#and wild fearmongering in general while knowing nothing about it

[preciousmetals0]

Hong Kong Fluey; Airlines Clash; Chip Hopes Dashed

Hong Kong Fluey; Airlines Clash; Chip Hopes Dashed:

Hong Kong Fluey

It’s no secret that I like being right, dear readers. But not like this … not like this.

The Wuhan coronavirus has spread to nearly 3,000 confirmed infections and close to 80 deaths. China has now quarantined 16 cities, issued a group-travel ban and a ban on eating wild meat in Wuhan.

Yes, that last point seems rather bizarre to many of us who reside in the States. Why are the Chinese eating wild meat? But just think for a second if the U.S. government issued a ban on eating deer meat in the Midwest to prevent a virus spreading. That hits a bit closer to home, doesn’t it?

But I digress…

Outside of China, there are five confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the U.S., and a handful of cases in countries such as France, Japan and South Korea.

Wall Street is reacting to the rapid spread of the coronavirus as I expected. Heading into the midday, losses were nearly 2% across the board for all of the major market indexes.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 500 points at its lowest levels of the day. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index shed some 2.2% at its lowest levels, as traders took profits on China-exposed chip stocks.

All in all, it was a really rough way to start the week.

The Takeaway:

I woke up this morning looking forward to researching the glut of corporate earnings slated to arrive this week. I was even somewhat excited about December’s durable goods orders, consumer confidence figures and housing data. (Yes, I know I have a problem. It’s why I write Great Stuff. Welcome to my therapy sessions.)

The economic data seem pretty moot at this point. The potential economic impact of a global pandemic kind of throws all that data out the window. Any takeaways we could’ve drawn from last month’s housing or durable goods orders is now less than conjecture.

Corporate earnings reports also seem a bit less important than before for many of the same reasons. With the advent of the Wuhan coronavirus, the future is once again more uncertain than it was before. Prior-quarter results will be cheered, but not as much as they would’ve been. Guidance will be heavily scrutinized and any signs of weakness punished harshly.

And, as I’ve said many times before, Wall Street absolutely hates uncertainty.

In all honestly, this is exactly how investors should’ve operated before the coronavirus. It’s no secret that Wall Street is in an easy-money bubble. The recent surge higher since New Year’s was a relief rally brought on by the U.S.-China trade deal.

But it wasn’t just the China trade deal. The Nasdaq had hit 28 record highs since November — the most since February 2000. The S&P 500 Index had gone 71 days without a 1% move. Even in a bull market, that’s quite a run higher.

In short, here’s what I’m saying: The market was itching for a reason to sell, and this deadly virus outbreak was the perfect excuse.

What we see in the market right now is a profit-taking sell-off … tinged with a bit of fear. If the current outbreak runs the same course as others — SARS, MERS, Ebola, et cetera — this sell-off is a buying opportunity. That said, there are too many unknown factors still out there:

How will this impact the Chinese economy?

Will it affect global trade?

Will the new coronavirus spread in Western countries?

The best thing you can do right now is not panic. Hunker down, hold what you can and wait. There’s no way to plague-proof your portfolio other than holding stable, well-run companies.

If this pandemic turns out to be a big nothing-burger, you still own stock in growing businesses. Well done.

If it’s going to heck … then it’s time for a Wall Street fire sale! Panicked investors will dump their shares at the littlest signs of trouble, and that’s our best buying opportunity.

Banyan Hill expert Jeff Yastine is able to tell the stock market’s diamonds from the falling rough. Bullish or bearish, Jeff has a trained eye for spotting rock-solid businesses that are best positioned to grow in any market — pandemic or bust.

If you feel unprepared for a market crash gone viral, Jeff just uncovered one stock that should be added to every portfolio … no matter where the market’s headed.

Click here to learn how to get details on the one stock Jeff recommends you buy today.

