Author: AnswerStock

High-end retail chain Tiffany just released first-quarter numbers, and they tell a story of a reduced appetite for opulence by foreign visitors ducking into the luxury stores.

The quarterly report shows that worldwide net sales declined 3% to $1 billion, with comparable sales sliding 5%.

Net sales in the Americas declined 4%, and beyond, net sales declined 1% in the Asia-Pacific region, 4% in Japan, and 4% in Europe.

On a lighter note, Tiffany seems to be holding steady with four new stores in the United Arab Emirates, according to the quarterly report, selling significant quantities of wholesale diamonds.

Continue reading “Is Tiffany Losing Its Luster?”

Roku is well-positioned to benefit from the video streaming trend…

Roku stock was up 5.8% to $99.06 in trading Wednesday after Guggenheim increased Roku’s rating from neutral to buy and increased the company’s price target. Analyst Michael Morris said he believes the company’s stock could rise as much as 28% over the next year.

The company continues to benefit from the popularity of streaming services as well as increased digital ad spending. Roku’s shares rose more than 4% on Wednesday morning and the stock is up 50% over the past month alone.

Continue reading “Roku Jumps After Guggenheim Upgrade”

A proposed merger of Fiat-Chrysler and Renault could bring new exotic vehicles to the U.S. market in an industry where some see consolidation as the way forward.

With the Fiat-Renault deal in the works, there’s the expectation that the phenomenon of auto firms acquiring each other will accelerate. Companies merge to get rid of bad debt, to boost sales, or as a means of ‘making something new’ in the marketplace.

That last part has a lot to do with the potential for Fiat-Renault. Renault has made great strides in the electric car arena — and the global market is clamoring for plug-ins to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

But there’s also the potential for this newly merged entity to start making new vehicles that work well with self-driving or autonomous technology … Current trends seem to indicate that self-driving cars will hit the market sooner rather than later.

Continue reading “Innovation Sparks Fiat-Renault Merger”

The retailer beat expectations … but the trade war looms

Discount retailer Dollar Tree’s stock is up after delivering a positive earnings report last week. Dollar Tree has consistently outperformed the S&P 500 in 2019, and its earnings report met investor expectations.

The company reported adjusted earnings of $1.14 per share and its same-store sales grew by 2.2%, beating investor expectations.

The company lowered its outlook for the remainder of 2019, and shares fell slightly in premarket trading. But the stock bounced back more than 5% after the opening bell.

Continue reading “Can Dollar Tree Still Thrive in the Face of Tariffs?”

In April, both Apple and Disney announced plans to launch video streaming services in the coming year. This led to a lot of debate over whether Netflix will continue to grow in the midst of this increased competition.

According to Loop Capital Markets, the answer is yes. The company upgraded Netflix, citing its “unstoppable lead” when it comes to video streaming services. Loop analyst Alan Gould upgraded Netflix from hold to buy.

Gould said that there is a fundamental between Netflix and its competitors. He predicted that Netflix’s shares could rise more than 25% and raised the company’s price target to $425 per share. The company’s shares rose more than 3% early Tuesday morning.  

Continue reading “Can Netflix Maintain Momentum Despite Increased Competition?”

The company faces yet another antitrust investigation.   

Alphabet’s shares fell more than 6% on Monday after news that the Department of Justice is launching an antitrust investigation against Google. The investigation will closely examine Google’s search practices.

Alphabet’s shares have been down since April when the company last released its earnings report. In 2019, the company has consistently underperformed the S&P 500, and news of the DOJ probe doesn’t help matters.

According to Evercore analyst Kevin Rippey, this investigation could pose a problem for Alphabet and its investors. Rippey lowered his price target on Alphabet from $1,250 to $1,200 a share.

Continue reading “Google’s Antitrust Hit Cripples Alphabet”

Twitter Snags Fabula AI to Helm the War on ‘Fake News’

There’s big news today on the tech front — social media giant Twitter is picking up the London-based company Fabula AI. And the move may have big ramifications for the tech space.

Some traders hope this emerging news will give Twitter’s flagging stock price a much needed shot in the arm … Although the stock is now trading above its $26 IPO stock price, it’s down over the month. More significantly, it’s down from one-year highs of over $45 per share.

Reports on the acquisition show that Fabula is a company with a leading team of machine learning research professionals in the UK. It works in areas like natural language processing, graph deep learning, as well as machine learning ethics, which innovators like Elon Musk have called indispensable to artificial intelligence progress.

Continue reading “Will This Fake-News Fighter Boost Twitter Stock?”

The company’s shares are up more than 20% year to date … but will that last?

Comcast shares were upgraded by Guggenheim analyst Mike McCormack, who also raised his price target on the stock, largely crediting the company’s focus on growing its broadband business.

Comcast’s shares are up more 20% year to date, and the stock has risen more than 30% over the past year.

Continue reading “Can Comcast Survive the Cord-Cutting Trend?”

Starbucks’ stock is up 18% this week after outperforming the S&P 500 all year. And all the while, the company’s been under close scrutiny in its performance against Chinese competitor Luckin Coffee.

Luckin Coffee went public earlier this month, and the stock quickly soared past its IPO price. The company is China’s second largest coffee chain, dubbed the ‘Starbucks of China.’

Going forward, the company plans to challenge Starbucks’ stronghold over the Chinese coffee market. But according to a recent report, Starbucks should be able to withstand competition from Luckin Coffee thanks to its differentiated business model.

Continue reading “Will Starbucks China Hold Its Own Against Luckin Coffee?”