For centuries, humans relied on plant-derived medicines, using — based on countless experiments and astute observation — a wide range of chemically-active elements obtained from a wide variety of plants to treat many, if not most, ailments and diseases. A more systematic study of what it is that makes certain plants medically potent had only begun in the 19th century, however, thanks to the advances in chemistry and biology. Today, the entire field of ethnopharmacology — the study of the use of plant-based or other naturally derived medicines across different cultures — has emerged. So have the related fields of… Read More

For centuries, humans relied on plant-derived medicines, using — based on countless experiments and astute observation — a wide range of chemically-active elements obtained from a wide variety of plants to treat many, if not most, ailments and diseases. A more systematic study of what it is that makes certain plants medically potent had only begun in the 19th century, however, thanks to the advances in chemistry and biology. Today, the entire field of ethnopharmacology — the study of the use of plant-based or other naturally derived medicines across different cultures — has emerged. So have the related fields of ethnomedicine, medical anthropology — not to mention food science or good old-fashioned botany — and more. The potential of plants to deliver life-changing medication has long been one of the arguments for biodiversity. It should not come as a surprise that scientists, in research labs and in the biotech industry, have also been studying cannabis with a belief that, thanks to the chemicals in the plant, it’s much more than just a popular recreational drug. One such company is a pioneer in this research and the owner of the very first prescription medication derived directly from the cannabis plant. —Recommended… Read More

I have to admit that I had not expected the tenth anniversary of this bull market to have come and gone without much fanfare. Yes, there was a celebration — after all, the 10-year bull market is the longest since World War II, and the S&P 500 is up more than 300% — but it wasn’t as omnipresent as I had anticipated.  Instead, investors have been reveling in another, albeit related milestone — the market recovery from the fourth-quarter 2018 selloff in the strongest three-month performance since the third quarter of 2009.  This strength has helped the market to recover… Read More

I have to admit that I had not expected the tenth anniversary of this bull market to have come and gone without much fanfare. Yes, there was a celebration — after all, the 10-year bull market is the longest since World War II, and the S&P 500 is up more than 300% — but it wasn’t as omnipresent as I had anticipated.  Instead, investors have been reveling in another, albeit related milestone — the market recovery from the fourth-quarter 2018 selloff in the strongest three-month performance since the third quarter of 2009.  This strength has helped the market to recover much of the fourth-quarter losses and, as a result, post strong positive year-over-year returns.  One-Year Sector Performance (As of March 31) Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence Nearly every corner of the market has turned a strong performance over the past year. The market, as represented by the S&P 500, is up 7.3% year-over-year — helped, without a doubt, by the first-quarter rally. But even as every single market sector turned out a positive performance in the first quarter of 2019, some — such as energy, materials and financials — are still down compared with a year ago.  Let’s… Read More

Loss aversion is a real thing. Whether it’s a game of Monopoly, a friendly bet, or a heated argument, people hate to lose. Entire businesses and industries are predicated not only on the excitement of winning but also on our innate desire to win back whatever we might just have lost. This isn’t just because humans are a competitive bunch. (Though many of us are.) It’s also because, psychologically, we perceive losses much more powerfully than gains. Psychologists know that, for most people, pain associated with losing something is about twice as powerful as the pleasure related to gaining the… Read More

Loss aversion is a real thing. Whether it’s a game of Monopoly, a friendly bet, or a heated argument, people hate to lose. Entire businesses and industries are predicated not only on the excitement of winning but also on our innate desire to win back whatever we might just have lost. This isn’t just because humans are a competitive bunch. (Though many of us are.) It’s also because, psychologically, we perceive losses much more powerfully than gains. Psychologists know that, for most people, pain associated with losing something is about twice as powerful as the pleasure related to gaining the same thing. As a famous quote from social science giants Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman goes, “Losses loom larger than gains.” Losing $100 feels worse than making $100 feels good. The concept of loss aversion, therefore, is particularly relevant to investing. The fear of losing can overwhelm our other logic-based thoughts when making a decision to sell a stock at a loss. Anything that hinders objectivity and logic shouldn’t be such a large component of our decision-making process — but, after all, we are human. That’s why I want to focus on minimizing the impact of this powerful loss-aversion factor. Read More

