Stansberry Investor Hour

On this week's Stansberry Investor Hour, Dan and Corey are joined by Matt Franz. Matt is founder and principal of Eagle Point Capital. The registered investment adviser aims to build wealth in the long term while avoiding the permanent loss of capital. 

Matt kicks off the show by describing Eagle Point Capital's ownership mentality for buying stocks and what qualities he looks for in a company. As he explains, businesses that have very simple unit economics and that are noncyclical tend to be the best. He also zeroes in on specific metrics to evaluate stocks, the importance of owning businesses that reinvest capital, and his "replication mode" method for assessing a company's future potential. (1:41)

Next, Matt talks about whether brands can be economic moats. He urges investors not to conflate brand awareness with pricing power, using consumer-electronics company Toshiba as an example. This leads to a conversation about luxury brands, why Matt prefers distributors to retailers, and why he only invests in companies worth 10 times earnings or less. Matt then breaks down his long-term focus, discussing intrinsic value and giving listeners a reality check. (17:10)

Finally, Matt highlights the discipline it takes to be a long-term value investor, as it's human nature to want to add more to a position when it's soaring or sell shares on bad news. However, when you own good businesses, it's best to sit on your hands and do nothing. Matt also shares some guidelines Eagle Point Capital follows when searching for stocks in terms of market cap, industry, risk factor, and cyclicality. (37:53)

On this week's Stansberry Investor Hour, Dan and Corey welcome Andrew Walker to the show. Andrew is a portfolio manager at value-oriented hedge fund Rangeley Capital and author of Yet Another Value Blog. He focuses on microcap, deep-value, and special-situations investments.

Andrew kicks off the show by sharing how he got his start as an investor and what inspired him to focus on value investing. He says that while value investing has gotten more competitive over the years, investors can still do well in this space if they think outside of the box. Andrew also discusses his renewed interest in special purpose acquisition companies ("SPACs") and whether de-SPACs are worth wading through for winners. (1:47)

Next, Andrew names a couple of companies he invested in and gives his reasoning for each play. The first is a bitcoin miner that emerged from bankruptcy. As Andrew explains, there are a multitude of problems with bitcoin mining, but this miner has managed to curtail some of those and stand out from the pack with its integration of AI. Andrew also talks about the revival of spinoffs, including one particular real estate investment trust that he likes thanks to its huge margin of safety. (15:43)

Finally, Andrew discusses another spinoff he has invested in – a company that owns prime real estate in Manhattan. It has a lot of cash and no debt on its balance sheet. And with legendary investor Bill Ackman's hedge fund owning nearly 40% of the company, Andrew believes there's much more upside ahead and that a turnaround is likely. (38:39)

On this week's Stansberry Investor Hour, Dan and Corey are joined by Dr. John Sviokla. John is an author, executive fellow at Harvard Business School, and co-founder of GAI Insights – the world's leading generative artificial-intelligence ("AI") analyst firm. He joins the podcast to talk all things AI – its investing potential, limitations, and real-world applications.

John kicks off the show by explaining how GAI Insights is helping organizations and communities understand and use generative AI. Currently, many executives don't know enough about it to even recognize its opportunities in the workplace. John says that workers whose jobs involve words, images, numbers, and sounds will be the most impacted by this technology. He also breaks down the three new forms of capital: network, behavioral, and cognitive. When it comes to the latter, businesses are trying to protect their proprietary data and processes today by keeping their AI behind firewalls. (1:46)

Next, John talks about how these AI models are trained, the process of training workers to use AI, and the limitations of AI. One such area AI struggles with is creating new ways to look at a problem. However, it's surprisingly good at empathizing and mimicking human emotions. John then discusses AI's computability, the transformer algorithm, and how AI could impact the broad market. (19:11)

Finally, John describes the four levels of generative-AI adoption. Those in the top level – "intelligence leveragers" – drive value by using AI to build AI. Right now, technology is the only industry with these kinds of companies. But John says that in the next five to seven years, each major industry will have an intelligence leverager. This presents a huge opportunity for investors. John gives several real-world situations across different industries (like pharmaceuticals and financials) where AI implementation will be game-changing. (40:35)

On this week's Stansberry Investor Hour, Dan and Corey welcome Martin "Marty" Fridson back to the show. Marty is an author and expert in the field of high-yield bond investing. He is also a senior analyst at Porter & Co.'s Distressed Investing newsletter.

