ReportWire

Tag: Finance

  • How Emerging Technology is Helping Teams Save on Development Costs | Entrepreneur

    How Emerging Technology is Helping Teams Save on Development Costs | Entrepreneur

    [ad_1]

    Software developer pay spans a notoriously wide range, but few would argue that U.S.-based development costs are “cheap.”

    According to a U.S. News & World Report analysis, the median U.S. software developer earned $120,730 in 2021. Experienced devs can easily command $200,000 per year in cash compensation alone, with incentive pay and company benefits adding significantly to that total.

    You most likely know this already. You also most likely know that complex software development projects take months and involve multiple developers and engineers. “Cost spiral” doesn’t begin to describe the situation.

    You don’t need to be reminded how important it is to cut devops costs wherever possible. Your bosses and shareholders (perhaps one and the same) remind you enough.

    Fortunately, emerging technologies and tools are making it easier than ever to reduce software development expenses without compromising output, efficiency or quality. It’s no exaggeration to say that these new capabilities are revolutionizing software development and helping devops teams save money across the board.

    Let’s take a closer look at four types of emerging capabilities: next-generation project management tools, cloud computing services, task automation tools and ephemeral development environments. Each offers potentially game-changing opportunities for teams looking to work faster, smarter and more efficiently.

    Using next-generation project management tools to drive software development efficiency and collaboration

    Signs of bad project management include missed deadlines, poor quality control, and infighting within teams that need to collaborate closely. These and other direct results of poor project management are harmful to the broader organization (and to the careers of those responsible for them).

    Yet poor project management has a direct financial cost as well. This goes back to what we’ve already discussed: the high cost of labor in a product development environment and, specifically, the very high cost of labor in a software development context. Every day that passes without an anticipated deliverable is a day that brings unanticipated costs. And while every project budget has some built-in wiggle room, said costs eventually become unacceptable.

    The good news is that software development teams can turn to an already-existing library of scalable, easy-to-use project management tools that easily map to devops use cases. Your team may already use some basic project management tools to manage workflows and keep track of deliverables timeframes and responsibilities, but if you haven’t surveyed the landscape and assessed individual tools’ capabilities relative to your team’s needs, you’re likely not maximizing their potential.

    Look for project management tools with the following capabilities:

    • Use cases specifically designed for your specific development framework. For example, Jira’s project management tool is specifically tailored to Agile development teams.
    • Relevant integrations with third-party apps, from general-purpose tools like Google Docs (where your spreadsheets likely live already) to devops, cloud storage, and even CRM software.
    • Sophisticated calendar views that enable visual-oriented team members to “see” their project responsibilities at a glance.
    • Powerful developer APIs that allow you to customize the project management interface to your needs and produce efficiency-oriented outputs.

    Ideally, your team relies on one core project management tool to manage everything it’s working on together, with individual developers free to use additional tools to manage their personal workflows.

    That may require you to cut out a less optimal tool (or several) and disrupt legacy use cases, but it’s better to rip off the Band-Aid now, before a bona fide productivity crisis hits. Further down the road, untangling competing and deeply entrenched workflows will surely prove more costly and more disruptive.

    Leveraging cloud computing services for projects with multiple stakeholders

    Like project management software, cloud computing services no longer count as revolutionary. If your team is small, it might use GSuite for cloud-based storage and collaboration. If it’s larger, it might use Microsoft Azure or Amazon Web Services (whose incomprehensible value only underscores the critical importance of cloud computing).

    And so you’re already aware that cloud computing services make development more efficient by enhancing collaboration, reducing duplication of effort, and sharply cutting reliance on onsite database hosting, file storage and data processing.

    Your team can and should use cloud computing services in additional ways that even more directly improve devops efficiency and cost control:

    • Containerization: Containerization enables software deployment on any computing infrastructure. Bundling app code and file libraries in a self-contained, platform-agnostic unit eliminates the need to match platform-specific software packages (i.e., Windows-compatible) with the correct machines. Containerized deployment is more portable, more scalable and more resilient — and it’s only possible in the cloud.
    • Microservices (vs. monolithic architecture): Microservices break up the development architecture into many small, agile units that communicate via API. Rather than an inflexible “monolith” that needs to be reworked as it scales, microservices can be scaled internally (or new ones created) as needs arise. Like containerization, it’s a much more flexible, agile, and ultimately low-cost way to manage complex devops workflows.

    Automating repetitive tasks throughout the development lifecycle

    Task and workflow automation tools are improving at an incredible clip, and the advantages of next-generation automation are particularly impressive for devops teams. As just one example, telecom giant Ericsson drove significant cost savings by automating key aspects of their software development pipeline and transitioning to a continuous deployment model, according to a study published in Empirical Software Engineering.

    Transitioning to continuous deployment is a time- and cost-intensive process that may not be practical for smaller teams, at least not in the near term. But your team can leverage task automation in many other ways.

    Testing automation deserves special mention here. Automated testing and QA solutions like Robot Framework and Zephyr (respectively) reduce the need for repetitive, labor-intensive poking and prodding by human devs whose efforts are better spent elsewhere. By finding bugs and quality issues earlier in the development workflow, they also reduce the need for costly and time-consuming fixes further along in the process.

    Increasingly, code generation itself is automated, thanks to tools like Eclipse. These generative tools will only improve as processing power increases and training sets expand. Consequently, this sets the stage for a near-future scenario where devs will need to manually write far less code. That, in turn, will allow devops teams to stretch dev resources further. Additionally, it will free up person-hours for more creative or problem-focused work.

    Utilizing ephemeral environments to improve development speed and quality

    Finally, software development teams can achieve efficiency and cost improvements at virtually any scale by utilizing ephemeral environments. These are temporary staging environments that can be created at will, generally for a single-purpose feature test or bug fix, and then eliminated when no longer needed to keep costs low.

    Ephemeral environments offer clear advantages for development teams. They reduce pull request backlogs, a notorious sticking point (and cost driver) for larger teams. They’re isolated, which reduces the risk of bug-inducing branch conflicts. They’re fully automated, which frees up engineers to deal with more important matters. And because they enable more targeted, granular testing, they speed up the development process overall. They also reduce the risk of an unacceptable issue breaching the main code branch. Repairs on the main code branch are much more time-consuming and costly.

    The result is a faster, more efficient workflow that scales with your team in response to demand. For example, Uffizzi’s on-demand ephemeral environment tool helped Spotify add 20% more features to every release of its popular Backstage developer portal platform. Backstage grew rapidly after initial open-sourcing in 2020 and now averages some 400 active pull requests per month. The transition to ephemeral environments slashed average pull request completion times across the platform.

    Ephemeral environments can also help smaller development teams achieve the same economies of scale as larger teams. For example, moving to a continuous deployment model might seem out of reach for small teams under the old “bottlenecked” shared environment framework. Start by streamlining this process and freeing up department resources for longer-term strategic work. Ephemeral environments (and other process automation tools) make such shifts possible.

    It’s no accident that Uffizzi’s out-of-the-box ephemeral environment solution supercharges the continuous integration/delivery process.

    Opportunities abound now, with more to come

    Change is already here for software teams accustomed to the old way of doing things. These four emerging or expanding technologies and tools —

    • Next-generation project management software
    • Expansive and flexible cloud computing services
    • Increasingly intelligent and capable task automation tools
    • Scalable, on-demand ephemeral environments for better testing and QA

    — are making life easier and development faster for devops departments around the world. Their capabilities and use cases will only expand as time goes on.

    These four technologies aren’t the only emerging opportunities for software developers and the companies that employ them, however. Around-the-bend and over-the-horizon capabilities could change the tech industry in even more fundamental ways:

    • AI-driven platforms for developers, like TensorFlow, that promise to dramatically speed up development timeframes and allow teams to do much more with much less
    • Infrastructure as Code (IaC) capabilities that break down silos between devops teams and the rest of an organization and create trusted, reliable code frameworks that ultimately reduce developer and maintainer workloads
    • Low- and no-code application development, which — while possibly overhyped in the short term — could further break down barriers and enable faster, more collaborative action
    • Augmented reality tools and apps, whose potential impact remains speculative but which will likely play an increasingly important role in software and product development over the next decade

    Final Thoughts

    In the coming years, odds are you’ll integrate all four of these capabilities into your devops workflows by then. You’ll most likely take advantage of other emerging technologies and tools in the near future too. These may even include some we don’t yet know about. As the pace of innovation accelerates, staying one step ahead of the competition — and doing right by your firm’s stakeholders, financially and otherwise — means watching closely for new tech that can speed up your development timelines and reduce overall devops costs.

    But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. In many respects, the future is already here, and you have everything you need to streamline your operations today. Now it’s time to execute.

    The post How Emerging Technology is Helping Teams Save on Development Costs appeared first on Due.

    [ad_2]

    Deanna Ritchie

    Source link

  • More Pain on the Way for Stocks | Entrepreneur

    More Pain on the Way for Stocks | Entrepreneur

    [ad_1]

    Do not let this 2 day rally for the stock market (SPY) fool you. Consider it a temporary relief rally with things lining up for the next leg lower. At the heart of that is the negative consequences that ALWAYS comes with Fed rate hikes. This time is no different with banks being exhibit #1. Read on below to discover Steve Reitmeister’s updated market outlook, trading plan and top picks to stay on the right side of market action.

    “When the Fed hits the brakes, someone goes through the windshield”.

    This classic investor saying is a great one to contemplate today. It certainly was true back in 2008 as rates were soaring higher leading to the onset of the financial crisis followed by the Great Recession.

    It was also true in 1999 when Greenspan wanted to wipeout irrational exuberance with a flurry of rate hikes leading to a 3 year bear market.

    And now the Feds most recent hawkish regime has sent rumblings across the banking sector that have led to tremendous market volatility.

    Let’s dig in deeper on this vital topic and what it means for our market outlook and trading plan.

    Market Commentary

    I am going to pass the baton to John Mauldin to start off today’s conversation. That is because he always does a wonderful job explaining complicated situations in the clearest possible landing. You can read his full article here. But I think this top section gives the core of what you need to know:

    “For years I’ve used a sandpile metaphor to describe complex systems like banking. Keep dropping grains of sand long enough and you will eventually trigger an avalanche.

    “Eventually” is the key word. Exactly which grain will do it, you can’t know.

    But before the collapse, the sand grains accumulate to a larger and larger pile. They form “fingers of instability”—small weaknesses where a larger failure could begin. Sooner or later, one will break but no one knows when. Will it cause a small avalanche or “the big one?”

    These unstable fingers seem to be piling up lately. Last October, the UK had a brief bond crisis when some budgetary changes revealed rather questionable pension fund activities. Then the bankruptcy of crypto exchange FTX showed how supposedly “trustless” assets can require a lot of trust.

    In just the last week we’ve seen the second- and third-largest bank failures in US history: Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. Several others look shaky. Authorities responded swiftly (and I think correctly) to stabilize these situations. I see no need to exit 99% of banks, but everyone should definitely pay attention to make sure your bank is not in the 1%. Important things are happening.

    In short, this isn’t 2008. But it’s also not nothing.”

    Read that last line again as that is the crux of the matter. Meaning real damage has already been done and likely more pain on the way.

    Some of that pain will come in the form of additional bank failures as investors and regulators turn over every rock to ensure the system is running smoothly. No doubt they will uncover other bad apples that need to get cored.

    The future pain will also come in other forms as I shared in my weekend article: Bank Problems = Bearish Thumb on the Stock Market Scale.

    Here are key sections from that commentary:

    “Unfortunately enough damage has already been done that even if another banking failure does not emerge that it already puts a thumb on the scale towards recession. Don’t just take my word for it…let’s get some insights from one of the economists over at JP Morgan who recently said:

    “A very rough estimate is that slower loan growth by mid-size banks could subtract a half to a full percentage-point off the level of GDP over the next year or two. We believe this is broadly consistent with our view that tighter monetary policy will push the US into recession later this year.”

    Goldman Sachs had similar sentiments in a note this week:

    “We have seen a tightening of lending standards in the banking system, and my suspicion is that they will tighten further from here and potentially could tighten quite sharply, at least in the near term. On balance, my guess is that banks will take a view that this could result in either a near-term recession or a deeper recession than you would have had without this event.”

    This is probably the best case scenario.

    Now imagine the worst case. That being greater scrutiny by investors and bank regulators which uncovers another handful or more of large banks that need to be taken over or recapitalized. The headline risk on each round of breaking news would be bad devastating for the stock market.

    Beyond that is the increase in fear by the average consumer and business owner that leads to greater caution…which is a fancy way of saying they will spend less. That is the road to recession. And that road was already getting paved by the Fed with a hawkish regime dead set on lowering demand to tame inflation this year.

    I can not say for sure where on this spectrum of banking outcomes we will land. Unfortunately, even the best case for banks still points to likely recession and extension of bear market.”

    In a nutshell, landmines have already been placed out there in the economic landscape. How many will be stepped on, and the total amount of damage, is yet to be determined…but no doubt that damage is much greater than none.

    Now let’s turn the page to the next big event…that being the Fed rate hike announcement on Wednesday 3/22.

    Most investors are pretty well settled on them maintaining the 25 point hike pace of the last couple meetings. So, the real key any change in language given the recent banking issues.

    This is a tight rope walk for sure. Their main goal is to calm nerves. However, it is easy to sway too far in that direction actually making investors fearful.

    Meaning if the Fed seems TOO concerned with the banks…then it will only increase fear that there are more bombs to go off in the financial sector. Selling would be violent on that notion.

    Probably the worst potential outcome would be for them to pause rate hikes for the improved stability of the financial system. Yes, many people would like to see the Fed stopping the rate hikes because inflation is getting under control…but NOT for this reason. This move would be a red flag that would also lead to a massive sell off.

