Author: Dan Brown
Investors concerned about relatively weak oil prices got a boost Tuesday from comments by Chevron (CVX 2.56%) CEO Mike Wirth. Making rather bullish statements about both the energy business and the broader macroeconomy, the Chevron leader managed to reassure investors about the company’s current state. Investors were bullish on Chevron’s future, as the stock closed up by almost 3%. Waxing positive In an interview with CNBC, Wirth stated emphatically that the economy is not in danger. This, despite widespread fears of a recession being triggered by the current, at times bitter, trade disputes between the U.S. and a clutch of…
An unwelcome change in guidance was the development pushing down Kimberly-Clark’s (KMB -1.96%) share price on Tuesday. The sturdy consumer goods company released quarterly results that weren’t awful, but the market was concerned about that adjustment. In mid-afternoon trading, Kimberly-Clark’s stock was down by almost 3% as a result. Meanwhile, the bellwether S&P 500 index was rising by just under 2%. Declines in all three business segments Kimberly-Clark’s first quarter of 2025 saw the company earn $4.84 billion in net sales, a figure that was down 6% from the same period of 2024. Management attributed the decline to “impacts of…
Shares of 3M (MMM 7.22%) rose by 8% before 11 a.m. on Tuesday as the market digested an impressive first-quarter earnings report. An excellent quarter for 3M Sales came in at the high end of the intra-quarter adjustments to management’s outlook given in March, and margins and profits were significantly higher than the previous outlook. On the earnings call in January, the company told investors to expect first-quarter sales similar to that of the fourth quarter and adjusted earnings per share (EPS) similar to that of the first quarter of 2024. Investors were initially expecting organic sales growth of 2.1%…
GE Aerospace exceeded earnings expectations in Q1 2025, with strong commercial orders and services driving profitability. GE Aerospace (GE 3.76%), a leading player in aviation and aerospace technologies, released its Q1 2025 earnings on April 22, 2025. Adjusted earnings per share (Non-GAAP) were $1.49 for Q1 2025, beating analyst expectations of $1.27 (Non-GAAP). The quarter showcased solid performances across its commercial segments. Overall, GE Aerospace demonstrated robust growth, though challenges in supply chain management persisted.MetricQ1 2025Q1 EstimateQ1 2024Y/Y ChangeEPS (Non-GAAP)$1.49$1.27$0.93+60%Revenue (GAAP)$9.9B$9.05B$9.0B+11%Operating Profit Margin (Non-GAAP)23.8%N/A19.2%+460 bpsFree Cash Flow (Non-GAAP)$1.44BN/A$1.67B-14%Source: Analyst estimates for the quarter provided by FactSet.Business OverviewGE Aerospace is a…
In today’s video, I discuss Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) and other companies reporting earnings this week. To learn more, check out the short video, consider subscribing, and click the special offer link below. *Stock prices used were the after-market prices of April 17, 2025. The video was published on April 20, 2025.Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » Don’t miss this second chance at a potentially lucrative opportunity Ever feel like you missed the boat in buying the most successful stocks? Then you’ll…
Nick and his wife have $100,000 to invest, but they’re worried about the volatility of the current stock market. Should they look into alternative investments such as private equity? Even though Roth IRAs come with tax-free withdrawals in retirement, Josh is worried about his tax bracket going up and neutralizing the benefits. Is he right to be concerned? The retirement portion of Cindy’s financial three-legged stool is set, and she’s now focused on her taxable brokerage. What investment strategy will allow her to be work optional in 10 years? Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these questions in…
Image source: The Motley Fool. DATEMonday, Apr 21, 2025CALL PARTICIPANTSRob Berkley: Chief Executive OfficerBill Berkley: Executive ChairmanRich Baio: Principal Financial OfficerNeed a quote from one of our analysts? Email [email protected]Net Income: $418 million or $1.04 per share, with 19.9% annualized return on beginning of year equity for Q1 2025.Combined Ratio: 90.9% for 2025, and 87.2% for the current accident year excluding catastrophe losses.Catastrophe Losses: $111 million, primarily from California wildfires, which added 3.7 loss ratio points in Q1 2025.Net Premiums Written: Grew 9.9% year over year, to over $3.1 billion in Q1 2025, with the insurance segment up 10.2% and…
If the choppiness in the markets has you concerned, there’s one thing you can focus on that will help calm any uneasiness: the long term. By shifting your focus from what will happen during the next few weeks to what will happen over the next few years, you can ignore the short-term noise driving the markets. At the end of the day, you need to ask yourself: “Will this matter in three to five years?” While the knee-jerk reaction may be, “yes,” think about what was going on five years ago: COVID-19. Many people were convinced that we would never…
It’s easy to be down on Bitcoin (BTC 1.28%) these days. After all, it has fallen more than 20% from an all-time high of $109,000 back in January. And due to ongoing tariff uncertainty, it’s failed to live up to the spectacular hype that surrounded it earlier in the year. Yet this might turn out to be the last chance you’ll ever get to buy Bitcoin for less than $100,000. There are two fundamental changes taking place right now in the global financial markets, and Bitcoin is core to both of them. Bitcoin as digital gold The first major change…
Nvidia (NVDA -4.36%) has been one of the early beneficiaries of the artificial intelligence (AI) megatrend. The company’s semiconductors provide the computing power AI needs to thrive. That’s driven up Nvidia’s profit and its valuation. While Nvidia’s stock has fallen more than 30% from its recent peak over concerns about Deepseek and tariffs, it’s still expensive at nearly 35 times earnings. That’s much higher than the S&P 500, which trades at about 21 times earnings. The good news for more value-conscious investors is that there are much cheaper ways to invest in the AI megatrend. Dominion (D -1.98%), NextEra Energy…