I’m sending you today’s Great Stuff by carrier pigeon. The telegraph office was closed, you see.
On our way back from my daughter’s birthday celebration, disaster struck in the form of car troubles. What those troubles entail, however, I can’t say for sure. If I knew what was wrong, we wouldn’t still be stranded, stuck staring at cornfields
Just in time for Halloween too…
I’ve got our location narrowed down to … the Midwest. The last sign before reaching Blowout Central simply read: “Indiana.” Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.
Needless to say, AAA is on its merry way, and I would hate for you to go a day without Great Stuff. While I munch on leftover Bugles (and thank my wife for packing extra snacks for the dusty trail), here’s what’s hitting news wires today:
- Ford Charges up — for Real This Time
Remember earlier this year when Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: [F]) dumped half a billion dollars into startup Rivian to build the rugged, electric-powered truck of the future? It seems like the automaker caught the electric bug, because since then, it’s also teased a new, “Mustang-inspired” electric SUV and a network of 12,000 charging stations across the U.S.
Now, before we crown Ford as the new “Tesla killer” (though it’s still streets ahead of no-deal Nio Inc.), note that these plans aren’t for a new 12,000-strong charger fleet.
That’d be too simple for the Blue Oval company, wouldn’t it?
Instead, Ford developed a “collection” of 12,000 stations for our nation’s roadways. Dubbed the FordPass Charging Network, this venture finds Ford making the most of its partnership with Volkswagen. And it’s Volkswagen’s subsidiary, Electrify America, that’ll provide the bulk of these charging stations.
Overall, I like where Ford’s going with this. It looks like quite the customer-forward move at first. But seeing as Ford shipped (and sold!) thousands upon thousands of Focuses and Fiestas with faulty transmissions just a few years ago, I can’t always trust the company to, you know, figure out details ahead of time.
- If You Stream It, They Will Come
Don’t you love earnings season? The volatility in the air … the smell of corporate jargon. I get out the popcorn every time — especially since overeager traders overreact to company headlines first. The facts come later, if at all.
Just yesterday, I told you about how Netflix Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX) doubled down — tripled down, by that point — on its ability to fend off its online competitors, such as The Walt Disney Co.’s (NYSE: DIS) Disney+ and Apple Inc.’s (Nasdaq: AAPL) Apple TV+.
On its latest earnings call, Netflix fessed up. While it beat new-subscriber estimates this quarter, management conceded that “the launch of these new services will be noisy. … There may be some modest headwind to our near-term growth.”
Netflix’s shares are up, of course. But mark my words: You can’t just take away Friends and The Office and get away with it, Netflix.
The streaming giant may have won this quarter’s battle. But the streaming wars have only just begun.
- Help! I’ve Fallen, and I Can’t Get Fit!
Remember those Life Alert commercials from back in the day? Heart attack, stroke or a tumble down the basement stairs — everyone needs a savior in the wings.
The latest aid for heart-health-conscious folks is here … and it may already be on your wrist. Today, famed biotech alliance Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer announced a new partnership … with Fitbit Inc. (NYSE: FIT)?
The collab aims to boost awareness and detection of atrial fibrillation. (Say atrial fibrillation three times fast, I dare you.) Shortened to afib, this is a common form of irregular heartbeat.
Now, this is much more than just marching to the beat of a different drum. Afib is linked to heart disease, stroke and a host of other unpleasantries. But I have to ask: Why Fitbit? Was Apple not interested?
Maybe waiting for AAA is making me “salty,” as my daughter says. But I have mixed feelings about Fitbit going biotech. On the health side, this is amazing news for early detection! But on the investing front, I feel like Fitbit’s struggling to find its footing … or a lasting direction.
Fitbit, what’s going on? Are things all right at home? I appreciate you saving my life from afib, but what’ll save your flatlining stock?
FIT’s shares are up about 5% today on the news. Hopefully we’ll see where this venture fits into the health care space soon.
Before I Hit the Road Again…
I have to get real with you.
This morning, between my attempts at clue-hunting in my car owner’s manual, I saw something that put a shudder through my guts … like last week’s habanero chili.
I saw a few empty spots left for the Profit Line Summit. You know, the one where Jeff Yastine and Brian Christopher will show you how to add $100,000 or more to your portfolio?
In fact, Brian told me he’d unveil a patent pending algorithm to use Wall Street’s biggest weakness against it.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for patent pending algorithms. Especially if they can land me massive windfall profits. And if that sounds good to you, be sure you’re one of the first to grab these last few spots!
Click here to make sure you don’t miss out on the Profit Line Summit.
Until next time, good trading!
Regards,
Great Stuff Managing Editor, Banyan Hill Publishing