Stock Stories

Intel has helped power the rise of the personal computer, birthing the microprocessor and bringing computers to life.  Today we’re studying the history, business model, and financials of Intel Corporation ($INTC).0:00 - Start0:56 - How Did Intel Get Started?4:08 - Intel’s Business Model8:16 - Financials10:40 - Buy, Sell, or Hold?

Advanced Micro Devices started out as just a small competitor to its bigger brother, Intel.  After developing competing microprocessors, AMD made a name for itself and began to flourish as a company.  In today’s episode, we’ll look at the history, business model, and financials of Advanced Micro Devices ($AMD).0:00 - Start1:00 - How Did AMD Get Started?7:11 - AMD’s Business Model9:24 - Financials12:30 - Buy, Sell, or Hold?

Where did Lowe’s come from and how did they come to become a huge player in the home improvement space?  Today we look at the history, business model, and financials for Home Depot’s biggest competitor, Lowe’s.0:00 - Start1:13 - How Did Lowe’s Get Started?6:06 - Lowe’s Business Model7:32 - Financials11:54 - Buy, Sell, or Hold?

When we commit to something, we’re more likely to follow through with it.  This is especially true when we commit for long periods of time.  But how does this work for or against us as investors?  We explore this concept in today’s show.Link to Robert Cialdini’s book Influence here:https://tinyurl.com/rv6ahkj40:00 - Start3:09 - My Failure With The Mental Model4:25 - Bill Ackman’s Decision5:38 - Logic Behind Netflix Decision7:00 - An Idea To Apply

Home Depot has dominated the home improvement industry, but how did it happen?  In today’s episode we look at Home Depot’s modest beginnings, how it grew into a powerhouse, and what the business offers for investors today.0:00 - Start3:00 - Home Depot Beginnings5:10 - How Home Depot Works7:54 - Financials13:20 - Home Depot Historical Returns

As an investor, failure at some point is inevitable…especially when you’re just getting started!  What separates great investors from those who never make money is what you LEARN from your failures.  This one has been a long time in the making, but today we look at not only what my worst investment has been, but what lessons you can take from my experience.0:00 - Start1:25 - Buying The Stock6:15 - Lesson #16:52 - Lesson #28:12 - Lesson #39:04 - Lesson #410:20 - Lesson #511:23 - Lesson #613:12 - Recap

Can you imagine a world without light?  Electricity is an essential part of modern life, and lighting products play an essential role in it.  Acuity Brands is one of the largest lighting manufacturers in North America - let’s learn about their history and economic characteristics in today’s episode.0:00 - Start1:11 - How Did Acuity Brands Get Started?5:38 - Acuity’s Business Model9:25 - Financials11:43 - Final Thoughts On Acuity Brands

What is Etsy’s business model and how does it make money?  Though a few weeks ago we broadly covered this business, today we’re doing a deeper dive to understand some of the financials in order to understand Etsy’s investment thesis.0:00 - Start3:15 - What Does Etsy Do?8:20 - Metcalfe’s Law13:50 - Fundamentals17:40 - Return On Equity22:40 - Return On Invested Capital29:43 - Risks31:03 - Final Thoughts On Etsy

What is consulting, and how did one of the largest consulting firms in America get its start?  Find out in today’s episode, as we explore the history, business model, and financials of Accenture.0:00 - Start1:42 - The Big 83:42 - Trouble Was Brewing6:31 - Change Specialists10:29 - Financials16:18 - Final Thoughts On Accenture

How do we choose between stocks when the whole market is down?  Often, during corrections, there are multiple seemingly good stocks to buy.  How do we think about the trade-offs?0:00 - Start2:35 - Deciding Between Two Stocks5:45 - Avoiding Investor FOMO7:18 - Not Every Stock Drops Proportionally9:08 - The Mental Model At Play Here

