Forbes: America Gets Baked

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Investors in pot stocks take note: New research should make you beam.

Drug use in the U.S. is on the rise and marijuana remains the indulgence of choice by a wide margin, according to a recent report from testing firm Quest Diagnostics. Marijuana also goes by the name weed, pot, ganja, and cannabis.

"[...] drug test positivity in the majority of industry sectors analyzed is growing,” according to Dr. Barry Sample, senior director, science and technology, Quest Diagnostics Employer Solutions, who was quoted in the research paper.  Read more here.

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Forbes: Slow Down Yes -- Recession Not Yet

By SIMON CONSTABLE

The U.S. economy will likely weaken in 2019, but that doesn't mean a recession is imminent.

At least that's what important economic metrics suggest.

"At present, the outcome looks to be only a modest slowdown in the next couple of quarters," states a recent report from financial research firm HCWE & Co.

In other words, no recession in the cards yet. Recessions usually get defined as two consecutive quarters of economic contraction. Read more here.

Forbes: Market Turmoil Shows Why You Should Own Gold

By SIMON CONSTABLE

The plunge in the stock market is rightly worrying for investors, but there is also something to learn.

Diversified portfolios help during times of stress. Read more here.

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Barron's: British American, Philip Morris International Stocks Ready to Light Up

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Two European tobacco stocks, British American Tobacco, makers of Lucky Strike, Kool, and Newport cigarettes, and Philip Morris International, best known for its Marlboro brand, offer some stability for whipsawed investors.

After being beaten up for most of this year, the shares of both British American (ticker: BTI) and Philip Morris (PM) are substantially undervalued, generally less volatile than the overall market, and yield huge dividends. Read more here.

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Barron's: Cheap European Stocks to Buy for 2019

By SIMON CONSTABLE

It could be worth your while to shop for stocks in London, Paris, and Frankfurt during 2019.

While Europe’s top three economies didn’t prove much of a bargain for investors in 2018, their problems—ranging from Brexit to restive local populations—are likely to dissipate. The stocks are inexpensive, and central bank monetary policies will remain supportive. Read more here.

Korn Ferry: No Confidence. No Clarity.

By SIMON CONSTABLE

And we thought all the Brexit drama for the week happened Monday. That’s when UK Prime Minister Theresa May postponed a parliamentary vote on the details of finally leaving the European Union. She then jetted off to meet other European leaders to negotiate a better deal than the one she had just made.

Then Wednesday came along. May’s own party members in the House of Commons, angry at the deal May originally made, forced a vote of no confidence—an up-or-down vote on May’s leadership. May won, which means she will remain prime minister. But all that intraparty warfare did nothing to define the future of Brexit and give business leaders the one thing they need: clarity. Read more here.

Korn Ferry: Brexit Roulette

By SIMON CONSTABLE

So much for a clarifying vote on Brexit.

In yet another jolt to the historic divorce, UK Prime Minister Theresa postponed the first Parliamentary vote this week on a proposed detailing the UK’s departure from the European Union. May wants more time to convince skeptical members of Parliament to sign on to her deal. Read more here.