It wasn’t long ago that I highlighted Planet Labs as a stock with the potential to blast off. At the time it was sitting at $1.90 per share.
Fast forward to the present and Planet Labs has soared well above $4 per share and is now posting gains of over 100%.
Retail growth stories tend follow predictable patterns of early excitement, rapid growth, and then the inevitable pains of scaling. Every once in a while, though, a company breaks the mold in subtle yet important ways. Dutch Bros might well be that company and arguably is much more than a coffee chain.
Walking into a relatively new location in Phoenix last week,
» Read more about: 1 Coffee Shop Chain Set to Challenge Starbucks »
At today’s $673 billion valuation, Walmart’s metrics track remarkably close to Microsoft’s pre-trillion phase, though through a distinctly retail-centric lens.
Where Microsoft achieved its milestone through software margins expanding from 28% to 35% over five years, Walmart charts its course through scale economics and business mix evolution, as evidenced by its operating margin expansion from 4.6% to 4.7% year-over-year.
» Read more about: When Will Walmart Join The Trillion Dollar Club? »
Walgreens Boots Alliance stands at a critical juncture in the company’s 170-year history with revenues of $147 billion but a market capitalization of just $7 billion.
A heavily burdened balance sheet has been the prime culprit of the stock’s downfall but, under new CEO Tim Wentworth, management is undertaking an ambitious realignment aimed at stabilizing the core pharmacy business while taking the chop to some of its healthcare investments.
» Read more about: Is Your Favorite Pharmacy About To Go Belly Up? »
Palantir (NYSE:PLTR) has been among the biggest beneficiaries of this year’s AI bull run and the more recent post-election rally. The stock started this year at just $16.58 and has since skyrocketed to over $60 per share.
The last month has been particularly dramatic when PLTR started November a little over $40 before being pushed skyward following election news that was deemed positive and a stellar Q3 earnings report.
» Read more about: Is Palantir on the Precipice of a Sharp Fall? »
Renowned e-signature company DocuSign, Inc. (NASDAQ:DOCU) has got firmly back on track after some turbulence in 2021 and 2022 when the company’s share price declined by more than 75%.
The recent stock performance has fared much better, begging the question where is the ceiling for this once hot stock?
» Read more about: 30% Upside for Leader in Market Growing 30% Annually? »
Oklo (NYSE: OKLO) shares surged over 18% Monday after President-elect Donald Trump named Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright as his pick for Energy Secretary.
For Oklo investors, the selection carries special significance – Wright currently serves on Oklo’s board of directors, potentially giving the nuclear innovation company an influential ally in Washington just as it hits its stride with commercial deployments and new acquisitions.
» Read more about: Will Trump’s Energy Secretary Pick Drive Oklo Higher? »
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a philanthropic powerhouse that lists among its accomplishments the total eradication of two types of polio virus, improving agricultural outcomes in impoverished countries and delivering health services to millions worldwide.
Making these initiatives possible is a $45 billion investment portfolio that generates the money needed to fund the foundation’s efforts.
» Read more about: 4 Stocks Behind Bill Gates $45 Billion Portfolio »
With the S&P 500 having advanced by about 23.7% year-to-date, deals among large-cap companies appear few and far between.
One stock that may be attractive, however, is Idexx Laboratories (NASDAQ:IDXX). This company specializes in veterinary diagnostic devices as well as poultry and livestock testing, among other animal-care essentials. Idexx also makes water testing supplies to monitor and maintain water quality.
» Read more about: The Pet Care Powerhouse Flying Under Wall Street’s Radar »
Some concerns have arisen in recent months that the fuel behind the AI fire is starting to wane. The flagship AI stock, NVIDIA, gained 156% through the first six months of the year, but Nvidia shares only gained 18.8% since the midpoint of 2024. While that is still substantial growth, it reflects investors’ concerns about AI’s ability to generate substantial revenue.
