AAPL - Apple Inc.
| Previous Close | 203.35 |
| Open | 204.00 |
| Bid | 0.00 x 2900 |
| Ask | 0.00 x 900 |
| Day's Range | 203.70 - 205.88 |
| 52 Week Range | 142.00 - 233.47 |
| Volume | 18,582,161 |
| Avg. Volume | 26,804,075 |
| Market Cap | 946.258B |
| Beta (3Y Monthly) | 1.09 |
| PE Ratio (TTM) | 17.30 |
| EPS (TTM) | 11.89 |
| Earnings Date | Jul 30, 2019 |
| Forward Dividend & Yield | 3.08 (1.51%) |
| Ex-Dividend Date | 2019-05-10 |
| 1y Target Est | 211.18 |
- Yahoo Finance•18 hours ago
Netflix's 2Q global paid subscriber additions miss expectations
Netflix reported second-quarter earnings results after market close Wednesday.
- Bloomberg•2 hours ago
Apple-Chipmaker TSMC’s Outlook Shines as Industry Stabilizes
Jul.19 -- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.projected current-quarter revenue ahead of estimates, as the Apple Inc. supplier shrugs off a smartphone slump and U.S. sanctions on Huawei Technologies Co. to ride demand for cutting-edge chips. Bloomberg's Selina Wang has the story.
- Yahoo Finance•18 hours ago
Washington playing ‘high stakes poker game’ with Big Tech: Analyst
Washington’s war on Big Tech is more of a high-stakes poker game than a real threat to the businesses of Google, Amazon, Apple, and Facebook, according to a new analyst note.
- Engadget•21 hours ago
The Morning After: Reviewing Apple's new 13-inch MacBook Pro
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. It's time to find out if Apple's new MacBook Pro is worth the money, plus we'll break down the controversy over G2A's business model. Meanwhile, Nintendo slipped in a Switch upgrade and an iconic Braun product line is coming back.
- Financial Times•3 hours ago
Ingram Pinn’s illustration of the week: Antitrust
, exploring the company’s dual role as both a retailer and a host to rival third-party merchants, and looking into “how the use of accumulated marketplace seller data by Amazon as a retailer affects competition”. The Dane has built a fearsome reputation during her five-year term as a tough enforcer of competition law, fining Google more than €8bn and forcing Apple to pay €14bn in back taxes. US president Donald Trump has accused Ms Vestager of hating the US, “perhaps worse than any person I’ve ever met.
- MarketWatch•6 hours ago
Read this before using FaceApp — you give up more personal data than you realize on this Russian-made app
FaceApp has gone viral again with a feature that makes users look elderly, but experts say it may pose security concerns.
- Motley Fool•8 hours ago
Why It's a Good Idea for Apple to Start Paying for Original Podcasts
It may buy exclusive rights for some podcasts to take on rival Spotify.
- GuruFocus.com•8 hours ago
US Indexes Close Higher Thursday After 2 Days of Losses
S&P; 500 gains 0.36% Continue reading...
- InvestorPlace•11 hours ago
Dow Jones Today: An Impressive Comeback
Stocks started Thursday in the red due in large part to a weak earnings report from Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX). Shares of the streaming media giant plunged nearly 11% on volume that was more than quadruple the daily average. This after the company said it added just 2.83 million subscribers in the second quarter, well below expectations of 4.8 million.Source: Shutterstock Netflix investors are fretting that Dow component Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) will pilfer market share from Netflix as that company ramps up its own stream offerings. Interestingly, shares of Disney fell 0.67% today.Even with those trouble spots, the Nasdaq Composite, of which Netflix is a member, gained 0.27% while the S&P 500 added 0.36%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.01%.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips * 7 Stocks Top Investors Are Buying Now Before getting into what happened today, I'll take this opportunity to remind readers that Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) reports after the bell Thursday. The Dow component, up 0.11% today, is expected to post adjusted earnings per share of $1.21 on revenue of $32.8 billion. Microsoft's report will go a long way in determining the fate of markets on Friday. Big Blue: IBM SurgesShares of International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) surged 4.59% on more than triple the daily average after the Dow component posted second-quarter net income of $2.5 billion, or $2.81 a share, up from $2.4 billion, or $2.61 a share, last year. Revenue fell to $19.16 billion from $20 billion. Analysts expected IBM to earn $3.08 a share on revenue of $19.17 billion.While revenue dipped and missed expectations, IBM was able to rally thanks to its cloud computing revenue. Revenue for the quarter was $5.65 billion, beating analysts' expectations calling for $5.55 billion.IBM said it still expects to earn at least $13.90 per share this year. Charge ThisShares of American Express (NYSE:AXP) gained 1.03%, good for the second-best performance in the Dow after IBM. The credit card giant ascended to another record high ahead of its earnings report, due out Friday before the opening bell.The company is expected to report second-quarter earnings of $2.05 per share on revenue of $2.94 billion. Shares of American Express are up nearly 36% year-to-date, making the stock one of the Dow's best performers and one of the best-performing names among large-cap financial services names.With that came some unusual put buying