I Bless the Rains Down in China
Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Wuhan anymore.
I get that you’re probably experiencing virus fatigue at this point, but there are a few new developments … and it’s crucial that we cover them.
First, the Wuhan coronavirus has spread to more than 40,500 people globally, with more than 900 now dead due to the disease. The worst is still confined to China, but the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that early cases in other countries may be “the tip of the iceberg.”
WHO?
The organization directing international health at the United Nations.
What’s the organization’s name?
WHO.
That’s what I’m asking you!
And … scene…
So, the WHO isn’t the only one that doesn’t want to get fooled again. The U.K. also announced that it labeled the virus a “serious and imminent threat to public health” in accordance with Regulation 3.
What does that mean, exactly? Well, U.K. citizens, that means that the government can now “forcibly quarantine people with the viruses and they will not be free to leave.” Aren’t you special? You’re about to join tens of millions of Chinese in the quarantine zone, whether you want to or not.
The Takeaway:
So many pop culture references in so little space … I’m exhausted.
But I’m not too exhausted to give you the skinny on Wall Street’s reaction. And that is: Nothing. Nada. Zip.
Wall Street is still largely ignoring the Wuhan coronavirus. Futures on the three major U.S. indexes were down sharply in late Sunday-night trading, but they recovered sharply this morning. By midday, you couldn’t even tell anyone was worried at all.
The masses may not be worried, and a virus-driven correction might not appear anytime soon. But that doesn’t mean you should wait until the selling starts to take precautions.
Great Stuff has told you a thousand times to be prepared for the worst while still investing in the best.
That’s all fine and dandy, Mr. Great Stuff, but how exactly do I do that?
I’m glad you asked! What you need is a guide … someone who looks at undecided markets and says: “Been there, done that.”
Banyan Hill expert Jeff Yastine’s 15 years of financial news coverage saw the market through its highs, lows and the rocky days in between … all while unearthing high-growth stocks trading for bargains.
Today, Jeff’s about to unveil an investment that he calls “Q Shares,” which some believe to be Wall Street’s best-kept secret. He’ll show you how upgrading to Q Shares could grow your profits up to 27 times greater than your peers holding “normal” shares.
To hear Jeff explain the potential earning power of Q Shares, click here now!
The Good: Tesla Zombies
After it was forcibly shut down by the Chinese government to help combat the coronavirus, Tesla Inc.’s (Nasdaq: TSLA) Shanghai Gigafactory is operational again.
Is it manned by coronavirus zombies? Who knows?
But one thing is certain: Shanghai is helping get Tesla’s massive production schedule back on track.
“In view of the practical difficulties key manufacturing firms including Tesla have faced in resuming production, we will coordinate to make all efforts to help companies resume production as soon as possible,” a Shanghai government spokesperson told Reuters.
The factory’s reopening and the promise of Chinese government help is bolstering TSLA shares today. However, investors and analysts alike worry that economic disruption from the virus could impact sales in the region.
Personally, I think that last bit is a no-brainer. Tens of thousands are sick in China right now, and buying a new Tesla is probably the last thing on their minds. So, if analysts were pricing Chinese sales into their estimates — and you know they were — those estimates clearly need to be revised lower.
It might be a good time to fade today’s Tesla rally.
The Bad: Nio Shanghaied
Not all electric vehicle (EV) makers are rallying today around Shanghai’s pledge to help reopen facilities. Shares of Shanghai-based Nio Inc. (NYSE: NIO) are plunging sharply after the company failed to deliver … again.
This morning, Nio announced a year-over-year decline in January sales. The company blames the coronavirus and the Lunar New Year holiday’s bad timing. Stupid new year.
But that wasn’t all. Nio also said that it expects February sales to decline as well, since the Chinese government postponed employees’ return to work following the new year holiday.
Today’s drop pushed NIO shares down to test a key support/resistance line marked by their January lows and their July highs. This area (roughly near $3.50) is key for NIO, and a breach of support here could see sellers emerge in greater numbers.
Be wary if you’re tempted to buy the dip on this EV maker.
The Ugly: What the Funko?
It looks like the fad is over.
Last week, Funko Inc. (Nasdaq: FNKO) — the purveyor of plastic pop culture pieces — warned that holiday sales plunged 8% year over year. The company blamed a “challenging retail environment” and weak movie-related sales.
What’s more, Funko said it believes that 2020 sales growth will be in the high single-digit to low double-digit ranges. It’s also taking a $61.8 million write-down for slow-moving inventory.
Investors weren’t happy … at all. FNKO shares have plunged more than 45% since the announcement.
Apparently, there’s a limit to how many plastic figurines a person can own. I know that Great Stuff has recommended Funko in the past, but I expected the company to innovate … not try to subsist on its current product lineup.
If you still hold FNKO stock, I recommend selling it — before things get too much worse for the company.
The price paid, according to the speculation, would be $1,500 a share, or $270 billion. And the value ultimately realized by Google could be $1.5 trillion. That’s more than 10 times higher than today’s valuation and, in theory, makes Tesla the most valuable publicly traded company in America.
One and a half trillion dollars works out to more than $8,000 a share. That’s a lot.
— Al Root, Barron’s.
Maybe you haven’t heard the latest Tesla speculation…
Apparently, people believe that Alphabet Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG) could potentially acquire Tesla. In his Barron’s article, Root cites a Forbes piece that, in turn, cites a Trefis article. We’re at, like, six degrees of speculation here.
Tesla at $8,000 a share? To quote Root’s headline: “Now we are getting silly.”
Great Stuff: Should I Buy Tesla?
We’ve talked a lot about Tesla here on Great Stuff lately. I mean … a lot.
But the question many of you have is probably very simple: “Should I buy Tesla?”
As I’ve said before, I don’t think now is the right time. The stock needs a hype correction in a big way.
But you don’t have to take my word for it. Banyan Hill expert Ted Bauman, editor of The Bauman Letter, offered up his own take on Tesla recently … and I think his conclusion just might surprise you.
You can read the article here: “Should I Buy Tesla Stock?”
Or, if you’re more interested in hearing Ted’s dulcet tones, you can watch the video below:
Finally, if you really want to take a deep dive on Ted’s decades of economic experience, I highly suggest checking out The Bauman Letter.
Click here to learn more today!
Until next time, good trading!
Regards,
Joseph Hargett
Great Stuff Managing Editor, Banyan Hill Publishing