Just_Super Introduction The stock of Zscaler (NASDAQ:ZS), a cybersecurity player noted for its fully integrated, multi-tenant cloud-native security solutions, hasn’t enjoyed a fruitful 2024 so far. On a YTD basis, when the tech-oriented Nasdaq has managed to notch positive gains of around 8%, ZS has crumbled by 21%. YCharts There could be an opportunity to…
Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. A campaign advert by South Africa’s opposition Democratic Alliance that depicts the national flag burning has exposed the deep divisions gripping the country just three weeks out from a pivotal national election. The 33-second advert,…
ilkercekic/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Listen below or on the go on Apple Podcasts and Spotify Focus returns to Disney numbers, streaming after proxy battle. (0:18) First iPad update in 18 months expected. (1:59) Warren Buffett’s Q&A. (2:45) The following is an abridged transcript: Investors get a little breathing room this week, with the earnings…
Adam Gault All eleven sectors of the S&P 500 (SP500) finished higher last week to end a three-week losing streak for the index that was instigated by fears of stalled progress on inflation and a “higher-for-longer” interest rate policy from the Federal Reserve. Reigniting investor enthusiasm were earnings reports from some of our largest technology…
MicroStockHub Investment Case for Pembina Pipelines Series 5 PPL.PR.E fixed dividend preferred shares I expect a strong upside for the Pembina Pipelines Series 5 (TSX:PPL.PR.E:CA) (OTCPK:PPLAF) preferred shares over the next six to twelve months. The five-year fixed dividend for these shares will be recalculated on May 2, 2023, 30 days before June 1, 2024,…
2d illustrations and photos/iStock via Getty Images It’s quite understandable for some investors to feel fatigued from a seemingly never-ending buzz about AI. Dotcom era-like obsession of media with everything related to “artificial intelligence” has already led to hyped expectations in the tech sector. This April, however, we clearly see a hangover, with many AI-related…
wdstock It’s been a rough couple of weeks in the markets leading into big-tech earnings season, as the macroeconomic backdrop is becoming increasingly negative, taking AI-mania’s spot in the center of attention. Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), one of the leaders of the AI craze, is set to report its fiscal third-quarter results this Thursday, April 25th. Investors…
eAlisa Micro cap stocks are those typically defined at around $300 million in market cap or less. Companies of this size are often duds, but, others are super high growth with the potential to fulfill Peter Lynch’s thoughts on small companies… Big companies have small moves, small companies have big moves… Peter Lynch from One…
CJ Rivera/Getty Images Entertainment Over the past 10 years, Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) drastically underperformed the S&P 500, but its latest dividend increase of 4% could breathe new life into the stock. The company is a Stalwart operating globally in more than 200 countries, everyone knows it and uses its products regularly. As discussed in my previous…
Morsa Images Investment summary My recommendation for Marvell Technology (NASDAQ:MRVL) is a buy rating. I believe the worst of the cycle is over for MRVL, and it should start to enter the upcycle as early as 2H25, which should drive strong growth acceleration in FY26. Over the long term, I am also bullish on MRVL’s…
PonyWang Summary Readers may find my previous coverage via this link. My previous rating was a buy as I believed Entegris’ (NASDAQ:ENTG) growth had bottomed, and gross margins would see expansion moving forward; with both factors driving an upward revision of its multiple. As of April 8th, the ENTG share price has touched my target…
Luis Alvarez Oil prices are back on the rise, finishing last week at the highest mark since October. The Energy sector has been very strong as renewed selling pressure in the bond market has brought about feelings of 2022. In past market cycles, bull markets in WTI and Brent have coincided with healthy returns in…
baranozdemir Accuray (NASDAQ:ARAY) is certainly in the running for being one of the most frustrating stocks I’ve followed. While the company has made a lot of smart moves to improve its product portfolio and boost its growth prospects, market share has been frustratingly slow to follow and the stock has languished for years as the…
Monty Rakusen/DigitalVision via Getty Images The March US employment data were stronger than expected and lend support to the re-acceleration hypothesis and an extension of US exceptionalism. In Q1 24, nonfarm payrolls rose by an average of 276k. It was the strongest quarter in a year and compares with an average monthly job gain of…
Richard Drury We previously covered British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:NYSE:BTI) in January 2024, discussing the management’s great success in renewing its tobacco portfolio, with the New Categories segment boasting an accelerated top-line growth well-balancing the secular decline of the conventional cigarettes segment. With the worst of the secular decline baked in and the October 2023…
Natali_Mis We previously covered Affirm (NASDAQ:NASDAQ:AFRM) in January 2024, downgrading the stock to a Hold, due to the overly optimistic rally by +175.9% since the October 2023 bottom. While the fintech continued to demonstrate profitable growth, we did not believe that the stock’s eye-watering premium was sustainable then. Combined with the elevated short interest, we…
Kathrin Ziegler/DigitalVision via Getty Images Introduction and thesis ThredUP (NASDAQ:TDUP) is a leading online thrift store and fashion resale platform founded in 2009. It operates in the secondhand fashion market, allowing consumers to buy and sell high-quality, gently used clothing, shoes, and accessories. TDUP has managed to achieve strong growth and brand development through innovation…
