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preciousmetals0 · 5 years ago

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4 Stocks to Buy Before the Ball Drops

4 Stocks to Buy Before the Ball Drops:

Great Stuff Picks: The “Simply the Best” Edition

By this point, everyone and their mother has offered up an opinion on the best stocks to own for 2020.

Everyone, that is, except Great Stuff…

Well, the wait is finally over. Today, I reveal the four stocks that you must own for 2020 and beyond. This was no small undertaking. No sir.

The companies we selected had to have strong financials and equally exceptional stock performance. And, above all, these companies simply had to be part of a critical market mega trend.

Today’s Great Stuff picks play a major role in at least one (if not more) of the six mega trends I laid out yesterday:

The Internet of Things (IoT).

Blockchain.

Artificial intelligence (AI).

Precision medicine (aka biotechnology).

Millennials.

New energy technology.

Am I stealing a bit from Bold Profits here? Maybe. Or maybe I’ve just been in the stock market long enough to recognize a good investment when I see one. (I’ve been doing this for more than 15 years at this point. Give me some credit here … jeez.)

So, without any further ado, here are Great Stuff’s best of the best for 2020 and beyond:

No. 4: Applied Investing

The IoT is big. Really big. You just won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big the IoT is. Statista reports the IoT market will reach $1.6 trillion by 2025. And you may think it’s big now, but that’s just peanuts compared to where it’s going once 5G hits its stride.

But the IoT and 5G technologies don’t just fall out of the sky. Someone has to make the devices and the brains that drive those devices.

Who’s gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg?

Applied Materials Inc. (Nasdaq: AMAT) has a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. (Yes, I’m mixing pop culture references at this point … just go with it.) This company builds the machines that make semiconductors and integrated circuits for the IoT and 5G to run on.

Its customers are a veritable who’s who of the hottest smartphone, semiconductor and networking firms on the planet, including Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL), Nvidia Corp. (Nasdaq: NVDA) and Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC) … just to name a few.

Mega trend established. But what about the money?

Applied Materials beat Wall Street’s estimates in each of the past four quarters. Most recently, the company lifted guidance for the first part of 2020, citing improving industrywide demand. That little trade deal between the U.S. and China certainly helps a lot.

As for AMAT’s price action, the shares are up 90% in 2019, and they’re poised to break out above a double-top from their 2018 all-time highs.

And the icing on the cake? Applied Materials’ current dividend yield sits at 1.37%. That’s better than Apple or Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT).

All of this together is more than enough to put Applied Materials on Great Stuff’s top picks for 2020 and beyond.

No. 3: This Brand Ain’t No Con

When we look back at 2019, we’ll see it as the year of disappointing initial public offerings (IPOs).

From Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE: UBER) to Lyft Inc. (Nasdaq: LYFT) to Peloton Interactive Inc. (Nasdaq: PTON), nearly every overhyped IPO is now trading underwater. That is, except Beyond Meat Inc. (Nasdaq: BYND).

But even the meatless wonder is living on borrowed time. The IPO fad is over. The real work begins now. It’s time for Conagra Brands Inc. (NYSE: CAG).

Conagra is putting its full weight behind the meat-alternative movement. Given the company’s connections, distribution chain and sheer amount of money, Beyond Meat is in trouble.

Conagra moving into meat alternatives means lower prices at the supermarket for the same expensive products that Beyond Meat pushes. Conagra has more money and broader reach. It’ll dominate the supermarkets in the meat-alternative market.

What … you still think meatless meat is a fad? Don’t kid yourself. There are health reasons. There are environmental reasons. There are sustainability reasons. There are personal preference reasons.

You may not understand them. You may not agree with them. But there are so many varied reasons why this meatless genie isn’t going back in the bottle, even stodgy old Conagra is jumping into the game.

In fact, the company’s shift into fake meat helped lead it to its first revenue beat in two and a half years. Driven by its “on-trend innovation,” Conagra is expected to see revenue rise more than 12% next year — that’s far above the average for its competitors.

And, for those buy-and-hold investors out there (I know you’re still there despite media reports of your death), Conagra sports a tasty dividend yield of 2.52%.

Conagra is poised to become Beyond Meat’s worst nightmare. That alone is enough to make it a Great Stuff pick for 2020 and beyond.

No. 2: The Year of the Mouse

Admit it. You knew The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) was going to be on this list, didn’t you?

Honestly, I’ve written … about … Disney so much, what’s left to say?

How about the fact that Disney accounted for 33% of the total U.S. movie market in 2019? Or that seven of the eight biggest-grossing films of 2019 were all Disney? (The other film in that list was Spider-Man: Far From Home, which had some help from Disney’s Marvel Studios as well.)

