Uber(US:UBER) The Good Investors·2025-11-09 01:00Group 1: Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) - High ROIC alone is insufficient for strong long-term investment returns; companies must also reinvest capital effectively to grow revenue and earnings [3][4] - A small percentage of companies achieve very high ROICs, with only ~5.5% having >20% ROIC and ~1.5% having >40% ROIC [9] - Revenue growth that translates into earnings growth is crucial for rising stock prices, and companies must consistently earn returns on capital that exceed their cost of capital [6][11] Group 2: Labor and Capital Decoupling - Companies like Alphabet and Microsoft have significantly reduced the number of employees needed to achieve $100 billion in revenue over time, indicating a trend of decoupling labor from capital [12][13] - Walmart has maintained a stable headcount while increasing revenue, suggesting efficiency improvements in operations [14] Group 3: Mergers and Acquisitions - The acquisition of Metsera by Pfizer faced competition from a higher bid by Novo Nordisk, leading to a significant increase in Metsera's stock price [14][15] - Historical examples illustrate that boards often prefer lower offers with more deal certainty over higher bids with regulatory risks, which can lead to bidding wars [21][22] Group 4: Nuclear Power Industry - Oklo Inc., a nuclear startup, has faced regulatory challenges but has a market value of around $20 billion, indicating investor interest despite setbacks [19][20] - The NRC denied Oklo's reactor design application due to safety concerns, highlighting the regulatory hurdles in the nuclear industry [26][24] Group 5: AI and Economic Impact - AI-related stocks have accounted for 75% of S&P 500 returns since the launch of ChatGPT, indicating a significant impact on the economy [31] - The construction of AI data centers is increasingly financed by borrowing, suggesting a shift in funding dynamics compared to historical railroad projects [32][33]