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| 24.08.25 23:12:00 |
Prediction: All "Ten Titans" Stocks Will Surpass $1 Trillion in Market Cap by 2030 |
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**Haftungsausschluss: Der Text wurde mit Hilfe einer KI zusammengefasst und übersetzt. Für Aussagen aus dem Originaltext wird keine Haftung übernommen!**
Key Points
The Ten Titans expand on the “Magnificent Seven” by adding three high-octane growth stocks. Buying Oracle near an all-time high is a bet that its aggressive AI spending will pay off. Netflix should be able to deliver high-margin growth as it shifts its business model from increasing subscribers to boosting free cash flow. 10 stocks we like better than Oracle ›
In early August 2018, Apple(NASDAQ: AAPL) became the first U.S. company to surpass $1 trillion in market cap.
Fast forward seven years, and there are nine S&P 500(SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) components with market caps over $1 trillion: the "Magnificent Seven" consisting of Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), Microsoft(NASDAQ: MSFT), Apple, Amazon(NASDAQ: AMZN), Alphabet(NASDAQ: GOOG)(NASDAQ: GOOGL), Meta Platforms(NASDAQ: META), and Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), plus Broadcom(NASDAQ: AVGO) and Berkshire Hathaway(NYSE: BRK.A)(NYSE: BRK.B).
The "Ten Titans" include the ten largest growth-focused companies by market cap -- the Magnificent Seven and Broadcom, Oracle(NYSE: ORCL), and Netflix(NASDAQ: NFLX).
Here's how Oracle and Netflix can join the rest of the Ten Titans in the $1 trillion club by 2030.Image source: Getty Images.
Oracle is a high-risk, high-potential-reward AI play
Oracle's market cap at the time of this writing is $660.2 billion. Oracle has gone from a dividend-paying tech stalwart to a business unlocking transformational growth in just a matter of years. And investors have responded, as Oracle is up a staggering 70% in the last year and 318% in the last five years.
Oracle's cloud business is growing faster than incumbents Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, as Oracle has done a masterful job leveraging cloud with its established data center model, implementing a competitive pricing model, and forming partnerships with the major cloud providers.
Oracle is pricey, at 34.6 times forward earnings estimates, making it more expensive than the larger, more established cloud players. However, Oracle has a number of advantages that could pole vault its market cap well above $1 trillion by 2030.TSLA PE Ratio (Forward) data by YCharts.
For starters, Oracle is a pure play enterprise software and solutions company. Unlike Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet -- which are basically tech conglomerates -- Oracle doesn't have a consumer-facing business. This gives Oracle a much more focused investment thesis and allows the company to zero in its capital expenditures (capex) on building out its cloud infrastructure and application network.
Oracle has been one of the most aggressive companies when it comes to deploying capex into artificial intelligence (AI). As you can see in the following chart, Oracle went from a company that was chugging along and maintaining its legacy business to pouring money into capex even though its operating income hasn't grown nearly as quickly.
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ORCL Capital Expenditures (TTM) data by YCharts.
If Oracle's investments translate to earnings growth, the stock could defend its premium valuation and have an easy path to a $1 trillion market cap and beyond.
However, it's worth mentioning that Oracle's balance sheet is highly leveraged with debt, and its free cash flow is negative as it front-loads AI investments.
Buying Oracle is a bet that its ultra-aggressive capex spending is worth it. If it disappoints, Oracle stock could correct and remain beaten down for some time, which could throw a wrench in gaining 51.5% from its current level to $1 trillion in market cap by 2030.
Netflix's road to $1 trillion won't be easy
Netflix is the second-best performing Ten Titan year to date behind only Oracle.ORCL data by YCharts.
Epic gains over the last few years have lifted Netflix's market cap to $515.8 billion at the time of this writing. But the company has a longer way to go than Oracle to reach $1 trillion by 2030. Specifically, the stock would have to achieve a compound annual gain of 14.2% between now and August 2030 to surpass a $1 trillion market cap. For context, the S&P 500 has historically averaged an annual gain of 9% to 10% per year, but that comes with a lot of variance.
Despite the uphill climb, Netflix thinks it can hit the mark. Management has set an internal goal to hit $1 trillion market cap by 2030, as well as doubling revenue and tripling operating income from 2024 levels, giving Netflix a projected $78 billion in revenue and a 40% operating margin for roughly $31 billion in operating income. At a $1 trillion market cap, that would put Netflix's valuation at 32.3 times operating income, which is expensive considering operating income doesn't even account for taxes.
Netflix's road to $1 trillion requires the company to hit its internal goals and maintain its premium valuation. However, Netflix has done a masterful job refining its secret sauce for content quality and quantity while managing spending. So it's reasonable to assume the company should be able to grow its margins over time.
Investing in Ten Titans for the right reasons
The Ten Titans have delivered market-beating returns over the long term. But the group's valuation is relatively stretched, so the "easy" gains are likely in the rearview. This means these stocks will have to rely on earnings growth, rather than earnings growth and valuation expansion, to drive future returns.