And then there’s the fact that The Mandalorian was the hottest streaming TV show for the past two months.

Speaking of Disney+, the service is expected to have more than 20 million subscribers by the end of 2019. Combine those subs with Hulu (remember Hulu?), and Disney is a major force in the online streaming market. This is the competition that Netflix Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX) bears warned you about.

Unfortunately for Netflix, Disney has deeper pockets and better content (i.e., intellectual property), such as Marvel, Star Wars and literally everything it has ever made in its 96 years of existence.

Cable TV is out. Streaming is the new hotness … the next big mega trend in content delivery and production. Nobody does either better than Disney right now.

2020 is the year of the mouse, making Walt Disney a Great Stuff pick for infinity and beyond. (OK, maybe not infinity, but I couldn’t resist.)

No. 1: Oh, Hello Roku!

So, who didn’t see this coming?

If there’s one company that I’ve written about more than Disney this past year, it’s Roku Inc. (Nasdaq: ROKU) … and for good reason.

We��ve long since established that streaming is the hottest mega trend in entertainment.

Every analyst worth their salt is scrambling to crown “the next Netflix.” But many of those same analysts forget that even Netflix wouldn’t be “the next Netflix” without Roku, the handy USB stick that I take from TV to TV to watch The Mandalorian in peace.

In fact, the video-streaming mega trend itself would’ve taken a lot longer to materialize without Roku as a catalyst. Practically every Roku ever made has a Netflix button on the remote. (I’m betting new ones will have a Disney+ button on them soon.)

The point is, Roku is the king of the streaming mega trend. Its low-cost devices enabled millions to stream directly to their TVs at a time when such a thing was left to the geeks of the world. Now, these streaming devices are everywhere. Roku’s software is even embedded into smart TVs to make the process even easier.

The key to Roku’s success is its agnosticism. The company doesn’t care whether you watch Netflix or Disney+, as long as you use a Roku to do so.

In an age where Apple, Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN) and Google’s parent, Alphabet Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOGL), have frequent spats about which streaming services are available on their devices, Roku is accorded neutral territory.

But device sales are just the tip of the iceberg. Roku has its own streaming channel with a premium option. What’s more, the company makes bank by selling ads on its eponymous streaming channel, in the Roku device menu and in the screensaver.

This is where many analysts miss the boat on Roku. They see it merely as another streaming device, completely missing the ad revenue component — or grossly underrating it. Right now, ad companies spend big on cable TV advertising.

Where will that money go when cable finally kicks the bucket?

I’ll tell you where … it’s going to the streaming market. And right now, Roku has the best bang for an advertiser’s buck. There are roughly 32.3 million Roku device users in the U.S. And every one of those devices has all the streaming services anyone could want. In other words, ad revenue will explode for Roku in 2020.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Roku is going to $200 next year. This is the company to invest in for the streaming mega trend, and it’s Great Stuff’s top selection for 2020 and beyond.

Great Stuff: Ring in the New Year, Great Stuff Style!

Say, do you have any snacks? Beer? Bourbon?

All that writing really wore me out.

No? I guess you’re saving up for tonight’s New Year’s Eve bash.

We here at Great Stuff want to thank you for reading and all your feedback over the months. I know I talk a big game, but it’s all for you, dear reader. You’re the reason Great Stuff exists.

Anyway … heading into 2020, Great Stuff promises to keep you informed on the hottest trends on Wall Street, providing you with key information to make you filthy rich (your results may vary) and sparking the best in dinner table conversation.

No, Uncle Jeb, you drank all the Natty Lite, and I’m not making a run to the store for more. If only you had a self-driving Tesla or something…

At this point, Great Stuff would like to remind you that the best investment of all (to even see 2020) is an Uber (or Lyft) home tonight. As always, don’t drink and drive. This has been your Great Stuff PSA for the new year. Thank you.

Finally, Great Stuff is the perfect New Year’s gift for that extra-special someone in your life … someone so special, in fact, that you waited until just now to think about what to get them for the new year.

Show that person just how much you care. Sign them up for Great Stuff today!

Finally, don’t forget to like and follow Great Stuff on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Until next time, good trading!

Regards,

Joseph Hargett

Great Stuff Managing Editor, Banyan Hill Publishing

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goldira01 · 5 years ago

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Great Stuff Picks: The “Simply the Best” Edition

By this point, everyone and their mother has offered up an opinion on the best stocks to own for 2020.

