• PrimeEnergy Resources reported earnings per share of $4.41.
• The company reported revenue of $42.42 million.

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• ABVC BioPharma reported earnings per share of -40 cents.
• The company reported revenue of $1,205.

InvestorPlace Earnings is a project that leverages data from TradeSmith to automate coverage of quarterly earnings reports. InvestorPlace Earnings distills key takeaways including earnings per share and revenue, as well as how a company stacks up to analyst estimates. These articles are published without human intervention, allowing us to inform our readers of the latest figures as quickly as possible. To report any concerns or inaccuracies, please contact us at editor@investorplace.com.

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• ThermoGenesis Holdings reported earnings per share of -46 cents. This was below the analyst estimate for EPS of 1 cent.
• The company reported revenue of $2.74 million.
• This was 27.97% worse than the analyst estimate for revenue of $3.80 million.

InvestorPlace Earnings is a project that leverages data from TradeSmith to automate coverage of quarterly earnings reports. InvestorPlace Earnings distills key takeaways including earnings per share and revenue, as well as how a company stacks up to analyst estimates. These articles are published without human intervention, allowing us to inform our readers of the latest figures as quickly as possible. To report any concerns or inaccuracies, please contact us at editor@investorplace.com.

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The post THMO Stock Earnings: ThermoGenesis Holdings Misses EPS, Misses Revenue for Q1 2024 appeared first on InvestorPlace.

• Arena Group Holdings reported earnings per share of -46 cents.
• The company reported revenue of $28.94 million.

InvestorPlace Earnings is a project that leverages data from TradeSmith to automate coverage of quarterly earnings reports. InvestorPlace Earnings distills key takeaways including earnings per share and revenue, as well as how a company stacks up to analyst estimates. These articles are published without human intervention, allowing us to inform our readers of the latest figures as quickly as possible. To report any concerns or inaccuracies, please contact us at editor@investorplace.com.

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The post AREN Stock Earnings: Arena Group Holdings Reported Results for Q1 2024 appeared first on InvestorPlace.

• Digital Ally reported earnings per share of -$1.37.
• The company reported revenue of $5.53 million.

InvestorPlace Earnings is a project that leverages data from TradeSmith to automate coverage of quarterly earnings reports. InvestorPlace Earnings distills key takeaways including earnings per share and revenue, as well as how a company stacks up to analyst estimates. These articles are published without human intervention, allowing us to inform our readers of the latest figures as quickly as possible. To report any concerns or inaccuracies, please contact us at editor@investorplace.com.

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A progression of dominos is tipping over today…and the final one casts a dark shadow over your income and savings.

We’ll begin with the figure “$6,218.”

This is the average credit card debt carried by your typical U.S. consumer. It’s up a whopping 8.5% from last year.

According to a report released earlier this week by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, a growing number of U.S. households are coming under major financial pressure, resulting in rising credit card delinquencies.

From CNBC:

Over the last year, roughly 8.9% of credit card balances transitioned into delinquency, the New York Fed reported.

According to TransUnion’s research, “serious delinquencies,” or those 90 days or more past due, reached the highest level since 2010.

Yesterday, Walmart released earnings, showing better than expected results. However, a deeper analysis reveals who’s most responsible for those profits.

From Yahoo! Finance:

Online sales in the United States surged 22%, surpassing the 17% growth it posted during the typically robust holiday season. Growth was driven by…households earning more than $100,000 per year.

“It was nice to see that sales increased because of volumes and not just prices. The dispiriting aspect is that wealthier consumers are continuing to do the heavy lifting,” said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management…

While Americans have generally managed to navigate through higher prices, prolonged inflation has sparked worries that lower-income consumers might be more pressured and potentially slow down an anticipated recovery in spending.

This conclusion echoes the CNBC article we highlighted on Monday titled “McDonald’s and other big brands warn that low-income consumers are starting to crack”:

Some of America’s best-known corporations are saying their consumers are being pinched by inflation as prices continue rising…

“It is clear that broad-based consumer pressures persist around the world,” McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said on the fast-food chain’s earnings call early Tuesday.

But as we just noted, these “consumer pressures” aren’t being felt equally. We’re seeing a widening of the divergence between the top 20% of American earners and the bottom 80%.

Inflation makes all sorts of items and goods more expensive. But for those Americans who own these items and goods – think assets such as real estate, stocks, commodities, collectibles, etc. – their wealth has mostly floated atop the rising tide of inflation.

Take residential real estate and stocks…

Here we are at or near all-time highs in both asset classes, thanks in large part to the trillions of dollars printed by the government that flooded our economy in the wake of the pandemic, eventually finding their way into the stock and housing markets.

And who owns stocks and homes? Well, mostly the top 20% of earners, as you can see below:

(The various shades of blue represent real estate, stocks, retirement accounts, private businesses, and other assets.)

To be clear, the after-inflation value of these assets might not have increased all that much. But from an optics perspective, these Americans undoubtedly appear wealthier while lower-income Americans are increasingly pinched.

We’re reminded of a quote from French businessman and economist, Frederic Bastiat in the 19th century:

When false money, under whatever form it may take, is put into circulation, depreciation will ensue, and manifest itself by the universal rise of everything that is capable of being sold.

But this rise in prices is not instantaneous and equal for all things. Sharp men, brokers, men of business, will not suffer by it; for it is their trade to watch the fluctuation of prices, to observe the cause. And even to speculate upon it.

But little tradesmen, countrymen and workmen, will bear the whole weight of it.

If you want a reminder about this “false money…put into circulation,” last year, The Kobeissi Letter reported that since 2020, the U.S. has printed nearly 80% of all the U.S. dollars in circulation.

From The Kobeissi Letter:

To put that in perspective, at the start of 2020 we had ~$4 trillion in circulation.

Now, there is nearly $19 TRILLION in circulation, a 375% jump in 3 years.

We are paying the price for trillions of Dollars that were printed seemingly overnight.

In the year since The Kobeissi Letter published this, our M2 Money Supply has risen ever higher – from nearly $19 trillion to more than $21 trillion.

Now, here’s where things take a frustrating turn for me…

Let’s be clear – it was the government’s own policy of fire-hosing the economy with money that played an enormous role in the recent widening of the wealth gap. So many of those trillions of dollars eventually flowed to Americans with assets.

But instead of owning up to that, the resulting wealth divergence has now become a political talking point.

“The rich have gotten even richer. They must pay their fair share.”

Now, I’d like to avoid a potential misunderstanding: I’m not against the rich or the affluent paying more in taxes (or various corporations). But I am very much against a deliberate misrepresentation of the truth about taxation.

Here are the numbers from The Wall Street Journal:

The top-earning 1%, which makes 18% of all income, paid 25% of all federal taxes and 40% of all income taxes.

The bottom-earning 60% earned 23% of income but paid only 13% of federal taxes.

That population included the bottom-earning 40%, which had a combined average income-tax rate of negative 6.4%.

America’s top tax rates often exceed international norms. Our top income-tax bracket of 43.7%—including typical state taxes—exceeds that of the standard OECD nation (40.4%). 

Sure, our wealthy could pay more in taxes. But the idea that they aren’t paying their “fair share” is naïve at best and intentionally divisive from our political leaders at worst.

I write this as someone who is not in the top income bracket, but who has eyes and a willingness to see the truth.

Would that solve our government’s debt/spending problem and the inflation-fueled wealth gap?

Beginning with alleviating our government’s debt burden, here’s Brian Riedl, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, published in the WSJ:

As budget deficits surge toward the stratosphere, Congress will soon have to get serious about savings proposals. Yet reforming Social Security and Medicare—the leading drivers of long-term deficits—remains a political nonstarter.

Neither party is willing to raise middle-class taxes. And cutting defense and social spending would save at most $200 billion annually from deficits that are projected to approach $3 trillion by 2034.

That leaves one option: Tax the rich. It won’t be nearly enough…

It’s farcical…to suggest that the tax-the-rich pot of gold is large enough to rein in our deficits and finance new spending programs.

Seizing every dollar of income earned over $500,000 wouldn’t balance the budget. Liquidating every dollar of billionaire wealth would fund the federal government for only nine months.

Riedl dives into greater detail on the mess our government has created, eventually dovetailing into our final domino – you and me (underline added):

As deficits soar toward 10% of GDP, taxing the rich can certainly be on the table as part of a deficit-reduction package. Yet most savings will have to come from Social Security and healthcare spending, which are driving long-term deficits upward.

Any major tax component will also have to include the middle class.

The tax-the-rich solution is a fantasy.

I believe most people would be in favor of reasonable, effective steps to help those on the low end of the economic spectrum. The challenge is what happens when rubber meets road.

Let’s look at an example…

Home equity is a huge contributor to the overall net worths of millions of Americans. Between 2020 and last summer, the price of the average U.S. home exploded 44%.

So, on paper, we now have an even greater wealth disparity (in large part due to our government’s own policy). What’s the solution?

Does the government tax homeowners on these unrealized gains and then redistribute those proceeds to non-homeowners? How many Americans have the liquidity to pay a tax bill on a 44% climb in the value of their home equity?

While that might sound crazy, recently in the Digest, we profiled President Biden’s plan to tax unrealized capital gains on ultra-wealthy Americans. Given our government’s toxic financial position, why are we to believe such a policy wouldn’t eventually widen to impact more regular Americans?

Meanwhile, what’s mentioned less frequently is that our system is already far more redistributionist than our political leaders let on.

From Bloomberg:

I have news for you: The United States is becoming more redistributionist. Whether you like it or not.

The broader historical trends show that the US tax-and-transfer system is getting more progressive, including in recent years. And the US government is increasingly redistributing wealth to the bottom half of the income distribution.

This portrait belies the common view that the US doesn’t have a “real” welfare state, at least as compared to, say, the Nordic countries…

The Bloomberg article dives into all sorts of details which we don’t have time to flesh out today. But here’s their bottom line:

Cliches about the US are easy to come by. While conservatives like to suggest that income redistribution is by its very nature anti-American, progressives say that America is uniquely cruel in its rejection of the welfare state.

Neither narrative is quite correct. As America gets more wealthy, the data show, it is redistributing more of its wealth.

At the end of the day, there’s no easy answer here. But as we connect the breadcrumbs between rising credit card debt, inflation, wealth disparity, and our government’s endless need for more money, one thing becomes increasingly clear…

Get ready to give more to Uncle Sam.

Circling back to the investment implications, the importance of generating wealth from the markets today while conditions are decidedly bullish is magnified.

And that’s our goal here in the Digest. We’re thrilled to be able to bring you the research and investment ideas from some of the smartest, most successful analysts in the business.

We’ll bring you more details in upcoming Digests, but here’s the preview of the latest trade idea from our macro expert 91¶¶Òõ…

There’s something interesting happening in the Rust Belt today. In short, it’s a revitalization through high-tech industries that are relocating to the area.

Eric has been tracking this “Rust Belt revival” and the investment implications:

As investors, capitalizing on this trend is not particularly easy… or obvious.

However, I’ve identified one sector that sits at the nexus of AI and the Rust Belt Renaissance… and the one company within that sector that I believe will be the next trillion-dollar AI company.

We’ll go over all the details on that sector during my special strategy session, The Next $1 Trillion AI Stock, scheduled for Tuesday, May 21, at 7 p.m. Eastern time. And we’ll explore how we can make 40 years of Nvidia-type gains on that stock in just months.

We’ll bring you more details on this on Monday, but to go ahead and reserve your seat for this event, click here.

Have a good evening,

Jeff Remsburg

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The post Consumers Are Cracking…How It’ll Impact You appeared first on InvestorPlace.

• Better Choice Co reported earnings per share of -$3.60.
• The company reported revenue of $7.90 million.

InvestorPlace Earnings is a project that leverages data from TradeSmith to automate coverage of quarterly earnings reports. InvestorPlace Earnings distills key takeaways including earnings per share and revenue, as well as how a company stacks up to analyst estimates. These articles are published without human intervention, allowing us to inform our readers of the latest figures as quickly as possible. To report any concerns or inaccuracies, please contact us at editor@investorplace.com.

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A cheap stock can be measured by fundamentals like its price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio. However, in many cases, a stock’s price is the barometer of cheap or expensive. In this article, we’re looking at stocks trading for $20 or less.

At this price, investors get the benefit of accumulating a significant amount of shares for a modest investment. Another advantage of finding undervalued cheap stocks under $20 is that a little price movement can have significant benefits for your portfolio. Here are seven stocks that look undervalued but have catalysts for future growth.

