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Hendrik Bessimbinder has produced some of my favorite stock market research. Bessimbinder discovered that four out of every seven stocks in the U.S. have underperformed cash (one-month T-bills) since 1926. And just 4% of companies accounted for all the wealth gains for the entire stock market in that time. The stock market runs on power laws over the long run.
There are certain expenses you might encounter in retirement that are optional, like paying for cable, and those that are non-negotiable, like paying for food. Healthcare falls into the latter category. And unfortunately, it can be more expensive than a lot of retirees bargain for. Last year, Fidelity projected that the typical 65-year-old would be looking at a whopping $157,500 to cover their healthcare expenses throughout retirement.
Last year, the Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 both experienced significant rebounds after dismal performances in 2022. One of the main tailwinds last year was a rising interesting in artificial intelligence (AI). This momentum has continued this year with the Nasdaq and S&P 500 returning 18% and 15%, respectively, so far. Although mega-cap technology stocks in the " Magnificent Seven " have generated particularly strong returns, there are some smaller players emerging as interesting opport
Image source: Getty Images I have friends who look forward to a Target shopping trip like I look forward to a vacation. They just love wandering the aisles and loading up shopping carts full of stuff. I used to enjoy shopping at Target, but my feelings have changed through the years -- more on that in a bit. But whether you love Target or could take it or leave it, shopping there may not be doing great things for your budget.
Image source: Getty Images Attention, Walmart shoppers: There's a sale on today on.well, there's bound to be a sale on something. That's the beauty of shopping at Walmart. The store is known for its everyday low prices. And when you get a sale on top of that, it could result in a lot of savings. But despite the perks of shopping at Walmart, you may actually want to spend your money elsewhere.
Image source: Getty Images I've been making money online as a freelance writer since 2009. Freelance work is just one idea of how to earn extra cash online. From entrepreneurship to flexible work-from-home gigs, there are lots of innovative ways to make a few extra dollars online -- or a new full-time living. Making money online is not a "get-rich-quick scheme.
Image source: Getty Images Credit card debt is a serious financial issue. The average credit card interest rate is a staggering 22.76%, according to Federal Reserve data. Because of how high rates are, credit card debt is both hard to pay off and can cost you a large amount of money in interest. A balance transfer card can be a powerful tool to get out of debt.
The stock market soared in the first half, but the movement wasn't exactly broad-based. A certain type of company led the S&P 500 to its increase of more than 14%. I'm talking about technology players, especially those with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI). In fact, just four of these stocks -- Nvidia , Microsoft , Alphabet , and Amazon -- accounted for more than half of the index's first-half gain, according to JP Morgan Wealth Management.
The stock market soared in the first half, but the movement wasn't exactly broad-based. A certain type of company led the S&P 500 to its increase of more than 14%. I'm talking about technology players, especially those with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI). In fact, just four of these stocks -- Nvidia , Microsoft , Alphabet , and Amazon -- accounted for more than half of the index's first-half gain, according to JP Morgan Wealth Management.
Few billionaire money managers garner attention on Wall Street like Warren Buffett. Since the affably named "Oracle of Omaha" became CEO of Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) (NYSE: BRK.B) in 1965, he's overseen a greater-than-5,200,000% aggregate return in his company's Class A shares (BRK.A). This works out to a near-doubling of the S&P 500 's annualized total return, including dividends, spanning almost six decades.
Higher costs and weak pricing caused United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) to miss expectations in the second quarter, and left analysts reconsidering the company's prospects for the quarters to come. Shares of UPS were down 11% for the week as of midday Thursday, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence , as investors react to reset expectations.
No company in the last year has captured the attention of the investing world quite like Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA). The chipmaker dominated headlines as its stock price more than doubled since January, and with good reason; it's proven itself as one of the most important and central companies in the artificial intelligence (AI) boom -- a role that has allowed it to rake in dizzying amounts of cash.
Stock of Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) , one of America's Big Three automakers , collapsed 16.7% through 12:45 p.m. ET Thursday after the company reported a huge earnings miss last night. Analysts had forecast Ford would earn $0.68 per share on $44 billion in Q2 sales. While Ford exceeded the revenue number easily, with $47.8 billion in quarterly sales, profits came in short of expectations at just $0.47 per share.