The S&P 500's valuation has gone up, and its yield has gone down as the Titans gobble up a higher percentage of the index. Investors should understand that the Ten Titans' influence on the index is a double-edged sword. When earnings are good and optimism is running high, the Ten Titans can drive the market to new heights. But when fear creeps in, the Titans can accelerate a rapid sell-off -- as we saw in April.
I believe Oracle and Netflix will one day reach $1 trillion market caps, but there's a lot that could go wrong between now and 2030 to delay that ascent. So investors considering either name should only do so with a long-term mindset and a relatively high risk tolerance.
Should you invest $1,000 in Oracle right now?
Before you buy stock in Oracle, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Oracle wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $649,657!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,090,993!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 1,057% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 185% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.
See the 10 stocks »
*Stock Advisor returns as of August 18, 2025
Daniel Foelber has positions in Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Berkshire Hathaway, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Netflix, Nvidia, Oracle, and Tesla. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Prediction: All "Ten Titans" Stocks Will Surpass $1 Trillion in Market Cap by 2030 was originally published by The Motley Fool
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| 24.08.25 21:45:00 |
Keurig Dr Pepper nears $18-billion deal for Dutch coffee company JDE Peet's, WSJ reports |
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**Haftungsausschluss: Der Text wurde mit Hilfe einer KI zusammengefasst und übersetzt. Für Aussagen aus dem Originaltext wird keine Haftung übernommen!**
(Reuters) – Keurig Dr Pepper is close to a roughly $18-billion deal to buy Dutch coffee company JDE Peet's, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter.
After combining, the companies are planning to separate the beverage and coffee units, the report said.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report. Keurig Dr Pepper and JDE Peet's did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
JDE Peet's, known for its L'Or, Tassimo and Douwe Egberts brands, has a market valuation of about $15 billion, while Keurig Dr Pepper is valued at nearly $50 billion, according to LSEG data.
JDE Peet's lifted its annual forecasts last month after reporting consensus-beating half-year adjusted operating earnings of 709 million euros ($831.09 million), thanks to sales growth that defied already-high coffee prices.
Last year, Keurig Dr Pepper bought a 60% stake in energy-drink maker Ghost for $990 million, planning to purchase the rest in 2028, to spruce up its refreshment beverages portfolio.
($1 = 0.8531 euros)
(Reporting by Angela Christy in Bengaluru; Editing by Sandra Maler and Rod Nickel)
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| 24.08.25 20:32:56 |
Former Meta exec Nick Clegg offers careful criticism of ‘cloyingly conformist’ Silicon Valley |
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**Haftungsausschluss: Der Text wurde mit Hilfe einer KI zusammengefasst und übersetzt. Für Aussagen aus dem Originaltext wird keine Haftung übernommen!**
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 24: Nick Clegg, President of Global Affairs at Meta speaks onstage during the 2024 Concordia Annual Summit at Sheraton New York Times Square on September 24, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Concordia Summit) | Image Credits:Leigh Vogel / Getty Images
Meta’s former policy chief Nick Clegg seems to be walking a tightrope as he promotes his upcoming book, “How to Save the Internet.”
Unlike certain other Meta employee memoirs, “How to Save the Internet” doesn’t sound like a tell-all or a scathing critique. And in an interview with the Guardian, Clegg (who previously led the U.K.’s Liberal Democrats) seems to distance himself from Silicon Valley without quite disavowing his former employer.
“I really do believe that, despite its imperfections, social media has allowed billions of people … to communicate with each other in a way that has never happened before,” he said, adding that he wouldn’t have worked for Meta “if I felt Mark Zuckerberg or Sheryl Sandberg were the monsters other people say they are.”
Still, he delivered memorable sound bites about the Valley, describing it as a “cloyingly conformist” culture where “everyone wears the same clothes, drives the same cars, listens to the same podcasts, follows the same fads.”
Clegg also sounded be mystified by the industry’s growing obsession with masculinity, saying, “I couldn’t, and still can’t, understand this deeply unattractive combination of machismo and self-pity.”
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| 24.08.25 18:32:00 |
Is the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF the Simplest Way to Double Up on "Ten Titans" Growth Stocks? |
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**Haftungsausschluss: Der Text wurde mit Hilfe einer KI zusammengefasst und übersetzt. Für Aussagen aus dem Originaltext wird keine Haftung übernommen!**
Key Points
The Ten Titans have contributed more than half of S&P 500 gains in the last decade. Avoiding stocks just because they have run-up is a mistake. The S&P 500 should be viewed more as a growth index than a balanced index. 10 stocks we like better than Vanguard S&P 500 ETF ›
The largest growth-focused U.S. companies by market cap are Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), Microsoft(NASDAQ: MSFT), Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), Amazon(NASDAQ: AMZN), Alphabet(NASDAQ: GOOG)(NASDAQ: GOOGL), Meta Platforms(NASDAQ: META), Broadcom(NASDAQ: AVGO), Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), Oracle (NYSE: ORCL), and Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX).
Known as the "Ten Titans," this elite group of companies has been instrumental in driving broader market gains in recent years, now making up around 38% of the S&P 500(SNPINDEX: ^GSPC).
