• SpaceX Capsule Departs Space Station Carrying Astronauts Back Home

    SpaceX Capsule Departs Space Station Carrying Astronauts Back HomeThe SpaceX Dragon capsule is bringing two NASA astronauts back to Earth after Elon Musk’s company made the first commercial trip to orbit. Photo: Associated Press

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  • 3 Warren Buffett Stocks to Hold for the Next 10 Years

    3 Warren Buffett Stocks to Hold for the Next 10 YearsSince the late 1950s, legendary investor Warren Buffett and his long-time partner Charlie Munger have transformed Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.A, NYSE:BRK.B) from a struggling textile manufacturer to a holding company with a market capitalization greater than $470 billion. Today, I'll discuss three Warren Buffett stocks to hold for the next 10 years.Buffett firmly believes that stocks outperform all other asset classes over time. However, he's not one to buy shares in a company at any price. Indeed, the Oracle of Omaha is regarded as the king of value investing.Earlier in the year, Buffett released his annual shareholder letter. Although Buffett is bullish on stocks long term, he said "that rosy prediction comes with a warning: Anything can happen to stock prices tomorrow." And within days of his warning in February, markets globally did indeed crash.InvestorPlace – Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsTo him, if you're not thinking of owning the stock you've just bought for at least a decade, don't even think of owning it for a day. Therefore, falling prices don't make him nervous because he has seen equity markets recover time after time. Instead, he patiently waits.One of my favorite Warren Buffett quotes is "opportunities come infrequently. When it rains gold, put out the bucket, not the thimble." In other words, he'd recommend retail investors to buy stocks as prices decline. * 7 Dividend Stocks to Buy for Beginners to Income InvestingBuffett invests for the long haul and he has generated massive wealth over the last few decades. BRK.A stock currently has the most expensive share price of any company in history. In 1964, each Class A share was just shy of $20. Now each Class A share costs upwards of $290,000 (no, that's not a misprint). Buffett has been making, on average, 20% a year.Buffett's preferred investments are: * Large-cap stocks * Financials, including banks and insurance companies * Consumer brands * Stocks that pay dividendsBerkshire Hathaway's regular 13F filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) show his holdings. With that in mind, here are three Warren Buffett stocks to hold for the next 10 years: * Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) * American Express (NYSE:AXP) * Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Warren Buffett Stocks: Apple (AAPL)Source: View Apart / Shutterstock.com Apple shares comprise around 20% of Warren Buffett's portfolio with Berkshire Hathaway. Regular InvestorPlace.com readers will be familiar with the fact that Buffett loves consumer stocks. And he regards Apple as a compelling consumer business thanks to its popularity worldwide.In a recent interview Buffett said, "I do not focus on the sales in the next quarter or the next year. I focus on the … hundreds, hundreds, hundreds millions of people who practically live their lives by [iPhone] … It's probably the best business I know in the world."Two years ago, Apple became the first U.S.-based company to hit a $1 trillion valuation. Currently the market-cap is about $1.6 trillion. With such a market-cap, it would be safe to assume that Apple shares are unlikely to be held down by the market for too long, even in uncertain times brought on by novel coronavirus. Wall Street and Buffett regard large-cap companies as good, stable long-term investments.In fact, so far in the year, Apple shares are up around to 33%. But that metric tells only half the story. On March 23, AAPL stock hit a recent low of $212.51. Now it's hovering around $405.Apple announced on Thursday, in its fiscal third-quarter earnings report, a four-for-one stock split to occur in