Advertising is timeless, which I find reassuring. Thousands of years ago, the ancient Egyptians painted sales notices on papyrus. In the middle ages, store proprietors employed town criers to help drum up business. And today’s store merchants are no different, doing whatever they can to showcase their wares and attract customers. #-ad_banner-#Why does that matter? Well, just ask anybody who invested in pocket pagers, answering machines or floppy disc drives. Technological advances can quickly render must-have products and services into obsolete relics. Even landline telephones, a revolutionary marvel in their day, are now facing slow extinction. But there will always… Read More

Advertising is timeless, which I find reassuring. Thousands of years ago, the ancient Egyptians painted sales notices on papyrus. In the middle ages, store proprietors employed town criers to help drum up business. And today’s store merchants are no different, doing whatever they can to showcase their wares and attract customers. #-ad_banner-#Why does that matter? Well, just ask anybody who invested in pocket pagers, answering machines or floppy disc drives. Technological advances can quickly render must-have products and services into obsolete relics. Even landline telephones, a revolutionary marvel in their day, are now facing slow extinction. But there will always be demand for advertising that helps connect buyers and sellers. Some of the biggest spenders include auto makers, wireless providers, drug companies and fast food chains. They are always communicating with consumers — and spending an extraordinary amount of money doing so.  This is a race — and taking your foot off the advertising pedal leaves many businesses at risk of being left in the dust by rivals.  That’s why so many spend a nickel or dime (or more) from every dollar of sales on marketing efforts. One of my favorites in the group collects steady income from big names… Read More

Inflation. It’s something that investors haven’t had to contend with for a long time. If anything, deflation has been the bigger concern. But that all changed on November 8. Since then, inflation fears have been roaring back in a big way. Just look at some of the headlines. “Dollar Strength will continue as Trump Policies Fuel Inflation” — CNBC “Fed May Have to Raise Rates Faster to Keep Up With Inflation” — Morningstar “US Inflation Expectations Gathering Steam” — Financial Times Higher Inflation Under President Trump — Business Insider GDP, Inflation and Interest Rates Forecast to… Read More

Inflation. It’s something that investors haven’t had to contend with for a long time. If anything, deflation has been the bigger concern. But that all changed on November 8. Since then, inflation fears have been roaring back in a big way. Just look at some of the headlines. “Dollar Strength will continue as Trump Policies Fuel Inflation” — CNBC “Fed May Have to Raise Rates Faster to Keep Up With Inflation” — Morningstar “US Inflation Expectations Gathering Steam” — Financial Times Higher Inflation Under President Trump — Business Insider GDP, Inflation and Interest Rates Forecast to Rise Under Trump — Wall Street Journal “Trump Victory Prompts Fund Managers to Focus on Inflation” — Reuters Merrill Lynch recently surveyed the nation’s mutual fund managers and found that 85% — nearly nine in ten — see rising inflation on the horizon. That’s the highest conviction for inflation in 12 years. —Recommended Link— Act Before The New Year Find out how to get our list of the Top 10 Stocks for TrumpNation 2017 — completely FREE of charge! Check out the report here… The core thrust of their argument goes something like this… Trump’s tax cuts… Read More

I hope this finds you and your family well as the holidays approach. As a kid, I used to spend this time frantically flipping through the Sears catalog in search of last-minute ideas for my Christmas list. I may be dating myself here, as the iconic catalog was discontinued in 1993 after more than a century in print.  This is one tradition that today’s youth won’t get to experience. But that doesn’t mean retailers can’t reach them (or their parents) through other channels. Print advertising might be in decay, but sellers have adopted other inventive ways of separating us from… Read More

I hope this finds you and your family well as the holidays approach. As a kid, I used to spend this time frantically flipping through the Sears catalog in search of last-minute ideas for my Christmas list. I may be dating myself here, as the iconic catalog was discontinued in 1993 after more than a century in print.  This is one tradition that today’s youth won’t get to experience. But that doesn’t mean retailers can’t reach them (or their parents) through other channels. Print advertising might be in decay, but sellers have adopted other inventive ways of separating us from our money, particularly in the digital realm. A good chunk of corporate ad budgets is spent in November and December as retailers gear up for the holiday rush. Few disclose exactly how much they spend trying to sway shoppers, but the Guardian (a British media group) estimates that U.K. companies plowed a record 5.6 billion pounds into fourth-quarter advertising last year.  You can bet their larger U.S. counterparts spend even more.  — Recommended Link — The Secure Way To Add $19,632 To Your Bankroll This Year This “Daily Paycheck Retirement Solution” is so powerful, it’s generating more than $1,600 in income… Read More

Repositioning. That’s the best word I’ve heard to describe what’s going on in the markets right now. The minute the 2016 election was called, investors on both sides immediately put their party affiliation aside and began trying to figure out what comes next. And the prevailing outlook can only be described as optimistic. The S&P 500 enjoyed a gain of 3.8% between November 7-11, while the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average bounced 5.4% and the Russell 2000 Index surged 10%. That’s a decent year’s worth of gains in just five trading sessions. Overall, it was the strongest week for both… Read More

