Month: July 2017

Business & Financial Books on Sale

The following business and finance Kindle books are currently on sale at Amazon (AMZN). If you are interested in any of these books, you should order them as soon as possible, because often these sales only last for just a couple days.

Sam Walton: Made In America
Print List Price: $7.99
Kindle Price: $1.99

The Addictive Organization: Why We Overwork, Cover Up, Pick Up the Pieces, Please the Boss, and Perpetuate
Digital List Price: $7.99
Kindle Price: $0.99

Take Command: Lessons in Leadership: How to Be a First Responder in Business
Print List Price: $13.99
Kindle Price: $1.99

Working with Emotional Intelligence
Print List Price: $18.00
Kindle Price: $1.99

Find It, Fix It, Flip It!: Make Millions in Real Estate–One House at a Time Digital List Price: $10.99
Print List Price: $16.00
Kindle Price: $1.99

Listful Thinking: Using Lists to Be More Productive, Successful and Less Stressed
Print List Price: $15.95
Kindle Price: $1.99

Drink Coffee, Live Longer, Make Money with Coffee Stocks

Great news for you coffee drinkers. About a week ago, the news came out that drinking coffee can extend your life expectancy. And it wasn’t just one study that released this information, there were two studies.

One study, funded by the European Commission Directorate-General for Health and Consumers and International Agency for Research on Cancer was the largest research on coffee ever, involving half a million subjects from ten European countries. The study found that there was reduced risk of death from various causes, due to drinking coffee.

The other study involved multiethnic participants, including African Americans, Native Hawaiians, Japanese Americans, Latinos, and whites. This study, funded by the National Cancer Institute, found that coffee drinking was associated with a reduced risk for death in African Americans, Japanese Americans, Latinos, and whites.

If the desire for a longer life through coffee consumption catches on, this could certainly benefit the coffee companies. It is interesting to note that since these studies were released on July 11, the price of the iPath® Bloomberg Coffee Subindex Total Return ETN (JO) has increased by over 8%. JO consists of one futures contract on the commodity of coffee, and it is a way for investors to participate in the price of coffee without investing in the futures market.

Of course, Starbucks (SBUX) is the big elephant in the coffee cup with a market cap of $84 billion. The stock trades at 23.8 times forward earnings, and pays a dividend yield of 1.63%. Dividends have increased every year for the last seven years. Earnings for the latest quarter jumped 13.5% year-over-year.

If you are looking for a coffee producer and distributor, there is Coffee Holding (JVA), which is a very low cap stock at $25 million, and therefore very speculative. The stock trades at 20.8 times trailing earnings and has a very favorable price to sales ratio of 0.36.

If you are looking for a list of publicly traded coffee companies, look no further than the free list of coffee, caffeine, and tea stocks HERE. Hopefully one of these stocks can stimulate your portfolio and keep it healthy.

Disclosure: Author didn’t own any of the above stocks at the time the article was written.

 

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Fourth Week of July

Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called ‘Buying Dividends,’ also commonly referred to as ‘Dividend Capture.’ This is the process of buying stocks before the ex dividend date and selling the stock shortly after the ex date at about the same price, yet still being entitled to the dividend.

This technique generally works only in bull markets, and can work in flat or choppy markets, but you need to avoid the technique during bear markets. In order to be entitled to the dividend, you have to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date, and you can’t sell the stock until after the ex date.

The actual dividend may not be paid for another few weeks. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has compiled a downloadable and sortable list of the stocks going ex dividend in the near future. The list contains many dividend paying companies, lots with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the ex-dividend date, the quarterly dividend amount, and annual yield.

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (LOW) 7/24/2017 0.41 1.82%
Royal Bank Of Canada (RY) 7/24/2017 0.644 3.34%
Signet Jewelers Limited (SIG) 7/26/2017 0.31 1.87%
Hasbro, Inc. (HAS) 7/28/2017 0.57 1.84%

The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found here at wstnn.com. (If you have been to the website before, and the latest link doesn’t show up, you may have to empty your cache.) If you like dividend stocks, you should check out some of the other high yield stock lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WStNN.com. Most of the lists are free.

Dividend definitions: Declaration date: the day that the company declares that there is going to be an upcoming dividend.

