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Investors Alley by TIFIN

Three High Impact Stock Picks to End 2023 With a Bang

We are closing in on the end of the year—and it has been an interesting one, to say the least.

Here at Hidden Profits Report, we have shared lots of ideas and strategies, and we will share more in 2024.

This will be the last written edition of Hidden Profits Report for 2023, as I am taking next week off to enjoy some family time. There will be a video on Thursday, and then I will take a break until after the new year.

I kicked around several ideas about how to end the year with a bang and decided that giving you a handful of what I consider high-probability long shots is the best holiday gift I can offer.

Let’s get to it…

Remember that when I talk about long-shot stock picks, I think in terms of years, not weeks or months. I am looking for gains of several times the current stock price, not just a few percentage points.

When considering these picks, the trick is to think about investing a little for the possibility of earning a lot. With a 50% win rate, you will make a staggering amount of money over the next several years, even with small amounts invested in each stock.

I consider this a hero-or-zero approach to investing: those that work make us a lot of money. Those that do not have the chance to cost us whatever small amount we initially invested.

First up is Warner Brothers Discovery (WBD). The merger that created this company has had less-than-stellar results since the deal’s 2021 completion, but the stock has been picking up some steam in recent weeks.

Warner Brothers Discovery includes a fantastic collection of streaming and entertainment assets, including the HBO, Discovery, CNN, and TLC cable networks, as well as the streaming platforms HBO Max and Discovery Plus. That means with one stock purchase, you own shares of Superman, Game of Thrones, and Bugs Bunny, as well as major production studios like Warner Brothers, HBO, Discovery Studios, DC Films, and Cartoon Network Studios. You also get my wife’s favorite networks: Animal Planet, The Food Network and HGTV.

As it sits today, the company is worth more than two times its current stock price. A few years down the road, a value of two-to-three times today’s price does not strike me as an unreasonable possibility.

Which electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer will be the best investment?

I do not know, and I do not care. But what I do know is that almost all of them—as well as the manufacturers of hybrid vehicles—will buy part from Borg-Warner (BWA). (Companies that stay with good old-fashioned internal combustion engines will buy from Borg Warner, too.)

In fact, with 92 factories in 23 countries worldwide, Borg Warner is in a solid position to do business with every auto manufacturer on the planet.

My calculation of the value of the business is currently almost two times its stock price. Add in some growth from the drive for cleaner cars and continued expansion of the market for EVs, and the stock could easily trade at three to four times the current price in a few years.

We all know the lithium story—it is needed for the best batteries for everything from cell phones to EVs.

Lithium Argentina (LAAC) owns two lithium mines in Argentina, both in partnership with Ganfeng, China’s largest lithium company. The Argentinian government also has a piece of one of the mines.

The balance sheet is solid, and the company has more cash than debt.

The first mine, Chauchari-Olarloz, has just gone into production. If all goes well, it will be the lowest-cost lithium mine in the world. The cash flow from this mine will pay the startup costs of the second mine, which is located right next door.

If this company hits its potential and both mines produce at capacity, you should see a long-term return of ten times your money or more.

The political landscape in Argentina just underwent a seismic shift with the election of a libertarian, Javier Milei, who is massively in favor of free markets and who should be good for Lithium Argentina. But, if the politics go the wrong way or something goes disastrously wrong with the mines, investors will come up with a loss of at least half and maybe all their investment.

Long-shot stock picks should come with a warning label.

We are playing a game mathematicians call the asymmetric payoff wager.

A small stake can reap huge gains, but the chance of a loss is real. And some of these stocks will be losers.

Only invest money in this strategy that you can afford to lose without significant consequences.

Then, be patient. Think big, and resist the temptation to take small profits.

Happy Holidays!

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Three High Impact Stock Picks to End 2023 With a Bang Read More »

Stock News by TIFIN

Are These 3 Tech Stocks Targeting Year-End Gains?

The technology industry has the potential to grow significantly due to the rising digitalization across various sectors and the integration of cutting-edge technologies. Given the industry’s solid growth prospects, investors could consider buying fundamentally strong tech stocks Nidec Corporation (NJDCY), EchoStar Corporation (SATS), and Mastech Digital, Inc. (MHH) for year-end gains. Before delving deeper into

Are These 3 Tech Stocks Targeting Year-End Gains? Read More »

Stock News by TIFIN

FedEx (FDX) Earnings Breakdown: Software Stock Signals

Boasting a market cap of $70.72 billion, FedEx Corporation (FDX) offers transportation, e-commerce, and business services globally, operating through distinct segments such as FedEx Express; FedEx Ground; FedEx Freight; and FedEx Services. With the company set to lift the curtains on its fiscal 2024 second-quarter results on December 19, 2023, would it be wise to

FedEx (FDX) Earnings Breakdown: Software Stock Signals Read More »

Investors Alley by TIFIN

8 Best Stocks for 2024

It’s been a turbulent year for the markets, to say the least.

Interest rates have been surging, labor strikes have taken a bite out of the automobile and entertainment industries, a few big banks have failed, and wars are raging on two continents.

The future looks no less uncertain. Inflation has eased a bit, but it’s still too high for the Fed to fully ease up on interest rates. The wars in Europe and the Middle East continue, making food and energy prices more volatile than they have been in years.

And closer to home, next year proves to be one of the most divisive election years in memory.

In short, 2024 promises to be another uncertain year in the markets.

That’s why we’ve had our team of analysts and researchers identify the most promising stocks to keep an eye on in 2024.

Let’s take a look…

Analyst: Jay Soloff, StockNews, POWR Income

I’ve spoken before about the price support that is in place for oil globally, and the recent outbreak of violence in the Middle East will only serve to bolster recent price increases.

Due to its small size and location in Colombia, GeoPark Ltd. (GPRK), an upstream oil and gas company, simply flies under the radar of most investors.  But after taking a close look under the hood, I believe there’s a compelling story here. Actually, GeoPark is an income stock in value clothing.

Take a peek at what I found…

Business Overview

GeoPark is a leading independent exploration, developer and producer of oil and gas reserves in Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina and Ecuador. Fact is, Latin America remains one of the world’s richest and most underexplored hydrocarbon regions.

GeoPark’s value begins in its drilling operations where GPRK has a 75% drilling success rate over the past 16 years.

Its prize asset is the Llanos 34 block—in its own words, “the largest oil discovery in over 20 years in Colombia.” Gross production has rocketed from zero to 75,000 barrels of oil per day in less than a decade.The drilling site was purchased for $30 million in 2012, has produced almost $2 billion since drilling began, and is estimated to contain another $2 billion of production today.

GeoPark also has a strategic partnership with ONGC Videsh – the government oil company of India – to jointly acquire, invest in, and create value from upstream oil and gas projects across Latin America.   The company has net proven reserves of 87.8 million barrels of oil equivalent.

