The Trump rally may have stalled but the best trades of 2017 may still be made in companies that will benefit from policy changes in Washington. One of those trades has gotten started early with a court decision mid-November and could help boost earnings in important sectors of the economy. Companies in these sectors were looking at dramatically higher staffing costs but now may be able to beat expectations as the economy heats up and costs stay low. I’m going after two best-of-breed companies that stand to benefit big time. Business Strikes Back Against Wage Regulations A federal court… Read More

The Trump rally may have stalled but the best trades of 2017 may still be made in companies that will benefit from policy changes in Washington. One of those trades has gotten started early with a court decision mid-November and could help boost earnings in important sectors of the economy. Companies in these sectors were looking at dramatically higher staffing costs but now may be able to beat expectations as the economy heats up and costs stay low. I’m going after two best-of-breed companies that stand to benefit big time. Business Strikes Back Against Wage Regulations A federal court judge in Texas issued an injunction mid-November blocking the Department of Labor from enforcing new regulations that would increase the minimum salary for supervisory workers that qualify for overtime pay. #-ad_banner-#Under the old standard set in 2004, employees classified in a supervisory role are not entitled to overtime pay as long as their salary is at least $23,660 annually. The new rule would have more than doubled the minimum salary to $47,892 and would have meant companies would have to pay overtime for more than four million workers. The court found the Department of Labor (DOL) exceeded its authority in… 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 It won’t be long before nearly every electronic device… 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 It won’t be long before nearly every electronic device you own will be a connected device. But while the Internet of Things (IoT) revolution opens up a new world of convenience and freedom, it can also create huge problems that are only now being understood. #-ad_banner-#In order to connect and control your IoT devices, you have to share massive amounts of personal information with outside companies like Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO) and Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) that manage the hardware servers that store the information. This leaves you open to hacking, spamming and any number of problems that come from access to your personal data. I’ve found a startup that has… Read More

Dow futures plummeted more than 900 points in overnight trading on November 8 as Donald Trump took key swing states and looked ready to seal the election. However, a switch went off before official trading started on the 9th. The uncertainty around a Trump presidency has turned to optimism on hopes for up to $1 trillion in fiscal stimulus. #-ad_banner-#Market expectations have led the S&P 500 3.2% higher since the election but investors in a few sectors have not enjoyed the rally.  The rate on the 10-year Treasury has jumped 21% to its highest point since the beginning of the… Read More

Dow futures plummeted more than 900 points in overnight trading on November 8 as Donald Trump took key swing states and looked ready to seal the election. However, a switch went off before official trading started on the 9th. The uncertainty around a Trump presidency has turned to optimism on hopes for up to $1 trillion in fiscal stimulus. #-ad_banner-#Market expectations have led the S&P 500 3.2% higher since the election but investors in a few sectors have not enjoyed the rally.  The rate on the 10-year Treasury has jumped 21% to its highest point since the beginning of the year. That rise in rates has caused rate-sensitive sectors like utilities and consumer staples to plunge as investors find better yield in bonds.  The Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (NYSE: XLU) is down 2.3% and the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (NYSE: XLP) is 2.5% lower since the election. But more than seven years into the bull market, investors can’t afford to neglect stocks that can protect their portfolio when market volatility heats up. Stocks may already be priced to perfection and the slightest hit to confidence in the economy could send the market tumbling. Protecting your portfolio may… Read More

Editor’s Note: Recently, we’ve been telling StreetAuthority readers about how the recent loosening of regulations make it possible for regular investors to buy in to some of the most exciting companies in the world — before they go public.  In recent issues we’ve talked a lot about the concept of pre-IPO investing itself — how it works, and the promise it holds for investors. But what happens during the research phase when you find an interesting startup that seems to hold a lot of promise?  One of the most important next steps is to assess the people behind the enterprise. In… Read More

