chameleonseye/iStock Editorial via Getty Images PayPal ( PYPL ) has been one of the worst performers in my portfolio, and this performance forced me to dump most of the position I had built up as I found better plays for the money; however, I still kept a small position to keep me somewhat involved, and with all the changes that are ahead for the company, I will continue to hold the small position...
chameleonseye/iStock Editorial via Getty Images PayPal ( PYPL ) has been one of the worst performers in my portfolio, and this performance forced me to dump most of the position I had built up as I found better plays for the money; however, I still kept a small position to keep me somewhat involved, and with all the changes that are ahead for the company, I will continue to hold the small position and hope that this time is different. Famous last words. The last time I covered PayPal was when I gave it a strong buy, but given all the changes, I am not buying any more right now and will continue to see how the story develops. Briefly on Performance For the full year, the company’s revenues increased around 4% y/y to $33.17B. It’s not an amazing growth by a long stretch, but it is still growing, hanging on, to whatever potential it’s got left in there. In the latest quarter, the company missed slightly on revenue estimates, as well as EPS, but the TPV was above expectations. Venmo continues to be the standout of the bunch, with revenues growing around 20% for the full year, to $1.7B, and TPV for Q4 up 13%. Monthly active accounts crossed 100m. Seeking Alpha In terms of profitability over the last year, overall margins across the board are up slightly, which is a good sign that whatever the now-former CEO Chriss did at least worked a little bit to maintain profitability. For the full year , operating margin improved 154 bps to 18.3%, while on a non-GAAP basis, it improved 87 bps. Workforce reductions and OpEx discipline were two positives that came from the short stint as a CEO, which were clearly tangible improvements in operations. Seeking Alpha Looking at other key efficiency metrics, the high return on equity seems to suggest that the company is able to generate quite a lot of profit from the money shareholders have invested. It has also been increasing in the last year. For return on assets, it sits a little over what I like to see, which is 5%, so it isn’t the wo...
SpaceX said it has an agreement to either acquire AI coding startup Cursor for $60 billion later this year or pay $10 billion for its work together, as it works to catch up to rivals in AI coding. SpaceX announced the deal in a post on X , saying the companies are “now working closely together to create the world’s best coding and knowledge work AI.” SpaceX, which is planning an initial public off...
SpaceX said it has an agreement to either acquire AI coding startup Cursor for $60 billion later this year or pay $10 billion for its work together, as it works to catch up to rivals in AI coding. SpaceX announced the deal in a post on X , saying the companies are “now working closely together to create the world’s best coding and knowledge work AI.” SpaceX, which is planning an initial public offering later this year, recently merged with xAI, Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company. Musk has said it lags behind rivals in AI coding.
As your investment portfolio gets larger, it makes sense to prioritize stability and income over short-term gains. Dividends also feel much more impactful when you have more money to work with. To put this in perspective, a 5% yield on a $1,000 portfolio gives you an extra $50 each year -- that jumps to $50,000 per year on a $1 million portfolio. It's the same percentage yield but with a much more...
As your investment portfolio gets larger, it makes sense to prioritize stability and income over short-term gains. Dividends also feel much more impactful when you have more money to work with. To put this in perspective, a 5% yield on a $1,000 portfolio gives you an extra $50 each year -- that jumps to $50,000 per year on a $1 million portfolio. It's the same percentage yield but with a much more potentially life-changing impact. And over the long term, this money can compound into a comfortable retirement or even lasting generational wealth. Let's explore some reasons why Alpine Income (NYSE: PINE) and Dollar General (NYSE: DG) look like great picks for investors who want to build income-focused portfolios that can stand the test of time. Continue reading
Democratic Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick Resigns Ahead of Ethics Committee Sanctions Hearing Authored by Chase Smith via The Epoch Times, Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) resigned from Congress on Tuesday, stepping down hours before the House Ethics Committee was set to recommend a punishment for the 25 violations of campaign finance law and House rules it found her guilty of last month. The th...
