The battle over Tesla, a real estate rags-to-riches story, and stock picks from 10 top-ranked analysts
Dear Readers,
No stock is more polarizing than Tesla right now. It may well be the most controversial company in history.
But while your opinion of the company may rest on either side of the grand spectrum, Tesla's stock performance has been undeniable. The Elon Musk-helmed automaker has skyrocketed more than 200% over the last six months, and started 2020 on a 112% tear.
Proponents will tell you that Tesla is in pole position to win the electric-vehicle race set to define the auto industry's future. Skeptics will tell you that Musk is a snake oil salesman coasting on his genius reputation and bamboozling unwitting investors.
Business Insider did some digging on either side of the debate. In the bull camp is renowned strategist Tom Lee, who thinks Tesla's surge is totally explainable. He's even made it one of his top picks of 2020 - despite its already-torrid performance so far.
On the other side of the debate is Brian Yacktman, the founder of YCG Funds. He says Tesla's recent surge has been the result of short-selling and investors not wanting to miss out. He told us he's steering clear, and prefers investing in "boring" companies. It's an approach that's worked swimmingly for him: the fund he manages has outperformed 98% over the past five years.
Going beyond that, here's a rundown of some more recent coverage:
51 units at 26 years old after starting with just $3,500: How Tristan Thomas parlayed a single mobile-home purchase into a real-estate business that 'grew like wildfire'
Tristan Thomas discovered real-estate investing through a segment on CNBC that featured a successful dealmaker. Thomas found mobile-home investing attractive because of the low-risk, high-reward nature of the business. Here's how he accumulated 51 units in just three years.
Wall Street's 10 most accurate tech analysts reveal the stocks you should buy now for huge returns within 12 months
We compiled the 10 most accurate analysts in the technology sector based on data from TipRanks, a research firm that tracks thousands of analyst calls. Some of the companies on the list will probably surprise you.
Its competition is a 'plug at Starbucks': Billionaire investor Sam Zell calls WeWork the 'Enron of real estate' - and says similar models are also doomed to fail
Sam Zell, the legendary investor and entrepreneur, has seen WeWork-esque business models pop up since the late 1950s - each of which has gone belly-up. He provides historical anecdotes and highlights the harsh realities of being a marginal supplier and having overwhelming competition.
GOLDMAN SACHS: These 15 stocks offer cash returns at more than double the market average - and they're available at a discount
David Kostin, the chief US equity strategist at Goldman Sachs, has compiled a group of S&P 500 stocks that offer regular cash distributions at roughly double the average company in the broader index.
Other good stories from the investing realm:
- John Thompson grew a pair of investing funds by nearly 20,000%. He shares his one stock pick that could triple in the next few years - and explains why it's his largest holding.
- 'We are unlikely to have a boom': A billionaire investment chief at the world's biggest hedge fund breaks down why the economy's growth cycle is permanently broken
- A fund manager who's crushed 99% of his rivals for the past decade told us his 4 favorite stocks of today - and the 4 he expects to hold for 10 years
- John Huber's portfolio gained 55% in 2019 thanks to a hyperconcentrated approach to stock picking. Here are 5 books he says helped sharpen his strategy.
- Bill Miller's record-setting fund beat the market for 15 straight years. He explains why WeWork's recent debacle could help revive an investing technique previously left for dead.
- MORGAN STANLEY: It's too soon to hunt for bargains as coronavirus fears hammer the market. Here's why the sell-off is far from finished.
- Josh Evans' cancer diagnosis motivated him to start trading stocks full time. He shares the changes in strategy that completely turned around his investing fortunes.