The Himalayan nation of Bhutan plans to expand its Bitcoin mining operations fivefold ahead of the impending halving event in April. BREAKING: 🇧🇹 Kingdom of Bhutan to increase mining capacity 6x ahead of the #Bitcoin halving to 600 megawatts. Nation state FOMO is setting in 🙌 pic.twitter.com/kLsU3fGk0U — Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) April 5, 2024 According…
mabus13/E+ via Getty Images The Q1 earnings season for the precious metals sector has finally ended and one of the most recent companies to report its results was EMX Royalty (NYSE:EMX). Like many other royalty/streaming companies that benefited from being insulated from inflation, EMX had a phenomenal year, reporting record adjusted revenue and other income…
Funtay NielsenIQ data show that UK cigarette industry retail sales fell just 1.8% from year-ago levels. That continues an improving trend over the last two years, though sales for Philip Morris International (PM) boasted an annual increase of 6.1% while British American Tobacco (NYSE:BTI) sales dropped 4.7% YoY. Of course, tobacco companies continue to diversify…
Sundry Photography One of the biggest pharmaceutical stocks by market capitalization, Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) has had a good first quarter at the stock markets in 2024. Its price is up by over 20% after a forgettable 2023 that saw it end the year essentially flat, supported by approvals for its treatments as well…
serts Introduction and thesis Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) is a leading global provider of industrial automation and digital transformation solutions. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the company serves a diverse range of industries, including automotive, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, and oil and gas, among others. With a history dating back to 1903, Rockwell Automation has established itself…
Arturo Holmes Listen below or on the go on Apple Podcasts and Spotify Iger and Peltz face off in Disney annual shareholder meeting. (0:20) March payrolls seen up by 200,000. (1:13) Microsoft and OpenAI to build Stargate supercomputer. (4:04) The following in an abridged transcript of the podcast: The top stories to look out for…
AndreyPopov Introduction Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL) sells pest control products and services to commercial and residential customers. The pest control market is surprisingly profitable and growing market, with the industry set to grow well-above GDP for the next decade. Benefitting from long-term tailwinds as well as a fragmented market, Rollins has emerged as a market leader…
DNY59 We previously covered Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (BUD) in November 2023, discussing its (still) impacted sales volume in the North American region, with losses intensifying as the management had to provide financial assistance to its wholesalers. Then again, we had maintained our Buy rating, with the management’s successful marketing efforts in other regions contributing to…
Dennis Diatel Photography While its stock is nowhere near the peak it reached during the meme stock mania of 2021, GameStop Corp. (NYSE:GME) has the potential to rebound from current levels, in my opinion, when it posts its Q4 and full year 2023 results on March 26 after market close. Analysts expect the video game…
bpawesome Last week will be remembered for several things. First, the Bank of Japan lifted its interest rate target for the first time in 17 years and formally ended its Yield Curve Control and ceased buying ETFs. The yen sold off and the dollar approach the 2022 and 2023 cap slightly below JPY152. Japanese officials…
honglouwawa If you want to explain why the S&P 500 has been rising, you don’t have to look far beyond how the expectations investors have for the index’ dividends have been changing over the last several months. We last presented our regularly scheduled winter snapshot of the expected future for the quarterly dividend payouts for…
landbysea/iStock via Getty Images Note: Tidewater Inc. (NYSE:TDW) has been covered by me previously, so investors should view this article as an update to my earlier publications on the company. Earnings Discussion Last month, leading offshore support vessel and services provider Tidewater Inc. or “Tidewater” reported improved fourth quarter and full year 2023 results: Company…
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News Last March, I wrote that bankruptcy was still a very real possibility for Carvana (NYSE:CVNA). The stock has skyrocketed since then. More recently in February, I wrote that I expected the stock to make a big move in association with earnings in either direction, which it did. However, I also felt…
Richard Drury We previously covered Opera Limited (NASDAQ:NASDAQ:OPRA) in December 2023, discussing its improved monetization trend and growing ARPU, leading to its strong financial performance in FQ3’23 and raised guidance for FY2023. Combined with the depressed valuations and attractive dividend yields, we had reiterated our Buy rating for the stock then. In this article, we…
Kirill Stytsenko/iStock via Getty Images There has been a dramatic adjustment to US rates. The two-year yield was near 4.40% before the US employment report on March 8 and it reached near 4.73% before the weekend. The 25 bp surge is the largest weekly increase since last May. For the first time in four months,…
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News Investment Thesis Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) just reported its earnings for the first fiscal quarter (three months ended March 1st), and I think they did well. Revenue stood at a record of $5.18 billion. That’s pretty impressive. Now, a 12% growth rate (13% constant currency) might not sound a lot, but that…
Serjio74 Above: Macau growth is speeding ahead of many early recovery calls. We accept what may be some investors’ characterization of our bullish outlook on Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS) this past year as that of a faded broken record. Give the apparent resistance to the stock moving anywhere near my price target (“PT”) of…
