We’re a little more than halfway through first-quarter earnings season, so now is the time to review this earnings season winners and losers. In general, market results have been encouraging so far. Forty-six percent of companies listed on the S&P 500 have reported their quarterly results. Seventy-seven percent beat forecasts with their earnings or profits, while 60% announced better-than-expected revenue or sales. That’s quite good considering it comes amid reports that the economy is slowing and inflation ...

American Express CEO Steve Squeri told CNBC's Jim Cramer on Tuesday how the company attracted more Millennial and Gen Z customers, saying the cohort made up 60% of new card acquisitions during the last quarter.Squeri said American Express realized that attracting younger clientele was a "key thing" for the company, so it was important to offer cards with a high enough value proposition for that group. Younger card holders create a greater "lifetime value" than older ones, as they will continue to use their ...

Dividend stocks are some of the most reliable investments. These corporations distribute cash flow to their investors. Positive net income is a requirement for sustainable dividends. Investors can also gauge a corporation’s financial health based on dividend hikes. Companies that raise their dividends by 10% or more each year are typically in better positions than companies that only raise their dividends by 3% or less each year. While dividend income stocks can help investors who want cash flow now, divide ...

These reliably profitable businesses have underperformed this year.It's already been a pretty good year for two of America's three main market indexes. Enthusiasm for growth stocks already pushed the Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 indexes more than 6% higher since the start of 2024.Unfortunately, the Dow Jones Industrial Average hasn't kept pace with its larger cousins. It's up by less than 1.5% this year, and some of its components appear underappreciated. Before assuming the Dow Jones Industrial Average is ...

Although Berkshire Hathaway's $373 billion portfolio contains 45 stocks and two index funds, not all of the Oracle of Omaha's holdings are equal.For nearly six full decades, Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A -0.76%) (BRK.B -0.69%) CEO Warren Buffett has been putting on a show for Wall Street. Whereas the benchmark S&P 500 has gained a healthy 33,000%, including dividends, since the affably named "Oracle of Omaha" became Berkshire's CEO, Buffett has overseen just shy of a 5,000,000% aggregate return in his company's ...

Most investments are filled with uncertainty. You could put your money into a CD or a high-yields savings account to minimize your risk, but these accounts don’t pay as well as stocks. While stocks can go down, they can deliver tremendous upside for long-term investors.Index funds and ETFs can simplify the process of investing. These funds take less work, but some people want to construct portfolios that can achieve respectable returns while aligning with the investor’s risk tolerance. Investors who are see ...

Investors have probably heard of this business, but it's important to gain a better understanding of its operations.Berkshire Hathaway owns dozens of stocks in its gargantuan equities portfolio. While Apple gets a lot of attention, investors can't ignore a business like American Express (AXP -0.62%). This company has been a favorite of the Oracle of Omaha for a very long time. Here are three things you should know about this top Warren Buffett stock. Controlling the entire transactionInvestors are likely fa ...

It's encouraging to see strong financial performance in this economic environment.Berkshire Hathaway, the massive conglomerate that Warren Buffett has long been in charge of, also owns a huge public equities portfolio. It has dozens of different stocks that might draw the attention of the average investor.There's one top financial stock, currently accounting for 10% of the total portfolio, that has soared 24% in 2024 (as of April 22). It just came out with fresh quarterly figures that point to a business ex ...

Consumers and small businesses need easy access to cash for important purchases. Fintech companies offer these services and several perks to entice individuals to work with them over the competition.The industry has gotten more competitive as digital banks and fintech companies have sprouted up. Financial institutions no longer need vast networks to compete if they have good online marketing. Some fintech stocks have been top picks for many years, while others are up-and-coming. These are some of the top fi ...

Payment technology company Visa Inc. (V) posted encouraging fiscal second-quarter earnings results on the back of an uptick in travel and strong spending patterns that defied sticky price pressures. The payment company registered a net income of $4.7 billion, or $2.29 per share, in the first quarter, up from $4.3 billion, or $2.04 a share, a year ago.Visa generally earns a percentage from every debit and credit card transaction involving its products. Thus, a steady rise in consumer spending increased the f ...