The AI Trade Reignites
The AI rally is back. After months of investor concerns over soaring spending and uncertain returns, strong earnings and accelerating demand have pushed artificial intelligence stocks back into the driver’s seat. This week, I take a closer look at what’s fueling the resurgence and why AI has once again become one of the market’s biggest stories.
One of the hardest parts of investing isn’t deciding what to buy – it’s knowing when to sell. This week let’s take a closer look at the often-overlooked “other side” of investing and the reasons long-term investors sometimes decide to move on from a stock. From changing company fundamentals and stretched valuations to shifting goals and better opportunities elsewhere and explain why selling doesn’t always mean you made a mistake.
While March ended as one of the toughest months in years, April delivered a strong rebound. All four major indexes recovered sharply, erasing losses and posting one of their best monthly performances since the pandemic rebound in 2020.
Earnings season is giving investors a fresh look under the hood of the companies driving the markets. With roughly 20 holdings across my three portfolios reporting results this past week alone, the focus has shifted from headlines to fundamentals. Strong reports from major technology companies like NASD:AAPL continue lifting both individual stocks and the broader market, while weaker guidance can quickly shift sentiment the other way. This week’s commentary looks at what earnings reports really tell investors, what I focus on when analyzing them, and how the latest results helped shape the markets this week.
How Valuation Is Calculated (In Simple Terms)
Valuation can sound complicated, but at its core it comes down to a simple idea: how much are you paying for what a business produces? This week, I break down two of the most common tools investors use – P/E and P/FCF – and show how they help put a price on a company’s earnings and cash flow.
When I got back into investing, one of the most common terms I heard was valuation. I knew what value was – one always wants to get good value for their money, or not overpay for an item. But the term “valuation” seemed a bit different, although I could never quite put my finger on why it felt separate from simply “getting good value for your money.” The difference, I eventually realized, is that in investing, price and value don’t always move together – and that gap between the two is where a lot of opportunity (and risk) tends to show up. This week, I’ll break down what valuation actually means and why it matters when you’re trying to get good value for your money in the stock market.