The Good: The Au Wu-Flu Rally

If you’ve been picking up what Great Stuff has been putting down, you likely hold a little gold in your portfolio somewhere. The malleable metal is nowhere near as hip as it used to be, but it’s still among the best investments for occasions such as these.

With today’s flu-panic sell-off, gold prices are edging in on six-year closing highs. Well, at least bullion prices are, according to FactSet data.

Last I saw, Gold for February delivery (GC=F) was up $10.70, less than 1% away from its January 7 highs. If you remember, those highs were driven by heightened tensions with Iran, after the U.S. killed a top Iranian general.

For those keeping track, that’s two potential black swan events in less than a month. Man, 2020 is shaping up to be a real doozy, isn’t it?

The bottom line here is that, if you don’t already hold gold in some form in your portfolio, you seriously need to consider it.

The Bad: Group Travel Banned

If you and several of your China-based friends had flight plans this week … I have some bad news for you. Effective this morning, China banned international group travel.

The move is designed to help contain the coronavirus outbreak, but the fallout is hitting the airline industry hard … China is the world’s largest outbound travel market, after all. But not all outbound traffic is banned — just group travel. Forbes has an informative article on the ban here, if you want to read more.

And it’s not just the Chinese government. Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) and General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) both restricted employee travel to Wuhan, China.

Still, just the mention of a travel ban tanked airline stocks today.

The biggest losers are those with international reach, such as American Airlines Group Inc. (Nasdaq: AAL), Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE: DAL) and United Airlines Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: UAL). Overall, the U.S. Global Jets ETF (NYSE: JETS) is down roughly 3% today.

Unfortunately, the airline industry already struggles with the fallout from Boeing Co.’s (NYSE: BA) 737 Max debacle. The addition of a pandemic coronavirus and travel bans will pressure the airline industry even more. This weakness will linger for a while.

The Ugly: Sick Chips

If you thought the airline industry was in a bad way today, you haven’t seen semiconductors. Chip stocks have been red-hot in the wake of the U.S.-China trade deal — mostly because many semiconductor companies have crucial manufacturing and supply chains in China.

Those supply chains are called into question once again with the Wuhan coronavirus. Companies such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (NYSE: TSM), Xilinx Inc. (Nasdaq: XLNX) and Micron Technology Inc. (Nasdaq: MU) are getting hammered as the outbreak spreads like wildfire across China.

Unlike the airline industry, however, semiconductors will bounce back quickly from this latest setback.

Why? Take your pick: cloud computing growth, Big Data processing, the mobile device upgrade cycle, the 5G revolution, next-gen consoles … there are so many reasons that semiconductor stocks will rebound from today’s losses that it’s not funny.

When Great Stuff talks about holding on to well-run companies in a mega trend market, this is what we’re talking about … the Intel Corp.s (Nasdaq: INTC) and Advanced Micro Devices Inc.s (Nasdaq: AMD) of the market. These are the companies that you’ll want to own while riding out this latest round of volatility.

Even 5% corrections are not fun. … They tell you they’re “buying opportunities” and they are. They don’t tell you that down 5% the news turns bad and then you’re afraid the 5% turns to 10% or 15%.

— Frank Gretz of Wellington Shields.

This quote comes from a Barron’s article that I linked to above. If you followed that link, you’re probably a bit more worried than usual today. It was very doom-and-gloomy.

When we link to articles like this, our goal isn’t to make you panic. It’s to make you aware of the situation. There’s good, actionable information in that article … but the best piece of advice isn’t the fearmongering by Frank Gretz — it’s the takeaway by author Ben Levisohn:

This drop is likely not the big one, even if it may feel that way. … So far, it’s hardly a 5% drop. But brace yourselves, just in case.

Great Stuff: Opportunities in the Crisis

The trade war is over. World War III is averted. Harry and Meghan renounced their royal status. For a brief moment in time, all was right with the world…

And then the coronavirus came along and messed everything up.

Much like the Spanish Inquisition, no one expects these black swan events. That’s why they’re called black swan events.

