Jan 12, 2011

The World's Most Valuable Asset in a Time of Crisis



By Porter Stansberry
with Dr. Steve Sjuggerud and Mike Palmer



If things get as bad as I expect in America in the coming years, most people are going to lose a lot of money.
So how can you protect yourself... and even potentially make a profit over the next decade?
Well, you should certainly own a significant amount of precious metals... real, hold-in-your-hand gold and silver. Both of these metals have skyrocketed in recent years, gaining more than 400%, in anticipation of this crisis.
But guess what...
There's one investment that might prove to be even better than gold or silver when America's currency crisis hits full tilt.
In fact, since 1970, a year before the U.S. went off the gold standard, this investment has easily outpaced both stocks and gold.
See the chart below...

So what is this incredible asset that has crushed stocks and gold, and how does it beat these things handily?

We're talking about farmland. The chart above shows the total returns of U.S. farmland versus the total returns of the stock market (including dividends) and the total returns of gold (which, of course, pays no dividend).

The returns from farmland come from two sources. According to a recent edition of Ag Decision Maker, published by Iowa State University, roughly half of the overall returns come from the appreciation of the actual land.

The other half comes from the "rent" you can get by farming your land – or hiring someone else to do it for you. Add these components together, and it's easy to see why the overall returns of farmland have outpaced gold, stocks, and just about any other asset we could name.

In fact, some call farmland "gold with yield" – because you book steady income from rents while you wait for the value to grow. I can think of no better asset to own during any kind of financial crisis.

Why does farmland do so well?

When food prices go up, farmland prices go up. There's no shortage of mouths to feed – on this side of the globe or the other.

And as an added benefit, farmland returns have little correlation to the returns on stocks and bonds. Farmland didn't fall in a single quarter during the financial meltdown.

If you believe, as I do, that inflation will only get worse, then you'll want to look closely at an investment in farmland.

Consider...

If you had invested your money in the stock market at the beginning of the 1970s, you would have made about 16%... TOTAL... over the course of the entire decade. Adjusted for inflation, you would have lost about half your money.

But during the same time the total returns of U.S. farmland were more than 600%!

Now imagine what farmland might do today.

I can guarantee, as I've written many times over the past few years, that we are going to experience major inflation.

On top of that, other factors are pushing farmland prices higher...

Just to name a few: A tightening supply of farmland, rising demand for crops, and skyrocketing commodity prices. In short, I expect farmland could be one of the best investments of the next decade.

Of course, farmland has another great benefit as well...

It can actually save your family during a serious crisis.

Barton Biggs, in his excellent book, Wealth, War, and Wisdom, reports farmland was the one thing that saved families in occupied France, Poland, Holland, Germany, and Italy.

An unostentatious farm, not a great estate, is probably best. Bricks and mortar real estate can be expropriated or bombed, but the land is always there. Your land can't be plundered or shipped off to somewhere else.

During World War II in most of the occupied countries, if you had a self-sufficient farm, you could hunker down on it and with luck wait out the disaster. At the very least you were supplied with food in a starving country.

A working farm protected both your wealth and your life.

As my good friend (and multimillionaire investor) Doug Casey likes to say, in a time of crisis, "The best thing you can do is buy a really good farm."

So how can you play it?

Well, just like I prefer owning real, hold-in-your-hand gold and silver rather than owning precious metals on the stock market... I suggest you seriously consider a private land deal. Quite literally, you should investigate buying a plot of farmland.

But if your only option is the stock market, my favorite is a company called Cresud (Nasdaq: CRESY).

Cresud is run by one of the world's best investors, a man I'm almost sure you've never heard of, named Eduardo Elsztain.

I've been a longtime admirer of Eduardo, and in recent years I've gotten to know him on a personal level too. He even invited me to ring the opening bell with him on the New York Stock Exchange last year, to commemorate a new business deal.

One of the things I love about Eduardo is he has survived and prospered through more government-debt pileups and busts than any big investor I'm aware of. You see, Eduardo has lived his life in Argentina, which has a history of wiping out investors time and again.

Eduardo's firsthand knowledge of how to invest through an inflationary time is important right now... as our U.S. government is inflating our money at an unprecedented, off-the-charts rate. To me, nobody is more experienced than Eduardo at profiting from this situation.

Cresud is Argentina's largest cattle raiser and owner of private farmland and cattle raiser in a country with some of the world's best agricultural lands. The company's 600,000-acre Los Pozos farm is recorded on the books at its historic cost of around $4.50 an acre (plus improvements). That's the way accounting works. But according to a sale two years ago, the land is worth as much as 25 times more than what is on the books.