Marty kicks off the show by discussing the top-down view of the high-yield market. He comments that right now, there is a very small risk premium. Marty breaks down the factors that he uses in his model of fair value and concludes that the high-yield market is extremely overvalued. At the same time, the market is forecasting a higher default rate than credit- ratings agency Moody's. Marty also gives his opinion on whether we'll see a recession, what it means that the inverted yield curve has not yet resulted in a recession, and why he's less critical of the Federal Reserve than other investors. (1:39)

Next, Marty explains that the current situation of the federal-funds rate and the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield moving in opposite directions is not rare. He says it happens 40% of the time. This segues to a discussion about what's happening with the junk-bond market... including companies potentially having to roll over their debt to higher rates... and private credit lenders now competing with high-yield bond buyers. Marty then names which sectors present attractive buying opportunities today. (18:03)

Finally, Marty goes further in depth about his quantitative model and what data it draws upon to find attractively priced distressed debt. He then explains that because high-yield bonds aren't very liquid, exchange-traded funds centered around these investments tend to have a lot of variance in performance. This can have serious consequences in times of extreme market disruption. (34:12)

On this week's Stansberry Investor Hour, Dan and Corey welcome Edwin Dorsey to the show. Edwin conducts deep, investigative analyses of public companies in his newsletter, The Bear Cave. By prioritizing customer relations and common-sense logic over financial data, he can gain an edge and find troubled companies for his subscribers before Wall Street does.

Edwin kicks off the show by explaining how he got his start doing short-selling research and how he identifies prime opportunities for shorting. Rather than focusing on the financials, he hunts for $1 billion to $10 billion companies in the technology or consumer sector with bad customer relationships. Edwin shares case studies of how he discovered safety issues at two child-focused companies. The first was caregiver platform Care.com, which wasn't properly vetting its caregivers. The second is Roblox, which has ongoing issues with child predators and gambling. (0:39)

Next, Edwin talks about why candy maker Hershey could face long-term issues now that trendy competitor Feastables is steadily stealing market share and doing a better job of appealing to the younger generation. As he points out, most investors tend to be older and male, so there are often blind spots for companies catering to youth and female demographics. Edwin also makes his bearish case for the predatory fitness-center company Planet Fitness. With the Federal Trade Commission working to make canceling memberships easier, this is bound to hurt the stock. (24:12)

Finally, Edwin names several companies that are doomed thanks to the rise of artificial-intelligence technology. He highlights call-center businesses and tax-service providers in particular, but also warns of downstream effects. After, Edwin talks more about how he first got interested in the financial world, how he learned that the numbers don't matter if the underlying business is not sustainable, and how he picks which stocks to go long. (40:23)

On this week's Stansberry Investor Hour, Dan and Corey are joined by Austin Root. Austin is an old friend and the chief investment officer at Stansberry Asset Management ("SAM"). SAM is a separate company from Stansberry Research and MarketWise, but it was born with the same DNA. The difference is, SAM helps individual investors optimize their portfolios.

Austin kicks off the show by discussing his favorite moments from last week's Stansberry Conference & Alliance Meeting. After, he shares what his role is at SAM and how the company helps individual investors with financial planning. Austin explains that SAM's team of specialists will look at an investor's full balance sheet – not just the part SAM is managing – and then make a personalized plan from there using projections. He emphasizes that paying down expensive credit-card debt is the most important first step, and he breaks down how macro factors influence SAM's strategies. (0:46)

Next, Austin talks about why investors should be in productive assets rather than cash, why he sees gold as inferior to shares of world-class businesses, and how bitcoin can be a good long-term store of value. He also names two stocks he finds particularly attractive right now. The first is a financial company that is trading at a discount, is poised for double-digit revenue growth, and serves as an inflation hedge. The second is a construction-materials company with a fantastic shareholder yield of nearly 10%. (24:59)

Finally, Austin explains why investors should keep politics out of their portfolios for the long term. He says inflation is the one factor he always pays attention to and everything else is noise. Austin does note, though, that he has loaded up on defense stocks for the short term since geopolitical tensions are rising around the globe. But overall, he says both candidates want to spend like mad and will be bad for the economy in the long run. (45:29)

Disclosure: Stansberry Asset Management ("SAM") is a Registered Investment Adviser with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. File number: 801-107061. Such registration does not imply any level of skill or training. Under no circumstances should this report or any information herein be construed as investment advice, or as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or other financial instruments. 

Stansberry & Associates Investment Research, LLC ("Stansberry Research") is not a current client or investor of SAM. SAM provides cash compensation to Stansberry Research for Stansberry Research's advisory client solicitation services for the benefit of SAM. Material conflicts of interest may exist due to Stansberry Research's economic interest in soliciting clients for SAM. Certain Stansberry Research personnel may also have limited rights and interests relating to one or more parent entities of SAM.

On this week's Stansberry Investor Hour, Dan and Corey welcome Marc Chaikin back to the show. Marc is a Wall Street veteran with 50-plus years of total market experience. He's also the founder and CEO of our corporate affiliate, Chaikin Analytics. He joins the show to share some of his vast wisdom with listeners, from the hottest sectors around to why you shouldn't get spooked by all the volatility.