Clean Energy Fuels (CLNE)

Clean Energy Fuels (NASDAQ:CLNE) stock is down 42% in the last 12 months, and it’s not hard to understand why. The company’s primary business comes from renewable natural gas that the company provides for heavy-duty trucks, buses and other large vehicles in North America.

But natural gas prices have been kept in check, along with the price of oil. That could be changing, however, as surging demand for natural gas seems inevitable.

Many analysts predict the demand for data centers to support artificial intelligence (AI) applications will require amounts of energy that current renewable energy resources will be insufficient to meet. Natural gas may be able to fill that need. 

And while Clean Energy Fuels isn’t directly involved in providing natural gas for data centers it’s a case of a commodity being the rising tide that lifts all boats. In this case, the increased demand for natural gas will lift the entire sector.

Clean Energy Fuels is currently a penny stock trading at just $2.62 per share. But analysts don’t believe it will be a penny stock for long. The consensus price target of eight analysts for CLNE stock is $7.00, 167% higher than its current price, and is listed as a Strong Buy.

Kinder Morgan (KMI)

The theme of rising demand for natural gas will also be a catalyst for Kinder Morgan (NYSE:KMI). This is a midstream company that owns an expansive network of oil and natural gas pipelines in the United States and Canada. 

And there’s another reason to believe that natural gas prices may be moving higher. As Josh Enomoto wrote, you can feel the geopolitical screws tightening as it relates to oil. Russia’s war against Ukraine and rising tensions in the Middle East give investors a reason to consider energy stocks that will be a critical link in the supply chain.

KMI stock is up 14% in the last three months. However, over the last three years, the stock has been range-bound. That’s what makes this a critical moment for one of the undervalued cheap stocks. At around $19.60 per share, the stock is butting up against what has been a level of resistance. If the stock breaks out, analysts may start to raise their price targets above the consensus target of $20.31.

DigitalBridge Group (DBRG)

DigitalBridge Group (NYSE:DBRG) gives you another way to invest in the increased demand for data centers. Specifically, DigitalBridge is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that invests heavily in data centers. The company manages $75 billion in digital infrastructure assets.

The bullish case for DigitalBridge will depend on profitability. That will likely come in time as the company (i.e., the asset manager) earns a fee on every dollar of equity it manages.

That said, the company is already posting revenue and earnings growing year-over-year. That adds credibility to the analysts’ projections for 38% earnings growth in the next 12 months. If that’s the case, DBRG stock may shoot past its 52-week high as the analysts suggest it will.

AT&T (T)

It could be said that AT&T (NYSE:T) isn’t your father’s AT&T. But few people would imagine that T stock is closer to your grandfather’s AT&T. But that’s the case, as the company has simplified its business model. It went far afield from its core phone business. And as the world went digital, AT&T got leapfrogged. 

The final indignity for shareholders was when the company halved its dividend after spinning off its TimeWarner business. But with T stock down about 35% in the last 10 years, it may be time to give the company a closer look. 

Streamlining the business has allowed the company to slowly but surely lower its debt. In fact, in the company’s first quarter 2024 earnings report, AT&T had the lowest amount of debt on its balance sheet while increasing its free cash flow to $3.1 billion, $2.1 billion more than in Q1 2023.

That brings us back to the dividend, which still carries a yield of 6.42%. The company hasn’t raised it in over a year, but it’s one way the company could reward shareholders.

Nintendo (NTDOY)

By traditional metrics, such as the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, Nintendo (OTCMKTS:NTDOY) doesn’t immediately come across as undervalued. Its P/E ratio of 20.4x is in line with the broader market average.

However, what sets the company up as one of the undervalued cheap stocks comes down to a company that knows what it does well. In this case, Nintendo generates 90% of its revenue via its popular Nintendo Switch device.

The company is preparing to launch the next generation of the Nintendo Switch before March 2025. It’s been nine years since the Switch has had a refresh. That should create strong pent-up demand for the device for its loyal customer base. 

That expectation is likely a key reason why the consensus price target of 25 analysts is $57.45. That’s a whopping 319.9% gain from the NTDOY stock price on May 16, 2024.

Barrick Gold (GOLD)

Investing in commodities is challenging. Investing in mining stocks tied to the underlying commodities is even more difficult. That’s been the case with Barrick Gold (NYSE:GOLD), one of the world’s leading gold mining companies.

The company has one of the largest portfolios of Tier One gold and copper assets in the mining industry. In its Q1 2024 earnings report, Barrick reported gold production of 940 thousand ounces. That was lighter than the prior quarter due to what the company termed “planned maintenance.”

If you look at the spot chart of gold and the GOLD stock chart, you’ll notice both were trading in a range over the last two years. Gold appears to be breaking out of that range and is soaring to what some experts believe will be $2,600 an ounce. But mining stocks are only beginning to move higher.

The latest readings on inflation don’t change the long-term narrative for owning gold or gold stocks. Many investors can see the U.S. dollar continues to drop in value. That’s where gold shines. It’s also why investment banks can’t buy enough of it right now.

Prosus (PROSY)

The simplest way to describe Prosus (OTCMKTS:PROSY) is a company that invests in technology. The company operates internet platforms in food delivery, classifieds, payments & fintech, EdTech and retail businesses.

As was the case in 2023, Tencent Holdings (OTCMKTS:TCEHY) is the largest holding of Prosus, which owns 25% of the Chinese company. As Will Ashworth wrote in 2023, Prosus has a lot of moving parts that make it difficult to evaluate.

Nevertheless, the argument for PROSY stock to be included as one of the undervalued cheap stocks comes from the company’s latest investor presentation in which Prosus shows strong growth through each of its businesses. And the company is now accelerating its forecast for profitability into the second half of this calendar year.

If that happens, the consensus price target of $9.04, a 13.8% gain, will likely move higher.

On the date of publication, Chris Markoch did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.

Chris Markoch is a freelance financial copywriter who has been covering the market for over five years. He has been writing for InvestorPlace since 2019.

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I’m talking about the Producer Price Index (PPI), the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the U.S. retail sales report for April, respectively.

On Tuesday, the PPI came in hot. The CPI, meanwhile, was better than expected – while the retail sales report was worse than expected.

The latter two reports drove bond yields lower (the 10-year Treasury yield fell to 4.36%), which fueled a stunning rally in stocks this week. Meanwhile the S&P 500 broke 5,300 for the first time and the Dow broke 40,000.

With the release of these inflation reports, the big question is when will the Federal Reserve start cutting key rates?

In today’s Market 360, I’ll answer that question as well as review the CPI and U.S. retail sales numbers. Then I will share insight into a new tech revolution currently taking place with a company that could be the next NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA).

Breaking Down the Latest Numbers

Now, in Tuesday’s Market 360, I broke down the results of the PPI. The PPI is considered to be a leading indicator of inflation. That’s because it tells us details about the prices producers are paying, which are then usually passed on to consumers.

Here’s a quick review:

• Headline PPI increased 0.5% in April, above the 0.3% economists were expecting and up 2.2% in the past 12 months.
• Core PPI, excluding food, energy, and trade, climbed 0.4% last month and was up 3.1% in the past 12 months.
• Interestingly, March’s PPI was revised lower, from an initial reading of a 0.2% increase to a decrease of 0.1%.
• Energy inflation remains a problem at the wholesale goods level. If we strip out April’s energy data, then goods prices would only be up by 0.1% (instead of 0.4%).

The PPI news dampened the mood on Wall Street, but it wasn’t for long. Because the CPI was released Wednesday morning, and investors cheered.

Consumer Price Index (CPI)

Headline CPI in April rose 0.3% over the previous month and 3.4% in the past year. Economists expected a 0.4% rise in April. That’s also down from a 0.4% monthly increase and a 3.5% annual pace in March.

Core CPI, which excludes food and energy, climbed 0.3% over the prior month and up 3.6% over last year. This was in line with economists’ expectations.

Looking closer at the details…

• Rent and owners’ equivalent rent each rose 0.4% on a monthly basis, matching March’s rise.
• Gas prices rose 2.8% from March to April.
• The food index increased 2.2% in April over last year, with food prices falling flat from March to April.

Shelter costs were the biggest contributor to the inflation gain in April. If this number can come down, inflation will really dissipate and will push the Fed to cut key interest rates.

U.S. Retail Sales

• Retail sales were flat in April, a sharp decline from the 0.6% increase in March. Economists were expecting a 0.4% increase, so this was a big surprise.
• Excluding auto and gas, retail sales declined 0.1% last month. This is lower than economists’ expectations of a 0.1% increase.
• Non-store retailers led the retail sales decline, falling 1.2% from the previous month.

These numbers fall in line with what I’ve been watching from both the University of Michigan and Conference Board measures of consumer confidence. The latest Conference Board report in April, for example, showed a reading of 97. That was a sharp drop from a revised 103.1 in March – and economists were expecting a reading of 104. That’s its lowest reading since July 2022 and the third-straight monthly decline.

In other words, American consumers are showing signs of fatigue. They’re cutting back on spending, partly due to high prices at the gas pump.

When Bad News Is Good News

Right now, we are in an environment where bad news is good news. Take the retail sales numbers, for example. The report was dismal, yet the market cheered. That’s because Wall Street desperately wants the Fed to hurry up and cut rates.

The European Central Bank and the Bank of England will be cutting rates in June, and both have telegraphed approximately three rate cuts this year. Now, our Fed was going to join them in a global-coordinated rate cut. But inflation, believe it or not, is running lower in Europe than it is here. And the answer to why has all got to do with shelter costs.

We’ve seen overbuilt markets like Austin, Texas, where the prices have cracked both on rents and homes. We’ve also seen other hot markets like Florida cooling off. But it’s just not showing up in the data just yet.

The truth is the Fed is dealing with some bad data right now. It’s going to take some time for them to get a clearer picture on where things stand. In fact, Fed Chair Jerome Powell pretty much acknowledged this on Tuesday, saying he thinks the Fed needs more than a quarter’s worth of data to really know for sure if inflation is steadily falling towards its 2% target.

If we take that at face value, then this means the Fed will need more than three inflation reports to feel confident enough to cut rates. That would push the timeline to September.

In fact, according to the CME FedWatch Tool, traders are predicting a 33.8% that rates will stay the same at the September meeting.

Personally, I think the first cut could be on July 31 – and then we could see another cut in September.

The Best Defense is a Good Offense

As I’ve said before, I don’t want you to worry too much about rate cuts.

Why? Because the best defense is a good offense of fundamentally superior stocks that will dropkick and drive your portfolio higher.

I’m talking about the kinds of stocks you’ll find in my Growth Investor service.

In fact, I recently told my readers about a new tech revolution that’s quietly happening behind the scenes.

It’s nearly ready for primetime – and when it is, it could overturn the dominance of AI stocks in the market. It’s called Quantum Computing-as-a-Service (QaaS).

Remember that phrase. You’re going to hear more about quantum computing (and QaaS) a lot more in the months and years to come.

QaaS is set to disrupt major industries like pharmaceutical, oil & gas, telecom, and more. And as you know, the time to get in on the market’s next big winners is before the crowd catches on.

That’s why I shared the name of a tiny company with my Growth Investor subscribers. Experts think could become the next NVIDIA…

Click here to learn how to gain access to this exclusive report now.

(Already a Growth Investor subscriber? Click here to log in to the members-only website.)

Sincerely,

91¶¶Òõ

Editor, Market 360

The Editor hereby discloses that as of the date of this email, the Editor, directly or indirectly, owns the following securities that are the subject of the commentary, analysis, opinions, advice, or recommendations in, or which are otherwise mentioned in, the essay set forth below:

NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA)

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The post A Big Week for Inflation and Economic Data… So, When Will the Fed Cut Rates? appeared first on InvestorPlace.

While silver reached $30/oz in intraday trading back in 2021, it hasn’t finished the day over that price in a decade.

There’s plenty of potential reasons for silver’s recent spike. Signs that inflation is slowing, the notion of falling interest rates, the recent meme stock frenzy and general financial and industrial strength may all be playing a factor in silver’s climb.

Silver prices have also likely risen as a result of supply issues surrounding the metal. Indeed, 2024 marks the fourth year of a silver shortage, with this year in particular being one of the most intense on record.

Silver has enjoyed a strong year thus far. Indeed, the metal is up 30% year-to-date (YTD). Despite this, it’s still historically cheap compared to gold. Indeed, per Seeking Alpha, it takes about 80 oz of silver to purchase just one ounce of gold. This is far higher than the 20-year average ratio of 68:1.

