Daniel RIFFET/Photononstop via Getty Images For many years, the price of cocoa drifted in a relatively well-defined range. As late as 2020, I wrote about trading that range from my perspective as a cocoa permabull. Unfortunately, liquidity in the iPath® Bloomberg Cocoa Subindex Total Return(SM) ETN (NIB) dried up over time, and NIB was finally…
milanvirijevic/E+ via Getty Images Limbach Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LMB) currently looks intriguing as a potential investment due to the low valuation and strong expected growth in 2024. The stock’s recent dip in price looks like a good buying opportunity. Limbach is a building systems solution company that provides mechanical, electrical, and plumbing [MEP] services. Limbach specializes…
Liuhsihsiang Uncertainty has been a watchword in the manufacturing space for a while now, and the results at Hurco (NASDAQ:HURC) certainly reflect that. When I last wrote about this small manufacturer of machine tools, I was concerned about an ugly near-term outlook for manufacturing tool demand in North America and Western Europe and the likelihood…
Bryan Bedder/Getty Images Entertainment Investment Thesis I believe that American Express (NYSE:AXP) is a buy because in my opinion it has a proven track record of strong financial performance and a business model which establishes it as one of the industry leaders. The company has a sustained dividend history with strong payout ratios, which demonstrates…
Michael M. Santiago Investment Thesis DoorDash (NASDAQ:DASH) has made some key strategic improvements in its delivery product business, which has given a boost to the company’s outlook. The highlight of DoorDash’s performance last year was the continued momentum in its grocery business. The delivery technology company continues to penetrate the grocery delivery market, stealing share…
dima_zel For investors who want to profit from an attractive combination of current income and attractive long-term growth, it is hard to beat dividend-growth stocks (SCHD) operating in booming industries. In this article, we will share three dividend stocks that we believe are poised to soar in the coming years thanks to being leading players…
marcoventuriniautieri/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Introduction In response to my late 2023 article on Tesla, Inc. (TSLA) and the Detroit Three automakers, a reader posted an intriguing comment: “Solid state batteries are going to render Musk’s Gigafactory worthless…” The resulting comment thread essentially debated solid state batteries, developers of such batteries like QuantumScape Corporation (QS),…
DINphotogallery Global shipping rates surged at the end of 2023. The Drewry World Container Index (WCI) jumped from under 1,500 to near 4,000 over just a handful of weeks. While there has been a pullback in the composite index of 6% to $3,287 per 40ft container this past week, the index increased by 82% when…
IvelinRadkov Intro We wrote about Adient plc (NYSE:ADNT) back in May of last year when we stated that ongoing macro uncertainty had to stack up for the company so forward-looking growth projections could indeed be met. We rated Adient a ‘Hold’ at the time of writing. The company was just off the back of a…
J. Michael Jones/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Investment Thesis RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX), formerly Raytheon Technologies, is an American defense contractor and aviation equipment manufacturer with a dominant footprint in both military and civilian sectors. In the defense sector, the United States and its NATO allies are ramping up their military spending in response to geopolitical…
Bennett Raglin Citi Trends (NASDAQ:CTRN) is an American retailer specializing in apparel and accessories in physical stores in low-income neighborhoods. The company received a windfall when pandemic stimulus money hit its core demographic strongly, and it became a meme stock for a while. After the pandemic, the reverse occurred. The company’s low-income demographic is suffering…
shaunl Summary Following my coverage on GXO Logistics (NYSE:GXO), for which I recommended a buy rating as I expected solid FY23 performance, which coupled with an attractive valuation makes it a buy, this post is to give an update on my thesis. I continue to give a buy recommendation for GXO because the underlying business…
Dilok Klaisataporn Business development companies deliver solid dividend yields to passive income investors. One BDC that I have owned for a while and that provides a high-yield as well as dividend growth is Golub Capital BDC (NASDAQ:GBDC). With the stock now selling for a 2% premium to net asset value, even the company’s robust net…
Olivier Le Moal High gold price reflects strong demand Another year of blistering central bank buying, together with resilient jewellery consumption, offset sizable ETF outflows. Annual gold demand (excluding OTC) of 4,448t was 5% below a very strong 2022. Inclusive of significant OTC and stock flows (398t), total gold demand in 2023 was the highest…
Ralf Hahn/iStock via Getty Images Background Several events since 2020 altered Blackbaud’s (NASDAQ:BLKB) future, including a security breach, a significant acquisition of EVERFI in 2021, and a monumental business change in 2023, all discussed in detail below. The security breach’s temporary costs are winding down while the business is inflecting positively due to pricing initiatives….