    Note that the market reactions immediately after the Fed statements are confusing to say the least. Often traders jump to shortsighted conclusions leading to dramatic 180 degree reversals in the days that follow as investors really think through the long term ramifications. Meaning, best to think through your next steps and not get caught up in the FOMO.

    There were plenty of reasons to be bearish before the banking concerns came on the scene. But since this group is really the first through the windshield…then it only adds more fuel to the future recessionary fire. That is why I continue to bank on more stock market downside ahead.

    What To Do Next?

    Watch my brand new presentation, REVISED: 2023 Stock Market Outlook

    There I will cover vital issues such as…

    • 5 Warnings Signs the Bear Returns Starting Now!
    • Banking Crisis Concerns Another Nail in the Coffin
    • How Low Will Stocks Go?
    • 7 Timely Trades to Profit on the Way Down
    • Plan to Bottom Fish for Next Bull Market
    • 2 Trades with 100%+ Upside Potential as New Bull Emerges
    • And Much More!

    If these ideas concern you, then please click below to access this vital presentation now:

    REVISED: 2023 Stock Market Outlook >

    Wishing you a world of investment success!

    Steve Reitmeister…but everyone calls me Reity (pronounced “Righty”)
    CEO, StockNews.com and Editor, Reitmeister Total Return

    SPY shares were unchanged in after-hours trading Tuesday. Year-to-date, SPY has gained 4.31%, versus a % rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.

    About the Author: Steve Reitmeister

    Steve is better known to the StockNews audience as “Reity”. Not only is he the CEO of the firm, but he also shares his 40 years of investment experience in the Reitmeister Total Return portfolio. Learn more about Reity’s background, along with links to his most recent articles and stock picks.

    More…

    The post More Pain on the Way for Stocks appeared first on StockNews.com

    [ad_2]

    Steve Reitmeister

    Source link

  • How Facing Rejection Can Turn Into Multi-Generational Wealth | Entrepreneur

    How Facing Rejection Can Turn Into Multi-Generational Wealth | Entrepreneur

    [ad_1]

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Business and life are full of “nos.” And even though you may hear the word “no” a lot, that doesn’t mean you aren’t making progress or that you won’t reach your goals. You can hear hundreds, if not thousands, of “nos” ——and that one single “yes” can change your entire life. The key is being able to weather the storm of “no” — to become the person who receives the “yes.”

    Hubspot says, 60% of customers say “no” four times before saying “yes,” but most 48% of salespeople don’t even make a single follow-up attempt, while another 44% give up after one call. That means 8% of salespeople are making the majority of sales because of their follow-up protocol. This is where grit and tenacity become two of the most important differentiating tools in your arsenal for getting results.

    Related: What Real Entrepreneurs Do When They Hear the Word ‘No’

    Grit and tenacity are just two pieces to the puzzle

    Often you will hear people praise entrepreneurs, business owners and CEOs for their grit and tenacity. Their ability to make it through challenging times, maintain their vision and create organizations that stay aligned with their missions is often summarized as discipline, but there’s something much more important going on.

    There is a particular mindset that you have to wrap your head around in order to get to the “yes.” Instead of viewing “no” as rejection, you need to start viewing “no” as information that’s moving you one step closer to “yes.”

    “Nos” are intel. How you utilize that intel will dictate how you get the “yes.”

    Reframing “no”

    It’s one thing to tell yourself that every “no” is one step closer to “yes.” It’s another to believe it. The way you learn to believe this is by taking in the information the “no” gave you and implementing it into your communication process.

    For example, if you were selling a yacht, and the person you made an offer to said “no” because they didn’t think they would use it enough, you just received pertinent information. You now know that some people will be thinking about how often they will use their yacht. This gives you the power to address that question in each sales conversation first, instead of waiting for that question to pop up as an objection. You can now weave that answer into the conversation, addressing the value of the yacht — regardless of how often it’s used.

    Related: After Hearing “No” Dozens of Times This Entrepreneur Became Orlando’s First $1 Billion Fintech Unicorn

    How to use the data you get from a “no”

    As you take in the information the “no” gave you, you now have the direct data you need to shift your approach. You can now enhance your communication, you can be of greater support, and you now have more leverage because you’re working with more intel. This is vital in getting to the “yes.”

    One way to use the data you get is by framing the mind of the person you’re talking to in regard to the things they’re concerned about, helping them to make the best decision possible. Sometimes that decision is “no.” But all you need is one right “yes.”

    Another way to use the data you get is by showing your prospect what their lived experience could be if they said “yes” instead of talking about the features of the offer. According to a study conducted by Sales Lab Insights, top-performing salespeople talk about the features of what they’re selling 50% less than average and below-average salespeople. This means instead of focusing on the features of what’s being sold, top-performing salespeople are communicating how the person will benefit from saying “yes” based on the information the prospect is giving them directly.

    For example, instead of talking about how many decks are on the yacht, how fast it goes, how far it goes and what materials were used to build it, you’d talk more about how they could use the yacht to celebrate meaningful moments, making memories that last a lifetime. Features tell, visions sell.

    Don’t get lost in the quantity of “no.” Focus on the quality of “no.”

    It can be easy to forget that quality and quantity are different things. Sometimes we can look at the outcome and forget to look at the variables that created the outcome. If you had 15 people considering your offer, but none of them had the money to invest nor the resources to create those funds, then there is no chance they can tell you “yes.” Likewise, if you are speaking to people who do not have the problem you solve or are not interested in what you have to offer, then getting a “yes” is highly unlikely. These variables have nothing to do with you as a person or the offer. Instead, these variables let us know that we’re talking to the wrong people, and we need to shift who we’re speaking to in order to get a “yes.”

    If we didn’t have the data to make those decisions with, we could end up with infinite “nos;” but by utilizing the data we collect from our other conversations, it’s easier to reach the right people, with the right offer, to get the “yes.”

    Related: Why Entrepreneurs Should Welcome the Word ‘No’

    It’s just like dating

    If you’ve ever been on a dating app, it can be a little disheartening to swipe through thousands of people and struggle to get a match or have a meaningful connection. It can leave you feeling vulnerable, rejected, hurt and frustrated — or so my single friends tell me. But the truth is you don’t need a lot of matches; you only need one. So, you’re not going through the app trying to get as many “yeses” as possible. You are trying to get the one right “yes.” It’s the same in business.

    One right “yes” can change the entire trajectory of your life. For example, perhaps you inherited a large art collection worth $20 million dollars, but most of your net worth is not liquid. If you are able to sell that collection to the right person, that can change everything by making the value of that art collection liquid in whatever asset format you desire, whether fiat, digital currencies or another asset type entirely.

    Let the “nos” elevate your identity

    It’s not about the number of times that you hear “no.” It’s about the person you become and the mindset that you develop in the process of getting to the “yes.” The person who is able to move forward and not allow their worth to be dictated by the “no” they receive is the one who will move toward greater success in the quickest manner. This keeps you open to opportunities, maintains your confidence and gives you the power to pivot as you need to. Detaching from perceived projection takes your ego out of the equation and sets you up for smart decision-making and positive relationships.

    By developing and utilizing this skill, you not only create more wins for yourself with greater value, but you can pass down this way of thinking to future generations. That way, not only are you creating multi-generational wealth via the assets you accumulate in your portfolio, but you also are giving an inheritance of mind that will allow others to think in the same way and continue expanding your legacy.

    [ad_2]

    Jarrett Preston

    Source link

  • 3 Big Box Retailer Stocks to Stock up on Right Now | Entrepreneur

    3 Big Box Retailer Stocks to Stock up on Right Now | Entrepreneur

    [ad_1]

    While policymakers continue to debate over the next moves on concerns of strong economic data and the recent bank crisis, the stock market is expected to remain under pressure. Due to the inelastic demand for its goods and strong consumer spending, the big-box retail sector is expected to stay afloat. Therefore, it could be wise to load up on the shares of quality big box retailers Walmart (WMT), Albertsons Companies (ACI), and BJ’s Wholesale (BJ) for steady returns. Read more….

    Recent upbeat economic data showed that a strong labor market and tenacious high inflation amid the failures of two major regional banks have put the Fed in a dilemma concerning its fight against stubborn inflation. Due to the inelastic demand for their products, the big box retailers are well-positioned to witness steady growth despite the prevailing macroeconomic challenges.

    Therefore, investors could consider adding fundamentally sound stocks Walmart Inc. (WMT), Albertsons Companies, Inc. (ACI), and BJ’s Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. (BJ) to their portfolio right now.

    Over the past year, the Fed has made relentless efforts to combat inflation, but it remains well elevated above the 2% target. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 0.4% in February and 6% year-over-year. Given the resilient strength of the jobs market combined with high inflation, the Fed was slated to deliver a rate hike of 50 basis points until the collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank and other key events that followed.

    Given the recent bank failures, analysts expect that the central bank will likely opt for a smaller or no rate hike at the monetary policy meeting this week to restore stability to the financial markets. In addition, Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) rose 5.4% year-over-year in January, showing robust consumer spending.

    Although given the swings in macroeconomic conditions and their effect on consumer behavior seems to be challenging for big-box retailers, they tend to enjoy an inelastic demand as consumers usually do not pull back spending on essentials. Moreover, technological advancements should keep the retail sector buoyed this year as e-commerce continues to gain prominence since the pandemic.

    Given this backdrop, it could be wise to scoop up the shares of fundamentally sound big box retailer stocks WMT, ACI, and BJ that are poised to capitalize on the industry’s tailwinds.

    Walmart Inc. (WMT)

    WMT offers an assortment of merchandise and services at everyday low prices in retail stores and through e-commerce websites. The company operates through three segments: Walmart U.S.; Walmart International; and Sam’s Club.

    On February 28, WMT and Citi collaborated to make the Bridge platform available to the 10,000 small and medium-sized companies (SMBs) that make up WMT’s U.S.-based supplier network. This collaboration should contribute to enhancing Walmart’s U.S. supplier base’s access to capital through a network of over 70 lenders, including 20+ diverse financial institutions.

    On February 21, the company approved an annual cash dividend of $2.28 per share, representing an increase of 2% year-over-year. This marked the company’s 50th consecutive year of dividend increase. WMT’s four-year average dividend yield is 1.67%, and its current dividend of $2.28 translates to a 1.62% yield on prevailing prices. Its dividend payouts have grown at a 1.8% CAGR over the past three years and at a 1.9% CAGR over the past five years.

    WMT’s total revenue increased 7.3% year-over-year to $164.05 billion in the fourth quarter that ended January 31, 2023. Its adjusted operating income grew 6.3% from the year-ago value to $6.37 billion, while its adjusted EPS came in at $1.71, representing an increase of 11.8% year-over-year. In addition, the company’s attributable net income stood at $6.28 billion, up 76.2% year-over-year.

    Street expects WMT’s revenue to increase 5% year-over-year to $147.36 billion for the fiscal first quarter (ending April 30, 2023). Its EPS is expected to increase by 3.7% per annum in the next five years. The company surpassed the revenue estimates in each of the four trailing quarters, which is promising.

    The stock has gained 19.1% over the past nine months to close the last trading session at $140.90.

    WMT’s strong fundamentals are reflected in its POWR Ratings. The stock has an overall rating of A, which equates to a Strong Buy in our proprietary rating system. The POWR Ratings assess stocks by 118 different factors, each with its own weighting.

    Among the 37 stocks in the A-rated Grocery/Big Box Retailers industry, it is ranked #3. WMT is also rated an A in Stability and B in Growth, Sentiment, and Quality. To see additional POWR Ratings for Value and Momentum for WMT, click here.

    Albertsons Companies, Inc. (ACI)

    ACI owns and operates grocery and medicine businesses. The firm sells groceries, general retail, health and beauty care products, pharmacy, fuel, and a variety of other goods and services. It also makes and processes food for retail sale.

    Recently, ACI redesigned its Open Nature brand as the company strives to become the brand of choice for those health-conscious shoppers seeking a balanced lifestyle. Open Nature has launched 12 new plant-based products within its growing portfolio, including non-dairy frozen desserts, dairy-free yogurt, and non-dairy cheese alternatives to support a balanced, plant-forward diet at an accessible price.

    Such new offerings should help drive consumer demand and boost the overall revenues of the company.

    Brandon Brown, SVP of Own Brands at ACI, said, “The expansion of our Open Nature offerings demonstrates an ongoing commitment to support the health and wellbeing of our neighbors and communities.”

    In February, ACI announced the launch of Sincerely Health, a digital health and wellness platform that is now accessible on 16 of its banners’ grocery app and websites, including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Shaw’s, Jewel-Osco, Acme, Tom Thumb and more. This affiliation should give ACI a chance to boost business growth and operations.

    ACI’s net sales and other revenue increased 8.5% year-over-year to $18.15 billion for the third quarter that ended on December 3, 2022. Its gross margin grew 6% from the year-ago value to $5.12 billion. The company’s adjusted net income came in at $505.10 million, representing an increase of 10.5% year-over-year, while its adjusted net income per Class A share rose 10.1% from the prior-year value to $0.87.

    Analysts expect ACI’s revenue to increase 4.5% year-over-year to $18.17 billion for the fiscal fourth quarter (ended February 2023). It has a commendable earnings surprise history, surpassing the consensus revenue estimates in each of the four trailing quarters. ACI’s shares have lost marginally over the past five days to close the last trading day at $19.20.

    ACI’s POWR Ratings reflect its promising outlook. The stock has an overall rating of A, which translates to a Strong Buy in our proprietary rating system.

    It has a B grade in Value, Sentiment, and Quality. It is ranked #6 in the same industry. Click here to see the other ratings of ACI for Growth, Stability, and Momentum.

