What stocks (corporations) do you think are good investments right now and why?

[Money & Finance]

Ok... I will begin to share my investment ideas list. I am hoping some of you will challenge me on these or even better surprise me with better opportunities.

Remember that these are stock investments to hold for decades not just quick trades.

Uber is quickly changing the transportation infrastructure of our world.

 

Twitter - I feel this stock has been beaten up and will eventually get bought out by Apple.

Netflix - They have some of the most compelling content on "TV" right now and have a massive subscriber base.

Coca-Cola - Because this will always be around

TJ Maxx - Women just love the hunt and this store seems to just keep on ticking.

I will also now add Amazon to my list: View the following video....

 

[TheWorldNewsOrg]

This might help people understand subsidiary brands out there:

[admin]

Why don't you use an Index strategy?

Check out this US Large Cap, High Dividend, Volatility Weighted Index ETF:

Victory_CEMP_US_Large_Cap_High_Div_Volatility_Wtd_Index_ETF_Fact_Sheet(1).pdf

 

I really like the explanation given in this article.

It pays a dividend once a month

Victory Portfolios II Victory CEMP US Large Cap High Div Volatility Wtd Index ETF

Schedule of Investments December 31, 2015

  (Unaudited)

Security Description				Shares				Value
Common Stocks (99.8%)
Aerospace & Defense (1.4%):
Lockheed Martin Corporation					1,884			$	409,111
Air Freight & Logistics (1.0%):
United Parcel Service, Inc.					3,138				301,970
Automobiles (2.1%):
Ford Motor Company					22,068				310,938
General Motors Company					8,736				297,112
									608,050
Banks (1.3%):
People's United Financial, Inc.					23,436				378,491
Beverages (1.7%):
The Coca-Cola Company					11,828				508,131
Capital Markets (2.2%):
Invesco Ltd.					8,692				291,008
T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.					5,107				365,100
									656,108
Chemicals (2.9%):
EI du Pont de Nemours & Company					5,476				364,702
LyondellBasell Industries NV					2,345				203,780
The Dow Chemical Company					5,674				292,098
									860,580
Communications Equipment (1.7%):
Cisco Systems, Inc.					10,333				280,593
QUALCOMM, Inc.					4,494				224,632
									505,225
Consumer Finance (0.6%):
Navient Corporation					16,378				187,528
Diversified Financial Services (1.1%):
CME Group, Inc.					3,465				313,929
Diversified Telecommunication Services (0.8%):
CenturyLink, Inc.					9,399				236,479
Electric Utilities (12.3%):
American Electric Power Company, Inc.					5,857				341,287
Duke Energy Corporation					4,658				332,535
Entergy Corporation					4,829				330,110
Eversource Energy					6,679				341,097
Exelon Corporation					8,426				233,990
OGE Energy Corporation					11,174				293,764
Pepco Holdings, Inc.					10,426				271,180
Pinnacle West Capital Corporation					5,508				355,156
Southern Company					8,057				376,987
Westar Energy, Inc.					8,732				370,324
Xcel Energy, Inc.					9,671				347,286
									3,593,716

 

Electrical Equipment (2.0%):
Eaton Corporation PLC					4,908			$	255,412
Emerson Electric Company					6,711				320,987
									576,399
Energy Equipment & Services (1.1%):
Helmerich & Payne, Inc.					2,983				159,740
National Oilwell Varco, Inc.					4,760				159,412
									319,152
Food & Staples Retailing (3.6%):
Costco Wholesale Corporation					2,440				394,060
Sysco Corporation					8,434				345,794
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.					5,265				322,745
									1,062,599
Food Products (1.9%):
General Mills, Inc.					7,585				437,351
Pilgrim's Pride Corporation					5,878				129,845
									567,196
Health Care Equipment & Supplies (1.2%):
Baxter International, Inc.					9,243				352,620
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure (2.8%):
Las Vegas Sands Corporation					3,971				174,089
McDonald's Corporation					3,476				410,655
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.					3,266				226,268
									811,012
Household Products (1.6%):
Procter & Gamble Company					5,730				455,019
Insurance (7.2%):
American Financial Group, Inc.					6,274				452,230
Arthur J Gallagher & Company					10,027				410,505
Cincinnati Financial Corporation					6,640				392,889
CNA Financial Corporation					9,630				338,495
MetLife, Inc.					5,564				268,240
Principal Financial Group, Inc.					5,551				249,684
									2,112,043
IT Services (3.3%):
International Business Machines Corporation					2,089				287,488
Paychex, Inc.					8,032				424,813
The Western Union Company					13,674				244,901
									957,202
Machinery (2.6%):
Caterpillar, Inc.					3,631				246,763
Deere & Company					3,759				286,699
PACCAR, Inc.					4,879				231,264
									764,726

 

