December 8, 2025 | Daily JAM, Jubak Picks, LYSDY, Top 50 Stocks, Volatility |
If the United States (and other technology economies such as Japan and Europe) are serious about reducing China’s dominance in the crucial minerals called rare earths (and I believe they are), then you need to realize as an investor that in the next five years all roads to that goal lead through Lynas Rare Earths (LYSDY) and MP Materials (MP). Both stocks are up hugely in 2025, but I think you need to own them. Buy half a position now and add on any dip, or dollar cost average over the next 12 months (with a bigger monthly buy on any dip) but own them. I have owned Lynas in my Jubak Picks Portfolio since October 18, 2022. The position is up 88% in that period as of the close on December 8. The ADR is up 78% in 2025 to date. On a dip I will add it to the long-term 50 Stocks Portfolio. MP Materials is up 298% in 2025 through December 8. Tomorrow, December 9, I will add MP Materials to my Volatility Portfolio. On a dip I will add it to the Jubak Picks Portfolio.
October 19, 2025 | Daily JAM, GNRC, Jubak Picks, Volatility |
Pick #5 for the energy crisis is Generac
September 30, 2025 | CCJ, Daily JAM, GNRC, JCI, Jubak Picks, LNG, Long Term, Special Reports, Top 50 Stocks, Volatility |
You don’t need the Department of Energy or the Energy Information Administration to tell you we have an energy crisis. (Good thing since they’re shut down with the rest of the Federal government today.) All you need to do is look at your electricity bill. This summer monthly home electric bills jumped in Trenton, New Jersey, for a typical home by $26. In Philadelphia, it increased about $17. And in Columbus, Ohio, it spiked $27. And your monthly bill doesn’t capture the full damage. In California,residential electric rates are up 62% in five years. In Maryland residential rates are up 54% in five years. Most frustratingly–and most importantly for investors–those bills don’t explain the nature of the crisis.
Or more accurately “crises.” Because we’re the middle of three, overlapping and interlocking energy crises. That are playing out on different timeframes that range from NOW to the next 5 to 10 years. It’s that last point that’s critically important for investors. Because to make money–and let’s be clear: like in all crises there’s money to be made investing in these three crises–you’ve got to understand the nature of each crisis and buy into it at the right time. Not so early that you sell in disappointment because your profits haven’t arrived yet. Not so late that all themes tasty profits are gone. This Special Report is about untangling the 3 energy crises, giving you a timeline for investing in each, and then calling out 10 picks you cause to profit from theses crises. Ya, ready?
August 21, 2025 | Daily JAM, Volatility |
In the last few sessions, as the market worries about what Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell will say about inflation and interest rates and the likelihood of an interest rate cut at the Fed’s September 17 meeting, volatility as measured by the CBOE S&P 500 Volatility Index (VIX) has started to climb. The VIX rose another 6.37% to 16.69 today, Thursday, August 21. That’s a big move from the low of 14.78 on August 19. But the increase is nowhere near enough to save the VIX Call options I bought back on May 18. Those options had strike prices of 22 and 26–and consequently they expired worthless on the expiration date of August 20.
Back on July 19 I worried that this market was determined not to price in risk and I warned that anyone who owned these options had only about a two week window for the markets to begin more realistically to price in risk. If that move didn’t start by August 3 or so, it would be time to sell and take losses in this volatility play.
When I wrote that on July 19, the VIX was at 16.45. From there the VIX moved consistently lower–well except for a very brief spike to 20.37 on August–hitting 14.36 on August 13.