in stock today, indicating some traders are bracing for a post-earnings decline or, at the very least, are hedging long stock positions in AXP. Dialing Up 5GApple (NASDAQ:AAPL) rose 1.14% on some encouraging analyst chatter regarding the company's position in the 5G race."Apple's near-term iPhone problem is mix," said Raymond James analyst Chris Caso in a note. "Apple is selling a much larger mix of legacy iPhones than in the past. The reason, in our view, is twofold: higher prices for flagship phones, coupled with the fact that there's virtually nothing a user can do with an iPhone XS that they can't do with a 6s … think the higher bandwidth and improved connectivity of 5G will provide a more compelling upgrade."Caso upgraded Apple to "outperform" with a $250 price target. Dow Jones Bottom LineWith market participants focusing on earnings, at least for now, some are wondering what the fate of a Federal Reserve rate cut will be. Between better-than-expected earnings and some strong economic data, the Fed may not feel the need to cut borrowing costs this month or anytime soon.On Thursday, the Philadelphia Federal Reserve said its regional manufacturing survey registered at 21.8 in June, the best reading this year, and well above estimates calling for a reading of 5. The Fed is, in its own words, data dependent, and the better the data, the less likely a rate cut becomes.Todd Shriber does not own any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 7 Stocks Top Investors Are Buying Now * The 10 Best Cryptocurrencies to Keep on Your Radar * 7 Marijuana Penny Stocks That Could Triple (But You Won't Make Money) The post Dow Jones Today: An Impressive Comeback appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Zacks•11 hours ago
Can iHeartMedia Rise Out Of The Chapter 11 Ashes?
iHeartMedia (IHRT), the 1 audio media company in the US, has emerged from bankruptcy and its ownership is now available to the public on the NASDAQ exchange. The debt owners have taken over the firm in a restructuring plan that wiped more than $10 billion in debt off the books.
- Investor's Business Daily•11 hours ago
Apple Stock Upgraded To Buy On Next Year's 5G iPhone Cycle
Apple received a fresh buy rating on Thursday based on prospects for a major iPhone upgrade cycle associated with 5G wireless. IPhone chip supplier Skyworks also earned a stock upgrade.
- Bloomberg•11 hours ago
Netflix Suffers Worst Rout Since 2016 on Drop in U.S. Users
(Bloomberg) -- Netflix Inc. shocked investors by reporting a drop in U.S. customers and much slower growth overseas, raising fears that the streaming giant is losing momentum just as competitors prepare to pounce.The shares plunged 10% to $325.21 at the close in New York, the worst one-day drop in three years, after the company reported a loss of 130,000 customers in the U.S. Netflix blamed higher prices and a weak slate of TV shows. It signed up 2.8 million subscribers internationally in the period, roughly half what the company predicted.“Netflix has a difficult road ahead, with looming competition and the removal of popular content,” said EMarketer Inc. analyst Eric Haggstrom. But a stronger lineup of new shows in the current quarter could help attract former subscribers, he said.The quarter represents the biggest black eye for Netflix since 2011, when the company split its DVD-by-mail business from its streaming business. That move raised prices for its customers, and resulted in the loss of more than 800,000 subscribers in the U.S. The company had planned to call the DVD service Qwikster, but it backpedaled on the plan after investors and customers scoffed at the idea.Netflix said the miss is a one-time blip rather than a long-term problem. The second quarter has typically been its weakest time of year: The company missed its forecast during the period in three of the past four years.Netflix looks to add 7 million subscribers in the current quarter, thanks in part to the return of top shows “Stranger Things” and “Orange Is the New Black.”“Our position is excellent,” Chief Executive Officer Reed Hastings said during a videoconference call Wednesday. “We’re building amazing capacity for content. Our product has never been in better shape.”Several analysts agreed that the second-quarter disappointment should be only a temporary hiccup for Netflix. Investors should “aggressively buy the stock” on weakness, especially below $325 a share, Loop Capital said.Heavy SpendingFor now, the second-quarter shortfall is renewing investor concern about the company’s heavy program spending and low profitability. Netflix shelled out more than $3 billion on programming in the quarter and another $600 million to market its shows. The company spent $594 million more than it took in and will need to raise money to fund programming.Investors had been forgiving about the spending and the debt -- so long as customers grew at record rates. But the loss of subscribers in the U.S. was the first since the Qwikster debacle, and it suggests Netflix may be running into price resistance or the limits of the addressable domestic market. The company has forecast it can reach as much as 90 million customers in the U.S., compared with 60.1 million currently.Overseas SlowdownInternational results flagged too, with the company missing its own forecast of 4.7 million new subscribers. Europe, Latin America and Asia have been the primary drivers of Netflix’s customer