Some businesses rise on their own as the result of a spin-off from a larger business.  AbbVie is one of these!  In today’s episode we learn about what AbbVie has going for it as well as some of the risks investors should consider.0:00 - Start1:18 - How Did AbbVie Get Started?2:10 - Tax Inversions3:50 - How The Business Works8:08 - Financials14:35 - Final Thoughts On AbbVie

Sector rotation is a stock market strategy that some investors believe will increase returns.  Let’s look at the basics today and learn what it is and how we can consider applying it to our portfolio.0:00 - Start1:15 - What Are Stock Market Sectors?3:52 - Sector Rotation Basics5:30 - Sector SPDRs7:07 - Final Thoughts On Sector Rotation

Few companies can say that they’re truly built for a pandemic - Abbott Laboratories is one of these.  With products ranging from COVID tests to medical devices to nutrition products, Abbott is a diversified large cap with international operations and a solid growth rate.0:00 - Start2:00 - History of Abbott5:17 - Abbott’s Business Model7:27 - Financials14:30 - Final Thoughts On Abbott

Staying in hotels, motels, and other similar businesses has been the norm for travelers for many decades.  AirBnB changed that.  Now, you can rent someone’s existing real estate on a nightly basis - whether it’s a condo on a Hawaiian island, a cabin in the woods, or simply a home in a regular suburban neighborhood.  Learn about AirBnB’s history, financials, and business model in this episode.0:00 - Start2:15 - How Did AirBnB Get Started?7:20 - AirBnB’s Business Model9:00 - Financials13:10 - What Are The Risks With AirBnB?14:38 - Final Thoughts On AirBnB

When you think negatively about a person or a company just because it’s associated with something else you consider negative, you’re experiencing The Horns Effect.  It’s a mental model that biases you against something just because of its association with something else.  Learn today how we can apply this as investors.0:00 - Start1:20 - Why Mental Models?1:50 - Mental Model Definition3:21 - Application to Investing4:42 - What Happens When Rates Rise5:06 - Taking Advantage Of This Information

Can project management tasks ever be easy and fun?  Atlassian Corporation thinks so.  With tools like Jira and Confluence, it becomes easier to manage large projects within teams.  In today’s episode we’re learning about a fast growing software-as-a-service (SaaS) company that focuses on building work productivity tools.02:30 - How Did Atlassian Get Started?05:24 - Atlassian’s Business Model09:35 - Financials13:55 - What Are The Risks With Atlassian?15:32 - Final Thoughts On Atlassian

The stock market has been a crazy place in recent weeks!  Growth stocks are down, as well as the general market.  Inflation is up.  Interest rates are going up.  And there’s a war that Russia is waging against Ukraine.  Today I’m joined by my wife where we discuss all of these topics, and more.0:00 - Start2:30 - Interest Rates and Inflation5:15 - Stocks We’re Looking At Now?12:00 - Withdrawal Strategies

What characteristics does gold have compared to stocks, how do we understand its value, and what are the best ways to own it?  All of these questions and more are answered on today’s episode with precious metals expert David McAlvany.David runs the McAlvany family of companies, including International Collectors Associates as well as Vaulted.Interested in investing in high quality gold?  Check out the Vaulted app where you can invest with as little as $5:https://vaulted.com/See here for info on taxes, fees, gold quality, and other FAQs:https://vaulted.com/faq/5:15 - Why Precious Metals?11:00 - Gold or Bonds For Smoothing Out Volatility16:20 - Ways To Own Gold Today23:20 - Hypothecation29:43 - Gold vs Other Metals36:50 - What is the intrinsic value of gold?48:48 - Costs To Own Gold56:00 - Wrapping Up

Shopify is making it easier for people to buy and sell things online.  Learn about the fundamentals of Shopify's business and its history.01:23 - How Shopify Got Started04:00 - How Shopify Works08:12 - Does Shopify Have A Competitive Advantage?11:11 - Shopify’s Financials17:00 - What Are The Risks Of Investing In Shopify?18:00 - Shopify’s Similar Approach To Alphabet

The Halo Effect is a mental model that distorts reality in your mind...see how it applies to the investing process in today's video.