If you have the cash to invest and are willing to let time be an ally, the following two stocks all have the potential to turn $100,000 into $1 million by year 2030.
Teladoc Health
Telehealth giant Teladoc Health was one of the biggest disappointments of 2021. After soaring during the beginning stages of the Covid pandemic, concerns about bigger-than-expected losses connected to its Livongo Health acquisition, drove shares over 70% below their all-time high.
However, traders with time on their side could buy Teladoc Health now and take pride in owning a top innovator in personalized care.
The best way to tell that telemedicine is here to stay is to take a look at Teladoc’s sales growth before the pandemic. In the seven years that led up to the outbreak of the coronavirus, the company had averaged yearly sales growth of 74%. That is not a year or two of just being in the right place at the right time. Sales growth that is this consistent signals a sustained shift in the way that treatment is being administered within the U.S.
The best thing about telemedicine is that it gives benefits up and down the treatment chain. It is almost always more convenient for its patients, and it allows physicians to have easier access to chronically ill patients. The easy access should result in better patient outcomes and decreased costs for health insurance businesses.
What’s more, the increased costs associated with Teladoc’s buyout of top applied health signals company Livongo Health will not carry over into its 2022 financial results. This means traders can focus on what is important — i.e., Livongo’s efforts to attract more chronic-care members to its service.
Teladoc has the innovation and solutions to be one of the quickest-growing healthcare stocks this decade.
PubMatic
A small-cap growth stock with big-cap aspirations that might realistically 10x investors’ cash by the turn of the decade is PubMatic.
PubMatic is a cloud-based, sell-side programmatic ad platform. In more simple terms, this means PubMatic’s solutions manage the optimization of ad placement for its customers, the publishers selling their display space. While publishers do provide some level of input, such as the minimum price they would be willing to accept for their display space, it is PubMatic’s programmatic ad platform that manages everything else.
What makes PubMatic such a great buy over the long term is the undeniable shift of advertising money to digital platforms. According to the business, global digital ad investments have been predicted to grow by a yearly rate of 10% through year 2024, with respective compound yearly growth rates of 11%, 17%, and 11% for video, mobile, and connected TV ads through 2025.
With this shift to investing in digital ads picking up steam, PubMatic is looking like the best name to own in the programmatic ad space.
Author: Steven Sinclaire
Despite some enormous gains, crypto projects that provide competitive advantages, real-world appeal and differentiation still have some potential of going considerably higher. With that in mind the cryptocurrency space is highly volatile and prone to corrections, the following two coins might quadruple (or possibly go even higher) by 2025.
Algorand
There are many ways blockchain technology-based projects and digital currencies can be winners. What helps make Algorand so enticing is the role it might play for companies in the blockchain space.
Algorand has a lot of competitive advantages when it comes to scalability and speed. As of Dec. 2021, the network was managing 1,162 transactions each second and provided a block finality of 4.36 secs. The latter means that the sending of data, money or files reached its destination and was settled/validated in under just five seconds.
Compare this to two well-known networks, Ethereum (CRYPTO:ETH) and Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC), which have the ability to only handle 13 TPS and 7 TPS, respectively, and have transaction finalities of 60 mins and six mins. That is how much quicker ALGO is compared to some of the most popular blockchain networks.
But what helps make Algorand so attractive to companies is its focus on interoperability.
There are currently over 16,000 cryptos listed, and countless more blockchain projects being developed for nonfinancial and financial applications. While several of these projects are created to work with blockchain projects that already exist, it is much more likely that these unique blockchain networks won’t be compatible with one another. Algorand is all about bridging this gap and making decentralized finance (DeFi) more mainstream for companies and consumers.
Not many cryptos have an enterprise focus, but Algorand’s might make it an absolute rock star.
IOTA
A second crypto that has the potential to jump 300% or more by mid-decade is the less popular IOTA (CRYPTO:MIOTA).
With an aforementioned 16,000-plus cryptos listed, uniqueness and a superior network are crucial for success. Despite being an under-the-radar project, IOTA has brought both of these qualities to the table.
The single largest differentiating factor with IOTA is that it isn’t based on blockchain. One of the secrets that helps make IOTA tick is called the “Tangle.” The Tangle is a directed acyclic graph (DAG) that mandates each new transaction to confirm at minimum two previous transactions. You could sort of imagine this as an individual who is looking back at their ancestry and seeing the oldest family member connect to new lineages over many decades or centuries. Over time, the connections between transactions on IOTA’s DAG begin to seem a lot like a tangled web.
The reason IOTA’s creators have chosen this route instead of blockchain is simple: cost and speed. Blockchain networks are more prone to congestion, and they could be slowed down by the need to add consensus to validate transactions and/or propose additional blocks. A network sans blockchain means fast scaling could happen without adversely having an impact on the network.