Although we're not exactly nearing the end of 2024, we've passed the midpoint of the year. That means it may be time to start looking toward 2025 at all things financial. Whether you're retired or not, one financial program you'll want to keep on your radar is Social Security. Each year, it tends to undergo changes that have the potential to impact seniors and working Americans alike.
Image source: Getty Images In 2023, the average U.S. credit score was 715, according to Experian, one of the three credit reporting bureaus. For context, a 715 is considered a good score, but it's not particularly high. Credit scores range from 300 to 850 under the FICO model, which is the one most commonly used. FICO® Scores of 740 to 799 are considered very good, while scores of 800 or more are considered exceptional.
Image source: Getty Images Credit card rewards can be a fun way to earn something of value back on your regular purchases. And if you get good at using rewards cards, they can also save you a lot of money. Some people earn $500 to $1,000 or more in rewards every year. After you've earned rewards, you'll need to choose how to redeem them. While I love using rewards cards, I never redeem my earnings for cash back.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX) is trading near a record high after climbing about 20% so far this year, and delivering a triple-digit gain over three years. So, you may be a bit hesitant about buying shares of or reinforcing your position in this high-flying biotech company. But just because a stock has climbed a lot, and trades around its highest level ever, doesn't mean it's overpriced or has reached its full potential.
Recent developments in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) are having a dramatic impact on the technology landscape, which is evident in the market value of some of the world's most technologically advanced businesses. What many of these companies have in common is that they're trailblazers in AI. Apple is currently the leader (as of this writing), with Microsoft currently at No. 2, with market caps of $3.4 trillion and $3.3 trillion, respectively.
Being at the cutting edge of an industry revolution can come with massive rewards, and also massive risk. That's never been more clear than within the electric vehicle (EV) industry, as Tesla has proven a first-mover advantage can power a company's stock higher for years. At the other end of that spectrum is Fisker, which crumbled under the weight of massive cash burn and consistent production problems.
Fool.com contributor Parkev Tatevosian previews Intel 's (NASDAQ: INTC) upcoming earnings release. *Stock prices used were the afternoon prices of July 21, 2024. The video was published on July 23, 2024. Should you invest $1,000 in Intel right now? Before you buy stock in Intel, 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 Intel wasn’t one of them.
Semiconductor stocks have been in fine form on the stock market since the beginning of 2023, thanks to the terrific demand for chips used to power artificial intelligence (AI) servers, smartphones, and personal computers, among other things. The PHLX Semiconductor Sector index has shot up a terrific 115% since the beginning of last year, driven by the outstanding gains that the likes of Nvidia have clocked during this period.
Image source: Getty Images Most Americans have a checking account -- 90.7%, according to the most recent Survey of Consumer Finances. That's good, because this type of account is an important tool for managing money. You can use it to get your paychecks deposited, pay your bills, and transfer money where you need it. Ideally, your checking account shouldn't cost you any money.
Stock splits often ignite a new interest in some stocks, as a lower stock price makes the investment feel like investors are getting a better deal. While stock splits are mostly a cosmetic effect, their psychological effect on investments is a far bigger deal. However, two companies that recently have undergone stock splits, Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) and Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO) , are two that didn't need more interest sparked in the stock.
Spotify 's (NYSE: SPOT) recent second-quarter earnings release was music to the ears of many investors. The streaming service convincingly beat the average bottom-line estimate while delivering robust growth where it counted. In the wake of that release, several analysts raised their price targets on the high-profile music streamer. One even went so far as to upgrade his recommendation on its stock.
Image source: Getty Images It's a pretty common thing for people to have debt, whether it's loans incurred in the course of getting a degree or a mortgage to finance a house. But there's a big difference between installment loans with a fixed interest rate and monthly payments vs. credit card debt. The problem with credit card debt is twofold. First, credit cards are notorious for charging large amounts of interest.
Image source: Upsplash/The Motley Fool Costco isn't one of those stores where you typically go to pick up one or two things. For many of us, a Costco shopping run is a major haul -- one that leads to a heaping shopping cart and a reasonably large credit card bill to follow, even when we account for the store's competitive prices. Because of this, it's important to approach your Costco shopping strategically.