acquisition in recent years, and growth must be sustained if the company is to justify its high valuation.Netflix is introducing a cheaper, mobile-only package in India to attract customers in a big market with price-sensitive customers.Analysts expect the company to have a blockbuster second half because of a heavy release schedule that includes a new season of “The Crown” and movies by directors Martin Scorsese and Michael Bay. Even after the slowdown last quarter, Netflix still thinks it can have its best year of customer growth in 2019.But competition is coming. Walt Disney Co. and Apple Inc. plan to introduce streaming services this year, while offerings from Comcast Corp. and AT&T Inc. arrive in 2020. Those services may not steal users from Netflix, but they will make future growth harder, according to Michael Pachter, an analyst with Wedbush Securities.Just a Preview?“We saw a preview of next year with this quarter,” Pachter said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. “Next year, they’ll have a couple quarters where they’ll lose subscribers.”Another challenge: Competitors are taking back rights to programs that have been popular on Netflix, including “Friends” and “The Office,” to use for their own services. That will force Netflix to rely even more on its original productions.Those efforts have largely been successful. Its shows just earned 117 nominations for the 2019 Emmy awards. But reruns of old shows still constitute the majority of viewing.The slowdown in users overshadowed the company’s quarterly financial results. Earnings for the second quarter fell to 60 cents a share, but beat analysts’ estimates of 56 cents. Sales grew 26% to $4.92 billion, compared with projections of $4.93 billion.The stock had been up 35% for the year at the close of regular trading, nearly double the gain of the S&P 500. The decline spread to related stocks such as Roku Inc., which makes set-top boxes that deliver the streaming service. Its shares fell as much as 2.5%, but closed little changed.(Updates with closing prices)To contact the reporter on this story: Lucas Shaw in Los Angeles at lshaw31@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Nick Turner at nturner7@bloomberg.net, Rob GolumFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
- InvestorPlace•12 hours ago
AAPL Stock: Apple Software Becomes Lifestyle
Hardware becoming software is one of the key trends of this decade. As Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) prepares to refresh its product line for the fall of 2019, it is selling its software as a lifestyle.Source: Shutterstock The key product launch investors need to consider is the Apple Card, the company's entry into finance.While Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) wants to create its own money and replace the current Visa (NYSE:V)-dominated payment infrastructure with something cheaper, Apple Card is a gloss on MasterCard (NYSE:MA), with personal finance delivered through an app and integration with existing wireless payment technology.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsApple is also throwing money at original content, hoping to overwhelm Spotify (NASDAQ:SPOT) in podcasts and Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) in streaming entertainment. * 7 Stocks Top Investors Are Buying Now Apple's strategy is coming into focus. It's a lifestyle and an indenture. It's a walled garden where, in exchange for promises of privacy, Apple controls everything you have, including your cash flow. The Biggest iOS LaunchApple's biggest product launch is now going through its final beta test, iOS 12.4 beta 7. Its successor, iOS 13, was announced at the June Worldwide Developer's Conference.The key new feature supported by 12.4 is the Apple Card, on which Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) estimates it has spent nearly $275 million, transforming itself from an investment bank into a consumer bank. The card itself is designed around the app, with daily cash rewards and full integration with the Apple Wallet to track spending.The card is thus meant to change behavior, which now favors physical debit cards for most transactions. The potential bonanza here is enormous. People who pay off their cards spend an average of $1,154 with them each month, and the average user carries $6,354 of credit card debt. Goldman expects to offer $1,000 in credit to those with credit scores as low as 600, and charge Apple Card customers interest rates of 13%-24% on balances. Apple's Ho-Hum HardwareWith the next iPhone already being called a clunker, Apple has to extract more from software and services to maintain last year's 15% growth rate, with 22% of revenue hitting the net income line.The iPhone 11 design itself looks like a greatest hits album from previous iterations. Its main improvement is a bigger battery. The same is true for the latest MacBook, which only received minor tweaks on existing designs.But the hardware is the center of a software ecosystem that brings Apple profit from every corner of a customer's life. Software and services are more profitable than hardware.This extends to the Apple Watch. Given how many stores had the watch at clearance prices this month, including the Apple Watch 4, an Apple Watch 5 can't be far off. But the hardware isn't likely to change much. It will just be capable of running more software, especially health software. Health will