The company is also the biggest owner of commercial real estate in one of the world's finest cities – Buenos Aires. Eduardo buys real estate (buildings) through a company he built called IRSA. He tries to buy it extremely cheaply, improve its value, and then sell it.

He does this because real property is a proven store of value during government inflations. Argentine farmland is some of the world's most productive farmland... A hundred years ago, Argentina was "the breadbasket of Europe." Its agriculture and natural resources led it to become the world's 10th-wealthiest nation.

So what happened in the last 100 years? How could Argentina fall so far in that time? To me, the blame lies significantly with the government...

For nearly 100 years, Argentina has had bad politicians who consistently rang up large government debts while putting the people through excessive regulation/socialism... only to see this unsuccessful formula blow up on the people, over and over again.

Hopefully, our next 100 years in the U.S. will turn out better than Argentina's. But these days, it sure feels like the U.S. government wants to repeat Argentina's formula for failure – large debts, excessive regulation, and more socialist tendencies.

There is one thing we can do to protect our wealth. We can follow Eduardo... we can buy farms, real estate, and gold – REAL things that hold their value when the government goes too far.

Over the last 20 years, Eduardo has built one of the world's finest portfolios of real estate. He's made his fortune by being patient for opportunities to appear... and then being bold and aggressive when the time is right. Right now, Cresud owns about 1.2 million acres of farmland. About 800,000 acres of this land is in productive use. They have about 80,000 beef cattle... and 9,000 dairy cattle.

And Cresud is well-run and incredibly profitable. Last quarter, the company's operating income rose 103% – from 93.4 million to 183.6 million Argentinean pesos. Crop, beef cattle, and milk prices all increased, boosting the company's margins. The company is increasing its planting area going into 2011 by 24%. Profits will continue to grow.

So what's not to like? There's one catch: The stock is expensive right now.

Over the years, the time to buy Cresud has been when the stock has been trading for less than book value. Right now, shares trade for close to two times book value. No matter how fantastic the business is, that's just too much to pay for the shares. We're going to wait for a better entry point.

Action to take: Put it on your watch list and buy it when it trades for less than book.

38 comments:

  1. You gave me hope then you gave me an advertisement...Just tell us already no one wants to buy your pamphlet...You know what the most valuable asset in time of crisis is? Your Wits. Not a tangible item.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "The LORD will be a shelter to His people." That is the best way to get through any crisis coming in America or wherever you are.

      Delete
    2. Americans need to go back to God and Church....then the good life will fall into place without resorting to dysfunctional behavior.

      Delete
  2. When Russia became The Soviet Union, the government confiscated a lot of land, so there is always risk. However, not all totalitarian governments do so. Alexandr Solhynitsyn, whose name I might have misspelled, said that they can steal your cash, your land, your things, but they cannot steal what is in your mind, such as your intelligence, your creativity, your wits, your knowledge of history, your ability to speak a language. Thank you, Mr. Stansberry, for warning us to prepare for when our economy hits the fan. Powerful people are working to change the USA into another Soviet Union, and when they suceed in bringing about economic collapse, they will incite rioting, and will use it as an excuse to seize power. We need to prepare somehow.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Most Americans have armed up, approximate to the tune of 75 million more firearms purchases over the last 5 years, and have ammo with it. I would say that the people who have been paying attention are ready, should funny business begin, non patriots should be very worried.

      Delete
  3. TRY buying a farm. it's not as easy as you think.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Start a VERY affordable AQUAPONICS farm. The university of Wisconsin grew 1 million pounds of organic produce and 100,000 Tilapia (fish, tasty) in one year on just 3 1/2 acres. This can be done on a smaller scale in your backyard with a greenhouse, water tank, pump and PVC piping. A 1,000 dollar investment will yield you a VERY nice setup. It can be done for about half of that for a modest setup. You need several hundred square feet of space and electric power and you are up and running. The beauty of this system, because it is indoors in a greenhouse, is that pesticides are not used (pests cannot get in) aerial spraying (chemtrails) have zero effect and you can grow your fish and produce year round.

      Just do a computer search for AQUAPONICS.

      It is easy. You're welcome. Tell your friends and neighbors about it. You can also have several people do a sharing arrangement to make the cost super affordable!

      Look into it, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

      Thank me later,
      Pay it forward.

