Fintech has been supplanting traditional sources of finance and lending in the past few years at a rapid rate. One of the fastest-growing subsets is the BNPL, or buy now, pay later service. Replacing layaway plans and traditional credit measures, the industry is adapting to the rapid growth of this niche, which went from $3 billion in 2019 to nearly $40 billion in 2020 just in the US alone. Now,Mastercard (MA) is looking to roll out Mastercard Installments, a BNPL service of its own that allows customers to pay back in weekly or monthly installments, including a 0 percent option for ...

Supply chain disruptions suggest that shortages for many goods will continue potentially indefinitely. However, a number of tech executives see a light at the end of the tunnel, with the shortage of semiconductor chips abating next year. The most recent to comment has been Lisa Su, the CEO ofAdvanced Micro Devices (AMD). She has noted that demand has been at record levels since the pandemic. Su reiterated that the company is continuing to get more chips into the hands of users, particularly for its core business and the gaming industry. That’s one reason why the company has been one ...

Investing trends can sometimes start quietly before gaining a big interest. That’s especially true when it’s a trend that’s been hot in the past, but has slowed down, leading overly speculative investors into losses. One such area this year has been the automotive sector. Auto stocks were hot last year, particularly electric vehicle companies. But interest peaked at the start of the year before trading sideways or down. Now, that trend is reversing as companies continue to deliver on new offerings and services even amidst a severe supply crunch. Case in point?Tesla Motors (TSLA). ...

Retail still makes up the backbone of consumer spending, and thus the economy. That’s why providing investors with sales data can provide a clue as to how the economy is performing outside other measures like employment or housing costs. One such retailer isCostco (COST). The company recently released its latest earnings, which shows that consumers are continuing to spend at a good pace, and even increasing in some areas such as fresh food. The earnings numbers and the company’s outlook were enough to move shares slightly higher. Shares are just slightly off an all-time high of nearl...

Many industries have moved on from the pandemic. For those in travel and tourism, however, trends still remain far under pre-pandemic levels. However, the trend is improving, albeit slowly. One such sector that’s continuing to recover is the cruise industry. Completely shut down for nearly a year, the slow resumption of cruises in the post-pandemic era is a true sign as to whether or not large, confined crowds can come together without creating health scares. So far, signs are good. AndCarnival Corporation (CCL) is nearing a key metric with over 50 percent of its fleet capacity saili...

The pandemic impacted how nearly every company does business. Some fared well thanks to pivoting to faster growth opportunities, even as traditional lines of business struggled. One such company isThe Walt Disney Company (DIS). The company’s theme parks faced unprecedented closures, and its cruise line was halted. But rising streaming subscribers created years of growth in a recurring-revenue stream for the company. Now, the company has warned that its streaming subscriber growth will slow. Given that the company hit its 5-year growth in the first 18 months of operations, that should...

The real estate market has started to show some signs of slowing down. Homebuilding stocks, which delivered big returns while home prices were rising, have started trending lower in recent sessions. It also doesn’t help that a number of homebuilding firms have now started to lower sales forecasts as well. While supply and labor issues are part of the problem in the short-term, it’s likely that today’s sales trends will rebound in the months to come.KB Home (KBH), a mid-range homebuilder, has now seen shares drop 20 percent from its peak, technically entering a bear market. Shares are st...

Investors have come to expect big tech stocks to drive the market higher. But for a sign as to how the real economy is performing, there are other sectors to look at. Energy is one player, and gradually rising prices in the space suggest the economic recovery, while uneven, is continuing. Another area is in shipping and logistics. Many headline stories about supply chain issues overlook the fact that labor shortages in shipping has been a big driver of prices. One company to best play this trend isFedEx (FDX). The company reports earnings after the market close tomorrow, and the ship...

The past year has seen a number of commodities rise, and then sometimes fall. The list includes lumber, which at one point was the highest-performing commodity of the year before dropping. The past few weeks have seen a major increase in interest in uranium. While some see the trend as the result of retail traders, hedge funds and family offices are also gaining exposure to the commodity to take advantage of higher prices as well. Some of that demand has gone into a physical uranium trust. Most retail traders, however, are sticking withCameco (CCJ). The uranium producer stands to ben...

Wall Street loves a company that can create a subscription-based revenue model. Ensuring that customers come back monthly or annually make it possible for companies to better plan their future with some consistency. While a company with such a model might see lower growth, the consistency of growth tends to be appreciated by investors and analysts alike. Many companies, particularly in the tech space, have been embracing this model. One such company isCisco (CSCO). The builder of the original Internet with switches and routers has rebranded itself with a subscription business model f...