Nathan Slaughter

Nathan Slaughter, Chief Investment Strategist of The Daily Paycheck and High-Yield Investing, has developed a long and successful track record over the years by finding profitable investments no matter where they hide. Nathan's previous experience includes a long tenure at AXA/Equitable Advisors, one of the world's largest financial planning firms. He also honed his research skills at Morgan Keegan, where he managed millions in portfolio assets and performed consultative retirement planning services. To reach more investors, Nathan switched gears in 2004 and began writing full-time. He has since published hundreds of articles for a variety of prominent online and print publications. Nathan has interviewed industry insiders like Paul Weisbruch and CEOs like Tom Evans of Bankrate.com, and has been quoted in the Los Angeles Times for his expertise on economic moats. Nathan's educational background includes NASD Series 6, 7, 63, & 65 certifications, as well as a degree in Finance/Investment Management from Sam M. Walton School of Business, where he received a full academic scholarship. When not following the market, Nathan enjoys watching his favorite baseball team, the Cubs, and camping and fishing with his family.

Analyst Articles

With new technologies like hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling unlocking natural gas from shale basins that were previously inaccessible, gas prices have plummeted in the past few years. Since 2008, the price of gas has fallen from a high above $13 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf) to today’s price of… Read More

The Bakken Shale… the very mention of it conjures images of gushing oil wells, makeshift work camps (known as “man camps“) and North Dakota boom towns bursting at the seams. #-ad_banner-#It’s arguably the most prolific oil source in North America — a symbol of prosperity and hope in what’s been a difficult time in the United States during the past few years.  And here’s the good news: I’ve got my eyes on a company that’s right in the middle of the action, having built an expansive position in the rich Bakken Shale. Read More

The Bakken Shale… the very mention of it conjures images of gushing oil wells, makeshift work camps (known as “man camps“) and North Dakota boom towns bursting at the seams. #-ad_banner-#It’s arguably the most prolific oil source in North America — a symbol of prosperity and hope in what’s been a difficult time in the United States during the past few years.  And here’s the good news: I’ve got my eyes on a company that’s right in the middle of the action, having built an expansive position in the rich Bakken Shale. Daily oil production doubled in 2010, tripled in 2011 and will likely quadruple in 2012. That accelerating output is leading to off-the-charts earnings growth. The company is called Kodiak Oil & Gas (NYSE: KOG).  The company is a pure play on the Bakken Shale, and it’s no coincidence that it is also one of the fastest-growing exploration and production companies in the nation. The company has steadily expanded its footprint in the Williston Basin (which extends into adjacent areas of Canada), from 72,000 acres in 2010 to 93,000 in June 2011… Read More

A Canadian mining company is punching back after being hit with an uppercut by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Northern Dynasty Minerals (AMEX: NAK) is a co-owner of the Pebble project, a polymetallic deposit located 200 miles south of Anchorage, Alaska. The site contains copious amounts of gold, copper and molybdenum.  Northern Dynasty and a 50/50 European partner have put significant financial resources into studying and assessing the mine in the hope of one day pulling out its vast riches. And there is no disputing the wealth that Pebble holds: 67 million ounces of… Read More

A Canadian mining company is punching back after being hit with an uppercut by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Northern Dynasty Minerals (AMEX: NAK) is a co-owner of the Pebble project, a polymetallic deposit located 200 miles south of Anchorage, Alaska. The site contains copious amounts of gold, copper and molybdenum.  Northern Dynasty and a 50/50 European partner have put significant financial resources into studying and assessing the mine in the hope of one day pulling out its vast riches. And there is no disputing the wealth that Pebble holds: 67 million ounces of gold, 3.3 billion pounds molybdenum and 55 billion pounds of copper. But those hopes may have just been dashed, or at least delayed. The EPA recently released a harsh watershed assessment report that outlines numerous concerns, most notably the potential threat of a dam breach that could leak waste material from the mine into the surrounding Bristol Bay — one of the world’s largest salmon fisheries.   This is not the final word on the project, but the opposition does present a formidable roadblock to future development. The… Read More

Where are the best opportunities right now in natural resources?  The obvious answer is the companies that are digging the stuff out of the ground.  #-ad_banner-#But to find tomorrow’s next big winners, you also have to look at what’s hated. For example, no other natural resource has been shunned during the past few years quite like natural gas. Prices have rebounded sharply since April, but that’s nothing compared with where prices were before.  Shares of high-quality producers have barely responded — but that type of disconnect is always resolved in time.  Most… Read More

Where are the best opportunities right now in natural resources?  The obvious answer is the companies that are digging the stuff out of the ground.  #-ad_banner-#But to find tomorrow’s next big winners, you also have to look at what’s hated. For example, no other natural resource has been shunned during the past few years quite like natural gas. Prices have rebounded sharply since April, but that’s nothing compared with where prices were before.  Shares of high-quality producers have barely responded — but that type of disconnect is always resolved in time.  Most industry execs say natural gas will need to hit at least $5 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf) before they start revamping their budgets and directing more drilling rigs and resources back into gas fields such as the Haynesville Shale.  So we’ve got a long way to go before the industry turns up the production faucet. But if gas reaches $5 per Mcf, then cash flows should explode for low-cost producers like Ultra Petroleum (NYSE: UPL). The company can turn a profit with gas as low as $2.88 per Mcf… Read More