Core Viewpoint - Both Costco and Alphabet are considered good dividend stocks despite their low yields, with Costco being a more stable option and Alphabet offering greater long-term growth potential [2][13][14] Group 1: Costco - Costco has a consistent dividend history, with a payout ratio below 30% and an annual growth rate of around 13% over the past years [5][6] - The latest quarterly dividend was raised to $1.30, resulting in an annual payout of $5.20 and a yield of approximately 0.5% [5] - Costco occasionally pays special dividends, such as a $15 special dividend in early 2024, which can benefit long-term shareholders [6] - The stock trades at over 50 times earnings, reflecting its quality but leaving little margin for error in future performance [7][8] - Despite healthy sales and earnings growth of 8% and 13% respectively in the most recent quarter, the high valuation limits future return expectations [8] Group 2: Alphabet - Alphabet initiated its dividend in 2024, with a small annual payout of $0.84 per share and a yield of around 0.4%, but a payout ratio of less than 10% allows for significant growth potential [9] - The company is heavily investing in AI and cloud infrastructure, which has impacted short-term free cash flow but is aimed at long-term growth [10] - Alphabet's diversified revenue sources, including advertising, YouTube, and Google Cloud, are performing well, contributing to its growth story [11] - The stock trades at about 21 times forward earnings, which is lower than many tech peers and Costco, indicating a favorable valuation [11] - Revenue and operating income increased by 14% year over year in the second quarter of 2025, suggesting potential for substantial future dividend increases [12]

This is where they were trading premarket at 7 a.m. ET Thursday. 1. Tesla The move: Elon Musk's EV maker is down about 6% to $313.44 a share after rising slightly over 0.1% on Wednesday. Why: Tesla reported disappointing second-quarter results before the closing bell on Wednesday, with revenue dropping 12% year-on-year — the biggest fall in a decade. Shares rose after the past two earnings reports, despite also being weak. Tesla's, Alphabet's, and IBM's second-quarter earnings are on investors' minds this m ...

Core Insights - The Q2 earnings season is underway, with over 400 companies set to report, including 109 S&P 500 members, indicating a broad sector representation beyond just finance [1][9] - Early results show a positive trend, with companies not only beating lowered estimates but also providing favorable management commentary that may bolster Q3 earnings expectations [2][3] Earnings Performance - As of July 21, 62 S&P 500 members reported Q2 results, showing a +9.3% increase in total earnings year-over-year and +5.8% higher revenues, with 82.3% exceeding EPS estimates and the same proportion beating revenue estimates [4][6] - The current earnings and revenue growth rates for the 62 index members are notably above historical averages, suggesting a strong start to the earnings season [4][5] Future Expectations - Total S&P 500 earnings for Q2 are projected to increase by +6% with +4.3% higher revenues, reflecting a positive outlook for the remainder of the reporting cycle [14][18] - For the Mag 7 group, which includes major companies like Tesla and Alphabet, total Q2 earnings are expected to rise by +11.7% on +11.3% higher revenues [18][20] Company-Specific Insights - Alphabet is expected to report earnings of $2.14 per share on $79.3 billion in revenues, reflecting year-over-year increases of +13.2% and +11.1% respectively, despite facing challenges related to its search business and antitrust concerns [10][11] - Tesla is anticipated to report earnings of $0.40 per share on $22.5 billion in revenues, representing year-over-year declines of -23.1% and -11.9%, influenced by operational challenges in the EV market and market perceptions of Elon Musk [13][14]

Market Overview - Pre-market futures indicate a positive start to the trading week, with the Dow up 70 points, S&P 500 up 10 points, Nasdaq up 25 points, and Russell 2000 up 13 points, although all indexes are off their all-time highs from earlier in the month [1] Company Earnings - Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) reported a loss of -$0.50 per share, better than the projected -$0.68, with revenues of $4.93 billion exceeding Zacks consensus by +0.62%, leading to a +4.5% increase in shares [2] - Domino's Pizza (DPZ) missed earnings expectations by -3% with earnings of $3.81 per share, marking its second miss in three quarters, but revenues of $1.15 billion were above expectations, reflecting a +4.3% year-over-year increase, resulting in a +3% rise in shares [2] Economic Indicators - The U.S. Leading Economic Indicators (LEI) report for June is expected to show a decline to -0.2% from May's -0.1%, with negative LEI numbers observed over the past six months, indicating potential recession signals [3][4] Upcoming Earnings Reports - More than 20% of S&P 500 companies are set to report Q2 earnings this week, with Alphabet (GOOGL) and Tesla (TSLA) being key highlights [5] - Alphabet is expected to see a +13.2% increase in earnings and +11.1% in overall revenues, while Tesla is projected to experience a -23.1% decline in earnings year-over-year and -11.9% in revenues [6] Economic Data Releases - This week will also see the release of Existing & New Home Sales, S&P flash Services and Manufacturing PMI, and Durable Goods Orders, with mixed expectations for these data points [7]

Group 1: Market Overview - Pre-market futures indicate a positive start to the trading week, with the Dow up 70 points, S&P 500 up 10 points, Nasdaq up 25 points, and Russell 2000 up 13 points, although all indexes are off their all-time highs from earlier in the month [1] Group 2: Company Earnings - Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) reported a loss of -$0.50 per share, better than the projected -$0.68, with revenues of $4.93 billion exceeding Zacks consensus by +0.62%, leading to a +4.5% increase in shares [2] - Domino's Pizza (DPZ) missed earnings expectations by -3% with earnings of $3.81 per share, marking its second miss in three quarters, but revenues of $1.15 billion were up +4.3% year over year, resulting in a +3% increase in pre-market trading [3] Group 3: Economic Indicators - The U.S. Leading Economic Indicators (LEI) report for June is expected to show a further decline to -0.2% from May's -0.1%, with most LEI numbers negative over the past six months, indicating potential recession signals [4][5] - Upcoming economic reports include Existing & New Home Sales, S&P flash Services and Manufacturing PMI, and Durable Goods Orders, with mixed expectations for these data points [7] Group 4: Future Earnings Expectations - Alphabet (GOOGL) is expected to see a +13.2% increase in earnings and +11.1% in overall revenues, while Tesla (TSLA) is projected to experience a -23.1% decline in earnings year over year and -11.9% in revenue [6]

Group 1: Pershing Square Capital Management's Portfolio Overview - A significant portion of Pershing Square Capital Management's portfolio, specifically 41.6%, is invested in three companies: Alphabet, Uber Technologies, and Chipotle Mexican Grill [2] - Alphabet constitutes approximately 14% of the portfolio, with over 5.7% in class A shares and nearly 8.3% in class C shares [4][5] - Uber Technologies represents 18.5% of the portfolio, being the largest holding as of the first quarter [8] - Chipotle Mexican Grill accounts for about 9.1% of the portfolio [12] Group 2: Alphabet Insights - Alphabet's stock underperformed in the first half of the year despite strong financial results, likely due to market concerns over regulatory risks, particularly an antitrust lawsuit [4][5] - The company is well-positioned for future growth in cloud computing and artificial intelligence, which are still in early stages [6] - Alphabet's YouTube platform and its competitive advantages, such as network effects and switching costs, contribute to its attractiveness for long-term investors [7] Group 3: Uber Technologies Insights - Uber has transformed into a profitable company, with first-quarter revenue growing 14% year over year to $11.5 billion and net income reaching $1.8 billion [9] - The company's competitive edge is reinforced by its network effect, as more drivers enhance its attractiveness to clients, significantly outpacing competitor Lyft in trips and gross bookings [10] - Long-term prospects for Uber are promising, especially as younger generations are driving less, increasing demand for ride-hailing services [11] Group 4: Chipotle Mexican Grill Insights - Chipotle's stock has faced challenges in 2025 due to potential tariff impacts and weak foot traffic, but it remains a consistently profitable business with strong margins [12][13] - The company is actively expanding, having opened 57 new locations in the first quarter, with a long-term goal of reaching 7,000 locations in the U.S. and Canada [14] - Despite current struggles, the recent dip in stock price presents a buying opportunity for long-term investors [14]

Core Insights - The article introduces IWA Research as a new contributing analyst for Seeking Alpha, encouraging readers to share their investment ideas [1] Group 1 - The analyst has over 10 years of experience researching companies across various sectors, including commodities and technology [2] - The analyst has researched over 1000 companies, focusing on metals and mining stocks, but is also knowledgeable in consumer discretionary, REITs, and utilities [2]

Core Viewpoint - Pinterest, Inc. reported modest first-quarter 2025 results with net income missing estimates while revenues exceeded expectations, driven by strong growth across all regions and enhanced monetization efforts [1][2]. Financial Performance - Net income on a GAAP basis was $8.9 million, or $0.01 per share, compared to a net loss of $24.8 million, or a loss of $0.04 per share, in the prior-year quarter [2]. - Non-GAAP net income was $159.6 million, or $0.23 per share, up from $119.8 million, or $0.17 per share, in the year-ago quarter [2]. - Revenues increased to $855 million from $740 million in the prior-year quarter, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $846 million [3]. User Growth - Global monthly active users (MAUs) grew by 10% year-over-year to reach 570 million, marking an all-time record [3]. - MAUs in the United States and Canada were 102 million, up 4% year-over-year, exceeding estimates [7]. - The Rest of World segment registered MAUs of 320 million, up 14% from the previous year [7]. Revenue Breakdown - Revenues from the United States and Canada totaled $663 million, a 12% year-over-year increase, although it missed the revenue estimate of $678.3 million [6]. - European revenues reached $147 million, up 24% from $118 million in the year-ago quarter, surpassing the estimate of $129.3 million [6]. - Revenues from the Rest of World increased to $45 million from $30 million, exceeding the revenue estimate of $38.9 million [6]. Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) - Global ARPU stood at $1.52, compared to $1.46 in the year-ago quarter [8]. - ARPU in Europe improved by 17% year-over-year to $1.00, while in the United States and Canada, it rose by 8% to $6.54 [8]. - ARPU from the Rest of World increased by 29% year-over-year to $0.14 [8]. Operational Efficiency - Adjusted EBITDA was $172 million in Q1 2025, up from $126 million in the prior-year quarter, reflecting a 36% year-over-year improvement [9]. - Total costs and expenses rose to $890.5 million from $794.4 million in the year-ago quarter [9]. Cash Flow and Liquidity - The company generated $363.7 million in cash from operating activities, compared to $356.1 million in the prior-year quarter [10]. - As of March 31, 2025, Pinterest had $1.25 billion in cash and cash equivalents [10]. Outlook - For Q2 2025, Pinterest expects revenues in the range of $960-$980 million, indicating a year-over-year growth of 12-15% [11]. - Management anticipates adjusted EBITDA to be between $217-$237 million [11].

Core Insights - The article highlights the investment strategy of billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, focusing on his concentrated portfolio of 11 stocks, which is not highly diversified [1][2] - Alphabet, the parent company of Google, is identified as the most promising investment in Ackman's portfolio due to its strong financial performance and growth prospects [7][13] Investment Portfolio Overview - Ackman's portfolio is valued at approximately $12.7 billion, with 100% of it invested in only 11 stocks, indicating a lack of diversification [1][2] - The portfolio includes two restaurant operators: Chipotle Mexican Grill and Restaurant Brands International, which owns brands like Burger King and Popeye's [3] - It also contains consumer cyclical stocks such as Hilton Worldwide Holdings and Nike, which are sensitive to consumer spending [4] - Real estate investments include Howard Hughes Holdings and its spinoff, Seaport Entertainment Group [5] - Other notable holdings are Brookfield Corp., making up about 15.8% of the portfolio, and a stake in Canadian Pacific Kansas City valued at around $1 billion [6] Alphabet's Financial Performance - Alphabet is the largest investment in Ackman's portfolio, comprising approximately 17.3% with 3.99 million Class A shares and 7.55 million Class C shares [7] - In the latest quarter, Alphabet reported a revenue increase of 12% year-over-year to $90.2 billion and earnings of over $35.5 billion, reflecting a 50% year-over-year growth [8] - The company's cash reserves exceeded $95 billion as of March 31, 2025, indicating a strong financial position [8] Growth Prospects - Alphabet's search-related revenue continues to grow, aided by the integration of generative AI, which enhances search usage and customer satisfaction [9] - Google Cloud is noted as the fastest-growing major cloud service provider, with operating margins improving from 9.4% to 17.8% year-over-year [10] - The Waymo self-driving car unit is highlighted for its potential in the autonomous ride-hailing market, with future options for personal ownership [10] Legal Challenges - Alphabet faces legal challenges, having lost two federal antitrust cases related to its search monopoly and digital advertising strategies [11] - Despite these concerns, the company is appealing the lawsuits, which could take years, and the potential remedies may be less severe than anticipated [12] - Ackman's continued investment in Alphabet suggests confidence in its long-term prospects despite the legal issues [13]