August.The Cupertino, California-based tech giant committed to be carbon-neutral by 2030. The commitment extends to its supply chain, too. As a result every device it sells will have net zero climate impact before the end of the decade.The company also has long-term catalysts, including the opportunities yet to be offered by the upcoming 5G iPhone. Thus, long-term investors may regard any dip in AAPL shares as a good opportunity to buy into the business. American Express (AXP)Source: Shutterstock American Express is one of the largest global payment networks.Buffett has been a shareholder since 1964. According to the second-quarter earnings release of July 28, the company's net income came at $257 million, or 29 cents per share, compared with net income of $1.8 billion, or $2.07 per share, a year ago.Analysts are debating the economic effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on global economies and the spending habits of consumers. If our economy does not show the V-shaped recovery many have been hoping for, then businesses like American Express are likely to be adversely affected further.One important point to highlight is that the company's core consumers form an affluent client base relative to the customers of competitors. Thus American Express – a trusted brand – may be less affected from a potential economic slowdown. Year-to-date, AXP stock down around 24%. * 7 Dividend Stocks to Buy for Beginners to Income InvestingLong-term investors who would like to follow Warren Buffett stocks may consider buying AXP on the dips. Costco Wholesale (COST)Source: Helen89 / Shutterstock.com Costco Wholesale is the second-largest global retailer by revenue,.COST stock has rewarded its shareholders well so far in 2020. The share price is up about 11%. In comparison, the S&P 500 index is about down 1%.Costco operates in the warehouse (or wholesale) club space within the retail industry. This segment usually performs well regardless of macroeconomic conditions, thanks to the low cost and high-value products. Costco's main competitor is Walmart (NYSE:WMT) and both companies are thriving in recent years. The group runs on a "subscription business model," where customers pay an annual membership fee to have access to its bargain-priced bulk goods. In 2019, Costco collected around $3.35 billion in membership fee revenue, which is almost entirely profit. The membership service has a renewal rate of over 90% in the U.S. as the group scores high on customer satisfaction surveys. By using a membership-only system, Costco is able to book nearly all of its profits one year in advance. Thus the annual membership model contributes to its operating income and gives Costco stock immense earnings stability.Coupled with strong customer loyalty, the retail giant has pricing power, too. And as a result both the top and the bottom lines register year-over-year increases. Over the past quarters, the Street has also been applauding Costco's cost structure, one of the lowest in the retail industry.Although I believe COST stock is likely to go higher in the long run, there will be profit-taking around the corner. Therefore those investors who may want to recession-proof their portfolio could regard any dip in the stock price as a viable opportunity to buy into the shares.Tezcan Gecgil has worked in investment management for over two decades in the U.S. and U.K. In addition to formal higher education in the field, including a Ph.D. degree, she has also completed all 3 levels of the Chartered Market Technician (CMT) examination. Her passion is for options trading based on technical analysis of fundamentally strong companies. She especially enjoys setting up weekly covered calls for income generation. As of this writing, Tezcan Gecgil did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * Why Everyone Is Investing in 5G All WRONG * America's 1 Stock Picker Reveals His Next 1,000% Winner * Revolutionary Tech Behind 5G Rollout Is Being Pioneered By This 1 Company * Radical New Battery Could Dismantle Oil Markets The post 3 Warren Buffett Stocks to Hold for the Next 10 Years appeared first on InvestorPlace.

