It’s one of the few holdings in my Daily Paycheck portfolio that has lost ground in 2019… But there’s a good reason. On January 3, Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) unveiled plans to buy Celgene (Nasdaq: CELG) in a blockbuster $74 billion transaction.  Acquirers typically fall when these mega-deals are announced, while shares of the target bolt higher. True to form, BMY slid 14% on the news, while CELG jumped 25%.  Despite the drop, my subscribers and I are still in the black on this one. But is this a good deal? And is BMY worth owning today?  First, let’s… Read More

It’s one of the few holdings in my Daily Paycheck portfolio that has lost ground in 2019… But there’s a good reason. On January 3, Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) unveiled plans to buy Celgene (Nasdaq: CELG) in a blockbuster $74 billion transaction.  Acquirers typically fall when these mega-deals are announced, while shares of the target bolt higher. True to form, BMY slid 14% on the news, while CELG jumped 25%.  Despite the drop, my subscribers and I are still in the black on this one. But is this a good deal? And is BMY worth owning today?  First, let’s get some of the specifics out of the way. Bristol Myers is offering one share of BMY and $50 cash for each share of CELG. There is also the possibility of additional cash remuneration for Celgene investors later down the line (known as a contingent value right, or CVR) if three drugs in the firm’s pipeline eventually gain regulatory approval.  Based on BMY’s share price at the time of the announcement, the bid (excluding CVRs) works out to a little more than $102 per share. That’s a healthy premium of 53% above where CELG closed the day before the announcement. … Read More

Back in December, I wrote about why the major cruise lines are compelling investment candidates right now. One of our loyal readers, Jim C., wrote in to point out that anyone who owns at least 100 shares of Carnival Cruise Lines (NYSE: CCL) is entitled to a unique fringe benefit — up to $250 in complimentary onboard spending credits per cruise.  This isn’t one of those promotional offers you see advertised to the general public. It’s a special perk reserved strictly for Carnival shareholders. Put another way, this $250 offer is equivalent to $2.50 per share for an investor who holds 100 shares. Read More

Back in December, I wrote about why the major cruise lines are compelling investment candidates right now. One of our loyal readers, Jim C., wrote in to point out that anyone who owns at least 100 shares of Carnival Cruise Lines (NYSE: CCL) is entitled to a unique fringe benefit — up to $250 in complimentary onboard spending credits per cruise.  This isn’t one of those promotional offers you see advertised to the general public. It’s a special perk reserved strictly for Carnival shareholders. Put another way, this $250 offer is equivalent to $2.50 per share for an investor who holds 100 shares. That represents a bonus payout of 5.1% on the $48 stock — on top of the 4.3% dividend yield. Double that if you happen to book two cruises. After Jim wrote in to us, my staff and I got to talking… And after doing a little research, it turns out a whole host of companies offers little-known “perks” like this. So I thought it would be fun to take a break from our regular format and focus on four companies that offer special shareholder benefits.  Of course, these enticements alone aren’t necessarily reasons to invest. But since these are all… Read More

As investors, one of our first tasks when evaluating a prospective new portfolio candidate is to ascertain where the company’s sales are headed. There are plenty of other considerations, of course. But first, we need to make some educated assumptions about how many widgets will be going out the door.  Fortunately, we have plenty of tools at our disposal.  We can track inventory turnover rates and tune into conference calls discussing new product development. Sometimes analysts go a step further and conduct channel checks, a fancy way of saying they talk to the company’s suppliers to find out if they… Read More

As investors, one of our first tasks when evaluating a prospective new portfolio candidate is to ascertain where the company’s sales are headed. There are plenty of other considerations, of course. But first, we need to make some educated assumptions about how many widgets will be going out the door.  Fortunately, we have plenty of tools at our disposal.  We can track inventory turnover rates and tune into conference calls discussing new product development. Sometimes analysts go a step further and conduct channel checks, a fancy way of saying they talk to the company’s suppliers to find out if they are ordering more (or fewer) raw materials and components. They might also query customers to see how fast certain products are moving. By collecting information from the supply chain and distribution channels, it’s possible to gain valuable insights on volume and pricing trends.  #-ad_banner-#There’s nothing wrong with any of that.  But sometimes, the most obvious solution is right in front of us. When companies are struggling, they often reduce their workforce. Conversely, when business is picking up, they expand and bring in new employees to meet the increased workload. So, you can gauge demand just by examining hiring trends —… Read More

I’ve never shopped at Macy’s (NYSE: M), nor have I followed it closely as an investment candidate. Like many, I know the iconic department store best from its prominent role in the classic Christmas film, Miracle on 34th Street. But Macy’s investors may remember January 10 as the Massacre on 34th Street. The stock fell off a cliff that day, tumbling nearly 19%, the sharpest decline in its storied history. It was a bad day for many retailers. JC Penney (NYSE: JCP) dropped 4.4%. Kohl’s tumbled more than 10% at one point. But the harshest punishment was reserved for Macy’s,… Read More

