Consumer spending makes up the bulk of the economy. Changing trading patterns are creating tremendous uncertainty, and there are signs that consumers are pulling back. While the extent of the pullback is unknown, it won’t last forever. And when consumer sentiment does improve, consumers will want to spend more to make up for the reduced spending during uncertain times. As that happens, many out-of-favor opportunities could soar higher. For instance, fears are mounting about a decline in travel and tourism spending. Airbnb (ABNB) noted in its most recent earnings some signs of a decli...

Although the market is now trading back above the April 2 “Liberation Day” price point, many individual stocks have fared differently. Some have done better, and a few have done worse amid wildly swinging markets. Earnings season is also giving companies the opportunity to provide key guidance on the impact that they see. And today’s tariff and trade war fears are also leading to some big swings – but also some potential big opportunities for daring buyers now. One company that looks like the first big casualty of events is payment processing giant Block (XYZ). The fintech giant miss...

While the news cycle has been largely positive on tariffs and trade over the past few weeks, a lot can happen. And the uncertainty now will likely weigh on hard economic data in the months to come. For now investors would fare best by focusing on tariff-resistant companies. That can mean domestic U.S. companies. Or service-related companies that are less impacted by the price of goods. It can also mean virtual companies that exist beyond traditional borders. For instance, video game developer Roblox (RBLX) reported a strong first quarter, with an increase of millions of users. Alt...

Tariff fears have subsided in recent weeks. But that trend isn’t over by a long shot. Investors who expect a quick resolution will likely be disappointed by choppy markets in the weeks and even months ahead. However, tariff uncertainty creates better buying opportunities, particularly for long-term investors. That’s because low prices combined with cheap valuations and underlying fear could spring higher as fears subside and investors are willing to pay higher multiples, particularly for great companies. One company facing tariff fears now is Qualcomm (QCOM). The wireless chipmaker’s...

When it comes to the economy, layoffs are bad. When it comes to a company undergoing layoffs, the result can be a bit more mixed. A company may need to streamline to improve profitability, or simply over-hired during a boom. Or it could be in a long-term decline. Investors who can determine what a company’s layoffs mean may stand to profit. And the market’s initial reaction to layoffs can generally give a hint as to what happens next. For instance, investors cheered the latest layoff announcement of up to 20,000 workers from United Parcel Service (UPS). That reflects lower demand ...

Investing has gotten a lot more challenging over the past few weeks. Rising economic uncertainty makes it difficult for companies and even individuals to make long-term plans. That could mean a pullback in spending, particularly on high-value items. But it also means that more may be spent on smaller, more impulsive purchases that act as little luxuries. And that could benefit some companies strongly in the quarters ahead. One little luxury right now is dining out – or ordering food for delivery. Pizza chain Domino’s Pizza (DPZ) reports that they’re getting higher sales now, all whil...

Market volatility and fear may still be elevated, and might be scaring some away from this market. But for long-term investors, that’s more likely a gift. That’s because market pullbacks tend to bring down nearly all companies. And that creates opportunities to buy great companies at a reasonable price. That even includes some of the big tech companies that have been responsible for the market’s outperformance over the past few years. Among the Magnificent Seven players, Alphabet, parent of Google (GOOG), has been one of the poorer performers, sinking 7% over the past year. But th...

Investors sometimes get overly enthusiastic about a new technology. When that happens, rapid growth can occur, and stock valuations related to that technology can soar. But overly fast growth can lead to a quick crash. For long-term adaptations, however, long-term growth can lead to great results, especially for investors who allocate capital to these technologies after they’ve been proven, but while investors have left the trend for dead. For instance, solar technology has been improving at a rapid pace, with panel costs significantly declining over the past few years. Yet investors...

While market uncertainty is on the rise, some companies operate in more certain environments than others. A few even manage to thrive when uncertainty rears higher. Today, spending priorities are changing as global trade recedes and nation states work to reassert themselves. Countries are thinking about how they spend their money, including money on defense spending amid rising global tensions and shaken trust in alliances. As a result, military spending is likely to increase, but in a fractured way among nation states rather than blocs like NATO. That could still bode well for defen...

Market uncertainty has soared in recent weeks. Rising tariff rates have led to a pullback in global trade. Over the long-term, the plan is to restructure the global economy to include more domestic manufacturing. Domestic manufacturing will require significant infrastructure spending. That’s already underway as some chipmakers have moved to produce their chips domestically. But there’s more plans underway, and many companies have already made billions in commitments that will take years to play out. That’s why engineering companies like Jacobs (J) could be a buy here. The company has...