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  • Why Jeff Bezos will not split Amazon stock: Analyst

    Why Jeff Bezos will not split Amazon stock: AnalystAmazon saw sales surge in the second quarter as the pandemic fueled online shopping. Loop Capital Markets Analyst Anthony Chukumba joins the On the Move panel to discuss.

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  • 3 Reasons Why You Should Dock Carnival Stock for Now

    3 Reasons Why You Should Dock Carnival Stock for NowOver the past few months, I've supported the comeback narrative of Carnival (NYSE:CCL) and the cruise ship industry. At some point, CCL stock will make for a tremendous discounted opportunity. At the same time, you must look at reality. That means you should wait out the storm before pulling the trigger on Carnival.Source: Ruth Peterkin / Shutterstock.com For all the talk about a recovery in this sector, it's becoming clear that it mostly hinges on a factor we can't control: the spread of the novel coronavirus.As recent events have proven, this pandemic, while it's still brewing, is incredibly unpredictable. Yes, at some point, this crisis will fade away — they all do. But for CCL stock, its dependency on that fading — or a vaccine — makes the present situation treacherous.InvestorPlace – Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsIndeed, the crisis reached a magnitude that it caused President Trump to change his tone to a more somber one. It's not just voters that need to pay attention to this but investors. Cases and hospitalizations are rising, resulting in higher incidences of people ultimately succumbing to Covid-19. It's not a great time to go vacationing on the high seas and thus, not the best time to buy Carnival's stock.Like I said, patience is the key here. For the time being, here are three reasons to avoid jumping aboard CCL. CCL Stock Is Stymied by "Pointless" TravelUnlike airliners such as JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ:JBLU), cruise ships don't have the luxury of multiple demand channels. For instance, with JetBlue, the company can pull demand from personal travel, travel involving necessities (i.e., weddings, graduations, etc.), and business trips (especially when that segment comes back in full force). * 7 Dividend Stocks to Buy for Beginners to Income Investing In other words, JetBlue can capitalize on wants, needs and business. This is one of the reasons why I'm bullish on JBLU stock. However, with CCL stock, you're mostly limiting yourself to wants: no one needs to go on a cruise ship and I don't think sea travel is the next business revolution.Again, those wants will come back at some point. But until they do, the stock risks volatility.This also brings up the issue of a diminished vacation experience. Even assuming a generous discount on paper, why pay for a mitigated vacation? Call me crazy but I think the point about a vacation is to get away from the stress, not to be at a potential epicenter for it. Competitors Can Steal Market Share from CarnivalAnother headwind impacting Carnival stock is the rise of competitors. In this case, I'm not talking about industry rivals like Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) or Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH). Instead, I'm referring to companies from other vacation platforms, particularly recreational vehicles.Initially, the rise of RVs doesn't appear intuitive. With a pandemic swirling and people fearing an economic crisis, going for a road trip doesn't seem appealing. However, the need for vacationing and recharging the batteries has also never been stronger.Plus, think of the advantages of RVs and camping. At any point, you can socially distance yourself from others. In the outdoors, you should be much better protected than in close, cramped quarters with potentially asymptomatic people.Fortuitously, the Covid-19 crisis may help lift the RV industry toward another leg higher. With reduced traffic and fewer crowded areas, there has never been a better time to experience the outdoors. That's great news for RV-based investments, but not so much for CCL stock in the interim. What Happens If Things Go Awry?If you could tie one event to the early devastation that Carnival stock experienced, it would be the Diamond Princess disaster. Floating off the coast of Japan while passengers quarantined under extreme anxiety, what was supposed to be a vacation of a lifetime turned into a nightmare.Following this devastating incident, several other cruise ships encountered a similar fate. Overall, it took a very long time for cruise ship passengers and employees to be repatriated. Some never returned home alive.I don't mention these things to be an alarmist. Rather, you know that if you're thinking about it, so are prospective vacationers. With a pandemic still raging, it's also not an unreasonable concern.Further, it doesn't take a genius to realize that people don't want to be stuck in a port away from home, let alone in a foreign country. We already have enough headaches as it is. There's no reason to add more. Thus, would-be passengers will likely stay put and that means CCL stock isn't a great buy right now.Matthew McCall left Wall Street to actually help investors — by getting them into the world's biggest, most revolutionary trends BEFORE anyone else. Click here to see what Matt has up his sleeve now. As of this writing, Matt did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.  More From InvestorPlace * Why Everyone Is Investing in 5G All WRONG * America's 1 Stock Picker Reveals His Next 1,000% Winner * Revolutionary Tech Behind 5G Rollout Is Being Pioneered By This 1 Company * Radical New Battery Could Dismantle Oil Markets The post 3 Reasons Why You Should Dock Carnival Stock for Now appeared first on InvestorPlace.

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  • Buy these ASX dividend shares before the RBA meeting

    Reserve bank of Australia

    Next week the Reserve Bank will meet again to discuss the cash rate.

    Although I feel a cut to zero is a possibility given recent economic data and projections, I feel it is unlikely at this meeting.

    This is a small win for income investors who look likely to have to battle with low interest rates for possibly a few more years.

    But don’t worry if you’re an income investor, because the ASX dividend shares listed below can help you beat low rates:

    Dicker Data Ltd (ASX: DDR)

    Dicker Data is a bit of an unsung hero of the Australian share market. The wholesale distributor of computer hardware and software has quietly been growing its earnings and dividends at a consistently solid rate for many years. This has been driven by its increasing number of vendor relationships, strong market position, and robust demand for information technology products.

    As a result, its shares have rewarded shareholders with some very strong returns over the last five years. Since this time in 2015, Dicker Data shares have generated an average total return of 32.2% per annum. While I suspect the returns may moderate over the next five years, I’m confident that it will still be a market beater. Especially given its generous dividend yield. In FY 2020 Dicker Data intends to lift its fully franked dividend by 31% to 35.5 cents per share. Based on the current Dicker Data share price, this represents an attractive 4.7% dividend yield.

    Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS)

    The last five years have been very different for Telstra and its shareholders. The disruption to its fixed line business by the NBN has led to its shares losing shareholders an average of 6.7% per annum since this time in 2015. The good news is that I believe the worst is now over for the telco giant and expect the next five years to be materially better.

    This is thanks to its T22 strategy, rational competition, and the easing of the NBN headwind. In respect to the latter, peak pain from the rollout is on the horizon and should make a return to growth possible in the not so distant future. For now, I believe its 16 cents per share dividend is sustainable from its current cash flows. Based on the latest Telstra share price, this means it offers investors a fully franked 4.7% dividend yield.