Repositioning. That’s the best word I’ve heard to describe what’s going on in the markets right now. The minute the 2016 election was called, investors on both sides immediately put their party affiliation aside and began trying to figure out what comes next. And the prevailing outlook can only be described as optimistic. The S&P 500 enjoyed a gain of 3.8% between November 7-11, while the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average bounced 5.4% and the Russell 2000 Index surged 10%. That’s a decent year’s worth of gains in just five trading sessions. Overall, it was the strongest week for both small-cap stocks and giant blue-chip stocks since December 2011. And the rally continues. It’s almost forgotten now, but the market suffered a 9-day losing streak leading up to the election. Oh, how quickly investor sentiment changes. But to gain real insight into how the market views a Trump presidency, you have to examine performance on a more granular level. With that in mind, I want to spend some time today pinpointing the areas of the market that will most likely be affected. —Recommended Link— The Top ‘Crash Protection’ Stock To Buy Now? We’ve identified the top “Crash-Protection” stock to… Read More

I flew into Cabo San Lucas, Mexico a few months ago and made the mistake of exchanging my money at the airport rather than a local bank or financial institution. If drinking the local water is mistake #1, then this one isn’t far behind. I was paid an exchange rate of just 15/1, so my $1,000 turned into 15,000 pesos. Had I walked a few blocks away, the going rate was closer to 18/1 — meaning I could have traded my dollars for 18,000 pesos instead.   #-ad_banner-#3,000 pesos buys a lot of Pacifico beer. And this isn’t just my… Read More

I flew into Cabo San Lucas, Mexico a few months ago and made the mistake of exchanging my money at the airport rather than a local bank or financial institution. If drinking the local water is mistake #1, then this one isn’t far behind. I was paid an exchange rate of just 15/1, so my $1,000 turned into 15,000 pesos. Had I walked a few blocks away, the going rate was closer to 18/1 — meaning I could have traded my dollars for 18,000 pesos instead.   #-ad_banner-#3,000 pesos buys a lot of Pacifico beer. And this isn’t just my experience — the Mexican peso has been one of the weakest currencies in the world for the past three weeks. Since November 8, its value has fallen more than 15% against the U.S. dollar. That selloff is largely being driven by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Investors are worried Trump will restructure trade agreements between the United States and Mexico or levy tariffs on Mexican exporters. If that happens, it could be a huge drag on the Mexican economy. The weak peso has caused somewhat of a panic in Mexican stocks. In the past three weeks the iShares MSCI Mexico Capped… Read More

Next time you see your landlord ask him or her to buy you a beer.  If they’re like the millions of other landlords across the country, chances are they are having another great year. U.S. rents have reached another all-time high in 2016. A recent report from Apartment List, a rental market research company, showed that national rents hit a new all-time high in August of 2016. Take a look below. And 2% is just the national average. In many cities, the influx of new residents is outpacing the construction of new apartments. There just isn’t any space… Read More

Next time you see your landlord ask him or her to buy you a beer.  If they’re like the millions of other landlords across the country, chances are they are having another great year. U.S. rents have reached another all-time high in 2016. A recent report from Apartment List, a rental market research company, showed that national rents hit a new all-time high in August of 2016. Take a look below. And 2% is just the national average. In many cities, the influx of new residents is outpacing the construction of new apartments. There just isn’t any space to build in downtown Chicago or Boston, yet rental demand is climbing 6% to 7% annually. That leads to a shortage of available units, which inevitably exerts upward pressure on prices.  A decent unit runs about $1,500 per month in Denver and $2,200 in Washington. #-ad_banner-#Those price gains are being driven by simple economics — rising demand and limited supply. And looking forward there doesn’t appear to be any quick solution. U.S. housing inventories are near a record low and new home buyers are struggling to save enough cash to make a down payment. Also, tightened bank lending standards have… Read More

According to the Labor Department, there were 5.8 million job openings a few months ago, matching the all-time high set in July 2015. That’s an encouraging sign. Whenever a company puts out a “Help Wanted” ad, it sends a signal that business is good.  #-ad_banner-#Of course, job creation also puts more disposable income in the hands of consumers, which account for two-thirds of the nation’s GDP. So I like the fact that HR departments are busy conducting interviews to fill positions.  But let’s face it, salaries can also be a big financial drain on a business. The average entry-level accountant… Read More

According to the Labor Department, there were 5.8 million job openings a few months ago, matching the all-time high set in July 2015. That’s an encouraging sign. Whenever a company puts out a “Help Wanted” ad, it sends a signal that business is good.  #-ad_banner-#Of course, job creation also puts more disposable income in the hands of consumers, which account for two-thirds of the nation’s GDP. So I like the fact that HR departments are busy conducting interviews to fill positions.  But let’s face it, salaries can also be a big financial drain on a business. The average entry-level accountant earns $48,000 a year. A new recruit for the marketing department will run $45,000. And a new computer hardware engineer will make $66,000.  These are median national figures, with salaries escalating in certain regions and for those with more experience on their resume. And let’s not forget about healthcare, pensions, payroll taxes and bonuses.  Some large companies have tens of thousands of workers on the payrolls, the equivalent of a small city. So you can see how labor is typically one of the biggest expenses chipping away at profit margins. Don’t get me wrong, any organization is only as good… Read More