I’ve never shopped at Macy’s (NYSE: M), nor have I followed it closely as an investment candidate. Like many, I know the iconic department store best from its prominent role in the classic Christmas film, Miracle on 34th Street. But Macy’s investors may remember January 10 as the Massacre on 34th Street. The stock fell off a cliff that day, tumbling nearly 19%, the sharpest decline in its storied history. It was a bad day for many retailers. JC Penney (NYSE: JCP) dropped 4.4%. Kohl’s tumbled more than 10% at one point. But the harshest punishment was reserved for Macy’s, which lost $1.8 billion in market value in a single session. —Recommended Link— 9 Investment Revelations For 2019 From toppling the titans of Monday night entertainment to robotic heart surgery… 2019 will be a very interesting year for investors. Want to know where the smart money will be in 2019? Click here to discover the tickers now. So what terrible transgression did the company commit to bring down this wrath? Well, management said that revenues would be flat in 2018. Let’s be honest — nobody expected Macy’s to deliver sizzling growth. The prior outlook called for sales to inch… Read More

As my High-Yield Investing premium subscribers know, I make it a point to keep readers abreast of potential dividend increases on the horizon in the coming weeks. Considering many stocks pop on a dividend hike, I prefer to give my readers actionable ideas before the announcement, not after. (Although if there is a noteworthy increase that has already just been confirmed, I sometimes share those as well.) February brings a fresh batch of prospects. When narrowing down the field, I look for several traits such as superior dividend growth and proven longevity. By those measures, we’ve got a good group… Read More

As my High-Yield Investing premium subscribers know, I make it a point to keep readers abreast of potential dividend increases on the horizon in the coming weeks. Considering many stocks pop on a dividend hike, I prefer to give my readers actionable ideas before the announcement, not after. (Although if there is a noteworthy increase that has already just been confirmed, I sometimes share those as well.) February brings a fresh batch of prospects. When narrowing down the field, I look for several traits such as superior dividend growth and proven longevity. By those measures, we’ve got a good group this month. 1. Coca Cola (NYSE: KO) — Some investors think of Coca-Cola as a one-trick pony, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Yes, the flagship product is still one of the world’s most popular and widely-distributed beverages, sold in 200 countries around the globe. But it’s just one of a growing portfolio of 21 billion-dollar brands, including Dasani water, Powerade sports drinks, Gold Peak sweet tea, and Simply Orange fruit juice. The company has also just made a leap into the hot beverage market with the $5 billion acquisition of Costa, the top coffee brand in the… Read More

One of my favorite colloquialisms is “50% of something is better than 100% of nothing.” It’s best when said with a grizzled Southern accent with a big dip of Copenhagen wedged in the speaker’s lip. —Recommended Link— Ex-Military Intelligence Officer Finally Reveals He Secret To Her 90.9% Success Rate Today only save 62% on the system that is helping smart investors like you make massive gains…hurry, wall street insiders hope to shut this down soon… Click here before it’s too late. Kidding aside, this phrase is one of the many mantras… Read More

One of my favorite colloquialisms is “50% of something is better than 100% of nothing.” It’s best when said with a grizzled Southern accent with a big dip of Copenhagen wedged in the speaker’s lip. —Recommended Link— Ex-Military Intelligence Officer Finally Reveals He Secret To Her 90.9% Success Rate Today only save 62% on the system that is helping smart investors like you make massive gains…hurry, wall street insiders hope to shut this down soon… Click here before it’s too late. Kidding aside, this phrase is one of the many mantras grown-up investors will use from time to time. Markets and stocks will and do go down at some point. It’s one of the few guarantees that come with the territory. We all want to do well on the upside. But with an unavoidable downside, the key is to do less worse than the market. It’s doable. #-ad_banner-#The fancy term money managers throw around is “downside capture.” As ridiculous as it sounds, it’s a thing. And it works. There’s an actual portfolio called the downside capture ratio. However, rather than getting too far into those weeds, the ultimate goal of downside… Read More

Recent market volatility has forced investors to seek safer investments for their portfolios. For many, stocks with a solid dividend-paying history with a low beta (β) offer a safer alternative to other stocks. —Recommended Link— Save 75% On Fast-Track Millionaire Today Tired of just barely beating the market? See how we’re crushing the market hand over fist inside Fast-Track Millionaire. Details here. For those unfamiliar with beta, β measures the volatility of a stock against a broad market index, such as the S&P 500. Because the market is given a beta of 1, anything with less volatility than the… Read More

Recent market volatility has forced investors to seek safer investments for their portfolios. For many, stocks with a solid dividend-paying history with a low beta (β) offer a safer alternative to other stocks. —Recommended Link— Save 75% On Fast-Track Millionaire Today Tired of just barely beating the market? See how we’re crushing the market hand over fist inside Fast-Track Millionaire. Details here. For those unfamiliar with beta, β measures the volatility of a stock against a broad market index, such as the S&P 500. Because the market is given a beta of 1, anything with less volatility than the market will have a beta below 1. Conversely, if a stock has greater volatility than the market as a whole, that stock will have a beta greater than 1. Given the wild ride investors have experienced since October, finding solid dividend stocks with low betas is imperative. Should the market volatility continue unabated, huge drawdowns are possible with high beta stocks. Fortunately, finding such stocks isn’t too difficult. One such stock is ExxonMobil (NASDAQ: XOM). As you can see from the chart below, the stock suffered in 2018 — losing 18.6%. While the stock is off its recent… Read More