Investment management firm Vanguard has the largest (by net assets) and lowest cost exchange-traded fund (ETF) for mirroring the performance of the index -- the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF(NYSEMKT: VOO). Here's why the fund is one of the simplest ways to get significant exposure to the Ten Titans.Image source: Getty Images.
Ten Titan dominance
Over the long term, the S&P 500 has historically delivered annualized results of 9% to 10%. It has been a simple way to compound wealth over time, especially as fees have come down for S&P 500 products. The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF sports an expense ratio of just 0.03% -- or $3 for every $10,000 invested -- making it an ultra-inexpensive way to get exposure to 500 of the top U.S. companies.
The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF could be a great choice for folks who aren't looking to research companies or closely follow the market. But it's a mistake to assume that the S&P 500 is well diversified just because it holds hundreds of names. Right now, the S&P 500 is arguably the least diversified it has been since the turn of the millennium.
Megacap growth companies have gotten even bigger while the rest of the market hasn't done nearly as well. Today, the combined market cap of the Ten Titans is $20.2 trillion. Ten years ago, it was just $2.5 trillion. Nvidia alone went from a blip on the S&P 500's radar at $12.4 billion to over $4 trillion in market cap. And not a single Titan was worth over $1 trillion a decade ago. Today, eight of them are.S&P 500 Market Cap data by YCharts.
To put that monster gain into perspective, the S&P 500's market cap was $18.2 trillion a decade ago. Meaning the Ten Titans have contributed a staggering 51.6% of the $34.3 trillion market cap the S&P 500 has added over the last decade. Without the Ten Titans, the S&P 500's gains over the last decade would have looked mediocre at best. With the Ten Titans, the last decade has been exceptional for S&P 500 investors.
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The Ten Titans have cemented their footprint on the S&P 500
Since the S&P 500 is so concentrated in the Ten Titans, it has transformed into a growth-focused index, making it an excellent way to double up on the Ten Titans. But the S&P 500 may not be as good a fit for certain investors.
Arguably, the best reason not to buy the S&P 500 is if you're looking to avoid the Ten Titans, either because you already have comfortable positions in these names or you don't want to take on the potential risk and volatility inherent in a top-heavy index.
That being said, the S&P 500 has been concentrated before, and its leadership can change, as it did over the last decade. The underperformance by former market leaders, like Intel, has been more than made up for by the rise of Nvidia and Broadcom.
So it's not that the Ten Titans have to do well for the S&P 500 to thrive. But if the Titans begin underperforming, their sheer influence on the S&P 500 would require significantly outsized gains from the rest of the index.
Let the S&P 500 work for you
With the S&P 500 yielding just 1.2%, sporting a premium valuation and being heavily dependent on growth stocks, the index isn't the best fit for folks looking to limit their exposure to megacap growth stocks or center their portfolio around dividend-paying value stocks.
The beauty of being an individual investor is that you can shape your portfolio in a way that suits your risk tolerance and investment objectives. For example, you use the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF as a way to get exposure to top growth stocks like the Ten Titans and then complement that position with holdings in dividend stocks or higher-yield ETFs.
In sum, the dominance of the Ten Titans means it's time to start calling the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF what it has become, which is really more of a growth fund than a balanced way to invest in growth, value, and dividend stocks.
Investors with a high risk tolerance and long-term time horizon may cheer the concentrated nature of the index. In contrast, risk-averse investors may want to reorient their portfolios so they aren't accidentally overexposing themselves to more growth than intended.
Should you invest $1,000 in Vanguard S&P 500 ETF right now?
Before you buy stock in Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $649,657!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,090,993!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 1,057% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 185% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.
See the 10 stocks »
*Stock Advisor returns as of August 18, 2025
Daniel Foelber has positions in Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Intel, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Netflix, Nvidia, Oracle, Tesla, and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft, short August 2025 $24 calls on Intel, and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Is the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF the Simplest Way to Double Up on "Ten Titans" Growth Stocks? was originally published by The Motley Fool
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| 24.08.25 18:23:00 |
The S&P 500 Hasn't Yielded This Little Since the Dot-Com Bubble. Here's What Investors Can Do. |
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**Haftungsausschluss: Der Text wurde mit Hilfe einer KI zusammengefasst und übersetzt. Für Aussagen aus dem Originaltext wird keine Haftung übernommen!**
Key Points
The S&P 500's rising yield is similar to what happened before the dot-com bubble burst. This time, the S&P 500 is being driven by earnings growth. Taking out the 20 largest S&P 500 components would push the index's yield close to 2%. 10 stocks we like better than Vanguard S&P 500 ETF ›
The S&P 500(SNPINDEX: ^GSPC)yields just 1.2% at the time of this writing. According to data by Multpl, that is the lowest monthly reading since November 2000 when the S&P 500 yielded 1.18% -- before the sell-off in the Nasdaq Composite(NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) accelerated as the dot-com bubble burst. Many top growth stocks would go on to suffer brutal losses that took years or even over a decade to recover.
Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More »
Here's what the S&P 500's current low yield says about the state of the U.S. stock market and what you can do about it.
