Category Archives

137 Articles

Email

Google is buying JD.com for $550 Million

Posted on

JD.com is kind of a big deal in China… ranking as the country’s second-largest online retailer. Google (GOOGL) will promote JD.com’s (JD) products on its Google Shopping platform. JD.com will also gain much needed exposure across Southeast Asia, the United States and Europe.

Everybody is good for somethin’… I think? I’ll let you ponder that one – but that statement at least holds true for Google and JD.com. Google is great with technology and JD.com can manage the supply chain for products. A beneficial partnership for both that provides each company with exciting new opportunities.

Standing up to the bullies… of e-commerce. The bullies being Amazon (AMZN) and Alibaba (BABA), of course. This partnership will give the pair a fighting chance to give us, the consumers, a shopping experience like none other. Upon announcement, JD.com was up 7.59% in the pre-market.

Read more

Email

Apple, Oprah Winfrey – A Winning Combination?

Posted on

Move over Netflix… it may be time to “Apple and chill?” Apple is gearing up to compete against the likes of Amazon and Netflix, for our attention, with their own original content. Oprah Winfrey and Apple will be working together to captivate audiences around the world as part of the new original content from Apple.

So long, productivity… over the past year, Apple has teamed up with the likes of Reese Witherspoon, Steven Spielberg, Octavia Spencer and Kevin Durant, to produce more than a dozen original shows. This is exciting, but there is already a plethora of original content out there. What are we to do other than binge-watch a few (or more) shows to see if Apple can live up to the hype?

The takeaway… there is no doubt that Apple has done many things right over the years – but what do they know about making television? Not a whole lot, but that is where Oprah (and others) fit in. The company hopes to keep customers captivated in their world with phones, television, apps, and now, original content. An interesting step into new territory for the tech giant. Check it out

Email

How Could a Trade War with China Impact the Stock Market?

Posted on

Made in China… the Trump administration has entered into a trade war between the world’s two largest economies: The United States (duh) and China. On Friday, the United States announced tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods. China responded with tariffs of its own which could impact some of our favorite companies. After the dust had settled, the stock market ended down for the day.

We’re going down…the Dow is now on a four-day losing streak and had some prominent names, including Apple (AAPL), Boeing (BA), Caterpillar (CAT), and Intel (INTC) taking losses. These companies are especially vulnerable to a trade-war because they generate a good chunk of change directly from China. Even though they have not been directly impacted yet, the uncertainty looms large, and with uncertainty comes risk.

Stay tuned… stocks with the most exposure to the Chinese market may become more volatile while this conflict remains unresolved. Still, there are stocks coming out ahead, including Netflix (NFLX), Costco (COST), and railroad Union Pacific (UNP). These are companies that have more exposure to the US market and less to lose in a trade-war.

Let’s take a step back and breathe because it is not quite time to hit the panic button. Let’s keep our attention on Trump (just as he likes) and see how this progresses in the coming weeks. Read more

Email

Canada Goose Soars after Surprise Q4 Profit

Posted on
Canada Goose Soars after Surprise Q4 Profit

Winter weather advisory: cold, snow, and patches… you know, the red, white, and blue ones featuring a birds-eye view of the North Pole (NOT Canada, for the geographically challenged). Canada Goose (GOOS) soared by 33% after reporting earnings per share of 7-cents and blowing out Wall Street’s estimate of a 7-cent loss per share. This was the company’s best one-day performance to date.

Not just a fad… now we are past the one-year anniversary mark for the coat-maker and have seen the company share price increase nearly five times from its initial IPO of just under $13. On top of that, they may just be scratching the surface, as the company has plans for retail expansion in 2018 and will expand e-commerce in China.

Clear skies ahead… the company expects annual revenue growth of at least twenty percent and earnings growth of twenty-five percent over the next three years. In other words, they are expecting to sell more and earn more in the near future – an optimistic outlook that shareholders should be happy to see.

So be sure to keep an eye on the Goose as it may continue to lay golden eggs for years to come. Find out more

Email

Wall Street Enjoys ‘Merger Madness’

Posted on
Wall Street Enjoys ‘Merger Madness’

“Aaaaagghh! It's not a liquid! It's a great many pieces of solid matter that form a hard floor-like surface!”

The peer pressure is on… after AT&T’s big win. The recent court ruling has given the green-light on “vertical mergers.” This is important for media companies and other industries because of the uncertainty previously held about these types of mergers. Now that we know they can be done, the fun can begin!

(In case you didn’t know, vertical mergers are when two companies that do not compete directly join forces.)

It’s love at first sight… and it is officially corporate marriage season. This is great news for investment banks because they collect hefty fees for bringing corporations to the alter and tying the knot. If Comcast (CMCSA) can successfully land 21st Century Fox (FOXA), Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Goldman Sachs could be splitting close to half a billion dollars in fees. And we are talking about just ONE deal of the many that are anticipated to follow.

So, who is next… shares of Discovery (DISCA), CBS (CBS), and Lions Gate (LGFA) all saw a bump after the AT&T deal was pushed through; but it’s not just media companies to look after. We have already seen vertical mergers, such as Cigna (CI) merging with Express Scripts (ESRX) and CVS (CVS) teaming up with Aetna (AET).

So, go ahead Wall Street execs and splurge on that new mansion/yacht/sports car – but please, don’t take your windfalls and try to play Scrooge McDuck in the basement. Read more

FamilyGuy

“Aaaaagghh! It’s not a liquid! It’s a great many pieces of solid matter that form a hard floor-like surface!”

Email

AT&T, Time Warner – the deal is done like dinner

Posted on
AT&T, Time Warner – the deal is done like dinner

Big Deal

Nearly two years in the works… And the AT&T takeover of Time Warner is complete! The Justice Department has decided against seeking a stay and will allow the deal to close. This sets the stage for other companies to follow suit and join forces of their own.

Move over Netflix… For a mere $85B, AT&T can deliver Time Warner programming to the company’s millions of wireless, internet, and video customers. In theory, this will allow AT&T to go toe-to-toe with other beloved content providers, including Netflix and Amazon Prime. Just like our boy Floyd Money Mayweather.

More to come… The justice Department may appeal the ruling in the case. In the meantime, keep an eye out for Comcast and Disney as they continue to covet Fox. These moves may become more important as other companies jockey for position in an increasingly competitive industry.

Read more

Email

Good news for Ethereum, other cryptocurrencies

Posted on

The SEC won’t let me be (or will they?)… If you were on planet Earth in 2017 than you probably caught wind of the cryptocurrency madness. The top three cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ripple climbed 4.9%, 7.7%, and 5.9%, respectively, on Thursday. Predictably, these price increases can be attributed to the SEC determining that Ethereum is not a security after all.

No security? No problem… At least that is how “crypto-investors” are feeling. The SEC has ruled that Ethereum is “sufficiently decentralized.” In English, this means that decision-making is spread out so that not one individual can receive information that can be used to their unfair advantage (think insider trading). This is the SEC saying that Ethereum, among other decentralized cryptocurrencies, are not worth their time.

The bottom line… The most popular cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin and Ethereum, needn’t follow the same rules designed for stocks. For now, we have escaped the regulatory crackdown that many were totally unsure about – finally, some good news for the crypto enthusiasts.

Read more