Category: Stock Market

(Bloomberg Opinion) — Walt Disney Co. and Comcast Corp.’s Universal are going to a lot of trouble to get their U.S. theme parks back open. But when they do, it doesn’t sound like anyone is going to be having much fun. Universal Orlando presented plans for its June 5 reopening to local Florida county officials detailing how the park will try to keep employees and visitors safe from the Covid-19 virus. Its efforts begin right in the parking lot, where the spots will be staggered so that even cars are social distancing from one another (and no valet). From there, anyone entering the park must wear a protective face covering and have their temperature checked by a worker sporting a handheld thermometer. Crowds will be controlled. Even rides will keep every other row clear of passengers.But it’s the wait for the ride that will feel especially strange: The healthy jitters of thinking about the first drop may be replaced by either the unnerving feeling of wearing a mask or the simple annoyance of it. After all, Orlando was 95 degrees Thursday afternoon. (Workers will get more frequent breaks so that they can wash their hands and, if there’s an open area, to take off their mask for a breather. )Universal’s plans — which were approved by the county task force without any pushback — reveal how every portion of the day will be slightly tainted by this new reality. It could make for an almost eerie experience, or at least one very different from the vacation most families probably envisioned when they shelled out $119 a ticket. Some of these measures may not even do much good: As we’ve all learned in recent weeks, not everyone infected with Covid-19 gets a fever, and in fact, many don’t.Eating will be an interesting experience: Universal realizes that you can’t exactly lick a Butterbeer ice cream cone with a mask on, so it’s spacing out tables to allow people to remove their masks while they eat. Good luck to parents getting the masks back on their kids after that and to the workers who must clean those tables. (The menus will at least be disposable.) Meanwhile, other changes aren’t so bad: Universal is encouraging contact-less payments, and there will be lots of hand-sanitizer dispensers. It’s also making use of virtual lines for more of its attractions so that people aren’t physically standing together for long periods, and it’s eliminating single-rider lines so that groups aren’t paired with strangers.In theory, it’s a carefully constructed plan by Universal to make the best of a terrible situation. In practice, it could prove to be a logistical nightmare that’s difficult to enforce. The internet is full of videos of Americans defying mandated face coverings and lashing out at these types of restrictions. John Sprouls, the head of the resort, said so far guests have signaled that they are understanding and accepting of the boundaries. But there’s always one — and in a park of thousands, perhaps more. Sprouls said it would be a “capacity-managed” opening, but didn’t specify how many people would be allowed in. Universal will “stress” its system on June 3 and 4 by opening to select invited guests.It’s unclear how much all these new safety protocols will cost Universal and Disney, which is also working to reopen its Orlando resort after welcoming back guests to its Shanghai park on May 11. The added safety and security expenses combined with intentionally selling fewer tickets will crimp profits for these companies. To what extent remains to be seen. For them, from a financial standpoint, it’s certainly better than having the parks shut down. For visitors, though, a trip that’s supposed to provide a fun escape from reality may instead be a reminder of it. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Tara Lachapelle is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering the business of entertainment and telecommunications, as well as broader deals. She previously wrote an M&A column for Bloomberg News.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinionSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

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Yahoo Finance’s Brian Sozzi, Alexis Christoforous, and Jared Blikre break down Deere & Co. and Foot Locker earnings.

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Economists think the worst damage of the 2020 coronavirus recession has already occurred. But we’re nowhere near the end. President Trump insisted this week that “we are not closing our country” again if the virus resurges. Yahoo Finance’s Rick Newman joins Jen Rogers to discuss and give this week’s Trump-o-meter reading.

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The recent and rapid rally in oil prices appears to have been thwarted by some worrying rumors surrounding China’s economic recovery

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The University of California announced that within the next five years, the SAT and ACT standardized tests would be phased out from its admissions requirements. The Final Round panel discuss the impact this will have on the college admissions process and on the education industry.