Democratic Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick Resigns Ahead of Ethics Committee Sanctions Hearing Authored by Chase Smith via The Epoch Times, Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) resigned from Congress on Tuesday, stepping down hours before the House Ethics Committee was set to recommend a punishment for the 25 violations of campaign finance law and House rules it found her guilty of last month. The third-term Florida Democrat announced her resignation in a written statement, calling the ethics process a “witch hunt” and saying the committee had denied her new attorney’s request for time to prepare a defense while a federal criminal case against her remains pending. “I will not stand by and pretend that this has been anything other than a witch hunt,” Cherfilus-McCormick said. “I simply cannot stand by and allow my due process rights to be trampled on, and my good name to be tarnished.” “I hereby resign from the 119th Congress, effective immediately,” she said. In a brief hearing Tuesday afternoon, Ethics Committee Chairman Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.) confirmed the panel had lost jurisdiction following the resignation and would not recommend a sanction. He read the resignation letter to the committee into the record, in which Cherfilus-McCormick called it “the honor of my lifetime to serve the people of my district.” “After careful reflection and prayer, I have concluded that it is in my best interest and the interest of my constituents and the institution that I set aside at this time,” she wrote, making her resignation effective at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. Guest defended the 2 1/2-year investigation against what he called claims it had been “a rush to judgment.” “This was a very deliberate process to gather information into allegations that were extremely serious and extremely complicated,” he said, noting the committee interviewed multiple witnesses over two years and reviewed tens of thousands of subpoenaed documents. He said Cherfilus-McCormick had been given “multiple a...
Gold held a two-day decline after US President Donald Trump extended a ceasefire with Iran and plans for a fresh round of peace talks fell apart. Bullion was near $4,720 an ounce in early trading, after falling more than 2% in the previous session. Trump said he would hold off on further strikes until Iran submits a new proposal “and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.” Meanwhile, the...
Gold held a two-day decline after US President Donald Trump extended a ceasefire with Iran and plans for a fresh round of peace talks fell apart. Bullion was near $4,720 an ounce in early trading, after falling more than 2% in the previous session. Trump said he would hold off on further strikes until Iran submits a new proposal “and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.” Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz remains closed to shipping, with Iran saying it won’t reopen the vital waterway while the US maintains its own blockade of vessels coming to and from the Islamic Republic. Read More: Trump Extends Iran Truce, Maintains Blockade as Talks Falter Oil held gains on Wednesday, while a gauge of the dollar ended the previous session up 0.4%, pressuring gold that’s priced in the US currency. Now in its eighth week, the war has triggered an unprecedented energy-supply shock that has heightened inflationary risks, making central banks more likely to hold interest rates steady or even raise them — a headwind for non-yielding bullion. Gold has lost more than 10% since the conflict began. Bullion was also weighed down by Kevin Warsh’s pledge to act independently if confirmed as the next Federal Reserve chair. In testimony before the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday, Trump’s pick to lead the US central bank said a new framework was needed to deal with persistent inflation, without being more specific. Read More: Warsh Pledges Independence But Dodges Questions on Rates Investors expect Warsh – known for his hawkish stance on inflation – to pursue a measured approach to lowering borrowing costs rather than the more aggressive rate cuts urged by Trump. Spot gold was little changed at $4,720.89 an ounce as of 6:07 a.m. Singapore time. Silver edged 0.2% higher to $76.87 an ounce, while platinum and palladium were lower.
(RTTNews) - Amazon is stepping up its game in the booming weight-loss market by rolling out a new GLP-1 management program through Amazon One Medical. With the goal to make it easier for people to access obesity treatments and weave them into regular healthcare routines.
(RTTNews) - Amazon is stepping up its game in the booming weight-loss market by rolling out a new GLP-1 management program through Amazon One Medical. With the goal to make it easier for people to access obesity treatments and weave them into regular healthcare routines.
Westy72 The dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development last year has evolved from a political flashpoint into a broader economic story, exposing how deeply federal agencies and their contractor ecosystems are woven into the Washington region’s labor market and consumer economy, the New York Times reported Monday. For investors, the episode highlights the economic leverage of gove...
