A Wealth of Common Sense

FEBRUARY 27, 2024

Despite 5% short-term interest rates and stickier inflation than some people would like and the Fed potentially pushing back interest rate cuts for a few months and the new True Detective seasons being a massive disappointment…the S&P 500 continues to take out new all-time highs. By my count there have already been a baker’s dozen in 2024 alone.1 Here are the new highs by year since 2015: 2015: 10 2016: 1.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 24, 2024

David Tepper has developed quite a following on Wall Street. The billionaire heads up Appaloosa Management -- the hedge fund he founded back in 1993. He has been called "arguably the greatest hedge fund manager of his generation" by Forbes magazine and has "consistently outperformed his industry peers and the broader global markets since [Appaloosa's] inception," according to Carnegie Mellon University.

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PE Hub

FEBRUARY 26, 2024

William Blair & Company served as financial advisor to Lightyear on the deal. The post Lightyear invests in Prime Pensions appeared first on PE Hub.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 24, 2024

Image source: Getty Images Medical bills are an expense many of us have to deal with. And they have the potential to be exorbitant, even if you have health insurance. If you owe money in medical bill form, you may be inclined to charge those expenses on a credit card and pay it off when you can. But putting medical bills on a credit card can be a terrible idea.

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The Motley Fool

MARCH 1, 2024

Although Wall Street has a lot of phenomenal investors, none tend to garner quite as much attention as Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett. The reason for this is that Buffett's investment strategy is simple and can be duplicated by anyone. He typically seeks out brand-name businesses that offer sustainable competitive advantages and are guided by rock-solid management teams.

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The Motley Fool

MARCH 1, 2024

Whether you're a casual investor or trade professionally, chances are you're aware of the boom in artificial intelligence (AI) that kicked off last year. The launch of OpenAI's ChatGPT reignited interest in the technology, and prompted dozens of tech companies to pivot to the budding market. According to data from Grand View Research, the AI market hit close to $200 billion in 2023 and is projected to keep expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 37% until at least 2030.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

Shares of chemicals company Chemours (NYSE: CC) tumbled 37.3% through 11:10 a.m. ET on Thursday after announcing it will need to postpone the release of its Q4 and full-year financial results for 2023 -- and that it is replacing its CEO, its CFO, and its controller as well. In the meantime, as investors await its final and official results, management released preliminary estimates showing that sales probably fell 12% in 2023 and that the company flipped from a 2022 profit to a 2023 loss.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

Most investors are no doubt familiar with Bill Gates, billionaire philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT). After helming the technology company for a quarter of a century, the chief executive stepped down to spend more time on his charitable endeavors. Since then, Gates has grown his wealth and is now worth an estimated $127.7 billion, according to Forbes , making him the seventh-richest person in the world.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

Valued at more than $2.2 trillion right now, the cryptocurrency market appears to be leaving the so-called crypto winter behind. Thanks to surging optimism, especially for top digital assets like Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) and Ethereum , the industry is back in investors' good graces. But not all cryptocurrencies have skyrocketed. XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) , which carries a market cap of $30 billion, is up only 39% in the last 12 months.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

When a company pays a dividend, it's a good thing for shareholders. When a company consistently pays a dividend every quarter, it's even better. And when a company can increase its dividend year after year because its profits are going up, it's a great thing. If a dividend raise is a great thing, then Hormel Foods (NYSE: HRL) is one of the greatest dividend stocks there is.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

On Tuesday, Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ: VKTX) , a clinical-stage biotech specializing in treatments for metabolic diseases, saw its stock price surge by a staggering 121% in response to a clinical update for its mid-stage obesity candidate, VK2735. Over the past three years, this company's shares have rocketed by more than 1,100%, making it one of the best-performing biotech stocks over this period.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

Dividend investors don't like payout decreases or suspensions, hence the importance of finding companies that are unlikely to resort to these moves. But that's not always easy. There are plenty of dividend stocks on the market. Many will end up disappointing investors. We recently saw two such examples -- Medical Properties Trust and Walgreens Boots Alliance -- two high-profile dividend payers which slashed their payouts over the past six months.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

The two top cryptocurrencies by market cap -- Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) and Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) -- continue to set the pace for the overall crypto market. Right now, both are up about 45% so far this year. But there's one cryptocurrency that investors have largely overlooked, and that's Solana (CRYPTO: SOL). For much of the year, Solana has been stuck near $100 -- it's up just 12% in 2024.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

In today's video, I discuss recent updates impacting 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 Feb. 28, 2024. The video was published on Feb. 28, 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

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The Motley Fool

MARCH 1, 2024

Even in a bull market like the one we are currently in, investors can find stocks of great businesses that aren't performing well but are still worth buying given their long-term prospects. That seems to be the case with Etsy (NASDAQ: ETSY) and PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL). These companies have encountered issues over the past couple of years, leading to subpar financial results and underperforming stocks.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

Warren Buffett may very well be the best-known investor in history. Through decades of investing success that's seen his net worth skyrocket to over $130 billion and his company, Berkshire Hathaway , become one of the world's most valuable companies, it's easy to see why. Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway's success has inspired investors to mimic some of their investments to try and replicate some of their success.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