    BJ’s Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. (BJ)

    BJ is a warehouse club operator that provides perishable, general merchandise, gasoline, coupon books, promotions, and other ancillary services, primarily on the east coast of the United States. The company sells its products through the websites BJs.com, BerkleyJensen.com, and Wellsleyfarms.com, as well as the mobile application.

    On March 14, BJ partnered with Simbe to roll out the company’s business intelligence solution, Tally, to all club locations. More club conditions visibility and deeper business insights would be made possible by integrating Simbe’s AI-powered technology into chain operations, which should increase operational effectiveness.

    Jeff Desroches, Executive Vice President, Chief Operations Officer at BJ’s Wholesale Club, said, “By deploying Tally in all of our club locations, we will gain unprecedented insights which will leverage real-time data, enabling us to continuously improve our operation and ensure that we’re offering the best possible experience to both our team members and members.”

    In the same month, the company announced the addition of five clubs to its growing portfolio across the United States. The expansion includes plans for a new club in Madison, Alabama, expanding BJ’s retail footprint to 20 states, enabling the company to meet the demand of its growing consumer base.

    For the fourth quarter that ended on January 28, 2023, BJ’s total revenue rose 13.1% from the year-ago value to $4.93 billion. Its operating income grew 22.7% from the year-ago value to $192.79 million. The company’s adjusted net income came in at $129.78 million, representing a 24.4% increase year-over-year, while its adjusted EPS stood at $1, up 25% year-over-year. In addition, its adjusted EBITDA increased 18.7% from the prior-year period to $271.33 million.

    The consensus revenue estimate of $5.36 billion for the second quarter (ending July 2023) represents a 5% increase year-over-year. The consensus EPS estimate of $1.06 for the next quarter indicates a marginal improvement from the prior-year period. Moreover, it surpassed the EPS and revenue estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, which is excellent.

    The stock has gained 30.8% over the past nine months to close the last trading session at $75.85.

    BJ’s solid prospects are reflected in its POWR Ratings. The stock has an overall rating of B, which translates to Buy in our proprietary rating system. It also has a B grade for Sentiment. Within the same industry, it is ranked #19 of 37 stocks.

    Click here to see the additional ratings for BJ (Growth, Value, Momentum, Stability, and Quality).

    What To Do Next?

    Get your hands on this special report:

    7 SEVERELY Undervalued Stocks

    The best part of the recent bear market is that there are thriving companies trading at tremendous discounts to fair value.

    This combination of stellar earnings growth and low price provides a great catalyst for investor success.

    And this report focuses on the 7 best of these stocks primed to soar in the weeks ahead. Click below to claim your copy now.

    7 SEVERELY Undervalued Stocks

    WMT shares were trading at $140.01 per share on Tuesday afternoon, down $0.89 (-0.63%). Year-to-date, WMT has declined -0.85%, versus a 3.92% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.

    About the Author: Shweta Kumari

    Shweta’s profound interest in financial research and quantitative analysis led her to pursue a career as an investment analyst. She uses her knowledge to help retail investors make educated investment decisions.

    More…

    The post 3 Big Box Retailer Stocks to Stock up on Right Now appeared first on StockNews.com

    [ad_2]

    Shweta Kumari

    Source link

  • 7 Ways to Save Money on Home Improvement Projects in 2023 | Entrepreneur

    7 Ways to Save Money on Home Improvement Projects in 2023 | Entrepreneur

    [ad_1]

    Homeowners love putting money back into their properties. The only problem is that home improvement projects can take on lives of their own. In no time, you could wind up with lots of bills and only a little of what you actually wanted and needed. That’s why it’s essential to put a little thought behind all those fixer-upper jobs you’ve planned for 2023.

    This isn’t to say that you can’t achieve your “dream home” goals. Just remember to keep yourself in check. As Angi research notes, the average homeowner spent $8,484 on sprucing up in 2022. True, most homeowners spread that money across 3-4 projects. Nevertheless, $8,400+ isn’t exactly peanuts. You’ll want to make sure you spend wisely.

    To help you on your way to home improvement bliss — not bankruptcy — try the following strategies. They’re designed to ensure that your remodeling doesn’t go beyond your means and become a financial burden.

    1. Set and maintain a strict budget.

    Newsflash: Budgets work. “Current You” might not like the idea of setting up a budget, but “Future You” will appreciate the wisdom.

    To start the process, make sure you set aside all the dollars you need for your other annual bills first. Don’t forget to include both your savings and emergency funds. Anything left over is fair game for bettering your home and making it more livable, likable, and perhaps lounge-able.

    Going through all these motions alone or with your spouse, partner, or housemate has several benefits. First, it sets you up to avoid creeping credit card debt. CNBC reporting says most Americans have more than $6,000 on credit cards. Your home improvement shouldn’t add to your debt load.

    Secondly, budgeting forces you to make responsible adult choices. Do you get the super-deluxe, ultra-expensive smart refrigerator or the regular model? Your budget will show you which direction makes the most sense. Ultimately, you’ll feel less stressed because you won’t worry that you broke the bank on your home facelift.

    2. Engage in DIY whenever possible.

    You might not have all the fancy tools and experience as your favorite HGTV stars. No worries. You don’t have to be a genius craftsperson to whip up some DIY magic around your home. As long as you have the time and willingness to learn proper techniques, you can DIY and save a bundle.

    This can include big equipment and appliance installations, like DIY ductless mini splits. HVACDirect.com explains that with new technology, homeowners now are able to purchase DIY-rated mini splits that can heat and cool multiple rooms. That makes them a solid alternative for additions, retrofits for older homes, and converting garages or barns into living or work spaces.

    With average installation costs ranging from $1,500 – $3,500, you’re saving big by doing it yourself. Plus, you can do it on your timetable without having to wait on a pro to schedule you. DIY models are built for installation without any special tools, HVAC experience, or major remodeling. They only require a small 3-inch hole to be cut in outside walls. Once you have an electrician handle the wiring, these mini splits are a complete DIY project and a major time and money saver.

    Of course, mini-splits are far from being the only types of DIY projects on the market. Others can include anything from bathroom remodels to extensive landscaping. Just go slowly. Rushing through a DIY job is a surefire way to make mistakes. Instead, keep a steady pace to ensure a fantastic outcome.

    3. Pick projects known to raise homeowners’ equity.

    When it comes to deciding which home improvement project to focus on in 2023, keep an eye on building equity. The more equity you have in your home, the better. Who knows when you might want to take out a home equity line of credit? The greater your equity, the greater the credit you can access.

    Let’s say you’re trying to choose between upgrading your bathroom or refinishing your oak floors. According to Money.com, the former would net you a 71% home value increase. In contrast, the latter would bring a hefty 147% return on investment. Clearly, the floors would win if you were trying to raise the equity you have in your property.

    This doesn’t mean that you can’t splurge on pet projects. You need to be realistic, though, especially if you plan on moving in the next few years. Unless you’re going to be living in your current home for 10+ years, you’ll be selling it at some point. When you put up that “for sale” sign, you want to get top-dollar bids. The easiest way to position yourself to relocate with more dollars is to be selective with your home improvement decisions.

    4. Tackle what’s been costing you money (before anything else).

    You’ve been envisioning how great it would be to put in a high-tech home entertainment system. While you might enjoy all those toys and cinema-worthy sound, take a step back. Is there anything more pressing that’s eating up your dough every month? If so, that’s what you need to address in 2023 first.

    What type of nagging “stuff” deserves your attention before that home gym complete with a Peloton and fitness mirror? The list is practically inexhaustible: Leaking toilets, energy-inefficient windows and doors, etc. Basically, if something forces you to pay more out-of-pocket every month than you should, it should be a priority.

    As you’ll see, these to-dos won’t be much fun. Nevertheless, you’ll be glad that you put your must-do over your nice-to-do list. Cheapism suggests a family of four could save around $70 yearly just by changing a single showerhead. Nothing is worse than receiving ridiculously high utility bills. Getting an installer to replace your aging windows might not be exciting, but it’s practical.

    You might think that your house is good to go. Before you make that assumption, take a look at it up and down, and inside and outside. Are there places where moisture (and mold) could gather? Is there a drippy faucet in the laundry sink? Is the screen on your patio door tattered and torn? Address these problems immediately. Then, put any of your budgeted money that’s left over into more “impractical” improvements.

    5. Choose solutions with tax benefits.

    Every homeowner would love to save a little during tax season. Unfortunately, most home improvement projects won’t help you with taxes. However, a few of them will give you at least a little break in the form of a rebate or other benefit.

    Case in point: Until 2034, you can take advantage of the Residential Clean Energy Property Credit. This credit offers a 30% credit against a clean energy expenditure. You just need to be a taxpaying homeowner in the United States and make a qualifying purchase. Qualifying clean energy purchases include improvements like the addition of solar panels or geothermal heating systems.

    If you’ve been thinking about moving toward tapping into renewables, this could be your year. Study up before you make any moves, and always work with trustworthy manufacturers and installers. What could be better than living a more sustainable lifestyle while also lowering the amount of taxes you owe? It’s a winning combination if you can make it all work.

    6. Consider choosing upcycled or recycled materials.

    Another way to save mega bucks on home improvements is to pick recycled or upcycled materials. Say you want to redo the flooring in your family room with a hardwood. Many savvy direct-to-consumer startups have begun selling reclaimed wood from old structures such as barns. Reclaimed wood planks help preserve forests and keep usable wood from being discarded. They look amazing and have unique textures, knots, and coloring, too.

    You’d be amazed at the places that sell used cupboards, cabinets, and just about anything you need for a redo. Yes, you’ll need to do a little legwork to find what you’re looking for. But that’s part of the adventure. From bookcases to dining room tables, you can give old objects new purposes.

    Feel free to get creative. To whet your creativity, check out an Architectural Digest piece from 2022. The article displays repurposed furnishings including a dresser-turned-sink and a simple side table with updated hardware. Remember that you can always sell the items you don’t need to someone who’s also interested in upcycling. You’ll get a few dollars back to save or spend.

    7. Put everything on your best credit card.

    As the Points Guy would say, a credit card without points has no point. While you shouldn’t set out to max out your credit, use a points-based card for all your home revitalization spending. This includes anything from the littlest paint can to the biggest appliance.

    By putting everything on one card, you’ll get a ton of points or other rewards. The result will be that you can do something special later, like take a vacation or splurge on dinner. And you might not have to spend a penny on whatever it is you do.

    There’s a secret trick to making this work for you and not against you: Paying off the card right away. Before your statement comes, you should be down to zero on your credit card. Otherwise, you’ll negate all the advantages you’re getting from your credit card strategy.

    Whether you have $100 or $10,000 to put toward beautifying your home-sweet-home, start with a plan. Having a roadmap supported by a realistic budget will give you peace of mind — and a more peaceful living space.

    The post 7 Ways to Save Money on Home Improvement Projects in 2023 appeared first on Due.

    [ad_2]

    Peter Daisyme

    Source link

  • How a Grandma Who Made $35k Earns 7 Figures in Retirement | Entrepreneur

    How a Grandma Who Made $35k Earns 7 Figures in Retirement | Entrepreneur

    [ad_1]

    When 14-year-old Sun Yong Kim-Manzolini was adopted from Korea by an American couple, she didn’t know English or much about the U.S. — only that it was supposed to be a place of “freedom.”

    But she was determined to make her adoptive parents proud. “I had to learn to love somebody — a stranger, basically,” Kim-Manzolini says. “But I was willing to do that because they were willing to take me in as part of the family.”

    Kim-Manzolini did everything her parents told her she should do: studied hard, got good grades, went to college. After graduation, Kim-Manzolini landed her “dream job” as a certified medical assistant, and she fell in love with taking care of patients.

    Related: Making the Move from Medicine to Entrepreneurship

    “I thought to myself, There’s no way I’m going to do this for the rest of my life.”

    Yet despite following the “right” path and working hard in her career, Kim-Manzolini, like so many Americans, found herself “living paycheck to paycheck” and “struggling to pay the bills.”

    “I thought, This is crazy,” she recalls. “Why am I suffering financially? I’m working 40 hours a week. That should be enough, right?“

    Of course, it wasn’t — especially since Kim-Manzolini was raising children as a single mother after leaving an abusive marriage. Her then-husband told her she wouldn’t be able to provide for her family on her own and would end up on welfare.

    “And I thought to myself, He might be right,” Kim-Manzolini says. “But I’m not going to let him [box] me into that. Because I could work as many jobs as I needed to.”

    So Kim-Manzolini did. For years, she spent her evenings and limited days off working different jobs to make ends meet: selling vacuums, running a catering business, cleaning houses. Through it all, she continued working as a medical assistant. But the constant grind wore on her.

    “At one point, I thought to myself, There’s no way I’m going to do this for the rest of my life,” Kim-Manzolini recalls. “I need to change to a different job, do different things that will make me money to the point where I could at least take my kids on a vacation or have a day off and spend my time with my kids on the weekends.”

    What’s more, Kim-Manzolini couldn’t fathom working so hard for so long only to be too old to actually enjoy her retirement; she saw the scenario play out time and again in her line of medical work, where patients retired just to “spend all their money on doctor’s bills, emergency rooms and assisted living.”

    Related: How Much Money Do You Really Need in Retirement?

    “I went over my goal, and I thought, Oh my gosh. I was shocked.”

    Kim-Manzolini knew she needed to find more lucrative sources of income — and she started looking into real estate, considering opportunities as an agent and investor in 2014.

    It was while Kim-Manzolini and her new husband were attending real estate classes that she first learned of options trading. “What are you going to do with all of the money you make in real estate?” People asked her. “Why don’t you look into options trading?”

