Risk-averse investors avoid the cannabis industry because most pot stocks are speculative, high-risk investments.
That's why I asked Money Morning Director of Technology & Venture Capital Research Michael A. Robinson if there's a safer way to play the booming $6.7 billion North American cannabis industry, and his answer will surprise you...
Robinson's pick sounded unorthodox to me at first, as most investors wouldn't consider this a pot stock.
Though I quickly realized why our pot stock expert recommended this profit opportunity. This company is using its tech expertise to help regulate the marijuana industry.
It will make money from cannabis without having to grow or sell the plant, which creates less risk.
It also has a diversified portfolio of products and services outside of the marijuana industry. That has helped the stock price outperform the Dow Jones Industrial Average in 2017, climbing 17.28%, while the Dow is up just 7.30%.
And we expect these market-beating gains to continue.
Wells Fargo Securities just released a "Buy" rating on this stock on June 2, and it expects the stock price to climb over 12% in the next 12 months.
On top of that, this company even pays a dividend of $0.39 for a 2.14% yield.
To recap, this stock is a leader in the tech sector, its diverse revenue sources (such as in the cannabis industry) could help it climb by 12% over the next year, and it can offset dips in its stock price through dividend payouts.
That makes this a great "cannabis stock" to own for risk-averse investors.
The Biggest Pot IPO of the Year: A highly anticipated marijuana company IPO will happen any day now, and analysts are projecting a massive 254% gain right off the bat for private investors. But you must hurry. Read more...
Additionally, we have another potential profit opportunity on a highly anticipated marijuana company IPO.
We're going to get to that in just a bit.
But as promised, here is the safest "pot stock" to own that will still provide market-beating gains in 2017...
If You Want the Safest Pot Stock to Own, Try This One for Market-Beating Gains
[mmpazkzone name="in-story" network="9794" site="307044" id="137008" type="4"]
Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) is one of the best-known tech companies in the world.
I know what you're thinking: Microsoft is a tech giant. Over 400 million devices run Windows 10, and Microsoft Office has been downloaded 340 million times on iPhones, iPads, and Android devices.
Microsoft is also a leader in the cloud-computing market, with $6.7 billion in revenue from its Azure cloud service in Q3 2017.
"I think 2017 is going to be the year where things really pull together," Robinson said on CNBC World on Jan. 4, 2017.
And it's because of its advanced cloud technology that investors will profit from marijuana without the speculative risk of a penny stock.
In June 2016, cannabis compliance firm KIND Financial partnered with Microsoft to run its software through Microsoft's cloud.
Which States Will Legalize Marijuana Next?
KIND uses technology to track marijuana plants from "seed to sales." Cannabis growers will register each plant they grow with the state government, as well as the sale of each marijuana bud from the plant.
This ensures dispensaries are compliant with local and state laws, and the need for KIND's services is only going to increase as states legalize marijuana. It's a matter of "when" and not "if" the United States completely legalizes medical marijuana, as 29 states and the District of Columbia have some form of legal marijuana laws.
And as local governments turn to KIND to help regulate the cannabis industries in more states, KIND's cloud-computing needs from Microsoft will expand.
There is no information on Microsoft's revenue from KIND. But by 2018, MSFT expects to generate $20 billion in commercial cloud revenue alone.
And because of Microsoft's long list of products and services, Wells Fargo Securities is bullish on the MSFT stock price.
In the next 12 months, Wells Fargo projects the MSFT stock price will climb to $81.25 per share. From the opening price of $71.97 on June 5, that's a potential profit of 12.89%.
On top of that projected price climb, Microsoft stock also pays a dividend of $0.39 per share, which is a yield of 2.14%.
The Biggest Pot IPO of the Year and How to Play It: Twenty-one legal marijuana companies have soared above 1,000% gains already. But get ready... There is a highly anticipated marijuana company IPO that will happen any day now, and it is expected to be huge. Analysts are projecting a massive 254% gain right off the bat for private investors... But you must hurry. The IPO could happen at any moment. Details here...