Media (2.2%):
Omnicom Group, Inc.					5,600			$	423,696
TEGNA, Inc.					9,075				231,594
									655,290
Metals & Mining (0.8%):
Nucor Corporation					5,569				224,431
Multiline Retail (0.7%):
Kohl's Corporation					4,037				192,282
Multi-Utilities (13.1%):
Alliant Energy Corporation					5,728				357,714
Ameren Corporation					7,948				343,592
CenterPoint Energy, Inc.					15,632				287,004
CMS Energy Corporation					8,851				319,344
Consolidated Edison, Inc.					5,355				344,166
Dominion Resources, Inc.					5,027				340,026
DTE Energy Company					4,070				326,373
PG&E Corporation					6,334				336,905
Public Service Enterprise Group, Inc.					7,043				272,494
SCANA Corporation					5,778				349,511
TECO Energy, Inc.					8,913				237,531
WEC Energy Group, Inc.					6,137				314,890
									3,829,550
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels (4.3%):
Chevron Corporation					3,258				293,090
Exxon Mobil Corporation					4,098				319,439
Kinder Morgan, Inc.					10,093				150,588
ONEOK, Inc.					4,711				116,173
Plains GP Holdings LP					7,299				68,976
Spectra Energy Corporation					9,425				225,634
Williams Companies, Inc.					3,363				86,429
									1,260,329
Paper & Forest Products (0.9%):
International Paper Company					6,573				247,802
Pharmaceuticals (3.7%):
Johnson & Johnson					4,005				411,393
Merck & Company, Inc.					5,566				293,996
Pfizer, Inc.					11,213				361,956
									1,067,345
Road & Rail (1.1%):
Norfolk Southern Corporation					3,637				307,654
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment (6.7%):
Analog Devices, Inc.					3,671				203,080
Intel Corporation					8,402				289,449
KLA-Tencor Corporation					4,740				328,719
Linear Technology Corporation					6,664				283,020
Microchip Technology, Inc.					5,948				276,820

 

Security Description				Shares				Value
Texas Instruments, Inc.					5,259			$	288,246
Xilinx, Inc.					6,126				287,738
									1,957,072
Software (1.9%):
CA, Inc.					10,865				310,304
Symantec Corporation					11,854				248,934
									559,238
Specialty Retail (1.9%):
Best Buy Company, Inc.					4,634				141,105
GameStop Corporation					4,477				125,535
L Brands, Inc.					3,074				294,551
									561,191
Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals (0.5%):
Seagate Technology PLC					4,212				154,412
Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods (0.9%):
Coach, Inc.					7,637				249,959
Thrifts & Mortgage Finance (1.1%):
New York Community Bancorp, Inc.					20,131				328,538
Tobacco (3.6%):
Altria Group, Inc.					6,392				372,078
Philip Morris International, Inc.					4,107				361,046
Reynolds American, Inc.					6,943				320,420
									1,053,544
Total Common Stocks (Cost $29,349,048)									29,185,923
SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS (0.3%)
Money Market Funds (0.3%):
Short Term Investment Trust Liquid Assets Portfolio, 0.29%^					98,072				98,072
Total Short-Term Investments — (Cost $98,072)									98,072
Total Investments — 100.1% (Cost $29,447,120)									29,283,995
Liabilities in excess of other assets — (0.1)%									(14,989	)
NET ASSETS — 100.0%								$	29,269,006

^  Annualized seven-day yield as of December 31, 2015.

The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS^®) was developed by and/or is the exclusive property of MSCI, Inc. and Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC ("S&P"). GICS^® is a service mark of MSCI, Inc. and S&P and has been licensed for use by the Fund's Administrator, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC.

Schedule of Open Futures Contracts

Number of  Contracts  Sold				Description				Notional Amount				Unrealized  Appreciation
	2			S&P 500 E-Mini Future, March 2016				$	(203,540	)		$	1,977
												$	1,977

 

[admin]

I also like this fund which you can trade for "free" on TDAmeritrade

 

[admin]

I also like CEF

Central Fund of Canada Limited is “The Sound Monetary Fund”. Central Fund's purpose is to hold gold and silver bullion on a secure basis

 

Quote

There is a better way to invest in gold and silver than the popular—but I believe structurally unsound—ETFs like SPDR Golld Shares (GLD) and iShares Gold Trust (IAU). You can easily buy gold and silver through a vehicle that is backed by actual gold and silver rather than derivatives, swaps, and other esoteric paper promises. Consider Central Fund of Canada (CEF), which is, first of all, a closed-end mutual fund, not an ETF. It holds actual gold and silver bullion. The metal is audited, securely stored, and owned by the shareholders of the fund.

 

You will find that in the case of ETFs, nothing is actually “owned” by the shareholders. The ETF only represents the underlying security or index it is designed to mimic. It is possible that the ETF could go broke and the shareholders could lose their investment while the underlying asset that is mirrored by the ETF continues to appreciate.

Your investment in Central Fund of Canada will give you an ownership split approximately 50/50 between gold and silver. A further advantage is that when you sell, you will not be taxed unfavorably. Closed-end funds are taxed as equities while precious metal ETFs are taxed as commodities at a higher rate.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/investor/2011/10/12/a-canadian-closed-end-gold-and-silver-fund-with-a-tax-break/#85ff5265383c

 

[admin]

Since my last posts I recommend simplification.