Marc kicks off the show by making his bullish case for the markets. However, he notes that this rising tide has not lifted all boats equally... He lists off several sectors that are particularly attractive to him today, plus a few he's staying away from. Marc also talks a bit about JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon's prediction for a financial hurricane, the outlook for energy stocks, what's going on in China to make stocks so volatile, how the Federal Reserve has been doing, and the U.S.'s shift from a manufacturing economy to a service economy. (0:39)

Next, Marc emphasizes that the key to profiting as an investor is to avoid making broad economic predictions. He says that different sets of data can give you conflicting signals, so it's not worth your time trying to guess the unknowable future. Instead, you should pay attention only to momentum and earnings. Marc then criticizes financial reporting by the mainstream media, advises listeners to take advantage of current volatility rather than run from it, and highlights the bullish setups in nuclear and software stocks thanks to AI. (18:56)

Finally, Marc urges investors to not get bearish while the S&P 500 Index is having its best year since 1997. He points out that, as the dot-com mania showed us, the bull run can continue for several more years. As long as profit margins continue to rise, you want to be invested. He also explains how he uses his Power Gauge system to avoid doomed stocks. This leads to a conversation about Marc's new upcoming newsletter that will focus on what the "smart money" is buying and allow him to spot "pockets of strength." Plus, Marc weighs in on mining stocks. (38:38)

On this week's Stansberry Investor Hour, Dan and Corey welcome Jonathan Shaffner to the podcast. Jon is a retired U.S. Army colonel with 25 years of service who currently works as the director of federal business development at MBO Partners. MBO specializes in delivering solutions that make it safer and easier for enterprise organizations and top independent professionals to work together.

Jon kicks off the show by discussing NATO's increased presence in Europe, through the lens of his own military experience. He posits that modern wars are more ideology-based than previous ones. This leads to Jon talking about his years in Afghanistan and Iraq. After, he shares what MBO does and how it helps companies (especially in defense and health care) build better workforces. (1:00)

Next, Jon puts government spending into an investing context. He notes that through all the inefficiency and bloat, there are definite winners and losers of government contracts. He also breaks down his and MBO's involvement in helping to create value for the companies that have been awarded these contracts. Jon cites data usage as the biggest need he's seeing right now. Companies have massive amounts of data but don't know what to do with it or how to implement it. (23:05)

Finally, Jon talks about how MBO finds contractors, the possibility of it going public someday, and its research on the gig economy. He then explores what could happen with the two major ongoing wars affecting the U.S. today: Russia versus Ukraine and Israel versus Hamas. Jon predicts that the war in Ukraine will be over within 18 months, but he says the war in the Middle East is much more complicated thanks to the Houthis. (42:41)

On this week's Stansberry Investor Hour, Dan and Corey welcome Brendan Ahern to the show. Brendan is the chief investment officer at asset manager KraneShares. The company provides investors access to Chinese companies, climate investments, and uncorrelated assets through exchange-traded funds.

Brendan kicks off the show by describing the basics of KraneShares and its involvement in Chinese markets. He discusses the recent surge in Chinese stocks and gives context for what's driving it. As Brendan explains, the country is focused on stabilizing real estate prices and stimulating the broader economy. By lowering interest rates and announcing loads of subsidies that will benefit its citizens, the government can increase domestic consumption at a crucial time. (0:43)

Next, Brendan talks about China's negative reputation due to Western disinformation and political rhetoric. As almost all U.S. investors are implicitly involved with China, and as the majority of Western companies outsource to China, our economy depends on the foreign nation. Brendan also discusses the influence U.S. investors have had on Chinese companies in regard to corporate governance... billionaire hedge-fund manager David Tepper going all-in on China... and why he believes China won't invade Taiwan. (18:11)

Finally, Brendan breaks down the growth prospects for China today and shares his thoughts on the U.S. moving to produce more semiconductors domestically. After, he discusses today's data-driven world and the new ways this data is collected by research firms. KraneShares is able to leverage this data in turn and be selective about which Chinese companies it gets involved with. As Brendan explains, cooperation with China is both important for investors' portfolio diversification and for a harmonious future. (37:12)

On this week's Stansberry Investor Hour, Dan and Corey are joined by Bob Murphy. Bob is the chief economist at technology firm infineo, author of more than a dozen books, and a passionate advocate of free markets. He explores a wide variety of topics on this week's podcast, from how history is repeating itself... to the U.S. dollar's inevitable fall from dominance... to the harmful consequences of low interest rates.

Bob starts the show by explaining what exactly infineo does, how it's making life insurance an asset class, and the advantages of tokenizing life insurance. He also discusses one of his books, the Politically Incorrect Guide to the Great Depression and the New Deal. Even though the book is more than a decade old, and even though it's about the U.S. economy in the 1920s and 1930s, its lessons are still relevant in today's economic context. Bob notes that there's going to be a big crash no matter what. (1:13)

Next, Bob talks a bit about the presidential election, the effects of Donald Trump pulling out of the Paris Agreement, and the government's out-of-control spending problem. He predicts that the U.S. dollar will lose its status as the world reserve currency by the 2040s, and voices concerns that the U.S. is following China's lead toward a Big Brother police state with social credit scores. (19:57)

Finally, Bob shares his thoughts on the current state of the economy. He covers hyperinflation, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's actions, the inverted yield curve, and former Fed economist Claudia Sahm denying the validity of her own 100%-accurate recession indicator. Bob also talks about the harm caused by low interest rates and how they lead to malinvestment, allowing bad businesses to stay alive. (40:54)