      Delete
  4. thank you for putting this on here. i just watched the hour and a half video for nothing. i literally lost a hour and a half of my life for this. i live in arkansas in farm country and let me tell you that these people arent selling. it is crazy to think you can just go out and buy a farm. i mean the farm land owners will likely be in the best position should all this come to pass, yes, but they ARE NOT going to sell you their land.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. one thing that you did not say in your hour and a half video MR. Doom & Gloom, is that the government will most likely seize all land and impose martial law. then to feed itself the military will systematically search and raid all property for anything of value so goodbye gold, silver other precious metals, cash and your stashed food stores ...

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    2. let them come for my gold silver & guns..they will have a fight to the end

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    3. Unfortunately the Government will take that farmland after they have control of all water sources!

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    4. Yes that idea is far fetch for the average american working a 9 to 5 to make ends meet. We cant just go out and buy farms. I mean for some one who have millions to spend that want affect there day to day responsibilities financially than that maybe something for them to consider. But If it's hard for you just to get a house for your family a farm is something that's just not going to happen.

      Delete
  5. Sounds like.......we're fuckt!

    ReplyDelete
  6. How about you just buy the currency the Chinese are using for trade since they stopped using the dollar?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I believe their financial situation is quite poor as well.

      Delete
  7. I thought he was going to say to invest in the marijuana industry. LOL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. do your research on that , it is a great investment if ya pick a winning horse

      Delete
  8. I think this will be something of biblical proportions
    maybe what we need to do is prepare to meet the
    Lord, something I need to do a better job of myself

    ReplyDelete
  9. maybe we wouldn't have so many problems if there wasn't so many greedy fuckers out there. tesla had it right

    ReplyDelete
  10. History will continue to repeat itself, man will never learn from their mistakes. Society will crumble, and it needs to, in order to rebuild itself back up the right way.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's not that man doesn't learn, it's the fact of GREED HAS A STRONG GRIP ON A SELECT GROUP OF PEOPLE, they are always the top of the government and constantly taking from the people, CORRUPTION!

      Delete
  11. Farmland is worthless if Iran drops a nuke on it!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Farmland is worthless if Iran drops a nuke on it!

    ReplyDelete
  13. After they suggested investing in Nasdaq CRESY (farmland holding company) all of their credibility went down the drain, CRESY plunged lower than the DOW in 2008 thus their argument of investing in Farmland stock to hedge against a depression may not be that wise. Research the stock price on google finance and compare to the DOW since 1998, you would have made 200% more investing in the DOW. However, I do agree that being self sufficient with capability of growing your own food is always a good idea especially during a depression, that is just common sense.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You were supposed to hold it through the crash period, I'm not sure what it did after, but check that out, 2008-2012 it more than likely came back, you only loose in crash if u sell when it crashes

      Delete
  14. Great information provided. I appreciate your work. I like the way you write. Awesome, keep it up.
    The Quebec Immigrant Investor Program Has Reopened

    ReplyDelete
  15. The puppeteers of the current administration do not believe in 'private property'.

    Better have protection, water, food, and shelter. The 'immigrants of peace'that have been flooding our borders for years are probably going to be told to 'reap what you can take'. S'pose some 'entity' that has been buying up guns and ammo, creating shortages for patriots, might just give it to them with a list of who has arms and who's been buying metals? Not only your daughter, but they might like that fancy house you're living in, too.

    Just look what is happening in Germany and other parts of Europe. Now that the muslim in the White House has given islam access to EVERYTHING we have, militarily and technology and security wise, this is going to be VERY ugly and painful. It's just going to be a lot MORE ugly and painful if you lack basics.

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    Replies
    1. Agreed. It is obvious what his intentions are, if you have read his book about his fathers dreams, that he wants this country turned inside out and fair game for his people to inherit, or more appropriately put, take over what we own. It is a scary scenario, one which many on the left will say is bull because they refuse to believe the man is capable of doing such a thing.
      If it looks like a duck....well I think you know where I am headed.

      Delete
  16. I visited your blog for the first time and just been your fan. I Will be back often to check up on new stuff you post!
    personal finance

    ReplyDelete
  17. Wow, what a blog! I mean, you just have so much guts to go ahead and tell it like it is. Youre what blogging needs, an open minded superhero who isnt afraid to tell it like it is. This is definitely something people need to be up on. Good luck in the future, man
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    ReplyDelete
  18. I for one, am thankful for your insight! Instead of whining about what you can't do, we need to do what we can. If you can't buy a farm, learn to plant and maintain a garden. Learning to can home grown produce is another skill that you have to practice. During a famine or inflationary times, having food to live on might just save your family's life! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
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