Summary
Marijuana stocks have once again seen catalysts drive the market higher.
Key events in 2018 could be driving speculation right now.
December has seen the culmination of at least two distinct catalysts propel several leading marijuana stocks much higher before the end of the year.
The third quarter and fourth quarter have been an important time for the growing list of marijuana stocks and heading into the close of the year. More than a handful of companies performed better than average to close out the final weeks of December.
Two Key Catalysts That Shook Up The Industry This Year
The cannabis industry has been very event driven ever since legalization began at the start of 2014 in Colorado. The article, “The State Of Marijuana Stocks And What To Look For In 2018,” highlights how industry events have helped shape the market for cannabis stocks. Typically, where we’ve seen political events trigger moves for marijuana stocks, it was industry events that took on the spotlight this year. Beer, wine, and spirits giant Constellation Brands (STZ) made a minority investment into Canadian-based Canopy Growth (OTCPK:TWMJF), which not only triggered a move for the market in general but also more so for Canadian issuers specifically.
Second, and most recently, the first NYSE listed marijuana ETF went live during Christmas week on December 26th. The ETFMG Alternative Harvest ETF (NYSEARCA:MJX), which was previously an ETF targeting Latin American real estate, currently invests in 30 different national and international companies involved in the space.
This includes companies that have a hand more closely tied to the plant and others that are more “pick and shovel” style companies. The majority of its holdings are in 12 companies right now with over 60% of these stocks being Canadian listed (and dually listed in the US with the five letter symbol ending in “F”).
credit:seekingalpha.com