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To no one's surprise, cruise liners like Carnival (NYSE:CCL, NYSE:CUK), Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) and Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH) have been especially hurt by the novel coronavirus. At this point, they're all interchangeable. However, Carnival is notable for its now notorious Diamond Princess ship, which became the face of the all-too-familiar quarantining protocol. As a result, CCL stock finds itself down more than 72% year-to-date.Source: Ruth Peterkin / Shutterstock.com However, that kind of loss inevitably invites speculators and those who are rookies to the markets. Sure, CCL stock looks like it's on a discount. While the environment looks awful today, we recognize the need for vacations – especially from such stresses as shelter-in-place orders. Therefore, many are reasoning that Carnival and the broader cruise ship industry will make a recovery.Giving fuel to this narrative is that Carnival announced earlier this month that it plans to resume service on Aug. 1. This is a week after the end of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's no-sail order for the industry. Since early April, CCL stock has been steadily creeping higher as positive sentiment trickles in.InvestorPlace – Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsOf course, the CDC isn't happy about Carnival's intent. The agency is on record stating that traveling aboard cruise liners "exacerbates the global spread of Covid-19." But they might not need to be so vocal. It's the people who decide with their wallet what they want to do and it's not clear they'll return to the open waters. * 7 Excellent Penny Stocks Ready to Roar Recently, the Washington Post noted that 58% of American adults are concerned about going back to work, fearful that they might inadvertently infect their households. Imagine the sentiment for a non-essential function like going on a cruise? Economic Realities Work Against CCL StockFor those that think this industry offers untapped recovery potential, I would reconsider the thesis. Unlike other disasters that we've faced in this country, this is a crisis that has impacted in some significant way every American. Indeed, much of the world has suffered acutely from the pandemic.Therefore, I don't believe in the quick recovery narrative that you would find associated with, for instance, tragic accidents. That airplanes crash or that boats sink is an accepted risk that consumers take, particularly because these incidents are rare.But now, consumers have tuned into a new risk, that of an infectious disease spreading aboard. Actually, the risk isn't new but the concept of governments taking extreme quarantining measures is. That's not something that consumers will easily get over, which clouds the bull case for CCL stock.Beyond that, I also have concerns whether would-be travelers are able to go cruising. Much talk has been made of the latest jobless claims report, where 2.4 million have filed for unemployment benefits. Over a nine-week period, nearly 39 million Americans filed for aid. Click to EnlargeSource: Chart by Josh Enomoto Several media pundits have pointed out a silver lining in the otherwise stark data. Since jobless claims hit a peak around late March/early April, the number of people making claims has declined significantly. However, I don't see that as good news.When the crisis first became serious, virtually all non-essential services (i.e. restaurants, sporting events, movie theaters, etc.) shut down. That left millions of service industry workers out of a job, explaining the massive spike in claims.Now, as states reopen, we should see these early impacted workers get their jobs back. Logically, this suggests that the recent jobless claims are coming from higher-paid occupations. These are the type of folks that would go cruising. Black Eye on the Industry Won't Be IgnoredIf the discussion above wasn't enough to dissuade you from CCL stock, here are two interesting nuggets that I discovered: * Millennials love ESG stocks, or stocks of companies that rank highly for environmental, social and corporate governance principles. So much so that this group has outperformed during this crisis relative to non-ESG names. * Millennials love CCL stock, especially at these deflated prices. That's according to Robinhood, whose investing app is very popular among the younger demographic.This is a glaring contradiction. As of May 14, the U.S. Coast Guard that almost 60,000 cruise liner crew members are stuck at sea in U.S. waters. Of course, this includes many from Carnival's payroll.To be fair, Carnival plants to repatriate tens of thousands of their crew members throughout the world through various means. As well, bureaucratic roadblocks have utterly failed those who have been stranded. It's not accurate to heap all the blame on the cruise ship operators.Nevertheless, it's an ugly black eye for the industry because the buck has to stop somewhere. And terrible tragedies of desperation have occurred among those forcibly quarantined.Therefore, I expect that this news will filter down to the millennials who love CCL stock so much. It's too much of a paradox to see travelers enjoying their vacation while thousands have been sentenced to glitzy, floating prisons.A former senior business analyst for Sony Electronics, Josh Enomoto has helped broker major contracts with Fortune Global 500 companies. Over the past several years, he has delivered unique, critical insights for the investment markets, as well as various other industries including legal, construction management, and healthcare. As of this writing, he did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * Top Stock Picker Reveals His Next 1,000% Winner * America's Richest ZIP Code Holds Shocking Secret * 1 Under-the-Radar 5G Stock to Buy Now * The 1 Stock All Retirees Must Own The post Carnival Is Hitting All the Branches of the Ugly Tree appeared first on InvestorPlace.