    Legendary stock picker names 5 cheap stocks to buy right now

    Motley Fool resident tech stock expert Dr. Anirban Mahanti has stumbled upon five stocks he believes could be some of the greatest discoveries of his investing career.

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    See these 5 cheap stocks

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Dicker Data Limited and Telstra Limited. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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  • Here’s Why We’re Wary Of Buying Wells Fargo’s (NYSE:WFC) For Its Upcoming Dividend

    Here's Why We're Wary Of Buying Wells Fargo's (NYSE:WFC) For Its Upcoming DividendWells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 4 days. Ex-dividend means that investors…

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  • Is Luckin Stock Finally a Buy?

    Is Luckin Stock Finally a Buy?When it comes to Luckin Coffee (OTCMKTS:LKNCY), it's not all about pointing fingers, bad actors, or failed price charts and the like. Luckin stock is an important wake-up call. In a market made up of stocks, it's always smart to hedge those sure things or the next, next big thing, to avoid the possibility of an ever-present painful burn. Let me explain.Source: Ploy Makkason / Shutterstock.com For more than a few growth stock investors, Luckin Coffee was supposed to be the next Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX). Shares of the China-based upstart certainly looked ready to make good on that promise for a short while.Luckin had massive growth. The company smartly utilized today's mobile technology and brick-and-mortar locations to their benefit to win customers. The icing on the cake? Shares were relatively new to the market. Luckin only went public in 2019. And often, most growth stories of Luckin's caliber see their largest stock gains during those first few years.InvestorPlace – Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsSo, what could possibly go wrong for investors looking to get in near the ground floor of LKNCY and cash in? It turned out, a whole lot. Lessons LearnedNot exactly a secret, accounting shenanigans concocted by Luckin's top brass and uncovered during the height of the coronavirus dosed Luckin's well-brewed narrative. Shares rightfully plummeted. It's not even worth repeating the fallout or the ongoing fabrication which has been done ad nauseam and continues to this day. * 7 Dividend Stocks to Buy for Beginners to Income Investing If there's any lesson to be learned, you're not going to find it on a balance sheet, income statement, or price chart. Despite our country's leadership nasty political saber rattling with China, the moral in LKNCY isn't about not investing in untrustworthy Chinese companies. Luckin was a cheat of course. But to be very fair, the United States has had plenty of homegrown companies lie, steal, and worse.Valeant Pharmaceutical is one memorable U.S.-based high-flier which imploded for similar improprieties. Enron was another high-profile mess. And let's not forget Boeing (NYSE:BA) or PG&E Corp (NYSE:PCG) for recent transgressions still impacting investors today.The reminder the Luckin Coffee story brings us is that investing is risky. Stocks are called risk-assets, right? That might be hard to remember right now if you're riding high in Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), some other trillion-dollar club member, or even the broader market. But don't make the mistake of forgetting or dismissing that feature when buying stocks.Luckin Coffee used to be the property of growth investors. Now shares are in the hands of those that see a potential turnaround, value-play or alternatively, are eyeing the stock for bankruptcy based on other favored evidence.Regardless of growth versus value or bull versus bear, putting blind trust in a company's financial statements, a price chart, an analyst recommendation, etc., and then buying or shorting stock on the back of those type beliefs, can end very badly. But it doesn't have too. Luckin Stock Weekly Price Chart Source: Charts by TradingViewLooking at the weekly chart of Luckin shares, I'm technically inclined to see a low forming. The bullish observation is supported by bearish sentiment that would be hard-pressed to get much worse. No disrespect, but heavily-lopsided analysis warning investors away from Luckin by roughly a dozen of my colleagues at InvestorPlace over the last couple weeks is evidence of an extreme hard at work.Yet on the price chart, conditions are improving. After jumping 130% in less than two weeks to confirm a small double bottom, LKNCY has constructively pulled back in a bullish-looking consolidation that's finding support at the 62% retracement level of a very volatile trading month for shares. Given the combined indications, Luckin looks great as a contrarian play. But that's just one of many opinions out there.The truth is it doesn't matter if I see a bullish bottom using optimistic optics or alternatively, someone else believes the other shoe is sure to drop based on the same price chart. Similarly, it's unimportant if one investor concludes LKNCY looks more attractive at a valuation of $650 million, while another despises it for that very reason.Bottom-line, respect it takes two parties, a buyer and seller, to consummate a trade. Also appreciate every strategy has its day in the sun. And know this, too: If you buy and sell stocks you will be proven wrong along the way for a multitude of reasons. It won't be a one-time incident, either.But far from warning against having exposure to risk assets and no matter your style or outlook, I'd simply recommend purchasing a call contract, a put, or a limited risk spread to avoid a truly harmful burn. That should be a point of agreement among all types of investors in Luckin and beyond.Chris Tyler is a former floor-based, derivatives market maker on the American and Pacific exchanges. Current investment accounts under management do not currently own positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. The information offered is based on his professional experience but strictly intended for educational purposes only. Any use of this information is 100% the responsibility of the individual. For additional market insights and related musings, follow Chris on Twitter @Options_CAT and StockTwits More From InvestorPlace * Why Everyone Is Investing in 5G All WRONG * America's 1 Stock Picker Reveals His Next 1,000% Winner * Revolutionary Tech Behind 5G Rollout Is Being Pioneered By This 1 Company * Radical New Battery Could Dismantle Oil Markets The post Is Luckin Stock Finally a Buy? appeared first on InvestorPlace.