June 2, 2025 | Daily JAM, Jubak Picks, PAAS, Stock Alerts, Top 50 Stocks |
Today’s Quick Pick is Pan American Silver (PAAS). Gold isn’t the only way to hedge against global economic and currency risks–silver is another great option. It’s a precious metal with industrial uses, so it doesn’t soar as high as a first choice financial hedge as gold, but it’s very affordable right now relative to gold. Pan American Silver just reported solid first quarter results: 5 million ounces of silver, 180,000 ounces of gold, $0.47 earnings per share, and $773 million in revenue. Their all-in production costs for silver are $13.94/oz, while silver’s market price is around $33.64/oz-—a nice margin! Gold production costs are $1,485/oz vs. a market price of around $2,343/oz. The stock even pays a small 1.68% dividend. Morningstar thinks the stock is slightly overvalued, but I think the premium is fair given current market risks. Plus, they recently acquired a 44% stake in the high-quality Juanicipio Silver Mine in Mexico, which should boost production. If you’re looking for a hedge beyond gold, silver—and PAAS specifically—-is a smart choice. I’ll be adding PAAS to my Volatility and Jubak Picks portfolios soon.
May 26, 2025 | Daily JAM, Jubak Picks, Stock Alerts, TBF, Volatility |
I’m adding shares of the ProShares Short 20+ Year Treasury ETF (TBF) to my Jubak Picks and Volatility portfolios tomorrow, May 28, as a play in the continued decline in prices at the long end of the Treasury market.
May 15, 2025 | Daily JAM, Short Term, VIX, Volatility |
The CBOE S&P 500 Volatility Index (VIX) dropped another 4.24% today to 17.84. I think, once again, the financial markets have become way too complacent about risk. And so it’s time to buy Call Options on the Vix “fear index,” betting that at least one of the many potential volatility events on the horizon puts some fear back into the markets.
May 9, 2025 | Daily JAM, Volatility |
22.53. That was the close on the CBOE S&P 500 Volatility Index (VIX) today. It’s safe to say that stock market volatility is way down. Back on April 21, the “fear index” was at 34.21. On April 8, at the bottom of the turmoil that followed on the April 2 tariffs, the index hit 52.33. But even before that spike, fear had been climbing among investors to 27.86 on March 10 from the very complacent 16.43 on January 31. That was substantially below the 10-year average for the VIX at 18.66. So now the question is how low the VIX will go. And when will it be time to buy VIX Call Options again on a bet that volatility will return.
April 28, 2025 | Daily JAM, VIX, Volatility |
Today, Monday April 28, I’m selling my last two Call Options on the VIX, the CBOE S&P 500 Volatility Index. Not because we’re done with volatility. No way. I expect lots more volatility in the weeks and months ahead. And I expect to put this trade on again. But because these two options expire on May 21
March 23, 2025 | Daily JAM, Jubak Picks, Long Term, Mid Term, Stock Alerts, TCEHY, Top 50 Stocks, Volatility |
On Monday, March 24, I’m adding these Tencent ADRs (TCEHY) TO my Jubak Picks and Volatility Portfolios.
March 23, 2025 | Daily JAM, FXI, Jubak Picks, Perfect Five-ETFs, Volatility |
Just because we’ve seen this page from the play book before and just because I’m skeptical about the long-term effects of this policy doesn’t mean I don’t want to own the China rally now. On Monday March 24, I’m adding the iShares China Large-Cap ETF (FXI) to my Perfect Five ETF Portfolio and to my Jubak Picks and Volatility portfolios. (In the Perfect Five ETF portfolio I’m replacing my India ETF with this China ETF.)
March 17, 2025 | Daily JAM, Short Term, Volatility |
Today’s Hot Money Moves NOW: Buy VIX Volatility Call Options. Toward the end of January, I bought VIX Call Options, hoping to make money as volatility increased in the market. I bought a VIX call with a strike of 20, and a VIX call with a strike of 26–both with May 21, 2025 expirations. Both of these buys were up about 40% before Friday’s snap-back rally. And looking at probable “events” I think volatility is going to increase in the second half of March. But this week we may see some optimism bring the VIX down and you may be able to buy more options on that future volatility at a temporarily depressed price. I would look to buy these options this week and hold for the next three weeks or so, through more tariff uncertainty in April and sell before the May 21 expiration. For more detail om my VIX options buys see the Volatility Portfolio on my subscription JubakAM.com site.
