Nick’s Note: Last week, former hedge fund manager and PBRG guru Teeka Tiwari traveled 10,939 miles through 12 time zones to attend technology conferences in Hong Kong and Singapore.

Finding the next big tech play was on his agenda, but Teeka also noticed another major trend flying under the radar: conspicuous consumption.

While the rest of the world worries about an economic slowdown, Teeka says even the janitors in this area are buying luxury watches. And below, he tells me how investors can play this boom, too…

By Nick Rokke, analyst, The Palm Beach Daily

Nick: Morning, T. You recently returned from Hong Kong and Singapore. What’d you find out while you were there?

Teeka: There’s massive consumption—in both places. I haven’t seen consumer consumption like that since New York City in the 1980s.

The number of people shopping every day is crazy. You’ll go into gold shops in Hong Kong and the counter is three people deep. It’s just a buying frenzy.

I even made a point to go to different shopping areas at different times of the day—and no matter what, it was always nuts. Any luxury brand you could think of: Tiffany’s, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, you name it… All those stores were packed.

Now, luxury goods are the ultimate disposable-income product. You only buy jewelry and handbags when you have extra money. If you’re struggling to eat, you’re not going to buy a gold necklace. So that tells me the regional economy is booming.

Nick: What else are they buying there?

Teeka: You wouldn’t believe the watch culture there. Everyone has a fascination with high-end watches. It doesn’t matter if it’s a CEO or a janitor—they all have nice watches.

In fact, when I landed at Hong Kong International Airport, the porter carrying my bags was wearing a green-faced Rolex Submariner. And it was real!

The Rolex Submariner

Now, I know the difference between a real and a fake. That watch retails for just over $9,000, but it’s nearly impossible to get it at that price. The demand for it is so high, Rolex can’t keep it in stock. You have to buy it on the secondary market, where you’ll pay at least $12,000 to $14,000.

So this porter was wearing a watch worth thousands of dollars. And it’s a social imperative to wear a nice watch. If you don’t have one, your status in society drops.

Nick: What does this mean for investors?

Teeka: Everyone needs to realize that Asia is moving the luxury market now—not North America and Europe.

Hong Kong has no sales tax, so people are going there from all over Asia to buy luxury watches. In fact, Hong Kong sells more high-end watches than any other country in the world.

The play is simple: If you think the world economy will continue being strong, you should buy luxury brands. And if you think the world—and specifically, Asia—is going into a recession, then you short these companies.

So if you’re considering luxury companies like Tiffany’s or Louis Vuitton, you need to keep a pulse on Asia… It dictates the entire luxury market today.

Nick: Did you notice anything else there?

Teeka: Yes, the technology is incredible.

The internet infrastructure is light-years ahead. My hotel Wi-Fi was blazing fast—easily the fastest internet I’ve ever had.

But it’s also really expensive over there. I used to think Switzerland was expensive, but not anymore. In Singapore, a basic meal will set you back over $100. I was at a restaurant that wanted to charge me $120 for a side order of buckwheat pancakes and boiled eggs.

These places are really a playground for the rich, especially Singapore. It’s like Disneyland. Everything is manicured and planned, right down to the last blade of grass. It’s clean and safe everywhere you go. And crime isn’t tolerated.

Now, this trip really put Asia on my investing radar. I knew it was big, but I didn’t know it was this big… You really have to see it for yourself to believe it.

Nick: And how will companies profit from this regional growth?

Teeka: At the Money20/20 conference in Singapore, all the major Asian players were talking about plans for expansion in Southeast Asia. It’s a mad scramble… Tencent, Ant Financial, and others are all trying to establish a presence in the region.

Southeast Asia is a booming market with over 600 million consumers—half of whom are under 30. The penetration rate of mobile devices there is huge as well, with an estimated 850 million smartphones in use. Everyone is connected to the internet and tech-savvy. And China’s tech giants are hoping to capitalize on that exact winning combination.

So we’ll be looking into some value plays in the region—especially if the Chinese market comes in a little more.

Nick: Thanks for the insights, T.

Teeka: You’re welcome.

Nick’s Note: Are the janitors with Rolexes giving a clear pulse of the Asian markets? Will you be following them into luxury brands? Or perhaps you prefer to profit from the coming expansion into Southeast Asia… Either way, let us know what you think right here.

MAILBAG

Nick Giambruno’s prediction that socialism is coming to America is the talk of the mailbag…

From Charles L.: I normally tell people to ignore the sales pitch for whatever product someone is selling. But I do own a little physical gold and gold stocks just in case the worst happens, as Nick says.

From Evelyn T.: The public school system has brainwashed kids into accepting socialism. By my estimation, 80% to 85% of the government is controlled by communists. Today, we’re slaves with no rights, waiting in line for the next slap in the face.

From Kendall K.: This nonsense will be stopped, and the youth of our country will be saved! Young people believe that, after college, they’ll have all the answers. Their professors would fail miserably if thrown out on the streets. They teach trash theories!

From Dominique C.: Nick, you’re right. But the U.S. doesn’t offer free Social Security, free school/university, and many other things that we have in Europe. The U.S. has become a fat empire run by greed, just like the Romans 2,000 years ago.

If the left wing of the Democrat Party wins in 2020, they’ll spend a lot of money. There will be no change from what’s being spent today by Mr. Trump (in contradiction with his campaign promise). As long as money is free and can be printed, who cares? Still a pleasure to read your views, though. Best regards.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…

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