2021's Crazes Are Still Kicking Today

On this week's Stansberry Investor Hour, Dan and Corey welcome author Alex Epstein to the show. Alex has written several books advocating for the use of fossil fuels, including his most recent work, Fossil Future. The self-described "energy-freedom advocate" joins the podcast to challenge the popular climate-change narrative and provide more context for the crucial role fossil fuels play in society. Alex kicks things off by weighing in on the debate around climate change and the effects of fossil fuels. He argues that the benefits of using fossil fuels far outweigh the negatives and that, in many cases, energy can be used to overcome any adverse effects. Alex also breaks down the myth of unsustainability, the anti-human bias implicit in environmentalism, and the incorrect belief that more folks die of climate-related catastrophes today than in the past. (2:38) Next, Alex discusses his impact with politicians and lawmakers. He explains that 200 major political offices use his content to direct policy and become more informed on energy topics. Alex then shares his opinion on climate change, pointing out that we're currently in a climate renaissance and that the Earth has never been more livable for human beings. He brings up geoengineering as a way to cool the climate, asserts that the negative environmental impacts are severely overblown, and emphasizes the crucial role energy plays in the economy. (21:30) Finally, Alex talks about climate-change rhetoric dominating in elections, the harm that tech companies have done by blatantly lying about being 100% renewable, and why humans should take pride in the fact that we're progressing as a species and learning to use the Earth in new ways. He puts the anti-impact perspective into both a philosophical and historical context, noting that primitive religions believed "sinning" against nature had dire consequences. (34:19)

On this week's Stansberry Investor Hour, Dan and Corey welcome their colleague John Engel to the podcast. John is the lead equity analyst on the Stansberry Innovations Report newsletter, where he finds companies that are revolutionizing their respective industries with cutting-edge technology. He also works on Prosperity Investor, a newsletter that focuses on opportunities in the health care sector. John kicks off the show by detailing the new Biosecure Act that's currently moving through Congress. Its purpose is to limit China's access to U.S. biological information. As he explains, this legislation is going to disrupt the industry, hurt biotech companies, and possibly even bankrupt the smaller players. But, conversely, it's going to allow other contract development and management organizations to replace Chinese ones, creating massive opportunities for investors. John also shares how he got his start in the biotech field at a fermentation lab and as a molecular biologist before shifting to the world of finance. (2:19) Next, John talks about the pandemic, vaccines, and the current bear market in biotech. He mentions one big story in biotech that he believes isn't getting enough attention – bispecific antibodies. This development allows one drug to hit two targets, so patients no longer have to receive two different drugs for treatment. This leads to a conversation about gene editing, personalized medicine, and rare diseases. (22:01) Finally, John delves into AI, Nvidia, and the "hype cycle" surrounding the technology. He points out that companies are desperate to use AI to their advantage, but for many of them, there's no use for it in their business. Plus, John discusses "advanced general intelligence," which involves systems that can reason like human beings. (42:27)

On this week's Stansberry Investor Hour, Dan and Corey welcome Dave Collum back to the show. Dave is a professor of chemistry at Cornell University and associate editor of the Journal of Organic Chemistry. He's outspoken about many topics and issues ranging from finance to politics and everything in between. And he brings this same no-holds-barred attitude to today's podcast. Dave starts off by discussing the link between vaccines and autism, why "live" attenuated vaccines are better than "dead" ones, and the effects of the COVID-19 vaccine. He specifically mentions how children in the U.S. receive about 72 vaccinations during childhood, while children in Europe receive only three. He also argues that the war in Ukraine is a direct result of NATO interfering and forcing Russian President Vladimir Putin's hand. (5:31) Next, Dave talks all about the U.S. government. He breaks down why the U.S. has never supported burgeoning democracies abroad and why it's a better move geopolitically for the country to work with a single leader or a select few in power. He compares President Joe Biden with former President Donald Trump and asserts that Biden wouldn't be able to make tough calls in a time of crisis. After, Dave makes his case for why we're headed for a 40-year bear market that will drag down Americans' standard of living. (24:27) Lastly, Dave contends that AI risks taking the human element out of everything, dampening creativity, and cluttering scientific literature. He then discusses the role of pedophilia in geopolitics and the prevalence of child trafficking. And he leaves younger listeners with some sage financial advice. (45:39) Dan and Corey close the show by discussing the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge – the core personal consumption expenditures ("PCE") index. The newest core PCE data shows that inflation has stabilized at 2.8% for the past three readings. Even though this is down from much higher levels in 2022, Dan and Corey point out that everyday consumers are still struggling with far higher prices while their paychecks don't keep pace. (1:11:12)