Gold prices have also climbed quite substantially this year. Indeed, gold futures are up about 17% YTD. Just last month, gold prices reached a new all-time high of about $2,431 per ounce before falling back down. Gold prices aren’t too far behind currently, however, at $2,415/oz.

Will Silver Prices Continue to Rally in 2024?

Some believe the metals have even further to go this year. According to JC O’Hara, Chief Technical Strategist at ROTH Capital, the price of gold “now appears poised to move higher and break out of the recent highs made in April.”

“We can set a technical upside price target to $2,600,” said O’Hara.

In the same note, O’Hara stated that if silver prices can move above $30, silver “will have little resistance until the $35/$37 area.”

Metals prices tend to move inversely with interest rates. That’s why the somewhat cool inflation data — which strengthened the case for rate cuts this year — caused a spike in metals prices.

Whether the rally continues, then, may be dependent on good inflation data over the next few months — and further evidence of rate cuts to come.

On the date of publication, Shrey Dua did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.

With degrees in economics and journalism, Shrey Dua leverages his ample experience in media and reporting to contribute well-informed articles covering everything from financial regulation and the electric vehicle industry to the housing market and monetary policy. Shrey’s articles have featured in the likes of Morning Brew, Real Clear Markets, the Downline Podcast, and more.

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The post Gold Who? Silver Prices Break $30 Mark for First Time in a Decade. appeared first on InvestorPlace.

The most recent retail sales report for April was flat, providing further evidence that consumer spending is slowing down amid sticky inflation and persistently high interest rates. Relief might be on the way should the U.S. Federal Reserve begin to lower interest rates this September as many economists and analysts expect. Lower interest rates would provide a much needed tailwind to retailers and could help boost their stocks.

As we inch closer to a lower interest rate environment, here are three retail stocks to buy with strong ratings.

Walmart (WMT)

Discount retailer Walmart (NYSE:WMT) just reported first-quarter financial results that topped Wall Street estimates due to growth in its e-commerce sales. The latest print explains why Wall Street rates WMT stock a strong buy. The median price target on the shares is $66.64, which is 3% higher than current levels. And that’s after the stock rallied 6% on news of the solid Q1 print. But it’s not surprising that a retail giant like Walmart would be top of the list of retail stocks to buy.

Walmart announced earnings per share (EPS) of 60 cents versus 52 cents that had been forecast among analysts. Revenue came in at $161.51 billion compared to $159.5 billion that was estimated on Wall Street. The profit and sales beats were driven by e-commerce sales that grew 22% year-over-year (YOY). Walmart said that it also grew its high-margin businesses, like advertising, as it pushes to increase its earnings faster than its sales. Global advertising sales increased 24% during the quarter.

WMT stock has gained 28% in the past 12 months and analysts see more upside ahead.

Lululemon Athletica (LULU)

Analysts are urging investors to buy the dip in Lululemon Athletica (NASDAQ:LULU). Despite LULU stock declining 34% this year, 21 analysts on Wall Street rate the shares a consensus strong buy. The median price target on Lululemon’s stock is $472.60, which is 41% above where the shares presently trade. Analysts clearly feel that the selloff in LULU stock has been overdone and is unwarranted.

Lululemon’s stock got crushed after the maker of athletic apparel and sneakers delivered financial results at the end of March that showed slowing sales in the U.S. and included weak forward guidance. The company has since announced plans to close a distribution center in Washington state and eliminate 100 jobs. Despite the gloomy outlook, Lululemon’s last print beat Wall Street expectations across the board.

Analysts have pointed out that Lululemon’s numbers have not been that bad, and also note that the company’s international expansion is succeeding. Lululemon’s Q4 2023 international sales grew 54% YOY, with sales in China increasing 78%. Despite the current pullback, LULU stock is up 94% over the last five years.

AutoZone (AZO)

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) is another favorite stock on Wall Street. The largest retailer of aftermarket car parts and accessories in the U.S., the company has been in business since 1979 and today has more than 7,000 stores nationwide. A total of 18 professional analysts collectively rate AZO stock a strong buy with a median price target of $3,314.72, implying 13% upside.

Analysts like AutoZone’s niche focus on automotive parts and accessories and the company’s dominant position within the marketplace. This has translated into strong financial results for AutoZone. The company’s most recent earnings print was better than expected, lifted by a growing trend towards do-it-yourself (DIY) automotive repairs, particularly for older model vehicles.

AZO stock is up 13% this year and has almost tripled over the past five years. Long-term, the performance is even better. AutoZone’s stock has increased 95 times since the company began repurchasing its own shares in 1999. The stock has grown from $25 a share to nearly $3,000 in the last 25 years. There are rumors of a stock split coming.

On the date of publication, Joel Baglole did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.

Joel Baglole has been a business journalist for 20 years. He spent five years as a staff reporter at The Wall Street Journal, and has also written for The Washington Post and Toronto Star newspapers, as well as financial websites such as The Motley Fool and Investopedia.

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Though, if you’re following the mainstream media’s lead, you may be considering the wrong stocks to buy to prepare for this boom. 

See; most of the current AI hype has been centered around chipmakers like Nvidia (NVDA) and software companies like Microsoft (MSFT). Those are the AI stocks that CNBC and Bloomberg are writing about. They’re the ones making all the headlines and grabbing most investors’ attention…

But those AI stocks are not the ones that have the real experts in the industry – like the CEO of DeepMind, Google’s AI Business – most excited. And they are certainly not the AI stocks with the most explosive upside potential as the AI Boom rages on. 

Rather, that title belongs to a different type of AI stock – in a subsector where a perfect storm is brewing to potentially fuel staggering gains in a short amount of time. 

I’m talking about biotech stocks. 

Seriously, biotech stocks are on fire right now. 

One tiny biotech firm named Corbus Pharmaceuticals (CRBP) is up more than 600% this year already – and we’re not even halfway through the year. Another named JanOne (JANX) is up more than 365%, while Skye Bioscience (SKYE) is up about 320% year-to-date. 

Certain biotech stocks are soaring right now. And we think many will only keep rising.

Why? It’s all thanks to the convergence of AI and biotechnology. 

AI Meets Biotech: Unlocking Enormous Economic Value

The application of AI in the field of biology could prove to be massively profitable. 

We aren’t alone in that thinking. Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis agrees. In fact, he recently said that AI applied to biotechnology has the potential to unlock “enormous economic value.” 

What’s driving all this bullishness? Data. 

After all, when it comes to the human body, there is no dearth of quality data. In fact, there is more high-quality data than anywhere else on Earth.

That’s because, like computers, humans are really nothing more than a bunch of data strung together.

At their core, computers are just a bunch of 1s and 0s coded in sequence, with each number corresponding to a certain action for the computer to perform. Humans, similarly, are a bunch of As, Gs, Cs, and Ts strung together – or the four base types found in human DNA molecules – with each determining a person’s characteristics, traits, and even actions.

In that sense, the connecting element between humans and computers is data. 

That means AI can have an especially profound impact on the human body. 

Quality Data Leads to Powerful Results

Of course, what is AI at the end of day? It’s just a machine-learning algorithm using data analysis to learn how to perform certain tasks. That means that ultimately, the quantity and quality of data an AI model has access to determines the quality of that model itself. 

And when it comes to the human body, there is no dearth of quality data.

Apply AI to all that data, and you will change the world. 

Consider this: It takes about $900 million and 13.5 years to develop a new successful drug.

The drug development process is so expensive and time-consuming that firms cannot afford to push that many drugs forward. This creates a huge shortage in drug candidates and programs relative to what is possible given all the permutations of human biological data.

But AI can significantly shorten and cheapen this process.

It can map out genetic data, identify mutations, and run simulations to find the right compounds and combat those mutations – all almost instantly.

Essentially, researchers can use AI to find new drug candidates much faster than is currently possible.

And this is already happening. 

Last year, Japanese pharma giant Takeda Pharmaceutical (TAK) bought an experimental psoriasis drug for $4 billion – a drug that was created in only six months by using AI.

It isn’t alone.

Other pharma giants like Bayer, Roche, Sanofi (SNY) and AstraZeneca (AZN) are actively using AI technology for drug discovery purposes.

Even Nvidia is in this game, partnering with AI biotech startups to develop foundational models for AI-powered drug discovery and development. 

The future of medicine starts now. And it’s big business.

The Final Word on AI in Biotech

Research firm Deep Pharma Intelligence estimates that investments in the field of AI-powered drug discovery have tripled over the past four years to nearly $25 billion.

Morgan Stanley believes this tech will lead to an additional 50 novel therapies being brought to market over the next decade, with annual sales in excess of $50 billion!

But according to DeepMind’s CEO, even those estimates are conservative 

DeepMind is considered one of the leaders in AI-powered drug discovery. Its foundational tool, AlphaFold, leverages AI to predict protein structures. And the firm just launched a new version that can model a range of molecular structures – including DNA and RNA – to predict how they interact with one another. This represents a huge step toward scalable AI-powered drug discovery. 

And DeepMind’s CEO hopes to create a multi-hundred-billion-dollar business from AlphaFold.

We think that’s entirely possible. 

Global drug sales represent a market that’s running north of $1.5 trillion per year. 

We believe that AI-powered drug discovery should disrupt that entire industry. From that perspective, AI-powered drug discovery could one day be a trillion-dollar market. 

The time to invest in this emerging, hidden corner of this boom is now. 

Per our research, there are two firms outside of DeepMind who are leading the AI Biotech Revolution. 

They are world-class firms led by the smartest people in the industry and with the best technology in the game. They are each attacking massive opportunities with very promising development pipelines. And perhaps most importantly, they are backed by the biggest AI companies in the world – Microsoft and Nvidia. 

Trust me. These are two stocks you want to know about right now. We’re confident each could soar more than 1,000% over the next few years. 

Learn all about these potential biotech behemoths.

On the date of publication, Luke Lango did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article.

P.S. You can stay up to speed with Luke’s latest market analysis by reading our Daily Notes! Check out the latest issue on your Innovation Investor or Early Stage Investor subscriber site.

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As interest rates went higher in 2022 and 2023, small-cap stocks fell out of favor. Many of these stocks are those of small, early stage companies that are not yet profitable. The rising cost of capital due to higher interest rates can most affect these companies.  

That’s the risk that can come from investing in small-cap stocks. However, these are also the stocks that make a 10x gain more probable. That magnitude of gain is more likely after a time when these stocks have been under pressure. That’s why a little investment in these three small-cap stocks to buy could be a smart play before the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates.  

Clean Energy Fuels (CLNE) 

Clean Energy Fuels (NASDAQ:CLNE) specializes in providing natural gas in alternative forms such as renewable natural gas, compressed natural gas and liquified natural gas for a variety of applications.  

At the onset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, natural gas prices spiked sharply. Many analysts saw this as the beginning of a long-term uptrend for natural gas. But instead of moving higher, natural gas prices have come down and are trading at levels not seen for over 20 years.  

Not surprisingly, you can see the same price action play out in the chart for CLNE stock.  

However, natural gas demand is expected to spike due to the power needs of data centers, which are used to power artificial intelligence applications. That will be bullish for companies such as Clean Energy Fuels, which is responsible for refining and marketing natural gas.  

Nine analysts have a consensus price target of $7.06 for CLNE stock. That would be a gain of over 155% in the next 12 months. Considering that we’re only at the beginning of a multi-year cycle of increased natural gas demand, CLNE stock is likely to be one of the small-cap stocks to buy for years to come.  

Bitdeer Technologies (BTDR) 

The recent Bitcoin halving event brought Bitcoin (BTC-USD) miners to the forefront for many investors. Bitdeer Technologies (NASDAQ:BTDR) is one of those Bitcoin mining stocks that warrants a second look.  

Bitdeer not only mines Bitcoin, but has also developed its own Bitcoin mining chip, the 4 nm SEALMINER chip offering 18.1 J/TH efficiency. Bitdeer markets it as a chip designed by miners, for miners. It will also help the company avoid supply chain disruptions and optimizing its operational efficiency. Bitdeer also offers cloud computing, AI cloud, and data center solutions for businesses.  

That said, BTDR stock has not been following Bitcoin higher in 2024. In fact, the stock is down 45% this year. Nevertheless, eight analysts have a consensus price target of $13.31 for Bitdeer, which would be a 147% return in the next 12 months.  

