This past Thursday, I wrote a blog post titled, “‘Hobby Of Kings’ Or ‘King’ of All Hobbies.” It was my first post about coin collecting. Since then, I have learned quite a bit of information about coin collecting, such as Proof Sets, current mints, previous mints, and more.
The book, Coin Collecting for Beginners 2023: The New Updated Guide to Easily Start Your Coin Collection and Learn How to Identify, Value, Preserve and Profit From Your Hobby, by Lincoln Ford is helping me identify what questions I need to ask and start researching those questions. In my research, I found out there were numerous mints that had opened due to the gold rush and has since then closed. I also found out that the one letter on the right side of the coin identifies which mint made it. I am sure this is basic information for some; however I find it fascinating. When I read information about dates, such as 1792 and 1982, my mind began to create a timeline of events and all that has taken place before, during, and after these mints were established. I think about Independence Day (U.S.), Emancipation Proclamation, World War I, The Harlem Renaissance, The Negritude Movement, Plessy vs Ferguson, Prohibition, The Dust Bowl, The Great Depression, March of Dimes eradicating Polio, World War II, Board of Education vs. Topeka Kansas, Roe vs. Wade, Civil Rights Act, Americans with Disability Act, Vocational Rehabilitation Act, and much more.
My research led me to Proof Sets, which seem like a must have for a coin collector. If not all sets, maybe just one or two. Feel free to check them out for yourself. Let me know what you think or if you have experience in this already.
As I wrote my last piece about the seven upcoming stock splits, I started wondering if Amazon was positioning itself to become a monopoly. I started to consider its monopolistic behavior, such as the many ventures it has taken on such as: Book publishing, seller marketplace, streaming, grocery delivery, and pharmacy. If we are thinking about this using a synergy approach, then the combined performance of two or more divisions working together is better than working individually.
The definition of a monopoly as defined by Investopedia “is a dominant position of an industry or a sector by one company, to the point of excluding all other viable competitors. Monopolies are often discouraged in free-market nations. They are seen as leading to price-gouging and deteriorating quality due to the lack of alternative choices for consumers. They also can concentrate wealth, power, and influence in the hands of one or a few individuals.”
So what do you think? I want your perspectives before we dive into antitrust laws and the laws preventing monopolies.
There are seven upcoming stock splits that everyone should know about, especially for those who have been following these brands and waiting for the price to go down. Well this is your chance to grab a few shares of some major players at a really low price
Take Amazon for example, this company has been a trendsetter for some years now. It gives individuals the ability to sell their products online, authors an opportunity to sell their books without paying out of pocket for printing costs, and subscribers a chance to catch up on their favorite shop on Amazon Prime. Did I mention they also deliver groceries and have a pharmacy as well? Talk about your one-stop shop. With the new union in Staten Island, New York and potential ones in the future, only time will tell the continued success of this company. However, I assume they will be doing even more in the future. One thing they many want to consider is making sure they are not creating a monopoly and they are abiding by the antitrust laws.
Ticker- AMZN
Closed at- $2,447 on 6/3/22
Split Type: 20-for-1
$2447 / 20 = $122.35 (Price opening on 6/6/22)
Split date- 6/3/22
Sector- Consumer Discretionary/Staples
Next there’s Google. What can I say about this company? This successful company has allowed students to utilize google docs without paying a subscription fee, travelers to utilize google maps to plan trips, content creators to use google drive to upload large projects, Vlogers to connect with YouTube, and a host of other things. Of course there is a looming recession and inflation in full play, which all companies have and will make adjustments for, but Google always seem to come out ahead
Ticker- GOOG (Alphabet Inc)
Current price- 2,255.98
Split type: 20-for-1
Split date: 7/15/22
Sector: Technology
Next is Tesla. A company that a lot of other Electronic Vehicle (EV) makers try to compare to or exceed. When a company is the first to do something, they tend to be held at high regard when it comes to their business, brand, products, services, and other matters as well. Take the owner, Elon Musk for example. He’s at a stage in his life where he can tweet out information about Dogecoin and stock orders increase. Currently, he is in the news regarding a bid to buy Twitter. There has been much said, positive and negative. We will see how this all plays out.
Ticker: TSLA
Current price: $759.63
Split type: 3 for 1
Split date: Shareholders will vote on split on 8/4/22
Sector: Consumer Discretionary
Next there’s Nintendo. Many of us investors, parents, aunts/uncles, or family friends remember Nintendo from either having the first game set sold or buying some later version of it. Game sets have transitioned completely from Atari (Generally moving characters left, right, up, or down) to Game Boy, Super Nintendo, and Nintendo Switch. With having over 100 years, almost 200 years, in this industry, who would expect things to change now? Now things do change, as we have seen over the years with Nintendo. However, it can be assumed that Nintendo will be around for years to come. At least that is my hope.