Ex-dividend date: the day on which if you buy the stock, you would not be entitled to that particular dividend; or the first day on which a shareholder can sell the shares and still be entitled to the dividend.

Monthly Dividend Stock List

Record date: the day when you must be on the company’s books as a shareholder to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is normally set for stocks at two business days before the record date.

Payment date: the day on which the dividend payment is actually made, which can be as long at two months after the ex date.

Don’t forget to reconfirm the ex-dividend date with the company before implementing this technique.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

 

7 Ways to Invest in Warren Buffett

Billionaire Warren Buffett is the second richest American and fourth richest person in the world, according to the May 11 issue of Forbes. He is the head of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A, BRK.A), the highest priced stock and one of the most successful companies during the last half-century. Buffett’s wealth is due to his expertise in investing.

So if you want to invest in Warren Buffett, or like Warren Buffett, or side-by-side with Warren Buffett, you have several options available to you.

#1 Berkshire Hathaway A Shares

Do you have a spare $256,000 in your portfolio? If so, you can pick up one share of Berkshire Hathaway.

#2 Berkshire Hathaway B Shares

If a quarter of a million dollars is out of your price range, the company also has Class B shares (BRK-B), currently trading for around $170 a share. The Class B common share is equal to one-fifteen-hundredth (1/1,500) of the Class A shares.

#3 Markel

Markel Corp. (MKL) is an insurance company that many consider to be a mini-Berkshire, especially since it has over $250,000,000 of Berkshire Hathaway Class A stock and another quarter of a billion dollars of the Class B stock.

#4 Oppenheimer Financials Sector Revenue ETF

The Oppenheimer Financials Sector Revenue ETF (RWW) has over 15% of its portfolio invested in Berkshire, its largest holding.

#5 Financial Select Sector SPDR® Fund

Berkshire is the second largest holding of the Financial Select Sector SPDR® Fund (XLF) , amounting to more then 10% of the portfolio.

#6 iShares U.S. Financials ETF

iShares U.S. Financials ETF (IYF) also has Berkshire as its second largest holding, making up almost 7% of the portfolio.

#7 Stocks that Warren Buffett Owns

One other option is to create a portfolio that emulates Berkshire Hathaway’s holdings of publicly traded stocks. (Keep in mind that this wouldn’t cover Berkshire’s holdings of non-public stocks.) In addition, it would involve purchasing many different stocks, so you would be better off just buying the Class B shares. But if you think that you can outperform Buffett using his ideas by picking and choosing his best picks, then you should check out a list of Berkshire’s major stockholdings.

For a free downloadable list of all of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway stockholdings, which can be changed, added to, and sorted by yield and forward PE, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author didn’t own any of the above at the time the article was written. 

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Third Week of July

Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called ‘Buying Dividends,’ also commonly referred to as ‘Dividend Capture.’ This is the process of buying stocks before the ex dividend date and selling the stock shortly after the ex date at about the same price, yet still being entitled to the dividend.

This technique generally works only in bull markets, and can work in flat or choppy markets, but you need to avoid the technique during bear markets. In order to be entitled to the dividend, you have to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date, and you can’t sell the stock until after the ex date.

The actual dividend may not be paid for another few weeks. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has compiled a downloadable and sortable list of the stocks going ex dividend in the near future. The list contains many dividend paying companies, lots with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the ex-dividend date, the quarterly dividend amount, and annual yield.

Clorox Company (CLX) 7/17/2017 0.84 2.42%
Oracle Corporation (ORCL) 7/17/2017 0.19 1.28%
WD-40 Company (WDFC) 7/19/2017 0.49 1.70%
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (WSM) 7/19/2017 0.39 3.29%
C.R. Bard, Inc. (BCR) 7/20/2017 0.26 0.33%

The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found here at wstnn.com. (If you have been to the website before, and the latest link doesn’t show up, you may have to empty your cache.) If you like dividend stocks, you should check out some of the other high yield stock lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WStNN.com. Most of the lists are free.

Dividend definitions: Declaration date: the day that the company declares that there is going to be an upcoming dividend.

Ex-dividend date: the day on which if you buy the stock, you would not be entitled to that particular dividend; or the first day on which a shareholder can sell the shares and still be entitled to the dividend.

