I must admit I am surprised how angry people can become when their widows and orphans stocks, mainly consumer staples with reliable dividends, are attacked. It is no secret that I‘ve been writing and commenting negatively about them for some time. And I was right in most cases, as these “safe bets“, which according to the fan base belong in every defensive portfolio, have performed very poorly. I stick to my view that the dividends won’t be safe over time. Once and for all, I am now unveiling why my pessimism likely is warranted.
Continue readingTag Archives: Crisis Investing
Investing in stocks of bankrupt companies + new research report
Investing in stocks of companies that went bankrupt, seriously? Seriously! What at first sounds like a recipe for disaster, indeed can be a lucrative endeavor. A bankrupt company is not the same as the ceasing of operations. Indeed, often it is even the case that companies go into bankruptcy restructuring while everyday operations continue. This area can be a great treasure trove to fish for potential multi-baggers where others don’t bother due to negative associations. A premier on Financial Engineering: My Premium PLUS members receive my latest stock idea – a pick that recently emerged from bankruptcy – with the potential to multi-bag.
Continue readingThree high-quality gold mining stocks (for your watchlist) + new research report
In May 2024, I published a Weekly about gold mining stocks. My focus was on how to analyze them, and which parameters to know and watch. I also compared the industry’s three biggest names to evaluate how they performed, and why so (at that time, they had, surprisingly for many, underperformed the spot gold price). Today, I discuss three gold miners I like from a quality perspective for the watchlist. All my members on top will receive my latest stock idea – a gold stock, but with a slightly different case. Even if the gold price does not rise, this could become a multi-bagger which is unlikely for most gold stocks.
Continue readingIs Insmed a Promising Biotech Blockbuster? + new research report
Insmed, a biotech company with one approved drug and a very promising pipeline, in the last 13 months saw its stock going up by a factor of no less than 4x – plus 300%! There were two key events each propelling the stock decisively higher. Both were updates on ongoing clinical trials only. I am saying deliberately “only”, because it is not even a given that biotechs surge so much after drugs get approved by the FDA, yet, here it happened twice following just updates to clinical trials. The reason: Insmed’s assets are very promising with each potentially achieving blockbuster status (> 1 bn. USD is sales, both potentially multi-billions). Is it now time to jump onto this precious opportunity? My Premium PLUS members will soon receive my latest stock idea with a much more attractive setup.
Continue readingPepsiCo – refreshing buy or just a crushed can?
The stock of soft drinks and snacks giant PepsiCo over the last five years has done exactly nothing. Dividends were the only form of returns, but this will hardly make investors high-five this market-lagging performance. With a just raised-again dividend, a yield on the high-end of the historical range, a comparatively low PE ratio of 16x and an uncertain economic environment, this consumer staple company might qualify for a defensive portfolio.
Continue readingSearching for recession- and tariff-protection
Like I hinted in my outlook for 2025, this year indeed so far has proved to be rather volatile. Sentiment can change almost on a day-to-day basis, depending on political announcements. Even wild swings of 7–10% in just one day are not impossible. Under these circumstances, it makes sense to think about more defensive stocks, assuming the tariff circus continues and / or a recession hits soon. There are the usual suspects which can do the job. But I wouldn’t expect too much upside. My members have already received my next stock idea – one of the most defensive, recession- and tariff-unaffected businesses available – paired with decent upside.
Continue readingAfterword to the recent market crash
As irony and destiny wanted it, with the publication of my last Weekly, markets crashed down hard, effectively erasing much of the gains of the last twelve months. Of course, it wasn’t my publication that ignited the fireworks. I had written my Weekly shortly prior to the tariff announcement which was the catalyst that sent markets worldwide lower in fear of a major economic contraction. Big calls for another 1929 depression and 1987 Black Monday crash evaporated, at least for now. Then yesterday, one of the best days on Wall Street EVER. What to make out of this?
Continue readingQ1 is over – how hard was the correction for you?
Depending on your personal portfolio composition, the just closed first quarter 2025 might show an entirely different performance. While scrolling through twitter it reads almost like a hefty crash with big losses is behind us, the reality is on an aggregate level not much has happened so far. Even more contradictory, the current correction only involved certain sectors and individual stocks. This is the sector rotation I have written about in the past several times. What to draw out from it for our portfolios?
Continue readingIs South Africa’s Sasol a steel at 0.4x book value?
Once a 40 bn. USD heavyweight, South Africa’s energy and chemicals company Sasol has imploded to a market cap of less than 3 bn. USD. South Africa primarily makes negative news, as the country is coping with political instability, a weak economy, high unemployment, the world’s highest inequality, a fragile energy and electricity supply and even recently announced legally allowed expropriations of white people. In this environment, the currency depreciated strongly. Is now the time to look for bargains in this crisis-ridden environment? A look at South Africa’s (former) giant.
Continue readingConsumer staples got eaten for lunch – Part I – Food stocks
Weren’t we told stocks of consumer staples should be cornerstones of every mindfully assembled portfolio? With their defensive business models, predictable demand (one needs to eat, drink, clean, etc.), strong brands, consistent dividends and long histories as proof of being in business for a reason, this sounds like a no-brainer. Winning by not losing, everything else is too speculative, isn’t it? However, over the last five and even ten years, exactly this group of stocks has disappointed extremely. Many are in the red and even factoring in their dividends the performance was abysmal. Are valuations now cheap enough to take a bite?
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