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Aurora Cannabis Interim CEO Michael Singer and Reliva CEO Miguel Martin join Yahoo Finance’s Zack Guzman to discuss Aurora’s acquisition of Reliva, and more.

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Now the experts are brave talking Boeing (NYSE:BA) stock up. Yesterday RBC rated it with an "outperform" rating and a $164 price target. Meanwhile, when the true opportunity presented itself during the novel coronavirus crash they were all silent about it. Below $90, BA stock was a blind and emphatic buy. Most of Wall Street missed it. Chasing headlines is rarely a smart thing to do. With that in mind, here are some key things you need to know about Boeing stock moving forward.Source: VDB Photos / Shutterstock.com I did my share of looking at charts during the March Covid-19 crash and wrote about my conclusion then. Boeing stock rallied almost 100% thereafter, so the gift was indeed fantastic. Moreover, the stock took a few more whacks from silly headlines, and those dips were also opportunities to buy. The most recent was a week ago and that entry point is now 30% higher. Clearly, this stock is back to its old ways of buy-the-dip mode. But that is not the same as saying that it is out of the woods completely.The headlines are still coming and from all angles. Boeing stock will fall on bad news from all travel-related stocks. Its clients are airlines and they are still suffering from hiccups in travel and entertainment sectors. Not to mention that the company is still under political pressure over its 737 Max model. But for now, I am a buyer of the dips and eventually this stock is headed to $220 per share maybe in 2020. I know this sounds like a pipe dream, but let's line up a few facts to support it.InvestorPlace – Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips Boeing Stock Fundamentals are Still Rock SolidOn its worst day, the Boeing sales pipeline is beyond reproach. It is one of only two major jet manufacturers on the planet. They are both booked solid for years. The global quarantine did cause a lot of cancellations but that problem for them started last year. The grounding of the Max was a major disruption in the order flow. Covid-19 merely made the problem worse. My thesis is that the authorities will let the 737 Max fly again and that is a headline that will cause a leg higher in BA stock. * 7 Dow Jones Stocks to Buy With Fortress-Like Balance Sheets Fear is at an all-time high over the global business outlook but specifically for travel. The debate over the future of U.S. airlines is hot. Don't take my word for it, you heard it from high profile and controversial statements from billionaire investor Chamath Palihapitiya, and more recently even Boeing CEO David Calhoun suggested the likelihood of a major U.S. Airline folding. Clearly Wall Street is on edge over investing in travel stocks. BA stock sits in the line of fire and suffers in sympathy. If its clients, the airlines, go out of business, Boeing is not going to be selling a lot of planes to them.To be fair it is hard to judge the stock metrics using price-to-earnings ratios. Its top line has been hostage for two years, so I have to assume that the sales pipeline speaks better truth than actual revenue accounting. They can't book the sale without delivery so they need the Max to be free for that. Once that headline hits, I bet the burst higher will be wild and sustainable. Shorts will be carried out on stretchers. Chart Patterns Support a Big Rally for Boeing StockSource: Charts by TradingView I am a strong believer in the technicals because charts don't lie. This is why there is the adage that "price is truth." In this case, the long-term weekly chart suggests a bounce to $225 per share, and the chance to over-shoot by $25.This was an important zone of a giant burst in July 2017 and traders will be eager to trade around it once more. Also there is a big gap left open from the fast collapse on the way down this march. As far-fetched as it seems, I bet that machines will want to go through those zones sooner rather than later.Even if investors don't believe in technicals, the bounces off the lows confirm that the downside is limited. So owning the shares for the potential mega spike has a very favorable risk to reward ratio. There are more nuances on the chart that also support this, like the recent price range. It has been tightening into a point which usually indicates that a big move is imminent. Since they are buying the dips, then the upside breakout is the more likely scenario.The bottom line is that the world has no choice but to stick with Boeing. And the investors also voted with confidence as they lined up to lend the company money. The company raised $25 billion so it now has the cash hoard it needs to come out of this crisis swinging. They could have sold $75 billion that day so there is ample liquidity to support operations. I would not bet against Boeing stock for long.Nicolas Chahine is the managing director of SellSpreads.com. As of this writing, he did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. Join his live chat room for free here. More From InvestorPlace * Top Stock Picker Reveals His Next 1,000% Winner * America's Richest ZIP Code Holds Shocking Secret * 1 Under-the-Radar 5G Stock to Buy Now * The 1 Stock All Retirees Must Own The post How to Land a Great Deal in Boeing Stock While It's Still Cheap appeared first on InvestorPlace.