Monthly Dividend Stock List

Record date: the day when you must be on the company’s books as a shareholder to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is normally set for stocks at two business days before the record date.

Payment date: the day on which the dividend payment is actually made, which can be as long at two months after the ex date.

Don’t forget to reconfirm the ex-dividend date with the company before implementing this technique.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

 

What Is Amazon Prime Day and Why Should I Care?

Amazon Prime Day is an annual one-day only global shopping event exclusively for Prime members of Amazon (AMZN), which offer major sales on various items. It is being held today, July 11th, 2017. Here are just a few of the best bargains:

Prime Day Amazon Devices starting at $29.99

Prime Day All New Fire Tablet starting $29.99

Prime Day Echo Dot only $34.99

Echo 50% off on Prime Day

30% Off Select Amazon Exclusive Toys & Games

Kindle – Up to 40% Off Kindle Unlimited

Prime Members get 40% off Audible Membership from June 29, 2017 through July 11, 2017

Prime Day Savings on Toys & Games

 


Would You Put Whiskey in Your Gas Tank?

It may be hard to believe but cars can now run on whiskey, in addition to gasoline and diesel, according to a BBC article. Actually, it is whiskey residue from the whiskey making process called biobutanol. And the best feature is that the automobile engine doesn’t have to be modified.

But it is not just cars consuming liquor; humans seem to do a bit of consuming themselves. Last year, the sale of alcohol was $25.2 billion in the US, a 4.5% increase over the previous year, and the seventh yearly increase in a row.

Relax and Lose Weight

With money flowing into the coffers of liquor producers, some investors are taking a close look at companies in the alcohol industry. Studies have shown that liquor may help you lose weight, will help relax you (obviously), and might even cure blindness. Investors who believe that booze stocks can benefit from these alcohol health benefits, have several choices to choose from.

Jack Daniel’s

Brown-Forman Corporation (BF-B) is a liquor distributor which is famous for its Jack Daniel’s and Southern Comfort brands. The stock has a price-to-earnings ratio of 28, a forward P/E of 26, and provides a fair yield of 1.48%.

 Johnnie Walker

Diageo (DEO) is a London based alcoholic beverage distributor that markets numerous brands of whiskey, including Johnnie Walker Scotch whiskey, Crown Royal Canadian whiskey, JeB Scotch whisky, Buchanan’s Scotch whiskey, Windsor Premier Scotch whiskey, and Bushmills Irish whiskey. It also sells vodka, rum, and wine. The stock trades at 24 times trailing earnings, and 20 times forward earnings. It sports a higher-than-industry-average yield of 2.5%.

How to Invest in Donald Trump

Did you know that you can invest in a stock that developed and distributes Trump Super Premium Vodka? The company is Drinks Americas (DKAM), a Connecticut based company that trades Over the Counter on the Pink Sheets, and last traded for one hundredth of a cent. The vodka received four out of five stars by Spirit Journal. Unfortunately for potential tasters, the beverage is no longer sold in the US.

For a free list of stocks in the liquor and wine industry, click on the following link:

Wine & Liquor Stocks

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above stocks at the time the article was written. 

Trend Following: How to Make a Fortune in Bull, Bear and Black Swan Markets

Over the four day weekend, I read the book, Trend Following: How to Make a Fortune in Bull, Bear and Black Swan Markets by Michael W. Covel. This 688 page tome is the most complete book on the investment technique of Trend Following that I have ever read.

Don’t let the size of the book deter you from reading it. The first half of the book contains the meat of information, while the last half includes numerous interviews of successful traders, and an extensive appendix supported by lots of research.

The book shows how many of the so-called tried-and-true investment trading techniques, such as dollar cost averaging and fundamental analysis,  are basically unsuccessful, and how using trend following can generate positive trades, no matter what kind of market we are in, even crashes. Covel gives numerous examples of how the trend following traders have made money over many years.

One of my favorite chapters was Chapter 4 – Big Events, Crashes, and Panics, which discusses such incidents as Enron, the great recession, the dot com bubble, and Black Friday. The author shows how money was still being made during those times. Probably the most important chapter is Chapter 10 – Trading Systems.

