Best stocks to buy for the week ending Jan. 17, 2014: The Dow Jones Industrial Average logged its first weekly gain of 2014 last week, even with mixed earnings results from big banks and industry heavyweights.
The 30-stock blue chip average tacked on 22 points to end the week at 16,458.58. The S&P 500 hit a record 1,848.38 Wednesday but closed the week down 4 points at 1,838.70. The Nasdaq ended the week with a 23-point gain to close at 4,197.58.
Money Morning helped readers decipher earnings reports to determine what the numbers mean for investors. We also brought investors the best stocks to buy in tech, pharma, and energy. Here's a recap:
- Gold got off to a solid start this year after a painful 28% drop in 2013 marked its first annual loss in 13 years. The yellow metal rose 0.4% last week to $1,252 an ounce, putting year-to-date gains up 4.14%. That's better than the three major benchmarks. And bullish gold bets from smart money investors are climbing, according to Money Morning Global Resource Specialist Peter Krauth. He showed us why investors would be wise to buy gold now.
- Many tech investors scored big gains in 2013, with the Nasdaq Composite Index soaring 38%. And tech's gains show no sign of slowing. Money Morning Defense & Tech Specialist Michael A. Robinson sat in on FOX Business's "Varney & Co" last Tuesday to discuss three major moves for tech stocks: the one thing that could send Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) shares soaring to $1,000, what Google Inc.'s (Nasdaq: GOOG) purchase of Nest Labs for $3.2 billion means for the Internet giant's share price, and the technology breakthrough that could send Netflix Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX) shares skyrocketing this year.
- In spite of the modest showing from the three major indexes last week, a handful of small biotech companies saw meteoric gains. Chelsea Therapeutics International Ltd (Nasdaq: CHTP) shares surged some 92% on a promising treatment for low blood pressure. And Clovis Oncology Inc. (Nasdaq: CLVS), up fourfold over the last 12 months, jumped 5% after receiving an upgrade from Citigroup. Picking winners in the lucrative biotech sector isn't easy, but Money Morning Bioscience Specialist Ernie Tremblay has unveiled an innovative new strategy for identifying the sector's next big winners. Let Tremblay's list of six factors to look for in small biotech companies guide you to hefty profits this year.
- Despite the well-known risks of penny stocks, the right picks can be very rewarding - like these 5 stocks under $5 worth a look today. But the biggest-gaining penny stocks so far this year are "pot penny stocks" - surging on the legalization of marijuana. Sales of government-regulated marijuana are projected to more than double in 2014 to $2.3 billion, and Bloomberg estimates the business could eventually swell to a $34 billion to $45 billion annual industry. Let Money Morning show you how to invest in pot penny stocks without getting burned, and for more expert insight on investing in marijuana stocks - and to find out why investors should be watching retailer Sears in the weeks ahead - turn your eyes to Chief Investment Strategist Keith Fitz-Gerald's appearance last Tuesday on FOX Business News.
- Money Morning has been covering the U.S. energy revolution for years, sharing the latest trends and guiding readers to the best stocks to buy in unconventional oil and natural gas, shale oil... and liquefied natural gas (LNG). When we first explored profiting from LNG, our favorite LNG stock was trading at $6. Today, shares trade upwards of $45, a whopping 650% gain. But there's still much more upside ahead for our favorite LNG stock, up 122% over the last 12 months and up 4.5% since January. Plus, find out this second LNG pick - it's an unconventional way to play the transport and technology involved in this industry.
The U.S. dollar's days may be numbered as the world's reserve currency, and China is aggressively pushing for the yuan to take its place. But as always, Money Morning has found a way to profit from this shift. Here's how to play the "golden yuan."