Investors got a rude awakening when food-delivery company GrubHub (Nasdaq: GRUB) reported third-quarter earnings on October 28. Shares took a beating and closed the day down 43%. What in the world could have possibly happened to justify such a massive decline? Well, the short of it is that the massive growth days of the food-delivery industry are likely behind it.  For the third quarter, GrubHub generated $322 million in revenues, a 30% year-over-year increase. However, that figure fell short of analyst estimates who were on average expecting sales of $330 million. Net income of $1 million, or $0.01 per share,… Read More

Investors got a rude awakening when food-delivery company GrubHub (Nasdaq: GRUB) reported third-quarter earnings on October 28. Shares took a beating and closed the day down 43%. What in the world could have possibly happened to justify such a massive decline? Well, the short of it is that the massive growth days of the food-delivery industry are likely behind it.  For the third quarter, GrubHub generated $322 million in revenues, a 30% year-over-year increase. However, that figure fell short of analyst estimates who were on average expecting sales of $330 million. Net income of $1 million, or $0.01 per share, was a massive decrease from the $22.7 million, or $0.24 per share it reported in Q3 2018. To make matters worse, management lowered sales guidance for Q4. But that’s only part of the story… Many times, large moves to the downside in a stock’s share price based on a single quarterly earnings report is a major overreaction by Wall Street. But in GrubHub’s case, it’s an industry-wide issue.  The Most Brutally Honest Shareholder Letter You May Ever Read Before I go any further, the company released a shareholder letter that is worth a read. Not only… Read More

And just like that, the S&P 500 is back to hitting new all-time highs. This is happening thanks in large part to an accommodative Federal Reserve, who for the third time this year cut interest rates by 25 basis points on October 30. The benchmark federal funds rate now sits at 1.5% to 1.75%. #-ad_banner-#Also helping is the fact that the trade war with China has simmered. In fact, it looks like we may get a Phase 1 agreement soon. (Although I wouldn’t hold my breath. This is far from over.) And finally, third-quarter earnings have been better than expected… Read More

And just like that, the S&P 500 is back to hitting new all-time highs. This is happening thanks in large part to an accommodative Federal Reserve, who for the third time this year cut interest rates by 25 basis points on October 30. The benchmark federal funds rate now sits at 1.5% to 1.75%. #-ad_banner-#Also helping is the fact that the trade war with China has simmered. In fact, it looks like we may get a Phase 1 agreement soon. (Although I wouldn’t hold my breath. This is far from over.) And finally, third-quarter earnings have been better than expected — granted the bar was set pretty low. Going into earnings season, analysts believed that earnings for companies in the S&P 500 were set to decline 4% compared to the same period a year ago. It would have marked the first time the index reported three straight quarters of year-over-year earnings decline since Q4 2015 through Q2 2016. With more than 71% of the companies in the S&P 500 reporting actual results, 76% have reported a positive earnings surprise. As it sits now, the earnings decline is -2.7%. That’s not only better than the -4% that was expected, but it’s… Read More

I enjoy warm weather as much as the next person. But during the end of August when temperatures are hitting the high 90s and low 100s, I get tired of it… quickly. I yearn for the crisp mornings of fall and the changing of the leaves.  This year at home in the Northwest, however, it seems we skipped fall and jumped right into winter. We’ve already had snow and below-freezing temperatures. In fact, temperatures over the last month have been significantly below average.  Some might point towards El Nino or La Nina bringing about the onslaught of cold. But according… Read More

I enjoy warm weather as much as the next person. But during the end of August when temperatures are hitting the high 90s and low 100s, I get tired of it… quickly. I yearn for the crisp mornings of fall and the changing of the leaves.  This year at home in the Northwest, however, it seems we skipped fall and jumped right into winter. We’ve already had snow and below-freezing temperatures. In fact, temperatures over the last month have been significantly below average.  Some might point towards El Nino or La Nina bringing about the onslaught of cold. But according to the National Weather Service, there’s about an 85% chance that neither will be present this year. But regardless of the reasoning behind the weather events, the cold and snow reminds me to check in with some of my favorite “winter” stocks. You see, colder temperatures also bring the possibility of thicker profits for many companies that rely heavily on seasonal trends. For instance, many utility companies that provide natural gas or electricity for folks can see a spike in profits if it’s an exceptionally cold winter.  I’ve highlighted a few other companies that benefit from a cold and snowy… Read More

Believe it or not, but the first battery came about from the dissection of a frog. In 1780, Luigi Galvani was dissecting a frog affixed to a brass hook. When he touched the frog’s leg with his iron scalpel, the leg twitched. Galvani believed the energy stemmed from the frog and called it “animal electricity.” His friend and physicist Alessandro Volta thought differently. Volta thought the animal electricity was actually a result of two different metals joined together. Volta was right. After much experimentation, he invented the first true battery around 1800, called the Voltaic Pile. The voltaic pile consisted… Read More

Believe it or not, but the first battery came about from the dissection of a frog. In 1780, Luigi Galvani was dissecting a frog affixed to a brass hook. When he touched the frog’s leg with his iron scalpel, the leg twitched. Galvani believed the energy stemmed from the frog and called it “animal electricity.” His friend and physicist Alessandro Volta thought differently. Volta thought the animal electricity was actually a result of two different metals joined together. Volta was right. After much experimentation, he invented the first true battery around 1800, called the Voltaic Pile. The voltaic pile consisted of pairs of copper and zinc discs piled on top of each other, separated by a layer of cloth or cardboard soaked in brine. The device pile produced a continuous stream of electricity, albeit only an hour’s worth at best. Still, it was a major leap forward that launched a rapid evolution in batteries.  Today, alkaline batteries are what you’ll usually find when you purchase a pack of AA or AAA batteries. Alkaline batteries are still in high demand, but there’s been a major shift towards lithium. In fact, we have good reason to believe that lithium batteries are the… Read More

The big tobacco companies are always in the crosshairs of regulators. That’s certainly no secret. But new scrutiny has come in the form of worries about deaths related to “vaping,” and the numbers of teens who are using electronic cigarettes in general. As it turns out, this could create an opening for a little-known company that may hold the key to a lot of problems the tobacco industry is facing. I’ll get to that in a moment. But first, some background… The ‘Vaping’ Crisis, Explained #-ad_banner-#If you’re not familiar with vaping, here’s how I described it in a recent article:… Read More

The big tobacco companies are always in the crosshairs of regulators. That’s certainly no secret. But new scrutiny has come in the form of worries about deaths related to “vaping,” and the numbers of teens who are using electronic cigarettes in general. As it turns out, this could create an opening for a little-known company that may hold the key to a lot of problems the tobacco industry is facing. I’ll get to that in a moment. But first, some background… The ‘Vaping’ Crisis, Explained #-ad_banner-#If you’re not familiar with vaping, here’s how I described it in a recent article: … vaping is the use of a small battery-powered device called an electronic pen, or e-cigarette. This e-cigarette heats nicotine (extracted from tobacco), flavorings and other chemicals to create a water vapor that is inhaled. The tobacco itself doesn’t ignite as it does with a traditional cigarette. So, there’s no smoke, just water vapor containing nicotine. Vape pens are also used to smoke marijuana. As I stated in that article, the whole goal of e-cigarettes was to help adult smokers transition away from traditional cigarettes and offer a less toxic alternative. The problem: vaping has also become popular… Read More