You don’t have a crystal ball to tell you good stocks to invest in the next few years, but you do have historical charting, scientific and news reports and demographic information. That what’s driven the top industries of the past, and will continue to do so into the future. Making decisions about stocks to invest in involves performing comprehensive research. Here are five fields worth your time and effort.

Artificial Intelligence

What do driverless cars, inventory management, and e-commerce all have in common? They are industries dependent on artificial intelligence (AI) technology. AI is still an industry where you can get in on the ground floor with stocks that should skyrocket. Look at tech stocks with deep AI strategies. Those stocks include some classic chip producers and newer ventures concentrating on autonomous cars. Businesses as diverse as drone manufacturers, cyber security, banks and insurance companies are increasingly reliant on AI. As a regular stock market investor, you’ll rely on AI, too. True AI has the ability to actually learn, rather than just rely on its software. The technology will become more human – but smarter and more adaptive – and that’s not necessarily a good thing, as science fiction films teach us. For now, though, AI means good stocks to invest in.

AI is closely linked with another space-age technology, that of robotics. Together, these technologies will make huge changes in the way societies and businesses functions. Along with investing in quality AI tech companies, you may want to avoid purchasing stocks in industries that AI and robotics may drive out of business. On the other hands, there are industries immeasurably enhanced by AI. No one invests in the taxi industry right now, for obvious reasons. AI will put most people who drive for a living out of work within the next few decades. Pharmaceutical companies and those engaged in medical research will profit enormously from AI, as the technology can analyze data in seconds that might take a human several weeks to digest. That results in more effective drugs for treating and preventing diseases. When investing in any industry, consider its AI component. Those with the strongest AI levels are more likely to prosper over the long term.

Elder Care Services

The generation that proclaimed “don’t trust anyone over 30” is now at least twice that age, with the oldest Baby Boomers now in their early 70s. During their lifetimes, their huge numbers affected every industry they touched, from toys and games in their youth, automobiles, housing construction and now, in their twilight years, elder care services. Seniors still pack an economic wallop, far larger than their millennial offspring. Look for companies dealing with various elder care services, and don’t limit yourself to pharmaceutical companies producing medication for senior citizens. Other industries with a big stake in the aging population include:

• Cruise lines, recreational vehicle manufacturers and other entertainment venues catering to the older traveler
• REITs heavy in the senior housing market
• Home health care franchises
• Nursing homes

Then there’s the funeral industry. The family-owned funeral home, like the downtown mom-and-pop store, is becoming a thing of the past. Many funeral homes are owned by chains publicly trading on the stock market. While living longer than their predecessors, Baby Boomers are going to shuffle off this mortal coil in large numbers. Once again, it’s demographics and the facts of life. Related companies include casket makers and cemetery plot providers. While you won’t make a “killing” in the funeral-related industry, it’s historically a steady market and should remain a growth industry for the next quarter-century.

Much of the West is turning silver, so good stocks to invest in for elder care are not limited to the U.S. and Europe. Much of Asia, especially Japan and China, are experiencing the same phenomenon.

Green Energy

The future is green. Even those in the fossil fuel industries know that green, renewable energy will win in the long run. “Green” involves quite a few industries, but they all have one thing in common: They come from natural resources and are renewable. Put together a green portfolio by focusing on different aspects of the green revolution.

In another generation or two, the gas powered vehicle will likely appear as a quaint mode of transportation from a bygone era, like the horse and buggy. Frankly, draft animal power is pretty green, but that’s not an industry likely to make a comeback. The major automobile manufacturers are increasingly concentrating on hybrid and electric vehicles. Sales of electric vehicles, while still relatively small, have soared in the past few years. These established companies may fare better for long-term investors than green energy vehicle start-ups, and the large manufacturers will likely purchase the most promising of the green vehicle technologies for their use.

With green energy, it’s crucial to think outside the box. Yes, solar power and wind farms are far cheaper to build and much cleaner than nuclear power or coal plants, but alternative energies consist of so much more. The world is awash in garbage, but green companies are converting that former trash into clean energy. Search for that kind of forward thinking when doing your green energy investment research.

Investing in green energy isn’t limited to renewables per se. Look for companies committed to cutting down on emissions and helping the environment, so that they are using green tech even if they are not a green energy industry. If you take a personal interest in our planet, you can successfully gear your investing toward a greener world, and put some “green” in your pockets while doing so.

3-D Printing

3-D printing will revolutionize manufacturing. It’s not a question of if, but when. 3-D printing will eventually eliminate entire industries, and the move is already beginning. Although 3-D printing seems relatively new, the concept has been around for decades, and there are good companies to invest in with a strong 3-D track record. If you don’t want to invest in individual stocks, there are 3-D printing ETFs available.

3-D stocks flew high in recent years, but came crashing down because the expectations far outweighed the valuations. Still, the “D” in 3-D could stand for “disruptive” as well as dimensional. Some of the best 3-D stocks to invest in don’t make actual 3-D printers, but provide services for 3-D manufacturers. Top 3-D choices also contain valuable intellectual property. The range of what 3-D printing can create is rising exponentially. In the near future, a dwelling and almost everything it in may result from 3-D printing. That means this formally hot sector is like to warm up again very soon. By 2020, certain analysts are predicting a $20 billion 3D market. Also consider companies relying on 3-D technology for their manufacturing, which runs the gamut from automakers and aerospace to medical/dental and footwear.

Marijuana

Another type of green looks promising, but while the long-underground marijuana industry gains legitimacy, which companies to invest in remains murky. Recreational marijuana is now legal in eight states and the District of Columbia, while medical marijuana is available by prescription in 29 states, at least officially if not in practice. Uruguay is the only country where recreational marijuana is completely legal, but Canada may soon follow. In many European countries, such as The Netherlands and Spain, marijuana possession is decriminalized and Holland allows cannabis smoking in coffee shops. In short, marijuana acceptance and legalization is growing, but is still considered a Schedule 1 drug – the same as heroin – in the U.S. So why should you consider investing in this nascent legal industry, and what should you look for? Any new industry is littered with start-ups receiving lots of hype but making little money.

The wisest way to invest in marijuana involves looking at stocks – often those of pharmaceutical companies – in which marijuana is just one of their products. Most pharmaceutical companies market medications geared for the older population, so that ties in with elder care investing. Older people are likely to become avid consumers of recreational marijuana. Theirs was the generation that made pot use popular on a widespread basis. While they wanted to get high in their youth, now they want the pain relief marijuana can offer.

Other marijuana-related companies to invest in include fertilizer and hydroponics companies, necessary for producing top quality plants.

Buffett’s Advice

When considering good stocks to invest in, always heed the sensible advice of the Oracle of Omaha, the great Warren Buffett. He cautions investors to buy what they know. That doesn’t mean you need a Ph.D. in the workings of a particular industry to invest in it, but you do need a realistic idea of a company’s valuation and prospects. At SureTrader, we provide you with the top technical analysis and other tools to help you make decisions regarding stocks to invest in. Along with low fees, lightning-fast execution and 24/7 customer service, it’s just one more part of the SureTrader advantage.