Editor’s Note: Recently, we’ve been telling StreetAuthority readers about how the recent loosening of regulations make it possible for regular investors to buy in to some of the most exciting companies in the world — before they go public.  In recent issues we’ve talked a lot about the concept of pre-IPO investing itself — how it works, and the promise it holds for investors. But what happens during the research phase when you find an interesting startup that seems to hold a lot of promise?  One of the most important next steps is to assess the people behind the enterprise. In the following essay, Joseph Hogue, Chief Strategist of Pre-IPO Millionaire, draws on his years of experience as a venture capital analyst to highlight what he sees as the five most important qualities of a successful entrepreneur. It also demonstrates the value of having an experienced analyst working for you in this space. After all, if you want to invest like an elite venture capitalist, why not have an experienced VC analyst working for you? They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but you can tell a great deal about an entrepreneur from a very short conversation and… Read More

It was classic Washington protectionism… disguised, of course, as “looking out for the little guy.” Regulators claimed that this kind of investing was too dangerous for “regular people,” so they made it off limits. Well, you know how these things work… It turns out that this “off-limits” niche of the market has helped a privileged few walk away with fortunes. Meanwhile, the other 97% of Americans were completely shut out — simply because they didn’t meet the SEC’s strict net-worth requirements. In other words, they simply weren’t rich enough to enter the playground enjoyed by elite investors. But on May… Read More

It was classic Washington protectionism… disguised, of course, as “looking out for the little guy.” Regulators claimed that this kind of investing was too dangerous for “regular people,” so they made it off limits. Well, you know how these things work… It turns out that this “off-limits” niche of the market has helped a privileged few walk away with fortunes. Meanwhile, the other 97% of Americans were completely shut out — simply because they didn’t meet the SEC’s strict net-worth requirements. In other words, they simply weren’t rich enough to enter the playground enjoyed by elite investors. But on May 16, 2016 everything changed. —Recommended Link— The Greatest Commodity Shortage In History It’s no secret the world faces shortages in many commodities. The world’s diminishing supply of everything from cocoa to coffee. lithium to lumber. phosphate to plutonium. silver to sugar. is of great concern. But there’s an even bigger and more imminent commodity shortage at hand that no one is talking about. Details here. On that Monday, the SEC opened up these restricted opportunities to you, me and everyone else in America. Now, for the first time since 1933, the… Read More

If there is one certainty during a Trump presidency it’s that America’s relationship with its southern neighbor will be changing.  President-elect Trump has not only promised to reassess America’s trade agreements, most of all the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), but to also reinforce the nation’s border with Mexico. Read More

May 2016 marked an historic event for individual investors, yet it was largely neglected by Wall Street and the mainstream media.  The new opportunity revolves around an asset class that has meant out-sized returns for the wealthy and has remained off-limits to everyone else. Regulations around access to this investment have also meant limited funding for entrepreneurship in America. Now for the first time since 1933, individual investors have been given the same access to this market, and it could be bigger than the Internet boom of the 1990s. — Recommended Link — Which Stock Indicator Is Most Accurate? Click here for… Read More

May 2016 marked an historic event for individual investors, yet it was largely neglected by Wall Street and the mainstream media.  The new opportunity revolves around an asset class that has meant out-sized returns for the wealthy and has remained off-limits to everyone else. Regulations around access to this investment have also meant limited funding for entrepreneurship in America. Now for the first time since 1933, individual investors have been given the same access to this market, and it could be bigger than the Internet boom of the 1990s. — Recommended Link — Which Stock Indicator Is Most Accurate? Click here for the revealing answer. I’m talking about the concept of investing in companies before they go public on the major stock exchanges — specifically, investing in pre-IPO companies with equity crowdfunding. #-ad_banner-#If this sounds new to you, then pay close attention, because it’s going to change the very idea of investing as you know it. And understanding this new opportunity means looking deeper and knowing where to find the analysis you need to move the odds in your favor. Your Ticket To ‘The Next Big Thing’ Until this year, by law, only the wealthiest among us could invest in “pre-IPO”… Read More

One of the hottest trends over the last few years has been the shift in electronics and tech to what is called the Internet of Things (IoT).  The IoT is a convergence of electronics and internet connectivity, in which virtually every electronic device and household appliance can be controlled through a single internet connection. It’s the next evolution of connectivity and has the potential to rival the importance of smartphones, tablets, and even home computers. #-ad_banner-#Research firm IDC estimates the market for IoT products could triple to $1.7 trillion in 2020 from just $655 billion in 2014. Another firm, Smart… Read More

