mysondanube/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Starbucks Corporation ( SBUX ) is no longer an easy bear case, which I think is an awkward development for anyone hoping the story would stay simple. For a while, the problems were obvious. Traffic was weak, stores felt stretched, China was under pressure, labour costs were rising, and mobile ordering had turned parts of the business into a caffeinated...
mysondanube/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Starbucks Corporation ( SBUX ) is no longer an easy bear case, which I think is an awkward development for anyone hoping the story would stay simple. For a while, the problems were obvious. Traffic was weak, stores felt stretched, China was under pressure, labour costs were rising, and mobile ordering had turned parts of the business into a caffeinated DMV queue. The brand clearly still had power and consumer recognition, but the experience often felt less premium than the price tag implied. I think that is a dangerous gap for a company that sells not just coffee, but also habit, convenience, and a small daily indulgence wrapped in a green siren logo. The good news is the latest evidence suggests the gap is starting to narrow. CEO Brian Niccol's turnaround is showing signs of life, with U.S. transactions improving, store execution getting better, Rewards engagement strengthening, and management sounding more focused on operations than on corporate mood music. Starbucks appears to be rediscovering a basic truth that somehow became less obvious over time. That is that customers paying premium prices generally prefer getting their drinks correctly, quickly, and without feeling like they have wandered into a live demonstration of bottleneck theory. I think the operating progress deserves credit. However, I also think the current valuation shows that the market already gives Starbucks plenty of it. At recent prices, Starbucks trades at roughly 40x forward earnings and more than 30x forward one-year earnings. This is not a " nobody believes in the turnaround" multiple. I think this is more of a " please execute beautifully, and preferably without spilling oat milk on the model" multiple. My view is straightforward. Starbucks is getting better, but the stock already assumes a lot of recovery. So, while the turnaround is real, so is the price. In light of this, for now, I would rate the shares as a Hold. The business is improvin...
Insight with Haslinda Amin, a daily news program featuring in-depth, high-profile interviews and analysis to give viewers the complete picture on the stories that matter. The show features prominent leaders spanning the worlds of business, finance, politics and culture. (Source: Bloomberg)
Insight with Haslinda Amin, a daily news program featuring in-depth, high-profile interviews and analysis to give viewers the complete picture on the stories that matter. The show features prominent leaders spanning the worlds of business, finance, politics and culture. (Source: Bloomberg)
格隆汇6月8日丨在伊朗发动导弹袭击后，以色列表示已对其境内的军事目标进行打击，此举威胁到中东地区脆弱的停火局面，同时使谈判也陷入困境，受此影响，原油价格大幅飙升，布伦特原油日内一度大涨5%。利波石油咨询公司总裁安迪·利波表示，周末以色列与伊朗之间的冲突升级，再次向市场展示了停火是多么脆弱。敌对行动的加剧带来了更大的地缘政治风险，即霍尔木兹海峡的关闭时间可能长于预期，同时伊朗采取额外措施限制红海航运的可能性也在上升。芝加哥Karobaar Capital LP首席投资官哈里斯·库尔希德表示，市场此前低估了相关各方之间仍然存在的巨大分歧，并一直在为达成协议的可能性定价和为现实定价之间摇摆不定。而即使美伊达成了和平协议，多重障碍仍会阻碍石油流动的正常恢复。这些障碍包括：必须清除霍尔木兹海峡的水雷，关闭的油田可能需要数月才能重启，以及无人机和导弹袭击对能源基础设施造成的损坏需要修复。
Ole_CNX/iStock via Getty Images The first trading week in June was a memorable one. Despite first quarter earnings season now largely being over, there was plenty of news for investors to digest. And the coming week might be a critical one for the markets for myriad reasons. How equities end up by next Friday could determine the market's trajectory through this summer. So, let's recap the last wee...
