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

“When rates are high, stocks will die, and when rates are low, stocks will grow.” I’ll never forget hearing this at a stock market seminar when I was around 12 years old.  Taken to the symposium by my investor grandfather, this was my first actual exposure to stock market wisdom. These were the days of 17%-plus interest rates and some Fidelity mutual funds posting massive returns of over 25%! #-ad_banner-#If someone had predicted rates near zero less than a generation in the future, they would have been laughed out of the room. However, the impossible has now happened, with rates… Read More

“When rates are high, stocks will die, and when rates are low, stocks will grow.” I’ll never forget hearing this at a stock market seminar when I was around 12 years old.  Taken to the symposium by my investor grandfather, this was my first actual exposure to stock market wisdom. These were the days of 17%-plus interest rates and some Fidelity mutual funds posting massive returns of over 25%! #-ad_banner-#If someone had predicted rates near zero less than a generation in the future, they would have been laughed out of the room. However, the impossible has now happened, with rates pushed to zero in a valiant effort to save the U.S. economy. Fast forward to the early part of 2018 and the low rates and massive quantitative easing measures have worked their magic, with the stock market making record high after record high. Now, with the economy potentially going into overdrive, the Fed has slowly started to bump up rates. Rates have begun to climb with up to four increases possible for this year. Will the old saying about stocks dying when rates climb pan out this year? Does the rate rise regime mean the bull market will soon be… Read More

The Supreme Court generally begins hearing arguments in October each year and wraps up in June the following year. Rulings can lag the hearings by several months but are always momentous and can have a big effect on stock prices for related industries. The court heard arguments last December for a case nearly three decades in the making. The ruling could open up a $150 billion-a-year market in the United States and a decision is expected any day now. #-ad_banner-#The industry isn’t depending on the ruling for growth. It’s growing at 10% annually on a global level and as much… Read More

The Supreme Court generally begins hearing arguments in October each year and wraps up in June the following year. Rulings can lag the hearings by several months but are always momentous and can have a big effect on stock prices for related industries. The court heard arguments last December for a case nearly three decades in the making. The ruling could open up a $150 billion-a-year market in the United States and a decision is expected any day now. #-ad_banner-#The industry isn’t depending on the ruling for growth. It’s growing at 10% annually on a global level and as much as 6% in the United States alone. A favorable ruling though could send the industry booming. Not every company in the industry will benefit but I’ve found three names that could see increased sales and surging investor sentiment. One Of The Biggest Supreme Court Decisions Of The Year The Supreme Court heard arguments in Christie vs. NCAA late last year, a case brought by former N.J. Gov. Chris Christie against the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) that prohibits all but a few states from implementing sports gambling. The court is expected to render its decision any… Read More

Finding hidden gems in the stock market is every investor’s dream.  Those stocks with massive upside potential that no one is paying attention to yet are like needles in the market’s haystack of investible names. Many times these diamonds in the rough are found in the small-cap market.   #-ad_banner-#Small-caps are public companies with a market cap of roughly $300 million to $4 billion.  Above $4 billion, a company moves into the mid-cap category. Below $300 million, a company is considered to be part of the micro-cap or even penny stock segments. Read More

Finding hidden gems in the stock market is every investor’s dream.  Those stocks with massive upside potential that no one is paying attention to yet are like needles in the market’s haystack of investible names. Many times these diamonds in the rough are found in the small-cap market.   #-ad_banner-#Small-caps are public companies with a market cap of roughly $300 million to $4 billion.  Above $4 billion, a company moves into the mid-cap category. Below $300 million, a company is considered to be part of the micro-cap or even penny stock segments. The small-cap sector is indeed the sweet spot of the stock market.  While penny stocks and micro-caps have greater volatility, and therefore more potential, the risk factor is just too high for most conservative investors.  Despite recently lagging, the small-cap market is well known for outperforming the overall market in the long term.   I have identified three under-the-radar small-cap stocks boasting colossal upside potential: 1. Albany International (NYSE: AIN) Sitting on a $2 billion market capitalization, Albany is solidly in the small-cap category. Launched in 1895, the company’s primary focus is… Read More