Here’s a look at all of GPRK’s operations:

Source: GPRK September 2023 Investor Presentation, p. 2

Financial Results

After weathering a downturn in earnings per share during the pandemic, GPRK bounced back and turned in explosive numbers in 2022.

Earnings Per Share:

●    2019 – $0.97  

●    2020 – ($3.84)  

●    2021 – $1.00   

●    2022 – $3.78

GeoPark closed a record year in 2022, with revenues over $1 billion, adjusted EBITDA over $540 million, and bottom-line net profit of over $224 million.

Full year cash flow from operations was $467 million, which not only funded its capital expenditure program, but also paid down $170 million in debt, canceling entirely any debt owed in 2024.  

In 2022, GeoPark paid shareholders more than $60 million, representing  a yield of 6.15% or $0.52 per share. The company also has repurchased more than $133 million in its share buyback program since 2017.

Investment Considerations

Let’s talk a moment about the “value” side of GeoPark. The company trades at a lowly P/E of only 3.2, and at a super low 3x earnings. Its price to sales ratio is .88, and yet its operating margins are just under 50%. The company has $129 million of cash and cash equivalents on hand, and a credit facility of $80 million which has yet to be touched.

Its shares are a good value compared to the industry average P/E of 6.3. The company is extremely efficient, with operating margins clocking in at 44.4% and net profit margins of 22%.

Earnings have skyrocketed by 114% over the past year, and have grown by an average of 31.5% over the last five years.  Meanwhile, dividends have blasted higher, from $0.02 cents per share in 2020 to $0.52 today—a 531% improvement in just three years, including a 58% jump since 2022.

And the good times should continue – the company plans on returning between 40% and 50% of free cash flow after taxes to shareholders (through dividends and buybacks).

Despite its low profile, the company is being squarely targeted by one group of savvy investors.  Insiders currently own 16% of the shares and the top five shareholders own 55% of the company.  Private equity firm Compass Group LLC, has almost 75 million shares and 14% of the float, while Cap Trust Financial Advisors holds another 13%.

What’s more, analysts project the share price to blast higher to $16.71 in the next twelve months, a massive 85% bump from current prices.

Not surprisingly GPRK has an outstanding 94.64% rating on the Value component of our POWR Ratings. GeoPark also scores highly in the areas of Quality and Sentiment where it ranks above 80% of the companies we track in both categories.

I like the conservative management of this South American driller, and think its income potential is in the sweet spot of the current oil market.

The shares are extremely undervalued, and for small investors, remain in stealth mode.  But if you’re willing to dig down for a bargain in the energy field, I think they are worth a deeper dive and could leave you celebrating an even better New Year!

Analyst: Jay Soloff, StockNews, Stocks Under $10

If you’re looking to ring in the New Year with a “buzz,” look no further than haptic technology maker, Immersion Corp. (IMMR).

The stock trades under $8 but’s in a rapidly growing field and brings strong financials to the table. While it may be best known for its gaming impact, there are a multitude of growth areas the company is attacking with its innovative technology.

Here’s how IMMR is shaking things up…

Business Overview

If you’re a gaming fan, you know the new Call of Duty (COD) just dropped its full release on November 10th. And even if you’re not a COD fan, if you’ve played any video games recently, you probably know there is nothing more important to a gamer than their controller.

Immersion Corp. is in the business of, among other things, making controllers more fun, keeping gamers engaged, and bringing new gamers to the table.

The company makes haptics…that’s the technology that makes the controller buzz in your hand when you hit a target, or your real life steering wheel vibrate when you cross the double yellow line, or even your phone vibrate when you get that important text telling you your takeout is ready.

As we become more and more tied to our video devices, Immersion is finding more and more ways to make the devices interactive, and in the case of automobile haptics, safer.

And with the emerging world of VR/AR (virtual reality/augmented reality) really coming into its own, Immersion has a whole new area of technology to deploy their interactive haptic devices. When most people think of VR/AR they think of video games, but there is a whole other side to the technology.

Training, from military to industrial to educational, is an especially vibrant part of VR/AR and spans a multitude of uses for haptic technology. And IMMR is perfectly positioned to cash in.

They have licensing agreements with industry giants like Samsung, Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo to name a few. In 2022 and 2021, mobile communications represented 60% of total revenue, gaming and VR accounted for 21%, and automotive contributed 13% and 19%, respectively. These figures demonstrate the company’s successful penetration into key markets.

As a result, Immersion generates revenue across Asia, North America, and Europe. For the three months ended June 30, 2023, 83% of its total revenue came from Asia, while North America and Europe contributed 14% and 3%, respectively. A global presence ensures the company is well-positioned to capitalize on opportunities in diverse markets and regions.

As of December 31, 2022, Immersion and its wholly-owned subsidiaries held over 1,200 currently issued or pending patents worldwide, an extremely deep portfolio of intellectual property (IP).

And Immersion is laser-focused on protecting its IP portfolio. You see, protecting its IP is vital to safeguarding its technology and supporting its licensing model.

That’s why IMMR is currently pursuing patent infringement lawsuits against Meta, Valve, and Xiaomi. That commitment to safeguarding its IP locks in its competitive advantage and also a strategic incentive for potential customers.

Financial Results

●    2019 – $0.64

●    2020 – $0.19

●    2021 – $0.40

●    2022 – $0.92

Clearly, IMMR is headed in the right direction. As you can see, IMMR turned profitable in 2020 and has continued to grow earnings over the last three years.  For the latest quarter it reported earnings of $7.0 million, or $0.21 per diluted share, handily beating the consensus estimates of $0.16 per share. The firm posted a net loss of more than $1.8 million a year ago.

The company also declared a dividend for the fourth consecutive quarter. The shares now yield 1.8%.

IMMR is also actively making share repurchases too, retiring 1.3% of all outstanding shares in the second quarter.The stock repurchase program was originally approved on December 29, 2022 and authorized the repurchase of up to $50 million of the company’s common stock.

“During the quarter our stockholders’ equity increased by $4.3 million sequentially and $12.3 million year-to-date while providing $3.9 million and $5.1 million, respectively, in stock repurchases and dividends.”said Eric Singer, Chairman and CEO.

The company’s revenues are almost entirely attributable to licensing. About $6.9 million of its $7 million in revenues came from its licensing stream.

Meanwhile, IMMR’s product mix delivers revenues from a slew of different industries.

In 2022 and 2021, mobile communications represented 60% of total revenue, gaming and VR accounted for 21%, and automotive contributed 19%. These figures demonstrate the company’s successful penetration into key markets.

Investment Considerations

Simply put, IMMR shares are dirt cheap at current valuations.

IMMR has a P/E of just over 5, and pretty incredible gross margins, at almost 98%.  What’s more, operating margins are running at almost 64%.

