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Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are on pace for their strongest year since 2021, but will that uptick in activity be bullish for small-cap stocks?

Despite some weakness early in the week, the indexes bounced back in a big way, closing at new all-time highs. For the week, the S&P 500 gained 1%, the Dow added 1.07%, and the Nasdaq soared higher by 2%.

Markets, led by Nasdaq’s leading companies, had an impressive winning streak broken by concerns over an acceleration of coronavirus cases. Our Emerging Markets signal (EEM) stays positive as the virus is being handled well in Asia outside of China but is exploding in Latin America. The Explorer portfolio is well positioned with cash to deploy and stocks holding up well.

Today, we’ll look inside the indexes to see what’s working and also explore what more participation by individual investors in 2020 might mean for markets. Then we move north to Canada for a promising new recommendation that has all the characteristics of a winning gold stock.

This week’s recommendation is a low-risk financial stock with decent prospects that is temporarily low because it lost what investors mistakenly believed was a key client. If you buy now you can get capital appreciation plus a modest dividend.

While the coronavirus concerns are still high, stocks have recovered their footing, as China has taken steps to stimulate its economy and markets.

The Cabot Global Stocks Explorer portfolio is holding up well, though Luckin Coffee (LK) sold off hard and then sharply rebounded this week. Our emerging markets timer (EEM) is marginally positive, and in an uptrend in the last month.



Today’s recommendation is a leader in fintech with a great growth story, strong numbers and an attractive entry point.

Nearly impossible to ignore in the financial and mainstream media are updates about the ongoing negotiations to avoid a default on its obligations by the U.S. federal government. Accompanying the news is the countdown to the X Date, the unofficial date when the government will run out of authority to make further payments because it will exceed the $31.4 trillion statutory debt ceiling.

The market is in a tough place right now, closing last week at new post-summer lows. At some point – perhaps sooner than we expect – the next rally will arrive. And there are a lot of indicators (overly bearish investor sentiment, a history of October bottoms, etc.) that suggest the next big move is up. But we have to see it to believe it. So, for now, we’ll maintain a relatively cautious stance, trimming an underperforming position today and downgrading another to Hold.

And yet, there are enough glimmers of hope out there (remember: it’s still technically a new bull market!) that today we’re adding a mid-cap software company with tons of growth potential, recently recommended by Tyler Laundon in Cabot Early Opportunities.

Details inside.

This month’s Issue of Cabot Small-Cap Confidential features a newly public company that’s trying to do what seems impossible – make the healthcare system work better.

It’s essentially a big data software company for this highly complex market. But it has a services and consulting segment too that’s central to the growth story because so many clients need help getting organized before they can even implement a software system.

Revenue growth tops 30%. And the story remains relatively unknown. All the details are inside the December Issue of Cabot Small-Cap Confidential.

A growing share of adults believe their finances are heading in the wrong direction, and if you count yourself among them, it’s time to do something about it. This month, it’s time for a financial checkup. We’ll dive into the 10 financial mistakes you must avoid when it comes to spending, saving, investing, and even managing your credit, so you can get yourself on the path to a clean bill of (financial) health.

The bull market remains intact, so I continue to recommend that you be heavily invested in stocks that help achieve your investing goals.

Today’s featured stock is in the semiconductor industry, which as we all know, is enjoying great demand in a supply-constrained world.



As for the current portfolio, most of our stocks look good, but Progyny (PGNY) is a sell, simply because it is our biggest loser.



Details inside.



Lastly, I hope you’ll join me for the 9th Annual Smarter Investing, Greater Profits Online Conference, August 17-19. We have an incredible line-up of experts ready to share their best picks.

The market remains challenging, in that we really don’t know if growth stocks are cooked, or China is in trouble or housing has peaked—but uncertainty has always been part of the game. If you want certainty, buy a bond.

The technology-oriented Nasdaq Composite closed yesterday 10.7% below its all-time closing high, set in November. Some technology- related stocks are facing headwinds for multiple reasons. Many trade at high valuations. Most do not offer dividends to buffer the impact of higher interest rates. Some companies are showing great revenue growth but no profits. We are adjusting by selling two positions and adding an international story with enormous promise.

Here are two companies that fit my screening criteria for undervalued stocks with low volatility.

Over the past month Tesla (TSLA) has struggled as continued price cuts have boosted sales but narrowed profit margins. It is also failing to live up to its brand as more than just a maker of electric cars (EVs).

Higher interest rates are eating into EV demand. Competition is catching up as Tesla last launched a new passenger vehicle in 2020. In October, BYD (BYDDY) outsold Tesla for the first time.

In the investment world, I’d caution any beginning investor that a story from someone who has made a fortune may not be a reliable roadmap for replicating their success.

Clearly, it’s in the interests of full-service brokerages to discourage you from making your own investing decisions. They make their money from commissions for trading your account and fees for managing your money. And the more they can count on keeping you in a standard mix of index funds, ETFs, sector funds and bond funds, the better they like it.

Trend analysis is critical when researching small-cap stocks. And these three small caps are benefiting from some of today’s biggest trends.

Despite a broadly solid market, dividend payers lagged in 2021, but things are looking up. Here are 4 conservative dividend stocks for 2022.

Four portfolio stocks report earnings.