    Although Kim-Manzolini didn’t know anything about options trading at the time, she was familiar with buying and selling stocks. She worked for a doctor who talked about his portfolio, but Kim-Manzolini had always felt it was “over her head” and that she couldn’t afford to invest on her salary.

    “[Options trading] was intriguing because I didn’t have a lot of money, and it was really, really cheap,” Kim-Manzolini says. She began to research what it would take to get into options trading but was dismayed to discover that it would require a computer. She didn’t own or know how to use one at that point.

    But when she retired one year later, in December 2015, Kim-Manzolini needed a new way to sustain herself — she had no money in her checking or savings accounts, and it was too soon to touch the pension plan, 401k and other retirement accounts she’d built up over the past 33 years.

    I’d decided that I was going to study options trading — not knowing what kind of results I would get.

    So, in January 2016, when her husband returned to work and her son to school, Kim-Manzolini announced that she was getting to work as well.

    “My husband and my son said, ‘Huh, you just retired. What are you going to work for?’,” Kim-Manzolini says. “And I said, ‘I’m going downstairs to my office.’ I’d decided that I was going to study options trading — not knowing what kind of results I would get.”

    Kim-Manzolini taught herself how to use a computer and treated her options trading research “like it was [her] new job,” practicing Monday through Friday when the market was open from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

    By the end of that year, despite periods of “frustration” and “growing pains,” Kim-Manzolini had made roughly $100,000 with her practice account — and she was ready to try the real thing.

    “Of course, I still didn’t have any money,” Kim-Manzolini says. “I couldn’t touch any money, so I took out a home equity loan. Because you have to start somewhere. And I put it into my investment account, started investing and ended up making $178,000. I went over my goal, and I thought, Oh my gosh. I was shocked.”

    Image Credit: Courtesy of Sun Yong Kim-Manzolini

    Related: 50 Inspirational Quotes to Help You Achieve Your Goals

    “If you give up, then you will never find out how successful you could be.”

    Today, Kim-Manzolini, a grandmother of four, makes seven figures trading options.

    And she’s paying it forward by teaching other people, particularly single mothers, how to use her “unique miracle system” to trade options so they can spend less time working and more time on what matters most.

    “I thought, I’m going to teach this to single mothers so they no longer have to work six, seven days a week like [I did],” Kim-Manzolini says. “They no longer have to sacrifice their time; they get to watch their kids grow.”

    But anyone who aspires to financial freedom can learn from Kim-Manzolini.

    “[There are] people working nine to five for the corporate world who are overworked and underpaid,” Kim-Manzolini says. “They want to retire early. They don’t want to work forever — just like me.”

    Related: How to Make More Money in 2023, According to The FI Couple

    Kim-Manzolini credits her success to perseverance and the refusal to give in to fear.

    “[People] tell us some fearful things,” Kim-Manzolini says. “My kids [said], ‘Mom, you are good at medical assisting and love your job. Patients love you. Doctors love you. What are you going to do?’ And I said, ‘I don’t know. But I’m going to do something that I want to do that is not a pleasure. It’s my own time.’ [That requires] self-discipline and overcoming your fears.

    “Because a lot of us will stop when we [first] feel the fear,” Kim-Manzolini continues. “So one of the big takeaways is don’t ever give up — because if you give up, then you will never find out how successful you could be.”

    [ad_2]

    Amanda Breen

    Source link

  • 10 Important Tax Numbers Every Business Owner Should Know to Save | Entrepreneur

    10 Important Tax Numbers Every Business Owner Should Know to Save | Entrepreneur

    [ad_1]

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    I’m a certified public accountant but my firm doesn’t prepare tax returns. However, I’m also a business owner. This means, like my best clients, I pay close attention to my taxes. Why? Because for a business owner, taxes are usually one of our biggest expenses. If you’re running a business, these are 10 federal tax numbers that are very important for all of us in 2023.

    $160,200

    This is the maximum amount of wages that can be taxed for social security (FICA) benefits at 6.2% (the 1.45% Medicare tax has no limit). Any wages paid over this amount are not subject to the FICA tax — employee or employer. This is important because if you raise an employee’s compensation above this amount, they’re receiving an added tax benefit which should be part of your salary considerations this year.

    Related: These Are the Top Tax Filing Mistakes Made by Small Business Owners (and How to Avoid Them)

    $6,500

    This is the amount you can contribute to an individual Roth IRA account. Roth IRAs often get ignored by my clients but they’re a fantastic way to put after-tax money away and watch it grow tax-free with no penalties or additional taxes on withdrawal. Because the stock market is down, I have a number of older clients taking distributions from their 401(k)s, paying the tax on a lower capital gain, and then transitioning those amounts to a Roth where the amounts are never taxed again. Everyone should be putting money into a Roth IRA.

    $7,500

    This is an added “catch-up” contribution that can be made to your 401(k) account if you’re over the age of 50 — which means that more than half of business owners in the U.S. are probably eligible. There’s also a $1,000 catch-up for individual IRAs for people in this age group. Thanks to the recently passed Secure 2.0, the 401(k) catch-up amount is going to rise to as much as $10,000 annually for those between the ages of 60 and 63 starting in 2025 and will then be adjusted for inflation each year.

    $66,000

    That’s the amount that can be contributed to a 401(k) plan this year which includes both employer and employee contributions and does not include any “catch-up” contributions. This amount is limited to your income and discrimination tests (see below).

    $150,000

    That’s the amount of compensation that defines a “highly compensated employee.” This is important because the number of people you have in your 401(k) retirement plan that earns over this amount will figure into your plan’s year-end discrimination testing and that may limit the amount you — and they — can save. The takeaway: The more employees —particularly non-highly compensated employees — that contribute to your 401(k) plan, the more you can contribute.

    Related: 3 Ways to Save Money on Taxes That Most Entrepreneurs Miss

    $0.655

    That’s the IRS-reimbursable mileage rate for 2023 and it changes every year based on the fluctuating costs of operating a vehicle. This is important because you can reimburse your employee for any miles traveled above the commute to your office (for example to a customer) and you’ll get a tax deduction — and the amount won’t be taxable to them. This is potentially a great added benefit to provide for your staff, particularly in these times of high gas costs.

    $300

    This is the amount you can pay your employees each month to reimburse for their commuting expenses. You’ll get a deduction and they won’t be taxed. If an employee drives to work, you can also pay them $300 to reimburse for their parking expenses with the same tax treatment. It’s another benefit to consider and could be a helpful enticement to get your people back into the office more often.

    $1,160,000

    That’s the maximum Section 179 deduction you can take this year for the acquisition of capital assets. This applies to both new and used assets like capital equipment, machinery, furniture and most computer software. There are “bonus” depreciation deductions that your business can take in addition to the Section 179 amounts. You can even finance these purchases and get these deductions — just make sure they’re “in service” by year-end.

    $12,920,000

    That’s the individual federal estate lifetime tax exemption which means that a married couple can leave more than $25 million of their assets upon their deaths tax-free to the beneficiaries. After that, most transfers of assets will be taxed at 40%. This exemption gets reduced to $7,000,000 individually in 2026.

    $17,000

    This is the amount you can gift this year and the recipient won’t be taxed. This is in addition to the lifetime addition above and applies to anyone, not just family members.

    You know what’s coming next, right? It’s the usual caveat where I write that your situation may be unique and you should always consult your tax professional before making any decisions based on the above numbers.

    [ad_2]

    Gene Marks

    Source link

  • Get Your Shopping Done With These 2 Grocery Stocks | Entrepreneur

    Get Your Shopping Done With These 2 Grocery Stocks | Entrepreneur

    [ad_1]

    Following the recent bank failures, the Fed stands at policy crossroads, weighing strong economic data against jittery capital markets. Amid an inflationary environment, grocery stocks tend to fare better than others, given an inelastic demand for their goods. Hence, quality grocery stocks Walmart (WMT) and Costco Wholesale (COST) could be ideal investments for solid gains. Read on….

    The recent banking crisis has complicated the Fed’s fight against stubborn inflation. Amid an inflationary environment, grocery stocks could help hedge your portfolio due to the inelastic demand for their products. Thus, it could be wise to invest in fundamentally strong grocery stocks like Walmart Inc. (WMT) and Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) now.

    Despite the Fed’s aggressive interest rate hikes to fight high inflation, it remains elevated and is much above the 2% target. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 0.4% in February and 6% year-over-year. Recent upbeat economic data releases indicating jobs growth and stubbornly high inflation increase the probability of more interest rate hikes.

    The recent turmoil in the financial system due to the failures of two major regional banks might deter the Fed from its fight against stubborn inflation. Despite higher prices, consumers usually do not pull back on their spending on essentials, including groceries. So, grocery stocks enjoy an inelastic demand and can easily navigate economic turmoil as grocery companies can easily pass on rising raw material costs to consumers.

    Following a rapid surge during the pandemic, the e-grocery market will likely thrive. Grocery retailers continue fine-tuning their e-commerce business models by providing faster pickup and delivery, which should provide a further growth catalyst.

    According to a forecast released by Brick Meets Click and Mercatus, online grocery sales are expected to increase at an 11.7% CAGR over the next five years, with e-commerce’s share of overall grocery spending growing from 11.2% in 2022 to 13.6% in 2027.

    Given an inelastic demand for groceries, fundamentally sound grocery stocks WMT and COST could be worth considering for risk-adjusted returns.

    Walmart Inc. (WMT)

    WMT offers its diverse range of merchandise and services via retail and e-commerce avenues. The company provides a wide variety of products and amenities at economical prices under its Everyday Low Price (EDLP) strategy. It operates through three segments: Walmart U.S.; Walmart International; and Sam’s Club.

    On February 28, 2023, WMT and Citigroup (C) announced their collaboration to offer the Bridge built by Citi platform to WMT’s 10,000 Small and Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs) within their U.S.-based supplier network. This platform is expected to enable WMT’s suppliers to gain better access to the capital they need to expand their operations and achieve their objectives, thus contributing to the company’s growth.

    Furthermore, on February 21, the company approved an annual dividend of $2.28 per share for 2024, representing a 2% increase over the previous fiscal year’s $2.24 per share payout. WMT has a long history of 49 consecutive years of dividend growth.

    Its current annual dividend of $2.28 yields 1.64% on the current price level, with an average yield of 1.67% over the last four years, and dividend payouts have grown at a 1.8% CAGR over the past three years.

    WMT’s total revenues grew 7.3% year-over-year to $164.05 billion in the fiscal 2023 fourth quarter that ended January 31. Its income before income taxes increased 86.2% from the previous year’s quarter to $8.90 billion. Furthermore, the company’s consolidated net income grew 59.9% year-over-year to $5.81 billion, while its adjusted EPS came in at $1.71, up 11.8% year-over-year.

    Analysts expect WMT’s revenue to increase 3.5% year-over-year to $649.63 billion for the next fiscal year (ending January 2025). The company’s EPS for the same year is expected to rise 11.3% from the previous year to $6.79. Moreover, WMT surpassed its consensus EPS estimates in three of four trailing quarters, which is impressive.

    The stock has gained 17.9% over the past nine months to close the last trading session at $139.40.

    WMT’s strong fundamentals are apparent in its POWR Ratings. The stock has an overall rating of A, equating to a Strong Buy in our proprietary rating system. The POWR Ratings are calculated by considering 118 different factors, each weighted to an optimal degree.

    WMT has an A grade for Stability and a B for Value and Quality. It ranks #3 in the A-rated 37-stock Grocery/Big Box Retailers industry.

    In addition to the POWR Ratings I’ve just highlighted, you can see WMT’s ratings for Growth, Sentiment, and Momentum here.

    Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST)

    Global retailer COST operates warehouse clubs in eight different nations. The company offers merchandise in various categories, including groceries, candies, appliances, television and media, auto supplies, and more. It has roughly 838 warehouses worldwide and also maintains self-service gasoline stations.

    On January 19, 2023, COST approved a new stock repurchase program of up to $4 billion. The new program replaces the previous one, under which $1.4 billion had already been repurchased.

    Such buybacks are expected to boost return on assets and return on equity as it reduces the assets on the balance sheet, and there is less outstanding equity. Ultimately, this move could increase the company’s value in the eyes of investors.

    COST’s total revenue increased 6.5% year-over-year to $55.27 billion for the fiscal 2023 second quarter that ended February 12. Its operating income grew 5% year-over-year to $1.90 billion, and its income before income taxes rose 10.1% from the prior year’s period to $1.98 billion.

    In addition, net income and net income per common share attributable to COST stood at $1.46 billion and $3.30, up 12.9% and 13% year-over-year, respectively.

    The consensus revenue estimate of $243.40 billion for the fiscal year ending August 2023 reflects a 7.3% year-over-year improvement. Similarly, the consensus EPS estimate of $14.47 for the current year indicates a 9.1% rise year-over-year. Furthermore, COST surpassed its consensus EPS estimates in three of the trailing four quarters.

    Shares of COST have gained 9% over the past nine months to close the last trading session at $487.05.

    COST’s POWR Ratings reflect its promising outlook. The stock has an overall rating of B, which equates to Buy in our proprietary rating system.

    The stock has a B grade for Stability and Sentiment. Within the same industry, it ranks #24 out of 37 stocks.

    Beyond what we stated above, we also have COST ratings for Value, Growth, Momentum, and Quality. Get all COST ratings here.

    Consider This Before Placing Your Next Trade…

    We are still in the midst of a bear market.

    Yes, some special stocks may go up like the ones discussed in this article. But most will tumble as the bear market claws ever lower this year.