Our POWR Ratings have Immersion at an overall grade of B, with a rating 87.43% better than all the stocks we track. It’s especially strong in Quality, at 96.78%.

Immersion is currently trading at the low end of a range it has been in over the past year, at just under $7, trading as high as $9.25 in late March.

The CEO Eric Singer made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. A single transaction was for $146,000 worth of shares at a price of $7.29 each. Think about it – an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of $6.71.

Whether you’re picking up your copy of COD in the next month or not, Immersion should be on your radar as an under $10 stock that is bringing valuable technology to a number of hot technology areas.  

Plus, the shares are trading at a price that should deliver a “buzz” to your portfolio and start the New Year off right.

Analyst: Tim Melvin, Investors Alley, The 20% Letter

It is that time of the year again.

I know what you are thinking.

Thanksgiving is fast upon us. It is time to start thinking about shopping for the big day. We will need turkey and all the fixings, along with some pies. We better stock up on wine and bourbon as well, with all the family headed our way.

We might even want to get some for them to drink.

That’s not it?

Then it must be Christmas.

We need a new tree.

What should we get the granddaughters?

Are we putting up outside lights this year?

That’s not it either.

Oh no-Don’t tell me. Not that.

I hate doing that. It is stupid and pointless.

That’s right, kids.

It is time to determine what stocks we should buy for 2024.

“What will the stock and bond markets do in the New Year?” everyone’s asking. “What will the market do in 2024?”

This is the most pointless exercise in the history of finance.

Nevertheless, publishers, Research Directors, and the marketing heads love it.

If you make a prediction and it’s wrong, that’s no big deal. Pretty much everyone will be wrong.

After all, who had American Coastal Insurance (ACIC) and its 1,757% 2023 gain on their 2023 bingo card?

How many folks suggested shorting market darling Enphase Energy (ENPH) before its 70% collapse this year?

How many suggested we would see another war breaking out in the Middle East involving Israel?

How many of us had Jimmy Buffett passing away in our 2023 checklist? Or that Keith Richards did not pass away?

The point is that people have yet to determine what will happen in the markets or the world in 2023, yet alone 2024.

Some stuff is predictable. With that in mind, here are my core predictions for 2024:

We will have a contentious election in 2024 for all levels of political office.

Vote chasers will make many stupid statements. Shockingly, people will vote for them anyway.

Something, somewhere in the world, will happen that no one expected.

Most days, the stock market will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

During those hours, prices will fluctuate. Sometimes prices will fluctuate wildly.

In 2023, some stocks no one has ever heard of will skyrocket in value.

Some stocks everyone loves will collapse in value.

Most people who make predictions will miss the mark.

Publishers and marketing directors will promote those who get it right, or come close, as geniuses who can make you wealthier beyond your wildest dream by lunchtime a week from Tuesday.

They will not accomplish that.

Nor will they help you when their advice turns sour.

In short, predicting the market is a waste of time. You are far better off reacting to what the market does during the year.

When stocks sell off and everyone hates stocks, you should look for good companies at great prices. It will make you a lot of money over a year or two.

If you find companies with outstanding momentum attracting institutional buying, you should buy them. As long as the fundamentals improve, the stock price should keep climbing higher.

If stocks soar in value and sell for ridiculous multiples of asset values and cash flows, you should sell them.

If you can buy bonds in companies with a high probability of surviving until the principal is due, that yield more than historical stock market returns, you should do that.

I know that is not what you want to hear.

It is not what publishers or market directors want to see either.

It’s the right way to approach investing in 2024, but everyone wants magic stock picks.

I will not give you any of the picks I gave my members. It hardly seems fair to give you something they are paying for, does it?

Since the two anomalies that never go away, which I mentioned above, are value and momentum, I will give you two cheap stocks that could recover and give you huge returns. Both have passed my credit filters and should not experience any severe financial distress in 2023.

Along with that, I will give you stocks with fundamentals and price momentum that have the potential to keep climbing higher.

Our first value pick is JELD-WEN Holdings (JELD). This company makes windows and doors for homebuilders, home improvement, and replacement markets. It will be a bumpy road, but we need new homes, especially at the lower end of the market, to meet demand, which could drive substantial profit gains for JELD-WEN.

The upside could be enormous with the stock trading at an enterprise to earnings before interest and taxes multiple of just 5.

My next pick combines being undervalued and something of a long shot. PHX Minerals (PHX) is a natural gas and oil mineral company with acreage in Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, North Dakota, and Arkansas. It is a royalty company that has been working to increase its acreage and grow cash flows. The stock is currently trading at just 94% of tangible book value.

The company just turned down a takeover offer from a larger royalty company as inadequate. A higher offer in 2024 would not be a surprise.

Our first momentum stock is an Orlando-based company, MtronPTI (MPTI). The company makes radio frequency components that it sells to all the major defense companies. Its products are used in space flight, defense, aircraft, and instrumentation for air and spacecraft.

Its products are also used in hypersonic missiles, missile defense, drones, and electronic warfare.

Business is good.

Thanks to geopolitics and the overwhelming stupidity of nations, it will keep getting better.

Sales and earnings are growing. Margins are expanding. Analysts are raising estimates for sales and profits this year and next.

Fundamental momentum is driving strong price momentum.

Profile Systems (PFIE) makes burner management and combustion systems for the oil and gas industry. Its products make using burners that are part of the oil and gas production process safer by acting as a kind of thermostat to prevent accidents.

It’s a low-priced stock with strong sales and earnings momentum that is attracting buying pressure from institutional and retail buyers alike. Profits have exceeded analyst expectations, and Wall Street has been raising its estimates for Profire’s earnings in 2023 and 2024.

Profire’s fundamentals have everything you want to see in an outstanding growth stock. If that continues, this could be one of the biggest winners of 2024.

There you have it.

Flawless predictions for market behavior in 2024 that have been correct every year for all my years in the business.

Two growth stocks and two value stocks that have the characteristics of winning stocks.

Anything more is just guesswork and marketing.

Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go work on the shopping list for Thanksgiving and figure out what to buy the granddaughters for Christmas.

Analyst: Tim Plaehn, Investors Alley, The Dividend Hunter

I regularly review a large number of high yield stocks. I try to dig out the details that separate a high-quality company from one that has the potential to truly whack investor wealth. I often talk about how tremendous value can be found in the dark corners of the stock market, where the investing public doesn’t understand how these undiscovered nuggets of dividend paying companies operate. But sometimes I realize I need to go back and discuss a stock that should be a core holding for almost every stock market investor.

And this one may just be the best income stock that exists.

That’s why Main Street Capital (MAIN) is my conservative pick for 2024. The increase in interest rates dictated by the Fed over the last year has been very good for the profitability of business development companies (BDCs). Main Street Capital is the class of the BDC sector. The company has an unmatched record of dividend growth. MAIN pays monthly dividends. Plus the company historically has paid quarterly supplemental dividends.