Affimed (AFMD) 

Any decent list of small-cap stocks to buy for $10 or less per share with high upside potential will include biotech stocks. Many of these companies, such as Affimed (NASDAQ:AFMD), are developing innovative treatments for existing diseases and chronic conditions.  

Affimed is attacking cancer treatment via its Innate Cell Engager (ICE) molecules, which in layman’s terms, help the body’s natural (or innate) immune system fight solid and liquid tumors. The company’s lead candidate, AFM13-202 for peripheral T cell lymphoma, completed Phase 2 trials. That means it will take some time to get it approved.  

Biotech investors often worry that their company will run out of cash before it gets a product approved. However, Affimed reports that it is funded through the first half of 2025. That will allow the company to “drive clinical development to meaningful inflection points.” 

The consensus price target of seven analysts is $15.08. That would be a whopping 190% gain from the stock’s price at this writing. Six out of those seven analysts give AFMD stock a “strong buy” rating.  

On Penny Stocks and Low-Volume Stocks: With only the rarest exceptions, InvestorPlace does not publish commentary about companies that have a market cap of less than $100 million or trade less than 100,000 shares each day. That’s because these “penny stocks” are frequently the playground for scam artists and market manipulators. If we ever do publish commentary on a low-volume stock that may be affected by our commentary, we demand that InvestorPlace.com’s writers disclose this fact and warn readers of the risks.

Read More: Penny Stocks — How to Profit Without Getting Scammed

On the date of publication, Chris Markoch did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines. 

Chris Markoch is a freelance financial copywriter who has been covering the market for over five years. He has been writing for InvestorPlace since 2019.

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• Polar Power reported earnings per share of -12 cents.
• The company reported revenue of $1.78 million.

InvestorPlace Earnings is a project that leverages data from TradeSmith to automate coverage of quarterly earnings reports. InvestorPlace Earnings distills key takeaways including earnings per share and revenue, as well as how a company stacks up to analyst estimates. These articles are published without human intervention, allowing us to inform our readers of the latest figures as quickly as possible. To report any concerns or inaccuracies, please contact us at editor@investorplace.com.

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The post POLA Stock Earnings: Polar Power Reported Results for Q4 2023 appeared first on InvestorPlace.

• Altisource Asset Mgmt reported earnings per share of $49.98.
• The company reported revenue of $234,000.

InvestorPlace Earnings is a project that leverages data from TradeSmith to automate coverage of quarterly earnings reports. InvestorPlace Earnings distills key takeaways including earnings per share and revenue, as well as how a company stacks up to analyst estimates. These articles are published without human intervention, allowing us to inform our readers of the latest figures as quickly as possible. To report any concerns or inaccuracies, please contact us at editor@investorplace.com.

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• Asset Entities reported earnings per share of -10 cents.
• The company reported revenue of $124,841.

InvestorPlace Earnings is a project that leverages data from TradeSmith to automate coverage of quarterly earnings reports. InvestorPlace Earnings distills key takeaways including earnings per share and revenue, as well as how a company stacks up to analyst estimates. These articles are published without human intervention, allowing us to inform our readers of the latest figures as quickly as possible. To report any concerns or inaccuracies, please contact us at editor@investorplace.com.

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• MyMD Pharmaceuticals reported earnings per share of -$5.14.
• The company did not report any revenue for the quarter.

InvestorPlace Earnings is a project that leverages data from TradeSmith to automate coverage of quarterly earnings reports. InvestorPlace Earnings distills key takeaways including earnings per share and revenue, as well as how a company stacks up to analyst estimates. These articles are published without human intervention, allowing us to inform our readers of the latest figures as quickly as possible. To report any concerns or inaccuracies, please contact us at editor@investorplace.com.

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• AYRO reported earnings per share of -$1.46. This was below the analyst estimate for EPS of -$1.31.
• The company reported revenue of $58,351.

InvestorPlace Earnings is a project that leverages data from TradeSmith to automate coverage of quarterly earnings reports. InvestorPlace Earnings distills key takeaways including earnings per share and revenue, as well as how a company stacks up to analyst estimates. These articles are published without human intervention, allowing us to inform our readers of the latest figures as quickly as possible. To report any concerns or inaccuracies, please contact us at editor@investorplace.com.

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One of the most significant developments regarding the legalization movement came Thursday when President Biden posted a video message regarding his administration’s intentions to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug to Schedule III. “Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana,” he remarked.

As InvestorPlace’s Shrey Dua noted, the move is significant. “Schedule I drugs are considered to have virtually no health benefits and are highly addictive. Other drugs in this class include heroin and LSD. Meanwhile, Schedule III drugs reflect a low-to-moderate potential for dependence, with some medicinal uses to boot,” Dua wrote.

From a financial perspective, the policy shift carries potential tax benefits. Schedule I drugs, Dua stated, face “steep taxes and regulation that may ease in the face of the progressive legislation.” Still, Canopy must deliver, and that’s where CGC stock becomes a complex picture.

CGC Stock Counts Down to a Critical Earnings Showdown

Since the beginning of the year, CGC stock gained about 126% in equity value. However, the overall ride has been incredibly choppy. In the past 52 weeks, the security has only gained roughly 3%. Therefore, longstanding skepticism still surrounds the cannabis enterprise.

For the fiscal fourth quarter, Wall Street analysts are targeting a consensus loss per share of 33 cents. On the high side, the most optimistic expert anticipates a loss of 15 cents, whereas the pessimistic view calls for 58 cents in the red. In the year-ago quarter, Canopy suffered a loss of $9.46 per share.

On the top line, analysts, on average, are looking for sales of $53.23 million. Notably, the high-side estimate calls for $63.5 million, while the pessimistic view sits at $50.56 million. In Q4 of the prior year, Canopy generated revenue of $64.64 million.

Data from Yahoo Finance reveals no EPS revisions for the upcoming earnings disclosure. And only one expert upped the bottom-line target in the past seven days.

However, not everyone is convinced about CGC stock despite the reclassification news. In particular, Bank of America Securities Lisa Lewandowski reiterated a “sell” rating on Canopy. Per Markets Insider, Lewandowski cited multiple headwinds, “including a projected stagnation in quarterly sales and the company’s valuation presenting a significant premium to its peers despite operational inconsistencies.”

Should You Buy Canopy Growth?

Although CGC stock is exciting, it still carries a moderate sell consensus view among analysts. Naturally, Lewandowski’s downbeat assessment doesn’t help. Significantly, the expert mentioned that true reform will be necessary for Canadian cannabis operators to profitably venture into the U.S. market. Therefore, prospective investors will want to exercise caution, especially at the current valuation.

On the date of publication, Josh Enomoto did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.

A former senior business analyst for Sony Electronics, Josh Enomoto has helped broker major contracts with Fortune Global 500 companies. Over the past several years, he has delivered unique, critical insights for the investment markets, as well as various other industries including legal, construction management, and healthcare. Tweet him at @EnomotoMedia.

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During Q1, Tiger Global initiated a position in RDDT stock, picking up 500,000 shares. That’s equivalent to 0.13% of the hedge fund’s 13F portfolio, making Reddit its 33rd-largest position out of 41 total positions. Tiger Global’s allocation is still small, which hints at the hedge fund taking a starter position while waiting for additional confirmation to adjust its stake.

This is noteworthy because Reddit had its initial public offering (IPO) on March 21, while Tiger Global’s 13F documents its holdings as of the end of March. This means that the hedge fund purchased shares right after the IPO.

RDDT Stock: Tiger Global Buys 500,000 Shares

Tiger Global operates as a long-term investor, making it likely that it is still holding onto its Reddit shares. It has an average 13F holding period of 11.71 quarters, or nearly three years. Its total 13F assets under management (AUM) tallies in at a significant $18.29 billion.

The hedge fund’s purchase was quite timely, as RDDT is up by almost 30% since the end of March. This morning, the company announced a licensing deal with OpenAI, sending its shares higher.

“OpenAI will bring Reddit content to ChatGPT and new products, helping users discover and engage with Reddit communities,” said Reddit. “To do so, OpenAI will access Reddit’s Data API, which provides real-time, structured, and unique content from Reddit.”

On top of that, OpenAI will also become a Reddit advertising partner while providing the company with new features powered by AI.

Tiger Global wasn’t the only 13F filer interested in RDDT stock. These investors own a total of 20.60 million shares. FMR was the largest buyer during Q1, picking up 2.36 million shares, followed by Inclusive Capital Partners with its 2.08 million share purchase.

On the date of publication, Eddie Pan did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines. 

Eddie Pan specializes in institutional investments and insider activity. He writes for InvestorPlace’s Today’s Market team, which centers on the latest news involving popular stocks.

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The first one shows that it can take advantage of growing consumer credit needs. It has record-breaking network volume and smart entry into the point-of-sale (POS) sector. Meanwhile, the second one has sharply increased new orders, particularly its innovative HAMR technology. This indicates that the market is beginning to recognize it as a major player in the data storage industry. Finally, the third is notable for its technological mastery in artificial intelligence (AI)-driven analytics. It allows cloud migration to be done easily and meets the growing demand for insights based on data.

Overall, suppose one has a sharp eye and strategic insight. In that case, one may be positioned to ride the wave of growth driven by the first’s network proficiency, the second’s technical advances, and the third’s advancements in analytics technology. These firms may be positioned to rule the market due to their strong fundamentals.

Pagaya (PGY)

In Q1 2024, Pagaya (NASDAQ:PGY) generated a record network volume of $2.42 billion, surpassing estimates of $2.2 billion to $2.4 billion, a substantial 31% year-over-year (YOY) increase. This remarkable rise shows Pagaya can attract more customers and quickly increase its market share. Indeed, there is substantial demand for Pagaya’s products, leading to the realization of growth possibilities in the US consumer credit sector.  

Additionally, to grow its point-of-sale (POS) business, Pagaya partnered with a bank. In the second half of 2024, the network will come online and the company will expand into new markets. This growth represents Pagaya’s effective entry into one of the U.S. consumer credit markets with the quickest growth rate. In Q1 2024, Pagaya recorded record total revenue and other income of $245 million, exceeding expectations of $225 million to $240 million.

Finally, the company posted massive 31% YoY network volume growth. The solid 35% rise in income from fees was the main driver of the revenue growth. To sum up, this demonstrates the efficacy of Pagaya’s monetization tactics.

Intevac (IVAC)

In Q1 2024, Intevac (NASDAQ:IVAC) received more than $20 million in new orders. Hard disk drive (HDD) media technology updates are the primary source of income for Intevac, as this is a stable and expanding industry. Leading data storage firms have placed early orders for the company’s heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) technology improvements, demonstrating the market’s approval and adoption of their technology. HAMR improves media’s writability by focusing heat energy to assist grain reversal.

Additionally, after reaching a payment terms agreement with its biggest client, Intevac maintained its strong delivery and installation of HAMR upgrades. When the joint development agreement (JDA) for Intevac’s automated coating platform TRIO was resolved, Intevac became engaged directly with major OEMs and their suppliers. Indeed, this led to easier direct shipments and increased market reach. An Asian display cover glass finishing plant received the first TRIO system. The TRIO platform’s solid customer base suggests market demand and revenue development potential. 

Lastly, for 2024, Intevac anticipates overall sales in the low $50 million range. TRIO may generate sales beyond $10 million, supporting further expansion. Thanks to continuous technological advancements, sales of HDDs are close to $40 million. This is highly progressive.

Teradata (TDC)

The technology delivered by Teradata (NYSE:TDC) may rapidly meet the expanding demand for large-scale AI-driven analytics. The company’s design demonstrates that migration to the cloud can be done easily, as demonstrated by happy customer experiences. Teradata’s innovations, such as AI Unlimited and VantageCloud, show how dedicated the company is to giving clients access to cutting-edge solutions. Moreover, Teradata’s lead in technology highlights its capacity to adapt to changing market demands, especially in AI and analytics. 

Further, Teradata focuses on enhancing execution and promoting profitable growth despite a slight drop in total annual recurring revenue (ARR). With a non-GAAP EPS of 57 cents, the company’s performance was within its quarterly range. Teradata offers a projection for 2024 that maintains current growth ranges for recurring revenue and total ARR while projecting a reacceleration of growth in cloud ARR and total ARR over the year.

Finally, Teradata demonstrates resilience and strategic planning through its capacity to remain profitable and offer assistance in the face of market adversities. The firm is dedicated to its long-term growth goals, which include reaching $1 billion in cloud ARR by 2025, despite short-term changes. 

On the date of publication, Yiannis Zourmpanos did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.