Ticker: NTDOY
Current price: $56.09
Split type: 10-for-1
Split date: 10/1/22
Sector: Technology/Consumer Discretionary
Who doesn’t likeSpotify, or a streaming service with new and old school music at your fingertips? I know I do. The era in which I was born was heavily populated with cassette tapes. You know, the cassettes you had to fast forward and rewind to play your favorite song over and over again. This was the way of life, who could want anything more? Matter of fact, when I was around 8 years old, record players were a big deal, well in my household it was. My sister had a record player and my mother had an entertainment console, which connected her record player to an 8 track player. Luther Vandoss blared from her entertainment console every Saturday.
Now imagine years later and having music at our fingertips because of companies like Spotify and their streaming service. Now there are competitors, such as: Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon music and more.
As profiled on cnbc, “Kinetik Holdings Inc., formerly Altus Midstream Company, is an integrated midstream energy company in the Permian Basin. The Company provides gathering, transportation, compression, processing, and treating services for companies that produce natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil and water. The Company operates approximately 2 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/day) of constructed cryogenic natural gas processing capacity strategically located near the Waha Hub in West Texas. The Company also has interests in four built, long-term contracted pipelines transporting natural gas, NGLs, and crude oil from the Permian Basin to the Gulf Coast. It has long-term dedications of approximately 850,000 acres for gas, crude oil, and water midstream services from 30 active producers in the Delaware Basin. The Company’s Midstream Logistics business also includes its crude oil gathering, stabilization, and storage services throughout the Texas Delaware Basin.”
“the world’s largest retail gaming and trade-in destination for Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo games, systems, consoles & accessories.” I remember vividly last year when GameStop’s stock was a Wall Street Bets sensation and people seemed to pour their money into this company without any evidence to support that the company was doing well. Even people who had never invested in this company was talking about investing. Some investors considered it a pump and dump. Now, Wall Street Bets’ agenda seemed to save GameStop and AMC from short sell companies who intended to push the price up so they could sell it. Now as far as GameStop and how it’s doing now, one must take in consideration of Analyst Colin Sebastian’s comments about “until the company ‘more clearly articulates new management’s business strategy,’ which will enable investors to better evaluate the company’s ‘intrinsic value and prospects for future free cash flow generation.’”
Ticker: GME
Current price: $137.21
Split type: TBD
Split date: Pending Shareholder Approval on 6/2/22
With the decrease in Netflix subscribers due to increasing streaming service rates and the inclusion of a lower package, which includes commercials, no wonder Peacock is becoming the preferred choice. Now, Peacock also has a lower package with commercials; however it’s about 1-2 commercials per break. The lower package costs around $5 a month, which is about $3 cheaper than Netflix.
Don’t get me wrong, Netflix has amazing content from The Last Kingdom, comedy specials (Earthquake, Dave Chappelle, and Mike Epps), and Blood & Water. However, in a society impacted by inflation regarding housing, utilities, food, and household essentials, it only seems right to find a streaming service with a bit of oldies, goodies, original content, and much more for a lower price. Peacock has recently added Bravo shows to its content such as Kandi and the Gang, Married’s the to Medicine, and the Real Housewives Franchise. These shows are up-to-date and are being released on Peacock about a day or two after being released with cable providers.
Disney’s prices have stayed the same for a while. I can remember one increase since 2020. They also have a package deal to include Hulu and ESPN, which perhaps makes it a option for those looking for such. The only concern I would have as a subscriber/investor is the amount of content being added and was it sufficient to meet the needs of families and their watching habits. Of course this concern is regarding Disney acting as a sole subscription service.
Prime also has great content and the ability to cross services from connecting to other providers (Such as: HBO, Stars, etc), offering Amazon.com benefits, and much more. The only concern would be the price if individuals care about it. For some individuals, price is nothing, but for all the rest of us, price plays a very important role in our subscription options and what we choose to pay for. The price has the ability to increase subscribers, as long as the content is adequate and engaging.
Call me bias if you want; however when considering a stock that has great stream service content, lower prices, and an ability to increase it’s subscriber capacity, I have to go with Comcast and it’s streaming service Peacock.
The stock and cryptocurrency markets have definitely seen better days, but for most people like my sister and I, this is a buyer’s market. Just meaning that this is the best time to buy things you have always wanted, such as Apple, Tesla, Airbnb.
Although this is a buyer’s market, please make sure you continue to research the stock you are about to purchase. I understand that some of you may want to buy the stock, which is now $0.30 a share. However, just a few months ago that same stock was $3- $5. With the pandemic still occurring, the decrease could be pandemic related or due to being overvalued. There’s no telling what the cause it, but it’s better to research and identify what caused the increase or decrease, so you don’t loose everything you have invested in that stock.