MAIN is a stock that will produce consistent low to mid-teens compound annual total returns.

Legally, a BDC is a closed-end investment company, like closed-end mutual funds (CEF). The difference is that a CEF owns stock shares and bonds, while a BDC makes direct investments into its client companies.

A BDC will have up to hundreds of outstanding investments to spread the risk across many small companies. The client companies of a BDC will be corporations that are too small or too new to be able to issue stock or bonds into the publicly traded markets.

As a risk control factor, BDCs are limited to debt of no more than two times its equity.

This means that if a BDC has $500 million of equity raised from selling shares, it can borrow $1 billion. The company can then make $1.5 billion of loans or equity investments.

Main Street Capital Corp. is really quite different from the rest of the BDC crowd. Since its 2007 IPO, MAIN has tripled the total return average of its BDC peers.

Houston-based Main Street Capital has helped over 200 private companies grow or transition by providing flexible private equity and debt capital solutions.

The company provides “one-stop” capital solutions (private debt and private equity capital) to lower middle market companies and debt capital to middle market companies.

Main Street’s lower middle market (LMM) companies generally have annual revenues between $10 million and $150 million. While Main Street’s middle market debt investments are made in businesses that are generally larger in size.

The company’s current investment portfolio consists of 51% LMM, 36% Private Loan and 7% Middle Market companies and 6% other investments.

On December 31, 2021, Main Street Capital had 30 middle market clients with an average loan amount of $13 million. The loans total over $306 million or about 7% of MAIN’s total portfolio.

Middle market loans are floating rate and match with MAIN’s floating rate debt facility. The average 11.8% yield on this group of loans is 4.75% higher than Main Street’s debt used to fund the loans to clients. The 4.5% interest margin is almost pure cash flow that can be used to help pay dividends on MAIN’s stock shares.

The largest portion of the portfolio is lower middle market (LMM), where the company takes equity stakes along with providing debt financing. Equity provides a significant boost to the total returns generated. Lower middle market companies are smaller than the typical BDC client and have annual revenues between $10 and $150 million.

There are over 175,000 companies in this revenue bracket in the U.S., and MAIN has 79 lower middle market clients with loans and equity investments worth $2.1 billion. The loans to the companies in this part of the portfolio have an average yield of 12.6%.

The equity position gives an average 41% ownership of the client companies. The equity stakes are what have allowed MAIN’s net asset value (NAV) to increase from $12.85 in 2007 to $27.23 on March 31, 2023 – 112% growth.

The equity investments are what set MAIN apart from most other BDCs. The rules under which these companies operate prevent them from setting aside loan loss reserves. Because a BDC makes higher risk loans, there will be loan losses. These losses have a direct negative effect on a BDC’s book or net asset value. That is why most BDCs struggle to maintain their book values compared to the growing value built by Main Street Capital.

In recent years, Main Street has been growing what it calls its PrivateLoan Portfolio. These are loans originated through strategic relationships with other investment funds on a collaborative basis and are often referred to in the debt markets as “club deals”.

The private loan portfolio makes up 36% (86 loans for $1.5 billion) of the overall MAIN portfolio and carries an average yield of 12.4%. The loans have floating interest rates and benefit from lower overhead costs.

This three-tier investment portfolio is what sets MAIN apart from the rest of the BDC crowd, and what makes it an income stock for all seasons.

The lower middle market client, middle market client, and private loans mix provides a combination of net interest income to support MAIN’s very excellent history of dividend payments. Plus, MAIN holds an industry leading position in cost efficiency, with an Operating Expense to Assets Ratio of 1.4%.

The result has been a BDC that has generated both regular dividend growth for investors and special dividends to pay out capital gains. As an additional bonus, MAIN pays monthly dividends, smoothing out the cash flow into your brokerage account. MAIN should be a core holding for any income focused investor.

These facts add up to a very high-quality income investment with a 7% yield on the monthly dividends alone. The bonus dividends are just that, an added bonus on top of a great yield. The regular dividend increases will result in a low-teens yield on cost in just a few years. I know of no other stock that can be counted on to pay you 12-plus dividends per year and provide a growing cash income stream. If you do not own any MAIN shares, go buy some.

Analyst: Tim Plaehn, Investors Alley, The Dividend Hunter

Ongoing global events have me convinced that liquified natural gas (LNG) could be the world’s most important energy source for years—possibly decades—to come. The LNG infrastructure system allows the cost-effective transport of clean-burning natural gas from regions of plentiful supply to more populous countries with limited energy sources.

That’s why, for a more aggressive play for 2024, I’ve chosen New Fortress Energy (NFE). It’s a rapidly growing company focused on developing and operating downstream LNG infrastructure assets including LNG regassification and power generation. New Fortress also has employed the first of its Fast Gas upstream liquefaction plants that is installed on an offshore oil and gas rig.

Business Overview

New Fortress Energy operates primarily as a downstream seller of natural gas, delivered to its global network of LNG gasification terminals.

At the end of 2021, New Fortress Energy had 11 regasification terminals, up from five a year earlier. Now the company shows 14 facilities either operating or under development. Gas transport ships totaled 20, up from five. These assets provide LNG midstream and downstream services. New Fortress Energy will soon complete the cycle with its first LNG upstream investment. New Fortress Energy operates on long-term contracts to deliver LNG-based natural gas to customers served by the transport and terminals network. The contracts make New Fortress the exclusive gas supplier to its contracted customers.

Business History

New Fortress Energy launched with a January 30, 2019, IPO. As of the IPO, the company owned three operating large-scale projects and had four more under development.

In January 2021, New Fortress Energy announced the acquisition of HYGO Energy Transition Ltd. and Golar LNG Partners LP. With the acquisitions, the company bought three terminals and power plants in Brazil and 11 LNG ships from Golar.

These additions allow New Fortress to turn the corner to profitability. Here is the swing to profitability since the IPO.

2019: EBITDA of negative $115 million

2020: EBITDA of $33 million

2021: EBITDA of $605 million, including $334 million for the fourth quarter

2022: EBITDA of $1,071 million, exceeding the full-year guidance of $1.0 billion

To continue to expand, New Fortress Energy is moving to upstream LNG production with what it calls Fast LNG (FLNG). The first project will be to provide offshore liquefaction at Italian integrated energy company Eni’s offshore development in the Republic of Congo.

On March 31, 2022, the company filed to build its second Fast LNG offshore LNG export plant, off the coast of Louisiana. The company plans to have this plant up and running in 2023. In July, a third FLNG project was added to develop facilities off the coast of Mexico.

The Fast LNG projects will provide low-cost LNG to be resold to the company’s upstream customers.

