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On the one hand, emerging market stocks are extending their bottom-building structure. On the other hand, there aren’t many stocks making huge, “buy me!” runs. But on balance, the news is hopeful, as the October low for EM stocks is proving durable despite continuing trade-war talks and Brexit suspense. There are plenty of hopeful signs, but they haven’t revealed a change of heart on investors part. Read on for some good news and the return of an old friend to the portfolio.

The good news today is that both our intermediate-term market timing tool, Cabot Tides, and our emerging markets timing tool, Cabot Emerging Markets Timer, have both flashed buy signals, telling us that we should work to get more heavily invested, by buying attractive stocks at sensible entry points.

I’m really trying to avoid buying high—so today’s selection is an undervalued stock that recently had a great correction and is now working its way back up.

Our emerging market signal stays in positive territory. With our new global mandate in place, we move beyond emerging markets to a European quality play on technology. We also explore what the new Fortune Global 500 rankings can tell us about the changing landscape of investment opportunities.

We included comments on earnings from nearly a dozen recommended companies, news about other recommended stocks, and a delay in the publishing of the May edition of the Cabot Turnaround Letter as the chief analyst is stuck in London.

While growth stocks had a rough time last week, the broad market remains strong, and thus I continue to think you should remain heavily invested as we head into the last month of the year.

Today’s stock has the potential to be a huge winner as it occupies a central position in a world-changing trend, but risk is high—as it should be when potential is high.



On the sell side, Coupa Software (COUP) gets the ax today, as it is going the wrong way.



Details inside.

We’re now presented with an interesting situation. The broad market, which hit record highs just last week, is now sick, thanks to investors’ perception that the coronavirus will negatively affect global trade. But the marijuana sector, which has been in a correction for more than two years, has many stocks that have been building bottoms.



No one knows how this will shake out in the short term, though clearly, the long-term potential of the marijuana sector remains intact.



Nevertheless, by observing the action of individual stocks and following time-tested procedures, we will come through this in fine shape. Today’s issue includes a few partial sells as well as a handful of downgrades while we wait for the dust to settle.



Full details in the issue.

Mike Tyson inadvertently offers sage advice for investors. We add a new Buy, two stocks are approaching our price targets so we put them under review, and one stock surges following a shareholder-friendly payout announcement.

There have been plenty of market meltdowns over the years. Few have matched what’s happened since last Wednesday evening – so-called “Liberation Day” – when President Trump announced plans to place high tariffs on … the rest of the world. In the week that followed, stocks nose-dived by 13%, with both the Nasdaq and Russell 2000 swinging to a bear market last Thursday and Friday and the S&P 500 nearly following suit.

Until yesterday.

In today’s note, we discuss a number of earnings results and new developments for several of our portfolio positions, including Alcoa (AA), Brookfield Wealth Solutions (BNT), Intel (INTC) and Starbucks (SBUX).


The broad market outlook remains bullish for the rest of this year and early next year, but with the possibility for weakness to emerge heading further into 2025.

From iron condors to bull put spreads, Jacob Mintz, editor of Cabot Options Trader, highlights a variety of options strategies, and discusses some trading positions on his buy list.

In today’s note, we discuss pertinent developments for some of the stocks in the portfolio, including Agnico Eagle Mines (AEM), Berkshire Hathaway (BRKB), Intel (INTC), Kenvue (KVUE), Pan American Silver (PAAS) and SLB Ltd. (SLB).

In view of the alarming number of news headlines that point to a weakening economy (at least in some quarters of it), it may seem surprising that the normally defensive consumer staple stocks are underperforming.

Normally, the staples are viewed by investors as something of a safe haven during periods of economic uncertainty, providing as they do essential goods like food and household products that are purchased even in tough times. But the present environment is proving to be an exception to that rule of thumb.

One of the minor predictable patterns that the stock market has developed over the years involves the days before and after holidays (like the Fourth of July). Basically, stocks do a little bit better on those days, but the pattern is neither big enough nor dependable enough to make money on. Still it’s worth keeping in mind as you watch the action of stocks this week.

Cisco Systems (CSCO) announced a huge $28 billion deal for security software specialist Splunk (SPLK). Regardless of concerns over the economy, rising interest rates, the incipient tech-driven Cold War II, rising government focus on anti-trust and other macro issues, there will always be blockbuster deals. We dig into the deal in our comments below on Cisco.

A few weeks ago, we introduced the Gartner Hype Cycle, which traces the path that all tech companies follow in what essentially is an immutable law of tech investing. Currently, tech stocks have passed the Peak of Inflated Expectations and are sliding down to the Trough of Disillusionment. A few will ascend back to prosperity along the “Slope of Enlightenment” if they maintain both their relevance and their competitive edge. But most will lose one or both of these traits and thus continue downward in what could be labeled the “Decline into Oblivion.”

I have to admit, a couple of weeks ago, on our Cabot Street Check podcast, Chris Preston, host and Chief Analyst for Cabot Value Investor, and I discussed the possibility of a recession and I commented that I thought recession fears were mostly over.

Well, I’m going to reconsider that (a bit) after Monday’s 1,000+ point loss in the Dow. Last week’s jobs report came in at 114,000 jobs—considerably less than the 185,000 expected—spooking the markets and causing economic gurus to once again bring up the possibility of the dreaded “R” word. Additionally, the unemployment rate edged up to 4.3% and manufacturing and construction spending were also less than expected, furthering economic worries.

Last week I told you that we’d received a new buy signal from our intermediate-term market-timing indicator—but it didn’t last long. The market’s widespread selling on Wednesday and Thursday quickly turned it negative again.

So capital preservation is once again of primary importance—though the charts say the time is ripe for at least a modest bounce.