    That is why you need to discover the “REVISED: 2023 Stock Market Outlook” that was just created by 40 year investment veteran Steve Reitmeister. There he explains:

    • 5 Warnings Signs the Bear Returns Starting Now!
    • Banking Crisis Concerns Another Nail in the Coffin
    • How Low Will Stocks Go?
    • 7 Timely Trades to Profit on the Way Down
    • Plan to Bottom Fish For Next Bull Market
    • 2 Trades with 100%+ Upside Potential as New Bull Emerges
    • And Much More!

    You owe it to yourself to watch this timely presentation before placing your next trade.

    REVISED: 2023 Stock Market Outlook > 

    WMT shares were trading at $140.66 per share on Monday afternoon, up $1.26 (+0.90%). Year-to-date, WMT has declined -0.39%, versus a 2.77% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.

    About the Author: Aanchal Sugandh

    Aanchal’s passion for financial markets drives her work as an investment analyst and journalist. She earned her bachelor’s degree in finance and is pursuing the CFA program.

    She is proficient at assessing the long-term prospects of stocks with her fundamental analysis skills. Her goal is to help investors build portfolios with sustainable returns.

    More…

    The post Get Your Shopping Done With These 2 Grocery Stocks appeared first on StockNews.com

    [ad_2]

    Aanchal Sugandh

    Source link

  • 4 Reasons Why Happy Employees Are Good for Your Bottom Line | Entrepreneur

    4 Reasons Why Happy Employees Are Good for Your Bottom Line | Entrepreneur

    [ad_1]

    When running a company, it’s natural to use stock price and profits as metrics for how your business is performing. But if you’re not actively supporting your employees, you are missing out on a large piece of the puzzle. Happy employees not only makes for a more positive workplace environment, but it also benefits a company’s bottom line.

    As a company, you likely prioritize the happiness of your clients and customers. After all, a happy customer can lead to repeat business, as well as new business through word-of-mouth referrals. However, if you don’t consider employee happiness, you could be inadvertently hurting the company’s financial performance. Though it may seem an unlikely budget line item, companies can expect to see several benefits as a result of investing in employee happiness.

    1. Increased productivity

    What business doesn’t want high output from its employees? Assigning a heavy workload and expecting long hours might seem like an obvious way to get it. However, this stern-taskmaster approach can easily backfire and cause employees to physically and/or mentally disengage from their work.

    Though they might be sitting at their desk, stressed and unhappy employees are unlikely to perform at their best. When overworked employees try to cram every last task into their day, it leaves little time to address their own wellness. They may skip meals, work overtime or get lower-quality sleep. This can lead to absenteeism, like when an employee has to take a sick day due to a looming migraine or sheer exhaustion.

    In contrast, when you prioritize employee happiness, productivity follows. A study of U.K. telecom workers by researchers from Oxford University’s Saïd Business School found that employees who were happy at work were 13% more productive than those who weren’t. These call center reps didn’t achieve their increased output by logging more hours. Rather, they made more calls and earned more sales conversions because they were — you guessed it — happy.

    2. More collaboration among co-workers

    It’s a bit of a chicken-and egg question: Do happy workers collaborate more, or does increased collaboration lead to happier employees? The answer is likely both.

    It’s not hard to imagine that employees would be more eager to team up with sunny-minded colleagues than gloomy ones. There’s research evidence to prove it. A WeWork/Ipsos survey of 4,000 workers in the U.S. and Europe found that over half of all respondents who reported themselves happy at work collaborate with five or more co-workers daily. Unsatisfied workers reported notably lower levels of collaboration — and this lack of collaboration costs businesses.

    A landmark study by consulting giant Deloitte found that strong collaboration practices benefit businesses in nearly every dimension. By putting their heads together, employees can solve problems faster, better and more creatively. The time savings resulting from collaboration amounted, in Deloitte’s estimation, to an annual $1,660 per worker and manager, with enhanced work quality contributing another $2,517 per worker and manager each year. Whether employee happiness is cause or effect, the happiness-collaboration symbiosis drives innovation, growth and profitability, offering plenty of reasons to make it a priority.

    3. Stronger client and customer relationships

    A happy employee can boost client relationships in several ways. First of all, the employee working with the client is the one who will leave a lasting impression. If they’re unhappy in the workplace, those feelings may seep into client meetings. Furthermore, an employee who is feeling overworked and stressed may not offer beneficial services to the client, as doing so could add to their workload. Not only do you miss the chance of an upsell, you risk not meeting the client’s expectations and ultimately losing them to a competitor.

    On the flip side, a happy, unstressed employee will aim to make your company look good. They’ll be more available to clients and have the time to develop and foster a relationship, which is crucial to the success of the account. Such positive relationships help build client trust in your business, leading to long-standing partnerships and increased revenue for the company.

    If anything, the relationship between employee happiness and customer satisfaction is even clearer in more consumer-oriented businesses. A Glassdoor study found that every one-star increase in a company’s rating on the platform resulted overall in a 1.3-point rise in customer satisfaction scores — an effect that was even greater in high-touch industry sectors like hospitality and retail. Customer happiness drives increased retention, which in turn yields higher revenues, increased profitability, and brand advocacy. The bottom line is that an investment in employee happiness can produce big dividends whether you run a B2B or B2C business.

    4. Higher retention rates

    As the Great Resignation vividly demonstrated, employees who aren’t happy at work won’t hesitate to leave. And that’s something business owners definitely want to avoid. In Gallup’s conservative estimate, a company will spend anywhere from one-half to two times an employee’s annual salary to replace the departed worker. That’s not petty cash.

    Not only are there the hard costs of advertising the opening, interviewing candidates and training subsequent hires, there’s a significant cost in lowered productivity. It can take a year or more for a new employee to get fully up to speed, and the colleagues who are training them get pulled away from their own work, causing a further hit to productivity. Add in skill loss and damage to the customer experience, and it’s not hard to see why employee turnover is so harmful.

    The corollary is that higher retention rates can benefit your company in numerous ways. As noted, you can expect increased productivity because your employees are already trained and know the company’s offerings and how the business works. Company morale is higher because coworkers aren’t losing the working relationships they’ve developed — or questioning why they should stay when so many others are heading for the door. In short, you’ll save time, money, and headaches by keeping your best employees around long-term.

    How to make your employees happy

    Offer an attractive compensation package

    With relatively few exceptions, the number one reason people take a job is to get paid. Coming in a close second are the benefits that employers provide, chief among them health coverage and a retirement plan.

    As an index of the employee happiness potential of good benefits, consider the following. A 2022 Willis Towers Watson survey found that 81% of employees who were pleased with their benefits would stick with their current employer for another two years or more. Just 51% of the displeased would say the same. To make your employees happy, your compensation package should be “competitive-plus.” Aim for the upper range of the prevailing salary scale, and consider adding additional perks (childcare reimbursements, transit pass discounts, etc.) to the expected health insurance, PTO and retirement benefits trifecta.

    Another way to improve your compensation package is to make the benefits you offer easy to sign up for and use. To streamline plan selection and enrollment, for example, the Benebee app from Hamilton Insurance Agency walks employees through the signup process and provides instant access to virtual insurance cards. That means employees always have the card they need on hand, even if you switch providers. As Hamilton vice president of business development Jason Zuccari notes, when it comes to benefits, you should “make sure that they’re as usable as they are valuable.”

    Make flexibility your watchword

    Remote work was a rising tide that the COVID-19 pandemic turned into a tsunami. Now that millions of employees have gotten a taste of remote work life, many aren’t willing to give it up again. Others are eager to return to the office, perhaps because they crave face-to-face interaction or they want to reclaim their dining room table. Either way, the upshot is this: Your business must offer employees schedule and location flexibility.

    Some employees might prefer a set schedule and the ability to leave work behind when they go home at night. Others may be more productive if they’re working from home a few days per week or even after so-called business hours. This variability argues against in-office or at-home requirements. Instead, give your employees some guidelines and trust them to choose the settings where they will be at their most productive.

    You might even follow the lead of the more than 70 U.K. companies that are experimenting with a four-day workweek. When asked how the pilot program was going, 35 of the 41 survey respondents said their company would “likely” or “very likely” continue the policy past the trial stage. And why not? All but two of the companies had found that productivity had either stayed the same or gotten better. In fact, six of them reported that it had improved significantly.

    Protect their time

    An inexpensive — even cost-saving — way to improve employee productivity and happiness is to eliminate superfluous meetings and check-ins. Unnecessary meetings eat up valuable time and energy across the company. Instead of using recurring meetings to check on the status of a project, use project management software to stay up-to-date in real time instead.

    Some meetings are necessary, but you can undoubtedly make them shorter and more efficient. Invite only those people whose input is necessary to make decisions. Others who simply need to be informed can be updated via email or other channels. Develop and pre-circulate a meeting agenda, and when meeting time arrives, be sure to stick to it.

    Or you might take your cue from companies like Atlassian and Facebook and consider scheduling meetings on certain days of the week. This allows employees to focus solely on their work on the other days. The time saved by eliminating unnecessary meetings can be put toward more productive matters, such as investing in career development opportunities for your employees.

    Employee happiness is an investment worth making

    Although you may need to shell out some money to keep your employees happy, it will be well worth it in the long run. When you show employees that you care about their happiness, you’re building a bond of trust and loyalty. Not only does this lead to a happier and more productive workplace, but it also helps save money by retaining employees and avoiding the costs of hiring someone new.

    The post 4 Reasons Why Happy Employees Are Good for Your Bottom Line appeared first on Due.

    [ad_2]

    Deanna Ritchie

    Source link

  • UBS to purchase Credit Suisse amid fallout from U.S. bank collapses

    UBS to purchase Credit Suisse amid fallout from U.S. bank collapses

    [ad_1]

    The banking giant UBS has agreed to purchase Credit Suisse, a smaller rival, Swiss authorities announced on Sunday. The historic deal comes as major financial institutions continue to grapple with the fallout from the sudden collapse of Silicon Valley Bank earlier this month, and work to stave off a broader crisis.

    “This takeover was made possible with the support of the Swiss federal government, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA and the Swiss National Bank,” the Swiss National Bank said in a statement. “With the takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS, a solution has been found to secure financial stability and protect the Swiss economy in this exceptional situation.”

    At a news conference held Sunday afternoon to discuss the emergency purchase, Karin Keller-Sutter, president of FINMA, said “Switzerland has to take responsibilities beyond its own borders,” and added that the deal was reached in an effort to avoid “irreparable economic turmoil in Switzerland and throughout the world.” Keller-Sutter said the purchase “laid the foundations for greater stability both in Switzerland and internationally.”

    Fears about the stability of the global banking system spread across the U.S. and Europe in the wake of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank’s failures, which happened less than two weeks ago ago and within days of each other. Their closures prompted rare moves by the federal government as well as some of the largest U.S. banks to shore up finances at institutions that became threatened in the turmoil. 

    Credit Suisse received almost $54 billion last week from the Swiss national bank as part of those negotiations, while a consortium of 11 massive U.S. banks, including Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo, agreed to provide $30 billion in funding for First Republic Bank. Those four banks each agreed to contribute $5 billion, while Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley each agreed to give $2.5 billion and BNY Mellon, PNC Bank, State Street, Truist and U.S. Bank each agreed to give $1 billion.

    The pledges of emergency funding on Thursday briefly interrupted what had been ongoing downturns in both banks’ stocks, which resumed the following day. On Friday, Credit Suisse’s share price slipped 7% and ended the day at $2.01.

    Britain Credit Suisse
    A woman walks past the Credit Suisse bank headquarters in London, Thursday, March 16, 2023.

    Frank Augstein / AP


    For Credit Suisse, Switzerland’s second-largest commercial bank, shares dropped 30% on the SIX stock exchange after its largest shareholder said it would not put any more money into the institution. The bank had faced problems before the U.S. banks’ failures gave rise to fear and a lack of confidence among big investors, and it announced its plans to borrow up to 50 billion francs from the national bank on Thursday.

    “This additional liquidity would support Credit Suisse’s core businesses and clients as Credit Suisse takes the necessary steps to create a simpler and more focused bank built around client needs,” said Credit Suisse in a statement at the time. 

    The steep drop-off in its share prices one day earlier marked a record-low for Credit Suisse, after the Saudi National Bank told news outlets that it would not inject additional funds into the institution as it sought to avoid regulations that would become applicable with a stake in the Swiss lender above 10%. That upheaval caused an automatic freeze in trading of shares of Credit Suisse on the Swiss market and significantly impacted shares of other large European banks, with some share prices falling by double-digits.

    Despite the Swiss national bank’s move to shore up finances at Credit Suisse, analysts at Capital Economics said concerns remained about the health of the institution, especially since it has not been profitable in two years. 

    Andrew Kenningham, the chief Europe economist at Capital Economics, said in an investor note on Friday that, while Credit Suisse has a plan to restore business over the course of three years, “it is uncertain whether markets will give it that long.”

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Three Better Ways To Put Profit Probabilities In Your Favor With A POWR Pairs Approach | Entrepreneur

    Three Better Ways To Put Profit Probabilities In Your Favor With A POWR Pairs Approach | Entrepreneur

    [ad_1]

    Managing pairs trade the POWR Options way will likely manage to increase the probability of profit.

    We have discussed in several previous articles the benefits of a pairs trade approach. A pairs trade is simply taking a bullish position on the stock you feel will do better than a similar stock that you take a bearish stance on. Buy Ford/Sell General Motors the classic example if you think Ford will outperform GM.

    Instead of using simple stock to express the viewpoints, it is in many ways better to use options. Why? Limited risk, lower upfront cost along with three somewhat less known, but very important, benefits.

    A quick walk-through our recent trade in the POWR Options portfolio will help shed some light on understanding these “under the radar” trade management benefits we employ.

