Trading Ideas

(Bloomberg) — Telefonica SA and Liberty Global Plc have agreed to create the U.K.’s largest phone and internet operator, a deal that threatens its rivals and marks another industry-defining merger for billionaire John Malone.The deal values the new company at 31 billion pounds ($38 billion), with Telefonica’s O2 being valued at 12.7 billion pounds and Liberty’s Virgin Media valued at around 18.7 billion pounds. The companies, which started negotiations in December, said in a statement Thursday there are 6.2 billion pounds in synergies.The joint venture, first reported by Bloomberg, is a chance for both parent companies to rework two middling-assets …read more […]

Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s largest beer maker, forecast a “materially worse” second quarter as coronavirus restrictions curb drinking across the globe, while noting some improvement in China. The brewer of Budweiser, Corona and Stella Artois sold 9.3% less beer and other drink than a year ago in the first three months of 2020, but this decline worsened to about a third in April as bars and restaurants closed and some production halted. The Belgium-based beer maker did say, however, there were early signs of recovery in China and South Korea as restaurants, and to a lesser extent clubs, …read more […]

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(Bloomberg) — Apple Inc. again commanded a majority share of the smartwatch market in the first quarter, when the Covid-19 outbreak encouraged health tracking and drove a 20% rise in shipments.Global smartwatch shipments reached 13.7 million units in the first three months of this year, defying a worldwide slump in consumer electronics arenas such as mobile phones. Apple’s share inched up a percentage point to 55.5%, according to Strategy Analytics.The Apple Watch is seen as one of the key growth drivers for the U.S. company, which has stopped detailing quarterly iPhone shipments as the smartphone market matures. Compal Electronics Inc. …read more […]

Oil prices rose on Thursday after U.S. inventories swelled less than expected, but market watchers predicted further gains could be capped by the ongoing glut in crude supplies as the coronavirus pandemic crushes fuel demand. U.S. oil gained 19 cents, or 0.8%, to 24.18 a barrel, after declining more than 2% in the previous session. “The latest report (on U.S. inventories) added to tentative evidence that – after a catastrophic few weeks – the pressure on the U.S. oil market is beginning to lessen,” Capital Economics said in a note. …read more […]

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(Bloomberg) — A California software company that received a federal Paycheck Protection Program loan of more than $750,000 sued the government over new guidelines attempting to restrict who can get such assistance.Zumasys Inc. said in a suit filed Monday against the Small Business Administration and Treasury Department that it is now concerned it will have to pay back the forgivable loan the company and its two subsidiaries received in mid-April, some of which has already been spent to keep nearly 70 employees on payroll.Facing criticism that much of the money intended to help small businesses weather the economic shock of …read more […]

Want another unexpected winner in this new COVID-19 world?
Then consider the situation facing 1-800-Flowers (Nasdaq: FLWS) right now…
First off, there are 1 million people in the U.S. infected with COVID-19.
And… that number continues growing by the day.
So, at the risk of sounding unsympathetic, that means 1-800-Flowers now has more than 1 million potential customers to send “Get Well Soon!” flowers to – all done conveniently and safely at your home computer.
There’s also a case for even more flowers being sent for deaths and funerals.
On a more uplifting note… This upcoming Sunday is also Mother’s Day.
So that means nearly half the …read more […]

Chevron (NYSE: CVX) is a member of the esteemed Dividend Aristocrats. These are companies that are in the S&P 500 and have raised their dividends for 25 years in a row or longer.
It is an esteemed club with only 66 companies included.
Investors love Dividend Aristocrats because they historically beat the market with lower volatility.
Chevron has been in the dividend-raising business since 1988. Back then, we had no cellphones and no internet, but we did still have the Soviet Union. And we were just a year past the 1987 stock market crash. That was a long time ago.
Will Chevron’s dividend be …read more […]

(Bloomberg) — Twilio Inc. projected rising sales for the second quarter, signaling stronger demand for communications software amid the coronavirus pandemic. Shares climbed about 25%.Revenue will increase as much as 35% to $370 million in the period, the San Francisco-based company said Wednesday in a statement. Analysts, on average, projected sales of $334 million, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The company expects a loss, excluding some items, of 8 cents to 11 cents per share, which also is better than analysts had estimated.Twilio Chief Executive Officer Jeff Lawson has assembled a broad set of cloud-based capabilities that help companies …read more […]

Etsy reported first quarter earnings that missed expectations. Yahoo Finance’s Jen Rogers and Seana Smith discuss on The Final Round. …read more […]

Paypal reported a miss on earnings for their first quarter. Shares fell after the company released that adjusted earnings per share fell to 66 cents from 78 cents. Yahoo Finance Live breaks down the numbers. …read more […]

(Bloomberg) — Hyatt Hotels Corp. swung to a loss as cratering travel demand hammered the hotel chain.Hyatt reported a loss of 35 cents per share, worse than analysts expected. Revenue per available room, which combines pricing and occupancy, decreased 28% in the quarter — a steep fall considering that travel restrictions didn’t take full effect in most of the world until March.Hyatt has raised capital through a bond sale and cut costs by closing hotels and furloughing workers. Chief Executive Officer Mark Hoplamazian said in a statement that the company’s “existing liquidity provides sufficient capacity to cover at least 30 …read more […]

Square reports a loss on their first quarter earnings with EPS short $0.15 from expectations and an adjusted EBITDA of $9 million, an 85% drop YoY. …read more […]

Fitness giant Peloton reported third quarter earnings that beat sales and operating profit forecasts. Yahoo Finance’s Jen Rogers, Seana Smith, Rick Newman and Andy Serwer discuss on The Final Round …read more […]