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By James Picerno

The war with Iran continues to roil financial markets. At some point the risk will peak, providing context for deciding if the worst has passed. Estimating that point will be useful but also challenging

Introduction

Today, I’m extremely excited to launch Main Street Alpha. This new investing service on Seeking Alpha was created to help investors focus on long-term wealth creation through macro-driven research, structural market trends, and high-conviction investment ideas.

Main Street Alpha combines deep macroeconomic analysis, geopolitical insights, and company-level research to identify the opportunities that benefit from long-term trends instead of short-term market noise. Members receive exclusive research reports, high-conviction investment ideas, three model portfolios, direct access to me, and a private member chat where members discuss the markets and long-term investment strategies.

For a limited time, the first group of members for Main Street Alpha can sign up for the service at the price of $499. The price increases to $599 after this special offer expires.

Main Street Alpha represents the next stage of the journey my followers and I have been on together for more than 10 years on Seeking Alpha.

Introducing Main Street Alpha

I started investing at the age of 15. That was 15 years ago. As some of you may know (because I have brought it up so much in my research), what I did back then was flat-out gambling. I still remember how I felt when I nearly blew up my account on Christmas Eve and had to pretend everything was fine during the holiday.

This is obviously an incredibly silly story, yet in hindsight, all of these mistakes were terrific building blocks for what turned out to be a career in finance and publication. Moreover, because I experimented with almost every type of investing and trading style/strategy, I was able to early on figure out the best approach that fit my goals and strategy.

Fast forward to 2026. I have spent the past six years working professionally in the industry, advising a hedge fund, working for a number of third-party research companies, and building a dividend growth portfolio that has become the foundation of a serious long-term investment strategy.

That strategy is built around what I like to call the “Big Picture” approach, as it combines macroeconomic research, structural trends, political developments, competitive business models, and durable wealth-building strategies like dividend growth investing.

My goal has always been to help investors filter out the daily market noise and focus on the factors that actually drive long-term returns. Even if some readers disagree with a specific stock pick or a thesis, I want them to walk away with a better understanding of the bigger picture that helps them in their own investment process.

Now, it’s time to take all of this to the next level. I believe that everything I have done so far has led to this big moment, as I get to introduce my new endeavor called “Main Street Alpha,” which I’m launching here on Seeking Alpha with Albert Marko, my business partner, long-term mentor, and friend.

It’s everything we have done over the past 10 years, packaged and brought to a whole new level, to bring institutional-grade research to the masses.

Why We Created Main Street Alpha

The current market environment seems to be louder and more challenging than ever.

Every day is a bombardment of news headlines, economic numbers, and a ton of narratives that have the potential to change everything happening in the markets. Essentially, the financial media cycle is moving faster, which is further worsened by social media-fueled noise and artificial intelligence. It has created a data overload.

In my personal experience, some of the most successful investors are the ones who filter out that noise, maintain a focus on the Big Picture (there it is again), and build portfolios that work for them. One thing a former mentor always told me was, “It’s all noise.”

That philosophy has always been the core of my work here on Seeking Alpha.

However, over time, it became increasingly clear to me that my readers wanted more than just ideas on single stocks. They wanted a place to discuss ideas in a more in-depth way, at a higher frequency, and with more in-depth analysis. And personally, I also wanted more. It was time for a change.

This reminds me of the following quote from the 1987 movie “Wall Street”:

If you’re not inside, you are outside, OK?

We’re going to change that, as we’ll be that helping hand in a noisy market that helps you focus on the drivers that actually matter for long-term returns. To achieve that, we’ll combine macroeconomic analysis, structural investment trends, and individual company research.

To us, the goal is very straightforward:

Help individual investors approach markets with the same big-picture mindset used by professional investors.

What You’ll Find Inside Main Street Alpha

Main Street Alpha is built on a number of core pillars, all of which have the goal to help you make better long-term decisions.

First of all, our members will receive high-conviction investment ideas. All of these are fully supported by detailed research and Big-Picture analysis. Our research is designed to find the best companies and discuss major macro and geopolitical trends. Essentially, in our service, we go the extra mile and tell you what the “big guys” on Wall Street and in Washington, D.C., are discussing. Suddenly, you’re an “insider” as well.

Second, we publish deep-dive research reports that go beyond the “traditional” articles you may be used to on the Internet. Our research deep-dives into various industries, macroeconomic developments, and niche investment opportunities that often go unnoticed.

Just think about the in-depth research I have written so far, taken to the next level.

Moreover, our members will get access to three portfolios:

• Leo’s personal portfolio.
• A dividend income portfolio with a >5% average yield and high-single-digit annual dividend growth.
• A community portfolio that is funded with service proceeds and directly influenced by members who get a say in what we buy and sell.

On top of that, members get full access to a private chat with direct access to me, the community, and any real-time investment alerts we publish.

In other words, we’re going exclusive, to a whole new level, and you’re invited!

Who’s Behind Main Street Alpha

This service is run by Albert Marko and myself.

Most of you will be familiar with me. Not only did I just share my story with you, but I also spent the past 10 years sharing way too many details about my personal life. I’m sometimes surprised by how much people know about me and by how much people care.

Albert, however, is a name you may not be familiar with. Until now, of course.

I have worked with Albert for more than six years in various settings. He brings a different but highly complementary skill set, as he’s a political-economic consultant and investor with roughly two decades of experience in foreign affairs and geopolitical analysis.

Moreover, throughout his career, he has advised hedge funds, corporations, and institutional investors on political risk, legislative developments, and international relations. His work has also involved consulting policymakers and members of Congress on geopolitical strategy and economic policy.

For a Big Picture approach, there’s no better partner.

Hence, by integrating political analysis with macroeconomic research and equity strategy, Main Street Alpha aims to give investors a clearer view of the forces that truly drive long-term returns and generate long-term alpha and income for dividend investors.

Who Main Street Alpha Is For

This service is for everyone who has money invested or plans to invest.

However, to narrow it down, it’s especially ideal for readers who:

• Focus on long-term wealth creation.
• Want to understand macro and geopolitical trends.
• Appreciate dividend growth and income investing.
• Prefer research-driven investment ideas.

If you’re a short-term trader, this service may not be for you, as we help people achieve long-term goals and do not focus on short-term trading signals. However, even if you’re a trader and want to get a better understanding of the market, this service is for you as well.

After all, even traders need to understand the bigger picture.

A Quick Note on Expectations

Before wrapping things up, I want to make one more thing clear.

I’m a macro/equity strategist, not a salesman. This service is not about chasing the next hot stock or promising you quick gains. Markets do not work that way, and anyone who claims otherwise may be selling you something other than good research.

Some ideas will work extremely well. Others may take a while to unfold. And, occasionally, we’ll be wrong on things. That’s part of investing.

What matters is the process to increase the risk/reward and build something that works for you.

That’s what we are about.

Join Us On The Next Stage Of The Journey

Over the past 10 years, the Seeking Alpha community has played a major role in shaping the way I think about markets and investing.

Main Street Alpha is the next step in the investment journey.

It’s the place where we take everything we have been doing to a whole new level. Better intel, better research, portfolio management, and fruitful community discussions.

If that sounds like the investing approach you are looking for, we invite you to join us.

Main Street Alpha is available for $599 per year, with a limited launch discount for the first 400 members who will get the whole package for $499.