    The pairs trade we selected was a recently completed bullish call on Cheniere Energy Partners (CQP) and a bearish put on Sunoco (SUN) . Both oil related names so highly correlated stocks-meaning they move up and down together on a regular basis.

    Initial trade February 27 shown below:

    Action To Take

    Buy to open SUN 6/16/2023 $50 put for $4.10 w/.20 discretion

    Each option will cost around $410 per contract.

    Action To Take

    Buy to open CQP 6/16/2023 $50 call for $4.00 w/.20 discretion

    Each option will cost around $400 per contract.

    Reasoning on the trade was this: Cheniere Energy Partners (CQP) was an A-rated (Strong Buy) stock while Sunoco (SUN) was a C-rated (Neutral) stock. Both in the same industry-MLP Oil& Gas.

    You would expect these two stocks to move in a similar fashion given they are both oil related names. Indeed, they did for pretty much all of 2022.

    However, much-lower rated SUN had dramatically out-performed the higher rated CQP in 2023 by over 17%. The graph below shows how these two normally related stocks diverged. The pairs trade was put on with the expectation of CQP subsequently outperforming SUN over the following few weeks and for the spread to narrow. This outperformance would cause the spread to converge, leading to a profit.

    This did occur, but not to a large degree. The spread did converge by about 3.5%, narrowing from 17.7% to 14.15% as both stocks fell sharply.

    Our pairs trade, however, did quite well. Closed out on March 15 as seen below.

    We gained $490 on the SUN puts and lost only $290 on the CQP calls for a net gain of $200 as shown in the table.

    The initial cost on the pairs trade was $810. The net gain of $200 equates to a 24.69% return. Holding period was a little more than two weeks. Plus, we were hedged at trade inception with a bullish call and bearish put on two highly correlated stocks.

    So, while the two stocks that comprised the pairs trade did start to converge as expected, that convergence certainly didn’t account for the majority of the profit.

    Instead, the three things listed below-gamma, time decay management, and implied volatility analysis-are the hidden benefits to the POWR Options Pairs Trade approach.

    Gamma

    Options move in a curved, not linear, fashion. The bigger the favorable move in the underlying stock the more favorably the option moves in comparison. Conversely, the bigger the unfavorable move in the stock the less the options will move against you.

    The initial delta at trade inception will change as the stock price changes. This rate of change in the option delta compared to the stock price is called “gamma”.

    Gamma is an options metric that describes the rate of change in an option’s delta per one-point move in the underlying asset’s price. Delta is how much an option’s premium (price) will change given a one-point move in the underlying asset’s price.

    Buying options puts you long gamma. This means you are more right if you are right in picking direction. It also means you are less wrong when you are wrong on direction. Sounds to good to be true? Well, it kind of is-because time decay is the bad part about buying options.

    Time Decay

    Options are a wasting asset. Each day that passes they lose a little more of their overall value. This notion is called time decay, or theta to use the Greek term. While gamma is the good side of buying options, theta is unquestionably the bad side. POWR Options is acutely aware of time decay. This is why we almost invariably elect to exit the options well before expiration (usually 30 days or so).

    The illustration below shows how option time decay really hits up hard in the final 30 days or so before option expiration. Exiting before then and salvaging time premium, or the remaining value of the option, is crucial to long-term success.

    Certainly exiting the CQP/SUN pairs trade in just a few weeks made time decay less relevant.

    Having options you bought expire worthless, or for zero value, is something that needs to be avoided-at all cost. We have accomplished that so far in POWR Options.

    Implied Volatility

    At POWR Options, we always look very closely at implied volatility (IV) when considering trade possibilities. It is, in our opinion, one of the most crucial elements to option trading.

    Implied volatility is a measure of how much the options market expects the underlying stock to move. Higher IV means bigger moves are expected and lower IV equates to smaller anticipated moves. IV is also in essence the price of the option. Higher IV makes options more expensive. Lower IV cheapens options.

    Since we are always buying options, we focus on purchasing those options that have a comparatively low implied volatility. Low comparative IV means option prices are somewhat cheap-always a good thing.

    The current IV percentile ranks where the implied volatility is right now as compared to IV range over the past year. The lower the percentile the lower the IV is right now. 100% would mean IV is at the highest readings in the past year. 0% would be the lowest. 50% would be about average.

    We look to buy options that are trading well below the 50% level-in other words comparatively cheap options. A look at the options on both SUN and CQP below shows that both were well under the 50% IV percentiles when we bought them on February 27.

    CQP IV

    SUN IV

    You can see below how the implied volatility (IV) jumped from 20.85% when we purchased the SUN puts to over 36% when we closed out the position. Another advantage to buying cheaply priced, or low IV, options. Also shown is how the delta on these bearish puts moved from -65 to -80, the positive effect from gamma.

    The same scenario played out in the CQP calls as well.

    The power of the POWR Ratings plus the expected convergence of related stocks can be a decided edge when constructing pairs trades. Understanding the somewhat hidden benefits of gamma, time decay management, and implied volatility analysis turns the pairs trades into POWR Pairs trades. Put the odds further in your favor with this approach.

    POWR Options

    What To Do Next?

    If you’re looking for the best options trades for today’s market, you should check out our latest presentation How to Trade Options with the POWR Ratings. Here we show you how to consistently find the top options trades, while minimizing risk.

    If that appeals to you, and you want to learn more about this powerful new options strategy, then click below to get access to this timely investment presentation now:

    How to Trade Options with the POWR Ratings

    All the Best!

    Tim Biggam

    Editor, POWR Options Newsletter

    SUN shares closed at $41.60 on Friday, down $-0.32 (-0.76%). Year-to-date, SUN has declined -1.79%, versus a 1.98% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.

    About the Author: Tim Biggam

    Tim spent 13 years as Chief Options Strategist at Man Securities in Chicago, 4 years as Lead Options Strategist at ThinkorSwim and 3 years as a Market Maker for First Options in Chicago. He makes regular appearances on Bloomberg TV and is a weekly contributor to the TD Ameritrade Network “Morning Trade Live”. His overriding passion is to make the complex world of options more understandable and therefore more useful to the everyday trader. Tim is the editor of the POWR Options newsletter. Learn more about Tim’s background, along with links to his most recent articles.

    More…

    The post Three Better Ways To Put Profit Probabilities In Your Favor With A POWR Pairs Approach appeared first on StockNews.com

    [ad_2]

    Tim Biggam

    Source link

  • Top Businesses for Women Entrepreneurs to Start in 2023 | Entrepreneur

    Top Businesses for Women Entrepreneurs to Start in 2023 | Entrepreneur

    [ad_1]

    The number of female entrepreneurs is growing rapidly. In fact, in 2021, 49% of new businesses were started by women, up from 28% in 2019, according to a survey by HR services company Gusto. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2020, 21.4% of all U.S. businesses were owned by women, and those businesses employed 10.9 million employees.

    Those are staggering numbers and represent how women are advancing in an area that has long been dominated by men.

    If you are considering joining the ranks of female entrepreneurs, this article has you covered with some great businesses to start in 2023.

    Criteria for Selecting a Business

    The type of business you start depends on what’s important to you and your goals, but there are a few factors that you might want to take into consideration.

    Market Demand

    You should do some research on the types of businesses you’re interested in to see the size of the market and whether it’s growing or declining. You don’t want to get into a market that’s on its way to being obsolete. You can easily find that kind of information online.

    Low Startup Costs

    Startup costs are often an issue, but there are many types of businesses that you can start for very little, particularly if you’re interested in a home-based business. There are also financing options, such as SBA loans, that can help you get the capital you need to get started.

    Flexibility

    Women are often trying to juggle work and family, so you may want to choose a business that allows you to work flexible hours or to work at home. It will help you to maintain a work-life balance that doesn’t keep you from missing out on personal or family time.

    Top Businesses for 2023

    We’ve identified ten businesses that are great for women entrepreneurs to start in 2023.

    Ecommerce

    Ecommerce was already booming before the pandemic, but now it’s literally exploding! In 2021, global ecommerce sales grew to more than $5.2 trillion – yes trillion. Ecommerce also offers literally thousands of options in terms of what you can sell and where. You can essentially pick any product that interests you and that has a large target market and sell it from your own website or on sites like Amazon or Shopify.

    If you’re crafty, you could even make your own products and sell them on Etsy.

    If you’re going to buy products from a manufacturer to resell, you can even eliminate the need to purchase and hold inventory by finding a manufacturer that offers dropshipping. Dropshipping means that when you get an order from a customer, you then place the order with the manufacturer, and they ship the product directly to your customer.

    You can also run an ecommerce business all from the comfort of your own home!

    Social Media Management

    If you have experience with social media and social media marketing, you could start a social media management business. You’d be managing the social media accounts of businesses by posting and running ads for them. Part of this would be helping the businesses to develop an overall social media strategy based on their industry type and target market.

    Typically, social media management companies charge between $50 and $100, so once you build up your clientele, you’ll be making a fair amount of money. The social media management market was valued at more than $14 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow to over $41 billion by 2026, so you’d also be getting in on the action of a hot market.

    You could run your business fully online, so you’d have potential customers all over the country.

    Freelancing

    If you have a particular skill like writing or graphic design, you could become a freelancer. The number of freelancers is growing rapidly, with more than 70 million people in the U.S. freelancing in 2023. How much you make depends on your particular skill, and could range anywhere from $20 to $100 per hour.

    Many online sites, such as Upwork, have continuous freelance gig postings, and also allow you to post your profile and experience so that people can invite you to apply for their gigs.

    Freelancing gives you much flexibility. You can choose which jobs to take, set your own rates, and work on your own time.

    Online Education

    More and more people are turning to online classes to enhance their skills and knowledge. Revenue from online education is projected to exceed $166 billion in 2023, and continue to grow at nearly 10% per year for the foreseeable future.

    There are several online sites that allow you to post your own course curriculum and charge a fee to students, so if you have a particular area of specialty, you could create your own courses and design them any way that you choose.

    Most of these courses are self-study, so once your curriculum is created and posted, you’ll have to do little but answer questions and give feedback on assignments.

    Consulting

    If you have business or technology experience, you could start a consulting company, helping businesses improve various functions and processes such as management, operations, or cybersecurity. Management consulting in particular is a huge industry, valued at nearly $330 billion in 2023.

    Consulting often requires in-person work, so you’d have to network with local business owners and market locally to find clients. The rate you can charge depends on the type of consulting that you do, but the average rate is $100 per hour and can be even higher, depending on your experience and the complexity of the work that you do.

    Professional Organizing

    Are you that person whose closets look like something out of a magazine? It takes true skill to make that happen, and it’s a skill that many people don’t have, which is where you could come in. You could organize anything from closets to basements to garages, and make $50 an hour or more.

    You can even get a professional organizers certification from the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals to give you more credibility. Doing so could also help you to justify commanding a higher hourly rate.

    App Development

    The ranks of women in technology is growing, which offers a world of opportunity if you have technology experience or want to continue your education. App development is just one of many technology business options that are available.

    You have a few options – you could create your own app to monetize, or you can have a business creating apps for other entrepreneurs who have app ideas but no technology experience.

    The world these days is driven by apps, so you’d be jumping on a fast-moving train, with the mobile app industry projected to grow by more than 13% per year through 2030.

    Digital Marketing

    It’s a digital world, with a growing number of people finding companies and products online, which makes digital marketing big business. Globally, $616 billion was spent on digital advertising in 2022, so clearly digital marketers are in demand.

    Starting a digital marketing agency takes experience in the field, but you should have no trouble finding clients, with most companies doing at least some of their marketing digitally. Digital marketing agencies can command up to $500 per hour, or monthly rates of $10,000 or more.

    A digital marketing agency is also a business that has unlimited potential for growth.

    Laundromat

    Okay, a laundromat doesn’t sound very glamorous, but investing in a laundromat can bring in a significant amount of passive income because you’d rarely have to be there. It’s a $6 billion industry in the U.S. and the average laundromat makes about $500 a day. Not bad for a passive income!

    It will take an investment and could cost anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000 or more to get started, but no experience is required and you could just consider it a side gig while you pursue another business venture.

    Real Estate

    It’s surprisingly easy to become a real estate agent or broker. You can often just take online classes for about six to eight weeks, pass the test in your state, and get your license. You’ll have to spend some time and money to market yourself, but you can make 2% to 7% of the purchase price of each home that you sell.

    Alternatively, you could start a real estate investing company and buy homes either to flip or to rent. Rental properties are another way to make a good passive income, particularly if you hire a management company to take care of your units and deal with tenants for you.

    Follow Your Passion

    While these business ideas are all great, it’s often your best bet to follow your passion and do something that you love. You need to be happy, and the money you’ll make is just a bonus. Some of the best businesses started as hobbies, so if you consider what you really like to do, it may help you come up with an idea.

    In Closing

    Entrepreneurship can be extremely rewarding, particularly for women who want to be in control of their own destinies and not have to answer to anyone. Don’t be afraid to go for it and follow your entrepreneurial dreams. Whatever business you choose, if you do your homework and work hard, you can be successful.

    The post Top Businesses for Women Entrepreneurs to Start in 2023 appeared first on Due.

    [ad_2]

    Carolyn Young

    Source link

  • Banking Turmoil Makes for Turbulent Markets | Entrepreneur

    Banking Turmoil Makes for Turbulent Markets | Entrepreneur

    [ad_1]

    At the end of last week’s issue, I told everyone to buckle up for the boom. I wasn’t expecting one of the global systemically important banks (G-SIBs) to wind up on the chopping block. And Friday is a rare market event that is known for its wild price swings. So buckle up! Let’s get into what this means for the S&P 500 (SPY) in the coming days….

    (Please enjoy this updated version of my weekly commentary originally published March 16th, 2023 in the POWR Stocks Under $10 newsletter).