follow cash into the Apple profit column.Critics worry the emphasis on service revenue will compromise the user experience. But people who believe in Apple tend to go all-in. The most important point about the iPhone's market share is its stability. They have half of the U.S. market and over one-fifth of the global market. The Bottom LineAn Android is a phone, a utility that offers unlimited choice. An iPhone is a lover, seducing and then demanding increasing loyalty.Once you're in the Apple ecosystem, the company wants to make it a lifestyle, handling your money, your entertainment, even your health.That's CEO Tim Cook's bet, that Apple products can be more than phones or watches or PCs, but a lifestyle for those seduced by its design and brand promise.Dana Blankenhorn is a financial and technology journalist. He is the author of a new environmental story, Bridget O'Flynn and the Bear, available now at the Amazon Kindle store. Write him at danablankenhorn@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @danablankenhorn. As of this writing he owned shares in AAPL. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 7 Stocks Top Investors Are Buying Now * The 10 Best Cryptocurrencies to Keep on Your Radar * 7 Marijuana Penny Stocks That Could Triple (But You Won't Make Money) The post AAPL Stock: Apple Software Becomes Lifestyle appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Investopedia•13 hours ago
How Square's Cash App Makes Money
Cash App is free to download, and its core functions free to use. So how does this app, which has been downloaded more often than Venmo, make money?
- Motley Fool•13 hours ago
Apple Stock Upgraded on 5G Hopes: What You Need to Know
Should you take a bite of Apple in 2019? In 2020? (And on what day of the week?) Or is Wall Street making this decision a lot more complicated than it needs to be?
- InvestorPlace•13 hours ago
2 Semiconductor ETFs to Buy to Play the Chip Sector
Semiconductor chips are amongst the most ubiquitous of items around the globe. Chips are found in every electronic gadget from your phone to your tablets and laptops to televisions and your car or Uber (NYSE:UBER) vehicles. Needless to say, semiconductors are a big market.Source: Shutterstock But it is a market which has many major and minor companies that start from mining operations for raw materials to foundries for the building blocks of chips to various chips themselves. And it continues to the companies that take the chips to build and sell or use the chips in their products and services. This means semiconductor ETFs are an ideal way to play the sector.For investors, there are many, many themes and market strategies for the chips market which can be both bearish and bullish for any given time period. This just increases the need for semiconductor ETFs.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips * 3 Food Stocks to Buy for Fast and Big Profits Right now, chips are being touted as part of major market developments. It starts with the 5G wireless buildout and rollout. From the data centers to communications networks and all the way through to antennas and devices -- 5G is upping demand for all sorts of chips and related semiconductor materials.Then we have the rapidly developing market for artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) that have great promise for many areas from healthcare to education and manufacturing and even marketing.And new devices keep coming from all corners of the globe from Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) -even if they don't do any of the heavy lifting in engineering their branded products. And the list goes further including my favorite Samsung electronics (which I have in my Niche Investments section of my model portfolios in Profitable Investing.)And from the gaming to the ever-hyped cryptocurrency mining operations -- graphics processing units (GPUs) remain highly in demand bringing another wave of chips in demand as well.Chips have been on a good run in the stock market. For over the past trailing five years, the industry leaders as tracked by the MVIS U.S. Listed Semiconductor Index have generated a return of 154.69% compared to the S&P 500 Index's return of 69.43%. Chips vs StocksSo, chips are a bigger business than the rest of the broader stock market. This should get your attention and peak your interest in semiconductor ETFs.But at the moment, trade tensions are weighing on many of the leading companies doing the heavy lifting in semiconductors and chips. U.S.-China tensions and trade restrictions on components and products are causing sales headaches beyond just those two nations. And a major trade problem between South Korea and Japan is directly impacting semiconductor material sourcing.That said, if you want to cash in on the ongoing market, stay with the U.S.