The next project will be a green hydrogen production facility located in Texas. The plant will produce clean hydrogen close to end-users in the power generation, petrochemical, refining, and steel sectors.

Investment Considerations

During the 2021 fourth-quarter earnings call, New Fortress CEO Wesley Edens noted, “This really does mark the end of the beginning of us as a company.”

By that comment, he means the company has invested a lot of capital over the last few years to get to the point where the company is now very profitable, and additional capital investment will grow those profits.

Long-term LNG supply contracts provide a stable revenue base. The Fast LNG facilities will produce low-cost LNG to supply those contracts. Fast LNG can also ramp up production during price disruption to sell more gas into the markets when prices spike higher.

All in all, New Fortress Energy has strong visibility for the next two years of tremendous earnings growth. The company is also poised to continue to grow as LNG becomes the dominant form of global energy.

Currently, NFE pays a $0.10 quarterly dividend, for a 1% yield. The dividend has been paid since the 2020 fourth quarter.

In December 2022, the company announced a supplemental dividend plan to pay out 40% of adjusted EBITDA in semi-annual installments. A $3.00 per share dividend was declared at that time and paid in January.

New Fortress generated EBITDA of $600 million in 2022, will exceed $1 billion in 2023, and is forecasting $1.6 billion and $2.4 billion for 2024 and 2025, respectively.

This material is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as individualized investment advice or an offer or solicitation to buy or sell securities tailored to your needs. Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives and risks as well as charges and expenses of all securities before investing. Read the prospectus carefully before investing.

Nothing contained herein is to be considered a solicitation, research material, an investment recommendation or advice of any kind. The information contained herein may contain information that is subject to change without notice.  Any investments or strategies referenced herein do not take into account the investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any specific person. Product suitability must be independently determined for each individual investor. [FirmName] explicitly disclaims any responsibility for product suitability or suitability determinations related to individual investors.  This information does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities, in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

Smaller capitalization securities involve greater issuer risk than larger capitalization securities, and the markets for such securities may be more volatile and less liquid.  Specifically, small capitalization companies may be subject to more volatile market movements than securities of larger, more established companies, both because the securities typically are traded in lower volume and because the issuers typically are more subject to changes in earnings and prospects.

Securities of small and medium-sized companies tend to be riskier than those of larger companies. Compared to large companies, small and medium-sized companies may face greater business risks because they lack the management depth or experience, financial resources, product diversification or competitive strengths of larger companies, and they may be more adversely affected by poor economic conditions. There may be less publicly available information about smaller companies than larger companies. In addition, these companies may have been recently organized and may have little or no track record of success.

Investing internationally carries additional risks such as differences in financial reporting, currency exchange risk, as well as economic and political risk unique to the specific country. This may result in greater share price volatility. Shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost.

Investments in commodities may have greater volatility than investments in traditional securities, particularly if the instruments involve leverage. The value of commodity-linked derivative instruments may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs and international economic, political and regulatory developments. Use of leveraged commodity-linked derivatives creates an opportunity for increased return but, at the same time, creates the possibility for greater loss.

Mutual Funds and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are sold by prospectus. Please consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before investing. The prospectus, which contains this and other information about the investment company, can be obtained from the Fund Company or your financial professional. Be sure to read the prospectus carefully before deciding whether to invest. 

Advisory services are offered through Magnifi LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Being registered as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training. The information contained herein should in no way be construed or interpreted as a solicitation to sell or offer to sell advisory services to any residents of any State where notice-filed or otherwise legally permitted. All content is for information purposes only. It is not intended to provide any tax or legal advice or provide the basis for any financial decisions. Nor is it intended to be a projection of current or future performance or indication of future results. Moreover, this material has been derived from sources believed to be reliable but is not guaranteed as to accuracy and completeness and does not purport to be a complete analysis of the materials discussed. Purchases are subject to suitability. This requires a review of an investor’s objective, risk tolerance, and time horizons. Investing always involves risk and possible loss of capital.

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Muni Bonds are Booming – And You Can Still Get In

Recent weeks have seen a massive global bond rally on growing optimism the Federal Reserve has nearly finished hiking interest rates and will soon have to hit pause on its tightening regime.

Just look at what has happened in the normally very quiet world of municipal bonds.

Spoilers: there’s still time to get in…

Munis are issued by state and local governments, and generally pay tax-exempt interest at the federal, and potentially state levels.

The proceeds from municipal debt fund a wide range of state and local infrastructure projects, including schools, hospitals, universities, airports, bridges, and highways, as well as water and sewer systems.

Muni Bonds Are Hot

Municipal bond trading soared to an all-time high in November, as retail investors snapped up bonds, driving the market’s best month of performance since the 1980s. Muni bonds posted a 6.3% return in November, the best month of returns since 1982.

There were 1.5 million trades in November, which was a monthly record, according to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board. The regulator said that demand from small investors was a major factor in the spike in trading.

This led to, in November alone, AAA benchmark yields dropping more than 90 basis points depending on the maturity, according to Bloomberg data.

This swift, surprising surge has been enough to lift returns and erase losses. The Bloomberg muni index is now up over 3% for the year, a rebound from a loss of 2.2% at the end of October. Benchmark yields for muni bonds due in 10 years and rated AAA are now down to 2.6%, their lowest since April 2023. A very low supply of new bond sales from state and local governments has provided an additional lift for the muni market.

When returns turn positive, municipal bond funds begin to see investor cash come back. For example, investors added about $292 million to municipal-bond funds during the week that ended November 22—marking a reversal from 11 consecutive weeks of outflows—according to LSEG Lipper Global Fund Flows data.

While December may not have as much momentum as November did, the last month of the year has tended to stay in the green. December muni returns have been positive since 2014, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.

The return for November is creating a bit of buzz for this often-overlooked asset class. Karen Altamirano, an analyst with Bloomberg Intelligence, said in a report: “The tremendous reversal of fortune and subsequent run of wins has muni buyers tripping over themselves.”

But be careful, and don’t just pay any price for munis. A similar November trend has played out in the previous two years. After three months of losses from August through October, munis rallied in November in both 2021 and 2022. Last year, the end-of-year gains were due to—you guessed it—increasing expectations that the Federal Reserve would cut rates in 2023, which obviously did not occur.

However, the fundamentals in the municipal bond market are solid.

Credit remains strong, with historic levels of rainy-day funds. While revenue collections are solid and above 2021 levels, they have slipped below the peaks witnessed in 2022. Nevertheless, expect municipal defaults to remain low, rare, and idiosyncratic.

Why Buy Muni Bonds?

One main reason munis make sense to me is that many issuers have a monopoly over their services and don’t face competition like corporations do.

An even better reason is that issuers are often backed by durable revenue sources such as taxes. As a result, defaults tend to be rare, even during recessionary periods. For example, during the financial crisis of 2007–2009, only 12 rated issuers defaulted, compared with 414 corporate bonds of similar credit quality.

