The concepts, designs, gadgets — everything that is being showcased — provide a glimpse of the future. Every January thousands of people from around the globe converge on Las Vegas to attend the biggest trade show in the world. Incredible innovations and mind-boggling products are presented at the International Consumer… Read More

Grab My New Book FREE! This Special Edition of Investing in the Next Big Thing tells you everything you need to know to get started in Pre-IPO Investing and includes an exclusive bonus chapter revealing 3 startups that I’m telling my clients to buy right now. They are 3 of the best bets for an explosive payoff that I’ve seen out of the 289 firms I’ve reviewed in the past three years. This Special Edition won’t be available on Amazon.com or anywhere else. It will only be available through StreetAuthority. Learn more.​ — Joseph Hogue, CFA I used to laugh when entrepreneurs would pitch… Read More

Grab My New Book FREE! This Special Edition of Investing in the Next Big Thing tells you everything you need to know to get started in Pre-IPO Investing and includes an exclusive bonus chapter revealing 3 startups that I’m telling my clients to buy right now. They are 3 of the best bets for an explosive payoff that I’ve seen out of the 289 firms I’ve reviewed in the past three years. This Special Edition won’t be available on Amazon.com or anywhere else. It will only be available through StreetAuthority. Learn more.​ — Joseph Hogue, CFA I used to laugh when entrepreneurs would pitch my venture capital clients for funding based on the idea that their product was in a new industry with no competition. After years of startup investing, I learned that “no competition” often means a market that just isn’t worth competing in. #-ad_banner-#I’m much more interested in the startup that can bring something new to an established industry. A company that can reinvent a product and take fast market share in a multi-billion dollar industry. Now, that’s a startup that is going to reward early investors. I recently found a company on one of the equity crowdfunding platforms I follow that… Read More

Circuit City, RadioShack, Blockbuster and Borders. The names read like an obituary for American retail over the last ten years. #-ad_banner-#The slow death of traditional brick-and-mortar retail has been one of the clearest trends over the last decade. The combination of slow economic growth and increasing e-commerce sales has already meant bankruptcy for many department stores and retailers will continue to face hard times. Investors have time and again been drawn into ‘value-plays’ on the hope of a rebound in retailers and stocks hit by the trend. Instead of trying to defy the trend, investors need to look for retailers… Read More

Circuit City, RadioShack, Blockbuster and Borders. The names read like an obituary for American retail over the last ten years. #-ad_banner-#The slow death of traditional brick-and-mortar retail has been one of the clearest trends over the last decade. The combination of slow economic growth and increasing e-commerce sales has already meant bankruptcy for many department stores and retailers will continue to face hard times. Investors have time and again been drawn into ‘value-plays’ on the hope of a rebound in retailers and stocks hit by the trend. Instead of trying to defy the trend, investors need to look for retailers that can survive and thrive within it. I’ve found two companies that will do just that with experience-oriented products that can still draw shoppers. These two aren’t waiting around to develop their e-commerce platforms either, and in-store demand will help support sales as online revenue picks up. Rumors Of American Retail’s Untimely Demise Are Not Exaggerated Holiday spending rose 3.6% in 2016 according to the National Retail Federation, a solid gain over the previous year, but the breakout shows a far weaker picture for traditional brick-and-mortar stores. Most of the increase is due to a 12% jump in online… Read More

If I had to provide just two words of guidance to investors about 2017, I would say “expect change.” The new administration will soon be shaking things up in a manner not seen for many decades. There will likely be a loosening of regulatory oversight, a massive uptick in infrastructure spending, and a substantial increase in defense spending as America takes a more hawkish stance on global affairs. #-ad_banner-#While each of these expected macro changes will create opportunity and risk for investors, some of the best opportunities will be created in the defense sector. Over the last five years, defense… Read More

If I had to provide just two words of guidance to investors about 2017, I would say “expect change.” The new administration will soon be shaking things up in a manner not seen for many decades. There will likely be a loosening of regulatory oversight, a massive uptick in infrastructure spending, and a substantial increase in defense spending as America takes a more hawkish stance on global affairs. #-ad_banner-#While each of these expected macro changes will create opportunity and risk for investors, some of the best opportunities will be created in the defense sector. Over the last five years, defense spending has been stifled under the Budget Control Act of 2011. Despite the cuts, the largest firms in the aerospace and defense sector have weathered the storm remarkably well. If you look carefully, this success was only possible with aggressive management action. Stock buybacks, workforce cuts, and ramping up efficiency have all been effectively used to survive. Defense firms have also sought profits via foreign markets and commercial businesses while neglecting their core defense competencies. Even worse, budget cuts have curtailed long term planning, as it’s difficult to take on contracts in an uncertain funding environment. But this tide might… Read More