-centric ETF market. This means that there are two semiconductor ETFs to focus upon. Two U.S. Semiconductor ETFs to BuyThe first is the iShares Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SOXX). It tracks the PHLX Semiconductor Sector Index and does a pretty good job of it with a return over the past five years of 154.06%, compared to the SOX Index return of 160.82%.Some of the variance comes from the expense ratio of 0.47% which is a bit high in my book for such an index-tracking ETF.The second ETF is the VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF (NYSEARCA:SMH). This ETF tracks the MVIS US Listed Semiconductor Index. Not surprisingly, the SMH ETF closer tracks its index with the five-year return running at 148.10% compared to the underlying index return of 147.38%.This closer return result is perhaps also due to the underlying cheaper expense ratio of 0.35%. An Alternative Semiconductor ETFInstead of focusing solely on semiconductor ETFs -- another alternative would be to focus on the broader information technology companies. This would provide exposure to semiconductor-related companies as well as software, services and related hardware -- all of which depend on semiconductors in some capacity. This is my approach as I recommend the Vanguard Information Technology ETF (NYSEARCA:VGT).The return of the Vanguard ETF for the past five years has been 139.61%. And 16.42% of the fund is allocated toward semiconductors. It has a geographic allocation of 96.89% to U.S. companies with minor weightings to Ireland where U.S. companies domicile for tax purposes as well as to Israel.The Vanguard ETF actually out-returns the underlying MSCI Index over the trailing five years and runs quite lean with an expense ratio of a mere 0.10%.Now that I've presented my way to invest in the semiconductor technology space with ETF's, perhaps you might like to see more of my market research and recommendations for further safer growth and bigger reliable income. For more, look at my Profitable Investing. Click here to learn more: https://profitableinvesting.investorplace.com/ * 7 Stocks Top Investors Are Buying Now In addition, if you find yourself in San Francisco on August 15 through 17 - please join me at the MoneyShow where I'll be presenting my economic and market analysis and my latest investment themes and recommendations. For more information, click here: https://www.moneyshow.com/Neil George is the editor of Profitable Investing and does not have any holdings in the securities mentioned above More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 7 Stocks Top Investors Are Buying Now * The 10 Best Cryptocurrencies to Keep on Your Radar * 7 Marijuana Penny Stocks That Could Triple (But You Won't Make Money) The post 2 Semiconductor ETFs to Buy to Play the Chip Sector appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Market Realist•13 hours ago
US-China Trade Talk Update: Things Are Still ‘Complicated’
The US-China trade deal is reportedly 90% complete. However, it’s the remaining 10% that’s turning out to be difficult.
- Market Realist•13 hours ago
Fund Managers Increased Risk but Still Fear Slowdown
Despite the markets hitting record highs, not many fund managers are in an optimistic mood.
- InvestorPlace•14 hours ago
Thursday Apple Rumors: iPhone Loyalty Down in 2019
Leading the Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) rumor mill today is news of decreasing iPhone loyalty. Today, we'll look at that and other Apple Rumors for Thursday.Source: Shutterstock iPhone Loyalty: A new report claims that iPhone loyalty is down in 2019, AppleInsider notes. The report includes data from 38,000 people that have traded in an iPhone since October 2018. It finds that only 73% of those people went with a newer version of the iPhone when trading in. This is a drop from the 88% retention rate in 2018. It's worth noting that this data doesn't take into account for iPhone owners that are part of AAPL's upgrade program.iOS 13 Beta: There's a new version of the iOS 13 public beta available for download, reports BGR. This lets public beta testers try out the newest version of the mobile operating system before it hits a final release. Among the new features in iOS 13 is a dark mode, which is something Apple fans have been waiting for. To go along with the third iOS 13 public beta is the release of a new iPadOS 13 public beta.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsCarpool Karaoke: Apple is bringing Carpool Karaoke back for another season, MacRumors notes. The popular show is going to be getting a third seasons thanks to AAPL. This show has various celebrities coming together to sing karaoke while traveling in a car. There will be one episode in the new season that will feature the cast of Stranger Things. The announcement was made on James Corden's YouTube channel.Subscribe to Apple Rumors As of this writing, William White did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.The post Thursday Apple Rumors: iPhone Loyalty Down in 2019 appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- InvestorPlace•14 hours ago
Three Key Questions for Roku Stock Ahead of Earnings
I get the case for Roku (NASDAQ:ROKU) as a business. The concern -- or one of the big concerns, anyway -- is the ROKU stock price.Source: Shutterstock ROKU stock has risen 260% in 2019 alone. It's added some $9 billion in market value over that period. To be sure, ROKU had crashed at the end of 2018, and likely was too cheap at those lows. Still, the gains are close to staggering: none of the 720 stocks with a market cap over $10 billion have outperformed ROKU stock so far this year.Again, there is a bull case here. In fact, I've made that bull case. I also argued last month, with the ROKU stock price over $100, that the rally had gone too far. For a moment, that call looked prescient, as the stock promptly fell over 10%. But a more confident market has bid ROKU back up to an all-time high.