But that doesn’t mean it’s time to run around panic selling. Nor does it mean that you should try to catch every falling knife you see. (Ouch!)

So, how do you find opportunities when the world appears to have gone mad?

Well … that’s what Great Stuff and the gurus at Banyan Hill are here for!

Today, Ted Bauman and Clint Lee of The Bauman Letter have the inside scoop on two sectors to avoid and three opportunities to take advantage of in this crisis. Click below to watch this week’s edition of Your Money Matters:

[embedded content]

If you’d rather cut straight to the chase and learn how to get access to Ted Bauman’s exclusive market research, click here now!

Until next time, good trading!

Regards,

Joseph Hargett

Great Stuff Managing Editor, Banyan Hill Publishing

[goldira01]

Hong Kong Fluey

It’s no secret that I like being right, dear readers. But not like this … not like this.

The Wuhan coronavirus has spread to nearly 3,000 confirmed infections and close to 80 deaths. China has now quarantined 16 cities, issued a group-travel ban and a ban on eating wild meat in Wuhan.

Yes, that last point seems rather bizarre to many of us who reside in the States. Why are the Chinese eating wild meat? But just think for a second if the U.S. government issued a ban on eating deer meat in the Midwest to prevent a virus spreading. That hits a bit closer to home, doesn’t it?

But I digress…

Outside of China, there are five confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the U.S., and a handful of cases in countries such as France, Japan and South Korea.

Wall Street is reacting to the rapid spread of the coronavirus as I expected. Heading into the midday, losses were nearly 2% across the board for all of the major market indexes.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 500 points at its lowest levels of the day. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index shed some 2.2% at its lowest levels, as traders took profits on China-exposed chip stocks.

All in all, it was a really rough way to start the week.

The Takeaway:

I woke up this morning looking forward to researching the glut of corporate earnings slated to arrive this week. I was even somewhat excited about December’s durable goods orders, consumer confidence figures and housing data. (Yes, I know I have a problem. It’s why I write Great Stuff. Welcome to my therapy sessions.)

The economic data seem pretty moot at this point. The potential economic impact of a global pandemic kind of throws all that data out the window. Any takeaways we could’ve drawn from last month’s housing or durable goods orders is now less than conjecture.

Corporate earnings reports also seem a bit less important than before for many of the same reasons. With the advent of the Wuhan coronavirus, the future is once again more uncertain than it was before. Prior-quarter results will be cheered, but not as much as they would’ve been. Guidance will be heavily scrutinized and any signs of weakness punished harshly.

And, as I’ve said many times before, Wall Street absolutely hates uncertainty.

In all honestly, this is exactly how investors should’ve operated before the coronavirus. It’s no secret that Wall Street is in an easy-money bubble. The recent surge higher since New Year’s was a relief rally brought on by the U.S.-China trade deal.

But it wasn’t just the China trade deal. The Nasdaq had hit 28 record highs since November — the most since February 2000. The S&P 500 Index had gone 71 days without a 1% move. Even in a bull market, that’s quite a run higher.

In short, here’s what I’m saying: The market was itching for a reason to sell, and this deadly virus outbreak was the perfect excuse.

What we see in the market right now is a profit-taking sell-off … tinged with a bit of fear. If the current outbreak runs the same course as others — SARS, MERS, Ebola, et cetera — this sell-off is a buying opportunity. That said, there are too many unknown factors still out there:

How will this impact the Chinese economy?

Will it affect global trade?

Will the new coronavirus spread in Western countries?

The best thing you can do right now is not panic. Hunker down, hold what you can and wait. There’s no way to plague-proof your portfolio other than holding stable, well-run companies.

If this pandemic turns out to be a big nothing-burger, you still own stock in growing businesses. Well done.

If it’s going to heck … then it’s time for a Wall Street fire sale! Panicked investors will dump their shares at the littlest signs of trouble, and that’s our best buying opportunity.

