Jubak Picks

Please watch my new YouTube video: Quick Pick Apple

Please watch my new YouTube video: Quick Pick Apple

This week, my Quick Pick is Apple (AAPL). I wrote a post about a month ago, saying that Apple would be a stock to buy place ahead of its new product event on March 9 (and the traditional fall announcement of more new products.). And I think the reveal yesterday had promising new products likely to boost sales. There’s a new iPad Air, an improved iPhone SE (the cheapest iPhone), and new generations of Mac computers all with Apple’s new in-house M1 chip. The stock has fallen a bit so far this year, but hasn’t been hammered as much as other tech stocks, and I think the potential for huge sales of these new items make it a good holding over the next year.

More disruptions to the global chip supply chain-I’ll do some trimming in the sector tomorrow by selling ASML, LRCX, and IFNNY

More disruptions to the global chip supply chain-I’ll do some trimming in the sector tomorrow by selling ASML, LRCX, and IFNNY

Right now investors and traders are getting a crash course in how vulnerable global supply chains are to disruption–especially when they become really extended. And how a supply chain disruption can ripple out in unexpected directions thanks to the complexity of many key products.
First, the Pandemic took a hammer to the complicated logistical systems required to get Commodity A to Sub-assembler B in order to make Consumer good C that would show up for sale around the world. Just in time inventory, it turned out, didn’t work very well when nothing arrived on time. Second, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has–or at least it should have–reminded us that global supply chains can resemble Whack-A-Mole.

Perfect storm of bad news on oil supply sends WTI crude over $120 a barrel

Perfect storm of bad news on oil supply sends WTI crude over $120 a barrel

I suppose there is something else that could add to the supply of bad news today on oil supply, but we’ve already got a full dance card At 2 P.m. in New York U.S. crude benchmark West Texas Intermediate traded up 5.07% to $121.55 a barrel; international benchmark Brent crude was up 6.24% to $125.48 a barrel. Where to start?

Airline stocks take another whack on fears that higher jet fuel prices will require many to sell stock to raise capital

Airline stocks take another whack on fears that higher jet fuel prices will require many to sell stock to raise capital

As far as I’ve been able to discover, it was a research note from Wolfe Research that began the negative “rethink.” Wolfe forecast that the airlines including United Airlines (UAL) and American Airlines (AAL) were burning cash so fast because of the jump in the cost of jet fuel that they might need to sell stock to secure more liquidity.. The worry isn’t outlandish. Oil broke above $115 a barrel (for U.S. West Texas Intermediate) today and JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs have both recently projected that crude could rise to $185 a barrel by the end of 2022. Today shares of American Airlines (AA) were off 7.13%. United Airlines (UAL) dropped 9.07%. And Delta Air Lines (DAL) was down 5.63%.

Please watch my new YouTube video: Quick Pick Yara International

Please watch my new YouTube video: Quick Pick Yara International

I’m starting up my videos on JubakAM.com again–this time using YouTube as a platform. My one-hundredth-and ninth YouTube video “Quick Pick Yara International” went up today. This week, my Quick Pick is Yara International (YARIY), a Norwegian producer of fertilizer. In yesterday’s video I recommended adding exposure to agricultural commodities to your portfolio as the Russian invasion of Ukraine rumbles on. I like Yara because of that short-term story as well as its long-term focus on green agriculture and decarbonizing the food chain using Norway’s supplies of hydropower to produce green ammonia. I added the stock to my 2-18 month Jubak Picks Portfolio on January 18. It was down 14% since then as of the close on March 4.

Ford shares pop on EV/gas-powered split but no spin off–adding Ford to my Millennial Portfolio

Ford shares pop on EV/gas-powered split but no spin off–adding Ford to my Millennial Portfolio

Shares of Ford Motor (F) were up 7.01% as of noon on Wednesday, March 2, on news that the company would reorganize its auto operations into two distinct businesses—one that makes its gasoline-powered vehicles and and another that produces electric vehicles. But, the company said, it has no plans at the moment to spin off the electric vehicle business.