Another piece of exciting news for IOTA is the release of staking, which occurred last month. Investors are now able to stake their own coins to earn either Assembly or Shimmer tokens. The latter is a fee-free smart contract-based network set to be released this year.
And the final reason you should be hyped about IOTA’s potential is its existing partnership with information tech. solutions company Dell Technologies. IOTA is partnered with Dell to analyze the trustworthiness of data before it is used by an application. IOTA receiving recognition from brand-name companies is a great sign for this under-the-radar crypto.
Author: Scott Dowdy
Mobile gaming is also a huge factor in the purchase, Microsoft said. On top of phone games being brought into Microsoft’s business, the purchase also promises to bring in franchises such as Halo and Warcraft to more devices.
The buyout is believed to close sometime during Microsoft’s fiscal 2023 if officials and Activision Blizzard shareholders approve of the move. The boards both firms have already green-lit the deal.
While news of the merger comes as Activision Blizzard is still experiencing a misconduct scandal, you should not expect huge leadership changes. Bobby Kotick will continue as Activision Blizzard’s CEO even with calls for his resignation, and will now report to Microsoft Gaming leader Phil Spencer. Separately, though, the WSJ reports that Kotick will leave right after the deal is complete, a move that would not be unexpected given that Spencer will be spearheading Microsoft’s gaming plans. In a company message, Kotick said Microsoft’s move was a chance to “further bolster” Activision Blizzard’s culture and “set a fresh standard” for inclusiveness. He did not go over specific plans for reform, but did say there would be “minimal changes” to staff numbers after the union was done.
If the deal moves forward, the merger would aid Microsoft in competing with heavyweights like Tencent and Sony, which have both been buying companies in recent months. Kotick also said this helps his company better compete as the metaverse gaming sphere rises to the mainstream. In that light, this might be as much about future-proofing the company as anything else.
Some major issues remain, though. Microsoft did not say how many Activision Blizzard games would be Xbox-exclusive, or Windows-exclusives. It is also unclear how much Microsoft could influence development of certain franchises. It is not certain if Microsoft will lock Call of Duty or other large games to the Xbox in the future, though.
Author: Steven Sinclaire
Last year, Wall Street was pretty much unstoppable. The S&P 500 underwent only one small correction and went on its way toward a 27% gain. It continued what is been the strongest return from a bear-market bottom ever.
Yet even with this bounce, Wall Street still sees huge upside in marijuana stocks. Cannabis-focused analytics company BDSA predicts that legal weed sales could double from an estimated $31 billion in 2021 to reach $62.1 billion by 2026. That is a lot of green that will be fueled by growth in North America, especially for these two stocks:
Aurora Cannabis
Among pot stocks on major exchanges, Aurora Cannabis looks to give good return potential. Analyst Pablo Zuanic from Cantor Fitzgerald thinks that Aurora could go up to $10.75 Canadian (which is $8.50 U.S.) per share, which would represent an upside of 46% over the next year.
Unfortunately, Aurora’s past management team could have overestimated the increase of recreational pot in Canada and the rollout of medical cannabis out of its domestic market. In reply, the company has closed some of its smaller facilities, halted construction on others, and even got rid of assets, to remove its expenses. Zuanic’s price target usually takes into account the expectation of less costs, modestly greater sales, and less cash outflow.
But even CA$10.75 per share could be asking too much for a company that has reduced its cash outflows but keeps burning through its capital and losing money on a routine basis. As the Canadian adult-useless market has gotten better, consumers have gravitated toward lower-margin cheaper brands, which is also not doing Aurora Cannabis any favors.
Sundial Growers
Another very popular pot stock that might see huge gains in 2022, at least if Wall Street is right, is Sundial Growers. Zuanic at Cantor Fitzgerald has the top price target on Sundial ($1.15). If this prognostication is right, shares of the firm could almost double in 2022.
The attraction of Sundial continues to be the company’s huge cash position. Taking into account completed and pending purchases, the company had $571 million in unrestricted cash and no debt as of November 9, 2021. Only a couple of cannabis firms have a larger cash pile than Sundial.
While there is no denying that Sundial’s cash is good, how the company raised the money is a major issue. Since September 30, 2020, Sundial has given around 1.6 billion shares of stock through registered offerings and at-the-market sales. With around 2.1 billion shares now outstanding, Sundial’s chance of getting meaningful earnings per share is almost zero.
Author: Scott Dowdy
The crypto sector as a whole has been under some pressure in the past months. At this same time, many signs point to digital coins turning into well-respected programming and financial tools. The crypto winter is not likely to last much longer, which means it is high time to pick up the best coins and tokens while the fire sale lasts.
In particular, I see a great future for the cross-border coin called Ripple and its XRP token.