Ole_CNX/iStock via Getty Images The first trading week in June was a memorable one. Despite first quarter earnings season now largely being over, there was plenty of news for investors to digest. And the coming week might be a critical one for the markets for myriad reasons. How equities end up by next Friday could determine the market's trajectory through this summer. So, let's recap the last week and highlight the key events in the week ahead. U.S. Monthly Job Creation (BLS, ZeroHedge ) First, the good news about last week. On Friday, the May BLS jobs report came in much better than expected before the bell, and the prior two months’ jobs numbers were revised up encouragingly. Some 172,000 positions were created last month, more than double the consensus. Both the BLS report and Household survey showed an increase in jobs for the first time in months. The unemployment rate stayed steady at 4.3%. Average wages rose 3.4% over the past 12 months; under recent inflation readings, it should be noted. BLS, Zero Hedge Notably, almost all the job gains came from healthcare, local government, and hospitality. Hardly the most productive parts of the economy, but that is quibbling a bit. Friday's BLS jobs report also followed a surge in job openings for April to their highest levels since May 2024, which were disclosed earlier in the week. 1-Year Bitcoin Chart (MarketWatch) And now for the negatives that came out last week. Bitcoin fell further and went under the $60,000 level briefly for the first time since 2024. This cryptocurrency has now been cut by more than half since its highs last October. A prime example of how hard and fast a correction can happen once a bubble pops. On a more optimistic note, massive AI data centers could certainly utilize all the electricity that currently goes into bitcoin mining. Friday's hot jobs report caused the yield on the 10-Year treasury to back up past the 4.5% threshold as it pushed any additional rate reductions out further on the ho...
(RTTNews) - NVIDIA Corp. (NVDA) announced an expanded partnership with NAVER Corp. (035420.KS), which plans to scale AI factories from an initial 55 megawatts to gigawatt capacity using NVIDIA's DSX platform.
(RTTNews) - NVIDIA Corp. (NVDA) announced an expanded partnership with NAVER Corp. (035420.KS), which plans to scale AI factories from an initial 55 megawatts to gigawatt capacity using NVIDIA's DSX platform.
Alexyz3d/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis I rate Kraken Robotics Inc. ( KRKNF ) a Hold. I see the company as one of the most strategically compelling small-cap names in the defence and technology industry, and I have a good conviction in both the quality of the business model and the management’s performance. The company is also benefiting from good tailwinds in subsea autonomy trends acr...
Alexyz3d/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis I rate Kraken Robotics Inc. ( KRKNF ) a Hold. I see the company as one of the most strategically compelling small-cap names in the defence and technology industry, and I have a good conviction in both the quality of the business model and the management’s performance. The company is also benefiting from good tailwinds in subsea autonomy trends across the NATO allies and the Indo-Pacific tensions. Kraken is also showing good technological moats, thanks to the partnership with Anduril, that is giving the company the possibility to embed its SeaPower batteries in Anduril’s Ghost Shark platform. Regarding the other business lines, Kraken’s SAS portfolio has no direct competition from other smaller competitors, and the Covelya acquisition will provide the company with the possibility of becoming the only full-stack platform for subsea intelligence. Even if the geopolitical context is favourable and the company is showing incredible abilities in expanding margins and scaling revenues, my DCF analysis returned an implied share price near to the current trading levels, suggesting that the market is already pricing in a good part of the company’s growth expectations. My view on Kraken’s execution abilities and growth perspectives remains positive, but I am waiting on the sideline for the moment, as I prefer to observe the first financials of the combined entity (Kraken + Covelya) before deciding to commit capital at the current market price. Introduction and Business Overview Kraken Robotics is a subsea intelligence company; in other words, it builds the eyes, the brain, and the fundamental muscles of the whole ecosystem of underwater robots. The applications of its technologies are multiple, spanning from the defence industry to commercial offshore energy and scientific explorations; geographically, the company is operating in more than 30 countries, confirming its broad appeal in business relationships. In terms of segment...
(RTTNews) - European stocks are seen opening on a sluggish note Monday, with Middle East concerns and rate hike worries likely to keep investors on edge.
(RTTNews) - European stocks are seen opening on a sluggish note Monday, with Middle East concerns and rate hike worries likely to keep investors on edge.