Banyan Hill expert Jeff Yastine is able to tell the stock market’s diamonds from the falling rough. Bullish or bearish, Jeff has a trained eye for spotting rock-solid businesses that are best positioned to grow in any market — pandemic or bust.

If you feel unprepared for a market crash gone viral, Jeff just uncovered one stock that should be added to every portfolio … no matter where the market’s headed.

Click here to learn how to get details on the one stock Jeff recommends you buy today.

The Good: The Au Wu-Flu Rally

If you’ve been picking up what Great Stuff has been putting down, you likely hold a little gold in your portfolio somewhere. The malleable metal is nowhere near as hip as it used to be, but it’s still among the best investments for occasions such as these.

With today’s flu-panic sell-off, gold prices are edging in on six-year closing highs. Well, at least bullion prices are, according to FactSet data.

Last I saw, Gold for February delivery (GC=F) was up $10.70, less than 1% away from its January 7 highs. If you remember, those highs were driven by heightened tensions with Iran, after the U.S. killed a top Iranian general.

For those keeping track, that’s two potential black swan events in less than a month. Man, 2020 is shaping up to be a real doozy, isn’t it?

The bottom line here is that, if you don’t already hold gold in some form in your portfolio, you seriously need to consider it.

The Bad: Group Travel Banned

If you and several of your China-based friends had flight plans this week … I have some bad news for you. Effective this morning, China banned international group travel.

The move is designed to help contain the coronavirus outbreak, but the fallout is hitting the airline industry hard … China is the world’s largest outbound travel market, after all. But not all outbound traffic is banned — just group travel. Forbes has an informative article on the ban here, if you want to read more.

And it’s not just the Chinese government. Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) and General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) both restricted employee travel to Wuhan, China.

Still, just the mention of a travel ban tanked airline stocks today.

The biggest losers are those with international reach, such as American Airlines Group Inc. (Nasdaq: AAL), Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE: DAL) and United Airlines Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: UAL). Overall, the U.S. Global Jets ETF (NYSE: JETS) is down roughly 3% today.

Unfortunately, the airline industry already struggles with the fallout from Boeing Co.’s (NYSE: BA) 737 Max debacle. The addition of a pandemic coronavirus and travel bans will pressure the airline industry even more. This weakness will linger for a while.

The Ugly: Sick Chips

If you thought the airline industry was in a bad way today, you haven’t seen semiconductors. Chip stocks have been red-hot in the wake of the U.S.-China trade deal — mostly because many semiconductor companies have crucial manufacturing and supply chains in China.

Those supply chains are called into question once again with the Wuhan coronavirus. Companies such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (NYSE: TSM), Xilinx Inc. (Nasdaq: XLNX) and Micron Technology Inc. (Nasdaq: MU) are getting hammered as the outbreak spreads like wildfire across China.

Unlike the airline industry, however, semiconductors will bounce back quickly from this latest setback.

Why? Take your pick: cloud computing growth, Big Data processing, the mobile device upgrade cycle, the 5G revolution, next-gen consoles … there are so many reasons that semiconductor stocks will rebound from today’s losses that it’s not funny.

When Great Stuff talks about holding on to well-run companies in a mega trend market, this is what we’re talking about … the Intel Corp.s (Nasdaq: INTC) and Advanced Micro Devices Inc.s (Nasdaq: AMD) of the market. These are the companies that you’ll want to own while riding out this latest round of volatility.

Even 5% corrections are not fun. … They tell you they’re “buying opportunities” and they are. They don’t tell you that down 5% the news turns bad and then you’re afraid the 5% turns to 10% or 15%.

— Frank Gretz of Wellington Shields.

This quote comes from a Barron’s article that I linked to above. If you followed that link, you’re probably a bit more worried than usual today. It was very doom-and-gloomy.