Yiannis Zourmpanos is the founder of Yiazou Capital Research, a stock-market research platform designed to elevate the due diligence process through in-depth business analysis.

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While the narrative has certainly been more bullish this week, thanks to weaker-than-expected inflation data, there’s also plenty to watch in the week ahead. Between macro factors and various sector-specific catalysts and headwinds, investors have plenty to keep them on their toes.

Let’s dive into five of the major stories investors may want to stay attuned to next week.

The Week Ahead in Stocks

We’ve seemingly moved away from a Federal Reserve-driven market, but it’s clear that the top priority for many investors this coming week will be incoming Fed speak and housing market data. On Wednesday, existing home sales will be published, along with the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting minutes, which will be parsed by investors for specific language. Thursday will also bring PMI and jobless claims data, with a slew of Fed speakers set to talk to the media throughout the week. Any sort of shift in narrative should shape how the market responds this upcoming week.

The second and third key factors I think are important to watch are index levels (can the Dow remain above the key psychological threshold of 40,000?) and how earnings reports will affect the overall indices. A full slate of earnings is ahead, with many consumer-facing companies putting forward their numbers. Investors will certainly infer what these numbers mean for the respective companies, but also the overall market.

Finally, the last two factors to hone in on next week are commodity prices and whether the relatively low volatility we’ve seen via the Volatility Index (VIX) continues. We’ve seen a surge in precious metals, cocoa and other key commodity inputs, although that hasn’t translated into stock market volatility. We’ll have to see whether this dynamic changes in the week to come.

On the date of publication, Chris MacDonald did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.

Chris MacDonald’s love for investing led him to pursue an MBA in Finance and take on a number of management roles in corporate finance and venture capital over the past 15 years. His experience as a financial analyst in the past, coupled with his fervor for finding undervalued growth opportunities, contribute to his conservative, long-term investing perspective.

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The post The Week Ahead in Stocks: 5 Things Investors Will Be Watching (May 20-24) appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Today, the Dow Jones is up another 0.2%, within spitting distance of closing above this level. The 40,000 level for this index is a key psychological one, with traders positioning their portfolios accordingly. Higher index levels have been driven by large-cap performance (as is the case with other indices), though the makeup of the Dow is considerably different from the S&P 500 or Nasdaq.

With a focus on more industrial and blue-chip names, this index is often viewed as much more representative of the overall U.S. economy. If the market is gauging things right, perhaps that spells good times ahead.

Let’s dive into what to make of this move, and whether the Dow can end the year above this key level.

Put On Your Dow 40,000 Hats

We’ve yet to see a daily close above 40,000 on the Dow, so today’s price action will certainly be more closely watched by market pundits, traders and investors alike. Like any round number, many put outsized emphasis on where the Dow is currently trading and what may take this index to the 50,000 level down the road.

Consumer spending has remained strong, and the large-cap blue-chip stocks held in this index have certainly benefited from this trend. While less tech-heavy than other indices, it’s worth noting that the Dow does hold key mega-cap tech darlings such as Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), which happen to be the three largest Dow components by market capitalization.

So, this index isn’t immune to the artificial intelligence (AI) related catalysts taking the market higher but is more defensive in nature. It’s also more expensive to buy (via ETFs), meaning big money investors tend to focus on this index over others. That’s something that’s worth noting for retail investors looking to gain exposure to this space.

Over time, the stock market has historically headed higher, and I think it’s just a matter of time for us to celebrate 50,000 on the Dow. How long that will take is anyone’s guess, but this price action is certainly worth paying attention to today.

Chris MacDonald’s love for investing led him to pursue an MBA in Finance and take on a number of management roles in corporate finance and venture capital over the past 15 years. His experience as a financial analyst in the past, coupled with his fervor for finding undervalued growth opportunities, contribute to his conservative, long-term investing perspective.

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Sales of weight loss drugs, led by GLP-1 agonists, are expected to grow at a compound annual rate above 19% between 2023 and 2029. The drugs reduce appetite while slowing emptying of the stomach. The result is astounding weight loss for users. That alone will  fuel increasing demand.  By the way, demand metrics are pretty incredible. Some estimates contend that 9% of the U.S. population may be on the drugs by 2030. 

Viking Therapeutics (VKTX)

Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX) is the most exciting pharma stock among the top performers this year. The company has emerged as one of the primary challengers in the development of weight-loss therapeutics. Share prices have more than quadrupled throughout 2024 with more gas left in the tank. 

The company recently shared updates on its lead candidate drugs, VK2809 and VK2735. Each drug has continued to show incredible promise in producing weight loss. 

However, it’s VK2809 that investors should pay particular attention to. The drug is currently in Phase 2B clinical trials for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). That is essentially a form of fatty liver disease for which it is showing promising efficacy. There are a few important things to note on that front. First of all, if the company can successfully prove that it is safe and effective for that purpose it opens its potential utility as a weight-loss drug. Many insurers are hesitant to pay for weight-loss drugs. Those drugs will face a much easier approval process if they have a secondary purpose.

Moreover, VK2809 is a pill. None of the leading weight-loss drugs is currently available in pill form. The first commercialized weight-loss pill is almost certain to be a blockbuster. Viking Therapeutics is in the running. It’s hard to bet against the stock at this point. 

Eli Lilly (LLY)

Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) is a stock that will continue to confound investors throughout 2024. Those investors are well aware of the continued potential in the stock following its strong Q1 earnings report at the end of April.

Revenue growth reached 26% during that period. As encouraging as those results appear, those sales came up short of expectations. One way to assess Eli Lilly’s current potential is to simply look at its price relative to forecast prices. Current share prices are above consensus at the moment suggesting it’s entirely logical to be cautious.

At the same time, Eli Lilly will continue to face challengers like Viking Therapeutics which promise to capture market share moving forward. My best guess is that Eli Lilly is going to trade sideways for the time being. The weight-loss drug market will continue growing rapidly in the coming years but Eli Lilly’s gains over the last year won’t continue for the next 12 months. it’s a great story but not one worth investing in at this point. 

Novo Nordisk (NVO)

Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) stock is facing the same issues as Eli Lilly but continues to trade slightly below consensus prices. That said, I don’t think investors should assume Novo Nordisk will fare any better than Eli Lilly for the remainder of 2024.

Like Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk missed sales estimates during the most recent period. Wall Street was expecting the company to produce $1.52 billion in sales of Wegovy, but the company produced only $1.35 billion. 

List prices for the drug continue to fall as competition rises. Those factors are not expected to change for the remainder of 2024. Thus, it’s reasonable to anticipate the drugmaker will continue trading sideways during the year.

Novo Nordisk’s challengers include not only small firms such as Viking Therapeutics but also large multinational pharmaceutical companies including Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN). Its weight loss drug may produce longer-lasting weight loss than currently available therapeutics. The overall thrust here is that most of the returns for Novo Nordisk have already been had.

On the date of publication, Alex Sirois did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.

Alex Sirois is a freelance contributor to InvestorPlace whose personal stock investing style is focused on long-term, buy-and-hold, wealth-building stock picks. Having worked in several industries from e-commerce to translation to education and utilizing his MBA from George Washington University, he brings a diverse set of skills through which he filters his writing.

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The appeal of penny stocks is understandable, though. Controlling only a handful of shares can make you a killing if the stock moves higher by just a few pennies. Unfortunately, that rarely happens, and most investors who buy penny stocks don’t ever see that return. They end up getting slaughtered. Penny stocks are a playground ripe for manipulation, fraud and pump-and-dump schemes. 

Yet the Securities & Exchange Commission classifies any stock selling under $5 per share as a “penny stock.” That gives us more leeway to find a real business. By pulling back our lens, we can find businesses offering products and services that consumers want to buy and still represent an opportunity for growth. 

Below are three undervalued penny stocks to buy in May before the market catches onto their bargain-basement pricing.

Iamgold (IAG)

At around $2,380 an ounce, gold is trading near its all-time high. The yellow metal has been on a tear for five years, doubling in value. Canadian gold miner Iamgold (NYSE:IAG) hasn’t had as long of a run of good fortune, but this year shares are up 76% to around $4.50 per share. They could go higher.

Iamgold completed its first gold pour at the Cote gold mine in Ontario as it nears its commissioning date. When in full production, Cote could be the third-largest gold mine in Canada. Iamgold expects gold production to reach 220,000 ounces to 290,000 ounces this year. Cote has a total estimated measured and indicated mineral resource of 16.5 million ounces with an additional 4.2 million ounces inferred. That would give the gold mine an estimated life expectancy of 18 years with significant growth opportunities.

Iamgold will then have three mines in operation. With global tensions rising on many fronts, expect gold prices to remain elevated and Iamgold stock to rise alongside heightened demand for the precious metal.

Tilray Brands (TLRY)

Marijuana stock Tilray Brands (NASDAQ:TLRY) has several levers it can pull to continue growing. Tilray stock is down 12% this year to $2, and shares sit 40% below their 52-week high.

The primary catalyst for growth is legalization of marijuana in Germany. Tilray is the largest cannabis stock in Germany by revenue. It might take a minute for the recreational use market to get going until regulations are adopted but Tilray already has a sales team on the ground. 

That is because its Tilray Pharma distribution arm already distributes medical marijuana to 13,000 pharmacies in the country. The pot stock also has production facilities in Portugal and Canada and exports marijuana to Germany. Tilray is the best-positioned cannabis company to take advantage of this opportunity.

The potential for U.S. legalization also represents the possibility for future growth. While Tilray would likely have to make an acquisition to jumpstart operations here, with extensive experience in Canada and soon Germany, it would be a small hurdle to get over.

Petco Health & Wellness (WOOF)

Admittedly Petco Health & Wellness (NASDAQ:WOOF) hasn’t worked out as well as I anticipated when I identified it last August as a bargain stock ready to run. Apparently I was just early. While Petco stock lost 65% since then to $2.40, shares are up over 50% in the past month.

The long-term trends of the pet industry are why I chose Petco and why I am still bullish today. According to the American Pet Products Association, U.S. pet parents spent $147 billion on their four-legged fur babies in 2023, up 7.5% from the year before. Pet owners will spend another $150 billion on them this year. Of that, $64.4 billion will be food and treats, while $38.3 billion goes to veterinarian care and products.

Petco offers a wide range of pet food, products and services, including vet care, that consumers will gravitate towards. It is only dramatically underperforming the market because it is heavily weighed down with debt. Because the Federal Reserve raised interest rates at an unprecedented rate and then embarked on a higher-for-longer policy, Petco’s variable interest rate loans come at a high cost.

Inflation just inched down in April so the Federal Reserve may be more inclined to cut rates eventually. As Petco reduces its debt and becomes cheaper to finance, look for Petco to rise above its penny stock status.

On Penny Stocks and Low-Volume Stocks: With only the rarest exceptions, InvestorPlace does not publish commentary about companies that have a market cap of less than $100 million or trade less than 100,000 shares each day. That’s because these “penny stocks” are frequently the playground for scam artists and market manipulators. If we ever do publish commentary on a low-volume stock that may be affected by our commentary, we demand that InvestorPlace.com’s writers disclose this fact and warn readers of the risks.

Read More: Penny Stocks — How to Profit Without Getting Scammed

On the date of publication, Rich Duprey did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.

Rich Duprey has written about stocks and investing for the past 20 years. His articles have appeared on Nasdaq.com, The Motley Fool, and Yahoo! Finance, and he has been referenced by U.S. and international publications, including MarketWatch, Financial Times, Forbes, Fast Company, USA Today, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Cheddar News, The Boston Globe, L’Express, and numerous other news outlets.

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The post The 3 Most Undervalued Penny Stocks to Buy in May 2024 appeared first on InvestorPlace.

• Hitachi reported earnings per share of $5.08. This was above the analyst estimate for EPS of $1.67.
• The company reported revenue of $18.68 billion.
• This was 20.30% better than the analyst estimate for revenue of $15.53 billion.

InvestorPlace Earnings is a project that leverages data from TradeSmith to automate coverage of quarterly earnings reports. InvestorPlace Earnings distills key takeaways including earnings per share and revenue, as well as how a company stacks up to analyst estimates. These articles are published without human intervention, allowing us to inform our readers of the latest figures as quickly as possible. To report any concerns or inaccuracies, please contact us at editor@investorplace.com.

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• Suntory Beverage & Food reported earnings per share of 22 cents.
• The company reported revenue of $2.51 billion.

