Hot Investing Trends Updates: IoT, EV, Streaming Video and Marijuana Legalization

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If you weren’t yet convinced that technology is changing everything about our lives, well …

Internet of Things
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We now have smart diapers.

Pampers yesterday introduced its “connected care system.” A sensor attached to diapers triggers a notification to parents through an app when junior’s diaper is wet. (Just wet, at least for now.) It also tracks sleep.

It won’t actually change the diaper, but somebody is probably working on robots that will do that. (That ought to make a fortune.)

Smart diapers are the latest in “wearables,” which are part of the sweeping Internet of Things (IoT) trend.

The Internet of Things is the label we’ve given to the coming world of connected machines and their support systems: Cars, homes, refrigerators, heating systems, lighting systems, medical devices, industrial machines, oil rigs, construction equipment, elevators, ships, etc.

You name it, it’s going to use advanced technology to monitor itself, monitor its surroundings, and communicate with humans and other machines via the internet.

Given all the devices we use every day, it’s no wonder Cisco says 500 billion devices will be connected to the Internet of Things by 2030. It’s also no wonder spending on the IoT is forecasted to grow 55% and pass $1 trillion by 2022.

All of this makes IoT one of the most valuable technologies — and one of the most promising investment trends — in the world.

Check Out This Car!

It’s been nearly 15 years since I owned a vehicle.

That surprises a lot of people, but I’ve always walked or taken the subway or a taxi. Now I use shareable scooters (and there are some potential investment opportunities there). I may finally get another car when I can purchase an autonomous vehicle (AV) that drives itself and can make money for me during the day shuttling other people around.

I’d have to wait a little bit longer for an AV, and that wait got a little tougher with latest electric vehicle unveiled just this week. It looks amazing and has awesome power.

Lotus Sportscar
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It’s the Lotus Eviya, which the company calls the “world’s most powerful production car” and “the world’s first all-electric British hypercar.”

“Electric hypercar.” I like it.

I’ve told you how the Tesla Model S is one of the greatest technological achievements of our age, so much so that it is used in electric car racing. It goes from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 2.5 seconds. The Eviya matches that, and has a motor on each wheel that combined generate 493 horsepower. It can go as fast as 200 miles per hour.

The key to electric vehicles — especially the ones of the future — is batteries. Lotus says the Eviya’s battery pack can go from 0% to 80% in 18 minutes with new chargers just now coming out. Each charge should deliver about 250 miles.

That’s pretty good. Current battery technology has improved, but lithium-ion batteries have been around nearly 30 years now and are closing in on their limits. Solid state batteries will be the real transformative breakthrough.

Just this week, research firm Global Market Insights predicted that the solid state battery market will surge over 1,000% from the end of last year to 2025.

I’ve spent an enormous amount of time studying the battery industry. I can tell you this mega innovation isn’t a matter of “if,” it’s a matter of “when.” I believe the next big battery breakthrough will go down as one of the greatest inventions of the 21st century.

Insiders are already calling this potential new battery a “paradigm shift” in energy technology. Forbes calls it simply: “The battery that could change the world.”

This amazing device could change just about everything in your life — from how you get around to how you communicate with others … even the way you think about the world.

For early investors, this presents the kind of moneymaking opportunity that could turn a tiny initial stake into an absolute fortune.

A Better Opportunity than Netflix

In a week when the S&P 500 index hit a new all-time high, one of the most well-known and widely held stocks got whacked.

Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) fell 10% on Thursday — losing $17 billion in value — after the number of paying subscribers fell for the first time in eight years. The company lost 126,000 U.S. subscribers last quarter, which was way off Wall Street’s expectation for a gain of 352,000. A price hike and the loss of some shows were among the reasons for the decline.

The news from the rest of the world was better but still troubling. Netflix added 2.8 million subscribers internationally, which was 42% below analysts’ estimates of 4.8 million.

Is Netflix approaching the end of its amazing run? I wouldn’t count it out yet, but it’s too early to say for sure.

That said, there are better opportunities in video streaming … in China.

In fact, the leading content streaming company in China, iQIYI (NASDAQ:IQ), wants to be the Netflix of China. And why wouldn’t it? China is the largest entertainment market in the world … and it’s only growing as more citizens come online.

One of the great things about iQIYI is that it doesn’t have to compete with Netflix. China isn’t particularly friendly to non-Chinese companies, especially content providers like Netflix. Actually, the two companies have a partnership.

If iQIYI can become half of what Netflix has become, it is a seven-bagger from its first day of trading in March of last year. It has dipped back down near those prices amid the recent trade tensions. (You can get my latest advice on iQIYI with a risk-free membership to Investment Opportunities.)

Another Step Toward Legalization

I told you a few months ago about perhaps the biggest signal yet that marijuana legalization in the U.S. is around the corner. The world’s largest cannabis company, Canopy Growth (NYSE:CGC), agreed to acquire U.S.-based Acreage Holdings (OTCMKTS:ACRGF) for $3.4 billion.

The deal won’t go through until marijuana is legal in the U.S. Still, Canopy would not have agreed to the deal if it knew the ending of this story was uncertain and years away. With some of the most connected people in the industry and the world involved with these companies, it was a flashing neon sign pointing toward legalization.

Since then, Illinois has legalized marijuana, and this week Hawaii became the 26th state to “decriminalize” marijuana.

I’m not a fan of decriminalization. It essentially says, “Marijuana isn’t legal, but it’s not really illegal either.” It almost confuses things more than it clarifies. Still, big changes come in steps, and this is another clear step in the unstoppable trend toward legalization.

I can tell you — with 100% conviction — that the opportunity to make a small fortune when America legalizes cannabis nationally is truly unprecedented.

To make the most money possible, you’ll need to “get in” before pot is legalized nationally. Once the federal government announces plans for nationwide legalization (which could potentially happen soon), America’s small marijuana stocks could easily turn into big, expensive stocks like Walmart or Coca-Cola.

Click here to learn more and see which stocks you should own today.

We’ll continue our work this week to make you money in the world’s biggest investment themes. In the meantime, stay cool.

Matthew McCall is the founder and president of Penn Financial Group, an investment advisory firm, as well as the editor of Investment Opportunities and Early Stage Investor. He has dedicated his career to getting investors into the world’s biggest, most revolutionary trends BEFORE anyone else. The power of being “first” gave Matt’s readers the chance to bank +2,438% in Stamps.com (STMP), +1,523% in Ulta Beauty (ULTA), +1,044% in Tesla (TSLA), +611% in Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (LNGLY), +324% in Bitcoin Services (BTSC), just to name a few. If you’re interested in making triple-digit gains from the world’s biggest investment trends BEFORE anyone else, click here to learn more about Matt McCall and his investments strategy today.


Article printed from InvestorPlace Media, https://investorplace.com/moneywire/2019/07/investing-trends-iot-ev-streaming-video-marijuana-legalization/.

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