Second chances are rare in the financial world. Once the whole market knows about a price run, it’s often too late to participate. However, there are a few exceptions to the rule. Right now, there’s a massive bull market taking shape that’s similar to the raging dot-com boom of the turn of the century.  While there are significant differences between the two booms, the differences make the new bull market less risky and longer lasting than the original.  If you missed the internet boom of 1997 to 2001, you are not alone. Believe it or not, many investors failed to… Read More

Second chances are rare in the financial world. Once the whole market knows about a price run, it’s often too late to participate. However, there are a few exceptions to the rule. Right now, there’s a massive bull market taking shape that’s similar to the raging dot-com boom of the turn of the century.  While there are significant differences between the two booms, the differences make the new bull market less risky and longer lasting than the original.  If you missed the internet boom of 1997 to 2001, you are not alone. Believe it or not, many investors failed to participate in the exploding stock market during those heady times.  The good news is it’s not too late to participate in the next booming tech market!  #-ad_banner-#Lessons Of The Dot-Com Bubble I can’t say I blame the majority of those who missed the monster profits of the first internet boom. The Nasdaq soared from 1,000 to 5,100-plus, and stocks like Qualcomm (Nasdaq: QCOM) rocketed nearly 3,000% in value. At the end of the frenzy, the Nasdaq hit an outrageous price-to-earnings ratio of 200.  Rightfully fearful of the extreme valuations and warnings from luminaries like Warren Buffett, the majority of… Read More

Many investors avoid micro-cap stocks. Known for huge gains, crushing losses, and all-around high volatility, micro-cap investing isn’t for everyone. At the same time, the opportunities in the category are legendary.  While it’s easy to believe that micro-caps are all sketchy pink-sheet penny stocks, nothing could be further from the truth. Micro-caps are simply companies that have market capitalizations between $50 and roughly $300 million, and trade on an official exchange like the Nasdaq or NYSE.  Now, it is true that the enormous potential gains are balanced by equally high risk. But if you’re willing to accept that, here are… Read More

Many investors avoid micro-cap stocks. Known for huge gains, crushing losses, and all-around high volatility, micro-cap investing isn’t for everyone. At the same time, the opportunities in the category are legendary.  While it’s easy to believe that micro-caps are all sketchy pink-sheet penny stocks, nothing could be further from the truth. Micro-caps are simply companies that have market capitalizations between $50 and roughly $300 million, and trade on an official exchange like the Nasdaq or NYSE.  Now, it is true that the enormous potential gains are balanced by equally high risk. But if you’re willing to accept that, here are a few of my favorite micro-caps for you to consider. 1. Sorl Auto Parts (Nasdaq: SORL) Shares of this Chinese automobile brake and safety equipment maker are setting up to be an ideal breakout candidate. Sorl supplies automobile brakes and safety equipment to over 75 original equipment manufacturers, most of them in China.  #-ad_banner-#The stock has soared over 90% this year, thanks to improved fundamentals for first six months of 2017. Net sales increased 29% to $164 million, compared with $127 million in the first six months of 2016. At the same time, operating income increased 110% to $18… Read More

What makes more sense, gold or bitcoin? Just a few short years ago, this question would have elicited howls of laughter from 99% of investors.  Bitcoin adherents were ridiculed by nearly everyone for even being involved with the product. Gold bugs are still exclaiming, “How dare someone even compare a faddish digital currency, not even a decade old, to thousands of years of gold’s history?”. Even today, in the midst of what is one of the most fantastic bull runs of all time in any investment, bitcoin and the other cryptocurrencies are nowhere near mainstream acceptance. Many investors doubt bitcoin’s… Read More

What makes more sense, gold or bitcoin? Just a few short years ago, this question would have elicited howls of laughter from 99% of investors.  Bitcoin adherents were ridiculed by nearly everyone for even being involved with the product. Gold bugs are still exclaiming, “How dare someone even compare a faddish digital currency, not even a decade old, to thousands of years of gold’s history?”. Even today, in the midst of what is one of the most fantastic bull runs of all time in any investment, bitcoin and the other cryptocurrencies are nowhere near mainstream acceptance. Many investors doubt bitcoin’s worth, even wondering if it has any true value at all.  Despite the massive gains, when compared to gold, bitcoin is a mere blip on the timeline of history. But it’s this widespread doubt and fear that make bitcoin superior to gold as an investment.  #-ad_banner-#The public never gets fully involved with novel, world-changing technologies until after the first explosive move higher. Smart investors are quietly amassing bitcoin and the other blockchain-based assets during what I see as the early stage of a massive bull run.  I do not doubt that digital currencies and their blockchain backbone are the future… Read More