Art Wager/E+ via Getty Images Camden Property Trust (NYSE:CPT), although a solid REIT with a strong human moat, a good debt outlook, and a strong portfolio, is probably headed into years of underperformance caused by oversupply in its primary markets. A REIT Of Sunbelt Apartments CPT is an S&P 500 REIT whose primary focus is…
maybefalse Elevator Pitch I have a Buy rating for Youdao, Inc. (NYSE:DAO) shares. My previous November 17, 2023 article touched on DAO’s financial results for the third quarter of last year and the company’s continued share buybacks. The spotlight is on Youdao’s 2024 prospects in this update. I think that DAO will perform better this…
metamorworks Investors often get caught up focusing on the S&P 500, but there is a world of stocks away from the domestic large-cap space. An overlooked ETF is the Vanguard Extended Market ETF (VXF). This is an all-inclusive SMID-cap fund – it houses all US stocks not technically classified as large caps. It includes many…
tadamichi One of my favorite funds to “set and forget”, the RPAR Risk Parity ETF (NYSEARCA:RPAR) has yet to give its scarred investors much of a break. Following a historically terrible 2022 for multi-asset strategies, driven by a back-breaking spike in interest rates, last year was barely better than flat for the risk-parity fund. In…
Serjio74/iStock via Getty Images Three Small News Items First, we should begin with three small news items on NewtekOne before we dive into the analysis. All of these pieces are small positive pieces worth noting in any update on NewtekOne (NASDAQ:NEWT). Partnership With 1-800Accountant NewtekOne partnered with 1-800Accountant on Nov 29, 2023 to offer accounting…
DNY59 We previously covered Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN) in December 2023, discussing why its inherent undervaluation might be a gift for investors with a long-term investing trajectory, with the potential recovery in the macroeconomic outlook likely to trigger the eventual normalization in its stock valuations and prices. Most importantly, the management continued to execute brilliantly, further…
phive2015 Investment Thesis Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc.’s (NYSE:AIT) revenue growth should benefit from easing year-over-year comparisons beginning in the second half of fiscal 2024. In addition, a potential rebound across the technology vertical and strength in the rest of the end markets supported by secular trends and associated government stimulus funds should drive revenue growth…
DNY59 Introduction Okeanis Eco Tankers (NYSE:ECO) is my favorite way to capitalize on the on-going bull market in the crude tanker sector. I have been long the stock since 2022 and have been covering it on a number on occasions (here is the link to my most recent coverage). In this article, I re-visit the…
Palantir CEO, Alex Karp (center) continues to ignore the short-term noise to focus on long-term success Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images News Palantir shares are up over 40% this year (and up over 60% since our previous article in July) following an outstanding quarterly earnings report in February (whereby record revenue and profits were achieved, driven by…
Hadi Pramono/iStock via Getty Images Earnings season is in full swing, and so far it has been a relatively dramatic one: many tech stocks have seen large double-digit percentage swings after reporting results. AI stocks continue to be the dominant theme here, and many software companies that either directly produce AI products or have embedded…
baranozdemir By James Knightley, Chief International Economist Surprise ISM drop shows manufacturing woes continue We have had some surprisingly soft numbers out of the US this morning. The ISM manufacturing survey fell to 47.7 in February from 49.1 (consensus 49.5), contradicting the story told by the bulk of the regional manufacturing reports. That means we…
Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images Don’t overstay your welcome. I regard CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:CRWD) as among the highest quality tech stocks in the market today. The company is a market-leading “consolidator” in the ever-relevant cybersecurity industry. The rise of generative AI has increased the long-term demand for cybersecurity products, especially best-in-class offerings like those from CRWD. Yet…
Khanchit Khirisutchalual The Federal Reserve remains data-dependent, as the central bank’s Chairman, Jerome Powell, likes to say, and perhaps that’s especially true now as policymakers weigh the prospects for when (or if) to start cutting interest rates this year. Recent economic data has again raised doubts about the timing for the arrival of a dovish…
Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images Elevator Pitch Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:SMFG) [8316:JP] shares are assigned a Buy rating. I previously touched on SMFG’s shareholder capital return, financial goals, and valuations in my December 10, 2023 article. This current update highlights the latest positive developments for Sumitomo Mitsui Financial. My view is that Sumitomo Mitsui…
ismagilov Bitcoin (BTC-USD) is scheduled to undergo its fourth halving in April, one of the most anticipated events of 2024 within the crypto space. Halving is a process where Bitcoin mining is cut in half, reducing the number of new bitcoins released to the market. The policy was introduced to ensure BTC remains scarce. Approximately…
Isogawyi/Moment via Getty Images Investment Thesis The success of the Invesco S&P MidCap Momentum ETF (NYSEARCA:XMMO) since its Index change on June 21, 2019, strongly indicates the momentum factor has value when applied to S&P MidCap 400 Index stocks. However, it’s essential to understand things were once rocky for this ETF, which is up 17.41%…