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President Joe Biden was officially inaugurated on 20 January, offering a dramatically changed political outlook from the outgoing Trump administration. Equally significant, Biden enters office buoyed by a “blue wave” that has seen Democrats gain majority power in the Senate while retaining a majority in the House of Representatives, granting the party effective control of both the legislative branch and the presidency for the first time since 2011.

Though the new administration will be faced with numerous economic challenges, it will have the political clout to enact drastic policies to tackle them. What does this mean for investors on the hunt for prime stocks? What are safe bets, and what bubbles may soon burst?

Green Energy

“Build Back Better” has been a common slogan ever since the 2020 campaign, broadly summarising the new administration’s aim for the US economy. The Biden-Harris campaign website specifies the creation of “an equitable, clean energy future” as a key plank in this. With the spectre of climate change becoming an ever-greater threat to the global economy, we can expect to see a good deal of renewed attention given to green business.

Naturally, this is good news for companies with a focus on renewable energy. Investors may soon see positive movement in NextEra and other utilities with wind and solar assets. Clean energy system manufacturers such as First Solar and Emphase Energy are also worth a look – as are electric vehicles companies. With Biden having voiced ambitions of creating 1 million jobs in the auto sector and incentivise EV production, the future looks bright for the likes of Tesla and Workhorse Group.

Infrastructure

Alongside Biden’s promises of greater green energy investment is a pledge to invest comprehensively in American infrastructure. Roads, bridges and energy grids are all noted as areas of concern that will soon see government investment.

With the spectre of climate change becoming an ever-greater threat to the global economy, we can expect to see a good deal of renewed attention given to green business.

A natural beneficiary of this focus on infrastructure (if Biden is serious) would be construction companies like building materials supplier Martin Marietta and equipment maker Caterpillar, both of which were heavily impacted by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic but have since rebounded. It’s a telling portent that the Global X US Infrastructure Development ETF (PAVE), which tracks some of the largest industrial, construction and transportation companies in the US, saw a rally in the week of the election and an overall jump of 26% in the past three months.

While the optimistic rumours of a big infrastructure deal may not come to anything under the new government, telecom providers in particular can expect a boost from Biden’s promise to work towards universal broadband. AT&T, Comcast and Verizon, among other big players, can be expected to make significant gains.

Big Tech

Tech giants like Amazon, Google and Facebook occupy a strange position in the US economy. Though their market values have never been higher, and they have managed to keep up consistently high performance during the COVID-19 pandemic while other businesses have foundered, politicians from both sides of the aisle have managed to find an opponent in big tech.

Now, with majority power in Congress, Biden and his party are in a position to heavily regulate or even break up the “Big Five” of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and Alphabet. Notable Democrats like Elizabeth Warren have come out in support of breaking up tech giants; the Democrat-led House antitrust committee has found that the Big Five “hold monopoly power”. Biden himself has publicly criticised Facebook for providing a platform for his predecessor to “spread fear and misleading information”, though he has stopped short of recommending its breakup.

With tech companies enjoying more influence than ever before, it remains to be seen just how far the new administration will go to curb their power. The September and November tech selloffs have shown that the Big Five’s stock is not invincible; 2021 may see the end of tech giants as a sure bet for investment.

Though their market values have never been higher, and they have managed to keep up consistently high performance during the COVID-19 pandemic while other businesses have foundered, politicians from both sides of the aisle have managed to find an opponent in big tech.

Cannabis

Though not as high-profile an issue as climate change, the debate surrounding the regulation of cannabis played a role in the outcome of the presidential election and will likely have consequences for the markets. Biden’s campaign platform included the decriminalisation of cannabis at the federal level, which – while not the same as outright legalising the drug – would pave the way for long-awaited cannabis banking reform and greater acceptance of the substance’s recreational use over time.

Several other Democrat leaders, including New York governor Andrew Cuomo, have vocally supported the legalisation of cannabis, as have 66% of Americans, which bodes well for the future of the industry. Worldwide cannabis sales tripled to almost $11 billion from 2014 to 2018; Wall Street analysts predict that figure could land anywhere between $50 billion and $200 billion a year by 2030. In the shorter term, investors may want to keep a close eye on Canadian cannabis producers such as Organigram Holdings or Harvest Health & Recreation Inc – or Tilray, which managed to double its value in January alone.

More Broadly

One of the final sectors that is sure to see movement in the Biden era is healthcare. Looking past the headline-making pharmaceutical companies producing COVID-19 vaccines, and the fact that Biden has not embraced “Medicare for all” like many of his fellow Democrats, the health industry will undoubtedly be boosted in at least some areas by the new president’s policies. Biden has promised an option “like Medicare” for individual health plans, a boon for existing Medicare supplemental plan providers like UnitedHealth Group. As many as 23 million Americans could be made eligible for Medicare under Biden’s policies, which is sure to elevate healthcare fortunes.

And to move back from specific industries, there is reason for investors across the board to take note of the incoming administration’s policies. Biden has stated his intention to raise the corporate tax rate back to its pre-Trump level of 28% and to tax foreign income more aggressively, which obviously bodes poorly for the stock market. But before that can occur, a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package is sitting on the table, sure to lift US markets broadly should it pass Congress.

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This stimulus package and the measures that may follow it, with a second spending plan slated to arrive “in the first few weeks” of Biden’s term, should give traders plenty to be optimistic about in the short term. Whether the specific industries listed above ultimately see their fortunes raised will depend on negotiations in government and the evolution of external factors like the ongoing pandemic, but prospective investors would do well to plan for the new president’s policy objectives in the years ahead.