One of the hottest trends over the last few years has been the shift in electronics and tech to what is called the Internet of Things (IoT).  The IoT is a convergence of electronics and internet connectivity, in which virtually every electronic device and household appliance can be controlled through a single internet connection. It’s the next evolution of connectivity and has the potential to rival the importance of smartphones, tablets, and even home computers. #-ad_banner-#Research firm IDC estimates the market for IoT products could triple to $1.7 trillion in 2020 from just $655 billion in 2014. Another firm, Smart America Challenge, estimates that cities around the world will invest as much as $41 trillion over the next 20 years to integrate IoT infrastructure into city planning. Most IoT investing has targeted the connected products themselves like wearables, connected-home devices and hardware — but success depends on finding the needle within a haystack of companies that could produce the next hot consumer gadget. There’s one common theme that connects all IoT products — a theme that could mean a boom in earnings for one industry. Investing in the best-of-breed within this industry could allow you to benefit from the IoT… Read More

AT&T (NYSE: T) has proven the adage ‘Content is King’ with its $85 billion bid for Time Warner (NYSE: TWX). The $226 billion media distributor has access to over 100 million subscribers across wireless, internet, and video but needs an endless array of programming to fill that pipeline.  #-ad_banner-#Time Warner is the world’s third-largest media conglomerate, owning a library of movie rights along with content-creating behemoths like HBO and CNN. But content doesn’t just mean original video programming. It’s any information created regularly that brings potential customers back to the distribution channel. That wider definition makes social media networks the… Read More

AT&T (NYSE: T) has proven the adage ‘Content is King’ with its $85 billion bid for Time Warner (NYSE: TWX). The $226 billion media distributor has access to over 100 million subscribers across wireless, internet, and video but needs an endless array of programming to fill that pipeline.  #-ad_banner-#Time Warner is the world’s third-largest media conglomerate, owning a library of movie rights along with content-creating behemoths like HBO and CNN. But content doesn’t just mean original video programming. It’s any information created regularly that brings potential customers back to the distribution channel. That wider definition makes social media networks the most sought-after content creators available. Social media content is user generated so it costs nothing to produce. It’s also interactive and personal, two ideas traditional video content struggles with on its one-way feed.  We’ve already seen the value of this social content in Microsoft’s (Nasdaq: MSFT) planned $26.2 billion acquisition of LinkedIn (NYSE: LNKD). Not only does the business networking platform promise an endless supply of content, but also its own distribution channel through which Microsoft can integrate its suite of office tools.  Now buyers have their sights set on other social media platforms and I’ve found one that could… Read More

Restaurants and quick-service dining stocks were some of the hottest in the market over the last several years with high-flyers like Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) surging and headliner IPOs from companies like Shake Shack (NYSE: SHAK).  #-ad_banner-#Non-existent inflation kept wage growth low and a recovering economy had people ready to enjoy a meal out with the family. But now the industry is facing dual threats from tough price competition against grocery stores and rising labor costs. As shares tumble across the industry, a few leaders are becoming attractive on a valuation basis and could be relatively safe from the… Read More

Restaurants and quick-service dining stocks were some of the hottest in the market over the last several years with high-flyers like Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) surging and headliner IPOs from companies like Shake Shack (NYSE: SHAK).  #-ad_banner-#Non-existent inflation kept wage growth low and a recovering economy had people ready to enjoy a meal out with the family. But now the industry is facing dual threats from tough price competition against grocery stores and rising labor costs. As shares tumble across the industry, a few leaders are becoming attractive on a valuation basis and could be relatively safe from the restaurant recession. Strong fundamentals and a long-term trend in eating habits may just mean they jump higher when the environment improves. Invest At The Bottom Of The Restaurant Recession Sales at U.S. restaurants grew at the slowest pace since 2009 in the second quarter and that’s not the only headwind facing the industry. Growing wage inflation combined with slower growth in overall inflation is pressuring restaurants, which see much of their operating expenses in labor.  Restaurants have increased prices to cover the higher costs but that’s leading to a big gap in the cost to eat out versus grocery… Read More