This February, I was invited to a special “closed-door” conference in Orlando.
The hosts requested I present my top five investing ideas to a handful of the world’s most successful financial publishers, authors and popular gurus.
I spent the better part of an hour up on stage, detailing the five major mega trends I’d started to follow with Green Zone Fortunes subscribers.
Glancing around the room, I could see a few raised eyebrows. I took that to be a good sign.
But the questions started even before I wrapped up…
It turned out that many of my colleagues, even those with considerable investment experience, were surprised to say the least.
My ideas weren’t exactly controversial.
I wasn’t telling them exactly what they wanted to hear, either.
But then over the course of 2023, investors gradually started catching on.
And now it’s clearer than ever — these five mega trends will produce some of the biggest profits for retail investors over the course of 2024, and through the rest of the 2020s.
So let’s take a closer look at the five best ways to find your next great stock investment…
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Emerging Markets
Over the last month, emerging market (EM) investments have come into the spotlight with the election of Argentina’s new president, Javier Milei.
As I explained in recent issues of Banyan Edge, Milei plans to slash government spending and open up Argentina’s economy after decades of failed socialist experimentation. If he’s even partially successful, Milei could unleash a tidal wave of economic growth for his country.
And investors are cheering him on. The Global X MSCI Argentina ETF (NYSE: ARGT) saw record inflows and jumped 13% higher following Milei’s election — posting its biggest intraday gains ever.
My 10X Stocks subscribers have been keeping a close eye on this story, since one of our top positions is an Argentinian stock with over 166% in open gains.
Over the next five-plus years, I expect certain EM stocks to far outperform the more expensive “developed” markets.
EM economies are growing much faster than developed countries. Some of them, like an opportunity I recently shared with my 10X Stocks subscribers, are actually posting a positive stock market over the last year and a half.
And even more important, EM countries are growing energy consumers. That means they’ll play a big part in another key theme on my radar…
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The Ongoing Global Energy War
As I’ve said in the past, the ongoing “energy war” between fossil fuels and renewable energy will have a surprise winner: YOU, the investors.
Because it’s going to be decades before we find out whether renewables can truly replace Big Oil.
In the meantime, investors are going to see a wave of lucrative opportunities from both sides of the energy war.
The renewable energy industry is growing at rates that far exceed both economic growth and growth within the fossil fuels industries.
Identifying the best early movers in the renewable space isn’t easy, but can be highly rewarding when you get in on the ground floor of just a few of them.
Meanwhile, and just as importantly, oil prices are volatile. When there’s a disruption in the $2 trillion global market for oil, the aftershocks can lead to massive gains for both producers and investors.
For example, in the early 1970s, when OPEC’s embargo completely derailed the flow of oil.
Oil prices climbed 501%.
Then it happened again in the late 1990s, when Russia’s economy was falling apart and China’s energy demand was surging.
Once again, oil prices surged by more than 790%.
Now, for the third time in a generation, we’re facing down massive upheaval in the world’s energy markets. And I’m urging investors to take action before January 31, 2024.
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Income Opportunities
Last year’s inflation reached levels not seen in the early 1980s.
As a result, the market for reliable income investments became more competitive than ever.
You can do OK buying short-term T-bills, and there’s certainly a place for that in a portfolio.
But I’m seeing even better yields in the stock market for a marginally higher risk, and I believe dividend investing will be in style for a long time to come.
That’s why I worked with my team to develop a special Green Zone Fortunes income portfolio.
Our mission was to find the safest, most lucrative yields in the market to help you beat inflation with as little risk as possible, lest you “reach for yield and get burned.”
This portfolio includes five stocks yielding over 9% each, and every single stock is currently yielding more than a cash position would be losing to inflation — not to mention the capital appreciation we’ve seen.
And at least for now, every one of these stocks is still under its buy-up-to price. So if you’ve been waiting to make income investments, now might be the time.
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Value Makes a Comeback
Many investors are still paying top-dollar for companies that command absurd stock valuations.
Meanwhile, there are plenty of stocks hiding out in the market that you can buy at a discount to their true value.
All you need are tools, such as my Green Zone Power Ratings system, to help you find true value while avoiding low-quality stocks that trade at cheap valuations for a reason.
Historically, high value indicates high future returns in the aftermath of a bear market.
Combine this fact with the returns of small-cap stocks, sweeten the deal with a strong dividend, and you have an incredible investment story that most seem unwilling to hear right now.
That’s fine by me. It leaves the sector ripe for early investors to take advantage of.
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The Federal Reserve
As I told Money and Markets readers in May of this year: “I believe almost everyone is underestimating the Fed’s willingness to keep rates at the current level for a long time, potentially well into next year.”
So far, that’s exactly what they’ve done.
At the latest meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee, Fed Chair Jerome Powell seemed to finally signal his intent to cut rates in 2024.
But it’s important to remember that rates likely won’t go down nearly as fast as they went up.
My advice to you is to expect rates to stay higher for longer than you might expect.
That means sticking with stocks that compete with the risk-free Treasury rate, and stocks that are in a fundamental position to provide those gains.
Change Is the Only Constant
If 2023 taught us anything, it’s to expect the unexpected.
From the unprecedented rise of ChatGPT and AI…
To renewed conflict in the Middle East…
To the upset victory of Argentinian President Javier Milei…
Our world is constantly changing. That’s doubly true for today’s markets. If you understand the forces driving that change, then you’ll know where to find the next breakout stock.
In fact, I’m already tracking a small U.S. oil stock that’s set to surge by January 31, 2024.
Get the full story on it HERE…
To good profits,
Adam O’Dell
Chief Investment Strategist, Money & Markets