Bitcoin's recent climb above the $4,500-5,000 mark is just one example of how its market capitalization continues to gain unprecedented reach. From cannabis to technology, bitcoin has impacted industries far and wide, but analysts believe that the cryptocurrency isn't done climbing.

ChineseInvestors.com Inc. (OTC: CIIX) is one business taking advantage of bitcoin's success by setting up bitcoin payment acceptance through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Chinesehempoil.com Inc. SinglePoint, Inc. (OTC: SING) also continues to develop its bitcoin cannabis payment solutions, while technology company NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA), graphics cards maker Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMD), and bitcoin investment vehicle Bitcoin Investment Trust (OTC: GBTC) occupy their own unique positions.

ChineseInvestors.com (OTCQB: CIIX), in July 2017, announced that its Chinesehempoil.com subsidiary was ready to accept bitcoin payments, in addition to more common payment methods such as debit cards and PayPal, in order to enable consumers to purchase its hemp-based health products online. The move marked CIIX's official entrance into the burgeoning digital currency market and enabled the company to offer its customers a heightened level of cost savings, privacy and ease of use.

By August, CIIX took its knowledge of bitcoin a step further. On par with its core operation as a provider of financial information, CIIX launched its cryptocurrency education and trading subscription service on Chinesefn.com, its dynamic financial website that provides real-time market commentary; analysis related to digital currency, trends and stocks; and education-related services to Chinese-speaking investors. The subscription service covers a spectrum of vital cryptocurrency data, including news, analysis, industry trends, price movement, sector related stocks and ETFs, and more.

ChineseInvestors.com (OTCQB: CIIX), CEO, Warren Wang, in the press release announcing the new service, described why providing this information to the Chinese-speaking population represents a significant market opportunity.

"With the use and trading of cryptocurrencies on the rise in Asia, it appears that a much wider adoption of digital assets may be right around the corner. With an estimated 85% market share, China is one of the dominant players controlling bitcoin volume, along with Japan (which recently legalized bitcoin as a form of payment) and the United States," he explained. "While many see the unique opportunity that cryptocurrency poses for investors and desire to capitalize on this market opportunity, they may not have a full understanding of the concept of digital currency or how the system works. CIIX intends to provide fundamental knowledge to Chinese speaking newcomers to cryptocurrency, including straightforward explanations of the basics of cryptocurrency, how to buy it and straightforward trading guidelines. For those with cryptocurrency experience, the Company will provide more detailed information regarding currency mining, blockchain technology, stock trends and ETFs. Through its innovative cryptocurrency education and trading subscription service, the Company endeavors to be the leading Chinese educational site providing up to date news and information on digital currencies."

Headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in New York City and Shanghai, CIIX continues to grow its core as a specialized investment services company with a 100,000+ user base, providing consultation, advertising, and public relations services to China-based companies.

SinglePoint, Inc. (OTC: SING) is another cannabis industry leader participating in the cryptocurrency phenomenon. In June 2017, the company closed a round of funding with an investor to support a bitcoin payments solution that was implemented in partnership with First Bitcoin Capital. By adding bitcoin payments to its diverse portfolio, SinglePoint is helping the cannabis industry - as well as other high-risk industries - overcome the challenges stemming from a lack of adequate banking access. SinglePoint also recently purchased $Weed from First Bitcoin Capital, a new currency in the market. WeedCoin is currently listed on three exchanges, and SinglePoint said it intends to list and market the currency on more exchanges moving forward.

Taking a step backward in the cryptocurrency process helps to understand these investment options in the alternative currency market. California-based graphics chip manufacturer and technology company NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA), participates in the digital currency market by providing chips used for cryptocurrency mining. While there are numerous other uses for its chips, bitcoin miners favor graphics processing units to create new cryptocurrency units. According to several industry reports, this demand helped push sales of Nvidia's graphics card line 52% higher to $1.2 billion in the second quarter.

Likewise, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMD) is benefitting from demand for its graphics card by cryptocurrency miners. In June, the chipmaker told CNBC that demand for its graphics cards was fueled by the 'newly resurgent cryptocurrency mining markets'. Earlier this week Advanced Micro Devices revealed details of its 'Radeon Software Crimson ReLive Edition Beta for Blockchain Compute' driver created to help boost the efficiency of cryptocurrency mining rigs. The beta-level driver targets graphics processors that are used for mining, or a way that new transactions are added to blockchains, addressing the demand for processors used by those tapping into the cryptocurrency market.

The growth and potential of bitcoin is further evidenced by Bitcoin Investment Trust (OTCQX: GBTC), which enables investors to gain exposure to bitcoin's price movement through a traditional investment vehicle without the challenges of buying, storing and safekeeping bitcoin. The U.S.-based, open-ended grantor trust is invested exclusively in bitcoin, and its shares are the first publicly quoted securities solely invested in and deriving value from the price of bitcoin. Bitcoin Investment Trust was recently named to OTC Markets Group's 'OTCQX Best 50' for 2017. Bitcoin digital currency has already been named an official method of payment in Japan, and it is being accepted by more and more major retailers in the United States, furthering the acceptance of bitcoin's presence as a valid payment method.

Market analysts continue to predict increases in bitcoin and digital currency in general. Cryptocurrency payments have benefited businesses and consumers in the cannabis products industry and in the graphics cards markets, driving growth in both sectors. Current trends show that it is also opening the door to markets worldwide, especially in the United States and China, with little signs of slowing down. This is true if pricing is any indication; bitcoin recently surged past $4,500.

(Source: NetworkNewsWire)

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