Wearables were all tech investors could talk about last year, with innovations like the Apple Watch and fitness tracker products. This year, though, Apple’s (Nasdaq: AAPL) disappointing sales have tempered investor enthusiasm for the group.  New innovations in virtual reality seem to be getting a lot of attention, but we could still be years from a mass-market, profitable product.  #-ad_banner-#As investors search through patent applications and hunt for the next big consumer electronic craze, one trend has emerged under the radar. Industry demand is projected at double-digit growth over the next several years, with unit sales in the billions. Investors… Read More

Wearables were all tech investors could talk about last year, with innovations like the Apple Watch and fitness tracker products. This year, though, Apple’s (Nasdaq: AAPL) disappointing sales have tempered investor enthusiasm for the group.  New innovations in virtual reality seem to be getting a lot of attention, but we could still be years from a mass-market, profitable product.  #-ad_banner-#As investors search through patent applications and hunt for the next big consumer electronic craze, one trend has emerged under the radar. Industry demand is projected at double-digit growth over the next several years, with unit sales in the billions. Investors have completely missed the trend because it involves components hidden away inside the most popular tech gadgets. One company controls nearly two-thirds of the market for this hot tech trend and is doing what it takes to keep its lead through innovation. A Voice-Assist Future All of the major consumer electronics companies have a product push tied to voice-assist technology. Apple was one of the pioneers with Siri, but others have recently unveiled major innovations. Amazon’s (Nasdaq: AMZN) desktop speaker, Alexa, takes voice commands for everything from music to internet searches. Google’s (Nasdaq: GOOGL) Home can control the smoke alarm,… Read More

Just before I started trading on the floor of the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, I spent some time at an old Philadelphia boutique investment firm. The firm was small, but handled some of Philly’s wealthiest and most respected clients.  The experts at the firm were some of the best in America, and I learned a great deal from all of them. But it was our in-house technical expert, Andy, who I really bonded with.  Andy taught me the importance of charts and demonstrated just how powerful technical analysis could be. As an “options guy” who loved numbers and fundamentals, this was… Read More

Just before I started trading on the floor of the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, I spent some time at an old Philadelphia boutique investment firm. The firm was small, but handled some of Philly’s wealthiest and most respected clients.  The experts at the firm were some of the best in America, and I learned a great deal from all of them. But it was our in-house technical expert, Andy, who I really bonded with.  Andy taught me the importance of charts and demonstrated just how powerful technical analysis could be. As an “options guy” who loved numbers and fundamentals, this was a bit of a stretch for me at first. I couldn’t believe that some lines on a screen could dictate how a stock behaves. Boy, was I wrong. — Recommended Link — 24-Hour Labor Day Sale: Grab These 7 ‘Forever Stocks,’ Enjoy The Market’s Biggest Profit Machines, And Save 70%… Warren Buffet once said, “If you wouldn’t hold a stock for 10 years, you shouldn’t hold it for 10 minutes.”  But is the old buy & hold strategy still true in today’s turbulent markets?  It is if you know exactly which stocks to get.  Here are 7 that would fit… Read More

In a bit of a surprise move, our northerly neighbor, Canada, has joined the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The AIIB has garnered a bit of controversy, with naysayers arguing that the bank is just a way for China to gain more influence in the world. The United States has not signed on to the bank… But it’s only one of two G8 members to not do so, now that Canada has thrown its hat into the ring. #-ad_banner-#Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Russia have already signed on to the bank. In fact, Canada’s membership will bring the… Read More

In a bit of a surprise move, our northerly neighbor, Canada, has joined the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The AIIB has garnered a bit of controversy, with naysayers arguing that the bank is just a way for China to gain more influence in the world. The United States has not signed on to the bank… But it’s only one of two G8 members to not do so, now that Canada has thrown its hat into the ring. #-ad_banner-#Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Russia have already signed on to the bank. In fact, Canada’s membership will bring the total number of members to 58. As the name suggests, the AIIB will invest in infrastructure in Asia. And in late June the bank announced $509 million in loans for four projects (via New York Times): •    Spread electric power in rural Bangladesh, •    Improve living conditions in slums in Indonesia, •    Repair and build roads in Pakistan, and •    Improve roads in Tajikistan. The bank is partnering with other institutions like the World Bank in order to fast-track some of these projects. What’s interesting is that the AIIB is focused on projects that will lead to… Read More

