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Nicholas Vardy

Portfolio Update: Prepare for the September Swoon

The four-week period after Labor Day traditionally is one of the weakest parts of the trading year. Global Bull Market Alert subscribers should just sit tight, though. The majority of our stock positions are already showing a profit, and the rapidly approaching fourth quarter traditionally has marked the strongest period of the investing season when it really pays to step on the gas pedal — especially in global markets. Assuming this year will be like most, you can look forward to reaping some big profits beginning mid-October.

Betting On The Kings Of The High Seas

The sight of an oil tanker sailing on the high seas is a powerful symbol of global trade. Hedge fund billionaire Bruce Kovner owns a couple of them. He claims that the oil tankers allow him to keep closer tabs on the ebb and flow of the global economy. Chevron even named one of its oil tankers after Condoleezza Rice. While it’s unlikely that any of us will ever own an oil tanker, it’s easy to buy shares in this week’s Global Bull Market Alert pick, Frontline (FRO), a Bermuda-based company that runs the largest fleet of oil tankers on the planet.

Indiana Jones Revisited

Earlier this year, I had called this week’s Global Bull Market Alert pick, Millicom International (MICC), the “Indiana Jones” of the cell phone industry. Similar to its namesake, Millicom operates across the globe in places where others fear to tread. Present in 16 countries, Millicom has businesses in markets ranging from El Salvador, Paraguay, and Chad to Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Laos.

Teva: Babe Ruth on Steroids

I’ve previously described Israeli generic pharmaceutical manufacturer Teva (TEVA) as the “Babe Ruth” of the global stocks. Since its IPO in 1991, Teva’s stock is up over 52-fold. Yet, the old slugger had been showing its age lately. After peaking at almost $46 in January, Teva briefly dropped to below $30. But with the announcement of the Middle East ceasefire lifting the political pall over this Jerusalem-based company, Teva appears to have broken out of its recent slump.

GLOBAL BULL MARKET ALERT PORTFOLIO UPDATE

With six our of our seven stock picks showing a profit in what has been a challenging market since mid-May, let’s review where we stand with the Global Bull Market Alert portfolio at the start of August, in this, the quietest part of the trading year.