Coming a few days after a mixed earnings report from rival Verizon Communications , AT&T 's (NYSE: T) second-quarter report suffered from a similar problem. Wireless customers have been slow to upgrade their smartphones, leading to lower equipment revenue for the wireless leaders. AT&T saw equipment revenue drop 5.8% year over year in the second quarter, enough to cause the company to miss analyst expectations.
Image source: The Motley Fool/Upsplash A business credit card can be a great financial tool for small business owners. You can use these credit cards to pay for everyday business expenses, access valuable perks that help you run your business better, and earn rewards when you make necessary purchases. If you're considering getting your first small business credit card, you may need help deciding what features to prioritize.
Until recently, CrowdStrike (NASDAQ: CRWD) stock was trading at record highs. The success of its endpoint security product was driving greater use of its Falcon platform -- and more interest from investors, who had pushed its valuation to stratospheric levels. However, investors began to question their thesis after a software update for its Microsoft- based systems led to a massive global IT outage.
Mortgage rates remain elevated and existing home inventories remain near generational lows. In this video, I sit down with eXp Realty (NASDAQ: EXPI) CEO Leo Pareja to find out where he sees the real estate market heading for the rest of 2024, into 2025, and beyond. You might be surprised at his outlook. *Stock prices used were the morning prices of July 18, 2024.
Social Security benefits can be claimed at any age between 62 and 70. Starting earlier will get you smaller checks but many more of them, while delaying your claim will beef up your checks, though you'll receive fewer of them. The decision of when to start collecting your Social Security benefits is a big one, and you'll want to put a lot of thought into it.
Nvidia 's graphics processing units (GPUs) for data centers are used to develop the most advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models in the world, placing the company at the forefront of this new technological revolution. Nvidia has consistently delivered triple-digit growth in its revenue over the past year, catapulting the company to a whopping $2.9 trillion valuation.
Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) stock fell 11% through 11:45 a.m. ET Wednesday after the company badly missed analyst forecasts for earnings Tuesday night. Heading into the second-quarter report, Wall Street forecast the electric car leader would earn $0.62 per share on sales of $24.8 billion. Tesla exceeded the latter expectation, reporting Q2 sales of $25.5 billion.
Warren Buffett keeps selling stocks. The Oracle of Omaha has been a net seller of equities for his company's portfolio in each of the last six quarters, as reported by Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) (NYSE: BRK.B). The odds are good he'll make it seven in a row when Berkshire reports next month, and now he's going for eight with another major stock sale.
Beginning in January 2023, it seemed like Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) stock went straight up for almost 18 months. There was good reason for that as investors piled in to the company that has become the face of a dramatically increasing artificial intelligence (AI) sector. But no stock goes straight up forever, and valuation still matters. A correction in the stock was inevitable and finally occurred over the last month.
One of the most famous entrepreneurs and philanthropists in recent history is Bill Gates. As a co-founder of Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) , he helped pioneer modern computing and revolutionize how people communicate and work. While he no longer manages the day-to-day business at Microsoft, Gates is still an active businessman. He and his ex-wife, Melinda French, built a charitable trust that is now worth roughly $46 billion.
The hype around artificial intelligence (AI) is justified; researchers seem pretty sure that AI technology will add trillions of dollars in value to the global economy over the coming decade and beyond. That said, it's unclear today which companies will be best at capturing this massive economic opportunity. That's likely why AI hype has boosted so many technology stocks over the past 18 months.
If you're a senior on Social Security who's hoping for a generous cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in 2025, then your dreams may have recently been dashed. The nonpartisan Senior Citizens League recently put out a projection for next year's COLA, and so far, 2025's raise is looking to be considerably smaller than 2024's. At the start of the current year, seniors on Social Security saw their monthly benefits increase 3.2%.
Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG) stock is losing ground Wednesday. The tech giant's share price was down 3.4% as of 10:30 a.m. ET, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. Alphabet published second-quarter results after the market closed yesterday. Despite strong sales and earnings beats in the quarter, investors are selling out of the stock in response to the company's forward guidance.
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