The world feels increasingly like a structurally faulty roller coaster. There are so many potential fault lines that just seem to keep getting more intense on both monetary and political fronts. Existing political unions are disintegrating, at least on paper if not in actual practical fact. Attempted coups in politically tricky nations are shaking up NATO and could end up redefining the global balance of power. Terrorist attacks are getting increasingly worse especially in Europe, cop shootings are peppering the United States, lead political candidates are set to “declare war” on ISIS whatever that means practically, and the Italian banking sector looks to be on the verge of collapse.

These conditions have to make any investor anxious, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Tempered sentiment is usually good for sustaining bull markets with the so-called wall of worry, and monetarily we are now in a definite boom phase. With the minefield in mind, let’s see where we can navigate for the second half of 2016, which will definitely prove interesting if scary as…Winter is Coming.

United States

The US currently looks like the safest place to put money for the next few months. The dollars are flowing, the markets are breaking new highs, and Las Vegas is right next door to the core of new Federal Reserve money which seems to be amplified in California. We went back into MGM on June 28 and we are now at an 8.6% gain there. Almost any US gaming stock will do well in the months ahead except the ones in existential danger like Caesars. MGM is just easier to hold because it is the least volatile.