XRP trades at a huge artificial discount
XRP prices have gone down by 41% since its recent peak in mid-November, beating powerhouse Bitcoin and the decentralized programming coin Ethereum by a huge margin.
The SEC case against the coin seems likely to end soon, and in Ripple’s favor too. When this happens, XRP’s token could spike much higher. Popular crypto exchanges like Kraken, Binance, and Coinbase Global stopped XRP trades last year to avoid the possible legal issues. The minute these exchanges reboot their XRP trades, investors will push up a year’s worth of frustration and demand. That is on top of the general cryptocurrency market return, which should get traction in 2022.
More good news?
First, The Ripple CEO, Brad Garlinghouse, is look at 2022 for the conclusion to the SEC drama, and that is his worst-case scenario.
And it’s not just him predicting it. In late Dec., crypto lawyer Jeremy Hogan tweeted that the SEC’s case against Ripple should be done by April.
Meanwhile, the Ripple system is finding fresh real-world use cases globally. The largest bank in Morocco signed up with the RippleNet blockchain network on Wed., for example. Spanish mega-bank Banco Santander joined the network during the summer of 2020 and has created its own international payment services founded on RippleNet and XRP. You will also find American household names like American Express and Bank of America on RippleNet’s customer list, though their connection is on the back burner until the government case is over.
My point is, XRP has good value even if Americans are not allowed to use it — and even more since domestic banks can make use of RippleNet to power frictionless global payments. Take that turbo-powered engine and add in a widely expected rebound in 2022, and you have a recipe for exceptional XRP profits.
Author: Scott Dowdy
MILLIONS of senior citizens will receive social security checks in the amount of $1,657 this week.
The 5.9 percent adjustment of cost-of-living boost means that retirees will receive an increased payment.
Retired workers will receive $92 more than they have in the past, bringing their monthly benefit check to $1,657.
People who were born between the 11th and 20th will receive their SS check this week.
And those born after the 20th can expect to get their payments on Jan. 26.
The next checks coming for retirees born between the 1st and 10th of the month will be sent out on Wednesday, Feb. 9.
The maximum benefit amount this year is $4,194.
To get that amount, you have to earn six-figures throughout your entire career, work a minimum of 35 years, and delay your claim.
Social security recipients should have already received a letter that explains the new COLA increase.
If Americans don’t receive their check on the expected arrival date, they should contact the SSA after waiting three extra mailing days.
The SSA lets beneficiaries receive their checks monthly and seniors can’t withdraw their money as a total lump sum.
But retirees who have separate retirement savings accounts such as a 401 (k) could take out more money if they would like to do so.
The 5.9 percent increase is the biggest COLA increase in the past 40 years. Last year, benefits were increased by just 1.3 percent.
The increase comes as crippling inflation is continuing to affect consumers.
Benefits increased by about 5.8 percent during 2009, but the adjustment was zero in the years after that.
Some beneficiaries have been concerned that despite the extra cash, the payments won’t be able to cover the high costs of inflation.
One person posted a tweet saying: “Ya, I received a whole 30$ increase to my check, that will help with the higher cost of everything lol.”
Another commented: “My SS check only went up $52 that does not even help cover my gas bill.”
If recipients believe their SS check might have been stolen, then they will need to contact the SSA office immediately.
Author: Blake Ambrose
The metaverse, widely thought to be the next frontier of internet tech, has become a major topic in the world of investing. A lot of people are getting very impressed by the idea of a seamless, immersive, and persistent 3D virtual-reality world.
Here is why I see Cloudflare and Roblox as unstoppable metaverse stock picks that traders should invest in this year.
The case for Cloudflare
Edge computing — in which applications and data are processed and stored at locations closer to the end-users instead of centralized server farms — enhances data efficiency, security, reliability, and speed. Those characteristics within the network are important for metaverse applications and platforms. Consequently, we could expect that Cloudflare will have a major role in metaverse support.
Cloudflare’s broad network has already extended to 250 cities in over 100 nations. Approximately 95% of the globe’s population can connect to that network in just 50 milliseconds. Its network uses a software-defined networking model — replacing the networking hardware like switches, routers, and load balancers with much cheaper and even more scalable software. Its large network reach combined with its SDN design helps make Cloudflare’s infrastructure ready to supply the metaverse’s dynamic computational and networking needs.
Cloudflare is actually not a metaverse stock. But it will have a big role to play in providing the data and network services that will be required to bring the metaverse to life. This, combined with its formidable position within the enterprise market, makes it a great pick for retail traders.
The case for Roblox
The event helps illustrate how Roblox’s software tools could be used to make 3D experiences that go further than just gaming.
Since its first public offering in March of 2021, the company has made its presence known mainly as an innovative online platform for games. Creators and developers have for some time utilized its technology platform to make games and experiences that mainly cater to children. However, on its Q3 earnings call, Roblox highlighted a big shift in the age of its userbase. More of its customers are over 13 rather than 12 and younger. The company has also reported a 31% jump in daily active users to 47.3 million and a 28% boost in hours they were engaged to 11.2 billion in that quarter.
