China
The world’s largest country by population, The People’s Republic of China is home to over 1.3 billion people with a land mass that covers approximately 3.7 million square miles. One of the few remaining communist countries, The People’s Republic of China has developed a quasi-capitalist sector for business. China’s gross domestic product (GDP) is approximately $7.0 trillion; second only to the U.S. at $15.0 trillion. The leaders opened up the centrally planned economy in the late 1970s and early 1980s to allow economic through trade, which has allowed China to grow at an unprecedented rate for a country its size. From 2001 to 2011, China grew at an annualized rate of 10.5%.
Historical Trends, Global Economic Factors Say Stock Market at Risk
What if I told you the best six months for investing in the stock market are drawing to an end? Not good news, is it?
As we enter the second quarter, there is optimism based on the price action of the stock market in 2014. Yet as I mentioned, what is historically recognized as the best six-month period during the year for investing in the stock market, particularly the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average, according to the Stock Trader's Almanac, is coming to a close at the end of April. With the S&P 500 having returned only 0.44% in 2015 (better than the 0.26% decline in the Dow Jones Industrial Average), can we really expect much for the stock market following what was supposedly the historically ... Read More
How to Prepare for the Stock Market Sell-Off I’ve Been Warning About
Well, that didn’t take long! Just a few weeks ago, I wrote an article stating that investors should begin to worry about the lofty level of the stock market. Since that time, the S&P 500 has dropped by more than five percent in less than two weeks.
This market correction won’t be a surprise to my readers, as I have been suggesting investment strategies that can help prepare your portfolio for a large downswing in the market for some time now.
When I wrote the article in late January, the S&P 500 was surging, even though the preliminary Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan index of consumer sentiment dropped month-over-mo ... Read More
Why Gold Looks Good to Me in 2014
Just the other day, I was talking to a friend of mine who seemed extremely cheerful. I asked why, and he said that his investments have performed well over the past few months and he saw no reasons to worry.
This is a common problem with investor sentiment; people tend to become complacent and only look to the recent past as an indication of what tomorrow will bring.
This is quite dangerous. Investor sentiment is often wrong and can be used as a contrary indicator, buying when others are dumping their stocks and taking profits when others are blissfully unaware of the changing land ... Read More
How the Trend Is Changing for Silver
One of the interesting things about investors is how so many become complacent over time. When precious metals like silver were rising steadily, more and more people jumped on the bandwagon. But times have changed.
As Apple Moves into China, Market Underestimates the Icon’s Next Potential Growth
When it comes to big-cap stocks, very few are larger than Apple Inc. (NASDAQ/AAPL).
But there’s one question many investors may be asking: is there an investment opportunity in Apple’s stock at current levels? I believe there may be, even after a strong move up since hitting a 52-week low in April at $385.10.
You have to be careful when looking at big-cap stocks and whether or not there is a strong investment opportunity going forward. Just because a stock has moved up over the past year, that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily overvalued.
There is one key question that you must ask yourself as an ... Read More