Currently, many muni issuers are financially strong. In fact, the balances of the aforementioned rainy-day funds—money states set aside to use during unexpected deficits—are at near-record levels. Even Illinois, the lowest-rated state in the muni market, had a rainy-day fund balance of more than $600 million in 2022, compared with just $4.15 million in 2020.

Also keep in mind that muni bonds generally have strong credit ratings—usually higher than corporate bonds. Nearly 70% of the Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index is rated in the two highest categories, compared with just 8% of those in the Bloomberg Corporate Bond Index.

How to Buy Munis

Your best bet may be to buy individual munis tailored to your specific financial situation. All the major brokerages have bond specialists that can do this for you.

However, there are municipal bond mutual funds and ETFs that you can buy online in your brokerage account. Here are two examples…

The first muni bond ETF that’s really interesting to me is the Xtrackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond ETF (RVNU). This fund tracks an index of investment-grade municipal bonds backed by revenues from local infrastructure projects such as airports, toll roads, and water and sewer.

Its portfolio is allocated this way:

Transportation: 32.73%

Airport: 29.95%

Water: 12.80%

Utilities: 7.42%

Power: 7.19%

Other: 9.91%.

Keep in mind, though, that since it is focused on just one segment—infrastructure—it may be more volatile. The fund is up 4.3% year-to-date and has an expense ratio of just 0.15%. The total return over the past year was 5.33%. The 30-day SEC yield is 4.01% and pays distributions monthly.

If you’re looking for broader exposure to the muni market, one of the largest ETFs is the Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF (VTEB). The investment objective of this index fund is to track the performance of a benchmark index that measures the investment-grade segment of the U.S. municipal bond market.

As is typical for Vanguard ETFs, its expense ratio is a miniscule 0.05%.

The fund is up just 1.29% year-to-date. Its total return over the past year is 3.10%. Its 30-day SEC yield is 3.63% and pays distributions monthly.
10 years ago, I showed a small group of dividend investors 3 dividend stocks to buy and hold until 2024. Those stocks could’ve generated up to $671,727 in dividends in that time. Now, here’s 3 new stocks to buy and hold until 2034. Click here to see them.

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DASH in, EBAY out – a Deep Dive Into the 2024 Implications

Following the conclusion of the Consumer Price Index report and the Federal Reserve meeting, we are approaching the last major “liquidity event” of the year: the annual reconstitution of the Nasdaq 100 Index.
In the latest annual reconstitution of the index, floundering e-commerce giant eBay Inc. (EBAY) has seen its spot given to the thriving food delivery service DoorDash, Inc. (DASH). The respective removal and addition will take effect before the commencement of trading on December 18, 2023.
Inclusion within the Nasdaq-100 Index is significant for stocks as it is a reference point for numerous financial products, encompassing options, futures, and funds. Portfolio managers, maintaining portfolios synced with the index, purchase shares in the same proportion included in the index. The addition of stocks is dictated by market capitalization and trade volume. The removal indicates a shift in favor of other companies that met these criteria more closely.
The annual reconstitution aligns with another significant trading occurrence known as triple witching, a quarterly phenomenon marking the expiration of stock options, index options, and futures.
This period provides an invaluable opportunity for the trading community to transfer substantial stock quantities during the final burst of tax loss harvesting or strategically position themselves for the coming year. There will typically be a 30%-40% decrease in trading volume in the year’s last two weeks post-triple witching, with noteworthy volume largely limited to the final trading day.
While all this may seem of mere scholarly curiosity, the recent surge in passive index investing over the past two decades has heightened the importance of these events to investors.
Adjustments to these indexes, whether through additions or deletions, share count alterations, or changes in weightings to lower the dominance of large companies, initiate substantial monetary transfers into and out of mutual funds and ETFs directly or indirectly associated with these indexes.
Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) is emblematic of these changes due to its strategic linking with the Nasdaq-100, which lists the 100 largest nonfinancial companies on the Nasdaq. The QQQ fund ranks as the fifth-largest ETF, overseeing approximately $220 billion in managed assets.
Given this backdrop, let’s delve into an in-depth analysis of DASH and EBAY stocks and find out what’s in store for them in 2024.
DoorDash, Inc. (DASH)
DASH, a prominent American food delivery provider, has recently garnered attention for various developments attracting investor interest. A key factor is a surge in the company’s share value following an impressive earnings report, largely fueled by its deliberate extension beyond customary restaurant delivery services.
The ongoing favorable momentum has been additionally strengthened by the release that DASH is set to feature on the Nasdaq-100 Index. This indicates the company’s burgeoning prominence and fortifying position within the industry.
In the fiscal third quarter that ended September 30, 2023, the company reported a surge in revenues by 27.2% year-over-year to a whopping $2.16 billion, surpassing the consensus mark.
This considerable growth is attributed to the robust performance across total orders and Marketplace GOV, along with refined logistics efficiency and growing advertising contributions. Total orders increased 23.7% year-over-year to 543 million, while Marketplace GOV increased 23.8% from the year-ago quarter to $16.75 billion.
Looking forward to the fiscal fourth quarter ending December 2023, the company projects its Marketplace GOV to range between $17 billion and $17.4 billion. Meanwhile, the adjusted EBITDA is expected to stand between $320 million and $380 million. It is noteworthy that DASH plans significant, ongoing investments in the future as it seeks to broaden its service offerings.
