If You Follow Only One Stock Investing Rule in 2015, Make It This One

By: Money_Morning

Michael A. Robinson writes: Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve gone over what the tech landscape will look like in 2015.

Today, I want to show you which one Tech Wealth Secret will be your most important tech-investing principle for the New Year.

First, I’m going to use this rule to illuminate three leading tech companies.

Then, if you use this rule correctly, you’ll be quickly fattening your tech portfolio…

Go for Growth

Like I’ve been saying the past couple of weeks, I see plenty of growth ahead for technology and the U.S. economy through at least 2015. Consider that U.S. industrial production in November rose 5.1% from the same month in 2013.

Also in November, the economy added 321,000 jobs. That means, for most of 2013, we’ve seen employment grow at more than 200,000 jobs per month, putting the nation on track for the strongest job growth since 1999.

And that’s Rule No. 4 of my five-part Tech Wealth Secrets will be crucial for your investing success in the New Year. Rule No. 4 says to “focus on growth.”

More than any other sector in the economy today high tech offers us the best chance of finding quality growth firms that consistently beat the market.

To show you just how dramatic an impact higher growth can have on tech stocks – and your wealth – let’s take a look at three high-profit examples.

2015 Fast-Growing Pick No. 1: Avago Technologies

Let’s start with Avago Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: AVGO), a Singapore-based chipmaker focused on two key growth sectors.

The company makes chips that speed up data centers used for cloud computing. It’s also a key supplier for the iPhone 6 from Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL).

No wonder Avago topped analysts’ forecasts when it reported its fiscal fourth-quarter results on Dec. 4, sending shares up more than 8% that day.

Avago reported earnings per share (EPS) of $1.99, ahead of the Street’s expectation by 31 cents.

In the days after that beat, Avago gave up some gains as the entire market came under pressure. But the growth trend is in its favor – over the past two years, Avago has beaten on earnings or raised forecasts several times, driving shares up shares 200% in the period.

Earnings growth is so key in this climate that even big-cap leaders can find their stocks in an uptrend when profits surge.

2015 Fast-Growing Pick No. 2: Adobe Systems

Take the case of Adobe Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: ADBE). The $37.35 billion market-cap stock was largely out of favor when I told you about it back in May 2013.

Wall Street felt the big software firm behind PDF files and Photoshop was out of touch with cloud-based computing.

But I told you to keep an eye on Adobe because it was moving away from its old-school method of selling software. Instead, it had unveiled a new subscription model called Creative Cloud.

And it all came together for the firm on Dec. 12. With its new strength in the cloud, Adobe beat on earnings for its fourth fiscal quarter. But the cloud growth really impressed investors – Adobe came in with 644,000 new cloud subscribers, more than 20% above analysts’ projections.

Investors jumped on the news, sending shares up 9% on Dec. 13, the very day the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 300 points. And since our original 2013 chat, shares are up 62%, more than triple the Dow’s return since then.

2015 Fast-Growing Pick No. 3: Intel

Back on Aug. 13, I told you Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC) was poised for share-price appreciation because it was targeting new technology to help it earn more money.

I noted that CEO Brian Krzanich has moved heavily into both mobile computing and wearable tech.

Earlier in the year, Krzanich had unveiled two new wearable devices: a pair of earbuds for fitness tracking and a “smart” headset that works as a voice-controlled digital assistant.

He also paid $90 million to acquire the division of ST-Ericsson that makes microchips for wireless GPS. And he unveiled new chips optimized for smartphones and tablets.

So, I wasn’t surprised to see Intel’s stock rally shortly after beating forecasts for third-quarter earnings on Oct. 14. That day, the stock gained more than 2%.

Intel only beat consensus forecasts by 1 cent that quarter. But the trend is what mattered most – the Silicon Valley giant has beat analyst forecasts in four of the last five quarters.

Since the Oct. 14 earnings release, Intel is up roughly 14%. That’s 64% better than the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index‘s gain in the same period.

Thus, by using Rule No. 4 of my Tech Wealth Secrets, you greatly increase your odds of finding winning tech stocks that generate big profits.

And that’s only going to become more important in the year ahead as investors focus on earnings growth as barometers for both the U.S. economy and the stock market.

In other words, focusing on growth does two things – it gives your portfolio stability in a choppy market, and it accelerates the rate at which you create wealth.

Source : http://moneymorning.com/2014/12/18/the-only-social-media-play-im-recommending-right-now/

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