Back To The Future … Again
Great Ones, I’ve come to the conclusion that the reason I don’t have a flying car or a hoverboard yet — let alone a time-traveling DeLorean — is that technology companies are obsessed with reinventing the past.
Great Scott! I think you’re on to something, Mr. Great Stuff! Are you pondering what I’m pondering?
I think so, Great Ones, but where are we going to find a duck and a hose at this hour?
Seriously, though… Let’s talk about Spotify (Nasdaq: SPOT). The company announced this morning that it’s buying Betty Labs, maker of the live audio app and Clubhouse clone, Locker Room.
Y’all remember Clubhouse? It’s what all the cool social media kids and Elon Musk wannabes use these days. But while Clubhouse is invitation-only, Locker Room is open to all.
As its name implies, Locker Room specializes in sports content. But Spotify hopes to expand well beyond that niche market, including “a range of sports, music and cultural programming, as well as a host of interactive features that enable creators to connect with audiences in real time.”
“How is this reinventing the past?” you might ask yourself. And you might tell yourself: “I remember calling on party lines back in the ‘80s!”
Instead of developing new tech, the app geniuses of the digital age just reinvented old-school telephone party lines. Think about it: Exclusive rooms you join to discuss topics and engage in “live audio.”
How is that not a party line?
We can add that to the stack alongside podcasts, which, we have to admit, are just portable snippets of AM radio.
I know that rocker Eddie Money once crooned: “I want to go back and do it all over, but I can’t go back, I know.” But then, Eddie Money didn’t make smartphone apps, did he?
And since Elon Musk talked up Clubhouse, everyone is getting in on the live-audio act. Twitter, Facebook … all the usual suspects. They’re all creating modern-day party line apps.
Personally, I fail to see the draw of Clubhouse-style applications.
We already have a plethora of Zoom-style videoconferencing and audioconferencing apps. The only difference here is that Clubhouse is social media oriented … which isn’t that much of a difference.
Now, I like Spotify. Where else can I stream ‘80s hits from Eddie Money, Talking Heads or the Back to the Future soundtrack for one low price? And, Great Ones, you know that’s not even the tip of the iceberg when it comes to my eclectic musical tastes.
However, I can’t see Clubhouse or Locker Room as anything other than the latest tech/social media fad. Party lines were never really that big anyway. But I’m just some old man yelling on the cloud here.
It remains to be seen whether Spotify’s Locker Room buy will be the next slap bracelet and fade into obscurity, or whether it will live on strong for generations to come … like the mullet.
The bottom line: This acquisition isn’t a reason to buy Spotify if you don’t own it already. If you do own SPOT, keep a close eye on the company’s spending spree. Spending on growth is good. Spending on fads is bad. Spending on Joe Rogan is, well, you tell me.
Besides, by the time Spotify figures out how to implement live audio into its burning train wreck of a mobile app, Elon and the hordes of tech bros will already be onto something new and shinier.
In fact, they already have: It’s called “Imperium.”
Elon Musk says Imperium is “amazing,” and Bill Gates says it will be “one of the most powerful technologies of the 21st century.” Bezos and Zuckerberg are invested to the tune of billions of dollars combined.
It’s something that only science geeks know about right now (no shame here). But according to experts, Imperium is set to go from 1 million users … to having 2 BILLION in the next four years … launching a stock market “gravy train” that almost nobody sees coming.
Click here to discover why the world’s richest investors are piling into Imperium.
Word ‘round the cord-cutting circles is that T-Mobile (Nasdaq: TMUS) just ran out of the TV market with its tail between its legs. T-Mobile is winding down the TVision bundle service it started last year and will send users toward Google-run YouTube TV instead.
I always thought that T-Mobile was boneheaded for Frankenstein-ing together a streaming live TV service, and apparently, I wasn’t the only one. Closing up shop so quickly looks awful on T-Mobile’s part, but hey, Google must’ve cut T-Mobile a sweet deal … probably including your data.