Putin strikes back at Western sanctions; stock market expects more as cybersecurity stocks soar (and I’m adding SentinelOne to my Jubak Picks Portfolio today)

Putin strikes back at Western sanctions; stock market expects more as cybersecurity stocks soar (and I’m adding SentinelOne to my Jubak Picks Portfolio today)

You didn’t expect Russian President Vladimir Putin to just shrug at Western sanctions that now include theU.S. Treasury clamping serious restrictions on Russia’s central bank, did you? Putin has banned all Russian residents from transferring hard currency abroad, including for servicing foreign loan contracts. Russia has $478 billion in external debt. Much of that is now in danger of default. (It’s not clear to me how this helps the Russian economy. Anyone want to lend or do business with a country that says, “Hey, forget about getting paid?) Today in New York trading, it’s clear that U.S. traders and investors don’t think these moves are Putin’s last. Cybersecurity stocks are soaring. And why not since Russia and it hacker gangs are about to demonstrate exactly why everybody needs to buy more security software. Which is why I’m adding shares of SentinelOne to my Jubak Picks Portfolio today.

Getting the the timing right on oil prices (and oil stocks) is very tricky–so I’m making just a limited move tomorrow, Monday, February 28

Getting the the timing right on oil prices (and oil stocks) is very tricky–so I’m making just a limited move tomorrow, Monday, February 28

On Saturday the European Union nations that control SWIFT, the dominant global network connecting banks, announced that they would expel some specific Russian banks from the network. The U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom agreed with the move. The U.S. and its European allies left open the question of sanctions directly on Russia’s central bank.

The move to deny access to SWIFT means that the named Russian banks, and I’m not naming them because I haven’t been able to find a list, won’t be able to pay other banks or receive funds from other banks. They will not be able to transact business with international banks over the SWIFT network for their client businesses. I’d expect that out of an abundance of understandable caution, many Western banks will refuse to do business with Russian banks at all.

We’re about to find out how vulnerable U.S. infrastructure is to Russian cyber attacks

We’re about to find out how vulnerable U.S. infrastructure is to Russian cyber attacks

With the Russian invasion of Ukraine about to trigger another package of tougher U.S. and European sanctions, I think we can expect Russia to delver on Vladimir Putin’s promise of retaliation. The most obvious form of that will be cyberattacks on U.S. infrastructure, like the Colonial Pipeline attack, on U.S. financial systems through hacking to steal customer information and denial of service attacks, and on attacks to break into U.S. corporate networks to either paralyze those networks or to effectively put them off line. I wouldn’t rule out attacks on government infrastructure either at local, state, and national levels.

Please watch my new YouTube video: Quick Pick Alcoa

Please watch my new YouTube video: Quick Pick Alcoa

I’m starting up my videos on JubakAM.com again–this time using YouTube as a platform. My one-hundredth-and third YouTube video “QuickPick Alcoa” went up today. This week, my Quick Pick is Alcoa (AA). Like in other commodities, with aluminum we are seeing a supply deficit amidst growing demand. Plus, Alcoa is paying down its debt, and generating a positive cash flow which has led the company to announce a dividend payment and re-institute stock buybacks.

I’m adding Alcoa to my Jubak Picks Portfolio as a hedge against Ukraine risk and as a commodity boom play

I’m adding Alcoa to my Jubak Picks Portfolio as a hedge against Ukraine risk and as a commodity boom play

Today I’m adding shares of Alcoa (AA) to my Jubak Picks Portfolio. At 3:10 p.m. today, February 18, the shares were up 2.01% on the day. My target price for the shares is $93. The pick is a short-term hedge against sanctions against Russia if the Ukraine/Russia conflict escalates further. Russia supplies 6% of the world’s aluminum and I’d expect European and U.S. sanctions to hit those exports. The pick is longer term bet on the continued rise in demand for aluminum and a continued and growing shortage of supply.

Please watch my new YouTube video : Steady vs. hot hands

Please watch my new YouTube video : Steady vs. hot hands

I’m starting up my videos on JubakAM.com again–this time using YouTube as a platform. My one-hundredth-and second YouTube video “Strong hands vs. hot hands” went up today. Today I’m looking at a few stocks that exemplify what most experienced traders know: some hands are steady, and some are not. So when Nvidia announced this week that it expected to see supply chain issues (despite beating earnings and raising guidance), the stock fell. Similar things happened to chip-making equipment supplier Applied Materials and Albemarle, the lithium maker. I’m taking this opportunity to add some of these stocks into my portfolios. What about you?