InvestorPlace Earnings is a project that leverages data from TradeSmith to automate coverage of quarterly earnings reports. InvestorPlace Earnings distills key takeaways including earnings per share and revenue, as well as how a company stacks up to analyst estimates. These articles are published without human intervention, allowing us to inform our readers of the latest figures as quickly as possible. To report any concerns or inaccuracies, please contact us at editor@investorplace.com.

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• Spectaire Holdings reported earnings per share of -16 cents. This was below the analyst estimate for EPS of -5 cents.
• The company did not report any revenue for the quarter.

InvestorPlace Earnings is a project that leverages data from TradeSmith to automate coverage of quarterly earnings reports. InvestorPlace Earnings distills key takeaways including earnings per share and revenue, as well as how a company stacks up to analyst estimates. These articles are published without human intervention, allowing us to inform our readers of the latest figures as quickly as possible. To report any concerns or inaccuracies, please contact us at editor@investorplace.com.

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• Pieris Pharmaceuticals reported earnings per share of -$3.95.
• The company reported revenue of $53,000.

InvestorPlace Earnings is a project that leverages data from TradeSmith to automate coverage of quarterly earnings reports. InvestorPlace Earnings distills key takeaways including earnings per share and revenue, as well as how a company stacks up to analyst estimates. These articles are published without human intervention, allowing us to inform our readers of the latest figures as quickly as possible. To report any concerns or inaccuracies, please contact us at editor@investorplace.com.

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• GlucoTrack reported earnings per share of -12 cents.
• The company did not report any revenue for the quarter.

InvestorPlace Earnings is a project that leverages data from TradeSmith to automate coverage of quarterly earnings reports. InvestorPlace Earnings distills key takeaways including earnings per share and revenue, as well as how a company stacks up to analyst estimates. These articles are published without human intervention, allowing us to inform our readers of the latest figures as quickly as possible. To report any concerns or inaccuracies, please contact us at editor@investorplace.com.

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• iCoreConnect reported earnings per share of -51 cents.
• The company reported revenue of $2.72 million.

InvestorPlace Earnings is a project that leverages data from TradeSmith to automate coverage of quarterly earnings reports. InvestorPlace Earnings distills key takeaways including earnings per share and revenue, as well as how a company stacks up to analyst estimates. These articles are published without human intervention, allowing us to inform our readers of the latest figures as quickly as possible. To report any concerns or inaccuracies, please contact us at editor@investorplace.com.

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It’s a company that’s using a new application of AI that will revolutionize a $13.1 trillion industry. I’ll share more details during my The Next $1 Trillion AI Stock strategy session scheduled for Tuesday, May 21st at 7 p.m. Eastern.

You can reserve your spot by going here.

Hello, Reader.

Most investors missed out on the first phase of the artificial intelligence boom.

You know… that era of advancements marked by ChatGPT, AI chips, rapidly evolving robots – and substantial gains.

That’s too bad.

However, another wave of AI innovation is coming…

This time, though, it has nothing to do with any of the previous AI advancements that the mainstream media talks so much about.

In fact, the opportunity here is significantly larger than any of those AI applications.

So, let’s dive into what to expect from this next phase of the AI boom.

And where to find some of that opportunity.

But first, in today’s Smart Money, let’s chat some about how we got to this spot in the AI Revolution…

The First Phase of the AI Boom

Although artificial intelligence has been around since the 1950s, it wasn’t until OpenAI released ChatGPT to the public in November 2022 that interest in AI really caught fire.

For perspective… following ChatGPT’s launch, more than 1 million people downloaded it in five days. And over 100 million people signed up for it in two months.

In comparison, it took Facebook more than 4.5 years to reach 100 million users.

In the early phase of the AI boom in 2023, seven clear winners emerged. You know their names. CNBC’s Jim Cramer dubbed them the “Magnificent Seven.”

And their performances certainly were magnificent. They gained an average 111% in 2023.

Of course, the biggest winner of 2023’s boom was Nvidia Corp. (NVDA), the AI chip king, which surged 239% in 2023. Since the unveiling of ChatGPT, shares of the company have skyrocketed nearly 450%.

In different ways, each of these companies has been providing the hardware, software, and processing power that enable enterprises to create and operate AI platforms.

They enabled the AI Revolution.

For example…

• Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) is developing its own in-house semiconductor chip: code name Athena.
• Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) also has created its own new ARM-based CPU processor, called Axion.
• Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) has Amazon Q.
• Tesla Inc. (TSLA) has Dojo.
• And Meta Platforms Inc. (META) has Llama 3.

Their efforts are why large language models (LLMs), like ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude 3, can be developed so quickly.

Cramer may call these companies the Magnificent Seven, but I think of them more as the “AI Seven.”

However, the sudden dawn of the entire AI boom caught most people – and many investors – by surprise. Therefore, a lot of folks missed out on those big gains from the AI Seven.

The good news is the AI Revolution is about to enter a new phase, and a different set of companies will lead the way. The AI Seven is about to become the AI Eight… Nine… and beyond…

We’ve had the AI enablers. Now enters the “AI appliers.”

The Next Phase of the AI Boom

Unlike the AI enablers, these companies are not at the forefront of producing the material needed to create AI. Instead, they are employing AI technology within their own products and services.

AI appliers are everywhere… and growing by the day.

That universe includes companies as diverse as beauty-products purveyor Coty Inc. (COTY), gold and copper explorer, Ivanhoe Electric Inc. (IE), industrial-solutions provider Rockwell Automation Inc. (ROK), and sports technology company Genius Sports Ltd (GENI).

Clearly, many of these companies operate in niches that are normally not associated with technology. So, they are still lying low… under the radar – but they and many others are ready to explode with the next phase of the AI boom.

Not all of them, however, will deliver gains like we saw from Nvidia and the rest of the AI Seven.

That’s why I’ve spent the past few months deep in research… and I’ve identified a company that I believe will become the next $1 trillion AI stock.

That’s the main topic of my strategy session next Tuesday.

And I’m also going to talk about a strategy we can use to get 40 years of Nvidia gains out of this stock in a matter of months.

This company is about to revolutionize a $13.1 trillion industry… with a potential to serve over 3.8 billion people.

Plus, I’m going to have a free pick for you during the event. It’s an AI stock that operates in this promising niche. I believe it could double your money in the coming months.

I’ll give you all the details during my strategy session, The Next $1 Trillion AI Stock. That’s next Tuesday, May 21, at 7 p.m. Eastern time.

This is going to be a very informative event. In addition to talking about the that next $1 trillion stock and next phase of the AI Revolution, I’ll share…

• My strategy to profit from this boom…
• How billionaires like Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and Jeff Bezos are all investing big in this new AI application…
• And (remember) one FREE stock recommendation.

Click here to sign up for this special event. I look forward to seeing you there.

Regards,

91¶¶Òõ

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Studies show that the S&P 500 Index has enjoyed 27 bull markets between 1928 and 2023, with an average gain of nearly 115% over an average period of 2.7 years. From 1987 to 2000, the longest bull market achieved an impressive gain of 582%. In June 2023, the S&P 500 re-entered bull market territory, displaying strong momentum. Research provider CFRA recently raised its 12-month target to over 5,600, citing optimistic profit growth expectations.

Although concerns persist about high valuations in the technology sector and the potential volatility surrounding the presidential election in November, market sentiment remains positive. Anticipated interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve and earnings growth could create a favorable environment for further gains. Let’s explore three of the best stocks to buy, poised to benefit from the current market momentum.

Eli Lilly (LLY)

Pharma giant Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) provides medications across a wide range of therapeutic areas, including diabetes, cancer and chronic pain. Its strong product portfolio, consistent revenue growth, and potential for future breakthroughs make LLY stock the first name on our stock list.

For the first quarter of 2024, Eli Lilly reported a remarkable 26% increase in revenue, primarily driven by the successful launch of new products like Mounjaro and Zepbound. Wall Street has been impressed with the pharma company’s ability to innovate and effectively bring new products to market.

Meanwhile, its gross margin also saw an impressive rise from 78.4% in the first quarter of 2023 to 82.5% in the first quarter of this year. Eli Lilly benefited from higher prices and an improved product mix, underscoring the company’s operational efficiency and pricing power. Operating income in the same period grew by 63%, and earnings per share increased by 59%. Looking ahead, Eli Lilly has raised its full-year 2024 revenue guidance to between $42.4 billion and $43.6 billion. The company also anticipates further margin expansion.

As a result, LLY stock has advanced 30% year-to-date (YTD), hovering slightly below all-time highs. Yet, the shares are expensive, trading at 56 times forward earnings and 19 times sales. Nonetheless, Wall Street is expecting further gains from the pharma stock, as the 12-month average price stands at $877.50, presenting an upside potential of 15%.

Fabrinet (FN)

Next on our list of stocks to buy is Fabrinet (NYSE:FN). Its equipment enables the transmission of massive data volumes at high speeds. With data demand constantly rising and a wide range of services ranging from optical packaging to precision manufacturing, Fabrinet deserves your attention as a long-term investment. 

Analysts point out that Fabrinet has demonstrated robust financial health with a market cap of $8.4 billion. In early May, management released financial results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2024. Exceeding guidance, quarterly revenue was $731.5 million, compared to $665.3 million for the same period 12 months ago. Adjusted net income per diluted share was $2.39, compared to $1.94 for the year-ago quarter. 

Wall Street was pleased about the growth in optical communications revenues, particularly from datacom revenue, which grew 150% YOY. Management is optimistic about its position in the high data rate datacom market. Fabrinet’s operating and net profit margins currently stand at 9.6 and 9.9%, respectively. In other words, management has successfully navigated the competitive manufacturing landscape to maintain profitability.

Since the start of the year, FN stock has returned 22%, rallying significantly after announcing better-than-expected financial results. Meanwhile, the shares are trading at 26.2 times forward earnings and 3.1 times sales. Given the extent of the recent rally in Fabrinet shares, potential investors may consider waiting for a pullback towards the $220 level. Fabrinet will likely continue its growth trajectory in future quarters, making it a compelling stock to buy within the tech manufacturing sector.

Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG)

Large-cap growth stocks typically thrive in rapidly expanding industries like technology and biotech. Known for high growth rates and valuations, these companies are expected to outpace other established stocks. Such growth shares may offer a blend of stability and significant long-term potential, making them an important part of many portfolios.

Therefore, the Vanguard Growth ETF is next on our list of stocks to buy (NYSEARCA:VUG). This fund allows investors to replicate the performance of leading large-cap U.S. growth stocks. Launched in January 2004, the ETF offers broad exposure to about 200 companies.

Over half of VUG’s holdings are in technology stocks (56%), followed by consumer discretionary (19%), industrials (9%) and healthcare (8%) sectors. The top 10 holdings collectively account for over half of the fund’s net assets of $226 billion. Among the top names are Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG), Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) and Visa (NYSE:V) and others.

Since January, with a gain of over 11%, VUG has outperformed many individual stocks and the benchmark indices. By comparison, the Nasdaq 100 index has advanced 9%, the S&P 500 10%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) 5%. Currently, the VUG fund trades at 38 times trailing earnings and 10 times book value. With a competitive expense ratio of 0.04% and a modest 0.5% dividend yield, VUG remains an appealing option for investors seeking exposure to large-cap growth stocks.

On the date of publication, Tezcan Gecgil did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.

Tezcan Gecgil, PhD, began contributing to InvestorPlace in 2018. She brings over 20 years of experience in the U.S. and U.K. and has also completed all 3 levels of the Chartered Market Technician (CMT) examination. Publicly, she has contributed to investing.com and the U.K. website of The Motley Fool.

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Amidst the current rally, we’ve seen stocks rise, plummet and rise again, driving investors toward small-caps, tech and growth stocks. While this has been profitable, it might not be the best long-term move. Cheap blue-chip stocks, on the other hand, offer the foundational stability many portfolios lack.

The economic landscape remains uncertain, with inflation stubbornly above the Fed’s 2% target, making the path to recovery unclear. One adverse event could send speculative stocks tumbling again. With this in mind, consider these cheap blue-chip stocks for stability, value and decent diversification to protect yourself against the worst fallout if (or when) the market takes another hit.

U-Haul (UHAL)

U-Haul (NYSE:UHAL) dominates the DIY moving and truck rental market, far outpacing competitors with an expansive network of 23,000 locations. Despite its market dominance, U-Haul often flies under the radar of investors, even those seeking cheap blue-chip stock stocks. That applies to institutional investors too — Barron’s says that “There is virtually no Wall Street coverage of U-Haul” and it’s “run like a private company by the Shoen family, which owns about half the company.”