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsAhead of earnings, coming on August 7, those highs look too high. There's value here. But to even stay at these levels, Roku will have to answer some key questions. * 7 Stocks Top Investors Are Buying Now So much success is priced in at this point that it seems difficult to get too excited. Of course, I -- and other skeptics -- have said that before. Can the ROKU Stock Price Hold the Valuation?On its face, ROKU looks expensive. The company is guiding for over $1 billion in revenue this year -- which suggests something around a 11x+ EV/revenue multiple, backing out some $285 million in cash.Of course, in this market, 11x sales -- even for an unprofitable company -- isn't all that extreme. Whether it's Shopify (NYSE:SHOP) or MongoDB (NASDAQ:MDB), growth stock investors have become accustomed to paying those types of multiples. Even streaming giant Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX), accounting for its post-earnings decline on Wednesday, trades at 9.4x EV/revenue, based on 2019 analyst estimates, with slower growth.But, as I've written before, it's important to remember a key aspect of Roku's business. The company's player business -- the actual sales of Roku hardware -- is unprofitable. Players generated gross profit of just $7 million in the first quarter, for example. It's the platform revenue from advertising, the Roku Channel, etc., for which investors are paying.That revenue is guided to two-thirds of this year's total. That in turn means investors are paying roughly 17x platform revenue -- one of the highest multiples in the entire market. It's difficult to see that moving any higher -- and there are reasons to think it might move lower. Will Netflix and YouTube Play Ball?That multiple might seem acceptable given Roku's key position in the growth of streaming. But the problem is that Roku isn't monetizing that position all that well.Notably, per the Roku 10-K, Netflix and Alphabet's (NASDAQ:GOOG,NASDAQ:GOOGL) YouTube account "for a majority" of hours streamed on Roku devices. Roku does not get "material revenue" from YouTube, however, and still appears to receive few dollars from Netflix.That might not be a terrible thing in terms of growth. The lack of dollars from those streaming giants means that new streaming services from Disney (NYSE:DIS), AT&T's (NYSE:T) WarnerMedia, and Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) subsidiary NBCUniversal all can provide catalysts to revenue and profits.But from a long-term perspective, it's hard to see how ROKU stock is a clear and easy play on streaming when it's not making money from the industry's two biggest players (at least for now). And it's difficult to see why Disney or WarnerMedia would pay Roku when they're competing against Netflix and YouTube. Who Buys Roku?These questions are largely moot if Roku gets acquired. Rumors have swirled since even before the company's IPO. At this point, Roku clearly has out-competed Alphabet and Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) in terms of streaming devices. As such, it would make sense that some company might want to acquire it as an entry into the streaming ecosystem -- or a way to profit from it.The problem at this point is: who? If anyone involved in streaming acquires Roku, it then owns a gateway for cord-cutters. But so many other companies are involved in streaming, that the new Roku owner instantly would own the distribution mechanism for its competitors.That's a sticky situation. It makes streaming providers more hesitant to deal with Roku; they might instead turn to Amazon, who is having some success licensing its Fire technology to television manufacturers. It puts Roku, at this point a subsidiary of a larger player, in an awkward position.Meanwhile, Alphabet, Amazon, and Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) all have their own hardware (Apple's platform is on the way). Disney and NBCUniversal won't be looking to provide streaming services for their competitors. Smaller media companies, at this point, might be too small given Roku's about $12 billion enterprise value.It's easy to assume that Roku will be bought out. But the same assumptions were made about TiVo (NASDAQ:TIVO). These aren't the same situations, of course, but the names of potential Roku buyers being floated around don't make all that much sense -- at least not yet. Be Careful Ahead of EarningsParticularly with Netflix's post-earnings flameout, ROKU stock simply looks dangerous here. Valuation is a question mark. Competition remains intense. An acquisition is far from guaranteed.And, as we've seen with Netflix, streaming growth isn't quite as linear as some would like to believe. For ROKU, so much success is priced in that anything short of a blowout quarter next month is going to be a problem. There's a wonderful business here, to be sure. It just might not be quite as wonderful as the ROKU stock price suggests at the moment.As of this writing, Vince Martin has no positions in any securities mentioned. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 7 Stocks Top Investors Are Buying Now * The 10 Best Cryptocurrencies to Keep on Your Radar * 7 Marijuana Penny Stocks That Could Triple (But You Won't Make Money) The post Three Key Questions for Roku Stock Ahead of Earnings appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- InvestorPlace•14 hours ago
Is Qualcomm Stock Presenting Investors With the Perfect Opportunity?
Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) stock has been volatile over the past few months. QCOM stock went from $57 in mid-April to almost $90 by the end of the month. By mid-May -- one month after Qualcomm stock rocketed higher -- the shares were back down to $65.Source: Shutterstock Holy moly, that's a lot of volatility for a name that many own for income. Some income investors can ignore that kind of noise and use it to their advantage. That is, they can reap the reward of the gains of QCOM stock, yet smile when it declines, knowing that their reinvested dividends are buying more shares of QCOM stock. * 7 Stocks Top Investors Are Buying Now But QCOM stock looks like a tough dividend stock to stomach. After all, Qualcomm stock is bouncing around more than high-octane growth names like Shopify (NASDAQ:SHOP) and Roku (NASDAQ:ROKU), with the latter name recently hitting new, all-time highs. The bottom line is that there are far less volatile names with yields similar to that of QCOM stock.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsBut the charts indicate that Qualcomm stock could be presenting investors with the perfect buying opportunity. Let's take a closer look. Trading QCOM Stock Click to EnlargeQCOM is sitting right above its uptrend support, depicted by the upward-sloping blue line. However, on Tuesday QCOM stock importantly closed over its short-term downtrend resistance (depicted by the downward sloping blue line with the number "2" above it. ). A similar pattern has played out for a longer period of time, with the purple lines highlighting the wedge.So what does all this mean?That data alone isn't necessarily enough to convince investors to go long QCOM stock, but have a closer look; Qualcomm stock is staying above its 20-day and 50-day moving averages.The most attractive part of the setup, though, is the fact that QCOM is so close to its uptrend support and those moving averages. That puts buyers in a low-risk trading situation. Since it's easy for them to pull the plug on the trade and sell their position on a slight breakdown, they can avoid the pain of a major reversal. The only caveat is that QCOM can't be too volatile.With their downside limited, traders can look to ride QCOM stock up to its monthly high near $80.76. Click to EnlargeFor longer term investors, this trade setup may not be applicable. However, for them, another trade may be worthwhile. Specifically, it's pretty clear what a vital level $65 is for QCOM stock. While it seems unlikely that the tech giant would pull back and test that area, remember that it did so just last month.An unfavorable development involving Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), the DoJ or any number of catalysts can negatively impact Qualcomm stock. Keep the $65 level in mind on any deep pullbacks. Weighing Qualcomm StockRecently, I asked whether being long Qualcomm stock was worth the risk. In its settlement with Apple, Qualcomm was paid at least $4.5 billion and agreed to a six-year licensing deal. Further, all legal disputes between the two companies were dropped, clearing a huge headwind for QCOM stock and making one of the world's richest firms its customer.The bulls didn't get to enjoy their spoils for long, though.The FTC made a huge fuss about Qualcomm, arguing that its practices are anti-competitive. Judge Lucy Koh ruled that QCOM is a monopoly and must change the way it does business. The FTC also accused QCOM of charging excessive licensing fees for its technology and has forced the company to submit annual compliance reports for the next seven years to the agency.On Wednesday, QCOM stock rose slightly as the DoJ reportedly sought to delay the enforcement of the antitrust ruling. The Justice Department argued that the ruling would force the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense to suffer intolerable supply disruptions. The DoJ also says that QCOM will likely win its appeal.At the end of the day, the legal issues facing QCOM create both opportunity and risk.While analysts, on average, only expect QCOM's earnings to increase an anemic 2.7% this year, investors are banking on forecasts of 35% growth next year.I like the way QCOM stock has set up on the chart, but I am also aware of its legal risks.Bret Kenwell is the manager and author of Future Blue Chips and is on Twitter @BretKenwell. Bret Kenwell was long AAPL, ROKU and SHOP. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 7 Stocks Top Investors Are Buying Now * The 10 Best Cryptocurrencies to Keep on Your Radar * 7 Marijuana Penny Stocks That Could Triple (But You Won't Make Money) The post Is Qualcomm Stock Presenting Investors With the Perfect Opportunity? appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- InvestorPlace•15 hours ago
This Chart on Interest Rates Will Have You Finding Stocks to Buy Now