Quick, which nation reported the strongest economic growth last year?  I’ll give you a hint. The country is rich in minerals and agricultural products, is situated squarely in the Pacific’s volcanic Ring of Fire, and has an incredibly diverse population that speaks 852 different languages.  #-ad_banner-#I’m talking about Papua New Guinea. While most of its citizens live in rural farming communities, this island nation has been outrunning the world’s economic powerhouses. Some of the credit belongs to an influx of foreign capital. ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM), Total (NYSE: TOT) and Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS) are just a few of the… Read More

Quick, which nation reported the strongest economic growth last year?  I’ll give you a hint. The country is rich in minerals and agricultural products, is situated squarely in the Pacific’s volcanic Ring of Fire, and has an incredibly diverse population that speaks 852 different languages.  #-ad_banner-#I’m talking about Papua New Guinea. While most of its citizens live in rural farming communities, this island nation has been outrunning the world’s economic powerhouses. Some of the credit belongs to an influx of foreign capital. ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM), Total (NYSE: TOT) and Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS) are just a few of the parties vying for a piece of the country’s rich oil and gas resources.  Papua New Guinea is also blessed with valuable metals such as gold, copper, nickel and cobalt. High in the rainforests of Enga Province, Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX) pulled 493,000 ounces of the yellow metal from the Porgera Mine last year, and this is just one of sixteen large-scale mining projects in the country. Elsewhere, others are busy growing cocoa, coconut, and palm oil, the country’s top agricultural exports. Thanks to all these resources, the country enjoyed robust GDP growth last year that has been estimated at anywere… Read More

As you might expect, I get lots of requests from StreetAuthority readers looking to supercharge their income with payouts that are three to four times higher than the market average. I think one of my recent recommendations in my premium newsletter, High-Yield Investing, fits the bill (the stock has a yield of 8%).  #-ad_banner-#But I also receive letters from retirees willing to accept half of that in exchange for lower volatility and reliable “all-weather” performance. With capital preservation as the foremost goal, they don’t want to take risks with their nest egg. As such, these readers are mostly interested in… Read More

As you might expect, I get lots of requests from StreetAuthority readers looking to supercharge their income with payouts that are three to four times higher than the market average. I think one of my recent recommendations in my premium newsletter, High-Yield Investing, fits the bill (the stock has a yield of 8%).  #-ad_banner-#But I also receive letters from retirees willing to accept half of that in exchange for lower volatility and reliable “all-weather” performance. With capital preservation as the foremost goal, they don’t want to take risks with their nest egg. As such, these readers are mostly interested in rock-solid companies built to deliver consistent profit and dividend growth even in tough conditions.  We have a diverse audience in High-Yield Investing, so I try to provide a mix of recommendations that will speak to everybody. And the stock screen I’d like to share with you today is primarily aimed at more conservative investors. However, even younger subscribers with aggressive goals should tune in — because we’re looking at blue-chips that can help anchor your portfolio.  Why Consumer-Staple Stocks Belong In Your Portfolio There are many wild cards that could rattle the market in the weeks and months ahead…… Read More

Don’t look now, but commodities are finally making a big comeback.  If you peruse the Lifetime Wealth Generators and Undiscovered High-Yielders portfolios in my High-Yield Investing premium newsletter, you won’t find a single stock tied directly to the production of energy or metals. There are several midstream partnerships that transport the stuff, but none that actually dig it out of the ground.  #-ad_banner-#That underweighting has served us well, as commodities have been stuck in a multi-year swoon. Everyone knows that oil plunged from $100 to around $25 per barrel. And gold bugs were dismayed last November when the metal sunk… Read More

Don’t look now, but commodities are finally making a big comeback.  If you peruse the Lifetime Wealth Generators and Undiscovered High-Yielders portfolios in my High-Yield Investing premium newsletter, you won’t find a single stock tied directly to the production of energy or metals. There are several midstream partnerships that transport the stuff, but none that actually dig it out of the ground.  #-ad_banner-#That underweighting has served us well, as commodities have been stuck in a multi-year swoon. Everyone knows that oil plunged from $100 to around $25 per barrel. And gold bugs were dismayed last November when the metal sunk to a 6-year low of $1,070 per ounce, about half its former highs above $1,900.  Copper, platinum, coal, iron ore and many other resources have all been in the same leaky boat.  Just look at the PowerShares DB Commodity Tracking ETF (NYSE: DBC), which reflects the prices of everything from gasoline to zinc to sugar. From the beginning of 2014 through the end of 2015, the fund lost half its value, sliding from $25.08 to $13.36. Along the way, investors yanked out more than $1 billion in assets.  But this cyclical group is making a strong recovery in 2016. In… Read More