    Market Commentary

    I’m not going to lie, I’m still a little on edge about everything going on in the stock market (SPY).

    As I just mentioned, another major bank — Credit Suisse (CS), one of the 30 global systemically important banks (G-SIBs) — plunged more than 20% this week after it disclosed in a report that it had identified “material weaknesses” in controls over financial reporting and its biggest backer said it could not provide any more assistance.

    Fortunately, the bank was able to shore up liquidity and restore confidence by borrowing $54 billion from Switzerland’s central bank.

    San Francisco-lender First Republic Bank dropped 62% Monday, and is now the subject of a $30 billion, 11-bank rescue plan.

    There’s been a lot of turmoil surrounding this new “banking crisis.” It has even affected the way I look at stocks. Before this week, I’ve never once looked into which banking institutions a company finances with… but it feels like an important part of the analysis now!

    Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to easily identify where a certain company banks.

    But, for example, it turned out Roku (ROKU) held roughly a quarter of its cash — nearly half-a-billion in uninsured deposits — at Silicon Valley Bank… and Roku is a widely traded company. We’re not just talking about small OTC companies.

    And because everything involved with these bank crises is in flux right now, it’s still not clear what is going to be a big deal and what is not.

    Then, there’s the question of how the Federal Reserve will balance the instability of the banking sector with its fight against inflation.

    This week’s CPI numbers put inflation at 6%, which is still well above the Fed’s chosen 2% target level. For the past year-plus, the Fed has used interest rate hikes as its weapon of choice to curtail inflation.

    But rising rates are the culprit behind SVB’s sudden collapse and the spotlight currently shining on the banking industry.

    As of this weekend, fighting inflation is no longer the Fed’s sole focus… it also needs to consider overall financial stability and lending conditions.

    A pause in rate hikes would be best for helping stabilize banks… but as February’s CPI and PPI reports reminded us this week, inflation is not dying out quickly, which means there’s a compelling case to continue raising rates.

    What to do… what to do…

    Personally, I’m glad not to be in his shoes.

    The next Federal Reserve meeting is scheduled for March 21-22, and that will likely be another big market mover.

    A pause would be good for banks but bad for the fight against inflation.

    A 50-bps hike would be good for the fight against inflation but bad for banks.

    I expect they’ll split the difference and we’ll end up with a 25-bps hike, which wouldn’t do much for inflation and would put banks in an even tighter spot. So, kind of the worst of both worlds.

    Today is also a major day for the markets. It’s “quadruple witching,” which happens when equity futures and option contracts tied to individual stocks and indexes all expire on the same day.

    Some of these contracts expire in the morning, while others expire in the afternoon. It usually happens about four times a year, and it can coincide with wild swings in the market today as traders scramble to cut losses or collect their profits early.

    This quarter, there is about $2.8 trillion in contracts set to expire, so we could have a few very big moves.

    Conclusion

    The market took some bumps this week. Small-cap stocks, which account for many stocks under $10, got particularly roughed up.

    And yet, our trade triggers are going to make sure we exit two of our positions with gains in our pockets. That’s not bad in a tough market condition.

    Plus, keep your eye on your inbox a little bit later this morning for some fresh new names to replace the companies we’re cutting.

    What To Do Next?

    If you’d like to see more top stocks under $10, then you should check out our free special report:

    3 Stocks to DOUBLE This Year

    What gives these stocks the right stuff to become big winners, even in this brutal stock market?

    First, because they are all low priced companies with the most upside potential in today’s volatile markets.

    But even more important, is that they are all top Buy rated stocks according to our coveted POWR Ratings system and they excel in key areas of growth, sentiment and momentum.

    Click below now to see these 3 exciting stocks which could double or more in the year ahead.

    3 Stocks to DOUBLE This Year

    All the Best!

     

     

    Meredith Margrave
    Chief Growth Strategist, StockNews
    Editor, POWR Stocks Under $10 Newsletter

    SPY shares were trading at $389.57 per share on Friday morning, down $6.54 (-1.65%). Year-to-date, SPY has gained 1.87%, versus a % rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.

    About the Author: Meredith Margrave

    Meredith Margrave has been a noted financial expert and market commentator for the past two decades. She is currently the Editor of the POWR Growth and POWR Stocks Under $10 newsletters. Learn more about Meredith’s background, along with links to her most recent articles.

    More…

    The post Banking Turmoil Makes for Turbulent Markets appeared first on StockNews.com

    [ad_2]

    Meredith Margrave

    Source link

  • Bank Problems = Bearish Thumb on Stock Market Scale | Entrepreneur

    Bank Problems = Bearish Thumb on Stock Market Scale | Entrepreneur

    [ad_1]

    If you were not bearish already, then perhaps time to reconsider your stock market (SPY) outlook. As you will discover in today’s commentary, even the best case scenario for the recent banking concerns still likely tips the economy into recession which leads to deepening bear market. Read on below for the full story including a game plan to trade your way to profits on the way down.

    There were plenty of reasons to already be bearish. Most of them were highlighted in my latest presentation, REVISED: 2023 Stock Market Outlook.

    But now you layer on top deepening concerns about a potential banking crisis and it’s becoming a slam dunk for the bears. This explains why we are back below the 200 day moving average for the S&P 500 (SPY) once again poised to head even lower.

    What happens next?

    What is the right trading plan?

    What are the best trades to make now?

    That is what we will focus on in today’s conversation.

    Market Commentary

    I have already been on record as saying that this is clearly not the 2008 financial crisis revisited. Not even close.

    Unfortunately enough damage has already been that even if another banking failure does not emerge that it already puts a thumb on the scale towards recession. Don’t just take my word for it…let’s get some insights from one of the economists over at JP Morgan who recently said:

    “A very rough estimate is that slower loan growth by mid-size banks could subtract a half to a full percentage-point off the level of GDP over the next year or two. We believe this is broadly consistent with our view that tighter monetary policy will push the US into recession later this year.”

    Goldman Sachs had similar sentiments in a note this week:

    “We have seen a tightening of lending standards in the banking system, and my suspicion is that they will tighten further from here and potentially could tighten quite sharply, at least in the near term. On balance, my guess is that banks will take a view that this could result in either a near-term recession or a deeper recession than you would have had without this event.”

    This is probably the best case scenario.

    Now imagine the worst case. That being greater scrutiny by investors and bank regulators which uncovers another handful or more of large banks that need to be taken over or recapitalized. The headline risk on each round of breaking news would be bad devastating for the stock market.

    Beyond that is the increase in fear by the average consumer and business owner that leads to greater caution…which is a fancy way of saying they will spend less. That is the road to recession. And that road was already getting paved by the Fed with a hawkish regime dead set on lowering demand to tame inflation this year.

    I can not say for sure where on this spectrum of banking outcomes we will land. Unfortunately, even the best case for banks still points to likely recession and extension of bear market.

    This explains why the last 9 sessions have been below 4,000. And 6 of the last 7 sessions below the 200 day moving average (red line below).

    Some investors will want to wait for the next Fed announcement on 3/22 before making their next move…but why???

    Remove the banking issues from the equation. They were incredibly clear that inflation is still too high and that they will keep pushing rates to 5%+ and have that in place through at least the end of the year.

    That extended period of hawkishness, plus the lagged effects of Fed policy, is a pretty sure elixir for creating a recession. This explains why stocks were selling off into this announcement BEFORE the banking issues ever emerged.

    Now let’s consider the borderline insane notion that the Fed could pause their rate hikes in March to lessen the pain over recent banking issues. Here is what I said about that in my Tuesday commentary:

    “I actually suspect that investors would take that as a negative. That is because it would be a signal to investors that the Fed is SERIOUSLY worried about the stability of the banking system that they have to deviate so significantly from their hawkish plans.

    Meaning that investors SHOULD NOT consider such a move as a dreamed of “dovish pivot”. Rather this would be the Fed hitting the panic button that the stability of financial system is now more important than fighting inflation (which they have dubbed as Public Enemy #1 for over a year).

    For as funny as it sounds…let’s all pray that the Fed continues to hike rates aggressively at the 3/22 meeting as pressing pause could be much worse for stocks.”

    Any way you slice it I would suggest being bearish into that 3/22 Fed announcement.

    Now let’s move on to economic data which is only darkening in the manufacturing space which is often called the “canary in the coal mine” of the US economy. On Wednesday the NY Empire State Manufacturing Index dropped to -24.6 versus expectations of -7…way off the mark.

    Things did not get better on Thursday as the Philly Fed Manufacturing Index came in at an equally ugly -23.2 about 2X worse than expected. There we find that the forward looking New Orders component is even worse at -28.2 (the lowest reading since the heart of Covid in May 2020).

    For my money the outlook is looking rather bearish. That is sometimes hard to see clearly with all the recent volatility. Which leads one to pull back to take in the big picture.

    That is why I say from a fundamental perspective things continue to tip towards recession which creates bearish environment. Further, the emergence of the banking concerns is only a cherry on top.

    So, the word to the wise is to prepare for further downside action in the weeks ahead.

    What To Do Next?

    Watch my brand new presentation, REVISED: 2023 Stock Market Outlook

    There I will cover vital issues such as…

    • 5 Warnings Signs the Bear Returns Starting Now!
    • Banking Crisis Concerns Another Nail in the Coffin
    • How Low Will Stocks Go?
    • 7 Timely Trades to Profit on the Way Down
    • Plan to Bottom Fish for Next Bull Market
    • 2 Trades with 100%+ Upside Potential as New Bull Emerges
    • And Much More!

    If these ideas concern you, then please click below to access this vital presentation now:

    REVISED: 2023 Stock Market Outlook >

    Wishing you a world of investment success!


    Steve Reitmeister…but everyone calls me Reity (pronounced “Righty”)
    CEO, StockNews.com and Editor, Reitmeister Total Return

    SPY shares rose $0.01 (0.00%) in after-hours trading Friday. Year-to-date, SPY has gained 1.98%, versus a % rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.

    About the Author: Steve Reitmeister

    Steve is better known to the StockNews audience as “Reity”. Not only is he the CEO of the firm, but he also shares his 40 years of investment experience in the Reitmeister Total Return portfolio. Learn more about Reity’s background, along with links to his most recent articles and stock picks.

    More…

    The post Bank Problems = Bearish Thumb on Stock Market Scale appeared first on StockNews.com

    [ad_2]

    Steve Reitmeister

    Source link

  • Make Passive Income in the Stock Market with This Handy App, Now $119.99 | Entrepreneur

    Make Passive Income in the Stock Market with This Handy App, Now $119.99 | Entrepreneur

    [ad_1]

    Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

    Though the stock market is risky, certain stocks can be safer than others. Investing wisely is a great way for busy entrepreneurs to make passive income, but if you’re new to this wild world, it can be a pretty intimidating one to navigate.

    If you’re looking to learn the ins and outs of stock analyzing, Tykr Stock Screener is a helpful tool that can show you the risks of each stock. And right now, a pro plan lifetime subscription is on sale for just $119.99, saving you hundreds of dollars…and potentially helping you earn much more.

    Part stock screener, part education platform, Tykr analyzes the stocks for you so you can make better-informed choices about how you’d like to invest your money. This app makes the stock market fun and accessible, taking the guesswork out of investing. You’ll be able to find great options within 30 seconds, as it supports over 30,000 U.S. and International stocks.

    Learn which stocks are high risk and which are low risk while you also get guidance on the best times to tell, thanks to their open-source calculations. You’ll see if a stock is either On Sale, which means it’s a potential buy, Watch, or Overpriced, which means it’s a potential sell. You’ll see a score attached to stocks — the higher the score, the safer that investment will be.

    With 4.9 stars on Trustpilot and 4.9 stars on AppSumo, users love Tykr Stock Screener. User Michael raved, “I am a relative newcomer to the US Stock market, but the Tykr stock screener has made it very simple to build a portfolio of stocks.”

    Get a pro plan lifetime subscriptio, whichStock Screener for only $119.99 (reg. $900).

    Prices subject to change.

    [ad_2]

    Entrepreneur Store

    Source link

  • Financial Red Flags That Might Be Hurting Your Relationship | Entrepreneur

    Financial Red Flags That Might Be Hurting Your Relationship | Entrepreneur

    [ad_1]

    Talking about money to your partner and spouse is never an easy conversation to have, especially if you’re unsure what they think about it, or if you have limited knowledge of how to work with money.

    Not all of us share the same philosophy about money, how we earn and spend it, or how we invest it. Unfortunately, the friction surrounding the topic of money and finances can lead to greater relationship issues such as so-called financial infidelity, where people hide their purchases from their partners.

    Putting off this conversation can often do more harm than it does good, and research shows that roughly 64% of couples admit to being “financially incompatible” with their partners according to Bread Financial.

    Interestingly enough, the same research survey from Bread Financial found that 45% of coupled adults admit to committing some form of financial infidelity in their relationships.

    Allowing money troubles to interfere with your relationship and love life can have lasting effects on both you and your partner. It’s not always possible to immediately understand how everyone you meet works with money, and before pulling the cart in front of the horse, it’s always best to get a clear judgment before jumping to any conclusions.

    Yet, oftentimes there are financial red flags that start to reveal themselves over time as the relationship progresses. And while you don’t want to feel like you’re telling another person what they can and shouldn’t do with their money, it’s often better to recognize these issues and share an open dialogue with your partner before it transforms into bigger problems.

    Financial Red Flags

    Here is a brief look at some of the financial red flags that might be hurting your relationship without you knowing it.

    Your partner has ongoing financial troubles

    Let’s face it, we all have financial troubles, and often these are carried with us for extended periods, only to be resolved when we seek advice or guidance.