Finally, after two long years, things are picking back up in the crypto world. Since the beginning of the year, the total crypto market has grown by 35%, just 20% off from eclipsing its all-time high of $2.8 trillion in late 2021. With such a significant jump, it's reasonable to worry that crypto's momentum may sputter, making an investment today too risky.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Fear of missing out, or FOMO, can be a powerful inducement for investors, particularly in the volatile world of cryptocurrency. On Wednesday, the emotion helped push the world's most popular digital coin to price levels it hasn't seen in years. As is often the case, on the back of that increase, a large number of altcoins followed suit, with more than a few rising at a double-digit percentage.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Cryptocurrencies are waking up after another long slumber. Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) has gained 92% over the last year, while Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) climbed 128% higher. From the introduction of new crypto-based investment vehicles to the upcoming halving of Bitcoin-mining rewards , many forces have combined to thaw the latest crypto winter. But not every cryptocurrency has been invited to the party yet, even if their growth prospects look at least as promising as Bitcoin's or Ethereum's.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Image source: Getty Images Car insurance just seems to keep getting more expensive. And now the total cost of car ownership is forcing many Americans to rethink their personal finances and find savings in other ways. A recent survey from car ownership app Jerry found that Americans are cutting back on other everyday spending to help cover the ever-rising costs of car insurance.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

The XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) cryptocurrency, often called Ripple, is sitting out the current crypto rally. Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) has gained 57% in the last month, as of the evening of Feb. 28, while Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) has risen by 52%. But XRP only posted a 12% price increase over the same period: XRP Price data by YCharts. As a result, the XRP crypto is changing hands just below $0.60 per digital coin, in line with the average prices of the last six and 12 months.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

The price of Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) is based on supply and demand. However, because supply will never exceed 21 million coins, demand for the cryptocurrency is the only variable of consequence. That means the future price trajectory of Bitcoin depends entirely on whether demand increases or decreases from its current level. With that in mind, certain Wall Street analysts believe two catalysts will boost demand for Bitcoin in the future, so much so that the cryptocurrency could soar 700% or more f

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Image source: Getty Images At this point, a lot of people are starting to get serious about filing their 2023 taxes. And when doing yours, you may be eager to claim all of the tax deductions you're entitled to. But first, let's do a quick refresher on tax deductions, since they're often confused with tax credits. A tax credit is a dollar-for-dollar reduction of your tax liability.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Image source: Getty Images One of the benefits of being self-employed is getting to enjoy a host of different tax breaks. You may, for example, be eligible for a home office deduction if you work out of your home and have an area used solely for business purposes. You can also save money on your taxes by deducting expenses that include professional license fees, equipment, and office supplies, like pens and notepads.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Warren Buffett is widely considered to be one of the most successful investors in history. He was born in 1930 and bought his first stock at age 11. By 1965, he was running his own investment company, Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) (NYSE: BRK.B). Buffett remains at the helm of Berkshire today. It has amassed an expansive portfolio that includes several wholly owned private companies, and 47 publicly traded stocks and securities.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

Image source: Getty Images I own a second home/investment property in the Orlando, Florida area. And as is the case with many investment properties, there have been several curveballs thrown my way in the three years since I bought it. For the latest curveball, I received a notice a few months ago from my homeowners insurance company that my policy will not be renewed upon its expiration in May.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

Shares of Duolingo (NASDAQ: DUOL) are posting enormous gains today. The leading language-learning expert published stellar fourth-quarter results after Wednesday's closing bell, driving stock prices as much as 23.1% higher the next morning. It cooled down to a still impressive 16% gain by 1 p.m. ET. Duolingo's Q4 by the numbers Duolingo's fourth-quarter revenue rose 45% year over year, landing at $151 million.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO) continues to stand out among tech stocks for its dividend. During its earnings announcement for the fourth quarter of 2023, it announced what has become an annual payout hike, raising the dividend by 14% to $21 per share annually. Still, at a 1.6% dividend yield , it is not far above the S&P 500 average of 1.4%. That may leave investors questioning whether it is a buy for its payout or whether they should evaluate Broadcom based on its potential for stock price growth

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

More and more employers are offering workers access to a Roth 401(k). And with the passage of the SECURE 2.0 Act at the end of 2022, you may be able to receive your company match in your Roth account as well. This account offers the potential for a tax-free retirement. You'll pay taxes on any amount contributed to a Roth 401(k), but you won't pay any capital gains tax or income tax on withdrawals in retirement.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Investors in Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ: RIVN) suffered staggering losses last week after the maker of electric trucks, vans, and SUVs reported mixed earnings Wednesday. The news wasn't all bad. For one thing, Rivian reported sales ahead of analyst targets at $1.32 billion, and its earnings weren't much worse than expected at $1.36 per share. However, management told investors that Rivian will only produce 57,000 electric vehicles in 2024 -- about as many as it produced in 2023.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

SoundHound AI (NASDAQ: SOUN) stock lost ground Wednesday morning -- trading 8% lower as of 10:30 a.m. ET, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. The audio-technologies specialist's shares had been down by as much as 14% earlier in the session. Before the market opened Wednesday, a Northland analyst published a note that took a more cautious position on the stock.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

If you're getting closer to retirement, you may already have a picture in your mind of what it might look like. That picture could involve you spending your days gardening, reading on the porch, and meeting your grandkids at the bus stop after school. Or it could mean doing a lot of traveling. To pull off your dream retirement, it's important to get a handle on your finances as well as your expenses.

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The Motley Fool

MARCH 1, 2024

Since the calendar flipped to 2024, there have been few stocks better than Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ: SMCI). The stock nearly tripled over two months, and its performance since the start of 2023 has also been impressive, rising around 900% in total. In that time, few companies come close to matching the performance of Super Micro Computer (often called Supermicro), including artificial intelligence (AI) powerhouse Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA).

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

Image source: Getty Images When my kids were young and I was grappling with expensive preschool bills and babysitter fees so I could work, I kept telling myself that things would get better once they were old enough to attend school. At that point, I'd need less babysitting (or possibly no babysitting) during the week, so I was apt to come out ahead financially.

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