On this week's Stansberry Investor Hour, Dan and Corey are joined by Chris DeMuth Jr. Chris is a co-founder and managing partner of hedge fund Rangeley Capital. He invests in mispriced securities with limited downside and corporate events that unlock value for shareholders. Chris kicks things off by explaining what event-driven investing is, how he uses it, and how the concept of "counterparty selection" is involved. He also breaks down what demutualization and remutualization are and how there are numerous opportunities in the banking sector today to deploy these strategies. According to Chris, many small-cap community banks out there are attractive in terms of valuation versus large caps. (3:11) Next, Chris describes the U.S. Treasury Department's "inept, corrupt, and profligate" Emergency Capital Investment Program ("ECIP"). He gives two in-depth examples of ECIP bank stocks that were trading for far less than they were worth – Bay Community Bancorp and Ponce Financial. And he discusses why investors who got in early enough will profit from them greatly. (16:03) Lastly, Chris names three stocks that he's excited about right now and details the specifics of each one. The first is a tax-efficient real estate and financial-services conglomerate trading at a discount to its asset value. The second is a Russian-owned mining company operating in Venezuela that should soon benefit from litigation against the Venezuelan government. And the final one is a hospice provider with a lot of potential for a private-equity shake-up and then subsequent acquisition by a larger health care company. Plus, you won't want to miss Chris' answer to the final question, where he explains how you can gain an edge as an investor simply by researching topics you're genuinely interested in. (29:44) Dan and Corey close the show by discussing Nvidia's recent blowout earnings, including its 262% revenue gain. Since the company provides the "picks and shovels" of AI, it's benefiting massively from the boom in this space. This leads Dan and Corey to compare AI stocks with Internet stocks during the dot-com bubble, speculate on what could happen next, and explore the disconnect between the markets and the economy. (57:56)

On this week's Stansberry Investor Hour, Dan and Corey welcome their colleague Bryan Beach back to the show. Bryan is the editor of Stansberry Venture Value and a senior analyst on Stansberry's Investment Advisory. Bryan kicks the show off by discussing the GameStop meme-stock craze and the deep-value market dynamics that were at play during the whole debacle. He argues that the "dumb money" folks (such as Keith Gill) got a bad rep and the self-titled "smart money" folks weren't very smart. (3:13) Next, Bryan talks about the bubbles in special purpose acquisition companies ("SPACs") and Software as a Service ("SaaS"). He points out that the pendulum can quickly swing from overloved to overhated. Bryan shares that, because of this, he's still finding winners in the SPAC scrap heap and he believes SaaS valuations are far too low today. He also explains how retail investors got clobbered by the smart money on SPACs and why cannabis stocks present such a good opportunity now with the impending reclassification of marijuana. (17:33) Lastly, Bryan emphasizes the importance of stop losses and "guideposts" since they take the emotion out of investing. This leads to a discussion of Amazon and its many drawdowns over the course of its trading history that would have stopped investors out. After, Bryan brings up small-cap restaurant-software company Par Technology and why he has so much hope for its future performance. (28:02) Dan and Corey close things out by talking more about the resurgence of meme stocks – GameStop and AMC Entertainment, in particular – and what it means for the market as a whole. Plus, they talk about this new era of inflation we're in, the worst-case scenario of rebounding inflation, and the long-lasting consequences of low interest rates. (55:39)

On this week's Stansberry Investor Hour, Dan and Corey welcome Lyn Alden to the show. Lyn is an independent analyst, bestselling author, and founder of Lyn Alden Investment Strategy – an investment research service for both retail and institutional investors. She kicks the podcast off by describing how her background in engineering has influenced her macroeconomic investing style. She explains why she became so interested in macroeconomics in the first place and why 2017 was a turning point for the U.S. economy. Lyn also talks about fiscal dominance – or when fiscal deficits and federal debts are large enough that they start reducing a central bank's options. She puts this in the historical context of the 1970s and clarifies why inflation and interest rates are so complexly intertwined today. (4:39) Next, Lyn shares her outlook for the U.S. economy, including higher-than-baseline inflation for the foreseeable future and the country being in a similar situation to emerging markets. She discusses areas of the market where fiscal dominance has been appearing over the past few years, how the 2010s taught investors the wrong lesson, why the U.S. may experience the same economic troubles that Japan is facing right now, and the divergence between sectors going through recessions versus those that benefit from deficits. (16:42) Lastly, Lyn cautions listeners against using the traditional 60/40 portfolio in inflationary environments like today's and instead urges them to prioritize energy, precious metals, and hard assets. She also breaks down why she finds Latin America so attractive today (particularly Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico) and gives an in-depth explanation of how technology impacts money. (34:03) Dan and Corey close things out by discussing the backlash to Argentine President Javier Milei's economic shake-up, including his devaluing the peso against the U.S. dollar and laying off thousands of government workers. Plus, they share their thoughts on the latest speculative meme craze – closed-end fund Destiny Tech100 (DXYZ) – and what it means for the broader market. (54:28)