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  • 3 Reasons to Sell Inovio Stock

    3 Reasons to Sell Inovio StockInovio Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:INO) is a hot stock to watch right now.The shares of INO stock are up more than 647% from a year earlier.Source: Ascannio / Shutterstock.com In some ways, that is surprising, given that the pharmaceutical company doesn't currently have any products on the market. The stock jumped after Inovio entered the race to create a coronavirus vaccine. The company is currently conducting clinical trials and has seen promising results.But after the stock rose so suddenly, does it still make sense to buy INO stock? After all, the shares have already fallen from their 52-week high set in June.InvestorPlace – Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsAnd other biotech stocks show more promise than Inovio and seem closer to actually producing an effective vaccine. Let's look at three reasons to sell INO stock: 1\. Inovio's Phase 1 Results Were DisappointingThere are over 140 coronavirus vaccines currently in development, but Inovio has emerged as an early player in the vaccine race. So far, the company seems to be making solid headway on its vaccine, INO-4800. * 7 Dividend Stocks to Buy for Beginners to Income Investing INO-4800 utilizes DNA that encodes for messenger RNA which encodes the SARS-CoV-2's S-protein. During Phase 1 of the company's clinical trials, 34 out of 36 patients developed an immune response.None of the patients had severe reactions to the vaccine, and the only real side effect any of them experienced was redness around the injection site. So there are no safety concerns about INO-4800.However, Inovio didn't provide any data on how many participants developed neutralizing antibodies or T-cell responses. For that reason, it's unclear how effective the vaccine actually is. Consequently, several analysts downgraded the stock after the company's Phase 1 results were released. 2\. Other Companies Are Closer to Developing a VaccineAlthough Inovio was an early player in the race to develop a vaccine, it still lags behind other companies. For instance, Moderno (NASDAQ:MRNA) began its Phase 1 triak a few weeks before Inovio.And this week, Moderno kicked off its Phase 3 clinical trial. Moderno will enroll 30,000 healthy participants in the trial at 89 different sites across the country.Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) also announced it has started a late-stage study for a coronavirus vaccine with the German company BioNTech (NASDAQ: BNTX). If Pfizer's trial proves effective, the U.S. government agreed to buy 100 million doses for $1.95 billion by the end of the year.Inovio is combining its Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials and plans to begin the study later this summer. But its efforts still lag behind those of several of its competitors. 3\. Inovio Wasn't Selected for the Warp Speed ProgramIn June, the U.S. government selected five companies for its Warp Speed Program. This program is part of the government's effort to bring a coronavirus vaccine to market quickly.Inovio was not selected to be part of this program. Washington chose to include AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), Merck (NYSE:MRK), Moderna, and Pfizer in Warp Speed. The government didn't specify the criteria it used to select these five companies, but it seemed to prefer seasoned vaccine developers.Government funding is an important part of vaccine development. In conjunction with Warp Speed, Moderna has received $483 million of funding, while AstraZeneca received $1.2 billion, and Novavax obtained $1.6 billion.Inovio has yet to receive any funding from Project Warp Speed. However, the Department of Defense did grant the company $71 million of funding to support the development of a device called Cellectra. That is the device which is used to inject INO-4800. The Bottom Line on INO StockInovio seems to be a legitimate contender in the race to develop a coronavirus vaccine, but there are reasons to be concerned about the company. The lack of information regarding the neutralizing antibodies produced by those who received the company's vaccine raises serious questions about the effectiveness of INO-4800.And if the company's vaccine fails to live up to the hype, it's likely the stock's recent gains won't last. So now probably isn't the time to invest in INO stock.Jamie Johnson is a personal finance freelance writer and has been writing for InvestorPlace since mid-2019. She writes for a number of other well-known financial sites, including Credit Karma, Quicken Loans and Bankrate. As of this writing, Jamie Johnson did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * Why Everyone Is Investing in 5G All WRONG * America's 1 Stock Picker Reveals His Next 1,000% Winner * Revolutionary Tech Behind 5G Rollout Is Being Pioneered By This 1 Company * Radical New Battery Could Dismantle Oil Markets The post 3 Reasons to Sell Inovio Stock appeared first on InvestorPlace.