VYM stock seems to have great performance with extremely low fees.

 

[Queen Esther]

How millionaires under 40 manage their money......   ;o)

Millionaires under 40 are more likely to hold on to cash, a report found.

Alas, there are some people who are lucky enough to be both young and rich.

And a report released last month by Capgemini Consulting showed some interesting trends in the strategies young millionaires use to manage their money.

In many ways, millionaires under 40 are even more conservative than their boomer counterparts. They are more likely to hold on to cash, less likely to invest in stocks and more prone to stashing money in alternative investments.

The findings, combined with other studies on how the younger-than-40 crowd handle their money, may even offer lessons for people who don’t have much wealth yet but are striving for it.

Here are some of the money management strategies that stand out among the young and wealthy.

They have plenty of cash on hand. Millionaires under 40 held about a third of their total assets in cash, including physical cash and money kept in the bank, like a checking account, according to the report. When asked why it was important for them to have so much cash, 17 percent of young investors said they wanted to be ready to pounce on the right investment opportunities when they arise. Thirty one percent said they wanted money on hand to be able to live the lifestyle they want. (Those vacations, shopping trips and nice meals need to be paid for somehow.)

Millennials who are more concerned with paying off their debt and covering the bills may have a hard time relating to that mentality. But some of the motivations pushing young millionaires to have cash in the bank aren’t that different from the reasons encouraging other millennials to build up a cash cushion. About 28 percent of young millionaires said it was important for them to have cash as a way to protect themselves from market volatility, according to Capgemini. It’s in line with other studies suggesting that millennials are nervous about taking on too much risk with their savings, even if they won’t need the money for a while. But there is a cost to holding too much cash, said Greg Popera, a private wealth adviser with Merrill Lynch. People who neglect to invest at least part of their funds in stocks, real estate and other assets may miss out on potentially higher returns over time, he said.

They spread their bets. As for the part of their wealth that is being invested, the young and wealthy are not relying too much on any single approach. Roughly 30 percent of their assets were held with wealth managers who could help them build a portfolio of stocks, bonds and other traditional investments. But about 40 percent of their portfolios were split up among less traditional investments including real estate, a business and other alternative investments.

That broad category of alternative investments can include gold, hedge funds or other asset classes that are expected to behave differently than the stock market, financial advisers say. For example, while stock markets were plunging on the day after Britain announced it had voted to leave the European Union, the price of gold soared.

By branching out into real estate, which can lead to rental income, investors are creating additional income streams that are not tied to the stock market or to their main jobs, financial advisers say. Investing in a business by buying a sizable stake in a company or by starting a small business can boost wealth and lead to big payouts when a business does well. But because such investments always require more risk, business investments tend to make up a smaller portion of the overall portfolio — about 13 percent — when compared to cash.

They consult friends and the web. When seeking advice on how to best manage their money, younger millionaires are more likely to turn to family, friends and the internet for guidance than they are to hire a professional when compared to older generations. Consider, among the under 40 group, just 17 percent of assets were with a primary wealth manager, compared to 27 percent for millionaires of all ages in North America. And a separate study from TD Ameritrade found that 28 percent of millennials turn to their friends for financial advice, compared to 15 percent of boomers, who were more likely to turn to a professional.

‘‘More and more we know that for this newer generation, traditional wealth management does not work,’’ said Tej Vakta, senior leader of global capital markets with Capgemini Financial Services. Younger investors were more likely than boomers to say that it was important for their adviser to offer online services that allow them to track or control their investments, Vakta said. But demand for online options is growing among all investors: Sixty-seven percent of millionaires of all ages said this year that they wanted an automated advice option, or a so-called robo-adviser, up from 49 percent in 2015, according to Capgemini.

They invest with a purpose. In addition to looking for investments that will boost their portfolios, many young investors — and not just the rich — want to know that their dollars are going toward the social causes that matter to them. Through a strategy known as socially responsible investing, some investors work with an adviser to dedicate a portion of their money to companies they feel are working to advance a certain issue, such as climate change. In other cases, investors will ask their advisers or brokerage firms to exclude industries they don’t want to support, such as alcohol companies, tobacco companies or gun manufacturers. Investors can also use mutual funds or exchange traded funds that offer similar strategies.

The approach is particularly common among younger investors. Some 60 percent of millennials and 34 percent of Generation X investors said they wanted to use or were currently using social impact investments, according to a 2015 report from U.S. Trust, a unit of Bank of America.

‘‘It’s a feel good return,’’ said Richard Dale Horn, senior vice president of wealth management for UBS Financial Services. Still, investors should make sure that their efforts to exclude certain industries don’t leave them investing too heavily in any one sector, Horn said. ‘‘I think you have to have a balance.’’

PERHAPS,  THIS  VERY  INTERESTING  REPORT  CAN  HELP  YOU...

[The Librarian]

I will put a plug in for Loyal3 brokerage.  https://www.loyal3.com

I think it is a good way for the average person to start accumulating shares in blue chip stocks of items they use everyday.