The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 31, 2024

Artificial intelligence (AI) stocks were the gift that kept on giving throughout 2024. While Nvidia and Tesla were scorching hot, there's one company that outperformed all of its peers in spectacular fashion. Shares of AI software developer Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) skyrocketed by 357% in 2024 -- handily topping the S&P 500 , Nasdaq Composite , and every single other stock in the S&P 500 index.

Consultants 233

Consultants Consulting Returns Investors 233

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 20, 2024

Image source: The Motley Fool. Carnival Corp. (NYSE: CCL) Q4 2024 Earnings Call Dec 20, 2024 , 10:00 a.m. ET Contents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks: Operator Greetings, and welcome to the Carnival Corporation & plc fourth quarter 2024 earnings conference call. [Operator instructions] As a reminder, this conference is being recorded.

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) 243

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Leveraging Debt Assets 243

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 2, 2024

Palantir Technologies is delivering a banner year for shareholders driven by exceptional growth and accelerating profitability. At the time of this writing, the stock has returned 285% year to date, amid market optimism that this artificial intelligence (AI) innovator is still in the early stages of a global expansion opportunity. There's a lot to like about Palantir, but investors may also want to take a look at other industry players following a similar path of disruptive innovation.

Leveraging 245

Leveraging Financing Finance Shareholders 245

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 29, 2024

The last two years have been dominated by artificial intelligence (AI) stocks. The influx of spending on AI infrastructure and development, combined with investors' excitement around the potential for it to change multiple industries, pushed the prices of several companies' stocks into astronomical territories. It may be hard to find a great company with a stock trading at a fair price for less than $200.

Returns 246

Returns Investors Companies Investing 246

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 9, 2024

Image source: The Motley Fool. MongoDB (NASDAQ: MDB) Q3 2025 Earnings Call Dec 09, 2024 , 5:00 p.m. ET Contents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks: Operator Good day, and thank you for standing by. Welcome to the MongoDB third-quarter fiscal year 2025 conference call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode.

Education 242

Education Professional Services Leveraging Accounting 242

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 28, 2024

Ark Investment Management operates several exchange-traded funds (ETFs) focused on innovative technology stocks. Its founder, Cathie Wood, believes software companies are the next big opportunity in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry, predicting they could generate up to $8 in revenue for every $1 they spend on chips from suppliers like Nvidia.

Exchange-Traded Funds 246

Exchange-Traded Funds Leveraging Financial Services Banks 246

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 22, 2024

"Drones" were in the headlines again this week -- and for millions of Americans up and down the East Coast, maybe also over -head. As far north as New York to as far south as Florida -- and as far west as an Air Force base in Ohio, too -- unidentified flying objects (UFOs) that appear to be a mix of formation-flying quadcopter and fixed-wing drones have been reported buzzing American skies.

Companies 246

Companies Funds Investing Returns 246

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 10, 2024

There is no doubt that Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) is the dominant player in the market for artificial intelligence (AI) chips, as its graphics processing units (GPUs) have played a central role in training popular AI models such as ChatGPT and Llama. The company's terrific technological lead in the AI GPU space has given it a wide moat, and its rivals remain way behind it when it comes to selling AI GPUs.

Accounting 246

Accounting Capital Companies Investors 246

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 23, 2024

One of the great things about putting your money to work on Wall Street is there's more than one way to generate a profit. With thousands of publicly traded companies and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to choose from, every investor is likely to find one or more securities that'll help them meet their goals. But among the countless ways to build wealth on Wall Street, buying and holding dividend stocks has historically been one of the most successful investment strategies.

Companies 246

Companies Debt Exchange-Traded Funds Financial Institutions 246

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 9, 2024

Image source: The Motley Fool. Oracle (NYSE: ORCL) Q2 2025 Earnings Call Dec 09, 2024 , 5:00 p.m. ET Contents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks: Operator Thank you for standing by, and welcome to the Oracle Corporation second quarter fiscal year 2025 earnings conference call. All lines have been placed on mute to prevent any background noise.

Taxes 245

Taxes Investors Banks Liabilities 245

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 18, 2024

Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ: WBA) stock looks to have finally received some much-needed bullishness from investors. The stock was jumping last week on rumors that a private equity firm may be buying the company. While Walgreens stock is still down more than 60% this year (as of the end of last week), it is showing signs of life of late. But before you jump in and decide to take a chance on this beaten-down stock, there are some things to consider.

Buyout 244

Buyout Private Equity Firms Private Equity Firms Investors 244

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 25, 2024

Since Warren Buffett became the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) (NYSE: BRK.B) in 1965, its stock has delivered a compound annual return of 19.8%. That would have been enough to turn a $1,000 investment into $42.5 million, whereas the same investment in the S&P 500 would have grown to just $325,053 over the same period. Buffett's long-term investing strategy is simple.

