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This article was first published in the Spring issue of Middle Market Dealmaker , the official print publication of the Association for Corporate Growth.
Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) has been one of the hottest mega-cap stocks on the market. Its shares have soared nearly 20% year to date and are up more than 70% over the last 12 months. The company revealed in its first-quarter update on Tuesday that it plans to increase capital expenditures in the coming quarters. Does this increased spending diminish Amazon's prospects?
The Fed held its benchmark Federal-Funds rate steady yesterday at 5.25% – 5.5%, leaving the possibility of cuts in the future. Jerome Powell repeated his “ Data Dependent ” mantra. “Persuasive evidence” that higher interest rates were no longer necessary to bring down inflation is what the FOMC wants, and today I want to share a few pieces of that evidence.
A colleague recently asked me to run the 30 year annual returns for U.S. stocks, bonds and cash. He just wanted the returns. I couldn’t help but slice and dice the numbers and overanalyze the data because that’s what we do here. Let’s dig in. First the annual return numbers for the S&P 500, 10 year treasuries and 3 month T-bills over the 30 years ending in 2023: Some thoughts about these numbers: St.
Image source: Getty Images While I'm not a big fan of tipping culture in general, I have to acknowledge the reality around me, so I always try to tip fairly when I'm out. But one conversation I've had with a few folks over the years isn't so much about how much to tip as to what method to give that tip. Specifically, is it better to tip with your credit card as part of your bill, or should you use cash to tip?
For many investors, Nvidia is the quintessential artificial intelligence (AI) stock. Its graphics processing units power many of the most advanced AI systems, and the company holds over 80% market share in AI processors. In short, from a semiconductor perspective, Nvidia is almost single-handedly enabling the AI boom. That drove shares 239% higher in 2023.
Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) has soared in the triple digits over the past year, thanks to its dominance in the artificial intelligence (AI) market. The company is the world's leading AI chipmaker, powering the crucial task of training AI models so they can then go on to solve complex problems. This has helped Nvidia's earnings soar and the stock find its spot in the portfolios of many billionaire investors.
Social Security income is protected from inflation by annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs). Benefits got an 8.7% COLA last year and a 3.2% COLA this year, both above the 10-year average of 2.3%. But many Social Security beneficiaries are still feeling financial pressure in the current economic environment. The 2024 Retirement Confidence Survey (RCS) conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, a nonprofit group, found that 56% of retired workers expect to make substantial spending
Social Security income is protected from inflation by annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs). Benefits got an 8.7% COLA last year and a 3.2% COLA this year, both above the 10-year average of 2.3%. But many Social Security beneficiaries are still feeling financial pressure in the current economic environment. The 2024 Retirement Confidence Survey (RCS) conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, a nonprofit group, found that 56% of retired workers expect to make substantial spending
There are no guarantees in the stock market, but investing in industry leaders with a track record of above-average growth is a relatively safe way to grow your savings over time. Google parent Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) are solid companies that generate billions in profits every year. An investor can buy one share of either stock for less than $500.
Choosing when to apply for Social Security is one of the most influential retirement decisions you'll make. There's not a wrong call per se, but there are definitely some claiming ages that could net you a better quality of life than others. Understanding how the government calculates your checks is crucial for maximizing your benefits, but that's where a lot of people get tripped up.
The adage "sell in May and go away" hasn't always been wise advice. It's especially impractical for income investors who need to have their money working for them. Instead of selling stocks in May, income investors could be better off buying. Fortunately, you have plenty of good picks from which to choose, and many of them offer especially juicy dividend yields.
Earnings season has come to a close for the three publicly traded cruise lines. Once again, it's Royal Caribbean (NYSE: RCL) at the head of the pack in this fiscal regatta. This isn't meant to discredit the inspiring comeback for the industry itself. Shares of Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE: NCLH) may have plummeted 15% on Wednesday after posting mixed financial results , but the third-largest player in this space still joins its peers in raising its earnings guidance with forward bookings at an al
Earnings season for the recent quarter ended March 31 is in full swing, and it's creating some unique opportunities for investors. Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) stock, for example, is down 12% since the company released its results, despite beating Wall Street's expectations. The social media giant, which is home to Facebook and Instagram, revealed plans to ramp up its spending on growth initiatives like artificial intelligence (AI), which could dent the company's earnings potential in the short
Over the last three decades, Wall Street has entertained no shortage of next-big-thing investment trends. Since the advent of the internet changed the long-term growth trajectory for corporate America, investors have been waiting for the next innovation that would alter the business landscape. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) might just be the unicorn the investment world has been waiting for.