In a previous article, I talked about the so-called patent cliff and the correlation to the pace of mergers and acquisitions in the pharma space.  In order to help make up for the revenue that will be lost from expiring patents on blockbuster drugs, big pharma, flush with cash, typically goes out and buys a new revenue stream — in the form of companies that have a proven or promising drug in the pipeline. After all, it can be cheaper and more efficient for big pharma to buy a new drug than to develop one in-house. We live this notion… Read More

In a previous article, I talked about the so-called patent cliff and the correlation to the pace of mergers and acquisitions in the pharma space.  In order to help make up for the revenue that will be lost from expiring patents on blockbuster drugs, big pharma, flush with cash, typically goes out and buys a new revenue stream — in the form of companies that have a proven or promising drug in the pipeline. After all, it can be cheaper and more efficient for big pharma to buy a new drug than to develop one in-house. We live this notion every day, both as investors, observing and often benefitting from M&A in the industry, and as consumers, feeling squeezed by the rising costs of many important medications — a process that, in part, stems from the reduced competition (which is also a consequence of a more intense M&A). #-ad_banner-#But the trend is clear, as is the need and the drive of the larger companies to buy their smaller counterparts. It’s the safer route in an environment where new drugs take a long, costly and risky road from an idea to the market. Of course, it’s not only the revenue stream… Read More

What’s better than a game-changer that capitalizes on a growth opportunity?  Answer: a game-changer that capitalizes on more than one growth opportunity. This is how Advanced Micro Devices (Nasdaq: AMD) looks like these days. The company has built a sustainable business… a business that doesn’t just depend on strong demand from one particular sector or industry — but rather is set to grow and conquer new markets. In many ways, the chipmaker just might be the perfect game-changer. It’s no wonder then, that we own it in the portfolio of my premium newsletter, Game-Changing Stocks. In fact, we’re up more… Read More

What’s better than a game-changer that capitalizes on a growth opportunity?  Answer: a game-changer that capitalizes on more than one growth opportunity. This is how Advanced Micro Devices (Nasdaq: AMD) looks like these days. The company has built a sustainable business… a business that doesn’t just depend on strong demand from one particular sector or industry — but rather is set to grow and conquer new markets. In many ways, the chipmaker just might be the perfect game-changer. It’s no wonder then, that we own it in the portfolio of my premium newsletter, Game-Changing Stocks. In fact, we’re up more than 92% on the stock in just under 18 months. Today, I want to walk you through some of the moves AMD has made recently that illustrate this point — and why it’s still a good option for investors today. —Recommended Link— This changed EVERYTHING we thought we knew about investing… It took months to put together. but our industry expert just revealed a revolutionary (and surprisingly legal) stock market “hack” that has already brought in $2,434 in just 16 days. This simple hack could be the key to unlocking the full potential of your portfolio (while reducing your… Read More

Where do you go to find the very best growth stories?  Clearly, some of the best innovators come from the tech and the health-care industries. And so, almost by default, most of my Fast-Track Millionaire portfolio stocks belong to those two major growth sectors.  But what about the rest of the economy? Does it not generate any innovation or significant profit opportunities?  Of course, it does. And that’s what today’s piece is all about… —Recommended Link— This “Guaranteed Income Strategy” Is Batting .905 Since 2013, one income investment has been knocking it out of the park. In… Read More

Where do you go to find the very best growth stories?  Clearly, some of the best innovators come from the tech and the health-care industries. And so, almost by default, most of my Fast-Track Millionaire portfolio stocks belong to those two major growth sectors.  But what about the rest of the economy? Does it not generate any innovation or significant profit opportunities?  Of course, it does. And that’s what today’s piece is all about… —Recommended Link— This “Guaranteed Income Strategy” Is Batting .905 Since 2013, one income investment has been knocking it out of the park. In fact, the “Guaranteed Income Strategy” has banked 191 winners out of 211 trades — generating a $140,490 windfall. If collecting instant cash and winning 90.5% of the time sounds good to you, then grab the details on how you can pocket your first instant cash this Wednesday. To illustrate my point, look no further than a company like Tesla (Nasdaq: TSLA). Believe it or not, Tesla is an industrial company by any official classification. And regardless what you may think of the recent, well-publicized missteps of CEO Elon Musk, is indeed an innovator. And what’s more,… Read More