After these results, DASH shares saw a rise of over 7.5% during after-hours trading, signaling investor confidence. The post-earnings rally of DASH shares bears testament to the company’s financial wellness and effective strategies to diversify its revenue sources. Its deliberate shift beyond restaurants to include delivery services for groceries, alcohol, and other items has appealed to its consumer base, attracting investors along the way.
The exceeding market expectations with its earnings report indicates that the company’s growth strategies produce measurable outcomes crucial to maintaining long-term investor trust.
For the fiscal fourth quarter ending December 2023, analysts anticipate its revenue to increase 24.1% year-over-year to $2.26 billion, while EPS is expected to come at $0.55.
In a rare and strategically significant decision, the firm transitioned from the NYSE to the Nasdaq in September 2023, signifying its positioning and businesses centered on innovative technology. DASH’s CFO Ravi Inukonda said, “We are delighted to join a community of leading technology companies with our transfer to Nasdaq.”
This momentous shift, further strengthened by the company’s recent inclusion in the Nasdaq 100, has the potential to amplify investor trust, possibly driving increased market capitalization in forthcoming years.
The Nasdaq-100 Index, encompassing some of the most prodigious and influential entities within the technology and innovation domains, has recently acknowledged DASH’s escalating prominence via its inclusion.
This inclusion is traditionally followed by a surge in the demand for the company’s shares, initiated by funds tethered to the Nasdaq-100 that are now obliged to purchase stock in DASH. Historical examples corroborate the potential for such inclusion, triggering an upswing in stock prices.
This development also endorses the recognition of DASH for its stellar scalability, incessant innovation, and adeptness at market adaptation – qualities seen as ideal for corporations represented in the technology-centric benchmark. It simultaneously alludes to a transformation in market dynamics and the arrangement of the tech industry, where DASH’s operating model aligns better with extant and prospective market trajectories.
From the investors’ perspective, such an inclusion might be interpreted as a portent of persistent growth, inciting a reevaluation of their investment portfolios. The acknowledgment from Nasdaq will likely draw a more diversified range of investors, like institutional investors, potentially augmenting liquidity and raising visibility for DASH shares.
However, investors should be aware of the stark competition and the intrinsic risks inherent to the rapidly evolving delivery market, characteristic features of which comprise regulatory hurdles and the compulsory need for uninterrupted innovation.
eBay Inc. (EBAY)
EBAY is grappling with intensified competition from e-commerce contemporaries and macroeconomic hurdles. In the fiscal third quarter that ended September 30, 2023, its profit was $1.03 per share, and sales stood at $2.50 billion, aligning with analyst estimates.
Gross merchandise volume, the value of all goods sold on EBAY, increased 1.6% to $17.99 billion in the quarter, surpassing analysts’ average estimates of $17.72 billion. The company reported 132 million active buyers in the quarter, down 2.2% year-over-year. Its advertising revenue of $366 million fell short of analysts’ estimates.
EBAY’s recent sales forecast for the upcoming holiday period has dispirited investors. Revenues for the current quarter are anticipated to be between $2.47 billion and $2.53 billion. Even though the figure seems healthy, it falls below the industry analysts’ average projections of $2.60 billion. The company expects EPS between $1 and $1.05 in the quarter ending in December, below the analysts’ $1.05 estimate.
EBAY’s gloomy revenue outlook for the traditionally profitable holiday season implies persisting struggles in maintaining customer loyalty against fierce rivalry from larger competitors. Projected U.S. online sales are expected to swell by 4.8% during the holiday period of November 1 to December 31. However, EBAY faces a steep climb in attracting consumers. To confront these obstacles, the organization intends to heighten its cost-efficiency to preserve profit margins and earnings.
The unexpected forecast shocked the financial arena, particularly unnerving EBAY investors. Following the disclosure, EBAY’s shares plummeted significantly, highlighting the extensive expectations investors harbor for the company owing to its dominant e-commerce standing.
For the fiscal fourth quarter ending December 2023, analysts anticipate its revenue to decrease marginally year-over-year to $2.51 billion, while EPS is expected to decline 4.2% year-over-year to $1.02.
Additionally, EBAY’s exclusion from the Nasdaq-100 Index indicates its diminishing influence and an uncertain long-term business outlook. The removal might weigh the company’s stock price, leading to diminished appeal and demand among investors who actively follow or invest in the index. Concurrently, index funds mirroring the Nasdaq-100 could divest their EBAY shares in favor of newly added stocks, thereby increasing selling pressure on EBAY.
The removal could reflect diminished market confidence in EBAY’s performance and growth trajectory, particularly when benchmarked against its e-commerce competitors.
However, this shift also presents EBAY with a unique opportunity for introspection and strategic reassessment. To secure its industry competitiveness, it becomes imperative for the company to acclimate to evolving market dynamics and align itself with investor anticipations.
Despite these potential impacts, the actual effect of this reconstitution might not be significantly detrimental or enduring, as EBAY’s infrastructural foundations and market positioning do not stand directly compromised by the reordering.
In addition, EBAY could potentially harness certain favorable factors to its advantage. These include an uptick in retail activity during the holiday season, the broadening reach of its managed payment service, and robust growth within its classifieds and advertising segments.

