11147

The World’s Most Successful Conglomerate Buys… Itself

The pandemic saw a rapid drop in companies paying out dividends or buying back shares. That trend has now reversed. Even though most stocks are above pre-pandemic levels and have been for some time, buybacks are still moving higher. One such company that’s gotten into the buyback game in recent quarters is Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-B). The conglomerate operated by Warren Buffett has been making small purchases of its shares, with an estimated $6.4 billion buyback in the current quarter. Buffett follows the ...
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11143

Is It Time for Short Squeeze 2.0?

Possibly. The past few weeks have seen AMC Entertainment (AMC) raise billions of dollars in capital from selling shares at market, and retiring debt. And earlier this week, GameStop (GME) announced it completed a 5-million share sale as well. By raising this capital, these companies are now well-funded for future expansions. And by paying off debt, they improve their cash flows by avoiding interest payments as well. That doesn’t even get into the possibility of a short squeeze. While the market is ...
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11138

This Tech Infrastructure Play Offers Growth and Value

With traders uncertain as to the market’s next move, a great way to find opportunities is to look for the best values in each sector. For big tech, only a few companies look attractive now. That’s because the market rally of the past year has led to a high valuation in terms of earnings, sales, and other traditional measures. However, some values remain, particularly in a company that largely sat out the rally and can move higher. The big tech play? Cisco ...
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11135

This “Stealth Rally” Has a Few More Weeks to Peak

The past week has seen a big shift in investor sentiment following the latest Fed meeting and inflation fears. While some sectors like tech have performed relatively better, one market has been in a strong uptrend for the past few months. And, from a seasonal perspective, it’s also an area that will likely have its strongest demand over the next few weeks, until downshifting in the fall. That sector is the energy space, particularly oil. Prices of crude are at two-year highs, ...
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11125

Whether Working Remotely or in office, Software Companies Will Continue to Reign

Tech stocks started moving higher overall last week as inflation expectations dropped following the latest Federal Reserve meeting minutes. In the tech space, software companies offer excellent returns overall, as they require little (if any) physical production. That keeps profit margins high. For corporate software, the trends are steady even as work trends oscillate between being remote or in office. One such winner? Adobe (ADBE). The creative software company just trounced its earnings late last week, announcing a 23 percent rise in ...
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11119

How Big Data Won Over the Small Investor

Of the many companies that have attracted the interest of retail investors the past year, many are small or mid-cap companies, worth a few billion at most. One of the larger plays is also one that has recently gone public in the past year. That company is Palantir Technologies (PLTR). The company is in the business of “big data,” processing seemingly unrelated bits of information to arrive at conclusions. A big contractor with governments, the company helped locate Osama bin Laden, among ...
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11115

Strong Operational Performance Trumps Weak Guidance and Creates Buying Opportunity

One lingering effect of the pandemic has been weak guidance from companies when reporting earnings. Many are still deferring from making forward-looking statements at all, and the market prefers to hear a rosy picture. Without it, a company may even sell off when it reports solid earnings. Case in point? Oracle (ORCL). The tech giant saw triple-digit growth in its cloud infrastructure business, yet provided weak guidance, leading to a drop in shares. Even with a post-earnings drop, shares are still beating ...
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11104

This New Retail Favorite Stock Has Staying Power

The past few weeks have seen a resurgence in trades popular with retail, rather than professional, investors. Some of these companies have some good stories behind them, and others have a good story and a good company behind them. Case in point? Wendy’s (WEN). The hamburger chain has become a favorite play on messaging boards. And with an astute social media presence, as well as a new app and loyalty program, it’s making burgers feel high-tech. The popularity hasn’t been lost on ...
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