If a Blue Chip stock suddenly drops 16% in one day, what do you do? Do you rush to buy? Do you step aside and wait for the dust to clear? Or do you give up on the stock altogether?  #-ad_banner-#There is no single one-size-fits-all answer. Even in our daily lives, we don’t generally buy something simply because it’s on sale. Still, many of us start our shopping trips with a sales rack and make our decisions on a case-by-case basis.  Similar logic applies to the stock market. Costs matter, but so do the reasons why a stock gets a… Read More

If a Blue Chip stock suddenly drops 16% in one day, what do you do? Do you rush to buy? Do you step aside and wait for the dust to clear? Or do you give up on the stock altogether?  #-ad_banner-#There is no single one-size-fits-all answer. Even in our daily lives, we don’t generally buy something simply because it’s on sale. Still, many of us start our shopping trips with a sales rack and make our decisions on a case-by-case basis.  Similar logic applies to the stock market. Costs matter, but so do the reasons why a stock gets a discount. In the case of one of the most recent recommendations in my premium newsletter, The Daily Paycheck, I think bargain-shopping is perfectly appropriate motivation.  —Recommended Link— Flexible Retirement Plan Lets You Schedule Payments When You Want Retirees love this program because they see in advance exactly how much income they’ll make AND exactly when they’ll make it. And it’s 37% safer than the stock market. Check it out here… When shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) plunged on August 5, there were good reasons why investors suddenly dumped the stock. On that Friday, the company announced that its… Read More

The holiday shopping season is coming, and soon attention will turn to the hot toys every child wants for Christmas.  Aside from being a retailer’s dream, these hot seasonal toys hold the potential to take the manufacturer’s shares skyward. Investors in LeapFrog Entertainment were thrilled in 2011 when the company’s LeapPad, one of the first digital mobile devices for kids, got huge sales leading into the holiday season. #-ad_banner-#One toy maker has already started to see shares surge this year on momentum in its turnaround plan, with cost savings of more than $153 million in 2015 alone.  The company also… Read More

The holiday shopping season is coming, and soon attention will turn to the hot toys every child wants for Christmas.  Aside from being a retailer’s dream, these hot seasonal toys hold the potential to take the manufacturer’s shares skyward. Investors in LeapFrog Entertainment were thrilled in 2011 when the company’s LeapPad, one of the first digital mobile devices for kids, got huge sales leading into the holiday season. #-ad_banner-#One toy maker has already started to see shares surge this year on momentum in its turnaround plan, with cost savings of more than $153 million in 2015 alone.  The company also just overhauled one of its biggest brands. The toy accounts for nearly 20% of total sales and has the potential to see big buying this holiday season. Investors may want to give themselves an early Christmas present before the company’s toys are sold out this holiday. Iconic Brands And Cost-Cutting Turn This Toy Maker Around Shares of Mattel Inc. (Nasdaq: MAT) had been recovering since September of last year, and jumped 14% on the company’s fourth quarter earnings in February. Management delivered $153 million in cost savings last year and stabilized sales as part of a multi-year turnaround.  The… Read More

You don’t need me to tell you that there are two parts to any trade. First, for long trades, we have to buy something. Then, to actually turn paper profits into real money, we have to sell it.  To me, biotech giant Amgen (Nasdaq: AMGN) is at that latter point. After a nearly 20% run since its late-June lows, it looks like it’s time to cash in or flip it around to an outright short. #-ad_banner-# Some may argue that the fundamentals still look decent and that AMGN is trading… Read More

You don’t need me to tell you that there are two parts to any trade. First, for long trades, we have to buy something. Then, to actually turn paper profits into real money, we have to sell it.  To me, biotech giant Amgen (Nasdaq: AMGN) is at that latter point. After a nearly 20% run since its late-June lows, it looks like it’s time to cash in or flip it around to an outright short. #-ad_banner-# Some may argue that the fundamentals still look decent and that AMGN is trading near its all-time high. However, the entire health care sector is in a precarious situation with drug and service providers at the greatest risk as politicians take a stand against their high prices. These groups are underperforming the market and some already display technical breakdowns on the charts.  The first item to take note of on Amgen’s chart is a small double-top formed by the July and August highs. Some may say that the pattern is not valid due to the fact that, after an initial breakdown, the stock moved back above the pattern’s lower border. But I say the… Read More

