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Malik Roper 3/22/21 Malik Roper 3/22/21

MarketWatch #8

One of the more exciting parts of investing is learning the ability to analyze regular news and pre-identify shifts in the market. From real estate to stocks, everything correlates in some way, and the ability to identify that correlation can be the difference between making a lot of money and losing.

I read a press release from 2020 that listed the top 100 retailers in the USA. I was surprised by several of the top companies on the list but was less confused after reviewing their stock movement over the past year.

Disclaimer: MarketWatch is for entertainment purposes only. It is important that ALL investors conduct their own market research to determine the best investments for their portfolio. Please do not blindly follow me or any random person on the internet, there are professionals for that. MarketWatch is intended to give you insight into my investment portfolio and my analysis of each investment that is discussed. Please feel free to share any comments or questions below.

Check a few of them out below:

#3 Kroger (KR): The 3rd largest retailer in the country has seen little movement in the past year. I understand the weirdness of shopping during COVID, but a lot of stores have become very efficient with their online pickup/curbside service, Kroger hasn’t. This could be an indicator that the company is going to slide on next year’s list.

#8 Target (TGT): Target is growing and they are growing fast! Up 89% since last year, there is still a lot of opportunity ahead for the 8th largest retailer in the United States.

#6 Home Depot (HD): I’ve seen more and more remodeling videos go viral since the pandemic. With the 3rd round of stimulus checks now in our pockets, we should expect to see another push towards new heights for the hardware giant.

#7 CVS Health Corporation (CVS): One of the first places to open up testing for COVID-19, CVS, has been at the forefront of convenience and health safety for the many people who were not permitted into hospitals and emergency care facilities. Will CVS keep this steam going even after we have all been vaccinated?

#11 Apple Store/ iTunes (AAPL): I was surprised to see Apple and iTunes on this list, but I was reminded of how dominant Apple really is. Microsoft is one of my favorite companies and one that everyone should have on their watchlist, but Microsoft closed their retail stores last year. With Apple being #11 on this list, I don’t see them making a hasty decision like Microsofts’ anytime soon.

#16 TJX Companies (TJX): “Remodeling, redecorating, redesigning?” — TJ Maxx, Homegoods, and Marshall’s are where you go after the hard work is finished. TJX has been growing like wildfire for the past few years and with a new focus on building an online presence, we may see them take another step forward. With that said, what would happen to TJX if they chose not to get with the online shopping times and just stuck to their brick-and-mortar roots?

#20 Macy’s (M): Speaking of brick-and-mortar, Macy’s has been struggling. It feels like the dominoes just continue to fall for the mall scene — First Sears, now JC Penny, who’s the next big box store in your local mall? Hopefully, things turn around for the nearly 200-year-old company (founded in 1858), but I am not optimistic.

#21 Dollar Tree (DLTR): The darkhorse retailer, Dollar Tree, is here to stay! We have seen them pop up in more places, seen their stores get bigger, and see their marketing become bolder. These are all signs of strong growth, especially when a company has an undeniably effective core competency: $1 stuff. Keep an eye on this one, you won’t regret watching them.

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it twice, staying ahead of the curb and making investment decisions based on logic will prove to be a much better and comfortable way to invest than following market trends. Do your research and trust what you put your hard-earned money into, this way you can sleep better at night knowing that you have placed your money in the right places.

Sources

https://nrf.com/resources/top-retailers/top-100-retailers/top-100-retailers-2020-list

Malik Roper 3/15/21 Malik Roper 3/15/21

MarketWatch #7

This week, we’re going to take a look at the 3 of the companies that have cut their teeth on new, groundbreaking tech to pave the way in delivering a vaccine during the horror movie-like experience that we have had for the last year and a half.

“I cant wait to finally be free” — Everyone in 2020

Covid-19, the coronavirus, the pandemic, the “Rona” — whatever you want to call it, it’s finally starting to get under control. No matter your sociopolitical views on the subject, I think we are all ready to move on from this depressing virus.

To remember the impact this virus had on our world, it’s easy — drive down to your local grocery store that’s now closed or look on your phone for which places offer new options for contactless delivery. There have been major drawbacks to this virus and also incredible solution-focused innovations that were created out of necessity.

