| Dear Readers, It's been pretty difficult to lose money in the stock market this year. All major equity indexes are up globally, every single S&P 500 sector has risen at least 5% (in most cases, much more), and volatility has remained well below historical averages. Chalk it up to continued easing and economic stimulus measures from the Federal Reserve. Add a dash of trade-war progress, throw in surprisingly resilient corporate earnings growth, and you have an ideal recipe for unabashed stock-market gains. That's great news for the average American and their retirement savings. But as a professional investor, it can be difficult to stand out in such an environment. So we here at Business Insider made it our mission to find the fund managers who still managed to outperform the broader market. We interviewed the seven top-ranked large-cap investors to learn what they did that allowed them to stand apart from the thundering herd. They were even kind enough to share the top themes they're watching for 2020, and which stocks they're buying to match them. Without further ado, here's the Investing team's annual feature: Going beyond that, see below for a rundown of our other main coverage from the last week. It includes an extremely aggressive bitcoin forecast, 20 overlooked stock picks from Goldman Sachs, and investing tips to help you dominate the next decade. A hedge-fund chief explains why bitcoin will top $100,000 by 2021 and grow to $500,000 over 10 years — and shares why it's 'better than gold'
Mark Yusko, CEO and CIO at Morgan Creek Capital Management, is "hyperbullish on bitcoin" due to its network, store of value, fundamental growth metrics, and ability to mitigate income inequality. Over the next 10 years, Yusko thinks bitcoin could reach $500,000 due to the confluence of these factors drawing investors to the space, rivaling the market capitalization of gold. READ MORE HERE >> GOLDMAN SACHS: These 20 unloved stocks are spring-loaded for surprisingly big gains in 2020 Amid widespread bullishness around the stock market's prospects in 2020, Goldman Sachs' options strategists are flagging the possibility that certain individual stocks will vastly outperform expectations. They highlighted S&P 500 stocks where options-implied moves are lower than the upside suggested by fundamentals. The firm's strategists recommend buying call options on these names to profit from potential gains in the months ahead. READ MORE HERE >> UBS says 4 areas will dominate the market throughout the 2020s as big tech's blockbuster decade comes to an end. Here's how to invest in each. Tech giants like Apple and Microsoft were kings of the stock market this decade. Now Mark Haefele — chief investment officer for UBS Global Wealth Management — is naming fields that could outperform in the 2020s the way big tech has in the 2010s. Haefele says stocks are his firm's top bet in coming years, even though they're on track for smaller gains over the next decade. But he's hardly bearish on tech, and says investments in 5G wireless technology, artificial intelligence, and big data are also likely to outperform. READ MORE HERE >> Other good stories from the investing realm: A retiree living at the poverty line explains how he squandered his 401(k) — and shares how today's generation of young professionals can avoid his fate How one expert thinks the war over zero-fee online trading could propel US stocks 26% higher next year — and his best trades for taking advantage The 'Warren Buffett of bonds' says the credit cycle has moved 'past midnight' — and explains why he's alarmed about the riskiest corner of the corporate-debt market Meet the top-ranked fund manager who owns only 17 stocks, with no more than one per industry. He explains his unconventional approach — and how he targets his best ideas. An investment chief who oversees $65 billion, refuses to watch CNBC, and doesn't have a Bloomberg terminal shares the books and podcasts he 'can't praise enough' A clinical psychologist explains how 4 biases are hurting your stock-picking abilities — and shares his best advice for conquering them The global chief investment strategist at $6.8 trillion BlackRock told us his 2 favorite trades to profit from a major shift that's happening as recession fears fade away BANK OF AMERICA: WeWork and other IPO disasters could start a domino effect that sends US stocks tumbling. Here's how. | 