Vertigo3d 2023 defied most expectations and extended already existing global equity market imbalances. It was a year of higher US rates and US Dollar, uncertain inflation, emerging artificial intelligence technologies, an expanding energy transition, and the stabilization of China. Against most odds and a harsh macroeconomic backdrop, the US economy continued to show resilience with…
coldsnowstorm Never bet against the American consumer. That’s what so many pundits say, and the December Retail Sales report put out by the US Census Bureau last Wednesday underscored strength in spending to wrap up 2023.[1] Both the headline figure and the “control group,” which backs out some volatile categories, came in well above economists’…
Sinenkiy/iStock via Getty Images The race for the White House intensified last week as Donald Trump won the Iowa caucus with 51% of the vote, handily beating rivals Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley. This was followed by second-place winner DeSantis suspending his campaign, leaving only Trump and Haley, the ex-president’s former ambassador to the United…
grandriver Investment Thesis WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ:WSC) is positioned as the industry leader in the specialized leasing market, operating at the intersection of large industrial B2B sectors set to benefit from both short-term economic upswings and long-term outsourcing trends. I am confident about the company’s strong positioning as a market leader and its…
Vertigo3d One of the main stories, if not the story of 2023 for the investing world, has been the advent of large language models (“LLMs”), their usage as the engine of generative AI (GenAI) and how, slowly but surely, GenAI has begun to rewrite life as we know it. Understandably, in a period of high…
Love Employee/iStock via Getty Images Genmab (GMAB) is a leading contender in the biotech industry, demanding attention from investors for its innovative technology, robust pipeline, and strategic collaborations. In my previous Genmab article (6/9/22), I discussed how the company’s antibody technology, broad portfolio, and impressive list of collaborations would continue to yield significant growth. Fast…
Urupong In 2024, inflation, interest rates, and the presidential election will likely be on top of ETF investors’ minds. Here are four other lesser-known trends and insights — both positive and negative — to consider in 2024. 1. Pricing power is needed to withstand short-term periods of weaker demand It is not necessarily difficult to…
vm Each year, Agecroft Partners predicts the top hedge fund industry trends through their contact with more than two thousand institutional investors and hundreds of hedge fund organizations. Given the hedge fund industry’s dynamic and constantly changing nature, it is crucial for firms to anticipate likely changes. Those that are able to adapt effectively to…
kschulze For several months, I noticed that building permits did not reflect the dour mood implied by the Housing Market Index (HMI) published by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The HMI reflects builder sentiment and, until November’s 3-point rise, it declined sharply for four straight months. Yet, permits to build single-family housing rose…
Scott Olson Though the markets have rallied over the past few months, it’s difficult to recall sometimes that this year has been an especially tough climate for most businesses. We owe some due respect – and perhaps investment consideration – in the companies that have been able to make operational improvements amid this tough macroenvironment….
Michael Vi The stock market is rallying on the expectation of lower interest rates next year, but that doesn’t mean it’s still not a great time to invest in “growth at a reasonable price” stocks. In fact, as valuations flex up in response to lower rates, I think these are the stocks that have the…
At present, the training and operation of AI models is restricted to large tech companies. Crypto has the potential to help create multi-sided, global, permissionless markets where anyone can contribute data and be compensated for it. Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has released its “big ideas” for 2024, with its crypto arm composing a list…
tum3123 Russia’s invasion of Ukraine resulted in cascading volatility across emerging markets and portfolio management strategies last year. Many Russia-domiciled companies were marked to zero in terms of equity value, hurting ETFs with significant exposure to said firms. One such fund was the iShares Emerging Markets Dividend ETF (NYSEARCA:DVYE). Morningstar noted, back in early 2022,…
ArLawKa AungTun The Black Friday deals were plentiful. All told, sales for the day hit a new record of $9.8 billion, up 7.5% from a year ago, according to Adobe Analytics.1 Retailers extended discounts to entice shoppers to buy early and often, and with five full weekends between Thanksgiving and Christmas, there’s reason for hope…
Citi Trends, Inc. (NASDAQ:CTRN) Q3 2023 Results Conference Call November 28, 2023 9:00 AM ET Company Participants Nitza McKee – Senior Associate David Makuen – Chief Executive Officer Heather Plutino – Chief Financial Officer Conference Call Participants Jeremy Hamblin – Craig-Hallum Capital Group Mike Baker – D.A. Davidson Chuck Grom – Gordon Haskett John Lawrence…
TheaDesign/iStock via Getty Images Target Hospitality Corp. (NASDAQ:TH) currently stands as a small-cap stock with a market cap of approximately $.12 billion. The stock has encountered a notably high short interest of 18.58%, signifying prevailing negative market sentiment. Over the past year, the stock has experienced a 20.74% decrease in value. However, a deeper analysis…
code6d Retail endured a tough Q3. NIKE (NYSE:NKE) and Target (TGT) were two of the worst large-cap performers, but both names caught a bid as the holiday season approached. Later this week, we’ll hear same-store sales figures from Costco, and Nike reports full-quarter results a few weeks later. I have a hold rating on Nike….