Image source: Getty Images.
There's a clear explanation for the S&P 500's falling yield
With 500 holdings, the S&P 500 seems like a great way to invest in hundreds of top U.S. companies at once. But the index has become less diversified in recent years.
Just 4% of S&P 500 components make up 48% of the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF(NYSEMKT: VOO), an exchange-traded fund that closely tracks the index. Since the S&P 500 is weighted by market cap, massive companies can really move the index in a way smaller companies cannot.
Single companies are now worth the equivalent of entire stock market sectors, or multiple sectors. Nvidia(NASDAQ: NVDA) plus Microsoft(NASDAQ: MSFT) make up more than the combined value of the materials, real estate, utilities, energy, and consumer staples sectors -- illustrating the top-heavy nature of the index.
The following table shows the 20 largest S&P 500 components by market cap and their dividend yields as I write on Aug. 18. The "weighted yield" column is the dividend yield multiplied by the percentage weighting in the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF -- which shows the impact each stock has on the index's yield. Company Percentage of Vanguard S&P 500 ETF Dividend Yield Weighted Yield Nvidia 8.06% 0.02% 0.002% Microsoft 7.37% 0.62% 0.046% Apple 5.76% 0.44% 0.025% Amazon 4.11% 0% 0% Alphabet 3.76% 0.4% 0.015% Meta Platforms 3.12% 0.26% 0.008% Broadcom 2.57% 0.75% 0.019% Berkshire Hathaway 1.61% 0% 0% Tesla 1.61% 0% 0% JPMorgan Chase 1.48% 1.82% 0.027% Visa 1.09% 0.69% 0.008% Eli Lilly 1.08% 0.83% 0.009% Netflix 0.92% 0% 0% ExxonMobil 0.89% 3.72% 0.033% Mastercard 0.85% 0.64% 0.005% Walmart 0.79% 0.91% 0.007% Costco Wholesale 0.78% 0.51% 0.004% Oracle 0.77% 0.89% 0.007% Johnson & Johnson 0.74% 2.84% 0.021% Home Depot 0.62% 2.28% 0.014%Sum 47.98% N/A 0.25%
Data sources: Vanguard, YCharts.
The key takeaway is that 48% of the S&P 500 contributes just 0.25% of the index's yield. Meaning that if you took out the 20 largest stocks, the S&P 500 would yield around 2% -- just like it did a decade ago.
So it's not that companies have stopped paying dividends, it's just that low- or no-yield megacap growth stocks like the "Ten Titans" now make up such a large share of the index that the overall S&P 500 yield is lower.
A justified rally
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite underwent massive surges heading into the turn of the millennium that made stock prices go up faster than dividends. Similar to today's market, many of the top holdings in these indexes shifted to growth companies that prioritize reinvesting in their underlying businesses rather than distributing a portion of profits to shareholders through dividends.
The S&P 500's low yield illustrates the extent to which growth stocks dominate the stock market. But unlike the lead-up to the dot-com bust, this rally is much healthier because it is being driven largely by earnings growth and positive sentiment rather than euphoria.
Nvidia is a good example of a company with both a surging stock price and earnings that have compounded several-fold in just a few years. Investors aren't betting on what Nvidia could do in the future if everything goes right. Rather, they are betting on sustained momentum for what Nvidia is delivering right now.
As of Aug. 1, the forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of the S&P 500 was 22.2 -- which is about a 20% premium to its 10-year average. However, the quality of the S&P 500's earnings and growth rate is arguably better today than over that 10-year average. So buying the S&P 500 still makes sense if you agree that the quality is worth paying up for. By this metric, the S&P 500 is pricey, but it's not remotely at nosebleed levels like we saw during the dot-com bubble.
Achieving a more balanced portfolio
The S&P 500 can still be a great tool for building long-term wealth. However, risk-averse investors may be looking for stocks at less expensive valuations and higher dividend yields.
The simplest way to counteract the S&P 500's premium valuation and low yield is to allocate other portions of your portfolio to help fulfill value and income objectives. That can be done by investing directly in top dividend-paying value stocks or value-focused ETFs.
It's important to understand what makes up the S&P 500 and let the index work for you rather than accidentally investing too much in the index and taking on more exposure to growth stocks than you're comfortable with.
Should you invest $1,000 in Vanguard S&P 500 ETF right now?
Before you buy stock in Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $649,657!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,090,993!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 1,057% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 185% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.
See the 10 stocks »
*Stock Advisor returns as of August 18, 2025
JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Daniel Foelber has positions in Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Berkshire Hathaway, Costco Wholesale, Home Depot, JPMorgan Chase, Mastercard, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Netflix, Nvidia, Oracle, Tesla, Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, Visa, and Walmart. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom and Johnson & Johnson and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc. |
| 24.08.25 18:23:00 |
The Motley Fool Just Ranked the Biggest Financial Stocks. Here's Why the No. 3 Pick Could Be Your Best Investment. |
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**Haftungsausschluss: Der Text wurde mit Hilfe einer KI zusammengefasst und übersetzt. Für Aussagen aus dem Originaltext wird keine Haftung übernommen!**
Key Points
The world's largest financial stocks cover a lot of ground, but banks make up the bulk of the list. The best investment opportunity on the list may not be in a bank, but in a company that helps banks. Visa's payment processing business is growing strongly, and the stock still looks fairly valued.10 stocks we like better than Visa ›
The Motley Fool just updated its report on the largest financial companies in the world. The list is filled with banks, but there are a couple of other names in the mix, including diversified conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway(NYSE: BRK.A)(NYSE: BRK.B), which is the No. 1 name on the list. But your best investment opportunity might actually be No. 3, Visa(NYSE: V). Here's why.