The Race to a Vaccine

Moderna (MRNA): The Company of Major Gains! This time last year, Moderna was a $20 stock, today, you can’t get it for less than $130. And the only reason you can get it that cheap is because they just had their regularly scheduled pull back. History: In May 2020 Moderna saw a dip similar to the one happening now, this happened after they saw significant growth — a similar trend in several of your favorite stocks. In July, there was another pullback after growth. Another in December, and now they’re going through one in March.

Historical charts can help with predicting market movement in the future. This method of forecasting stocks is not a one-size-fits-all, but it does give you an idea of a stock’s volatility performance in similar climates and quarters.

Pfizer (PFE): The Dark Horse of the Pandemic. Pfizer is the most affordable stock of the three vaccine achievers and this is the one that I believe could have the most upside. Of the 3, Pfizer has had the least stock inflation, a high vaccine effective rate, and the highest dividend payout percentage of the three. This is worth noting because a dividend is the investor paycheck a company sends you after they’ve made more money than they needed. Pfizer has a long-standing history of paying out this check, and that represents strong financials and a commitment to shareholders.

So to recap: Their price is low, they pay you for investing, and they are making a vaccine that works!

I’d suggest you add this stock to your watchlist to see how the next few months go, earnings come out 4/27 and we could see this company make a comfortable shift in a positive direction.

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ): The one-hit-wonder, Johnson and Johnson was able to create a single-shot vaccine to battle the virus. Though the effectiveness numbers are lower than the other 2 vaccine companies, it is nice to see a familiar face helping to lead the charge in the race for a cure. With that said, I expected to see a more dramatic shift in JNJ stock this year.

As I have said before and I will say it again, staying ahead of the curb and making investment decisions based on logic will prove to be a much better and comfortable way to invest than following market trends. Do your research and trust what you put your hard-earned money into, this way you can sleep better at night knowing that you have placed your money in the right places.

Malik Roper 3/8/21 Malik Roper 3/8/21

MarketWatch #6

“I put in 40 hours a week for every dollar I get, so now that I have it, it’s going to work for me!”

Don’t let lazy money sleep in your wallet or bank account, saving is good, but there is a difference between saving for something and saving for nothing. Save for something and invest the rest, that 2% inflation can be a slow and painful death for your pockets.

There once was a farmer who decided to plant seeds for harvest.

First, he drops seeds on a path - The birds come and ate them.

Then, he planted the seeds on rocky places - Nothing grew.

Next, he planted the seeds among thorns - The seed suffocated and died.

Finally, he planted the seed in good soil - He saw the crop grow x10, x20, x100.

This is one of my favorite Bible stories because it shares an important sentiment with us as investors.

We have the dignity to choose where we invest our money (seeds), but those choices come with consequences that can be either good or bad.

This story helped me to understand that there are different ways to invest, and those investments will result in different outcomes. We have the choice to put our hard-earned money in good soil or take our chance with the birds, rocks, and bushes. Today, I’m going to share 2 companies with you that I believe are fundamentally bad soil. Then, I’ll share a company that I believe falls under the “good” soil category.

This community is here for conversation about investments, please share your thoughts about this in the comments below, and don’t be shy to disagree. The best decisions that we make come after a thorough vetting of the options and it is hard to see all of the options if we are only seeing them through our own lens.

Chevron (CVX): The ROCK

Oil has been the pinnacle of investments for a very long time, dating way back to the Rockefeller dynasty — Now, it’s losing value. We have seen the damage this commodity has done to people in the form of greed, but now people are losing their patience for the damage it does to our environment too. Electric vehicles are becoming the norm and in 2035 major car companies have already decided to leave the old method of transportation in the past. Chevron and all of the other oil giants are on sale right now, but the next step is the clearance rack, after that, they will be gone for good. Don’t let your money follow them!

General Motors (GM): The THORNS

GM is among a long list of companies who plan to leave their oily cars behind, but does that mean they are a good investment? I challenge that it doesn’t. With the tech industry and car industry now being intertwined, I don’t believe the “old” car industry is in the best position to adjust its entire business models and practices to work in the new tech-driven car industry. Whether it’s their mega factories, horrible labor conditions, or simply the fact that they are starting from the bottom essentially in tech, the major car companies of yesterday have their work cut out for them if they hope to compete in an ever-evolving and constantly growing smart tech industry. GM may survive, but many others will suffocate and die as a result. Be sure to do your research and trust your judgment.

