While COVID-19 has taken center stage for the past year, there remains a huge need for advance testing, treatment options and cures for other diseases. That points toward personalized medicine and next-generation genomic sequencing (NGS) solutions.

There are many players in the sequencing market, each of which offers a different twist and exposure for investors.

2021 has been earmarked as the year for global recovery from one of the worst recessions in modern history. With complete lockdown during the initial months of the pandemic followed by the prolonged period of social distancing reducing activity, most countries, including Canada, are currently dealing with the repercussions of the economic slump.

The gaming industry has been booming for the last few months. During the Covid-19 pandemic, situation when all other industries were struggling to survive in the market, the gaming industry was surging. An article in Nasdaq.com said, “According to NPD Group, total consumer spending on video gaming in the United States continues to soar as it registered a 26% year-over-year rise to $18.6 billion in the fourth quarter of 2020.”

The electric vehicle frenzy, pioneered by Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) has triggered a global automotive evolution. The rising climate change concerns across the world has been one of the key reasons behind the rapid rise of the electric vehicle industry, bolstered by favoring governments. However, with the global economy currently grappling with one of the worst recessions in modern history, the automobile industry is currently in a slump. Consequently, without adequate earnings and revenue growth, EV stocks are presently trading at surmounting valuations, raising concerns regarding a potential asset bubble.

After a horrendous 2020, this year markets are filled with optimism as vaccines are being rolled out. Among Canadian stocks, there have been a few that have fared better than most even in the pandemic thanks to excellent survival strategies and highly agile operations. These champions are ideal for making investments. So, if you are looking to invest in some strong names, take a look at these companies that might just be worth keeping an eye on:

The GameStop frenzy has left many people wondering about the connotation and implications of a market squeeze. While the speculative rally kickstarted by a Reddit group is battling to take on the biggest hedge funds in the United States, a similar situation in the commodity markets is brewing. Retail traders have been formulating another coup to take on the precious metals industry, allowing silver futures to hit an eight-year high of $30.03 per ounce on February 1st.

Value investors can use the power of catalysts to boost their returns in 2021, even if the broad market isn’t the bonanza it was in 2020.

The S&P 500 surged 16% in 2020, despite a global pandemic and an accompanying economic recession. Given that backdrop, it’s reasonable to think that 2021 may not produce a repeat of 2020. Selecting the right stocks could be the difference between a great year and a ho-hum year.

Market analysts and economists are worried about a market crash in the near future. Stock markets around the world are trading at their highest while economic data is the weakest it has been in decades. In such a scenario, a market crash seems like it’s just around the corner. Smart investors should look to prepare a stock portfolio that can hold its own in a falling market.

When it comes to the TSX, here are three stocks that can prove to be smart defensive plays in a volatile market. These stocks should perform better during a market crash than traditional growth stocks.

What do basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal, former speaker Paul Ryan, former Disney top executive Tom Staggs and former astronaut Scott Kelly have in common? They are all part of SPACs (Special Purpose Acquisition Company).

What’s a SPAC?

A SPAC is a company that is formed solely to raise capital through an IPO (initial public offering) so that it can acquire an existing company. When a SPAC is created, it doesn’t have commercial operations, i.e. it doesn’t have any business to speak of. A SPAC is on the lookout for a great business (or two) it can buy.

To say that 2020 has been a volatile year for stocks would be an understatement. There are stocks that have ‘zoom’ed up, a few that have crashed and some that are in recovery mode. COVID vaccines are getting rolled out, BP has said that oil demand may never recover to pre-pandemic levels and the green shoots of recovery are starting to sprout.

When investors look at 2021, they need to look at stocks that combine the dual advantages of capital appreciation and stability. Here are three stocks that we recommend:

As multiple companies come out with successful vaccine trial results, benchmark indices are getting back to pre-pandemic highs. The TSX is less than 5% away from its February high of 17,944. While most investors look at bigger names to invest their funds, a lot of value stocks sit there, untouched.

Hammond Power Solutions is one such stock. The company is a manufacturer of dry-type and cast resin transformers and related magnetics that are used in industries as varied as renewable energy to drive and automation to energy distribution (electricity) to infrastructure to irrigation. The company operates across North America, Asia and the Middle East.

The EV stocks are rallying and so are a young 12 year old investors Twitter followers. Over night, Young Investor, an investor who has his own YouTube channel from the UK has significantly grew his following and is now over 17,500 followers. He is literally becoming a FinTwit viral sensation at the time of this writing. He’s already been interviewed by the New York Times and is in the process of being a guest on the Benzinga afternoon Youtube live.

We connected with this young trader to learn a little more about how he got started, what he’s trading, and his goals for his YouTube channel.

It is a matter of time before 5G rollout in North America is the norm. Companies and investors who are early to jump on this bandwagon will reap a lot of benefits. Here’s a list of the best 5G stocks that pay out great dividends to boot:

While 2020 has been a forgettable year for multiple reasons, the upcoming week will continue to remain volatile as several companies will be reporting Q3 earnings. This coupled with a second COVID-19 wave might further impact stock markets and investors.

Around 186 companies in the S&P 500 are expected to report quarterly results in the last week of October. Several Canadian giants such as Suncor, First National Financial, Maple Leaf Foods, Gildan Activewear, TC Energy, Canadian Utilities and Fortis are expected to announce Q3 results in this week.

The Toronto Stock Exchange launched the TSX30 last year. It is a flagship program that showcases the 30 top-performing stocks on the TSX and companies that have represented sustained excellence in the long-term.

The returns on the companies are calculated on the basis of dividend-adjusted share price appreciation over a three-year period. The list for 2020 was released last month and here we look at the top TSX five performers in the last three years.

John McKenzie, CEO of TMX Group said, “We are especially proud to present the 2020 TSX30, an important means of showcasing some exciting issuer success stories across our market. “

IPOs or initial public offerings have always excited investors. It is the process of offering shares of a private corporation to the public in a new stock issuance. Before an IPO, a company is private with limited shareholders including the founders and some private investors. In other words, a typical stock investor cannot buy stocks of a private company. But once a company decides to go public and lists on an exchange, any investor can buy its stocks.