What does Visa do?
Visa is what's known as a payment processor. You probably think of it as a credit card company. But it really provides the technology that allows credit and debit cards to be safely used for payments. It connects buyers and sellers on behalf of card issuers, which are often the banks that fill up The Motley Fool's top financial stocks list.
Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More »
Image source: Getty Images.
The interesting thing about Visa is that no single transaction it facilitates is really all that important. That's because it only charges a small fee for the use of its payment network. It's the volume of transactions that flow through its network that's important. In the fiscal third quarter of 2025, payment volume increased 10% year over year, with Visa handling 65.4 billion transactions. On a dollar basis, volume rose 8%.
These are gigantic numbers and highlight just how deeply entrenched Visa is in the financial markets. But it is also deeply entrenched on Main Street. You probably have a credit card or debit card (or both) with a Visa logo on it. Most stores you shop at likely trust Visa to act as an intermediary for them. Don't forget online shopping, where most e-commerce sites allow Visa cards to be used as a safe payment option.
The world is increasingly moving away from paper money and toward card and digital payments. To be fair, Visa isn't the only company benefiting from this trend. But it is one of a very small number of companies that have an effective oligopoly in the space. That's kind of like a monopoly, but the industry dominance is shared across a small number of companies.
Visa is doing well, but it's not shockingly overpriced
As you might expect, Visa is performing well as a business. In the fiscal third quarter of 2025, revenues rose 14%, and adjusted earnings jumped 23%. Investors are aware of how well Visa is doing today, and the stock isn't cheap.
But the real attraction here is that Visa's shares don't look outlandishly expensive, either. Some numbers will help here. The price-to-sales (P/S) ratio is currently around 16.8x, versus a five-year average of 17.7x. The price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is 33.5x, compared to a longer-term average of 34.1x.
The P/S ratio and the P/E ratio are not low by any stretch of the imagination, suggesting that value-focused investors might want to watch from the sidelines. But if you are a growth-minded investor, this strongly growing business looks fairly reasonably priced, historically speaking. That puts it into the growth at a reasonable price, or GARP, camp, which is probably a good place to be as the S&P 500(SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) flirts with all-time highs.
Visa isn't perfect, but it is attractive
Visa is doing well as a business. Wall Street knows that and has placed a high price tag on the shares. But that price tag isn't ridiculous when you look back at the company's recent valuation history. Given the ongoing success of the business and the likely future of more digital and card payments, long-term investors looking for an investment opportunity among the largest financial companies should probably make Visa their starting point.
Should you invest $1,000 in Visa right now?
Before you buy stock in Visa, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Visa wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $649,657!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,090,993!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 1,057% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 185% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.
See the 10 stocks »
*Stock Advisor returns as of August 18, 2025
Reuben Gregg Brewer has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Berkshire Hathaway and Visa. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc. |
| 24.08.25 18:00:00 |
Prediction: These 2 Trillion-Dollar Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks Could Strike a Megadeal That Wall Street Isn't Ready For |
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**Haftungsausschluss: Der Text wurde mit Hilfe einer KI zusammengefasst und übersetzt. Für Aussagen aus dem Originaltext wird keine Haftung übernommen!**
Key Points
Apple has yet to launch a widely adopted breakthrough in the artificial intelligence (AI) landscape, instead opting for incremental iPhone updates and grand visions for products not yet launched. Tesla has built an autonomous driving system and a humanoid robot, but neither business is moving the needle financially for the company. Apple and Tesla were rumored to have explored a tie up about a decade ago; now may be even more compelling than ever for the two trillion-dollar behemoths to explore a partnership again.These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires ›
One of Silicon Valley's most famous "what-if" stories centers on a rumored deal that never happened. According to reports, Apple(NASDAQ: AAPL) had the chance to acquire Tesla(NASDAQ: TSLA) roughly a decade ago -- but the deal never materialized.
In the years since, Tesla has cemented itself as a global leader in electric vehicles (EV), while Apple has remained a dominant force in consumer electronics. Yet despite their respective clout, both companies share a surprising weakness: Unlike Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta Platforms, neither Apple nor Tesla has built a truly scaled artificial intelligence (AI) business.
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Apple's foray into the AI arena has been relatively muted, relying on incremental iPhone upgrades rather than a bold, stand-alone AI platform -- a departure from its decorated history of innovation. Tesla, on the other hand, has ambitious plans for its humanoid robot, dubbed Optimus, and its robotaxi network, but these initiatives remain unproven at scale.