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[Editor's note: "7 Inexpensive, High-Dividend ETFs to Buy" was previously published in January 2020. It has since been updated to include the most relevant information available.]The universe of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) is awash in low-fee products, and the space is growing as issuers reduce their fees to lure investors.Income-seeking investors do not have to pay up to access high-dividend ETFs. In fact, numerous high-dividend ETFs can be inexpensive, which is an important point for income investors looking to keep more of those dividends and a higher share of their invested capital.InvestorPlace – Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsHigh-dividend ETFs are often embraced by long-term investors and over the long-term, lower fees can mean better outcomes for investors. * 7 Excellent Penny Stocks Ready to Roar Over the past several years, data confirm that when it comes to adding new assets, the best ETFs are usually those with annual fees of 0.20% or less. Plenty of high-dividend ETFs fit into that category, making it a cost-effective method for thrifty investors to access broad baskets of dividend stocks.Here are some high-dividend ETFs, with very low fees, for income-minded investors to consider. iShares Core High Dividend ETF (HDV)Source: Shutterstock Expense Ratio: 0.08%, or $8 annually per $10,000 investmentMany high dividend ETFs weight components by yield, a strategy that has some drawbacks. Those disadvantages include vulnerability to rising interest rates and the potential for exposure to financially challenged companies that may have trouble maintaining and growing dividends.The iShares Core High Dividend ETF (NYSEARCA:HDV) has a dividend yield of 3.53%, which is consistent with the S&P 500 and 10-year Treasuries. However, this high-dividend ETF follows the Morningstar Dividend Yield Focus Index, which screens companies for financial health, giving the fund a quality look.With an annual fee of just 0.08%, HDV is one of the cheaper high dividend ETFs on the market today. That low fee coupled with its sector allocations make HDV ideal for conservative investors.The healthcare, consumer staples, telecom and utilities sectors, four of HDV's top five sector weights, can all be considered defensive groups. SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF (SPYD)Source: Shutterstock Expense Ratio: 0.07%The SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF (NYSEARCA:SPYD) is one of the least expensive dividend ETFs on the market, high dividend or otherwise.The ETF tracks the S&P 500 High Dividend Index, the high-dividend offshoot of the traditional S&P 500.SPYD's yield requirement gives this high-dividend ETF a focused roster, but the 12-month dividend yield of 3.14% makes this high-dividend ETF appealing for income investors relative to standard broad market funds. * 10 Lithium Stocks to Buy Despite the Market's Irrationality SPYD relies heavily on high-income sectors that have shown historical vulnerability to rising interest rates. The real estate and utilities sectors combine for about 30% of this high dividend ETF's weight. Invesco Dow Jones Industrial Average Dividend ETF (DJD)Source: Shutterstock Expense Ratio: 0.07%The Invesco Dow Jones Industrial Average Dividend ETF (NYSEARCA:DJD) is a yield-weighted approach to the venerable Dow Jones Industrial Average. What this high-dividend ETF does is weigh the 30 Dow stocks by their trailing 12-month dividend, not price, as the traditional Dow does.DJD's yield focus makes IBM(NYSE:IBM) the high dividend ETF's largest holding. DJD's largest sector weight is technology, and the fund devotes just 7.8% of its assets to consumer goods.While DJD appears to be a high-dividend ETF, the fund offers significant dividend growth potential because many of the Dow's 30 member firms have payout-increase streaks that can be measured in decades. Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF (SPHQ)Source: Shutterstock Expense Ratio: 0.15%With a distribution rate of just 1.5%, the Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF (NYSEARCA:SPHQ) does not scream "high dividend ETF." SPHQ's underlying index, the S&P 500 Quality Index, does not even emphasize dividends.Rather, that benchmark focuses on firms "that have the highest quality score, which is calculated based on three fundamental measures, return on equity, accruals ratio and financial leverage ratio," according to Invesco.While SPHQ is not explicitly a high -dividend fund, reliable, growing dividends are often a hallmark of companies meeting the standards of the quality factor. * 7 Financial Stocks with Dependable Dividends With a combined weight of nearly 45% to the technology and health care, SPHQ has the feel of a growth ETF, but that means this fund also pairs well with more traditional high-dividend ETFs, such as some of the funds highlighted above. Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM)Source: Shutterstock Expense Ratio: 0.06%Home to $26.8 billion in total net assets, the Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (NYSEARCA:VYM) is one of the largest dividend ETFs of any variety. It is not unreasonable to believe that VYM's name frames the fund as a high-dividend ETF, but a yield of 2.83% is not alarmingly high.More importantly, VYM is not overly dependent on rate-sensitive sectors. This high-dividend ETF features no real estate exposure and the bond-esque telecom and utilities sectors combine for just 14.5% of VYM's weight.Nearly a quarter of the fund's holdings hail from the industrial and healthcare sectors. Financials, a sector that has been a major driver of S&P 500 dividend growth over the past year, is this high dividend ETF's largest sector exposure at 18.5%. JPMorgan U.S. Dividend ETF (JDIV)Source: Shutterstock Expense Ratio: 0.12%The JPMorgan U.S. Dividend ETF (NYSEARCA:JDIV) is one of the youngest funds on this list, having debuted in late 2017, but it fits the bill as a cost-effective, high-dividend ETF.JDIV "utilizes a rules-based approach that adjusts sector weights based on volatility and yield and selects the highest yielding stocks," according to the issuer. * 7 A-Rated Gold Stocks to Buy For Your Portfolio Hedge With a 12-month yield of 3.26%, JDIV has high-dividend ETF credentials. JDIV's annual fee of 0.12% is quite low. Xtrackers MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Equity ETF (HDEF)Source: Shutterstock Expense Ratio: 0.20%The Xtrackers MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Equity ETF (NYSEARCA:HDEF) targets the MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Index, a benchmark that is a high-dividend derivative of the widely followed MSCI EAFE Index.While HDEF is a credible name among international high dividend ETFs, the laggard status of European stocks has hindered HDEF in recent years.On the more positive side of the ledger is ex-U.S. dividend growth and valuation opportunities across developed markets, two traits that speak to long-term opportunity with HDEF.As of this writing, Todd Shriber did not own any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Cheap Stocks to Buy Under $10 * These 10 Stocks to Buy Make the Perfect 'Retirement' Portfolio * 5 Streaming Stocks to Buy for Huge Upside Over the Next Decade The post 7 Inexpensive, High-Dividend ETFs to Buy appeared first on InvestorPlace.

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