My ultimate Top Six Stocks and Top Three Cryptocurrencies, which I believe will excel for years to come, are listed below. These stocks have done well before, during, and are expected to do well after. Below I provide the company, tickers and
Top 6 Stocks
1. Apple (APPL)- INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SECTOR – Current price per share $168.64. Dividend- $0.88 per share.
Apple is well known for developing iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, computers, and technology to assist us with surfing the internet, designing flyers and books, and completing work or daily activities via the World Wide Web.
2. Airbnb (ABNB)- CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY SECTOR- Current price per share $166.53. No Dividend.
Airbnb is a hospitality hotel/hostel/vacationing in a home type of business. Consumers are able to stay in the homes of people who live or own property in the city, state, or country they live.
3. Ford (F)- CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY SECTOR-Current price per share $17.55. Dividend- $0.40 a share.
Ford is a car company that manufactures Ford vehicles. Interest in Ford has been increasing lately with the anticipation the company releasing its electric vehicles this yea.
4. Equity Residential (EQR)- REAL ESTATE SECTOR- Current price per share $86.38. Dividend $2.41 a share.
Equity Residential provides a way to invest in Real Estate without having to buy property, fix it up, and then resale it. There is nothing wrong with buying and reselling property. You just have the necessary resources to do so, which is why some people choose to invest in stock compared to the buying property.
5. ZipRecruiter (ZIP)- CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY SECTOR- Current price per share $21.43. No Dividend.
ZipRecriter is a web based employment database. It helps employers market open positions and jobseekers apply for those same positions. Employers can list information about their companies, reviews, and helpful information to assist individuals with researching opportunities. Individuals can upload their resumes, cover letters, and setup notifications for certain positions.
6. Discover Financial Services (DFS)- FINANCIALS SECTOR- Current price per share $124.14. Dividend- $2 per share.
Discover Financial Services is a credit card company. The company has cash back options, access to your credit score, and incentive programs for using your credit card or referring others.
Top 3 Cryptocurrencies
1. Bitcoin (BTC)- Current price per share $42,413.35
2. Ethereum (ETH)- Current price per share $2,923.36
Just like cryptocurrency, electric vehicles are the next wave of the future, whether it’s from Ford, Lucid Motors, Tesla, NIO, Nissan, or Apple (If everything holds true about Apple developing an Apple car).
From the self-driving features to the battery swapping service in less than 60 seconds, who wouldn’t want an electric vehicle (EV)? Actually, I’m sure there are some people who would not want an electric vehicle. Some for the same reason as not wanting cryptocurrency (crypto), such as not understanding the product and being accustom to another product. I have definitely been there before. However with knowledge and understanding, I came to the conclusion that I want in a part of the movement toward accepting and investing in EVs as well as crypto.
Investing in EVs and crypto through the stock market and a crypto wallet is another way of investing in these products and making money while doing so. Most of the stock for EVs above can be found any where for $9 a share to $1067 a share, with the higher outlier belonging to Tesla. Stocks like Ford and Apple also pay a dividend per share, which is really nice.
When investing your money in EVs, I would suggest you look at the company as a whole from the last few months, years, and upon inception. Stock charts tell a story, whether it’s regarding a reverse split, company changing directions, or two companies discontinuing their partnership in order to develop their EVs independently.
I want you to leave here today with a few tidbits, which are to start researching and considering investing in EVs, cryptocurrency, and look at ways in increase your financial standing as an investor and consumer.
There are many steps to Invest. Above, I provide my top five list on how to be successful in investing. The very first step is to research how to invest. This is the most important step. This step teaches you the fundamentals on investing.
Depending on your research methods, this may take you a long time to complete . However, we all know that learning never ends, so some of the processes can overlap each other. You can learn as you invest.
The next step is to setup your investment account so you can start investing. When doing so, you will have to provide the company you are working with your social security number. This is for tax purposes.
Once your account is set up, use the site to research stocks. This is the third step. You can also use Yahoo Finance, Motley Fool, and other reputable sites to research this information. In 2022, The Dream Stock Exchange will make its debut on the stock exchange ( https://dreamex.com). Dream “will focus on small business capital formation and diversity using the power of the American investing.” Make sure you check it out.
The next step is to create or join an investment support group. This group can be made up of friends, family, and even strangers. This will allow everyone to discuss stocks in detail and get others opinions.
The last step is to have fun. Investing should be fun and you should only invest what you can. Have fun, but not too much fun. You also have to be responsible while investing.
Here is my next article on investing that I wrote for Edwards Family Endowment. There are 2 other parts set to be released between now and the beginning of the year.
Melica Niccole 