When we link to articles like this, our goal isn’t to make you panic. It’s to make you aware of the situation. There’s good, actionable information in that article … but the best piece of advice isn’t the fearmongering by Frank Gretz — it’s the takeaway by author Ben Levisohn:

This drop is likely not the big one, even if it may feel that way. … So far, it’s hardly a 5% drop. But brace yourselves, just in case.

Great Stuff: Opportunities in the Crisis

The trade war is over. World War III is averted. Harry and Meghan renounced their royal status. For a brief moment in time, all was right with the world…

And then the coronavirus came along and messed everything up.

Much like the Spanish Inquisition, no one expects these black swan events. That’s why they’re called black swan events.

But that doesn’t mean it’s time to run around panic selling. Nor does it mean that you should try to catch every falling knife you see. (Ouch!)

So, how do you find opportunities when the world appears to have gone mad?

Well … that’s what Great Stuff and the gurus at Banyan Hill are here for!

Today, Ted Bauman and Clint Lee of The Bauman Letter have the inside scoop on two sectors to avoid and three opportunities to take advantage of in this crisis. Click below to watch this week’s edition of Your Money Matters:

[embedded content]

If you’d rather cut straight to the chase and learn how to get access to Ted Bauman’s exclusive market research, click here now!

Until next time, good trading!

Regards,

Joseph Hargett

Great Stuff Managing Editor, Banyan Hill Publishing

[auidobooks-blog1]

BEST AUDIO BOOKS FOR RUNNERS

Whether you’re a beginner looking to distract yourself, or an expert looking to mix things up, listening to audio books while you run can be a great addition to your routine and an excellent way to kill two birds with one stone. From thrilling crime fiction and mythical fantasy, to learning more about the real world with some fascinating non-fiction, a good audio book can motivate you to go that little bit further. Here’s our list of the best audio books for runners…

CRIME FICTION

Title: Sherlock Holmes (70 hrs and 56 mins)

Summary: For those that have never read the original stories, national treasure Stephen Fry narrates the complete Sherlock collection lasting over 70hours!

For runners: With 56 short stories and 4 novels to choose from, you can stop and start at your own pace. London runners might even spot some familiar landmarks.

Title: Sometimes I Lie (9 hrs and 28 mins)

Summary: “My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me. I’m in a coma. My husband doesn’t love me anymore. Sometimes I lie.”

For Runners: Unnerving, twisted and utterly compelling, you won’t be able to pause this new thriller. Perfect for the runner that just keeps pushing.

Title: Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be  (7 hrs and 4 mins)

Summary: With wry wit and hard-earned wisdom, popular online personality and founder of TheChicSite.com founder Rachel Hollis helps readers break free from the lies keeping them from the joy-filled and exuberant life they are meant to have.

For Runners: This was the most amazing motivating book ever! She is so inspirational! This is a must read! She is just so real and makes it so easy to relate to her stories!!

Title: After the Plague (13 hrs and 30 mins)

Summary: Few authors in America write with such sheer love of story, language, and imagination as T.C. Boyle, and nowhere is that passion more evident than in his inventive, wickedly funny, and widely praised short stories. In After the Plague, Boyle speaks of contemporary social issues in a range of emotional keys. The sixteen stories gathered here address everything from air rage to abortion doctors to first love and its consequences. The collection ends with the brilliant title story, a whimsical and imaginative vision of a disease-ravaged Earth. Presented with characteristic wit and intelligence, these stories will delight readers in search of the latest news of the chaotic, disturbing, and achingly beautiful world in which we live.

For runners: Who want a different story for every run.

FANTASY

Title: Fantastic Beasts (1 hr and 40 mins)

Narrated by Eddie Redmayne, this is the first audio book edition of Scamander’s textbook ever to be released. Having starred as Newt Scamander himself in the movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, who better to narrate this Hogwarts Library book from one of the wizarding world’s most famous Magizoologists? Dip in to discover the curious habits of magical beasts across five continents….