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Examining the Road Ahead for Spotify (SPOT) After CFO Departure and Sell-Off

Spotify Technology S.A. (SPOT) recently announced that its CFO, Paul Vogel, will step down from his position after eight years of service at the music streaming giant. Vogel, who joined Spotify in 2016 as head of investor relations before taking over the CFO role in 2020, will exit on March 31, 2024. This news came just days after the company announced its third round of layoffs for 2023.
“Spotify has embarked on an evolution over the last two years to bring our spending more in line with market expectations while also funding the significant growth opportunities we continue to identify. I’ve talked a lot with Paul about the need to balance these two objectives carefully. Over time, we’ve come to the conclusion that Spotify is entering a new phase and needs a CFO with a different mix of experiences,” SPOT’s CEO Daniel Ek said in a release announcing Vogel’s exit.
In the announcement, Ek reiterated that the company remains on track to deliver against the targets outlined on its Investor Day.
The music streaming company launched an external search for Vogel’s successor. Ben Kung, vice president of financial planning and analysis, will take on expanded responsibilities to support the company’s financial leadership team’s realignment in the interim.
Organizational Changes
Earlier this month, SPOT announced laying off 17% of its workforce, aiming to lower its costs while focusing on its profitability.
In an email sent to employees posted on the company’s blog, Spotify’s CEO said that the job cuts are part of a “strategic reorientation.” The post didn’t specify the exact number of roles affected by the measure, but a spokesperson confirmed that it amounts to nearly 1,500 people.
The company added that it had used cheap financing to expand the business and “invested significantly” in employees, content, and marketing over the years 2020 and 2021. However, Ek indicated that Spotify got caught out as central banks began hiking interest rates last year, leading to slow economic growth. The music streaming service had to “rightsize” its costs for a new economic reality.
“Over the last two years, we’ve put significant emphasis on building Spotify into a truly great and sustainable business – one designed to achieve our goal of being the world’s leading audio company and one that will consistently drive profitability and growth into the future,” Ek said in an internal memo shared on SPOT’s website.
“While we’ve made worthy strides, as I’ve shared many times, we still have work to do. Economic growth has slowed dramatically and capital has become more expensive. Spotify is not an exception to these realities.”
Stockholm-based music streaming giant reported a loss of €462 million ($499.21 million) for the first nine months ended September 2023.
Spotify slashed 6% of its workforce, or about 600 employees, at the beginning of 2023. Then, in June, the company cut staff by another 2%, roughly 200 roles, primarily in its podcast division.  
Shortly after the latest round of layoffs was announced on December 4, SPOT’s stock surged nearly 8%.
Top Execs Continue Stock Sales
As the value of Spotify soared after the announcement of laying off almost a fifth of its workforce to cut costs, one of its top executives cashed in more than $9 million in shares.
On December 5, Paul Vogel, Spotify’s CFO, moved to sell more than $9.4 million worth of stock, according to securities filings. Also, two other senior executives cashed in approximately $1.6 million in shares, the Guardian reported.
Solid Last Reported Financials
SPOT reported a surprise profit for the third quarter that ended September 30, 2023, its first quarterly profit in a year and a half, as the music streaming platform’s price increases and cost-cutting measures began to take effect.
Spotify reported a third-quarter net income of €65 million ($70.24 million), or €0.33 ($0.36) per share, compared to a net loss of €166 million ($179.37 million), or €0.99 ($1.07) per share in the prior year’s period, respectively. It’s a significant beat, given analysts had estimated a loss of $0.21 per share. The company posted a profit, driven by “lower marketing spend and lower personnel costs and related costs.”
The company’s revenue was €3.36 billion ($3.63 billion), up 10.6% year-over-year. This is compared to the consensus estimate of $3.55 billion. Its gross profit grew 18% from the year-ago value to €885 million ($956.29 million). Furthermore, its operating income came in at €32 million ($34.58 million), compared to an operating loss of €228 million ($246.37 million) in the same quarter of 2022.
The Swedish music streaming giant raised the prices of its subscription plans earlier this year, increasing the monthly bill for users from nearly $1 to $2, depending on the plan. In its third-quarter earnings report, SPOT said “the early effects of price increases” were partially responsible for the 11% year-over-year revenue growth.
Spotify had 574 million monthly active users in the third quarter, an increase of 2% and 2 million ahead of its guidance. Also, its subscribers rose 16% year-over-year to 226 million.
Mixed Historical Growth
SPOT’s revenue has grown at a CAGR of 19% over the past three years. The company’s total assets have increased at a CAGR of 9.6% over the same timeframe, while its levered free cash flow has grown at a 138% CAGR. However, its tangible book value has declined at a CAGR of 21.6%.
Mixed Analyst Estimates  
Analysts expect SPOT’s revenue to grow 17.1% year-over-year to $4 billion for the fourth quarter ending December 2023. The company is expected to report a loss per share of $0.04 for the ongoing quarter. Additionally, the company missed the consensus revenue EPS estimates in three of the trailing four quarters, which is disappointing.
For the fiscal year 2023, Street expects SPOT’s revenue to increase 13.1% year-over-year to $14.33 billion. Also, the company’s revenue for fiscal year 2024 is expected to grow 17.3% year-over-year to $16.81 billion. However, its EPS is estimated to remain negative for at least two fiscal years.
Decelerating Profitability
SPOT’s trailing-12-month gross profit margin of 25.69% is 47.7% lower than the industry average of 49.13%. Its trailing-13-month EBITDA margin and net income margin of negative 2.84% and negative 5.74% compare to the respective industry averages of 18.71% and 5.74%.
Further, the stock’s trailing-12-month levered FCF margin of 1.35% is 82.8% lower than the 7.82% industry average. SPOT’s trailing-12-month ROCE, ROTC, and ROTA of negative 33.49%, negative 6.31%, and negative 9.64% are compared unfavorably to the industry averages of 3.41%, 3.38%, and 1.24%, respectively.
Elevated Valuation
In terms of forward EV/Sales, SPOT is currently trading at 2.57x, 44% higher than the industry average of 1.79x. Also, the stock’s forward Price/Sales and Price/Book of 2.71x and 15.53x are significantly higher than the industry averages of 1.14x and 1.82x, respectively.
Also, the stock’s forward Price/Cash Flow multiple of 90.62 is 845.7% higher than the respective industry average of 9.58.
Stock Downgrade
On December 1, Citigroup downgraded SPOT’s stock from “Buy” to “Neutral,” with its analyst Jason Bazinet citing revenue and user retention concerns. With significant changes in the company’s business model, from subscription price increases and an emphasis on developing podcasting content, there is uncertainty about the effectiveness of these strategies.
Bottom Line
SPOT’s fiscal 2023 third-quarter earnings beat analyst expectations on the top and bottom lines. Despite posting a surprise profit in the last reported quarter, the company recently announced the third round of layoffs for 2023.
Just days after mass layoffs, Spotify announced that its CFO Paul Vogel will step down after eight years of service at the company. Following a share price surge set in motion by an announcement of job cuts, top SPOT exes, including Vogel, continue to sell shares.
The recent layoffs and other cost-cutting measures align with the company’s broader strategy for financial sustainability. While several organizational changes at SPOT may prove fruitful in the long run, the company’s near-term prospects appear uncertain. Street expects the company to report losses for at least two fiscal years.
Even analysts at Citi raised questions about the effectiveness of the strategies, including major changes in SPOT’s business model, from subscription price increases to an increased focus on developing podcasting content.
Given its lower-than-industry profitability, stretched valuation, and uncertain near-term outlook, it could be wise to wait for a better entry point in this stock.

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Revealing the Big Picture of Gold’s Untapped Potential

In today’s short discussion on gold, I aim to cover two key points.

Firstly, I’ll share my outlook on the multi-year price target for gold. Secondly, I’ll explore a strategy to generate yield, addressing a common concern about gold’s lack of dividends compared to stocks and other assets.

Critics rightly point out that gold doesn’t pay yields, unlike traditional investments. However, if we consider a sustained and linear bull market similar to the one experienced in 2009 and 2011 – a possibility I foresee – gold could potentially rally by 100% or more, mirroring its past performance.

I hold a strong belief that such an upswing is likely to happen in the next 2-4 years. Specifically, I anticipate a break from the current consolidation phase in 2024, leading to an upward trajectory for gold. While it may sound ambitious, I see no reason why gold couldn’t reach 4,000 or even 8,000. A historical precedent in the 2003 bull market saw gold rallying about 350%, making such gains possible.

To maintain a realistic perspective, hitting 4,000 is a more likely target for gold.

The challenge with gold, however, lies in its lack of dividends. To address this, I like using SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) as an investment option. With the GLD ETF, investors can generate a yield by selling option spreads below the market.

Here’s what you’ll do…

In today’s 4-minute video, I discuss how to sell put spreads on gold, pinpoint the right time to trade gold, and detail a strategy for generating a monthly return on gold from a yield perspective. It’s a simple yet effective way to unlock the potential of gold in your investment portfolio.

I release these weekly tips every Thursday for free, so stay tuned and stay subscribed here. 

If you want more stock income, but don’t want a second job analyzing charts or waiting months for a dividend, this 48-hour strategy is for you. It can generate up to $14,592 per year, takes just a few minutes each week, and is as easy as buying a dividend stock. Click here to see how this 48-hour strategy works now.

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This Company’s Strategic Pivot to AI Could Lead to Massive Profit Growth

As AI has evolved this year a landscape of early winners is already emerging. There are pure picks and shovels plays, like NVIDIA (NVDA)…and over the past month Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). And then there are companies that use AI in their products, some of the large names here include Microsoft (MSFT) and Google (GOOGL).  

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