PeopleImages/iStock via Getty Images The Brazilian payment and digital banking company PagSeguro (NYSE:PAGS) reported record-breaking net profit in the third quarter, showcasing resilience amid challenges posed by a more intricate credit environment in Brazil amidst declining interest rates. In my initial company analysis, I highlighted PagSeguro’s potential to benefit from a more favorable fiscal landscape…
RobsonPL After analyzing Intesa Sanpaolo and BNP Paribas’ quarterly performance, today we decided to move forward with Crédit Agricole (OTCPK:CRARF). Post the bank ‘Ambitions 2025‘ plan and Q2 results; we increased our target price to €13.1 per share. Italian and French banks are correlated, given the fact that both Crédit Agricole and BNP Paribas have…
peterschreiber.media It’s a rough time in the EV auto space. Tesla (TSLA), specifically, has endured significant selling pressure following strong rallies earlier this year. Fundamentally, lower sticker prices for the firm’s vehicles is certainly a worrisome trend – and that is seen in softer quarterly sales trends. Still, a ‘volume over price’ strategy could be…
herkisi By Chris Turner Fed-driven dollar weakness will be a story for 2024 The dollar opens November close to the highs of the year. Normally, November and December are soft months for the dollar. This year, however, it is hard to see the dollar giving back its gains before year-end. Driving that dollar strength continues…
Market observers believe that Bitcoin is nearing a pullback after its momentum this week. Data from Cryptogambling.tv has revealed a surge in ‘Buy Bitcoin’ searches by Google users globally. Worldwide, “Is it a good time to buy Bitcoin?” saw a 110% gain over the last week, according to Google Trends. In the UK alone, the…
JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Earnings season kicks into high gear this week and next. Goldman Sachs notes that 79% of S&P 500 companies and market cap will have reported by November 3rd, so the next few weeks are prime time for a gauge on the state of corporate profits. Companies in the Financials sector…
AContadini/E+ via Getty Images United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) is the market leader in equipment rental with a 17% market share. This figure represents a position of certain privilege which is also supported by consolidated competitive advantages and a sufficiently strong balance sheet. ‘Growth’ is probably the term that best identifies the path undertaken by the…
skynesher/E+ via Getty Images Dear readers/followers, Advertising has not been in a good spot for large parts of 2023. This has especially impacted your traditional advertising businesses. I’m talking about companies I’ve covered for a long time, like Omnicom (OMC) as well as Interpublic Group (NYSE:IPG). I cover more than just these, including some European…
Witoon Pongsit/iStock via Getty Images Roughly one year ago, I wrote on First Watch Restaurant Group (NASDAQ:FWRG), noting that the company’s strong traffic performance relative to peers was encouraging, and that the stock was a name worth considering on any pullbacks below $13.50. Since bottoming at $13.30 in December, the stock is up over 34%…
Vladimir_Timofeev/iStock via Getty Images Ceragon Networks Ltd (NASDAQ:CRNT) has carved a niche in wireless backhaul solutions, a sector that should benefit from the advent of 5G. In my view, this positions CRNT’s diverse offerings, from voice services to IoT connectivity, to profit from secular tailwinds. CRNT’s recent financial data indicates a promising margin improvement. Additionally,…
piranka TransAlta (NYSE:TAC) is a Calgary, Alberta, Canada-based electricity power generator and wholesale marketing company with operations spread across Canada, the United States, and Australia and generation facilities across wind, hydro, natural gas, and coal mediums. TradingView Through these activities, TransAlta has secured Q2 revenues of $471.50mn- a 32.58% YoY increase, alongside a net income…
goc/iStock via Getty Images Overview My recommendation for Nordstrom (NYSE:JWN) is a buy rating, as I believe sales trends are going to improve from here and that margins will see a similar positive trend supported by improving gross margin and cost management. The variance here vs. the market is that I expect JWN to grow…
tadamichi After months of lockdown in 2020-2021, there has undoubtedly been a lasting effect on the economy. Although there were a lot of negatives, several trends that were popularized by the pandemic became popular investment opportunities. While some have proven to be long-term trends, some have faded into the background. This note looks at four…
Dragon Claws Financial markets have had a bumpy ride lately, inspiring fresh concerns that this year’s rebound from 2022’s sharp loss has run its course. It’s premature to dismiss that possibility, but a review of several sets of ETF pairs for markets still leave room for debate, based on prices through yesterday’s close (Sep. 5)….
Shutter2U/iStock via Getty Images One of the many amazing things about generative AI (GenAI) and the impact it’s having is how different it is from other recent big tech trends. Not only is it growing faster and more broadly than other buzzy technologies like blockchain and cryptocurrency, it’s also taking organizations into a great deal…
While the easing of headline inflation is welcome news for consumers, experts are paying closer attention to the underlying trends. The United Kingdom’s inflation rate took a step back in July, registering an annual increase of 6.8%, a considerable decline from the 7.9% recorded in June. The new UK inflation rate is the lowest level…
Parradee Kietsirikul Bears Control Short-Term Trend The S&P 500 established a new uptrend following the October 2022 low by making a series of higher highs and higher lows. The anchored volume weighted average price (AVWAP) chart below shows buyers remain in control of the longer-term trend. A sustained break of the region near 4090 would…
dusanpetkovic Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) recently reported their Q2 earnings with a slight beat on EPS and revenue. Quest’s base business appears to be recovering from the pandemic and pulled in $2.30B in revenue, up 9.5% year-over-year. Although COVID-related revenues have faded, the company was encouraged enough to update their full-year 2023 revenues to $9.12B -$9.22B….