NOT Gold. NOT Silver. NOT Crypto.

The markets are fairly stable right now…

But it won’t take much to set off a panicked flurry of buying and selling.

That’s why our team is focusing on a play that can rake in big profits when Wall Street gets scared.

It isn’t gold… silver… crypto… or any of the other “alternative” investments you might be thinking about.

Instead, it’s a stock you can add to your portfolio today.

I’ll tell you about this unique opportunity in a second.

First, though, let’s take a look at our Top Stories and the Reader Forum.

Your Top Stories & Analysis of the Week:

• “Supreme Cowards” (Paradigm Pressroom’s 5 Bullets, Dave Gonigam): The Supreme Court handed out several big decisions last week, affecting everything from government agencies to people charged in the wake of Jan. 6. But Dave tells us there is one case that the Court got completely wrong. He explains the Justices’ dereliction of Constitutional duty… the chilling effect the ruling will have on the freedom of speech… and how it’s just the latest injustice that’s making 2024 the worst year for free expression in over a century.

• “Greetings From Detroit (Reindustrialize 2024)” (Altucher Confidential, Chris Campbell): The United States used to be a manufacturing powerhouse — able to build as much of anything we needed. And Chris argues that it can be again. He reports in from a Reindustrialize summit in Detroit, where “major stakeholders from tech, manufacturing, government, military and finance” are discussing how to jump-start a new industrial revolution. This refreshing blast of optimism was our top e-letter story last week, so be sure to check it out!

• “Biden Is Done” (Jim Rickards’ Strategic Intelligence, Jim Rickards): People are still talking about the presidential debate. And mere hours after it ended, Jim sent his Strategic Intelligence members his own no-holds-barred analysis. While many people seem surprised at Joe Biden’s performance, it just confirms what Jim has been saying all along. In fact, the calls for Biden to drop out are growing louder — just as Jim predicted. So it’s little surprise this was our most-liked story last week… which is why I’ve unlocked it for you!

Remember, we publish tens to HUNDREDS of stories. The write-ups and presentations above are our TOP ones for the week — including one that had been roped off from the public. If you want to stay ahead of the pack, make sure you’re caught up now.

And next week, I’ll be sharing our Top Stories for the first half of 2024.

If you’d like to nominate one that’s stuck with you these past six months, please let me know at concierge@paradigmpressgroup.com.

The Reader Forum:

First for today, Lowell H. wrote Jim Rickards to say:

I am new to the world of investing and have seen a number of your interviews on several podcasts. I am extremely impressed with your comprehensive understanding of geopolitics, especially as it relates to finance! I can't stop reading your reports, which I find easy to understand and clearly explained.

Welcome aboard, Lowell! And while Jim and his team have seen this, I hope you don’t mind me sharing — because your words exemplify everything Paradigm Press is about.

All of our analysts and commentators break down big, complicated topics and turn them into actionable advice. But as you’ve learned, no one does it better than Jim! I hope to hear from you again when his research starts paying off for you.

Next, Altucher’s Investment Network member Tim C. wants James to know:

I appreciate your sense of humor. It kind of sneaks up on me and gives me a surprise. I've been a newsletter member since March 2024. Thanks to you and your fellow writers like Ari Goldschmidt, I've made a few thousand dollars on your picks.

That’s great to hear, Tim! As you may know, James actually was a stand-up comedian in another life — long before he got into a tiff with Jerry Seinfeld.

And I’m thrilled to hear that you’ve racked up those profits in such a short amount of time. You can count on James and his team to keep the jokes coming… and the gains flowing!

Finally for today, Pamela B. sent a complaint to Jim Rickards about the June issue of Altucher’s Investment Network:

Today, June 22, 2024, James Altucher's… newsletter came in the mail. I read it as soon as I received it. It has an action to take: Buy [redacted] up to $140. I go to my brokerage account to see the price of the stock. It is $141.50.

Pamela, I’m not sure why you sent this to Jim… and I hope you see my response here. I’ll also make sure it makes its way to James’ team.

First, keep in mind that we have no control over the U.S. Postal Service. While our information is fresh when our issues are written and published, it may be outdated by the time your mailman delivers the physical copy to you.

But the day the issue goes to the printer is also the day it gets posted on our website. We send you an email to let you know it’s online. You should have received it on May 22… a full month before the snail mail version reached you!

And even if you don’t have an email address or internet access, it doesn’t mean you missed out.

In this recommendation, $140 is the limit price — the most you should pay for the stock. You can give your broker standing instructions to buy the stock if it falls to $140.

It’s called a limit order. And if you had set one on the day you received your issue in the mail, your order would have been filled when the stock dropped below $140 on June 24. You’d even be seeing a small profit today!

(For more on how limit orders work, check out our FREE Stock Investing 101 report on our Wealth Desk.)

That wraps up this week’s Reader Forum.

Remember, your feedback is vital to our success… so please email me at concierge@paradigmpressgroup.com.

Questions? I’ll get answers! Comments? Let me hear them! Problems? I’ll try to solve them!

This is YOUR forum!

(Also remember that our Wealth Desk has free guides on everything from finding a broker to understanding stock options. For customer service issues, please use our contact page.)

Now, here’s what’s happening around the water cooler this week…

The Water Cooler — Upcoming Events and More

If you want to know the mood on Wall Street, check out the Chicago Board Options Exchange’s Volatility index.

It’s commonly known as the VIX… but professional investors also call it the “Fear Gauge.”

Without getting into the mechanics, a high VIX reading indicates that investors expect trouble ahead — so they’re moving their money out of harm’s way.

Lately, however, the VIX has been unusually calm.

Of course, there are many, many reasons to believe that the market’s tranquility won’t last much longer.

Recession warnings… election jitters… Mideast turmoil… unrestrained inflation…

When the panic inevitably starts, there will be a rush into safer investments.

The deepest pockets, like institutions and hedge funds, will pile into futures and options on everything from Treasury instruments to precious metals.

So our team expects CME Group Inc. (CME) to thrive in the weeks and months ahead.

CME owns the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade, which specialize in futures and options contracts for interest rates and commodities.

But it doesn’t necessarily buy or sell contracts itself. Instead, the company’s exchanges pair buyers with sellers — and CME collects transaction fees with every trade.

“If you think volatility is going to pick up,” says our Dan Amoss, “CME is an intriguing way to play it.”

Our Alan Knuckman even calls CME “a picks-and-shovels play on volatility.”

And while our team is looking at call options on the stock, the shares themselves could be worth buying.

“Looking at the valuation here,” Dan tells us, “I think CME could really outperform the market.”

It even pays a juicy dividend that will add cash to your portfolio every quarter.

In other words, CME shares provide income and a chance for capital gains… not to mention some peace of mind when the markets go bonkers.