21 based on fiscal 2017 estimates of $2.97 per share. And while that P/E is two points above the average stock in… Read More

If you think Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) shares are expensive now, they are about to get even more so. Back in December, I issued a 12-month piece target of $72. But following the company’s breathtaking fiscal second-quarter earnings results, I am now confident is too cheap. As such I’m raising my price target by $8 to $80 per share. Why the price increase? For starters, Microsoft stock is currently priced at a forward P/E of just 21 based on fiscal 2017 estimates of $2.97 per share. And while that P/E is two points above the average stock in the S&P 500 index, Microsoft’s recent moves suggests it deserves a much higher multiple. With growth opportunities emerging in the realm of the cloud, Internet-of-Things, smart home and a host of other areas thanks to its recent acquisitions, Microsoft stock still looks like a bargain. I’ll get back to this in a moment. But let’s first assess its recent earnings.   #-ad_banner-#The main question heading into 2017 was to what extent Microsoft could sustain the strong cloud momentum it used in 2016 to surpass Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN). Microsoft answered that question with authority. In three months that ended… Read More

Too many investors think chasing the next hot IPO (initial public offering) is a surefire way to get rich. They see how Facebook (NYSE: FB) has jumped 242% since it went public back in the summer of 2012. Or they hear about how LinkedIn (NYSE: LNKD) doubled in price less… Read More