Currently valued at a reasonable 20x earnings and 1.8x book value, U-Haul stands to benefit as the Fed’s relatively softer stance materializes, even if rates don’t drop anytime soon. We’re already seeing new housing starts tick upward, meaning summer moving season is rapidly approaching as mortgage rates begin flatlining. An increase in housing movement directly benefits U-Haul as more individuals opt for the cost-effective DIY moving approach. Polls indicate that only 22% of movers hire a company for their moving needs, while 37.5% go the DIY route, renting a truck for self-managed moves.

AT&T (T)

When investors imagine cheap blue-chip stocks, AT&T (NYSE:T) is often top of the list. Despite dipping last summer due to concerns over lead shielding, shares are rebounding as the issue appears less severe than initially thought. Still, shares remain undervalued, trading well below pre-pandemic highs, providing an opportunity to benefit from a potential rise back to the top.

While cheap blue-chip stocks, particularly in the utilities sector, often lack the innovation seen in growth stocks, AT&T stands out. This week, the company made waves after announcing a commercial partnership with AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) to provide space-based broadband cell connectivity to customers through 2030. While the companies have worked together since 2018 to bring the dream to fruition, this move marks a major milestone in AT&T’s goals to expand its global network l, leveraging next-gen space tech.

Of course, another key feature of cheap blue-chip stocks is their dividend yield, and AT&T is a longstanding favorite among income investors. With a current dividend yield of 6.55% and a 56% payout ratio, AT&T offers income, stability and newfound growth opportunities through its strategic partnership with AST SpaceMobile.

Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ)

If you want to capture current cannabis trends but are (understandably) wary of speculative cannabis stocks, Jazz Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:JAZZ) is a cheap blue-chip stock offering legacy pharma stability with plenty of cannabis sector upside. Jazz’s daytime sleepiness and narcolepsy medication, Xywav, is a strong performer, accounting for as much as 10% of total sales and offering stability as it explores the emerging medical cannabis market driven by recent rescheduling news.

Jazz is uniquely positioned to capitalize on emerging rescheduling trends, thanks to its subsidiary GW Pharmaceuticals, one of the first companies to develop and bring commercialized medical cannabis to market. This places Jazz at the high end of the medical cannabis value chain, unlike many pure-play cannabis stocks focused solely on distribution. By maintaining key infrastructure at the top, Jazz is poised to dominate the burgeoning medical sector and outpace late entrants, including well-established pharmaceutical companies that may enter the field post-rescheduling.

On the date of publication, Jeremy Flint held no positions in the securities mentioned. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.

Jeremy Flint, an MBA graduate and skilled finance writer, excels in content strategy for wealth managers and investment funds. Passionate about simplifying complex market concepts, he focuses on fixed-income investing, alternative investments, economic analysis, and the oil, gas, and utilities sectors. Jeremy’s work can also be found at www.jeremyflint.work.

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Despite April’s tech sector decline, positive earnings surprises across sectors renewed optimism on Wall Street. The so-called Magnificent Seven stocks are back on investors’ radar. Each company presents unique revenue potential and innovation opportunities, signaling positive growth prospects.

The companies mentioned in this article present excellent entry points for investors aiming to tap into the expanding tech sector, which spans various subsectors. Each offers unique contributions, whether pioneering automotive electronics, providing data-driven decision-making tools or enhancing user experiences with AI. Here are three tech stocks to buy on the dip.

Meta Platforms (META)

Due to a rollercoaster ride last 2023 and a 12% decline in April, I must admit, it can be hard to stay optimistic for Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META). However, closer scrutiny of its solid financials reveals potential. Fundamentals typically drive long-term outcomes, so Meta’s recent ROE is worth noting.

The company surged approximately 490% in under two years but recently experienced a significant market cap decline of around $200 billion after its Q1 results. Wall Street revised target prices downward, sparking debate on whether to buy or sell. Despite the setback, some investors see an opportunity to invest based on Meta’s AI-driven growth trajectory.

Q1 adjusted earnings of $4.71 per share surpassed estimates, doubling year-over-year (YOY), with revenues meeting consensus estimates at $36.5 billion, up 27% from the prior-year period. Meta Platforms anticipates Q2 revenue to range between $36.5 to $39 billion, with CAPEX increasing to $35 to $40 billion and FY2024 expenses projected at $96 to $99 billion.

Amazon (AMZN)

Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) stock experienced a significant rebound recently, shining amidst market uncertainties. Its focus on profitable growth, forward-looking strategies and strong demand for AWS cloud services are promising signs for 2024. Cost-cutting measures and expanding AI capabilities further enhance its appeal.

The e-commerce giant revealed plans to put out a $9 billion investment in Singapore for the next four years on its cloud computing plans. That also comes after Microsoft’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) regional investment, showing more interest in Southeast Asia. The investment will aid in increasing demand for cloud services and strengthen Singapore’s position as a location for regional innovation.

Moreover, Amazon has gained from generative AI apps like ChatGPT. The company heavily invested in AI research and development, making it a core strength. AI applications such as chatbots, product recommendations, robots and inventory management enhance operations and revenue streams. Amazon’s unique generative AI platform, Amazon Bedrock, stands out, offering advanced capabilities for AWS customers.

Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL)

Among all the tech companies, Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG, NASDAQ:GOOGL) stands out due to its excellent growth. But its appeal goes beyond this growth profile, as Alphabet provides the kind of earnings stability that’s hard to come by in the tech sector. With a target share price of $195.92, Alphabet is a top tech stock worth considering for investors.

The company remains a dominant advertising platform, with Google and YouTube attracting billions of visits monthly. Q1 2024 saw a 15% revenue increase and a 57% surge in net income, driven by Google Cloud’s growing contribution, now over 10% of total revenue. In other news, Alphabet’s talks to acquire HubSpot (NYSE:HUBS) reportedly progress as the marketing software provider beats Q1 estimates. Bloomberg sources mention ongoing discussions, though no deal is finalized. Reuters reported Alphabet’s talks with Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS), potentially leading to its largest acquisition.

On the date of publication, Chris MacDonald did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.

Chris MacDonald’s love for investing led him to pursue an MBA in Finance and take on a number of management roles in corporate finance and venture capital over the past 15 years. His experience as a financial analyst in the past, coupled with his fervor for finding undervalued growth opportunities, contribute to his conservative, long-term investing perspective.

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The post Time to Pounce! Buy the Dip in These 3 Magnificent Tech Stock Superstars. appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Many eVTOLs today resemble “giant drones” or mini helicopters (some aspects of the technology are quite similar), while others look like futuristic mini jets. Either way, they aim to solve the traffic issue, especially in crowded cities like New York, Los Angeles and Vancouver.

Indeed, many eVTOL companies may be worth putting on a watchlist. As it stands, the eVTOL market remains highly speculative. It’s tough to pinpoint which firms will rise should the eVTOL market finally take off. Of course, only time will tell as the eVTOL plays to test the skies.

In short, eVOTLs are remarkable technologies but be cautious about the extreme volatility and uncertainty in flying car stocks. Here are three to keep on the radar.

Joby Aviation (JOBY)

Joby Aviation (NYSE:JOBY) is perhaps the most impressive flying car (or eVTOL) stock for investors who believe in the future of the nascent transportation technology. Until now, JOBY stock has been trading extremely wildly, with a beta of over two, implying a much more turbulent ride than the S&P 500.

With the stock going for just over $5 per share, traders may wish to monitor the name as it looks to gain traction following recent progress with its pre-production flight test program. Undoubtedly, such progress represents a small but meaningful step in the right direction, but don’t expect air taxis to start rolling out anytime soon. There’s still a long way to go.

The eVOTL play is looking to launch in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to grab the world’s attention. Specifically, Joby is looking to Dubai as a place to take the skies first.

As to when the launch will happen, I have no idea. Further, given the uncertainties and lack of profitability, I struggle to value the stock. I’m okay with staying on the sidelines, but it won’t stop you from buying if you’re keen on investing in the industry.

Archer Aviation (ACHR)

Archer Aviation (NYSE:ACHR) is another big name in the eVOTL scene. The company boasts a $1.23 billion market cap, less than half of Joby’s $3.55 billion market cap at the time of writing. At $3 and change per share, ACHR stock has an even lower admission price for small retail investors with an appetite for high-risk speculation.

Recently, the stock has been on the decline, now off over 47% from its 52-week peak of over $7 per share. Undoubtedly, there’s a haze of uncertainty as Archer (and Joby) looks to fly into the UAE region.

Whether the UAE flights happen in late 2025, 2026, or further out, ACHR stock will surely be a major mover when the big day comes. Should such flights have a smooth take-off and landing, ACHR stock could be a major mover.

I wouldn’t touch the stock because it’s lacking in profits. Until progress on that front, I’m content with holding off. But if you want to watch the market, ACHR is a name to put on the radar.

Lilium N.V. (LILM)

Finally, we have Lilium (NASDAQ:LILM), which has actually been picking up traction in recent weeks. Over the past month, shares are up over 48%. With a $666.4 million market cap at the time of writing, Lilium is the smallest of this trio, but perhaps things could change as rampant volatility strikes.

What’s contributing to the recent run? The company is reportedly discussing expanding its production capacity with France’s government. Indeed, it’s a positive development, and though Lilium arguably has one of the most impressive-looking eVTOL jets of the pack, I’m just not sure how much of the recent momentum can be sustained given the steep ups and downs of the eVTOL market.

In any case, it is encouraging that the firm keeps progressing and hitting milestones. Despite this, I hesitate to recommend loading up at current levels until I see some profits. I’d much rather stash the name on my radar and watch it closely.

On the date of publication, Joey Frenette did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com .

Joey Frenette is a seasoned investment writer specializing in technology and consumer stocks. Contributing to the Motley Fool Canada, TipRanks, and Barchart, Joey excels in spotting mispriced stocks with long-term growth potential in a fast-paced market.

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For the fourth quarter’s 13F disclosure filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Nvidia revealed that it owned around 3.47 million shares of TSPH stock. The market value of these shares amounted to $3.04 million or 87.7 cents per share. However, the estimated average buying price stood at approximately $1.12. per share. At the time, the position represented 1.32% of the semiconductor giant’s portfolio.

However, for the latest Q1 disclosure, Nvidia publicized that it sold its entire position. From a money management perspective, the move made sense. On a year-to-date basis, TSPH stock is down nearly 62%. Over the past 52 weeks, it shed almost 76%. Thus, Nvidia may have wanted to avoid sending good money into bad.

Nvidia Dumping TSPH Stock Clashes with Prior Sentiment

While arguably sensible, the move by Nvidia is jarring. Back in mid-February of this year, the tech firm’s 13F disclosure for Q4 revealed the aforementioned position in TSPH stock. The publication of that stake sent TuSimple soaring as investors clamored for anything related to AI, especially businesses involved with Nvidia.

Further, Nvidia invested in TSPH stock in 2017, four years before TuSimple’s initial public offering. Likely, this information bolstered investor sentiment, even though TSPH has turned wildly volatile since late 2021.

In early 2022, TuSimple generated headlines when it revealed a partnership with Nvidia. The deal involved using the chipmaker’s semiconductors to design and build an autonomous driving system for self-driving trucks.

Unfortunately for speculators, the once-promising relationship appears to be ending. Early this year, The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. Department of Commerce stopped a shipment of 24 Nvidia chips bound for one of TuSimple’s subsidiaries in Australia.

Although advanced U.S. chips can be sent to Australia, the Biden administration’s policies prohibit transfers of such products to China. Federal investigations previously targeted TuSimple amid concerns that it was transferring technology to China.

Why It Matters

Since its public market debut, TSPH stock has lost more than 99%, per data from Google Finance. It’s one of the worst implosions of market value. In April 2021, Reuters noted that TuSimple raised over $1 billion in its initial public offering (IPO). At the time, the deal valued the company at nearly $8.5 billion.

On Penny Stocks and Low-Volume Stocks: With only the rarest exceptions, InvestorPlace does not publish commentary about companies that have a market cap of less than $100 million or trade less than 100,000 shares each day. That’s because these “penny stocks” are frequently the playground for scam artists and market manipulators. If we ever do publish commentary on a low-volume stock that may be affected by our commentary, we demand that InvestorPlace.com’s writers disclose this fact and warn readers of the risks. 

Read More: Penny Stocks — How to Profit Without Getting Scammed 

On the date of publication, Josh Enomoto did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.