Big money investors, like hedge fund managers and other professionals, love to buy value stocks. Following the wisdom of buying when everyone else is selling, they often make their moves when everyone else has thrown in the towel on a company.  They’re also able to successfully make these moves because of research teams and insider access that are far superior to what the everyday investor has at his or her disposal. If we want to make similar gains, then the obvious move is to follow in the footsteps of these investing giants.  While we can’t access their private and often… Read More

Big money investors, like hedge fund managers and other professionals, love to buy value stocks. Following the wisdom of buying when everyone else is selling, they often make their moves when everyone else has thrown in the towel on a company.  They’re also able to successfully make these moves because of research teams and insider access that are far superior to what the everyday investor has at his or her disposal. If we want to make similar gains, then the obvious move is to follow in the footsteps of these investing giants.  While we can’t access their private and often ultra-expensive research data, we do know what these winning investors are buying or selling thanks to SEC filing regulations. I have sifted through a multitude of big-money value stocks to present my three favorite buys right now. #-ad_banner-#1. EQT (NYSE: EQT) EQT is an integrated energy company with hefty investments from George Soros’ Soros Fund Management and JANA Partners’ Barry Rosenstein. Soros recently added $67 million of EQT shares to his portfolio, accounting for 1.5% of his total stock holdings. Rosenstein added $586 million worth of the stock, increasing his holdings to just under 10% of JANA Partners’ portfolio. Read More

The stock market always shows its hand before a significant change in trend.  History reveals there are a variety of signals that flash before stocks start to plunge.  After doing some digging, I’ve found five signs that the bull market may be about to end.   Here Are My 5 Favorite Signals The Bull Market Is Over 1. Extreme Optimism Bull market tops are always characterized by excessive optimism.  Everyone from golf caddies to Uber drivers are excitedly talking about the stock market.  Tales of fortunes being made are abounding in the workplace as the public plunges into stocks… Read More

The stock market always shows its hand before a significant change in trend.  History reveals there are a variety of signals that flash before stocks start to plunge.  After doing some digging, I’ve found five signs that the bull market may be about to end.   Here Are My 5 Favorite Signals The Bull Market Is Over 1. Extreme Optimism Bull market tops are always characterized by excessive optimism.  Everyone from golf caddies to Uber drivers are excitedly talking about the stock market.  Tales of fortunes being made are abounding in the workplace as the public plunges into stocks with wild abandon.  Even Hollywood gets into the bullish mood with TV shows and movies focused on finance.  A prime example of this was the original “Wall Street” starring Michael Douglas.  While released in December 1987, two months after the great crash, the movie went into production during the monster bullish mid-1980s, thus forecasting the crash.   Today, accessible finance-related shows like “Shark Tank,” and the many real estate investing/flipping TV programs are signaling keen public interest in real estate and private equity.  Fortunately, for stocks, these shows are not directly about the stock market!   #-ad_banner-#Truthfully, I am not witnessing the… 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

Earning high, consistent dividends is the aim of every income investor. This goal, however, has become nearly impossible in today’s market, largely thanks to persistently low rates and the hoards of investors trying to squeeze every penny of growth out of shares.  My research has identified seven stocks with varying degrees of risk that are still regularly shelling out sizeable income. Consider the following securities for your income portfolio. 1. Omega Healthcare Investors (NYSE: OHI) Sometimes everything lines up to create an ideal investment. Throwing off an incredible 8.2% yield, OHI is in the perfect choice for income-starved investors. … Read More

Earning high, consistent dividends is the aim of every income investor. This goal, however, has become nearly impossible in today’s market, largely thanks to persistently low rates and the hoards of investors trying to squeeze every penny of growth out of shares.  My research has identified seven stocks with varying degrees of risk that are still regularly shelling out sizeable income. Consider the following securities for your income portfolio. 1. Omega Healthcare Investors (NYSE: OHI) Sometimes everything lines up to create an ideal investment. Throwing off an incredible 8.2% yield, OHI is in the perfect choice for income-starved investors.  Omega Healthcare is a real estate investment trust (REIT) specializing in assisted living facilities and skilled nursing facilities in the United States and the United Kingdom. Boasting a $9 billion-plus portfolio of over 975 units, the company has increased its dividend fifteen years in a row. A P/E of just under 18 and five-year EPS growth in excess of 7% sweeten the deal. #-ad_banner-#​OHI’s future is looking bright as well. Nearly 15% of the U.S. population is 65 years of age or older. This number is projected to continue to grow over the next century, providing a never-ending stream of… Read More