This is what makes the prospects of a strategic partnership between Apple and Tesla so intriguing right now. Each could help cover the other's blind spots, and in doing so, build the foundation of scaled AI platforms that their rivals already enjoy.
Why Apple needs Tesla
Apple's legacy has always been rooted in consumer devices, pioneering category-defining products such as the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. For years, the company was seen as the undisputed master of uncovering latent needs and turning them into must-have innovations.
In recent years, however, Apple's push into advanced hardware has struggled to live up to the company's historic track record.
Last year, the company scrapped its car initiative, Project Titan, after years of research and development. The ambitious project ended without a formal product launch -- leaving Apple with no presence in the automotive market despite years of speculation.
More recently, Apple unveiled its Vision Pro headset, a foray into augmented and virtual reality. The device has widely been viewed as a disappointment -- a high-end luxury gadget rather than a mass-market breakthrough, limiting its adoption among everyday consumers.
Now, as rumors swirl around a Siri-powered robot in Apple's pipeline, management faces a critical decision: pursue yet another hardware moonshot from scratch and risk billions in capital expenditures (capex), or align with a partner that's already in production.
In my view, Apple doesn't need to reinvent the wheel by sinking more time and money into developing products that may never launch. Instead, Apple could thrive by positioning itself as the software and services layer powering intelligent hardware that already exists in the market.
By joining forces with Tesla, Apple could leverage the company's expertise in autonomous driving systems and robotics while integrating its own AI-powered software ecosystem and consumer marketing prowess.
Such a collaboration could allow Apple to leapfrog into both consumer and enterprise adoption of smart devices -- staking a claim in the robotics and autonomous era of AI, without repeating costly mistakes of the past.
Image source: Getty Images.
Why Tesla needs Apple
Tesla's robotaxi and Optimus both carry transformative potential. But bringing these projects to life requires massive investments in compute power and AI infrastructure.
While Tesla's balance sheet boasts a healthy cash cushion, it's worth noting that, like Apple, the company has also made some controversial capital allocation decisions in recent years.
TSLA Cash and Short Term Investments (Quarterly) data by YCharts
Case in point: Tesla recently scaled back its in-house Dojo AI supercomputer project, opting instead to revert to proven infrastructure from Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices. Similar to Apple's Project Titan, the recent moves around Dojo underscore how costly and uncertain it can be to build proprietary systems at scale.
This is where a joint venture with Apple could reshape Tesla's financial trajectory. Apple sits on more than $132 billion in cash, equivalents, and marketable securities, and it commands unmatched global distribution channels. By partnering with Apple, Tesla could accelerate the commercialization of Optimus and robotaxi without overplaying its hand financially.
Moreover, Apple's unparalleled brand equity could help transform Tesla's AI-driven machines from prototype concepts into mainstream products -- bridging the gap between Musk's futuristic vision and tangible household and enterprise adoption.
A second chance that no one sees coming
Apple's decision not to acquire Tesla is often portrayed as a missed opportunity. But having spent a decade working in mergers and acquisitions as an investment banking analyst, I can say with confidence that deals rarely unfold as neatly as the financial models suggest. In many cases, strategic partnerships can unlock far greater, more accretive opportunities than an outright acquisition.
As the last of big tech to scale an AI business, both Apple and Tesla now sit at a pivotal crossroad. A collaboration between the two would represent a rare second chance for trillion-dollar innovators to join forces and reshape the future of the technology landscape.
By combining Apple's ecosystem with Tesla's progress in robotics and autonomous systems, the companies could fast-track the commercialization of next-generation AI applications -- moving them from research labs and into the hands of consumers worldwide.
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Adam Spatacco has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc. |
| 24.08.25 18:00:00 |
Nvidia, Alibaba, CrowdStrike, Snowflake, Inflation, and More to Watch This Week |
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**Haftungsausschluss: Der Text wurde mit Hilfe einer KI zusammengefasst und übersetzt. Für Aussagen aus dem Originaltext wird keine Haftung übernommen!**
HP, Chewy, Alibaba, Best Buy, Dollar General, and more also will report earnings. On the economic front, we’ll see inflation numbers from several sources and a housing data release.
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| 24.08.25 18:00:00 |
A shocking 19% of retirees say they’re living a ‘nightmare’ — how to save yourself from the same terrible fate |
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**Haftungsausschluss: Der Text wurde mit Hilfe einer KI zusammengefasst und übersetzt. Für Aussagen aus dem Originaltext wird keine Haftung übernommen!**
Retirement is often thought of as a time of life when you get to sit back, relax, indulge your hobbies and enjoy the fruits of your labor, but a new survey from Schroders says that for many Americans, that’s not the case.
Schroders 2025 U.S. Retirement Survey says that just 5% of retirees say that they are "living the dream." By contrast, a shocking 19%, or almost one in five, say they are "living the nightmare".
This gap highlights a harsh truth: many Americans are falling short of the savings needed to support a comfortable retirement. While Northwestern Mutual research suggests the average person believes they'll need around $1.26 million to retire comfortably, Fidelity reports the average 401(k) balance among those 70 and up is just $250,000. And according to Federal Reserve data, only 3.2% of all retirees have $1 million or more saved.