There are few things more profitable in the stock market than finding a long-term bullish economic trend and identifying a backdoor way to invest in the trend. #-ad_banner-#Major economic trends are often well known the observant investor, and many of them invest directly into the major companies riding the trend. While this tactic can and does work miracles at the start of any economic or societal trend, the profit potential becomes diluted when the trend matures. Shifting consumer tastes can turn one company’s products from a huge hit into a has-been at the drop of a hat. The key to… Read More

There are few things more profitable in the stock market than finding a long-term bullish economic trend and identifying a backdoor way to invest in the trend. #-ad_banner-#Major economic trends are often well known the observant investor, and many of them invest directly into the major companies riding the trend. While this tactic can and does work miracles at the start of any economic or societal trend, the profit potential becomes diluted when the trend matures. Shifting consumer tastes can turn one company’s products from a huge hit into a has-been at the drop of a hat. The key to long-term success is to locate those under the radar, backdoor companies that are crucial for supporting the overall trend but aren’t the obvious financial media darlings. These companies are often those that support or complement the more obvious ones. Today’s Big Trend A major trend that appears poised to continue is the shift to dining out and away from at-home meals. In 2015, for the first time, restaurant spending surpassed grocery store expenditures. The U.S. Department of Commerce reported that Americans spent $52.3 billion at restaurants and bars compared to $49.7 billion in grocery stores. It is the first… Read More

After a rocky start, driverless cars are becoming a reality, from driver-assist features to fully automated driving. One report puts the number of autonomous cars on the road at 10 million over the next three years and the Honda Americas R&D chief has set a goal of zero crashes for… Read More

If you’re an investor looking for game-changing trends, your formula for success should include seeking out a growing business, trend, sector, or even country. Often, knowing what to look for is the most important step in your process. That’s why just this month, my Game-Changing Stocks subscribers and I went… Read More

Grab My New Book FREE! This Special Edition of Investing in the Next Big Thing tells you everything you need to know to get started in Pre-IPO Investing and includes an exclusive bonus chapter revealing 3 startups that I’m telling my clients to buy right now. They are 3 of the best bets for an explosive payoff that I’ve seen out of the 289 firms I’ve reviewed in the past three years. This Special Edition won’t be available on Amazon.com or anywhere else. It will only be available through StreetAuthority. Learn more.​ — Joseph Hogue, CFA Ask me ten years ago and I wouldn’t… Read More

Grab My New Book FREE! This Special Edition of Investing in the Next Big Thing tells you everything you need to know to get started in Pre-IPO Investing and includes an exclusive bonus chapter revealing 3 startups that I’m telling my clients to buy right now. They are 3 of the best bets for an explosive payoff that I’ve seen out of the 289 firms I’ve reviewed in the past three years. This Special Edition won’t be available on Amazon.com or anywhere else. It will only be available through StreetAuthority. Learn more.​ — Joseph Hogue, CFA Ask me ten years ago and I wouldn’t have believed it but social media is now an inescapable part of our daily lives. Nearly four-fifths (78%) of Americans reported having a social media profile in 2016 and users approach nearly two billion worldwide. Early investors in the major platforms booked massive returns on investments when the sites were small startup companies. #-ad_banner-#For example, hedge-fund manager and venture capitalist Peter Thiel was one of the first investors in Facebook (Nasdaq: FB) with a $500,000 investment in 2004. When the company went public just eight years later, Thiel’s investment was worth $1.67 billion. That works out to an annualized return… Read More

We are in the midst of the greatest technological revolution of all time. After years in its nascent stages, the internet has become a critical fixture in all aspects of our lives. High-tech turning high-touch, to borrow a phrase from futurist John Naisbitt, has become our reality. All one needs… Read More

The student threw his hands up in frustration. “Professor,” he said, “I just don’t get it.” He slumped in his chair totally defeated. #-ad_banner-#I understood the feeling. I had spent more than two hours explaining basic financial ideas to a college freshman. But try as I might, I couldn’t get… Read More