Ep. 493: Discover the next trend gurus are betting on

Welcome back to another episode of Wall Street Unplugged! To begin the show, and before my guest signs on... I share one of the most underutilized tools in the world of financial research and analysis. They’re called 13F's. Every quarter, all hedge funds and institutional investment managers with over $100 million in qualifying assets are required to report something called a SEC 13F filing. Simply put, these 13F reports disclose what the largest investors in the world are buying and dumping… allowing regular people like you and me to see exactly where the "smart money" is moving. This is the easiest way investors can trade with famous traders like George Soros, Warren Buffett, or John Paulson. And they are publicly available every quarter… in full detail. Breaking down these reports can lead to the market's most interesting trends. And, with nothing to hide, this is where I find a lot of my new investment ideas. Today I share a few examples… Then for this week’s interview, I’m joined by John Petrides – Managing Director and Portfolio Manager at Point View Wealth Management. John is a Wall Street Unplugged regular. From retail and telecom… to infrastructure, healthcare, and financial sectors... Every time John joins the show, he covers it all. And today he starts with earnings season... Thus far, just over 85% of the S&P 500 companies have reported earnings. And about 66% have exceeded analyst expectations. Today, however, we take a closer look at the more important metrics… Earnings growth has reached a 3-year high. And with forward expectations getting dangerously high, John raises all the right questions. We also talk about today's most hated industry… Out of all sectors this earnings season, none performed as poor as retail. Stores like JC Penney, Macy's, and Target have all been crushed this past holiday season. And although shopping trends continue to point online, John and I both agree that the end is nowhere near for department stores. Tune in to hear who we think will survive… To end the interview, John prepares investors for upcoming rate hikes. The fed fund rates are currently sitting at 1.25%. But due to “hawkish” changes coming soon, John expects rates to reach as high as 3% in only 2 years from now. More importantly, John shares with listeners his two favorite sectors going forward in today’s deregulatory environment. And also shares with us 4 international stocks that he considers “buys” today. Then, for my Educational Segment, I cover the fastest growing industry in the world. It has ties with every sector on the planet. However, because it’s still early, this highly talked about sector is a minefield. Join me as I break down the numbers… and show listeners exactly how they can stay one-step ahead of this enormous yet dicey industry.