I’m starting the New Year by reading some of the classics to develop a deeper understanding of some investment concepts. Among the concepts I’m researching… is the Keynesian beauty contest. Economist John Maynard Keynes used the “beauty contest” to explain why stock prices move up and down. —Recommended Link— Radical New Accelerated Dividend Program Lets YOU Pick When To Get Paid Attention Income Investors: That’s right, you pick your own “ex-dividend” date. I’ve already collected $119,247 In “Bonus Dividends” this way… on top of my regular dividends. While Keynes is deservedly… Read More

I’m starting the New Year by reading some of the classics to develop a deeper understanding of some investment concepts. Among the concepts I’m researching… is the Keynesian beauty contest. Economist John Maynard Keynes used the “beauty contest” to explain why stock prices move up and down. —Recommended Link— Radical New Accelerated Dividend Program Lets YOU Pick When To Get Paid Attention Income Investors: That’s right, you pick your own “ex-dividend” date. I’ve already collected $119,247 In “Bonus Dividends” this way… on top of my regular dividends. While Keynes is deservedly recognized for his economic insights, he was also a great investor. From 1924 to 1946, he managed a fund for King’s College from 1924 to 1946. Over that time, the benchmark stock market index in Great Britain declined 15% as the Great Depression and World War II weighed on the market. Keynes delivered a total return of more than 1,160% during that time, an average annual return of about 12% a year. #-ad_banner-#To explain how he thought about the stock market, Keynes compared investors to readers of a newspaper that sponsored a beauty contest. (This book was published in 1936,… Read More

Dear Mr. Culp, I wish you the best in your new challenge. This Motley Fool article about your background is encouraging. Why am I writing this? During the Jack Welch era, GE contracted with my training company, Value Selling. GE’s needs were different. Jack’s vision was clear. Each business was required to grow market share and improve their profit margins – even if they sold commodity products. —Recommended Link— Looking For Bigger Gains? Want To Reduce Your Risk? For a limited time only, discover how one industry veteran is generating 37,000 or more in additional income… Read More

Dear Mr. Culp, I wish you the best in your new challenge. This Motley Fool article about your background is encouraging. Why am I writing this? During the Jack Welch era, GE contracted with my training company, Value Selling. GE’s needs were different. Jack’s vision was clear. Each business was required to grow market share and improve their profit margins – even if they sold commodity products. —Recommended Link— Looking For Bigger Gains? Want To Reduce Your Risk? For a limited time only, discover how one industry veteran is generating 37,000 or more in additional income with no added risk. Newly disclosed details here. Professor Noel Tichy defined corporate culture as – “The unwritten norms, beliefs and values that define appropriate behavior.” Our challenge was to assist with changing the culture of the sales force from order takers to consultants; part of the inner circle of profit improvers for their major customers. #-ad_banner-#Several clients funded a research project. I researched their top salespeople. What did these elite performers do that set them apart? I was amazed; it made little difference whether they sold high tech products or commodities, or where they fit in the distribution channel,… Read More

By all accounts, it was a productive holiday season for retailers across the country. Mastercard (NYSE: MA), which is uniquely qualified to monitor spending habits, estimates U.S. holiday spending rose 5.1% this year. That represents the sharpest annual increase in six years. —Recommended Link— Is the Next “Millionaire Maker” In YOUR Portfolio? We’ve uncovered one company that is rapidly changing the way we view medicine forever (and add a few extra zeroes to your bank account in the process). Details here. If prognostications from research firm eMarketer are accurate, brick-and-mortar stores rang up 4.4% more sales during the pivotal… Read More

By all accounts, it was a productive holiday season for retailers across the country. Mastercard (NYSE: MA), which is uniquely qualified to monitor spending habits, estimates U.S. holiday spending rose 5.1% this year. That represents the sharpest annual increase in six years. —Recommended Link— Is the Next “Millionaire Maker” In YOUR Portfolio? We’ve uncovered one company that is rapidly changing the way we view medicine forever (and add a few extra zeroes to your bank account in the process). Details here. If prognostications from research firm eMarketer are accurate, brick-and-mortar stores rang up 4.4% more sales during the pivotal holiday season than in 2017, while eCommerce sales jumped 16%. Combined, shoppers dropped more than $1 trillion for the first time ever. #-ad_banner-#Even when Halloween decorations were still on the shelf, there were already upbeat signs for retailers. Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) reported strong third-quarter comparable sales, led by a powerful 44% increase in online revenues, encouraging management to lift its full-year financial targets. That jives with a report from the Bureau of Economic Analysis showing that consumer spending rose nearly 4% in the third quarter and is now running at an annualized pace of $14.1 trillion. The personal consumption expenditures… Read More