The threat of changing laws and regulations has weighed on some tech stocks. However, the hardest hit stocks have been hurt the most from changes coming from other businesses, not government regulators. For instance, earlier this year,Apple (AAPL) changed advertising-tracking policies on its devices. That’s led to poor performance in a number of companies, particularly those that offer social media services. The biggest loser?Snapchat (SNAP). Shares peaked at $83 earlier this year, and have since lost 45 percent of their value, and are down nearly 15 percent in the past year. Several...

While uncertainty has been weighing on the stock market, great companies can continue to deliver, no matter what the economy or latest fears are doing. Quality results and returns speak for themselves. It’s even easier when a company has strong demand for its products and is a leader in its industry. That makes it ideal to buy during periods of market fears. Case in point?Nike (NKE). The sports apparel company is continuing to demonstrate that it’s a global powerhouse. In its most recent earnings, the company reported 83 cents per share, up from 78 cents a year ago, and far higher th...

The pandemic has helped fuel more gains in the tech space, but many sectors still remain well off their pre-pandemic highs, particularly in the travel and tourism sector. One such company, the largest in its industry, is navigating the latest Covid variant fears with an optimistic look that things could even be back to their pre-pandemic levels by next summer. The company?Carnival Corporation (CCL). The company has been at the center of on-again/off-again Covid news, as cruise lines were shut down entirely in March 2020 and have been gradually reopening in 2021. However, Carnival’...

Investors who buy a company ahead of its acquisition or merger with another company can typically earn some great windfall profits. However, the acquiring company can sometimes be a buy. If it’s an industry leader, and the acquisition makes sense for its overall brand portfolio, the deal can likely add tremendous value over time. In some cases, however, an acquisition might not make sense, but in either event, shares of the acquiring company may drop on the news. Case in point?Oracle (ORCL). The software database giant saw shares drop last week on news that it would buy medical recor...

There’s always a dance between a company and Wall Street analysts. When analysts throw out a number and a company misses, it’s an excuse for a large selloff in shares. However, that also sets up the opportunity for astute traders to pick up the pieces and profit. This expectation shuffle is a key part of trading earnings season, especially for traders who want to wait until after the numbers have been announced to make their move. Case in point?Adobe (ADBE). The software company provided a decent outlook for fiscal 2022, but it fell just a bit shy of what analysts were expecting. The...

The housing market is still looking bullish after its big move higher throughout the pandemic. While the rate of home sales and price increases may slow in the short run, a number of factors make this an attractive long-term market thanks to high demand and short supply. With interest rates remaining low and wages rising, home affordability is also likely to improve, even with recent price increases. That makes housing a solid long-term speculation going into 2022. However, short-term issues such as supply and labor shortages are creating some fear which is creating a reasonable buyi...

Investors and traders alike are often interested in turnaround plays. A struggling company with a lagging stock price might announce major changes in the hopes of turning things around. While many turnaround plays fail to turn around, a company that is able to do so will give investors a chance for market-beating returns once it’s clear such a move is possible. It’s more likely to be successful with a company that has a strong market position that is starting to show signs of life once again. That appears to be the case withBoeing (BA). The airline manufacturer is on track to double ...

Investing in dividend stocks tends to put one in the mindset of an investor, not a trader. That’s true when looking at the narrower world of dividend growth stocks. But such companies can offer great returns, thanks to those dividends as well as a rising price over time. It’s also helpful when a company has a buyback program in place, reducing the total shares outstanding. The combination of those factors can lead to great returns for patient investors. One such dividend growth and buyback play right now isBristol-Myers Squibb (BMY). The company just raised its dividend 10.2 percent ...

Five years ago, no US company had a market valuation over $1 trillion. Today, five carry that distinction, and two of them have a market cap over $2 trillion at the moment. That’s a large amount of growth over a relatively short period of time. But it’s possible that these industry-leading tech firms could continue to increase even further in the years ahead.Apple (AAPL), the largest company by market cap, has become the dominator for consumer-friendly tech. And it’s nearing a $3 trillion valuation. That makes it seem as though it may pause for a while. But given the company’s strong...

2021 is coming to an end, and for traders, it will mostly be remembered as a year when retail traders jumped into rising stocks, fueling even further gains. The original “meme stock” trade is that of retail game companyGameStop (GME). Some see the company as a struggling dinosaur, especially after the company reported its most recent earnings. However, a read beyond the headline earnings numbers suggest that the company, which is still up substantially this year, has further upside. The company has been expanding its online sales, has sidestepped supply chain issues by building inven...