This is simply not enough for many seniors, especially with many financial concerns to worry about. Let's take a look at why so many are struggling, along with how future retirees can avoid falling victim to this same fate.
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Why so many retirees are struggling
The Schroders survey makes clear that the stress comes from several fronts: inflation, health care and uncertainty about how long savings will last.
More than 8 in 10 worry about how rising costs are shrinking their purchasing power, and nearly half admit their day-to-day expenses in retirement have turned out higher than expected. And 47% of adults aged 50 and older responded to National Polling on Healthy Aging reporting that they've been impacted a great deal by inflation in the past year.
Healthcare is another financial stress point. Many seniors are forced into early retirement due to health crises, while others develop a medical issue sooner than anticipated and face high care costs. Fidelity reports the average cost of healthcare for a single 65-year-old person who retires in 2025 is $172,500, and retirees reported spending an average of 15% of their income on medical costs like insurance premiums and prescriptions, with more than half saying they thought Medicare would cover more.
Story Continues
Uncertainty about longevity is compounding these pressures. A majority of retirees — 62% — admit they have no idea how long their savings will last. And with 70% worried about outliving their assets and 80% fearful a market downturn could wipe out a big chunk of their nest egg, it’s clear why so many describe their financial reality as a nightmare rather than a dream.
Read more: Do you own rental properties in the US? These 6 hacks can help you boost your income and lower your tax burden
How to avoid ‘living the nightmare’
For workers who haven’t retired yet, the best defense is a proactive plan.
That begins with knowing your retirement number: how much you’ll actually need to maintain your lifestyle. Financial planners often suggest saving at least 10 times your final salary or multiplying your expected annual spending by 25. If you want $80,000 a year in retirement, that means building toward a $2 million nest egg.
Once you know the goal, break it into smaller, achievable milestones. Online calculators at sites like Investor.gov can help you figure out how much to contribute each month based on your age, income and existing savings. Even modest amounts saved consistently can snowball over decades thanks to the power of compound growth.
Building your savings also means using the right accounts and strategies. A 401(k) with an employer match should be your first stop, followed by IRAs for added tax advantages. And because retirement planning is complex, one of the smartest moves you can make is to consult with a financial advisor, who can help you craft a plan that accounts for taxes, market risk and unexpected costs.
Finally, don’t forget that preparing for retirement isn’t just about saving — it’s about protecting yourself against uncertainty. That means creating an emergency cushion and being alert to financial traps. You should be wary of any communication that asks you to:
Provide your Social Security number Reveal a password or account number Send money directly or through gift cards, crypto or wire transfer
The Schroders survey is ultimately a reminder that retirement isn’t just about reaching a number on paper — it’s about preparing for the realities that can upend even the best-laid plans. With inflation, health care and uncertainty weighing heavily on today’s retirees, the survey underscores how critical it is to approach retirement with foresight, flexibility and support.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
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| 24.08.25 16:15:00 |
Hier sind fünf einfache Aktien von Warren Buffett, die man jetzt kaufen sollte – inklusive Amazon. |
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**Haftungsausschluss: Der Text wurde mit Hilfe einer KI zusammengefasst und übersetzt. Für Aussagen aus dem Originaltext wird keine Haftung übernommen!**
Okay, here’s a 600-word summary of the text, followed by a German translation:
**Summary (600 Words)**
This article explores five stocks currently held within Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway portfolio – Amazon, Lennar, Chevron, UnitedHealth Group, and Berkshire Hathaway itself – and suggests they might be worthy additions to an investor’s portfolio. The core argument is that Buffett’s historical success offers a valuable framework for identifying promising investments, even as the investment landscape evolves.
The article highlights Berkshire Hathaway’s impressive track record, noting its 5.5 million percent increase in value over 60 years, significantly outperforming the S&P 500. This historical data is presented as a key reason to consider these specific stocks.
**Amazon.com (AMZN):** Despite Buffett’s past reluctance to invest in high-tech companies, Berkshire Hathaway now holds a substantial stake in Amazon. This is primarily due to Amazon's dominance in the online marketplace and its significant presence in cloud computing (AWS). The article points out that Amazon's valuation is currently appealingly low relative to its growth potential.
**Lennar (LEN):** Lennar, a major homebuilder, is considered a promising investment due to America’s ongoing need for housing, particularly affordable homes for first-time buyers. A potential drop in interest rates could further stimulate demand. While the near-term outlook is uncertain, Lennar’s long-term prospects appear solid, evidenced by a growing dividend yield and reasonable valuation metrics.
**Chevron (CVX):** Chevron is a significant holding for Berkshire, driven by its potential to generate substantial free cash flow, especially considering its investments, including Hess. Chevron is positioned to benefit from both traditional and alternative energy sources. The article notes a slightly elevated P/E ratio, suggesting potential overvaluation but offers flexibility for investors.