Everyone, that is, except Great Stuff…

Well, the wait is finally over. Today, I reveal the four stocks that you must own for 2020 and beyond. This was no small undertaking. No sir.

The companies we selected had to have strong financials and equally exceptional stock performance. And, above all, these companies simply had to be part of a critical market mega trend.

Today’s Great Stuff picks play a major role in at least one (if not more) of the six mega trends I laid out yesterday:

The Internet of Things (IoT).

Blockchain.

Artificial intelligence (AI).

Precision medicine (aka biotechnology).

Millennials.

New energy technology.

So, without any further ado, here are Great Stuff’s best of the best for 2020 and beyond:

No. 4: Applied Investing

But the IoT and 5G technologies don’t just fall out of the sky. Someone has to make the devices and the brains that drive those devices.

Who’s gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg?

Mega trend established. But what about the money?

As for AMAT’s price action, the shares are up 90% in 2019, and they’re poised to break out above a double-top from their 2018 all-time highs.

And the icing on the cake? Applied Materials’ current dividend yield sits at 1.37%. That’s better than Apple or Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT).

All of this together is more than enough to put Applied Materials on Great Stuff’s top picks for 2020 and beyond.

No. 3: This Brand Ain’t No Con

When we look back at 2019, we’ll see it as the year of disappointing initial public offerings (IPOs).

But even the meatless wonder is living on borrowed time. The IPO fad is over. The real work begins now. It’s time for Conagra Brands Inc. (NYSE: CAG).

Conagra is putting its full weight behind the meat-alternative movement. Given the company’s connections, distribution chain and sheer amount of money, Beyond Meat is in trouble.

And, for those buy-and-hold investors out there (I know you’re still there despite media reports of your death), Conagra sports a tasty dividend yield of 2.52%.

Conagra is poised to become Beyond Meat’s worst nightmare. That alone is enough to make it a Great Stuff pick for 2020 and beyond.

No. 2: The Year of the Mouse

Admit it. You knew The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) was going to be on this list, didn’t you?

Honestly, I’ve written … about … Disney so much, what’s left to say?

And then there’s the fact that The Mandalorian was the hottest streaming TV show for the past two months.

Cable TV is out. Streaming is the new hotness … the next big mega trend in content delivery and production. Nobody does either better than Disney right now.

2020 is the year of the mouse, making Walt Disney a Great Stuff pick for infinity and beyond. (OK, maybe not infinity, but I couldn’t resist.)

No. 1: Oh, Hello Roku!

So, who didn’t see this coming?

If there’s one company that I’ve written about more than Disney this past year, it’s Roku Inc. (Nasdaq: ROKU) … and for good reason.

We’ve long since established that streaming is the hottest mega trend in entertainment.

The key to Roku’s success is its agnosticism. The company doesn’t care whether you watch Netflix or Disney+, as long as you use a Roku to do so.

Where will that money go when cable finally kicks the bucket?

Great Stuff: Ring in the New Year, Great Stuff Style!

Say, do you have any snacks? Beer? Bourbon?

All that writing really wore me out.

No? I guess you’re saving up for tonight’s New Year’s Eve bash.

We here at Great Stuff want to thank you for reading and all your feedback over the months. I know I talk a big game, but it’s all for you, dear reader. You’re the reason Great Stuff exists.

No, Uncle Jeb, you drank all the Natty Lite, and I’m not making a run to the store for more. If only you had a self-driving Tesla or something…

Show that person just how much you care. Sign them up for Great Stuff today!

Finally, don’t forget to like and follow Great Stuff on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Until next time, good trading!

Regards,

Joseph Hargett

Great Stuff Managing Editor, Banyan Hill Publishing

#Timor Invest

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biofunmy · 5 years ago

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The Newest Tech on Cruise Ships

People who work on cruises often describe ships as “cities at sea,” but cities usually have speedy Wi-Fi, food delivery services you can summon on your phone, and homes with voice-activated assistants like Alexa, Siri and Google to answer questions and provide information.

Now, cruise companies, realizing that an expectation that people disconnect from their technology is a big ask, are getting in the tech game. Beyond providing fast Wi-Fi onboard, many of these companies have developed technology to make people feel like they are at home while traveling and have integrated new tools and apps into the cruise experience. The new features make it easier for guests to get on board and enjoy their sailing, while also making it easier for the crew to keep things moving swiftly.

“Technology is impacting every element of the cruise experience, making it faster, easier and more fun,” said Emma Le Teace, who runs the blog Cruising Isn’t Just For Old People. “Most cruise lines now offer downloadable apps which really allow cruisers to tailor the cruise experience to them.”