There’s been a trend emerging in the U.S. dollar (USD) for the past few weeks that makes little sense. At a time when the dollar should be gaining momentum, its value has been drained quicker than a keg of cheap beer at a frat party. According to several sources, the recent drop can be at least partially attributed to technical and algorithmic trading.  When you strip out the commotion and look only at the real data, though, it seems there could be a fair amount of upside in the USD over the next few months. But before I tell you… Read More

There’s been a trend emerging in the U.S. dollar (USD) for the past few weeks that makes little sense. At a time when the dollar should be gaining momentum, its value has been drained quicker than a keg of cheap beer at a frat party. According to several sources, the recent drop can be at least partially attributed to technical and algorithmic trading.  When you strip out the commotion and look only at the real data, though, it seems there could be a fair amount of upside in the USD over the next few months. But before I tell you about how to profit from this situation, let’s break down the basics of my thesis… — Recommended Link — It Won’t Matter Who Wins In November… The right thinks Democrats will sink this country’s economy. The left thinks Republicans will bring economic destruction. Truth is: They’re both right. It doesn’t matter who takes office in January, because history says the market could drop up to 58%. But these three investments are a shoo-in for double and triple-digit returns no matter what happens. The U.S. dollar can have dramatic effects on basically everything in our economy, including the value of other… Read More

“Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked.” That’s one of my favorite Warren Buffet quotes. It could probably mean lots of things when it comes to investing. But I think it’s a great analogy for earnings seasons. #-ad_banner-#Earnings season is when shareholders and fund managers find out which companies have been connecting and which have been striking out. Right now, it looks like most of the S&P 500 has been swimming naked. America’s largest and most powerful companies are struggling to grow revenue and earnings. According to data from Zacks… Read More

“Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked.” That’s one of my favorite Warren Buffet quotes. It could probably mean lots of things when it comes to investing. But I think it’s a great analogy for earnings seasons. #-ad_banner-#Earnings season is when shareholders and fund managers find out which companies have been connecting and which have been striking out. Right now, it looks like most of the S&P 500 has been swimming naked. America’s largest and most powerful companies are struggling to grow revenue and earnings. According to data from Zacks Investment research, with 482 companies from the S&P 500 reporting second-quarter results, revenue is up 0.1% from the same period last year while earnings are down 3.6%.  That marks the fifth consecutive quarter that earnings have contracted compared to the same period last year. The last time that happened was in 2008 and 2009 during the financial crisis. However, despite the slow overall growth, a good investor knows there’s always a bull market somewhere. That includes the S&P 500. Despite earnings recession, there are a handful of companies that are bucking the trend. These companies are reporting record revenue and… Read More

For the first time since 1999, all three major U.S. stock indices — the S&P 500, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and the Nasdaq 100 — all closed at record-high levels on the same day, August 11. One component continues to be missing, however, especially for those who remember the late 1990s: the atmosphere of celebration.  But maybe that’s not so surprising, given that there are fewer people at the party.  According to a Gallup poll in April, only a little more than half of Americans said they had any money invested in the stock market. The 52% that did… Read More

For the first time since 1999, all three major U.S. stock indices — the S&P 500, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and the Nasdaq 100 — all closed at record-high levels on the same day, August 11. One component continues to be missing, however, especially for those who remember the late 1990s: the atmosphere of celebration.  But maybe that’s not so surprising, given that there are fewer people at the party.  According to a Gallup poll in April, only a little more than half of Americans said they had any money invested in the stock market. The 52% that did fess up to owning stocks matched the lowest level in the 19-year history of Gallup’s survey. Here’s a look at the trend: Percentage of U.S. Adults Invested in the Stock Market   Source: Gallup   To be sure, many investors and potential and former investors remain spooked by the two vicious bear markets the past two decades, along with the psychological — and real — impact of the Great Recession in 2008-2009. Not exactly a confidence booster.  #-ad_banner-#Still, the beat goes on — many of us who have taken the plunge in recent years have… Read More