Stock Stories

Let's look at one of the faster growing companies in the S&P 500.  Starbucks sells coffee, and is one of the largest coffee companies in the world.

Today we discuss a mental model that, well, talks about models!

It's one of the largest healthcare companies in the world.  From medical devices, to drugs, to Band-Aids and Tylenol, Johnson and Johnson is the premier healthcare conglomerate in the United States.Johnson and Johnson's quality of earnings is so high, I am willing to bet that they are a company that will actually be around and earning a profit 50 years from now.  I found their credo inspiring, and their de-centralized business model helps them continue to grow at a steady pace in spite of their size.Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

General Electric has had some major changes recently.  Let's discuss their impact for current and new investors.

Let's talk about the fourth of the big four payment providers - Mastercard.  We'll discuss similarities between MA and its main competitor, Visa (V), as well as the present and past valuations of this stock.

Today we'll discuss one of the most iconic candy company's out there - Hershey.  Did you know that Hershey now sells more than just chocolate and candies?  We discuss the history of Hershey, the basics of the business model, and the company's future prospects.

Our second mental model in the podcast is the circle of competence.  It is incredibly powerful if understood and applied.  How much do you know, and how much do you think you know?  Knowing the difference is key.  Today we discuss:What your circle of competence isHow understanding the circle of competence can help you as an investorHow failing to recognize your circle of competence can potentially hurt you as an investor

The offspring of Altria, Phillip Morris International is one of the world's largest tobacco producers.  It was spun off in 2008 and is making headway in switching over from its traditional products to RRPs (reduced risk products), which heat tobacco but do not burn it.

Today we talk about America's largest tobacco company - over the decades it has been one of the most profitable stocks in the history of the U.S. stock market.

What's one of the most influential media companies in the world?  It's beloved by millions, and the stories told through its business have been in the hearts and minds of many people for decades.  Today we discuss one of the most dominant entertainment companies in the world.

Today we continue our discussion of the major credit card companies, and we're looking at American Express.  It has a storied history and has changed it's approach throughout the decades.  Now it's a credit card powerhouse that is also a massive bank (it's kind of like Discover's big brother).  In this episode we explore the past and present of the company, as well as some ideas about its future outlook.

It's our first mental model podcast episode here on Stock Stories!  Mental models are incredible tools for improving decision making.  They are often simple, but highly practical thought experiments that force us to look at problems in different ways.  Today we discuss our first mental model: inversion.

Visa is one of the world's largest payment processors.  Their cards are everywhere and they process billions of dollars of transactions per year.  That's just part of the story - find out more on today's episode.

Discover Financial Services is one of the largest credit card issuers and payment processors in the world.  They create credit cards for consumers and also lend money in a variety of ways.  They also charge processing fees through their international PULSE network.

Today we'll talk about one of the oldest and most successful paint companies in the world, Sherwin Williams.  Can a company that's been around for over 150 years still be growing fast?  We'll discuss:HistoryCompany OverviewFinancialsOutlookValuationClick here for bonus episodes and the entire (180+) episode archive.

Today we begin our stock series, going through the companies that comprise the S&P 500.  The first is what has long been considered the bluest of blue chips - General Electric.  But with recent struggles, has it fallen from grace?  Today we examine:A brief history of General ElectricGeneral Electric's core businesses segmentsIncome and Expenses Asset and LiabilitiesFuture OutlookClick here for bonus episodes and the entire (180+) episode archive.

Today we discuss the anatomy of a company.  At the individual company level, there are five parts that must work in harmony in order for it to be successful: Value creation Marketing Sales Value Delivery Finance Within the finance section of the business, there are three main financial statements: Income Statement Balance Sheet Cash Flow Statement

In today's episode we cover the six categories of stocks.  These are: Slow Growers Stalwarts Fast Growers Cyclicals Turnarounds Asset Plays We can groups all stocks first by size, and then break them down further into one or two of these categories.  This will give us a framework for understanding how they might behave in the future, both as a company and as a stock.

This episode will cover: a brief recap of the advantages of investing in stocks and why they can make great investments, and a brief history of the stock market.

In this episode we discuss the three asset classes of: paper assets, real assets, and private business.  We look at the economics characteristics of each, considering the pros and cons within the investment universe.