Goodbye to the cruise card

For decades, to function on a cruise, guests had to carry a card to pay for meals, access rooms and do just about anything else. In October, Carnival unveiled the Sky Princess, the company’s first ship built specifically to support the company’s Ocean Medallion technology. The ocean medallion is a circular pendant, the size of a quarter, that guests on ships like the Sky Princess can wear as a bracelet or necklace, or keep in a pocket. The idea is to always have the medallion, without having to think about it.

The medallion doesn’t need to be charged or turned on. But it can unlock a stateroom door when guests approach. Guests can use the medallion to pay for meals and to settle bills through an app downloaded to their phones.

How it works: A few weeks before their cruise, guests receive the medallion in the mail. They can go online to upload all their information and download the apps they’d like to use onboard. Many of the apps mimic familiar ones like Netflix and Uber Eats and are meant to make cruising more convenient. Guests who don’t get the medallion ahead of time can get it on the ship.

The medallion’s Ocean Compass lets people track their friends and family on their phones, a feature John Padgett, chief experience and innovation officer for Carnival Corp., said has been popular among parents.

“All that anxiety instantly disappears because one thing you can do is connect with your friends and family and know where they are, and you can navigate to where they are,” Mr. Padgett said. “It allows the first day or two to be more productive. Instead of discovering where you are and where things are, you can get right to enjoying things.”

Take a selfie and get onboard faster

The Celebrity Edge, which made its debut in December, has been hailed “the best new ship” and received a great deal of attention for its magic carpet: a cantilevered structure that moves up and down 15 decks and transforms into a formal restaurant, a poolside bar and a debarkation area that hovers a few feet above the water.

But Celebrity’s app is also new. Guests on the Edge can upload a selfie to the app, and the company’s facial recognition software will automatically check them into the cruise, allowing them to bypass long check-in lines. Cruisers can see their itinerary, and link their reservations with other guests’ to make plans together onboard. The app also allows passengers to see entertainment and dining options, and information about activities on the ship. Guests can open their doors and adjust the thermostat in their rooms through the app. These functions will also be available on the Apex, a Celebrity ship setting sail in April 2020.

Check-in via selfie is also available on the app for Celebrity’s parent company, Royal Caribbean. Royal Caribbean says the function allows guests to get from “car to bar” in 10 minutes. On Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas, which just underwent a $165 million upgrade, guests can use an in-app remote for their TVs and use the app to unlock their stateroom doors.

Use your voice

People attached to voice apps like Google, Siri and Alexa who book a cruise on MSC’s newest ships, the Bellissima and the Grandiosa, can ask an onboard voice-activated system called Zoe for all sorts of guidance.

“People don’t want to sacrifice their life on land when they are at sea,” said Chris Gray Faust, managing editor of Cruise Critic, the world’s largest cruise review site. “Alexa and Siri are so integral to how we’re living and cruise lines are addressing that.”

Zoe, available in all staterooms, is programmed to answer some 800 questions about excursions or onboard restaurants and will be able to communicate in seven languages. Zoe will also be on the Virtuosa, which sets sail in November 2020.

Champagne delivery

When the Scarlet Lady, Virgin Voyages’ first cruise ship, sets sail next year, its guests, called “sailors,” will be able to download an app to order meals, book exercise classes and track their friends onboard. It will also allow passengers to shake their phones for champagne.

Give your phone a shake and a champagne button will appear and, with one tap, you can get a bottle of Möet & Chandon Imperial delivered to wherever you are on the ship.

“It is never too early for champagne and there is always something to toast to while aboard Scarlet Lady,” Tom McAlpin, chief executive of Virgin Voyages, said.

The ship will use something called Climeon technology, which converts heat from the ship’s engines into electricity, reducing how much fuel is needed to power the ship. The Scarlet Lady will have six Climeon units, which together have the capacity to power the equivalent of up to 750 households.

Augmented reality games

Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, was launched this month, with a 10,000-square foot gaming and virtual reality complex. The game center includes a virtual-reality racing experience in a retrofitted GT car, and an escape room challenge, where guests participate in a series of interactive and augmented reality activities.

Royal Caribbean recently introduced an augmented reality adventure experience called Expedition Two70. Expedition Two70 allows guests to play four immersive augmented reality games. The experience was added to the Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas and is being added to the Quantum of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas cruises in the coming months.

52 PLACES AND MUCH, MUCH MORE Follow our 52 Places traveler, Sebastian Modak, on Instagram as he travels the world, and discover more Travel coverage by following us on Twitter and Facebook. And sign up for our Travel Dispatch newsletter: Each week you’ll receive tips on traveling smarter, stories on hot destinations and access to photos from all over the world.