**UnitedHealth Group (UNH):** Berkshire’s recent investment in UnitedHealth Group is presented as an opportunistic buy, given the company's potential to capitalize on the aging population’s increasing need for healthcare. The article acknowledges recent challenges, including a Department of Justice investigation and a CEO transition, framing these as temporary hurdles.
**Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A/BRK.B):** The article suggests investing directly in Berkshire Hathaway itself, acknowledging its historically strong growth potential, though acknowledging that growth may be less rapid now with the transition of leadership to Greg Abel.
**The Bottom Line:** The article emphasizes the value of considering Berkshire Hathaway’s current holdings. However, it also cautions that the “easy” path – following Buffett’s direct recommendations – may not always be the best. The Motley Fool’s Stock Advisor, which has historically delivered exceptional returns, is highlighted as an alternative. The piece also uses past examples of successful recommendations from Stock Advisor (Netflix and Nvidia) to encourage readers to consider subscribing.
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**German Translation (approx. 600 words):**
**Zusammenfassung: 5 Warren Buffett-Aktien, die Sie jetzt in Betracht ziehen sollten – einschließlich Amazon.com**
Dieser Artikel untersucht fünf Aktien, die derzeit im Portfolio von Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway gehalten werden – Amazon, Lennar, Chevron, UnitedHealth Group und Berkshire Hathaway selbst – und argumentiert, dass sie potenziell wertvolle Ergänzungen für ein Anlageportfolio sein könnten. Der Hauptgedanke ist, dass Buffett’s historische Erfolge einen wertvollen Rahmen für die Identifizierung vielversprechender Investitionen bieten, auch wenn sich die Anlagelandschaft verändert.
Der Artikel hebt Berkshire Hathaway’s beeindruckende Bilanz hervor und stellt fest, dass das Unternehmen über 60 Jahre hinweg einen Wertanstieg von 5,5 Millionen Prozent erzielt hat – ein deutlicher Gewinn gegenüber dem S&P 500. Diese historische Leistung wird als Hauptgrund angeführt, um diese spezifischen Aktien in Betracht zu ziehen.
**Amazon.com (AMZN):** Obwohl Buffett früher skeptisch gegenüber Investitionen in den High-Tech-Sektor eingestellt war, hält Berkshire Hathaway jetzt eine erhebliche Beteiligung an Amazon. Dies ist hauptsächlich auf Amazons Dominanz auf dem Online-Marktplatz und seine bedeutende Präsenz im Cloud-Computing (AWS) zurückzuführen. Der Artikel weist darauf hin, dass Amazons Bewertung derzeit aufgrund seines Wachstumspotenzials attraktiv ist.
**Lennar (LEN):** Lennar, ein führender Hausbauer, gilt als vielversprechende Investition aufgrund des anhaltenden Bedarfs an Wohnraum in Amerika, insbesondere bezahlbare Häuser für Erstkäufer. Ein potenzieller Rückgang der Zinssätze könnte die Nachfrage weiter ankurbeln. Auch wenn die kurzfristige Perspektive ungewiss ist, erscheinen Lennars langfristige Aussichten solide, wie durch eine wachsende Dividendenrendite und eine vernünftige Bewertung belegt.
**Chevron (CVX):** Chevron ist eine bedeutende Beteiligung für Berkshire, die auf seinem Potenzial basiert, erhebliche Freiflüssigkeit zu generieren, insbesondere angesichts seiner Investitionen, einschließlich Hess. Chevron ist gut positioniert, um von traditionellen und alternativen Energiequellen zu profitieren. Der Artikel weist auf eine leicht erhöhte Bewertung (P/E) hin, was auf eine mögliche Überbewertung hindeutet, bietet aber Flexibilität für Investoren.
**UnitedHealth Group (UNH):** Berkshire’s jüngste Investition in UnitedHealth Group wird als opportunistischer Kauf präsentiert, da das Unternehmen das Potenzial hat, von dem wachsenden Bedarf der alternden Bevölkerung an Gesundheitsversorgung zu profitieren. Der Artikel räumt jüngsten Herausforderungen ein, darunter eine Untersuchung durch das Department of Justice und ein CEO-Wechsel, und stellt diese als vorübergehende Hindernisse dar.
**Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A/BRK.B):** Der Artikel schlägt vor, direkt in Berkshire Hathaway zu investieren, erkennt an, dass das Unternehmen trotz einer Übergangsphase unter dem neuen Führungsstil – Greg Abel – potenziell weiterhin starke Wachstumspotenziale hat.
**Das Fazit:** Der Artikel betont den Wert der Berücksichtigung von Berkshire Hathaway’s aktuellen Holdings. Allerdings warnt er auch davor, dass der „einfache“ Weg – das Befolgen von Buffett’s direkten Empfehlungen – immer der beste ist. Die Motley Fool’s Stock Advisor, die historisch gesehen außergewöhnliche Renditen erzielt hat, wird als Alternative hervorgehoben. Der Artikel verwendet Beispiele aus vergangenen erfolgreichen Empfehlungen von Stock Advisor (Netflix und Nvidia), um Leser zu ermutigen, sich für ein Abonnement zu entscheiden.
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