Fool.com contributor Parkev Tatevosian discusses what the latest news on Alibaba 's (NYSE: BABA) share buybacks means for investors. *Stock prices used were the afternoon prices of April 29, 2024. The video was published on May 1, 2024. Should you invest $1,000 in Alibaba Group right now? Before you buy stock in Alibaba Group, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Alibaba Group wasn’t one o
In today's video, I discuss recent updates affecting Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA). Check out the short video to learn more, consider subscribing, and click the special offer link below. *Stock prices used were the after-market prices of May 1, 2024. The video was published on May 1, 2024. Should you invest $1,000 in Nvidia right now? Before you buy stock in Nvidia, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now
Zillow (NASDAQ: Z) is balancing its role as a lead generator for real estate agents and a disruptor in the market with its newest offering, a contract to allow home seekers to tour homes without signing a long-term agreement. In this video, Travis Hoium covers the new product and how Zillow could use it to grow. *Stock prices used were end-of-day prices of April 30, 2024.
Investors rush to buy dividend stocks for one big reason: These players offer recurrent income regardless of the direction their share prices or the entire market is taking. So, even in difficult times, investors can count on returns from these investments. On top of this, companies that pay dividends generally have the financial strength to do so, another comforting point for investors.
Six U.S. companies have a valuation of $1 trillion or more at the moment, and each of them operates in the technology sector. However, only four of them have graduated into the $2 trillion club: Microsoft , valued at $3 trillion. Apple , valued at $2.6 trillion. Nvidia , valued at $2.2 trillion. Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) , valued at $2.1 trillion.
Image source: The Motley Fool/Upsplash For five years, author and Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) Tom Corley studied the habits of 233 millionaires. He also studied habits of people in poverty to see what differences he could find and the key habits in building wealth. Based on his Rich Habits study, Corley found that there are four typical paths people follow to become millionaires.
Fool.com contributor Parkev Tatevosian discusses what the news could mean for SoFi (NASDAQ: SOFI) stock investors. *Stock prices used were the afternoon prices of April 29, 2024. The video was published on May 1, 2024. Should you invest $1,000 in SoFi Technologies right now? Before you buy stock in SoFi Technologies, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and SoFi Technologies wasn’t one of them
Roku (NASDAQ: ROKU) has cut expenses and grown revenue, but can't seem to stop losing money. In this video, Travis Hoium covers why Roku's strategic position is fundamentally what's keeping the company from better financial results. *Stock prices used were end-of-day prices of April 29, 2024. The video was published on April 30, 2024. Should you invest $1,000 in Roku right now?
Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE: EPD) has been one of the most reliable income stocks in the energy sector. The master limited partnership (MLP) has increased its cash distribution for 25 years in a row. That's impressive, given the industry's volatility. The pipeline giant currently offers a 7.6%-yielding payout. That lucrative passive income stream is on an extremely firm foundation, which was evident in the MLP 's recently reported first-quarter results.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become all the rage since early 2023, so it's easy to forget that these sophisticated algorithms have been around in some form or another for decades, helping early adopters become some of the world's most valuable companies. Microsoft tops the list at $2.9 trillion, having wrested the crown from Apple , which clocks in at No. 2 at $2.6 trillion.
Palantir Technologies (NYSE: PLTR) , one of the forerunners of modern artificial intelligence (AI), is scheduled to report the results of its fiscal 2024 first quarter (ended March 31) after market close on Monday. Wall Street will be waiting with bated breath to review its performance -- and with good reason. The stock has surged roughly 250% since the beginning of last year, driven higher by Palantir's improving financial results and the profit potential resulting from generative AI.
