Some knowledge sharing for US stock investors those still very new to it...The Dow Jones Industrial Average‌‌$DJIA(.DJI)$‌and the S&P 500 ‌‌$S&P 500(.SPX)$‌are the two most touted market indices. They are indicators of the relative health of the market as a whole and are called upon to give us a quick summary of economic performance. In order to compare the two, I will break down the differences between the Dow and the S&P, their composition, and how to invest in them.You will notice that the Nasdaq index‌$NASDAQ(.IXIC)$‌ is usually lumped in with them, however, that does not purport to represent the market as a whole due to its tech-focused composition.‌The

Berkshire picks to buy:‌$Amazon.com(AMZN)$‌(AMZN -5.60%), ‌$Snowflake(SNOW)$(SNOW -8.11%), and $Apple(AAPL)$‌(AAPL -3.86%)‌$Amazon.com(AMZN)$‌Anthony Di Pizio (Amazon): In difficult market conditions, owning diverse companies with multiple revenue streams can be the difference between share price declines of 35% and share price declines of 80% -- which is the reality for many tech stocks right now. But Amazon offers the added bonus of strong profitability, and also the endorsement of Buffett, who has consistently expressed his regret for not buying into the company during its early days. Berkshire did finally take the leap in 2019.

Why an integration with Bitcoin could be next for Apple's personal finance ecosystem and what it would look like. $Apple(AAPL)$‌ (AAPL -0.14%) is one of the most valuable companies in the entire world. Its embrace of innovation underpins nearly every development and technology it releases to the world. The tech giant has recently focused on developing its own financial ecosystem. Apple device users are likely aware of these upgrades as they have been released in software updates over the last few years. The company's first move into the realm of finance came when Apple released Apple Pay in 2014. Apple Pay provides the foundation for all of its financial service users, like customers and merchants, to stay in communication with each other. With Appl

Shares of semiconductor-focused companies $GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc.(GFS)$‌(GFS 11.89%), $Micron Technology(MU)$‌ (MU 4.37%), and  ‌$Applied Materials(AMAT)$‌(AMAT 4.60%) were roaring higher today, up 12%, 4.3%, and 4.7%, respectively, as of 2:31 p.m. ET. There wasn't any company-specific news today for any of these stocks, although there was earlier in the week, especially for GlobalFoundries. However, broader optimism over the path of inflation, the passage of the CHIPS Act earlier this week, and today's likely passage by the House of the Inflation Reduction Act could all be helping these stocks move higher. Additionally, an article on

While shares of $Apple(AAPL)$‌(NASDAQ: AAPL) have performed admirably in 2022, given the ongoing carnage surrounding the equity market, it’s still down 17% from all-time highs. Moreover, Apple stock entered bear market territory last month as investors are worried about lower consumer spending, rising commodity prices, and red-hot inflation data. Apple’s market cap stands at almost $2.5 trillion despite the pullback. The tech heavyweight has generated massive wealth for long-term investors and has surged 763.7% in the last decade after adjusting for dividends. Comparatively, the S&P 500 index is up 247% since July 2012. The upcoming earnings results will be a crucial catalyst for Apple stock and will also provide Wall Street with a peek into the

Valuations are now closing in on recession average lows for JPMorgan, Bank of America and other high-quality bank stocks.Investors have been selling U.S. bank stocks as fears of a potential recession have sent share prices plummeting. Yet the fundamentals behind their businesses signal that investors' worries may have swung too far to the negative, leaving many companies at a discount.The decline in stock prices has opened up ample room for long-term investors to pick up beaten down bank stocks. U.S. bank stocks are trading at an average discount of 25%. That’s roughly 50% of the average discount bank stocks traded at when they’ve bottomed during previous recessions.Below are four undervalued bank companies for long-term investors looking for the largest margin of safety, and with wide moa

$Palantir Technologies Inc.(PLTR)$ (NYSE: PLTR), co-founded in 2003 by Peter Thiel of PayPal fame, went public on September 30, 2020, to much fanfare. Following a wildly successful couple of years, the stock has now plummeted to figures close to its initial IPO price. The company, aside from being highly controversial and in business for over 17 years, still remains relatively unprofitable, so let’s examine how Palantir makes money.What is Palantir?Palantir is named after the magical crystal ‘seeing stones from J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” books, which are used for communication and to see events in any part of the world. The company specializes in deep data analyses; what does that mean? It means, for example, that to get det

