This Stock Could Be The Right Flavor For Your Portfolio This Year

Daniel Cross - INO.com Contributor - Equities


After a disappointing 2015 for the stock market in general with the S&P 500 ending basically flat, investors will need to exercise extra care when selecting solid companies for this year. One way to make sure your stock picks are high quality is to follow those that performed well in an otherwise apathetic market.

When macroeconomic fundamentals aren't giving off a positive vibe, investors need to focus on microeconomics – individual companies and their strengths. Certain sectors of the market actually enjoyed a very successful year last year but got overshadowed by the malaise seen in the markets as a whole. Continue reading "This Stock Could Be The Right Flavor For Your Portfolio This Year"

A Deep Value Play Investors Shouldn't Overlook

Daniel Cross - INO.com Contributor - Equities


The Fed might have finally raised rates this month, but it isn't a magic spell that automatically means that the global economy is strong. Oil is once again the leader of a sudden an aggressive bearish sentiment on Wall Street and stocks are suffering as a result.

The state of the global economy going into 2016 is still in question with energy markets yet again being the biggest concern for investors. The slowdown hasn't been kind to sectors like manufacturing either with many companies closing their doors or merging with other businesses in order to stay afloat. Those that have survived though have come out the other side sleeker, stronger, and have fewer competitors. Continue reading "A Deep Value Play Investors Shouldn't Overlook"

Give Your Portfolio A Holiday Treat With This Value Stock

Daniel Cross - INO.com Contributor - Equities


Judging a company by its stock price can often lead investors astray. Sometimes a single bad event can drag down a stock's price while leaving its long-term growth potential fully intact. It's these types of opportunities that value investors love to pounce on.

As we head into the holiday season, investor sentiment is mixed when it comes to how consumers will spend. On the positive side, US GDP growth for the 3rd quarter was revised higher to 2.1% while unemployment fell to just 5%. However, consumer spending inched just 0.1% higher in October – less than expected.

Sales expectations for the holiday season appear to be optimistic. FedEx released an estimate earlier this week that it is on track to handle over 317 million packages between Black Friday and Christmas – record numbers and an increase of 12.4% from last year. Online sales are also expected to rise this year between 6% and 8% according to a recent National Retail Federation (NRF) survey. Continue reading "Give Your Portfolio A Holiday Treat With This Value Stock"

Paris - A Seminal Moment In History

Make no mistake about it, the horrific terrorist acts that took place in France on Friday were indeed an act of war against the West. French President Francois Hollande should be congratulated for calling the attacks for what they were and not hiding behind some politically correct verbiage. Our hearts and prayers go out to the people of France and indeed to Europe.

My concern is, what is going to happen to the markets and how the events in Europe are going to translate across the Atlantic to our equity markets. The world continues to change but one thing is for sure, we're all linked financially for better or worse.

Let's take a look at the major indices individually and and see what's happening this afternoon. Continue reading "Paris - A Seminal Moment In History"

No Matter How You Look At It, This Stock Is A Screaming Buy

Daniel Cross - INO.com Contributor - Equities


Investing in the market is a lot like anything else – if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Then again, sometimes a stock play makes so much sense, it's impossible to ignore.

The current economic environment has investors concerned what 2016 will bring. China's stock bubble burst, commodities are suffering in the dredges with no positive catalysts anytime soon and the US stock market is looking more and more like it's hit the top and could be reversing course sometime over the next six months or so. And the Fed rate hike still looms large as investors prepare to get defensive against a rising rate environment that could last several quarters.

After more than five years of economic expansion, consumer spending is at all time high levels, although further growth has been mixed over the past few months – another sign of a market top. Margin debt levels hit a record high this year as well meaning consumers and investors both are leveraged more than ever financially. Continue reading "No Matter How You Look At It, This Stock Is A Screaming Buy"