It is interesting that I actually started trend following trading a few months ago with some success. The problem I had was not cutting my losses. However, Covel has pounded the lesson into me to cut my losses quickly. (He has also provided me with many other lessons throughout the book.)

One feature that makes this book interesting is that he provides interesting quotations from famous people on almost every page in the book.

If you are a stock or commodities trader, and your performance hasn’t been as successful as you like, I highly recommend that you read Trend Following.

 

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Second Week of July

Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called ‘Buying Dividends,’ also commonly referred to as ‘Dividend Capture.’ This is the process of buying stocks before the ex dividend date and selling the stock shortly after the ex date at about the same price, yet still being entitled to the dividend.

This technique generally works only in bull markets, and can work in flat or choppy markets, but you need to avoid the technique during bear markets. In order to be entitled to the dividend, you have to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date, and you can’t sell the stock until after the ex date.

The actual dividend may not be paid for another few weeks. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has compiled a downloadable and sortable list of the stocks going ex dividend in the near future. The list contains many dividend paying companies, lots with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the ex-dividend date, the quarterly dividend amount, and annual yield.

Aetna Inc. (AET) 7/11/2017 0.5 0.82%
Abbott Laboratories (ABT) 7/12/2017 0.265 2.16%
Foot Locker, Inc. (FL) 7/12/2017 0.31 2.30%
Yum! Brands, Inc. (YUM) 7/12/2017 0.3 2.13%
Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) 7/14/2017 0.4 2.12%

The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found here at wstnn.com. (If you have been to the website before, and the latest link doesn’t show up, you may have to empty your cache.) If you like dividend stocks, you should check out some of the other high yield stock lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WStNN.com. Most of the lists are free.

Dividend definitions: Declaration date: the day that the company declares that there is going to be an upcoming dividend.

Ex-dividend date: the day on which if you buy the stock, you would not be entitled to that particular dividend; or the first day on which a shareholder can sell the shares and still be entitled to the dividend.

Monthly Dividend Stock List

Record date: the day when you must be on the company’s books as a shareholder to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is normally set for stocks at two business days before the record date.

Payment date: the day on which the dividend payment is actually made, which can be as long at two months after the ex date.

Book now available: Buying Dividends Revised and Expanded

Book now available: Stock Market Trivia Makes a Great Gift!

Don’t forget to reconfirm the ex-dividend date with the company before implementing this technique.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

 

Business Book Bargains: Financial Books on Sale Now

The following business and finance eBooks are currently on sale at Amazon. If you are interested in any, I suggest that you order them as soon as possible, because often these sales only last for a few days.

Iacocca: An Autobiography
By Lee Iacocca with William Novak
A #1 New York Times bestseller! In this candid read, the former CEO of Chrysler reflects on his legendary career — sharing penetrating insights and tried-and-true lessons perfect for those in leadership positions.
$1.99 discounted from $7.99

Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World
By Michael Hyatt
A New York Times bestseller: To succeed today, you need to stand out. Learn how to create your own platform and expand your influence in this down-to-earth primer with nearly 500 five-star reviews on Amazon!
$1.99 discounted from $9.99

Profit First
By Mike Michalowicz
Transform your business and kickstart long-term growth with an unconventional strategy that flips the script and puts profit first! Ideal for entrepreneurs, this practical guide “may arguably be one of the greatest ‘hacks’ of all time” (Chris Guillebeau, author of The $100 Startup).
$1.99 discounted from $13.99

Street Smarts
By Jim Rogers
A New York Times bestselling author and Wall Street leader offers sharp insights about the world’s economic future, while looking back on his legendary career. “Another great read from one of the most astute global investors of our time” (New York Times bestselling author Peter D. Schiff).
$1.99 discounted from $13.99

Why Good People Can’t Get Jobs
By Peter Cappelli
Is a skills gap really what’s preventing good people from getting hired? Find out in this insightful book full of actionable advice from a Wharton School professor who was named one of HR Magazine’s Most Influential Thinkers of the Year!
$0.99 discounted from $7.99

Financially Ever After
By Jeff D. Opdyke
Don’t let money ruin your marriage! A Wall Street Journal columnist provides practical advice and decision-making tools in “a sensitive and sensible manual for peaceably handling marital finances” (Publishers Weekly).
$0.99 discounted from $13.99

Happy reading !!!