More analyst praise roared for Roku (Nasdaq: ROKU) today … but it’s nothing Great Stuff Picks readers didn’t already anticipate. After ROKU’s recent valuation haircut, Truist Securities sees a buying op and upgraded ROKU from hold to buy.
Truist pointed toward “attractive opportunities ahead in advertising,” which undersells the potential on Roku’s hands by a mile. Roku just bought Nielsen’s advanced video advertising tech, which is like the enigma machine for efficiently monetizing an audience.
PayPal: The Pepsi Of Payment Apps
In a rare spurt of exciting news from PayPal (Nasdaq: PYPL), the company will now let users pay with cryptocurrencies in their wallets the same way you’d pay with a regular debit or credit card. While more flexibility should eventually benefit PayPal’s bottom line, this is bigger news for crypto than it is for PayPal.
The broader acceptance of bitcoin in everyday payments is another feather in crypto’s virtual cap. And for the two or three people using PayPal by choice and not because they have to, I guess the extra payment options are pretty nice.
The Cars Volta
Today, Volkswagen (OTC: VWAGY) confirmed rumors that its American arm will, in fact, change its name to Voltswagen of America. Everyone knows the best way to get more hype over an announcement is to leak it early … right?
The punny rebranding is still a side story to Voltswagen’s plans to wallop the American market for electric vehicles. You can mark my words that this is the real Tesla (Nasdaq: TSLA) killer — by 2028, Voltswagen plans to serve up over 28 million all-electric cars across 70 different model types.
Who wouldn’t want a wider selection besides, what, a handful of dull, ultra similar Teslas? The American auto market wants more options — more, more, more! And speaking of options…
Hey, options traders! I have a treat for you today.
My colleague, Chad Shoop, recently discussed how Quick Hit Profits subscribers made 147% in just 35 days. I can hear you rolling your eyes, you know.
You’re probably thinking: “Sure, but that will never be me. Nobody makes those gains in real life.”
Well … you’re wrong. How do I know? Because I’ve traded options for more than 15 years. These kinds of returns are possible … especially for you Great Ones.
Remember, options move pretty fast. If you don’t stop and do your research once in a while, you could miss it. And the one thing that most investors miss when trading options is the correct research.
Let’s let Chad explain:
Western Digital had gone nowhere for the last two months before the company reported earnings. Even with the sideways price movement for basically two months, the stock was up a solid 40% over the last quarter.
After a 10% jump on earnings, it was up as much as 60% over the same three-month period.
A strong rally like that would make anyone consider taking their profits and running.
But we jumped right in.
Why did Chad jump right in? Because Western Digital (NYSE: WDC) hit Chad’s Profit Trigger:
With WDC trading near $57 after earnings, Chad recommended an April $57.50 call … just out of the money. He knew from Western Digital’s past that follow-through buying was on the way, and WDC didn’t disappoint.
In just over a month, WDC went on to rally more than 26% following the company’s stellar earnings report. But, since Quick Hit Profits subscribers traded options on WDC, they banked a gain of 147% — in a little more than one month!
This is how you trade options. Not on some YOLO whim, but with solid data from following a stock over a long period of time. To paraphrase John Lennon: “I don’t believe in options, I just believe in Chad Shoop.”
After all, Chad is the walrus. I could be the walrus, but I’d still have to bum rides off people and make stock market memes. Anyway … I’ve asked Chad to tell you everything you need to start putting his strategy into action.
He’ll tell you exactly what this “Profit Trigger” is, how to use it to uncover some of the best opportunities in the market and why the average trade takes just 30 to 60 days.
And after you’ve checked that out, I have a quick question for you: Have you traded options before? Better yet, have you traded options … with Chad Shoop?! Tell us your options market tales of glory and/or woe … basically, anything that inspires you to drop us a line.
GreatStuffToday@BanyanHill.com. Write us anytime!
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Until next time, stay Great!
Joseph Hargett
Editor, Great Stuff