Every day I scan through hundreds (if not thousands) of charts -- and there's one about interest rates I feel is imperative to share with you today.In fact, this data caught my eye so strongly that I sent it to my CEO, Brian Hunt, in the middle of the night!The next day we had lunch and Brian told me that he moved over $350,000 into the stock market after looking at the chart I sent. Naturally I laughed and assumed he was joking. But, he wasn't.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsThis is a man who has lived and breathed the stock market for the last 20 years. This is not some amateur investor who is new to the game. I found it fascinating that this one chart was enough to motivate Brian to push a large sum of money into the market. But then again, I should not be surprised because I also have been busy buying stocks since that chart popped up on my screen!My research is broader than many analysts. If you're familiar with my methods, you know I love to travel and put my boots on the ground for face-to-face conversations with company leaders, industry experts, consumers, suppliers or anything else that gives me an edge. I also subscribe to multiple data services so I can sift through the numbers in search of the next great stocks to buy -- and this particular one comes to us from LPL Financial:It shows every time since 1980 that the Federal Reserve (Fed) cut interest rates when the S&P 500 was within 2% of an all-time high.That's the situation we're likely to be in soon. And historically, this has occurred 17 times in 39 years. In all 17 instances, the S&P 500 was higher one year later. Even more impressive was the average gain of 15% in the year after the Fed cut rates. * 7 Stocks Top Investors Are Buying Now If you are not yet sold after seeing that chart, here is another…Fundstrat looked at instances when the Fed cut interest rates during an expansionary period for the U.S. economy, going back to 1971. Every single time, the market was higher three, six, nine, and 12 months later. And the returns were impressive:One year later, the average gain was 16.5%. A 16.5% return from today would push the S&P 500 above 3,500!For context, the average 12-month return for the S&P over the last 50 years is about 8%. So, in this particular situation of a Fed rate cut near market highs, we see nearly twice the average returns.I'll be covering this phenomenon in my investment services… but this is so important that I decided to go ahead and share it now. If there is ever a time to be in the market, finding stocks to buy -- it is now!Another thing to keep in mind is that the S&P 500 is already sitting near an all-time high -- and the rate cut is highly likely to happen soon. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, the probability of a 25 basis point cut to interest rates by mid-September is 95.6%. Both Citigroup and JPMorgan are predicting a 25 basis point rate cut here in July -- and Morgan Stanley and UBS are going even further. They expect a rate cut of 50 basis points in July.Now, while a one-year gain of 16.5% is impressive for the S&P 500… I believe that if this historical trend holds, then certain investment themes will greatly outperform:The emergence of 5G. The introduction of self-driving vehicles, powered by next-generation batteries. The continuation of one of the biggest investment opportunities of a generation -- cannabis. Don't forget about the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, and gene therapy, as well.These high-growth megatrends are set to continue their dominance -- and the winners will see gains several times more than the overall market. Why I Like Penny Pot Stocks NowWe might be near all-time highs now. But here's the good news: Many attractive stocks are both undervalued and still in "penny stock" territory.Penny stocks often get a bad rap. But they are actually critical to the global marketplace. The world NEEDS tiny companies -- just as much as bigger ones. They're the job creators. The innovators.And as an investor, if you're looking for the next Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) or Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), this is where you'll find it.You just want to be VERY choosy about which ones you buy.That's what I designed my Cannabis Cash Calendar system to do specifically for marijuana IPOs.Legalization is still working its way across the country (and the world), which means that for most successful companies, their biggest gains are yet to come. Oftentimes, you can buy tomorrow's leaders for just pennies a share, or maybe a few dollars.I'l be releasing my next Cannabis Cash Calendar recommendation soon. You can get exclusive access to it the moment it is released to my Investment Opportunities readers. Click here to learn more and get on the list to be notified.P.S. Maybe you don't know much about marijuana stocks. That's fine. Even if you've never bought a stock before, you'll want to check this out. I'd say take a small stake… and you could potentially see that multiply over the next 12 months. Click here for more on this incredible opportunity.Matthew McCall is the founder and president of Penn Financial Group, an investment advisory firm, as well as the editor of Investment Opportunities and Early Stage Investor. He has dedicated his career to getting investors into the world's biggest, most revolutionary trends BEFORE anyone else. The power of being "first" gave Matt's readers the chance to bank +2,438% in Stamps.com (STMP), +1,523% in Ulta Beauty (ULTA), +1,044% in Tesla (TSLA), +611% in Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (LNGLY), +324% in Bitcoin Services (BTSC), just to name a few. If you're interested in making triple-digit gains from the world's biggest investment trends BEFORE anyone else, click here to learn more about Matt McCall and his investments strategy today. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 7 Stocks Top Investors Are Buying Now * The 10 Best Cryptocurrencies to Keep on Your Radar * 7 Marijuana Penny Stocks That Could Triple (But You Won't Make Money) The post This Chart on Interest Rates Will Have You Finding Stocks to Buy Now appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Investing.com•15 hours ago
Stocks - Dow Pares Losses as Traders Bet on Fed Rescue
Investing.com – Stocks ended the day flat Thursday, after paring the bulk of losses as growing expectations for aggressive Federal Reserve easing lifted sentiment following mixed corporate earnings.