    Although money troubles can look different for everyone, from large amounts of debt to low credit scores, or even overspending, having money troubles are financial problems that can be resolved with the right help or talking to someone who has more knowledge on the subject matter.

    On average, around two-thirds of all Americans use credit cards, with the average person having at least three credit cards according to CreditNinja.

    Jumping from one financial pitfall to the next, without learning from past mistakes can no longer be seen as a coincidence, but rather an active decision to ignore what other people are saying, or find ways to address the issues.

    Unfortunately, having money problems, and not being willing to do something to address these issues, or improve the situation can be an issue that can hurt you and your partner, and potentially others that may be involved.

    A lack of financial prosperity

    There’s no denying that not all of us are on the same life stage in our careers and financial prosperity. Often you’ll meet someone who recently started a new career, or who just got back into the job market after being laid off. Perhaps your spouse decides to go back to school and relies heavily on your income to sustain the household.

    At some other time, there will be a point where you or your partner will reach a point where you can create healthy financial habits such as saving for a specific goal, putting some cash aside for retirement, or looking to travel or even start a business.

    If you notice your partner is at a point in their life and career where they can save and invest their earnings, but lack the financial capability, consider talking about how they can save some of their money for retirement, or even put it into a savings account.

    Be considerate of where they may be in their life, and seek guidance yourself, so that once you have the conversation, you are informed and can deliver actionable practices you both can use.

    They tend to be irresponsible with money

    Overspending isn’t hard these days, and a lot of the time we see ourselves spending more money than what we budgeted for. There are a lot of instances where we might have purchased something on the whim, without giving it much thought, or have used some of our savings to pay for other expenses – these do tend to happen to the majority of us.

    Yet, there comes a point when you will need to address irresponsible spending with your partner, especially if it starts to have an impact on you or the household.

    Ask yourself, does your partner spend their income on luxuries before paying for more important things such as rent, groceries, or utilities? Do they purchase items without thinking about the short-term financial repercussions they can have? Are they prone to run out of money early or during the month? Do they take out loans from you, and forget to pay you back?

    Perhaps you notice them hiding their purchases from you after you’ve confronted them, or lack the ability to tell you about the purchases they have made.

    These and other valuable questions will be a key indicator of how your partner works with their money, and whether they are simply being irresponsible and ignoring their financial responsibilities for their own greater good.

    Ignoring their financial responsibilities

    A lot of us have a financial responsibility of some kind, whether it’s paying off student loan debt, or even making monthly car installment payments. Every month we budget according to our financial needs, and ensure that our cash can last us until we receive our next paycheck.

    In some instances, people tend to neglect their financial responsibilities, often relying on their significant others or partners to pay for their mistakes, or help them pay for things such as rent, utilities, and other important expenses.

    Setting up a budget for your partner, or even for your household can help you see where your money is going and what it’s being spent on. If your partner deliberately ignores these efforts, and rather uses their money on less important purchases, it shows that they are unwilling to financially commit or improve on their actions.

    Bringing up irresponsible financial behavior with your partner or spouse is never easy, and it can be an uncomfortable situation at first, but for the long-term well-being of your relationship, it’s important to voice your concerns and share guidance where possible.

    Your partner is drowning in debt

    Although we all wish to be debt free, a lot of partnered couples, even those that are married carry some form of debt. Research shows that 7 out of 10 Americans get married with some amount of debt, whether it’s a credit card or student loan debt.

    Balancing your debt is not an easy task, and it requires you to be delicate with your income and spending habits. Making sure you don’t miss payments, and that you’re able to pay off your debt is a financial priority for many of us.

    Yes, some of us may have more debt than others, and often we see our partners carrying debt into a relationship, but ignoring the importance of paying it off in time. Being in a debt-riddled relationship or marriage is more common than we may think, and some individuals may disregard their debt responsibilities, hoping their partners will help them repay it.

    Understanding how your partner has accumulated their debt over time, and what they are doing to repay it will give you a clear indication of their financial responsibilities, and money know-how. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case, and often many people will hide their debt from their partners, or take out more debt due to irresponsible spending or money habits.

    Ignores the importance of talking about money

    Another red flag to look out for is whether your partner deliberately ignores having a conversation about money.

    Often they might feel intimidated, even scared or unwilling to share money matters because they might be afraid of the outcomes, but if they’re not open to working through their financial troubles, you might find yourself having to deal with bigger issues down the line.

    The “money talk” is never easy, and it can be an uncomfortable confrontation to have with your partner or spouse. If you’re unsure where they stand with money, then it’s best to ask or question them about it when you feel the time is right to do so.

    If you notice they’re putting off the idea of setting up a budget for your household, or if you’re in a marriage where one person is unwilling to make financial compromises, you might want to address these issues sooner than later.

    Not everyone might be open to discussing their money values, or even their income, so be patient with your partner and see how you can make the conversation less uncomfortable or awkward for them.

    It’s best to think about how short-term solutions can help your relationship in the long term, but also ensure you help you build a financial future with someone else.

    Parting thoughts

    Being with someone committed to someone who is irresponsible with their money, or lacking the willingness to improve their financial situation can have a detrimental effect on your relationship, and your well-being.

    Addressing money matters in a relationship isn’t easy, but the sooner you’re able to get on the same page about how you can make your money work for both of you, the more likely you are to share the same values and philosophy regarding your household finances.

    When confronting your partner or spouse about their finances, ensure that they feel comfortable enough to share their opinions, and ask where you can assist them, if they require guidance. Instead of ignoring these issues, see how you can work together to overcome financial hardships and build a prosperous relationship.

    The post Financial Red Flags That Might Be Hurting Your Relationship appeared first on Due.

    [ad_2]

    Pierre Raymond

    Source link

  • REVISED: 2023 Stock Market Outlook | Entrepreneur

    REVISED: 2023 Stock Market Outlook | Entrepreneur

    [ad_1]

    40 year investment veteran Steve Reitmeister shares his most complete and up to the minute analysis of what lies ahead for investors the rest of 2023. First a return of the nasty bear market with the S&P 500 (SPY) making news lows. Yet just at the darkest hour the new bull market will emerge ushering in tremendous gains to investors who time it right. Steve shares his trading plan along with top 7 picks to profit on the way to bear market bottom. Next he shares a plan to buy the market bottom with 2 top picks set to rally 100%+. Get the full story below.

    The original market outlook I created in December is now outdated. Just too much has changed these past few months.

    Not just the shocking rally to start the new year…but now we have to entertain the notion of what a potential banking crisis means for stock prices.

    This led to me record a brand new presentation this week that you should watch before placing your next trade:

    REVISED: 2023 Stock Market Outlook >

    Not convinced?

    OK, let me pull back the curtain a little wider on the main contents:

    • 5 Warnings Signs the Bear Returns Starting Now!
    • Banking Crisis Concerns Another Nail in the Coffin
    • How Low Will Stocks Go?
    • 7 Timely Trades to Profit on the Way Down
    • Plan to Bottom Fish @ Market Bottom
    • 2 Trades with 100%+ Upside Potential as New Bull Emerges
    • And Much More!

    If these ideas appeal to you, then please click below to access this vital presentation now:

    REVISED: 2023 Stock Market Outlook >

    Wishing you a world of investment success!

    Steve Reitmeister…but everyone calls me Reity (pronounced “Righty”)
    CEO, Stock News Network and Editor, Reitmeister Total Return

    SPY shares . Year-to-date, SPY has gained 3.58%, versus a % rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.

    About the Author: Steve Reitmeister

    Steve is better known to the StockNews audience as “Reity”. Not only is he the CEO of the firm, but he also shares his 40 years of investment experience in the Reitmeister Total Return portfolio. Learn more about Reity’s background, along with links to his most recent articles and stock picks.

    More…

    The post REVISED: 2023 Stock Market Outlook appeared first on StockNews.com

    [ad_2]

    Steve Reitmeister

    Source link

  • Investors Can Safeguard Their Money By Focusing on This Step | Entrepreneur

    Investors Can Safeguard Their Money By Focusing on This Step | Entrepreneur

    [ad_1]

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    When it comes to investing, one of the most important first steps is due diligence. This essential component gives you a chance to look deep into a company and uncover potential surprises that could cost your firm a lot of money and headaches down the line.

    Due diligence is a systematic process that evaluates the risks involved with a particular deal, the details of the deal and the positive or negative impact the deal has on the investment portfolio. You can equate due diligence to doing your homework on a potential investment.

    Related: Here’s What’s Brewing in the Minds of Startup Investors

    Take a pause

    It’s not uncommon for buyers to have a used car inspected before they seal the deal to ensure the car works as described. This extra step keeps them from losing money to a bad investment, just as a home inspection protects lenders underwriting a mortgage. Any investment decision requires some consideration, but the potential losses are much higher when considering investing in a startup.

    There are several elements of due diligence in investment management. Two key components are industry due diligence and legal and corporate due diligence. With industry due diligence, research is performed to understand the industry as a whole. It looks at competitors in the industry, the major players in the market, the advantages the startup holds, consumer trends and more. Legal and corporate due diligence looks at the startup’s details, from the founders to the corporate structure and everything in between.

    The key to due diligence is doing the homework before the deal gets underway. When an investment opportunity comes up, put the brakes on moving forward until due diligence is done. You can avoid making a bad investment when your decision-making is informed by facts.

    Related: Is It Worth It? 5 Ways to Identify a Promising Business Investment

    Follow the process

    Moving systematically through the two primary components of due diligence leaves no stone unturned in learning about a potential investment. The approach is all about gathering information, but each component requires different data.

    Industry due diligence

    The first step in evaluating a startup is understanding the market where the startup operates. There needs to be a demand for the product or service the startup offers. If there are already several players in the market, consider whether or not this startup can fill in a gap or niche. A market already saturated with oversupply from dominant players is a tough one to break into and be profitable in.

    Subject matter experts, consumers and the company management all have a perspective worth listening to. The more information you have available, the more informed you are when making tough decisions. You can further break down your analysis by the following risk categories:

    • Competitor risk
    • Market risk
    • Regulatory risk
    • Technology risk
    • Execution risk

    If the startup you are looking into doesn’t have a well-detailed plan to address and mitigate these risks, you may want to pass on the investment opportunity. These are primary concerns over the company’s long-term viability, which ultimately impacts profitability and your return on investment.

    Related: Want to Invest in a Startup? Here Are 3 Things You Should Know

    Legal and corporate due diligence

    After you confirm consumer demand and market availability for the startup, move on to look at the details of the startup team and its operations. Since your money and sometimes reputation become intertwined with a startup investment, you need to conduct an in-depth investigation into the inner leadership and workings of the company.

    Take a deep look into the financials, confirming their reporting about funds or account holdings. Always verify the reality of their growth or projections using their own financial reports and your independent verification. Some of the information to review and verify includes:

    • Ownership and corporate structure documents, including stock option agreements, shares and certificates of incorporation
    • Documents that include the term sheet, intellectual property ownership, employment agreements, lease or purchase contracts, litigation history and insurance coverage
    • Tax compliance, licenses or permits

    The more thoroughly you conduct your review, the more accurate your view of the investment opportunity is. You can see beyond the immediate attraction of high returns and evaluate long-term financial stability, functional partnerships and chances of profitability.

    Related: Entrepreneurship is Risky. Follow This Less Risky Path For Entrepreneurial Success

    Realize what’s at stake

    Due diligence is your chance to protect yourself from a bad investment. Startup teams are typically eager and overly optimistic. While they believe in their product or service and will stake their livelihoods on it, you have the luxury of being more realistic about their future. Though there is no intentional fraud behind their investment requests, without due diligence, you may find yourself invested in a company that can never meet its forecasted goals because of a poor business structure, saturated market or inexperienced leadership team.

    Due diligence allows you to prioritize investment opportunities with the highest success rates. It also prevents excessive losses as the information guides you to an appropriate investment amount for the situation.

    Accept the responsibility

    Knowledge is power, and due diligence is the way to gain the upper hand when considering a startup investment. Be willing to do the work and pay the price for due diligence because this expense could save you from making a poor investment decision that costs you more down the line.

    [ad_2]

    Cosmin Panait

    Source link

  • Jill Schlesinger on how best to prepare for potential layoffs and protect your finances

    Jill Schlesinger on how best to prepare for potential layoffs and protect your finances

    [ad_1]

    Jill Schlesinger on how best to prepare for potential layoffs and protect your finances – CBS News


    Watch CBS News



    After Meta announced it is laying off an additional 10,000 employees, CBS News business analyst Jill Schlesinger shares how to best prepare for potential layoffs or government furloughs.

    Be the first to know

    Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.


    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Watch Live Today: Keep Your Money Safe During the Bank Failure Panic | Entrepreneur

    Watch Live Today: Keep Your Money Safe During the Bank Failure Panic | Entrepreneur

    [ad_1]

    Finance expert and entrepreneur Gene Marks will join us for a special livestream discussion on the impact of the recent bank failures on your personal and business assets. The event will begin at 2:00 PM EST, streaming live on Entrepreneur’s YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter channels.

    Where can I watch?

    Watch and stream: YouTube, LinkedIn & Twitter

    You can watch on your phone, tablet or computer. Our livestream will be shown in its entirety on YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter

    What time does the livestream start?

    Time: 2:00 PM EST

    The episode kicks off at 2:00 PM EST.

    Why should I watch the livestream?

    Gene Marks is an author, CPA, business owner, and national business columnist for The Hill, The Guardian, Entrepreneur, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and other well-known outlets. He will expertly break down the recent bank failures and what they mean for entrepreneurs. In this informative session, you’ll learn about the steps you can take to protect yourself and your business.

    Watch Now >>

    [ad_2]

    Entrepreneur Staff

    Source link