Westy72 The dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development last year has evolved from a political flashpoint into a broader economic story, exposing how deeply federal agencies and their contractor ecosystems are woven into the Washington region’s labor market and consumer economy, the New York Times reported Monday. For investors, the episode highlights the economic leverage of government payrolls and procurement spending, particularly in regions heavily dependent on public-sector activity. Sharp reductions in federal employment can weigh on housing demand, local banks, consumer spending and service-sector businesses. Companies tied to consulting, outsourcing, healthcare administration, education and real estate in the Washington metro area may face softer demand when federal dollars retreat. The situation also underscores how policy shifts can quickly reshape employment trends and regional growth prospects. Nearly all of USAID’s roughly 16,000 employees were dismissed, while hundreds of thousands of contractors, nonprofit partners and overseas hires tied to agency programs also lost work. One year later, many former employees remain unemployed or underemployed, according to interviews and informal surveys cited by former staffers, the Times reported. The effects extend beyond individual job losses. Cuts to USAID coincided with wider reductions in federal staffing, grants and contract spending, helping push Washington, D.C., to the highest unemployment rate in the nation at 6.7%, the report said. Former workers described drawing down savings, tapping retirement accounts, moving in with relatives and relying on public assistance while navigating a weak job market. For supporters of the cuts, the USAID overhaul represented a long-overdue crackdown on what they viewed as a bloated bureaucracy that funneled taxpayer money into inefficient programs and ideologically driven causes overseas. Many affected workers came from specialized fields such as internat...
The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) fell 0.63% to 7,064.01, the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX:^IXIC) slipped 0.59% to 24,259.96, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES:^DJI) declined 0.59% to 49,149.38 as uncertainty about the U.S.-Iran conflict weighed on markets.
The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) fell 0.63% to 7,064.01, the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX:^IXIC) slipped 0.59% to 24,259.96, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES:^DJI) declined 0.59% to 49,149.38 as uncertainty about the U.S.-Iran conflict weighed on markets.
The S&P 500 Index ($SPX ) (SPY ) on Tuesday closed down -0.63%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI ) (DIA ) closed down -0.59%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX ) (QQQ ) closed down -0.42%. June E-mini S&P futures (ESM26 ) fell -0.62%, and June E-mini Nasdaq futures...
The S&P 500 Index ($SPX ) (SPY ) on Tuesday closed down -0.63%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI ) (DIA ) closed down -0.59%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX ) (QQQ ) closed down -0.42%. June E-mini S&P futures (ESM26 ) fell -0.62%, and June E-mini Nasdaq futures...
FEATURE SpaceX is meeting with aerospace and tech analysts in Boca Chica, Texas, ahead of its trillion-dollar IPO. Some numbers have started to leak out. They are impressive. (And Barron’s did a decent job projecting a few of them.
FEATURE SpaceX is meeting with aerospace and tech analysts in Boca Chica, Texas, ahead of its trillion-dollar IPO. Some numbers have started to leak out. They are impressive. (And Barron’s did a decent job projecting a few of them.
Lucid (NASDAQ: LCID) stock closed out Tuesday's trading with big gains. The electric vehicles (EV) company's share price gained 5.3% in a session that saw the S&P 500 fall 0.7% and the Nasdaq Composite decline 0.6%. The stock had been up as much as 13.9% at one point in the day's trading. Lucid shares moved higher today on a recent disclosure that Uber holds a larger-than-expected share in the com...
Lucid (NASDAQ: LCID) stock closed out Tuesday's trading with big gains. The electric vehicles (EV) company's share price gained 5.3% in a session that saw the S&P 500 fall 0.7% and the Nasdaq Composite decline 0.6%. The stock had been up as much as 13.9% at one point in the day's trading. Lucid shares moved higher today on a recent disclosure that Uber holds a larger-than-expected share in the company. Even with today's pop, the stock is down roughly 33% year to date. Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading