Core Viewpoint - American Express (NYSE:AXP) stock is declining despite better-than-expected fourth-quarter revenue and a 16% dividend increase, as earnings of $3.04 per share fell slightly below estimates [1]. Group 1: Stock Performance - Shares of American Express are down 3.1% at $347.33, falling below the $350 support level, and are at their lowest since November 21, with a 5% decline since the start of the year [2]. - If the current losses persist, it will mark the sixth post-earnings drop in the last seven quarters for the stock [2]. Group 2: Options Trading Activity - Options traders have been active, with 14,000 calls and 9,666 puts exchanged, which is three times the typical options volume for this time [3]. - The most popular option is the weekly 1/30 382.50-strike call, with new positions being opened [3]. Group 3: Volatility and Options Sentiment - Calls have been more popular than usual leading up to the earnings report, with a 50-day call/put volume ratio of 1.80, ranking higher than 98% of readings from the past year [4]. - Options traders are pricing in low volatility expectations, with the Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) at 35%, ranking in the low 20th percentile of its annual range, indicating reasonably priced premiums [5].

Company Overview - Proactive is a financial news publisher that provides fast, accessible, informative, and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience [2] - The company operates with a team of experienced and qualified news journalists across key finance and investing hubs including London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney, and Perth [2] Market Focus - Proactive specializes in medium and small-cap markets while also covering blue-chip companies, commodities, and broader investment stories [3] - The content delivered by the company includes insights across various sectors such as biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto, and emerging digital and EV technologies [3] Technology Utilization - Proactive is recognized for its forward-looking approach and enthusiastic adoption of technology to enhance workflows [4] - The company employs automation and software tools, including generative AI, while ensuring that all content is edited and authored by humans to maintain quality and best practices in content production [5]

Visa reported earnings that topped analyst estimates as payments surged 8% from a year earlier amid strong holiday spending https://t.co/u5NOzmdN2h ...

Mastercard reported higher fourth-quarter profit and sales and said that consumer and business spending remained healthy https://t.co/O1ZOzAPtsn ...

Mastercard reports fourth-quarter earnings that beat estimates https://t.co/hTH60JjdQd ...

Group 1 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.8% due to a significant drop in UnitedHealth Group's stock, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq gained 0.4% and 0.9% respectively, driven by rising chip stocks and AI infrastructure providers [2][8] - UnitedHealth Group's shares tumbled nearly 20%, losing $69 each, after Medicare administrators announced minimal payment increases for private Medicare Advantage plans and the company forecasted a decline in total revenue for the year [3][8] - The price-weighted nature of the Dow means that stocks with higher nominal prices, like UnitedHealth, have a greater impact on the index's performance, leading to a loss of approximately 422 points from the index due to UnitedHealth's decline [5][6][8] Group 2 - Other influential stocks in the Dow, such as Goldman Sachs, Home Depot, and American Express, also experienced declines, with Goldman Sachs slipping 0.2% and both Home Depot and American Express falling more than 1% [7][8] - The performance of the Dow is notably affected by large single-stock moves, as evidenced by UnitedHealth's significant impact on the index compared to the capitalization-weighted S&P 500 and Nasdaq [4][5]

Core Insights - Warren Buffett's 2022 annual letter highlighted Berkshire Hathaway's impressive performance, achieving a 3,787,464% gain since 1964, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's 24,708% gain [1] - Buffett emphasized two key investments, each with a $1.3 billion stake, which now yield annual dividends close to half of the initial investment, with expectations for further growth [2] Company Analysis - **Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO)** - Buffett's investment in Coca-Cola began in 1994, accumulating 400 million shares without any sales since then [3] - The annual dividends from Coca-Cola increased from $75 million in 1994 to $704 million in 2022, reflecting a substantial growth in dividend payouts [4] - The current yield on Coca-Cola shares stands at 2.8%, with Buffett's yield on cost reaching nearly 50% due to consistent dividend growth [4] - As of 2022, Coca-Cola's dividends have continued to rise, contributing $206 million annually to Berkshire, with expectations for a 64th consecutive annual dividend increase [5] - **American Express (NYSE: AXP)** - American Express, while not having as long a history of dividend increases as Coca-Cola, has seen its dividends rise significantly, with a 91% increase since Buffett's 2022 letter [6] - The dividend growth for American Express has been robust, with payouts increasing by 91% over the past three years [7]

RT Jeff Kauflin (@JeffKauflin)Brex + Discover gives Capital One much of what makes American Express so powerful: a payments network, cards, tech and scale. Capital One shares dropped 7% today on deal jitters—but the long-term strategic payoff could be substantial: https://t.co/AJ8qoKGpcc ...

Core Viewpoint - Warren Buffett has made significant changes to the Berkshire Hathaway portfolio, including a $4 billion sale of Apple Inc. shares to increase cash and Treasuries reserves [3]. Group 1: Portfolio Changes - Berkshire Hathaway sold approximately $4 billion in Apple Inc. shares to build a substantial cash and Treasuries reserve [3]. - Investors looking to replicate Buffett's trades through Berkshire's 13F filings should be aware that the information is limited and outdated [4]. Group 2: Investment Opportunities - Long-standing positions like The Coca-Cola Co. and Visa Inc. may be worth considering for investors as they approach the new year [4]. - Coca-Cola has a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 23.8, which is at or below its levels from the past two years, despite some concerns about its valuation compared to alternatives [5]. - Coca-Cola's strong pricing power allows it to maintain cash flow during inflationary periods, and it reported a 4-cent earnings per share (EPS) beat in the last quarter [6]. - With 64 consecutive years of dividend increases and a yield of 2.89%, Coca-Cola remains a strong buy-and-hold candidate [7]. - Visa may have operational advantages over competitors due to potential credit card interest rate limits [7]. Group 3: Potential Risks - Bristol Myers Squibb has attractive qualities but faces near-term challenges from Medicaid changes and patent expirations [7].

Core Insights - The article emphasizes the importance of evaluating not only current financials but also the overall business models and future prospects of companies for long-term investment [2] Company Summaries Eli Lilly - Eli Lilly is recognized as a growth-oriented company, driven by innovation, particularly through its GLP-1 products, Mounjaro and Zepbound, which are currently generating strong results [5] - The company is actively pursuing further innovation, including the development of a GLP-1 pill and a promising weight loss treatment, retatrutide, which is in late-stage trials [5][6] - Eli Lilly has partnered with Nvidia to build a factory utilizing AI and supercomputing for drug discovery, showcasing its commitment to future growth [6] - The company also has a treatment for early Alzheimer's, Kisunla, which has the potential to be a blockbuster [7] - Despite a high valuation at over 50 times trailing earnings, the growth potential suggests that this multiple could decrease as the company expands [8] American Express - American Express is highlighted for its strong brand and clientele, making it a resilient financial stock suitable for long-term investment [8] Alphabet - Alphabet is noted for its diverse business operations, abundant growth opportunities, and substantial financial resources, positioning it as a likely growth leader in the foreseeable future [8]