The consumer is back with multi-year-high confidence and strong spending numbers. Amazon is reporting its best holiday season ever and the National Retail Federation says total holiday spending could far exceed its initial estimate of $655 billion. #-ad_banner-#Expectations for 2017 have also grown, taking stocks along for the ride. Consumer confidence in November rose to its highest point since 2007 and sentiment among households earning $100,000 and more is at a 10-year high.   Keep in mind that this rising tide may not lift all boats equally. Recent government data supports this, showing uneven spending trends across categories. Read More

The consumer is back with multi-year-high confidence and strong spending numbers. Amazon is reporting its best holiday season ever and the National Retail Federation says total holiday spending could far exceed its initial estimate of $655 billion. #-ad_banner-#Expectations for 2017 have also grown, taking stocks along for the ride. Consumer confidence in November rose to its highest point since 2007 and sentiment among households earning $100,000 and more is at a 10-year high.   Keep in mind that this rising tide may not lift all boats equally. Recent government data supports this, showing uneven spending trends across categories. Finding the best investments in retail, then, may depend on following the money in consumer trends while avoiding sectors facing a weaker outlook. Not All Consumer Stocks Are Created Equal Investors have high expectations for 2017 and recent economic data points to a stronger consumer next year. The labor market is approaching full employment with unemployment at just 4.6% and fiscal stimulus next year could mean even more hiring. Consumer spending has bounced this year on higher wage growth. A survey by Deloitte estimates holiday spending could be as much as 4% higher compared to last year. Despite the… 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… Read More

In my role as Chief Investment Strategist for Pre-IPO Millionaire — StreetAuthority’s one-of-a-kind premium newsletter dedicated exclusively to identifying early-stage investment opportunities for individual investors — I spend a lot of time researching innovative companies that are at the cutting edge of their field. Once I find a promising pre-IPO investment opportunity, I then showcase my research in my newsletter as well as explain to readers how they can invest through equity crowdfunding platforms, which, thanks to the loosening of regulations prohibiting the average investor from participating, promise to be the next frontier for investors seeking to make outsized gains. Read More

In my role as Chief Investment Strategist for Pre-IPO Millionaire — StreetAuthority’s one-of-a-kind premium newsletter dedicated exclusively to identifying early-stage investment opportunities for individual investors — I spend a lot of time researching innovative companies that are at the cutting edge of their field. Once I find a promising pre-IPO investment opportunity, I then showcase my research in my newsletter as well as explain to readers how they can invest through equity crowdfunding platforms, which, thanks to the loosening of regulations prohibiting the average investor from participating, promise to be the next frontier for investors seeking to make outsized gains. While researching ideas for my subscribers, I came across one company that may have found a critical way to help solve the medical cost crisis. It has to do with combining the social media revolution with healthcare, and the result is a reduction in medical costs by more than two-thirds. Simply put: This company could change the way we get diagnosed and how we pay for healthcare in the future. —Recommended Link— Have You Heard About ‘Social Security Insurance’? The average Social Security benefit is $1,236 per month. But this Social Security Insurance averages $3,628 per month. Two thousand… Read More

Some sectors are just naturally prone to multi-year, boom-and-bust cycles. Higher demand boosts prices and sets forth a rush in exploration or production. Profits soar and investors book market-beating gains until supply starts to overwhelm demand. #-ad_banner-#When the bust begins, prices sink and weaker stock prices can persist for years. Companies all but stop spending on capital investments in their haste to protect cash flows. The years of underperformance can end abruptly when the cycle resets. It’s easy to miss out on the initial rebound as stock prices surge. Industrial metals and miners are currently in the middle of such… Read More

Some sectors are just naturally prone to multi-year, boom-and-bust cycles. Higher demand boosts prices and sets forth a rush in exploration or production. Profits soar and investors book market-beating gains until supply starts to overwhelm demand. #-ad_banner-#When the bust begins, prices sink and weaker stock prices can persist for years. Companies all but stop spending on capital investments in their haste to protect cash flows. The years of underperformance can end abruptly when the cycle resets. It’s easy to miss out on the initial rebound as stock prices surge. Industrial metals and miners are currently in the middle of such a comeback, staging what could be part of a multi-year boom in 2016. And many players have already zoomed higher. Stocks are being priced on the continued rebound in profits and it’s becoming difficult to find value left in the space. But one market leader hasn’t participated in the rally. It benefits from some of the lowest production costs in its industry and could soon be getting a boost from government policy. Are Miners Due For A Multi-Year Run? Metals and mining stocks have been one of the best performers this year after trailing for nearly five years. The… 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, 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 Organic food sales in the United States jumped 11% in 2015… 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, 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 Organic food sales in the United States jumped 11% in 2015 to a record $43.3 billion, almost four times the 3% growth in overall food sales. Despite this rapid pace of growth, organic sales still account for just 5% of total food sales in the United States. #-ad_banner-#The market for organic food is just getting started, and one company is bringing the trend from the farm straight to your home. It’s developed a countertop appliance that could become as common as a toaster or coffee-maker. You can’t buy shares in the stock market. This is still a private company. But you can get a piece of the action as a pre-IPO… Read More