Velodyne Lidar (VLDR): The SOIL

Now we get to the opportunity! With so much change needing to happen in the car industry and AI space as a whole, there is a lot of room for companies that specialize in providing parts for these different vehicles and smart devices. A company like Velodyne specializes in creating Lidar technology to help AI devices like robots, smart cars, and anything else without real eyes see. This is a technology that old car companies will need, new tech car companies will use, and future AI tech creations will require. It’s like investing in a motor company, motors are used in cars, lawnmowers, machinery, etc. so they have a lot of people to sell their motors to. If they have high demand and can develop a high volume of supply, you would expect to see that company increase their market value and stock value x10, x20, x100.

A Final Note for those who are not planting a seed at all:

Investing your money is one of the safest things that you can do for your family. Inflation is no secret, so every dollar that sits and isn’t working for you is working against you. I heard a quote about this recently:

“I put in 40 hours a week for every dollar I get, so now that I have it, it’s going to work for me!”

REMEMBER: The single most important thing that you can do when you invest is to do your research. Do not blindly listen to TV, podcast, blogs, or anyone trying to give you investment advice. Know the market and trust yourself, this is the key to building an account that you and your next generation can be proud of.

Invest responsibly.

Malik Roper 1/16/21 Malik Roper 1/16/21

MarketWatch #3

This week, I’m helping a friend of mine that told me that he is ready to start trading stocks. If you have additional thoughts, please drop them in the comments or join the conversation on Twitter.

Today, I’m giving you 3 tips of advice that I learned when I started out. Then, I’ll show you 3 stocks that you should consider buying FIRST. Here’s a quick pointer I learned: Stay away from the most talked-about stocks. Usually, those are the stocks with a lot of highs and lows in the market. You don’t need your money being thrown around in the beginning, a solid base will give you breathing room if the market breaks.

This week, I’m helping a friend of mine that told me that he is ready to start trading stocks. If you have additional thoughts, please drop them in the comments or join the conversation on Twitter.

Here are 3 more tips:

Tip #1: Buy the companies that you believe in first.

If you shop there, you should own it. This is the low-hanging fruit that is often overlooked by new investors.

Tip #2: Start small — You don’t need $1,000 in the bank to start investing.

Some brokerages let you buy small parts of big companies like Amazon and Tesla. If you don’t want to pay for a full share, don’t. My rule of thumb is to own as many of the companies that I love as possible.

Tip #3: Find a free brokerage — Don’t pay to start the game.

Check out Robinhood if you need a free trading option. You and I will get a free stock when you signup.

Join Robinhood Here

Now, let’s look at three companies that sell consumer goods that you may have at home. Likely, these are the companies that you like or trust.

Walmart (WMT): Love ‘em or hate ‘em, Walmart is a leader in its space. One of the biggest suppliers for businesses and consumers, Walmart has captured nearly the entire market. There’re always new and exciting companies to invest in, but companies like Walmart are how the big investors win. Do future self a favor, consider watching Walmarts stock. If you can't buy their stock today, they are CERTIFIED MarketWatch material.

Amazon (AMZN): Jeff Bezos recently reclaimed his role as the head honcho for all of the billionaires in the world, and while shares were down nearly $50 since last week, there is no reason to worry about them as an investment. With new opportunities to build their relationship with the government, we could see one of the largest suppliers of medicine begin distribution talks for the COVID vaccine and potentially other vaccines in the future. This is speculation, but it is a solution to an urgent problem.

As well as that, last month was the greatest online shopping frenzy in history and Amazon was the clear front-runner. You already know that this company is ESSENTIAL to our economy, and our lives, so owning it isn’t a bad idea.

ATT (T): People love their phones and I know that your likely no different. Why not own your phone company? This is a great place for new investors to start. You need to find businesses that offer evergreen goods and services — These are companies that offer products and services that are always needed (Ie. Cell phone service).

Another Note: AT&T offers one of the highest dividends out there, so that means you get paid money just for owning their stock. Yeah, it’s a double-dip in the cookie jar, and it looks beautiful on your taxes. If that’s not enough, check out their charts, they are incredibly cheap right now. Especially compared to what we saw from them before Feb 28, 2020.

That looks like the COVID effect, in my opinion. There is no denying it, world crises are terrible for the majority of people and we have little control when these things happen. But, you are in control of your wallet, so buy companies while they are low and sell them when they are HIGH.