Valuing companies has become damn near impossible. America's volatile economic environment, currently fueled by low interest rates and a strengthening dollar, has left investors searching for "yield." Nowhere is this transition more evident than in fixed income markets. As investors sell bond and Treasury holdings for high dividend and growth stocks, valuations have soared to record levels.
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Today's Most Important Apple Article
For the fourth consecutive quarter, Apple (AAPL) surpassed Wall Street's earnings expectations. In what has become habitual for America's largest company, Apple beat both earnings-per-share (EPS) and revenue estimates. After Monday's close, Apple reported Q2 EPS of $2.33 (vs. analyst expectations of $2.16) and reported Q2 revenue of $58.01B (vs. analyst expectations of $56.06B). Shares of Apple are already up over 20% YTD, and increased 1.5% in after-hours trading.
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Three IPOs, One Clear Winner
So far this year, 43 companies have made their publicly traded debuts. As a whole, IPOs have experienced a solid year thus far, raising nearly $7 billion YTD and averaging returns of 22%. Last week alone, seven companies issued IPOs, including four companies trading at valuations of over $1 billion. Among them were popular online retailer Esty, which specializes in selling handmade goods, and high-frequency trading firm Virtu Financial (VIRT).
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5 Terrible Tech IPOs
2014 proved to be the year of initial public offerings (IPOs). In America alone, 275 companies issued common class stock, the most since 2000 (when over 400 companies engaged in IPOs). Led by Chinese E-Commerce giant Alibaba (BABA), U.S. IPOs in 2014 raised over $85 billion in capital, an increase of more than 40% Y/Y compared to 2013. Alibaba alone raised a record-breaking $22 billion, besting both Facebook’s (FB) 2012 IPO ($16 billion) and Visa’s (V) 2008 IPO ($17.8 billion).
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Gauge Market Sentiment
For young investors, the stock market can be a scary place. Making your first investments can be daunting, to say the least. For years, young investors have searched for reliable sources to find trustworthy financial information. Clearly, you’ve done your due diligence, as you are currently reading an Economix101 article.
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Buffett's $200,000 Stock
Just weeks ago, on August 14, Class A shares of American conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) surpassed $200,000. Yes, you read that right, $200,000: making Berkshire Hathaway the single most expensive stock traded on U.S. markets. The current price of these Class A shares alone is impressive; however, when you consider that in 1967 the company traded at $33 per share, this milestone is downright insane.
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Orca's Sink SeaWorld
SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. (SEAS) is facing a whale (technically, an orca) of a problem. Since the 2013 release of the documentary “Blackfish,” which targeted SeaWorld theme parks, claiming that undersized orca enclosures promoted aggressive behavior (which led to the deaths of many trainers), the company’s stock has literally been sinking.
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