After reeling from turbulent times caused by the long-lasting U.S.-China trade war, global markets are now at an interesting point where there are fears of an impending recession but there is also a high level of investor optimism. In such a scenario, we have investment expert, Leon Tepper with us for a quick take on his views. Mr. Tepper has founded the well-known financial advisory firm, TeppersList, based in Canada and he gives us some valuable insights on investing today.
What is your view on the current state of the global markets?
Global markets are at a very interesting juncture today. On one hand, we have a large number of pessimists, expecting that the ongoing slowdown in the US manufacturing sector will spill over to the consumption sector and gradually bring about a slowdown not just in North America but across the globe. On the other hand, there are a handful of optimists who believe that a recovery is not far away as the U.S.-China trade dispute is finally on the verge of settlement. It is a matter of time before we see how the markets are really going to shape up in 2020.
Can you tell us about your company, TeppersList and the services that it offers?
TeppersList works on a subscription-based model. It helps investors earn their targeted returns through smart planning, irrespective of whether the economy is booming or in a slowdown. Being a subscriber to TeppersList helps clients to fortify the safety of their financial future and build “fail-safe” options to ensure complete capital protection even in a recession-like scenario.
What are the biggest advantages of using TeppersList’s subscription service?
Basically, we help our members put together a strong investment portfolio with minimal efforts and provide them with regular updates on various stocks as well as the general market conditions. We have helped our subscribers squeeze every penny possible from stubborn bear markets, recognize bull market stampedes well before time, analyze the impact of important economic and political events on stocks in a client’s portfolio, and most importantly, determine the precise timing for entering and exiting any given stock. Even in the worst of bear years, TeppersList members have performed well and most of them beat the S&P 500 returns.
Name one particular stock that has given you fantastic returns over the years and has made your clients the happiest.
Honestly, it is hard to name one. I have been quite happy with the performance of the top tech blue chips like Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. Holding on to these has really paid off. Some of our success stories include a 181% profit on the Facebook stock, a 197% return on Amazon, 155% on Axsome Therapeutics. 55% on Oka Inc. and so on. There are many such companies and what is important is for investors to keep track and regularly fish for good opportunities.
What is it that you look for when you analyze any given company’s stock?
There are a number of factors that one has to analyze. There is the basic business model, addressable market, revenue growth, profitability, stability of the management, its plans, and so on. Actually, it makes sense to invest time in analyzing companies to identify red flags and green flags because, trust me, every second is worth it.
Your company, TeppersList has its own unique approach towards stock analysis, is that correct?
Yes, we call it the SSA. It stands for the Seven Step Analysis. When I first came up with this approach, I had to unlearn everything I knew from economics and related fields, but once I started applying SSA, I started generating excellent returns. We started using it more and more while trading, started implementing my own ideas, and was fortunate enough to be noticed by a few well-known investors/analysts. These guys encouraged me to start a site of my own to either teach my method or send out picks. After some thought and hard work, I put together TeppersList.com, and the rest is history. Our team has been providing weekly and by-weekly coverage, and we have consistently outperformed the markets.
As a stock advisory firm, what approach do you propagate – growth or value investing?
Personally, I am a firm believer that everything in life requires a strong balance, including one’s portfolio. When we talk about equities, it is best to have adequate number of growth stocks as well as value picks but then, investors should not rely on equity markets alone. It is best to diversify across equity, debt, commodities, real estate depending on one’s corpus as well as risk appetite.
With respect to TeppersList, we follow a combination of an event-driven as well as a value-driven investment style. We seek to identify situations where we anticipate a catalyst will unlock value before the general public takes note of it. We have our own set of trading models that crunch all the financial data out there to provide our members with the best recommendations.
Lastly, what would be the one piece of advice that you would give to new investors who are fresh entrants in the world of financial markets?
I guess my biggest piece of advice for them would be to ask them to stick to their basics. The financial market is loaded with data, new tools, and confusing new concepts being developed every day. As a fresher, it is very easy to get lost in all of this and forget the very basics of analyzing an investment opportunity. If you don’t know how to analyse a company and you have no idea what to look for, you’re better off sitting on the side-lines and saving you money. You need to understand what you’re doing, or at least get the help of a professional that knows their stuff.
The number one mistake most investors do is, they want to make the big money and they want it fast! So, they dive into the world of day trading, where most want to be traders get swallowed up in no time. Unfortunately, the internet is loaded with way too much nonsense in that matter. A buy & hold approach on the other hand, is a completely different animal, where you can reap the fruits of your labor after market conditions are ripe enough, allowing you to continue living your normal life, working or doing whatever it is you’re doing, but stress-free. I believe that these basics are the most important factors that one must stick to in their finance journey.