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  • Americans Brace for Changes to $600-a-Week Benefit

    Americans Brace for Changes to $600-a-Week BenefitAs Congress debates the next coronavirus relief package, millions of Americans are waiting to see if the extra $600-a-week unemployment benefit will be extended or reduced. WSJ’s Shelby Holliday reports. Photo: Bryan Woolston/Reuters

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  • Is the Afterpay share price a buy?

    afterpay, retail, shopping, credit, buy now, pay later

    Is the Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) share price a buy?

    The buy now, pay later business has performed incredibly well since the March 2020 crash when the Afterpay share price dropped to $8.90. It has gone up 670% since then. What an amazing run.

    Is the strength of the Afterpay share price justified?

    The most recent update that Afterpay has released was its FY20 fourth quarter update when it announced a capital raising and a selldown by the founders of the company.

    Afterpay said that it delivered underlying sales of $3.8 billion in the fourth quarter of FY20, 127% higher than the prior corresponding period. Afterpay said this was a record quarterly performance and reflected an accelerated shift to ecommerce since the impacts of COVID-19 emerged globally.

    The strong final quarter led to underlying sales of $11.1 billion in FY20 – up 112% compared to last year.

    That growth was strong, there’s no denying that. It goes some of the way to justify the Afterpay share price growth. 

    The number of active customers also increased strongly. Active customers rose by 116% during FY20 to 9.9 million. The more customers that Afterpay has the more potential transactions that can go through its platform. In the US it reached 5.6 million active customers and in the UK it hit the 1 million milestone.

    Active merchants rose by 72% over FY20 to 55,400 with 202% growth in the US. The UK passed 1,000 merchants after its first year. The more merchants there are on the Afterpay system the more attractive it is to customers. There are good network effects.

    Expansion into Canada and an in-store offering in the US is expected sometime in the first quarter of FY21.

    Underlying sales growth is an important part of Afterpay delivering on its long-term potential. But it needs to be doing it profitably.

    Profit metrics

    Afterpay said that its merchant revenue margins for FY20 are expected to be in line with or better than the margin in the first half of FY20 and FY19.

    The net transaction loss for FY20 is expected to be up to 0.55%. The Australia and New Zealand net transaction loss has remained at “historically low” levels. The net transaction loss within the US and UK regions has improved in the second half of FY20.

    The net transaction margin for FY20 is expected to be approximately 2%. Afterpay indicated this underpins a pathway to longer term profitability for the overall business.

    Afterpay is expecting FY20 underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to be between $20 million to $25 million. This measure excludes ‘one-off items’, share-based payments and foreign currency.

    The key profitability question

    The biggest question is how much profit will Afterpay be able to generate in the future? Is the current Afterpay share price a reasonable reflection of its long-term future?

    Will Afterpay be able to maintain its merchant margin? On the face of it, the merchant is handing over a hefty sum for each transaction. But Afterpay can argue that it is generating leads for businesses, it increases the transaction size and may improve loyalty.

    There are lots of other competitors out there for Afterpay. Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P), Sezzle Inc (ASX: SZL), Splitit Ltd (ASX: SPT), Klarna and so on. When there’s a lot of supply for a product it normally leads to a reduction in price. Does Afterpay have a strong brand that customers will stick to? Or would merchants switch to another provider?

    It’s a hard one to call because the idea of getting an instalment service for free is new.

    I don’t know what a fair price for Afterpay is. You can’t invest for the short-term, you can’t know for certain which way share prices will go. Does today’s Afterpay share price reflect its long-term outlook? I don’t know, so I’m happy to leave it to other people to invest in. I think there are easier opportunities like Pushpay Holdings Ltd (ASX: PPH).

    Where to invest $1,000 right now

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for more than eight years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes are the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they are great buys right now.

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    Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of PUSHPAY FPO NZX and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. recommends Sezzle Inc. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended PUSHPAY FPO NZX and Sezzle Inc. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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