Portfolios 246

Portfolios Investing Stakes Conglomerates 246

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 29, 2024

The financial technology, or fintech, industry was one of the hardest hit parts of the stock market in the post-pandemic bear market, but there are still some excellent opportunities. PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL) is one great example with a stock price that is still about 70% below its 2021 peak and excellent turnaround progress in 2024, while SoFi (NASDAQ: SOFI) is an app-based bank with tremendous momentum.

Banks 246

Banks Accounting Financial Services Stock Market 246

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 19, 2024

The fourth quarter has been packed with important data releases. In November, investors received hundreds of earnings reports from Wall Street's most-influential businesses, the much-anticipated election results , and numerous economic data releases that offer clues as to the steps the nation's central bank might take next. But perhaps the most relevant data dump of them all came on Nov. 14.

Stakes 244

Stakes Assets Asset Management Banks 244

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 16, 2024

I love generating passive income. I currently use that income to make more income-generating investments. My goal is to eventually make enough income from passive sources to cover my routine living expenses. That will remove the stress of having to work to pay the bills, making me much more financially independent. I have a long way to go, which is why I continue to make additional income-generating investments when I have cash to spare.

Exchange-Traded Funds 245

Exchange-Traded Funds Assets Asset Management Funds 245

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 25, 2024

Complex data center workloads like training machine learning models and running artificial intelligence (AI) applications would take a very long time if powered only by central processing units (CPUs). To that end, specialized semiconductors are used to speed up computationally intensive AI tasks. In that semiconductor vertical, Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) graphics processing units (GPUs) have emerged as the industry standard.

Investors 246

Investors Shareholders Banks Prospects 246

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 30, 2024

Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) shares have advanced 360% this year, outpacing the next closest stock in the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) by 100 percentage points. The data analytics company is now worth $180 billion, but certain Wall Street analysts expect Shopify (NYSE: SHOP) and Uber Technologies (NYSE: UBER) to surpass that figure before year's end in 2025.

Taxes 244

Taxes Accounting Investors Capital 244

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 26, 2024

Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) stock has been on a tearing run on the market in 2024, logging remarkable gains of 370% as of this writing. The rapid uptake of artificial intelligence (AI) software solutions by organizations and governments played a central role in this terrific surge. So, if someone bought just $100 worth of Palantir stock at the end of 2023, their investment would now be worth $470.

Stock Market 237

Stock Market Stock Market Companies Investing 237

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 29, 2024

Artificial intelligence (AI) offers many exciting long-term possibilities, but the technology's thirst for computing power is a certainty that's fueled remarkable growth in semiconductors. Chip companies like Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) and Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO) have soared on the realization that AI is creating billions of dollars in opportunities for each.

Companies 239

Companies Investors Returns Investing 239

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 19, 2024

Many people view Social Security as a plan that forces individuals to save for their retirement. That view is mostly correct. Employers must contribute to the retirement savings of their workers, too. There's also a twist to Social Security that allows spouses to claim benefits based on their husbands' or wives' benefits. How do these spousal Social Security benefits work?

Legal 245

Legal Return On Investment Returns Investing 245

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 19, 2024

Archer Aviation (NYSE: ACHR) has captured the imagination of investors recently as the company has inched closer to commercial launch. But what should we expect in the next year? Travis Hoium explains where investors should see progress in this video. *Stock prices used were end-of-day prices of Dec. 16, 2024. The video was published on Dec. 17, 2024.

Returns 245

Returns Portfolios Investors Investing 245

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 15, 2024

The Nasdaq has blasted higher over the past two years, gaining more than 43% last year and now heading for an increase of more than 33% for 2024. This is thanks to the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, as five of the benchmark's most heavily weighted stocks and several others in the top 10 operate in this high-growth area. Today's $200 billion AI market is forecast to reach more than $1 trillion by the end of the decade, meaning companies that got involved in this technology early could greatly

Companies 246

Companies Investors Investing Returns 246

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 15, 2024

For many years, MicroStrategy (NASDAQ: MSTR) was a sleepy tech stock. Between 2010 and 2020, the data mining and analytics software provider only grew its annual revenues at a compound annual rate of 0.6%, and it struggled to stay relevant against nimbler cloud-based competitors like Salesforce. But in 2020, MicroStrategy's co-founder and then-CEO Michael Saylor directed it to invest $250 million in Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC).

Exchange-Traded Funds 246

Exchange-Traded Funds Financial Institutions Debt Accounting 246

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 15, 2024

It might seem intimidating to buy stocks as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite hover near their all-time highs. After all, Warren Buffett told investors to be "fearful when others are greedy" -- and plenty of high-growth stocks are trading at greedy valuations. So if you plan to invest at least $50,000 in this frothy market, you should carefully seek out the market leaders that are still expanding, have wide moats, and look undervalued relative to their growth potential.

Investing 246

Investing Accounting Returns Investors 246

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 15, 2024

One thing people quickly notice about Social Security is that change is virtually inevitable. Rules change, eligibility requirements change, payments change, and there's no reason to believe this will stop anytime soon -- if ever. Some Social Security changes only apply to certain groups of people, but others apply to most current or incoming recipients.

