How's everyone's investment portfolios looking now that the markets have made even more new all-time highs? This is unlike anything I've seen since the development of the Dot Com bubble. Only difference now, which is a big one, is we're not looking at ridiculously overvalued companies that haven't even proven they can make money.
We're clearly in an earnings growth environment, and when you look at some of the recent earnings reports coming from so many of the big tech leaders, how can anyone justify the idea of a developing bear market soon? Not me. As a matter of strong opinion, I think the markets could go much higher before any sort of real problem might start to surface.
Even then, there's literally no clues out there that I can see to suggest an economic problem anytime soon.
Honestly, it's probably going to take some sort of serious geopolitical event to take place before stocks could start to scare anyone. Maybe it's a credit bubble - companies continuing to borrow cheap money, and not doing anything more with it than buy back their stock and add more debt to their balance sheets. That's possible, but that's the only thing I can come up with.
There's absolutely no doubt though when the major averages have had enough, we're probably going to see a pretty substantial selloff - a selloff that might scare the living daylights out of everyone.
Case in point, look at the S&P 500 now. See all of those red bars lately? That's speculative selling pressure. Now, look at the Russell 2000 below that too. See how it hasn't been able to make new highs, while the rest of the major averages have screamed higher? That actually poses a bit of a problem to the near-term landscape for stocks.
Why? Because when the broader markets are running, small caps usually at least move in tandem with them, and sometimes even lead. That isn't happening now, and it hasn't been happening for weeks.
Make of it what you will, but I'd be looking at a small cap bear ETF like TZA or something right now, because nothing goes up in a straight line. There's going to be a time when stocks shock investors for a while. Some of the people I talk to in the markets say that move is just around the corner.
In our world of small stocks, there hasn't been too much crazy activity lately - hence the lack of publishing on our end. But, I do have a tradable idea today that might make all of you some money.
Many of you are probably aware oil has been doing pretty well lately, and there's one stock I've watched for a long time that so many investors have gotten beaten up in ever since the stock topped out around $38 a share back in 2014 - Sanchez Energy Corporation (SN).
Here's a weekly chart of the stock showing you its misery since 2014. It had a false start last year offering up some pretty good gains before it fell apart again. But, I do find it interesting to see the stock attracting some interest again lately.
Keep in mind this is not an investment idea, just a trading idea.
Sanchez Energy Corporation (SN) is an independent exploration and production company, focuses on the acquisition and development of U.S. onshore unconventional oil and natural gas resources. It currently focuses on the horizontal development of resource from the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas. It also holds an undeveloped acreage position in the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale in Mississippi and Louisiana. As of March 01, 2017, the company had assembled approximately 335,000 net acres with an approximate 94% average working interest in the Eagle Ford Shale.
Now here's the deal. It's clearly a risk play, but how many times do you hear us say the best time to buy small stocks is when nobody wants them? Well, I think SN could be one of those plays with some upside to around $7 per share. Although it's speculative, it's not half as speculative in my opinion as a lot of other stocks out there.
The choice is yours, but I do think Sanchez Energy Corporation (SN) could continue to do well as long as oil continues to trade well, which isn't showing any signs of slowing down yet.