A former senior business analyst for Sony Electronics, Josh Enomoto has helped broker major contracts with Fortune Global 500 companies. Over the past several years, he has delivered unique, critical insights for the investment markets, as well as various other industries including legal, construction management, and healthcare. Tweet him at @EnomotoMedia.

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• TDK reported earnings per share of 9 cents. This was below the analyst estimate for EPS of 19 cents.
• The company reported revenue of $3.27 billion.
• This was 1.18% better than the analyst estimate for revenue of $3.23 billion.

InvestorPlace Earnings is a project that leverages data from TradeSmith to automate coverage of quarterly earnings reports. InvestorPlace Earnings distills key takeaways including earnings per share and revenue, as well as how a company stacks up to analyst estimates. These articles are published without human intervention, allowing us to inform our readers of the latest figures as quickly as possible. To report any concerns or inaccuracies, please contact us at editor@investorplace.com.

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• Parkland reported earnings per share of 19 cents.
• The company reported revenue of $5.15 billion.

InvestorPlace Earnings is a project that leverages data from TradeSmith to automate coverage of quarterly earnings reports. InvestorPlace Earnings distills key takeaways including earnings per share and revenue, as well as how a company stacks up to analyst estimates. These articles are published without human intervention, allowing us to inform our readers of the latest figures as quickly as possible. To report any concerns or inaccuracies, please contact us at editor@investorplace.com.

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The post PKIUF Stock Earnings: Parkland Reported Results for Q1 2024 appeared first on InvestorPlace.

• The company did not report any EPS for the quarter.
• The company reported revenue of $41.56 million.

InvestorPlace Earnings is a project that leverages data from TradeSmith to automate coverage of quarterly earnings reports. InvestorPlace Earnings distills key takeaways including earnings per share and revenue, as well as how a company stacks up to analyst estimates. These articles are published without human intervention, allowing us to inform our readers of the latest figures as quickly as possible. To report any concerns or inaccuracies, please contact us at editor@investorplace.com.

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• Autolus Therapeutics reported earnings per share of -24 cents. This was below the analyst estimate for EPS of -5 cents.
• The company reported revenue of $10.09 million.
• This was 59.64% worse than the analyst estimate for revenue of $25.00 million.

InvestorPlace Earnings is a project that leverages data from TradeSmith to automate coverage of quarterly earnings reports. InvestorPlace Earnings distills key takeaways including earnings per share and revenue, as well as how a company stacks up to analyst estimates. These articles are published without human intervention, allowing us to inform our readers of the latest figures as quickly as possible. To report any concerns or inaccuracies, please contact us at editor@investorplace.com.

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• Safe & Green Holdings reported earnings per share of -$4.22.
• The company reported revenue of $1.00 million.

InvestorPlace Earnings is a project that leverages data from TradeSmith to automate coverage of quarterly earnings reports. InvestorPlace Earnings distills key takeaways including earnings per share and revenue, as well as how a company stacks up to analyst estimates. These articles are published without human intervention, allowing us to inform our readers of the latest figures as quickly as possible. To report any concerns or inaccuracies, please contact us at editor@investorplace.com.

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In general, high interest rates have negatively impacted consumer spending. However, with the prospects of multiple rate cuts in the next 12 to 18 months, it’s a good time to consider cheap consumer stocks to buy. As consumer spending potentially accelerates, companies in the sector are positioned to benefit.

The focus of this column is on two blue-chip consumer staple ideas and once growth stock that’s from the consumer discretionary segment. If an investor has a portfolio of these stocks with equal weightage, it’s likely to beat index returns over the next 36 months.

Let’s discuss these cheap consumer stocks to buy and hold for healthy total returns.

Altria Group (MO)

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) stock finally seems to be gaining momentum after an extended period of sideways movement. Year-to-date, MO stock has trended higher by almost 14%. However, the stock remains undervalued at a forward P/E ratio of 9. Additionally, the stock offers a dividend yield of 8.53%.

It’s worth noting that Altria is in a phase of business portfolio transformation. The company is gradually increasing its focus on the non-smoking product category. However, the smokable segment remains the cash flow driver.

An important point to note is that Altria has seen a positive impact from business transformation investments. As an example, the company continues gaining market share in the oral tobacco category.

Further, MO reported a shipment volume of NJOY consumables at 10.9 million units. The retail share of NJOY in the U.S. multi-outlet and convenience channel increased to 4.3%.

Therefore, with positive business metrics, I am optimistic about the long-term outlook for Altria. The valuation gap is a good opportunity to accumulate.

PepsiCo (PEP)

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) is another interesting name among consumer stocks to buy. One reason is that the 2.96% dividend yield stock has been sideways for the last 12 months. Valuations look attractive and the factor of relatively subdued growth is the discount on the stock.

For Q1 2024, PepsiCo reported organic revenue growth of 2.7% on a year-on-year (YOY) basis. For the full year, the company guided for 4% organic growth and 8% growth in earnings per share.

An important point to note is that PepsiCo reported a total revenue of $92 billion for the last financial year. Of this, $36 billion was from international markets. However, only 12% of revenue was from Asia Pacific and AMESA (Egypt, India, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and South Africa). There is ample scope for growth in these geographies.

The second point to note is that between 2019 and 2023, PepsiCo reported beverages growth at a CAGR of 7%. For the same period, the food segment growth was 10%. With a well-balanced portfolio of beverages and snacking products, the overall growth outlook is positive.

Miniso Group (MNSO)

Miniso Group (NYSE:MNSO) stock is among the undervalued consumer stocks to buy. The stock has trended higher by over 45% in the last 12 months. However, a forward P/E ratio of 24 indicates potential for further upside. Additionally, MNSO stock offers a dividend yield of 1.67%, and I expect healthy dividend growth in the coming years.

Miniso recently reported Q1 2024 results and revenue increased by 26% YOY to $515.7 million. Further, adjusted EBITDA margin was 25.9%, higher by 200 basis points YOY. The company’s stellar growth was backed by aggressive retail expansion. Miniso ended the quarter with 6,630 stores globally.

It’s worth noting that Miniso wants to open 900 to 1,100 stores annually between 2024 and 2028. The company expects revenue growth at a CAGR of more than 20% during this period. Therefore, the outlook is positive and there is ample scope for value creation.

On the date of publication, Faisal Humayun did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.

Faisal Humayun is a senior research analyst with 12 years of industry experience in the field of credit research, equity research and financial modeling. Faisal has authored over 1,500 stock specific articles with focus on the technology, energy and commodities sector.

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The post 3 Cheap Consumer Stocks to Buy Now: May 2024 appeared first on InvestorPlace.

How can you spot a good REIT stock? Rather than using traditional price multiples for the stock, REITs are often rated by their funds from operation (FFO). This metric takes the net income of the REIT company and factors in things like asset depreciation and preferred dividends. If you’ve thought about adding some REIT stocks to your portfolio, here are three of the best to consider for this May. 

Iron Mountain (IRM)

Iron Mountain (NYSE:IRM) should be a familiar name for most people who have worked in an office before. This REIT takes care of critical services including information storage, records management and data destruction. In April, seven of the nine analyst recommendations IRM received had a buy or strong buy rating. The high price target for IRM of $91.00 represents a nearly 20% upside from today’s price.

It doesn’t get much more steady than a stock like Iron Mountain. Although most REITs are seen as sleepy, IRM has returned an impressive 148.6% to shareholders over the past five years which doesn’t even include dividend reinvestment. How reliable is Iron Mountain? Well, over 90% of Fortune 1000 companies use Iron Mountain’s services. 

In the most recent quarter, Iron Mountain increased its FFO by 10% year-over-year to $324 million. The company has grown its revenue in 14 consecutive quarters at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.0% over the past five years. It even pays a healthy dividend yield of 3.26% quarterly. With this in mind, Iron Mountain just might be one of the quietest compounding REITs to buy on the market. 

Vici Properties (VICI)

Vici Properties (NYSE:VICI) is an American REIT company that owns and operates dozens of entertainment and hospitality properties. This REIT stock is one of the highest-rated on Wall Street with 21 of 24 analyst recommendations in April as a buy or strong buy rating. The average Wall Street price target of $35.08 represents a 20% upside from its current price of $29.50. 

Given its clientele, Vici is one REIT that will perform better in a strong economy. It owns ten trophy assets on the Las Vegas Strip which includes more than 41,000 hotel rooms and nearly 6.0 million square feet of convention and trade show space. Some of its well-known properties include the Bellagio, the MGM Grand, the T-Mobile Arena and Allegiant Stadium.

VICI’s FFO came in at $590 million last quarter which increased by 10% on a year-over-year basis. This REIT allocates a 75% FFO payout ratio for its dividend distribution and the current yield for VICI is an impressive 5.63% paid quarterly to shareholders. Investors can count on this dividend given that VICI has grown its distribution by a CAGR of 7.9% since 2018. This makes it a promising addition to any investor’s portfolio.

Alpine Income Property Trust (PINE)

Alpine Income Property Trust (NYSE:PINE) is a Florida-based retail REIT that owns 138 net-leased properties across America. It’s not a REIT stock that gets a lot of coverage but eight of the nine analyst recommendations in April were a buy rating or higher. The current price of $15.71 is below the lowest Wall Street analyst price target, with an average price target of $18.81 which implies about 20% upside. 

This retail REIT owns some of the biggest names in the industry. It holds a core portfolio of strong brands with a 99% tenant occupancy rate and also has an average weighted lease term remaining of 6.9 years. This means that the REIT is making great use of its properties.

Similar to VICI, PINE aims for a 72% FFO to dividend payout ratio. Alpine’s dividend yield sits at a massive 7.0% which the company has grown by nearly 40% since 2020. Thus, Alpine is a REIT to buy for any diversified portfolio.

On the date of publication, Ian Hartana and Vayun Chugh did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.

Chandler Capital is the work of Ian Hartana and Vayun Chugh. Ian Hartana and Vayun Chugh are both self-taught investors whose work has been featured in Seeking Alpha. Their research primarily revolves around GARP stocks with a long-term investment perspective encompassing diverse sectors such as technology, energy, and healthcare.

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During the quarter, Druckenmiller’s fund, Duquesne Family Office, disclosed that it had bought back into Palantir (NYSE:PLTR) stock after selling out of its entire position of 700,707 shares in Q2 2023. He picked up 769,965 shares, which accounts for 0.40% of his 13F portfolio. Following the purchase, PLTR stock is now his 35th-largest 13F holding out of 73 total positions.

Druckenmiller first bought shares of the big data analytics company in Q1 2021, shortly after its initial public offering (IPO). His initial stake totaled 5.98 million shares, much larger than his current position.

PLTR Stock: Stanley Druckenmiller Buys Back In

Druckenmiller operates as a short- to medium-term investor. He has an average 13F holding period of 2.29 quarters, meaning that he is quick to take profits while hopping on to the next trend.

While Druckenmiller’s 13F allocation to PLTR stock is quite low, some other investors are willing to bet more. Excluding related parties, Keywise Capital has the highest allocation to Palantir at 20.02%, followed by Cypress Point Wealth Management at 18.18% and Primavera Capital Management at 16.76%.

PLTR has a been a standout stock this year and is up by over 30% year-to-date (YTD). During its Q1 earnings, the company raised its 2024 revenue guidance to between $2.68 billion and $2.69 billion, up from between $2.65 billion and $2.67 billion. Q1 revenue grew by 21% year-over-year (YOY) to $634.3 million, beating the analyst estimate for $615.3 million. Adjusted EPS tallied in at 8 cents, in-line with the analyst estimate.

However, Wall Street has issued concerns with Palantir’s valuation. PLTR carries an average price target of $20.54 among 18 analysts with coverage, implying downside of about 6%. Wedbush has the highest price target at $35 while RBC Capital has the lowest at $9 per share.

On the date of publication, Eddie Pan did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines. 

Eddie Pan specializes in institutional investments and insider activity. He writes for InvestorPlace’s Today’s Market team, which centers on the latest news involving popular stocks.

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• Parkland reported earnings per share of 62 cents.
• The company reported revenue of $5.69 billion.

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• Peyto Exploration & Dev reported earnings per share of 34 cents.
• The company reported revenue of $220.83 million.

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• Canadian Tire Corp reported earnings per share of $2.48.
• The company reported revenue of $3.26 billion.

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• The company did not report any EPS for the quarter.
• The company reported revenue of $7.50 billion.

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• Daiwa Securities Group reported earnings per share of $1.85.
• The company reported revenue of $2.51 billion.

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