Taxes 246

Taxes 246

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 15, 2024

I know; my headline makes a big promise. The "ultimate guide" to anything could be several books in length, offering deep dives into every thinkable strategy and idea. But when it comes to building durable wealth in the stock market, I'm working with a really short list of strategies proven to deliver strong results over time. You don't have to find "the next big thing" before anybody else, and you don't have to take out a second mortgage to finance your stock-buying plans.

Returns 246

Returns Investing Exchange-Traded Funds Management Fees 246

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 15, 2024

Jim Tierney at AllianceBernstein recently told Yahoo Finance that chipmakers like Nvidia were the first phase of the artificial intelligence (AI) trade. He believes the next phase will focus on cloud computing and software companies that use AI chips to provide services to their customers. Tierney believes that phase will move into high gear in 2025.

Consultants 246

Consultants Consulting Prospects Financing 246

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 15, 2024

Tom Lee is the head of research at Fundstrat Global Advisors. He correctly anticipated the stock market rally that lifted the S&P 500 out of bear market territory last year. Specifically, when Wall Street's median price target implied a 6% upside for 2023, Lee said the S&P 500 would gain 24%. Lo and behold, the S&P 500 advanced by 24% last year as cooling inflation and the anticipation of interest rate cuts gave investors reasons to be bullish.

Exchange-Traded Funds 246

Exchange-Traded Funds Assets Asset Management Accounting 246

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 15, 2024

Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) and Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) have competed for decades. They're both leaders in the areas of insulin and broader diabetes drugs, where they've made significant breakthroughs and fought for market share. In recent years, these two healthcare leaders have also been butting heads in the GLP-1 weight loss space. Eli Lilly's Zepbound and Novo Nordisk's Wegovy are the two most prominent brands in this area, which is projected to grow by leaps and bounds in the coming years.

Prospects 246

Prospects Returns Investors Portfolios 246

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 15, 2024

Over the last two years, semiconductor designer Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) has become a household name thanks to its lead position in the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution. The company's bread and butter is a unique piece of hardware called the graphics processing unit (GPU). To use a metaphor, GPUs are essentially the engine powering the AI vehicle overall.

Assets 246

Assets Returns Investors Companies 246

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 15, 2024

Anyone who looks at their 401(k) accounts or investment portfolios knows the stock market is sizzling hot. There have been stronger market performances in the past. However, the current dynamics could be more exceptional than you might think. The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) is on track to do something it's only done three times since 1928. What does history say the stock market will do in 2025?

Stock Market 246

Stock Market Stock Market Taxes Returns 246

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 15, 2024

The end of the year is a perfect time to reflect on your investment journey. Part of that reflection can involve identifying mistakes worth avoiding or portfolio moves to make before the end of the year. You can also dig deeper into a particular sector or type of stock, such as growth stocks versus value or dividend stocks. Here are three lessons you can use to help pick winning dividend stocks to buy and hold in the new year.

Investors 246

Investors Mergers and Acquisitions Shareholders Debt 246

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 15, 2024

No chipmaker has benefited more from the rapid rise in artificial intelligence (AI) spending than Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA). The company's graphics processing units (GPUs) are essential for any company looking to develop and train large language models and build generative AI applications. Nvidia flew past the $1 trillion milestone in May 2023. It's more than tripled since that point, becoming one of just three companies with a market capitalization above $3 trillion.

Capital 246

Capital Accounting Companies Investors 246

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 28, 2024

If you've been following the artificial intelligence market closely, then you likely already know a bit about the chip manufacturing company Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM) and chip designer Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA). These two companies are AI leaders in their respective fields, and their share price gains have trounced the market over the past year.

Companies 246

Companies Investing Returns 246

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 14, 2024

When you hear the name Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) , a couple of things probably pop to mind. E-commerce, first and most obviously -- after all, Amazon is the world's biggest e-commerce company -- and then cloud computing. At $90 billion in annual revenue, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is bigger than Microsoft 's (NASDAQ: MSFT) Azure, and far larger than Google Cloud.

Stakes 246

Stakes Private Companies Shareholders Funds 246

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 15, 2024

Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) has been one of the best performing stocks over the past few years, a run that catapulted it into the world's most valuable company. But over the last month or two, it slipped to second place and then -- briefly -- to third, behind two other big tech companies, Apple and Microsoft. But don't give up on Nvidia just yet, which rebounded to the No. 2 spot with a market cap of $3.41 trillion.

Prospects 246

Prospects Companies Investing Returns 246

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 14, 2024

With 2025 approaching, it's time to start thinking about what stocks to add to your portfolio. While I'm a proponent of a well-diversified portfolio, I see a lot of potential in the tech realm right now, especially with how big artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming. If you're looking for a shopping list of stocks to buy in 2025, here's a solid bunch of 10 to pick from. 1.

Debt 246

Debt Portfolios Companies Returns 246