The price per barrel of West Texas Intermediate crude oil (WTI) has jumped 15% in the last month and is nearly double its February low. The first agreement for an OPEC production cut in 15 years has sent energy prices and stocks soaring. But has the energy market really shrugged off the problems that sent crude to a 13-year low? #-ad_banner-#There’s evidence that non-OPEC producers may be getting ready for the second great boom in production. That could force OPEC’s hand and send oil prices into another downward spiral. Energy stocks have surged higher on the relief rally but I’ve… Read More

The price per barrel of West Texas Intermediate crude oil (WTI) has jumped 15% in the last month and is nearly double its February low. The first agreement for an OPEC production cut in 15 years has sent energy prices and stocks soaring. But has the energy market really shrugged off the problems that sent crude to a 13-year low? #-ad_banner-#There’s evidence that non-OPEC producers may be getting ready for the second great boom in production. That could force OPEC’s hand and send oil prices into another downward spiral. Energy stocks have surged higher on the relief rally but I’ve found two that still carry dangerous amounts of debt. Another drop in crude and investors could be in for a rude awakening. OPEC Becomes The Shale Drillers’ Best Friend Oil prices jumped again this week when more non-OPEC countries agreed to cut 2017 production and Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said his country would cut further below where it had agreed in the late-November agreement. OPEC and a group of non-OPEC members including Russia agreed last month to a combined cut of up to 1.5 million barrels per day from their current production levels. The announcement sent the price… Read More

For the past few weeks, I’ve been telling readers about the exciting opportunities that have recently opened up for regular, average investors to own a stake in some of the most innovative companies in the world before they issue shares on the major exchanges. And while an initial public offering (IPO) is the Holy Grail for early-stage investors, often fetching multiples of many times your investment and higher, acquisitions are by far the most common exit. In my years of experience of being involved in the pre-IPO world, investor exits by acquisition make up about two-thirds of exits. That makes… Read More

For the past few weeks, I’ve been telling readers about the exciting opportunities that have recently opened up for regular, average investors to own a stake in some of the most innovative companies in the world before they issue shares on the major exchanges. And while an initial public offering (IPO) is the Holy Grail for early-stage investors, often fetching multiples of many times your investment and higher, acquisitions are by far the most common exit. In my years of experience of being involved in the pre-IPO world, investor exits by acquisition make up about two-thirds of exits. That makes the ability to analyze what makes a good acquisition target critical to your success as an early-stage investor. This isn’t an aptitude you’re born with, but it’s a skill you can learn. It’s a technique I’ve picked up in almost ten years working with venture capital firms and angel investors to find the best new startups. —Recommended Link— 96% Of Americans Are Missing Out On This Few people realize it, but the IRS offers a program that can eliminate your taxes in retirement. This escape clause is open to anyone. All you have to do is file a one-page… 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… Read More

The KBW Bank Index (Nasdaq: BKX) has surged nearly 20% since the election.  Investors are hopeful that decreased regulation and tax reform can break the multi-year slump in the financial sector. President-elect Trump may have a tough time completely repealing the massive Dodd-Frank banking reform act as he pledged to during the campaign, but there is no doubt the new administration will at least attempt to chip away at pieces of it. The banks that stand to benefit most from this are regional banks, which received good news in late November when legislators started discussing a measure that would redefine… Read More

The KBW Bank Index (Nasdaq: BKX) has surged nearly 20% since the election.  Investors are hopeful that decreased regulation and tax reform can break the multi-year slump in the financial sector. President-elect Trump may have a tough time completely repealing the massive Dodd-Frank banking reform act as he pledged to during the campaign, but there is no doubt the new administration will at least attempt to chip away at pieces of it. The banks that stand to benefit most from this are regional banks, which received good news in late November when legislators started discussing a measure that would redefine the threshold for ‘systemically important’ institutions. The current threshold of $50 billion or more in assets may be raised, freeing some regional banks from much of the regulatory burden. #-ad_banner-#In addition to clearing the regulatory costs and oversight on the industry, the macroeconomic backdrop is shifting to become more favorable to banking. The rate on the 10-year Treasury jumped 35% in November, rising to 2.44%, giving banks a lot more room between borrowing costs and lending rates. Unemployment is hovering around a decade-low and consumer confidence jumped just before the all-important holiday shopping season. FDIC-insured banks reported 12.9% earnings growth… 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… Read More