Hasbro, Inc.
I believe that Hasbro has great upside as the COVID-19 pandemic comes to an end. More game players will be spending more time in local game stores, participating in games and tournaments that drive traffic and sales to these locations. Supported by the juggernaut that is Wizards of the Coast‘s Magic: The Gathering, I expect increases with in-store gameplay to drive healthy sales of Magic product in the short term. Additionally, Hasbro has signaled interest in shifting away from the distributor model for Magic products, instead pushing more sales direct-to-consumer which should lead to higher margins in the future. A mix of nostalgia, increased buyer interest in collectibles during the pandemic, the playability, and collectibility of Magic: The Gathering cards has me extremely bullish on $HAS.
Bitcoin
Originally created as a way to disrupt the traditional banking industry, Bitcoin has since shifted into a highly speculative cryptocurrency. Although the volatility of Bitcoin challenges its role as a viable currency, interest is extremely high generating huge volumes of trade and pushing innovation in the cryptocurrency space. As alternative cryptocurrencies (“altcoins”), like Ethereum, prove the viability and utility of the blockchain, interest and money keep flowing into Bitcoin pushing its price seemingly ever higher. As more businesses, payment platforms, and brokerages offer options for buying, spending, and holding Bitcoin I believe it continues to be a valuable part of an investment portfolio.
iShares Silver Trust & iShares Gold Trust
Finite, valuable, and usable natural resources like silver and gold are the original, and apparently last, true form of money. iShares’ Silver and Gold Trusts provide investors with a simple way to gain exposure to precious metals without the risks and physical storage requirements of owning physical metals.
Silver serves as a more volatile but exciting precious metal investment that also has high upside as a crucial material used in producing solar panels (among other applications). This mixing of industry and financial value means that silver may mean that it acts as a self-balancer. Even when the stock market is performing well, the industrial utility of the metal should prop up the spot price as this demand remains strong. When the market is underperforming silver can act as a hedge as investors flee to precious metals.
Gold can be a wonderful store of value that holds its price even when the stock market underperforms. This precious metal is heavily traded in a variety of markets across the world, being used as a personal store of wealth, a raw material for jewelry and electronics, and as a way to move money outside of traditional banking systems. Although Bitcoin continues to outside gold as the “millennial gold,” I believe that exposure to gold provides an excellent opportunity to offset volatility in the cryptocurrency market and the potential of the stock market turning bearish.
Realty Income Corporation
Realty Income is a proven performer when it comes to having exposure to real estate. Their impressive list of renters in premium properties, coupled with their generous dividend payments, provide convenient access to real estate exposure along with a way to generate passive income on investments.
None of the content above constitutes a recommendation that any particular security, portfolio of securities, transaction or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person. Seek a licensed professional for investment advice. This is not investment advice.