Trading Ideas

Although Stoicism dates back to 300 B.C., it still resonates with many world leaders and prominent entrepreneurs.
Today, Nicholas Vardy explains how it can influence your investment strategies as well.

When most investors hear the word “philosophy,” their eyes glaze over.
After all, it likely reminds them of a boring professor lecturing them about the obscure ideology of a long-dead thinker.
But philosophy isn’t just about asking how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.
It’s also about what men and women of action used to address their challenges – and achieve their greatest triumphs.
And there is no more practical philosophy than …read more […]

Brookfield Property Partners (Nasdaq: BPY) is a partnership under the giant Brookfield umbrella. Brookfield has several publicly traded subsidiaries. The parent company is involved with private equity, infrastructure, real estate and power.
Brookfield Property Partners owns 96 million square feet of office space and 120 million square feet of retail space, and it has 11 million square feet of office and multifamily projects in development.
Last year, the company reported funds from operations (FFO) per share of $1.48. FFO is similar to cash flow, and it is the metric used by real estate companies.
Brookfield Property Partners paid out $1.26 per share in …read more […]

Sometimes a look at Schedule 13D filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) can lead to great moneymaking opportunities.
A Schedule 13D must be submitted to the SEC within 10 days by anyone who acquires beneficial ownership of more than 5% of any class of publicly traded securities in a public company.
These documents give the public transparency into purchases that large shareholders make in any public company. More importantly, they often contain hints about potential future events at the company, including hostile takeovers, company breakups or any other “change of control” situations.
That’s why I’m bringing Conduent (NYSE: CNDT) to …read more […]

The biggest myth about crowdfunding is that crowdfunding investors get crumbs. The tasty dishes go to venture capital (VC) firms. And those startups that can’t get VC investors to scoop them up turn to crowdfunding.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Scores of startups use crowdfunding because of its unique benefits. I sat down with two founders of a fast-growing online wine club last week in New York City. The club has already raised $45 million from reputable investors like Crosscut Ventures and Bessemer Venture Partners. And now it’s about to raise again… at a much higher valuation thanks to its …read more […]

Do you have retirement savings? The earlier you open an IRA or 401(k) and start contributing, the better off you’ll be once you reach retirement age. You can’t rely solely on Social Security. It’s important to explore other methods of wealth accumulation for retirement, like passive income dividend investing.
What is Passive Income Dividend Investing?
Passive income dividend investing is a popular investment strategy. It involves buying dividend-paying securities and setting up a dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP).
The concept is simple. Using a retirement account, you invest in dividend stocks and reinvest those dividends as they’re paid. Each new share you buy through …read more […]

My home state of Pennsylvania has always been a big energy producer.
Its anthracite coal mines have been supplying the world with coal for more than a century. And the first oil well was drilled here in 1859. Pennsylvania soon became the top oil-producing state in the country.
Today, Pennsylvania is the No. 2 natural gas producer in the U.S. Its wells produce 18.7 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of the stuff – which adds up to 580.1 Bcf per month…

The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects Pennsylvania’s natural gas production will grow between 1% and 2% per year for decades.
That means …read more […]

What is Natural Gas?
Natural gas isn’t what you put in your car, or what you use to barbeque. It’s one of the cleanest and safest fossil fuels available.
Natural gas consists of about 90% methane and small amounts of other hydrocarbons. You can find natural gas with other fossil fuels in coal beds, where plants and animals have decayed under silt, rock and sand. The gas is highly combustible, and when burned it gives off an enormous amount of energy without emitting as much CO2 as other fossil fuels.
In this age of environmentalism, natural gas’s clean and powerful energy makes it …read more […]

The volatility in the stock market in December, May and August has produced two positive results.
Yes, I know – an 800-point drop in one day and the pounding we took in December don’t appear to have any positives on the surface. But it’s all about your perspective.
As anyone who has followed me for any period of time knows, the average investor’s perspective on the markets is 180 degrees out of sync with reality and is badly in need of realignment.
And the positive outcomes of the recent market volatility are so absolutely essential to your success as an investor. They have …read more […]

South Carolina is a tax-friendly state with a very reasonable cost of living. In fact, their taxes are 27% lower than the national average, according to Movoto. With this in mind, more families are considering The Palmetto State as the perfect landing spot for their retirement. Learn more about the best places to retire in South Carolina below.
What Makes the Best Places to Retire in South Carolina?
Planning for retirement can be a challenge. It’s important to take your time deciding on the key factors that are most important to you. Outside of the cost of living and tax benefits, other …read more […]

We’re not here to dwell on the past. We’re here to look to the future.
So this week we’re looking for the 10 largest American marijuana markets of 2024.
And the data shows we’re about to see a major continental shift.
By that I mean none of the top five cannabis markets in the U.S. are east of the Mississippi River right now.
But that’ll soon change…

First, this is one of those situations where size does matter…
So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the most populous state in the country is currently and will continue to be the largest cannabis market five years …read more […]

Slowing global growth and increasing economic uncertainty have led to a fair amount of investor panic lately.
Today, Nicholas Vardy shares two investment strategies that investors can use to protect themselves and grow their ETF portfolios.

Slowing global growth… the escalating trade war with China… the ever-looming threat of yet another market-crushing Trump tweet… The uncertainty surrounding global financial markets has hit investor sentiment hard.
The CNN Fear & Greed Index has slipped back near 20, signaling extreme fear.
Investors have pulled $18 billion from stock-related exchange-traded funds (ETFs) over three weeks.
While there are reasons to be cautious… it’s best to think through the …read more […]

Have you let your debt get out of control? Do you spend too much money eating out each week? Do you stare at your bank account in disbelief?
It’s unfortunate, but loss is a great teacher. And it couldn’t be truer when it comes to budgeting. No one completely understands the importance of a strict budget until they’re in a squeeze. So, think of your losses as a learning opportunity and start budgeting. It’s a matter of diligence. It’s not always fun, and it’s definitely not glamorous. But it is getting easier with budgeting apps.
Keeping track of your projected income, reoccurring …read more […]

Warren Buffett turns 89 this Friday, and there’s been a lot of attention given to his recent performance.
But before getting into that…
With seed capital of around $10,000 in the mid-1950s, Buffett masterfully invested his way to a net worth of around $79 billion.
His technique is simple: He focuses on what he knows (namely financials, information technology and consumer staples) and then buys companies he believes have unique competitive advantages over the long term – and he holds them – sometimes “forever.”
Oh, and along the way, he collects massive dividends.
This year alone, Berkshire Hathaway stands to generate more than $4.6 billion …read more […]

A while back, I was reading an article about bond funds. The subhead read, “The trick next year will be to avoid losing money.”
The first sentence should have been “Don’t buy bond funds.”
What should the line after that have read?
“The end.”
The writer could have saved himself 700 words, taken the afternoon off and caught a matinee. Instead, he wasted readers’ time showing them how little they’d lose if they bought the “top bond funds” featured in the article.
Why are bond funds near-certain losers when bonds are so important to balancing a portfolio? It has to do with the mechanics of …read more […]

Since marijuana has yet to be federally legalized in the U.S., American investors often turn to Canada for their cannabis stock investments. The two biggest cannabis stocks by market cap – Canopy Growth Corp. and Aurora Cannabis – are Canadian. And many other major cannabis companies are headquartered there as well.
These companies are global in nature. But they rely on the Canadian market for substantial revenue. So that makes it imperative for investors to learn everything they can about cannabis in Canada, including Canadians’ consumption habits. That’s what today’s chart is all about.
Statistics Canada conducts a National Cannabis Survey every …read more […]