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popofventi · 7 years ago

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The 20 :: Your Daily Cup of Culture (#197)

"When I was young I was far-out We can hold hands, we can make-out Sit silent or cry out." -- Welles "Seventeen"

Your Daily Cup of Culture...

Here's The 20 things I found on the internet worth sharing today. Your Daily Cup of Culture can be fun, serious, thoughtful or just some great new song or something to buy. If not, you can get your money back.

1. Ad of the Day - Sometimes the moments that never happen, matter the most. Introducing the New Volvo XC60. The Future of Safety:

2. "Mind-Boggling" Science - Stanford research turns human blood cells into functional neurons in three weeks.

3. Cutting Edge Fear - Computers that can perfectly mimic the human voice? Hyper sensitive surveillance cameras? Advances like these are already a reality, and need to be regulated now. These are the technologies that should scare us.

kofiwidget2.init('Buy Me a Coffee', '#28a842', 'Q5Q1CN1T');kofiwidget2.draw();

4. "I Am Groot." - A Canadian man set a Guinness World Record for Most Marvel Comic Tattoos.

5. International Corner - Iceland is a remote island about the size of Kentucky. It has a population similar to St. Louis, Missouri. It is a gun loving country. But Iceland has not had a shooting murder since 2007.

6. "Allez McEnroe!" - Cheering John McEnroe in Paris Never Gets Old

7. Feel - A high school baseball player in Minnesota is gaining a lot of attention. Once he struck out a friend on the opposing team to win a game, he decided his friendship was more important than a celebration:

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8. New Song of the Day - "Seventeen" by Welles

Follow the Ventipop New Songs Playlist on Spotify

9. Obligatory Coffee Link of the Day - These are the world's most expensive coffees.

10. Pucker Up! - Sonic kept its world and is now serving a sweet and sour pickle-flavored slush.

11. The TV Tourist - Meet the woman who likes to vacation where her favorite tv shows are set.

"Some people play golf or rock-climb. I get a little obsessed with my favorite shows, sometimes so obsessed I even commit some light trespassing. I’d say this is one of the pleasures of our era: The golden age of TV has given us a golden age of TV tourism. You can visit sets and settings that take you closer to this bit of popular art you love, so that later you can re-watch it in a fresh way, newly immersed. In the last few years, I’ve gone to Utah Mormon country because of Big Love, the Florida Keys because of Bloodline; Monterey, California, because of Big Little Lies; and Breckenridge, Colorado because of CNN’s High Profits." -- ~ CATHERINE BAAB-MUGUIRA, AKA THE TV TOURIST

12. Hitting On All Cylinders - Meet 8-Year-Old Drummer Yoyoka who's giving a whole new meaning to "Hit Like A Girl". So great:

vimeo

13. Vacation Travel Log 2018, Stop #1 - San Francisco Travel Tips To Self for Next Time -

Stay in much quieter and slower paced Sausalito NOT San Francisco.

Bring more warm clothes. Residential Homes in S.F. do not have air conditioning. Because they do not freaking need it.

Avoid touristy Piers and stay away from seagulls. They attack and will work in pairs to steal corn dogs.

Buy the Muni Mobile Pass again to ride all city transportation easily including trollies. DO NOT NEED CAR in San Francisco.

Big City Scavenger Hunt was cheap fun and a great way to see many landmarks.

Stay in Italian North Beach Neighborhood and eat at Mama's for breakfast every morning.

Start training one year out for bike ride across Golden Gate Bridge.

Have a real conversation with kids before coming here again about San Francisco's homelessness problems.

14. On The Road To The World Pastry Cup 2019 - Belgium wins silver medal at European Pastry Cup.

15. Hostile Architecture - Think your city doesn’t like you? You’re right. The Subtle Design Features That Make Cities Feel More Hostile

16. Game of the Day - My kids absolutely loved Cuphead when it came out last year...and now there's a sequel of sorts in the works:

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17. Shhhhhhh... - Librarian Shaming is a place for librarians to get things off their chest anonymously, and enjoy some commiseration from their peers.

18. Sweet Extension - Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown Will Remain on Netflix for “Months to Come”.

19. Dying Wish-ful Thinking - 7 Futuristic Things To Do With Your Body When You Die

20. The Last Drop - Artist of the Day is Seoul-based artist Lee K.:

If you find any peace and value in what I do, any donation, big or small, means a lot and helps keep spreading the positive vibes.

ONE-TIME DONATION

You can make a single donation in any amount you choose by clicking the button below.

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Grind #197

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