After a rough start to the year, electric vehicle (EV) stocks have rebounded nicely since the calendar flipped to July. With EV makers Tesla ‌$Tesla Motors(TSLA)$‌ and Rivian (‌$Rivian Automotive, Inc.(RIVN)$‌ down around 21% and 68%, respectively, year to date, but up 22% and 27% this month, investors may be wondering if it's time to purchase some EV stocks. EV supply chains are being established Many consumers and companies have questioned whether the world can switch to an EV-based vehicle infrastructure due to battery component scarcity. However, on July 21, ‌$Ford(F)$‌ eased some of these fears by announcing it has secured the raw materials necessary to produc

 $Starbucks(SBUX)$ share price plunged after the company announced plans to suspend its share buyback programme. With investor sentiment damaged, securing future growth and keeping employees on the company’s side could be crucial. Analysts are already downgrading the stock.One of newly appointed chief executive officer, Howard Schultz’s first moves was to suspend the Starbucks [SBUX] share buyback programme indefinitely. Only a month ago the company announced that Kevin Johnson would be retiring as CEO to be replaced Schultz returning to the position for a third term.In a message to shareholders and customers, Schultz said: “This decision will allow us to invest more into our people and our stores — the only way to create long-term value for

There are some great opportunities in big tech. FAANG stocks ruled the market for a decade. The group that includes Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook), Amazon (AMZN 1.88%), Apple, Netflix, and Alphabet (GOOGL 3.78%) (GOOG 3.85%) (formerly Google) delivered monster returns for years, but most of these stocks have crumbled over the last year. Four of the five are down by more than 40% from their peaks last year. Rising interest rates, recession fears, and other macro headwinds have pressured these stocks, bringing the most popular bet on Wall Street to an end. However, in the fallout, there's opportunity, and two FAANG stocks look primed to reward investors over the coming years. FAANG stock No. 1 to buy: $Amazon.com(AMZN)$‌ Amazon stock is down ne

Gross margin is net sales less the cost of goods sold (COGS). In other words, it's the amount of money a company retains after incurring the direct costs associated with producing the goods it sells and the services it provides. The higher the gross margin, the more capital a company retains, which it can then use to pay other costs or satisfy debt obligations. The net sales figure is gross revenue, less the returns, allowances, and discounts.KEY TAKEAWAYS※Gross margin equates to net sales minus the cost of goods sold.※The gross margin shows the amount of profit made before deducting selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) costs.※Gross margin can also be called gross profit margin, which is gross profit divided by net sales.What Does the Gross Margin Tell You?The gross ma

Investors cheered the pharmaceutical giant's latest move. What happened $Johnson & Johnson(JNJ)$‌(JNJ 2.06%) has had its ups and downs this year, to put it tactfully. Happily for the consumer goods and healthcare giant's shareholders, Wednesday was definitely an up day. The company's share price rose by more than 2%, well outpacing the S&P 500 index's 0.3% gain, on the launch of a new investor-pleasing initiative.So what Before the trading day opened, Johnson & Johnson announced that its board of directors has authorized a $5 billion share repurchase program for the company's common stock. The program has no expiration date, although it could be suspended or even canceled by the company at any time. As is typical for such initiatives, Joh

The economy is showing signs of improvement. Is this the perfect entry point into stocks? In July, inflation slowed from 9.1% to 8.5%, which offered some badly needed relief to the American consumer. Additionally, the labor market added over 500,000 jobs while maintaining an unemployment rate of just 3.5%. If a recession is underway, someone forgot to tell the economy. With the recent positive news, you might be wondering: Is now a good time to buy stocks? The truth is, if you're a long-term investor, it's always a good time to put money in the stock market. And while I personally think this is a great entry point for investors, there are a few things you should consider before investing your money.Do you have an emergency fund? An emergency fund is a cash reserve you can fall back on in