The rising age of Roblox’s clientele helps its metaverse goals, considering that an older userbase is more likely to be engaged in experiences that involve money — banking, shopping, etc. And if Roblox can keep its users for many years, this will also help its platform benefit from the network effects. A demographic shift towards a more mature customer base will give Roblox a boost financially, as older players will be more likely to control their own money and have more discretion to spend their money on in-game experiences and objects.
Author: Scott Dowdy
Lawmakers reacted very quickly when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit. During the Trump administration, there were two stimulus checks that were authorized on a bipartisan basis. The Biden administration provided a third check in March 2021, which gave $1,400 to every eligible adult and dependent.
Many Americans, however, feel that they need more help. The high demand for yet another stimulus check is shown by a Change.org petition that has now topped more than 3 million signatures.
Millions of Americans are calling for a fourth stimulus check
The Change.org petition was first started by Stephanie, a Denver, CO restaurant owner that wrote, “I am calling on Congress to help support American families with a $2,000 payment for each adult and a $1,000 payment for each kid immediately and sending regular checks for as long as the crisis is around.”
Even though the petition has been online for well over a year, people throughout the United States have continued to put their signatures on it. In fact, as of January 17, 2022, there was 3,017,183 people who had added their names to it. This includes Americans from every state in the U.S.
A recent update to the petition has explained some of the reasons why it is still receiving so much support. The update reads, “Our nation is still struggling today. The recovery has not reached most Americans — the actual unemployment rate for lower-wage workers is above 20% and a lot of people face big debts from the past year for things like rent, utilities and childcare. These are all good reasons that checks should target Americans who are still having a hard time today and that Congress should learn from the last year.”
Will lawmakers listen?
With as many signatures as it has, the petition that’s requesting a fourth stimulus check is one of the most popular on the Change.org platform. It is not only unusual for a petition to get so many signatures, but it is also uncommon for one to receive sustained attention for as long as it has. Yet, Americans throughout the country continue to sign it to try and make their voices be heard.
Despite the clear fact that there is high demand for another payment, lawmakers are still unlikely to move forward check number four, much less with future monthly payments as requested.
See, the Republicans would likely choose to filibuster any bill that would provide a fourth check or that authorizes ongoing payments as the petition requests.
This means that the millions of Americans calling for additional stimulus relief will most likely be out of luck and will also find that they won’t get this kind of help from Congress in 2022.
Author: Scott Dowdy
Artificial intelligence (AI) services could help businesses analyze data, optimize their companies, craft more targeted ad campaigns, and can even pilot autonomous vehicles and machines. That ongoing shift could allow the global AI market to expand at a compound yearly rate of 40.2% by 2028.
But that secular trend might also be confusing because of all the many companies that depend on AI as a buzzword instead of a business model. I will simplify that search process for traders by highlighting two reliable tech businesses that will likely benefit from future expansion of the AI market.
1. Alphabet
Alphabet, Google’s parent company, produces most of its earnings from online ads. Those advertisements are powered by certain AI algorithms that target certain users based on their search history, location, and other data.
The AI-powered targeted ads have been so effective that they have allowed Google to claim 28.6% of the entire digital ad spending around the globe this past year. Meta Platforms, which owns Instagram and Facebook, ranked in second with 25.2% of the share.
Google also owns the globes third-biggest cloud infrastructure platform that provides computing, data storage and AI services to firms. Google Cloud’s growth is continuing to expand as big companies migrate more of their information to public cloud services. It is also continuing to invest in next-gen tech, such as Waymo’s driverless vehicles, which might evolve into revenue-producing business in the future.
Analysts predict Alphabet’s earnings and revenue to grow 85% and 39% respectively, in 2021 as it laps easy comparisons to the beginning of the pandemic. They predict its growth to slow down in 2022, but it remains one of the cheaper FAANG stocks at just 26 times forward earnings.
2. Ambarella
Ambarella sells picture processing system-on-chips (SoCs), which are commonly used in dash cams, security cameras, and drones; and computer vision chips that are AI-powered, which enable autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles to travel the road.
During 2021, Ambarella’s revenue and adjusted earnings fell 3% and 52%, respectively, as the pandemic had disrupted the semiconductor supply chains and auto sector. The Trump administration blacklisted some of the Chinese owned security camera businesses — some of which happened to be Ambarella’s largest customers — which only made things worse.
Ambarella’s prospects have improved in fiscal 2022 as the car market has gradually recovered. Its security camera company in China has also stabilized as newer customers replaced the blacklisted customers, and it added new customers around the globe.
Author: Blake Ambrose