Happy Fourth! The markets are closed today (Thursday, July 4) in observance of Independence Day.

As you fire-up the barbecue and enjoy your favorite libation, it’s time to reflect on the stock market’s rally year-to-date. We’ve just closed the books on a solid second quarter and first half of 2024.

In H1 2024, the main indices gained as follows: the Dow Jones Industrial Average +3.8%; the S&P 500 +14.5%; the NASDAQ +18.1%; and the Russell 2000 +0.46%.

The S&P 500 in H1 racked up one of the top-seven best starts in the last 35 years, setting more than 30 new record highs year-to-date.

After a stellar first half, the second half of 2024 looks promising as well. Want to turbocharge your gains for the rest of this year…and beyond? Just start making “lopsided bets” like the colonists did during the American revolution.

From rebellious colonies to global superpower…

Today is when we commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, in which the 13 colonies sought freedom from the Kingdom of Great Britain. I was raised and educated in the great city of Boston, so July 4 has special resonance with me (as does Sam Adams beer).

The American colonial patriots defeated the British in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), winning independence from Great Britain and establishing the United States of America.

By opposing the mighty British empire, the 13 colonies embraced monumental risk and took a leap into the vast unknown. Against the most fearsome military force on earth, the rebels’ chances of success appeared slim.

And yet, this lopsided bet paid off…in a big way. The U.S. won its independence and went on to become the richest and most powerful nation on earth.

The Billionaire’s Secret

Fast-forward from the 18th century to the 21st. Warren Buffett makes the same sort of lopsided bets. You can use these bets to leverage risk to your advantage.

Buffett once said: “Risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing.”

The financial press loves to quote Buffett, and why not? As of this writing, he’s worth $128.4 billion, so he must know what he’s doing.

Let’s look at one of Buffett’s key tactics for handling today’s investment climate…a climate that’s bullish but also fraught with a multitude of dangers.

Whether the market is moving up, down, or sideways, this method allows you to double, triple or even quadruple your money, without shouldering undue risk.

Buffett is famous for being a value investor, whereby he pinpoints stocks that trade for less than their intrinsic values.

But he also uses another method that you’ve probably never heard of. It’s called “asymmetric investing.”

Many of the world’s smartest investors apply this concept and it’s a major factor in how they got so rich. It’s how a rag-tag Continental Army led by General George Washington beat a vastly superior force of British redcoats. If you want to make serious money, you should understand how it works and leverage it for your own gains.

Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A, BRK.B) is one of the world’s greatest success stories, but it hasn’t racked up returns in a linear fashion. Buffett is 92 years old and he’s seen his share of rallies and crashes, crises and panics, and booms and busts. Through it all, asymmetric investing allows him to balance risk…and spot a “bottom” for superb entry points.

Asymmetric investing is a strategy whereby the outcome of a trade probably has more profit than loss or risk taken. The upside potential may be greater than the downside loss, or the downside is limited but the upside is unlimited.

“Asymmetric” is the absence of symmetry.

As applied to investing, it means the risks versus the rewards are imbalanced. An asymmetric portfolio entails fewer scenarios where the investment has the potential to lose money and, if it does lose money, the amount lost is limited.

This method preserves capital and offers downside protection. There are more scenarios where the investment has the potential to profit, and when it does the profits are significant.

How does this method differ from conventional investing? Like most investors, you probably weigh risks and returns in a way that’s more directly correlated.

For example, you already know that a small technology stock has more risk than, say, a large-cap tech, but the upside potential is greater. The large-cap stock has more upside potential than a stock mutual fund, but the individual equity confers higher risks. A stock mutual fund has more upside potential than bonds, but the risks are higher…and so on.

It’s a familiar “weighing scale” and it’s fine for investors who are content with making relatively modest gains over the long haul. But it’s no way to become wealthy.

If the American colonists had weighed risks in a linear fashion, they would have remained vassals of the British and world history would have turned out much differently.

The Math Doesn’t Lie

Consider the math underlying asymmetric investing. Stocks can only go down 100%, but their upside is unlimited.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Problem is, most investors either don’t use the asymmetric method or they’re unaware of it. They tend to invest their money with tunnel vision, concerned only with avoiding risk and trying to bet on “sure things.”

But many of the investment world’s top money managers embrace asymmetric investing. They usually don’t use the term, but it’s how they became billionaires.

Sure, sometimes they make a losing bet, but over time an asymmetric approach will hit pay dirt for outsized gains that trounce the market. You may not get a national holiday named in your honor, but this method can ensure the steady accumulation of wealth.

Read This Story: The November Elections: A Watershed for Weed

A Note from John Persinos: Why are certain cannabis stocks jumping +1,000%? It has to do with seasonality…specifically, the U.S. presidential election. Add the method I’ve described above and you could see your portfolio grow exponentially.

For cannabis investors, the bonanza happens every four years. No matter who’s running for office. During the previous presidential election cycle, you had a chance to grab 569%… 1,020%… 2,426% and higher. Now it’s happening again, and you’ve no time to lose.

I’m the editorial director of Investing Daily. I’m also the editor-in-chief of our premium trading service Marijuana Profit Alert. To find the best cannabis stocks, you need to conduct due diligence.

The good news is, I’ve done the homework for you. For Marijuana Profit Alert, I’ve put together a portfolio of the best-of-breed marijuana equities. These holdings are poised to soar during this political season. If you’re fortunate enough to own these companies, you’ll reap a windfall.

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