Artificial intelligence (AI) could be one of the most valuable opportunities in history for investors, and the semiconductor industry is at the heart of it. Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang believes there is a whopping $1 trillion worth of existing data center infrastructure that must be upgraded with new chips to support demand from AI developers.
If you're planning to retire at some point this year, you may be gearing up to sign up for Social Security. Even if you're not retiring in 2024, you may be looking to claim Social Security for a variety of reasons, whether it's to use the money to renovate your house, cover the cost of a move, or travel. Your Social Security filing age could have a big impact on the amount of money the program will pay you every month.
XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) , the native cryptocurrency of the Ripple payment protocol network, reached its all-time high of $3.84 on Jan. 4, 2018. That represented a whopping gain of nearly 40,000% over the previous 12 months. But today, XRP trades at about $0.50. Like many smaller altcoins, XRP lost its luster as rising interest rates chilled the cryptocurrency market.
Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has signed a first-of-its-kind global framework agreement to accelerate renewable energy capacity expansion. The five-year deal will help support the development of over 10.5 gigawatts (GW) of new renewable energy capacity. That's a staggering eight times larger than the biggest corporate power-purchase agreement (PPA) ever signed.
If you've ever wondering why more than 40,000 people flock to Berkshire Hathaway 's (NYSE: BRK.A) (NYSE: BRK.B) annual shareholder meeting each year, look no further than the track record of longtime CEO Warren Buffett. Since the affably named "Oracle of Omaha" became CEO in the mid-1960s, he's overseen a greater-than 4,900,000% aggregate return in his company's Class A shares (BRK.A).
Vanguard exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are excellent ways to get low-cost exposure to a variety of stocks. And while investors may be familiar with one of the more well-known Vanguard funds like the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF , Vanguard Growth ETF , or the Vanguard Value ETF , there may be even better funds out there for generating reliable passive income With expense ratios of 0.10% or less, here's why the Vanguard High-Dividend Yield ETF (NYSEMKT: VYM) , Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (NYSEMK
One of the most outspoken investors on Wall Street is Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood. Wood is known to take large positions in emerging technology businesses that she and her team believe have massive upside potential. However, like any other money manager, Wood faces her share of backlash and skepticism. I'll concede that some of Wood's high-conviction opportunities look far-fetched to me.
If you didn't think the demand for artificial intelligence (AI) could get any stronger, think again. Four of the biggest tech companies in the world all reported very strong demand for AI applications, and that's great news for Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA). The chipmaker designs the leading GPUs for training the large language models powering new generative AI applications.
When companies take a tumble after an earnings report, it allows investors to assess whether the issue is a short-term problem or a long-term hurdle. If you have a long-term mindset, you can use short-term pessimism to your advantage and make some fantastic investments at a slightly lower price by going against the grain. Taiwan Semiconductor (NYSE: TSM) recently reported its first-quarter results, which were met with a 6% sell-off during the trading day after they became available.
Breast cancer awareness month. Columbus Day. Fall foliage. Halloween. The World Series. Many things happen every October. But there's one event that retirees especially anticipate each year. I'm referring to the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to Social Security benefits. Based on how the numbers are looking right now, your 2025 Social Security COLA will be lower than the 3.2% increase received this year.
If you're married, it's not a given that both you and your spouse will be eligible for Social Security. It may be that only one of you is entitled to benefits because the other stayed out of the workforce to raise children. But if both you and your spouse are each eligible for a monthly Social Security benefit based on your individual work histories, you have a prime opportunity to maximize your retirement income.
Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) had more than $110 billion in cash and cash equivalents on its balance sheet at the end of 2023. The company is investing heavily in artificial intelligence, and capital expenditures are projected to climb 27% this year from a record $32 billion last year, according to Bloomberg. However, several Wall Street analysts saw that cash pile as evidence that Alphabet was preparing to pay a dividend.
I have been steadily building a position in dividend powerhouse Realty Income (NYSE: O) over the past few years. I recently bought some more shares and plan to do that again this May. Here's why I can't seem to get enough of this magnificent dividend stock these days. A premier passive-income producer The biggest reason I have been buying Realty Income is to collect more of its attractive monthly dividend.
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