Alien: Out Of The Shadows (4 hrs and 31 mins)

With the new Alien film released in May, runners can immerse themselves in the fantasy world with this exclusive audio production. Set in deep space, a land of darkness and isolation where evil hibernates awaiting for suitable prey, hell takes on a new meaning. Quickly the characters discover that their only hope lies with the unlikeliest of saviors….

Ready Player One (15 hrs and 40 mins)

Narrated by actor Will Wheaton, this thrilling story is a fast-paced adventure that pits thousands of desperate members of humanity against each other in the ultimate race for the winning prize.

It’s the year 2044, and the real world has become an ugly place. We’re out of oil. We’ve wrecked the climate. Famine, poverty, and disease are widespread. Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes this depressing reality by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia where you can be anything you want to be, where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets. And, like most of humanity, Wade is obsessed by the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this alternate reality: OASIS founder James Halliday, who died with no heir, ha promised that control of the OASIS – and his massive fortune – will go to the person who can solve the riddles he has left scattered throughout his creation.

Title: Zombies Run (1 hr and 50 mins)

Set in the universe of the worldwide best-selling app Zombies, Run!, this is a murder mystery like no other. Why would anyone still want to kill a fellow human, even after the zombie apocalypse? And having started, how can they be stopped? The desire for vengeance, after all, is the way of all flesh.

Nothing will make you run faster than the imminent threat of Zombies.

Tite: Extracted (12 hrs and 40 mins)

A young scientist invents a time machine to fix a tragedy in his past. But his good intentions turn catastrophic when an early test reveals something unexpected: the end of the world. For runners who can achieve the extraordinary – this fantasy set in 2061 follows three ordinary humans set to change the future.  Can these three heroes, extracted from their timelines at the point of death, save the world?

NON-FICTION

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (15 hrs and 18 mins)

Everyone’s been talking about this Sunday Times Bestseller, so what better way to catch up than on a run? Opening up a controversial topic with spirit and thoroughness, Sapiens will challenge your preconceptions, provoke discussion and, most importantly, push you to think for yourself.

Earth is 4.5 billion years old. In just a fraction of that time, one species among countless others has conquered it. Us.

We are the most advanced and most destructive animals ever to have lived. What makes us brilliant? What makes us deadly? What makes us sapiens?

In this bold and provocative audiobook, Yuval Noah Harari explores who we are, how we got here, and where we’re going.

The Elephant in the Room (1 hr and 48 mins)

In The Elephant in the Room, Jon Ronson, the New York Times best-selling author of The Psychopath Test, Them and So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, reunites with an old acquaintance – the influential provocateur and conspiracy talk-show host Alex Jones – to explore one of the most bizarre presidential campaigns in American history. From conspiracy theorists and fearmongers, to a chance encounter with notorious political operative Roger Stone, Ronson’s picaresque journey into Donald Trump’s world. Whimsical, hilarious and often downright terrifying, The Elephant in the Room captures a defining moment in our time as only Jon Ronson could see it.

Wild (12 hrs and 59 mins)

Experience true escapism with this heartbreaking true story of a young woman who experiences intense grief and a life undone, only to rediscover herself as she forges ahead on a seemingly impossible solo journey across the American wilderness. An unforgettable journey of self-discovery, Wild is written by international best-selling author Cheryl Strayed and is a complete and unabridged audiobook memoir with a powerful narration by talented voice-artist Laurel Lefkow. Now also a hugely successful film starring Reece Witherspoon. Audible listeners follow the. This is a story that will stay with you long after the final word.

A History of Britain in 21 Women (8 hrs and 28 mins)

Feel empowered mentally as well as physically with this thought-provoking collection on the lives of 21 women that sheds light upon a variety of social, political, religious and cultural aspects of British history.

In lively prose Woman’s Hour Jenny Murray reinvigorates the stories behind the names we all know and reveals the fascinating tales behind those less familiar. From famous queens to forgotten visionaries and from great artists to our most influential political actors, A History of Britain in 21 Women is a veritable feast of history.

Find all these titles and thousands more at audiobooks.com