On this week's Stansberry Investor Hour, Dan and Corey are joined by the founder and president of Chisholm Exploration, Cactus Schroeder. Cactus kicks off the conversation by describing the current economics of the oil industry, why rig counts are deceptive, what's happening with the Haynesville Shale and Marcellus Shale, and the upside in natural gas. He also explains why the Barnett Shale has become so attractive, how Chisholm Exploration differs from the oil majors, and how these larger companies essentially control the price of oil. (4:18) Next, Cactus discusses why his company prefers oil to natural gas, earthquakes as a side effect of drilling, and how the Biden administration has been hampering exploration and pipeline development. He also details his experience in the Eastern Shelf region, including both good and bad wells and royalty interests. (21:52) Lastly, Cactus covers the oil major he finds the most interesting today, the green-energy movement, and what's on the horizon for oil. He brings up Saudi Arabia cutting oil production in an effort to make prices reach $100 per barrel, the consequences of the war in Gaza, and the ongoing fight between land ownership and mineral rights in different states. (31:03) Dan and Corey close things out by discussing the consequences of the Drug Enforcement Administration moving to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug. They analyze what has been happening with cannabis stocks since the announcement and the tax implications behind the move. Plus, they talk about Starbucks' recent disappointing earnings report and what weight-loss drugs becoming more available could mean for the economy and certain stocks. (53:32)

David Trainer, the founder and CEO of New Constructs, joins the show. He kicks off the conversation by describing how his company takes value investing to the next level with AI. He explains that the days of buying stocks and holding them forever are gone. Today's investing landscape requires investors to be more agile, and AI helps with this. David specifically mentions how he uses AI to sort through millions of financial filings, footnotes, and data points to give him an edge and produce better results. However, he warns that AI is only as good as the data that goes into it. (3:49) Then, David talks in depth about how humans are still involved in the investing process, including making decisions when the AI is unsure how to interpret certain findings. He breaks down how New Constructs' technology is giving clients a competitive advantage and augmenting the rest of their strategy. Plus, David discusses the importance of using both technicals and fundamentals when investing, and he shares why expectations matter so much to valuation. (14:34) Lastly, David names the two sectors he finds most attractive and two that folks should avoid. This segues into a conversation about a recent pump-and-dump scheme used to take advantage of retail investors, why the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission doesn't take action even when it should, and the damage done by years of low interest rates. (33:35) Dan and Corey close things out by discussing inflation and the hotter-than-expected numbers for the personal consumption expenditures index. They cover unrealistic investor expectations for rate cuts, the government's misplaced priorities, and the very real consequences of this persistent inflation on workers and small businesses. (51:20)

David Daglio, the chief investment officer and global investment strategist of wealth- advisory firm TwinFocus, joins the show. He kicks things off by describing himself as a contrarian, and he explains that understanding who you are as a person will lead to the best investing results. After, he goes into detail on how TwinFocus looks for creative "straw hat" solutions that the market isn't seeing. Plus, he talks about risk premiums, the current opportunity in natural gas, and the 30-year discount in gold-mining stocks. (3:29) Next, David discusses the advantages and disadvantages of working at a large firm versus being an individual investor. He shares that individual investors have the advantage of not being overloaded with information, plus they're their own boss and can make their own decisions. David also details the three conditions TwinFocus looks for before jumping into an investment, the importance of recognizing your own intellectual biases, and how market skepticism can be a huge opportunity. (15:29) Lastly, David talks about "net-net" companies in the biotech sector that are trading for less than their total assets... he breaks down what capital imbalance is and how to spot it... and he explains that the savviest investors try to be like Spock from Star Trek, valuing facts over feelings. (28:49) Dan and Corey close out the podcast by discussing the Stansberry Research editorial meeting that happened last week. This meeting brings Stansberry's editors and analysts together to discuss different investing ideas and pertinent world news. One of the hot topics at the meeting was the presidential election in November. Dan and Corey emphasize that the best investors keep politics out of their investing decisions and stick to their core strategy regardless of which candidate takes office. (49:22)

Gary Mishuris of Silver Ring Value Partners talks about today's market being one of the most challenging periods for bottom-up investing since 2007. In terms of the quality of a business versus its stock price, there isn't a lot of opportunity right now. But he emphasizes that transparency and candor with clients is essential, as is prioritizing the long-term process over short-term performance. (5:19) Next, Gary describes what sets Silver Ring Value apart from other fund managers. He shares why he left the "sausage factory" of larger firms behind, how his firm makes money for clients rather than off of clients, and how his unique temperament and behavioral models allow him to make better investing decisions. (14:38) Gary also goes into detail on the psychology behind investing and compares it with a game of poker. He talks about trying to avoid making mistakes, continuously learning from past errors, the importance of having guardrails in place, and cutting your losses. (21:44) Then, Gary explains why you should never be ashamed to change your mind, even when you haven't received any new information. It's OK to reanalyze the same set of facts and admit that you were wrong, and he cites several examples of investors who have learned and grown from their past mistakes. (31:21) Lastly, Dan and Corey discuss the consumer price index and gold. Inflation came in hotter than expected, while gold has broken out to new highs. Dan and Corey speculate on how long gold's bull run can last. Plus, they detail gold being a good hedge for retirement against the government's money-printing addiction. (48:18)