The current stock market environment makes finding value stocks a challenge. Gone are the days when an investor could simply scan the market for underperformers. Finding true value in the market now requires digging deeper into the fundamentals as they compare to others in the sector. My research has uncovered three stocks providing actual value at current share prices.  1. Ultra Clean Holdings (Nasdaq: UCTT) Shares of this small-cap semiconductor manufacturer have soared over 240% this year. But despite being one of the top performers this year, UCTT remains a solid value pick due to its price-sales (P/S) ratio… Read More

The current stock market environment makes finding value stocks a challenge. Gone are the days when an investor could simply scan the market for underperformers. Finding true value in the market now requires digging deeper into the fundamentals as they compare to others in the sector. My research has uncovered three stocks providing actual value at current share prices.  1. Ultra Clean Holdings (Nasdaq: UCTT) Shares of this small-cap semiconductor manufacturer have soared over 240% this year. But despite being one of the top performers this year, UCTT remains a solid value pick due to its price-sales (P/S) ratio of 1.16. With the average P/S ratio in the sector being 2.12, UCTT’s value shines.  The P/S ratio is critical when evaluating companies in the technology space since it eliminates accounting games and management chicanery from earnings results. The P/S ratio is simply calculated by dividing the stock price by annual revenues, and provides a relatively accurate value picture that can then be compared to the company’s peers.  #-ad_banner-#Although it’s unlikely we will see this stratospheric stock performance repeat itself, UCTT continues to be an ideal value stock for your portfolio. Earnings per share (EPS) exploded over 100% in 2016,… Read More

Running out of money is a genuine fear for everyone, no matter their age or income. During our working years, this anxiety is quieted by a steady cash flow, allowing us to build a “just in case” fund for unexpected expenses and, hopefully, a retirement fund. Because when you get to retirement age, that steady paycheck stops and money anxiety creeps in again.  Many investors turn to the stock market for security in uncertain times. Owning the right mix of growth and dividend stocks is the key to never running out of money in retirement and ensuring your financial security… Read More

Running out of money is a genuine fear for everyone, no matter their age or income. During our working years, this anxiety is quieted by a steady cash flow, allowing us to build a “just in case” fund for unexpected expenses and, hopefully, a retirement fund. Because when you get to retirement age, that steady paycheck stops and money anxiety creeps in again.  Many investors turn to the stock market for security in uncertain times. Owning the right mix of growth and dividend stocks is the key to never running out of money in retirement and ensuring your financial security should your income be slashed for whatever reason.  Stocks with a stable history, consistent dividends, and a genuine potential for price appreciation are perfect candidates.  In other words, consistency trumps high dividends and returns when it comes to saving for retirement.  My research has discovered a portfolio of five stocks that are a good start for anyone seeking to cement their financial security. #-ad_banner-#​1. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) A true diversified giant, this $355 billion behemoth boasts the world’s fifth-largest pharmaceutical business, a vast array of consumer products, and a complete medical device business. The company’s brand portfolio… Read More

President Donald Trump is perhaps the most polarizing U.S. president of all time. Despite his sometimes-questionable rhetoric, one thing has remained constant throughout his campaign and presidency: Trump is 100% in support of American business. Throughout the election and into his time in office, Trump’s pro-business stance has given confidence to investors, who have sent the stock market soaring higher. Less than a year into his term, indexes are sitting near all-time highs and bullish sentiment is bursting at the seams.  Among the most talked about plans of the new administration is tax reform. While large corporations stand to gain… Read More

President Donald Trump is perhaps the most polarizing U.S. president of all time. Despite his sometimes-questionable rhetoric, one thing has remained constant throughout his campaign and presidency: Trump is 100% in support of American business. Throughout the election and into his time in office, Trump’s pro-business stance has given confidence to investors, who have sent the stock market soaring higher. Less than a year into his term, indexes are sitting near all-time highs and bullish sentiment is bursting at the seams.  Among the most talked about plans of the new administration is tax reform. While large corporations stand to gain the most from the potential changes, everyday investors will likely also benefit.  What To Expect From Trump’s Tax Plan 1. Higher Dividends Income investors rejoice! One of the most appealing effects of Trump’s proposed tax reform will be higher dividends across the board.  #-ad_banner-#The President has stated that he wants to slash the corporate rate all the way down to 20% from the current 35%. Primarily designed to incentivize corporations from fleeing the United States in search of lower rates, the tax plan represents $1.8 trillion in tax savings over the next decade. This inflow of wealth will… Read More