How Does Palantir Make Money And Should I Invest In It? Palantir is among us and there’s nowhere to hide if you’re a terrorist or money launderer, but how does it make money and should you invest?  $Palantir Technologies Inc.(PLTR)$  ‌ (NYSE: PLTR), co-founded in 2003 by Peter Thiel of PayPal fame, went public on September 30, 2020, to much fanfare. Following a wildly successful couple of years, the stock has now plummeted to figures close to its initial IPO price. The company, aside from being highly controversial and in business for over 17 years, still remains relatively unprofitable, so let’s examine how Palantir makes money. What is Palantir? Palantir is named after the magical crystal ‘seeing stones from J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of t

$Alphabet(GOOG)$‌ (GOOGL 0.21%) (GOOG 0.42%) turned heads back in February when it announced a 20-for-1 stock split, just the second in the company's storied history and the first time the company has pared its share size in eight years. The stock has been dragged lower by the ongoing bear market, losing as much as 30% of its value since highs reached late last year. Over the past several days, however, investors have snapping up shares near their 52-week lows in advance of the stock split, which is scheduled to take effect after the market close on Friday, July 15. This could be the last chance for investors to purchase the stock before the split -- but should they?Arguments to buy pre-split The most often-cited reason to buy shares before a stock

Some selling after the lead-up to its product event and some rotation to cheaper tech stocks seem to be the culprits.What happened$Apple(AAPL)$ (AAPL -0.96%) declined today, falling as much as 2.1% in early trading before moderating those losses to a 1.3% decline as of 1:43 p.m. ET. While not a tremendous decline, it was notably weaker performance than the market overall as well as the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite, which were both positive on the day at that time.Today's weakness could be attributed to some "selling the news" by traders following yesterday's event, in which Apple unveiled new iPhones, watches, and services, with more incremental innovation than any great leaps forward. Additionally, it appears most large-cap tech stock

Investors were disappointed when the chipmaker released its preliminary earnings results for the second quarter.$NVIDIA Corp(NVDA)$‌(NVDA -6.30%) is a powerhouse in the data center and gaming industries, and investors have come to expect strong financial results on a consistent basis. Unfortunately, the chipmaker released its preliminary second-quarter earnings report on Monday, and the results were disappointing. Nvidia had previously forecast $8.1 billion in total revenue, but that figure has been cut to $6.7 billion, reflecting a 19% decline compared to last quarter and just 3% growth compared to last year. Management placed the blame primarily on weaker gaming sales, citing a tough macroeconomic environment, but Nvidia noted that supply chain di

An Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) is a type of security that tracks an index/portfolio. They can be bought and sold on a stock exchange in the same way as a regular stock. ETFs were first developed in the 1990s to provide access to passive indexed funds for investors. Since then, ETFs have grown in popularity as they make great diversification options.There are a wide variety of ETFs available on the market, representing everything from broad market indices to niche sectors and geographies. What are the advantages of ETFs? a) DiversificationSimilar to mutual funds, an ETF is composed of multiple investment securities (e.g. equities, bonds, currencies, bitcoin, gold, etc.). Holding ETFs lowers an investor’s risk as they are not relying on the success of one particular security or company.

The 10 most undervalued small companies with economic moats on Morningstar analysts’ coverage list today are: $Altice USA Inc.(ATUS)$‌Price/fair value: 0.37A telecommunications service provider with a foothold in competitive New York City and several rural markets, Altice has been shunned by investors: Altice stock is down 37% so far this year and a stunning 72% during the past 12 months. We expect volatility to persist, says Morningstar director Mike Hodel, thanks to Altice’s heavy debt load and an ambitious investment strategy of aggressively upgrading and expanding fiber networks. Yet we think the company possesses a strong network and is an opportunity for long-term investors. This small-cap stock is sharply undervalued, trading 63% below our fai

The regularity of market crashes and declines is a reminder that patience is key to investing in equity markets.‌From December 2021 through mid-June, the U.S. equity market was down about 20% in real terms.‌Lessons Learned From Stock Market Declines1) From time to time, stock markets go through long and deep periods of decline.2) After a large decline, it is hard to predict how long it will take for stock markets to recover. 3) Over the very long run, stock markets have been very generous to investors who can get through long periods of decline. 4) During times of a rapid and deep decline, investors should avoid panic selling. 5) The standard bell curve is an inadequate model of stock market returns. A model that can capture the extreme risks of the equity market (its “fat tails”) is neede