Anyone investing heavily this year??

How much money did you lose/gain this past week?


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Scoop: General consensus among Fed watchers is that Powell survives the current pressure from the
@WhiteHouse
to resign. The worry is is bond traders will come to believe any new chair will just slash short term rates at the behest of the president, rates on 10 and 30 year bonds spike along w consumer rates. The steepened yield curve crashes stocks and causes a recession. Not saying I agree with this thinking but it’s conventional wisdom on Wall Street. Story developing
 
Question for the fam, does anyone here trade or have looked into Preferred stocks? I know some can be leverage for income and for potential to gain capital via convertible to stock, I know there are many types of preferred stocks. Preferred stock is like hybrid, taking parts of a common stock but also incurring the debt of the said corporation. Can anyone chime in?
 
Question for the fam, does anyone here trade or have looked into Preferred stocks? I know some can be leverage for income and for potential to gain capital via convertible to stock, I know there are many types of preferred stocks. Preferred stock is like hybrid, taking parts of a common stock but also incurring the debt of the said corporation. Can anyone chime in?
I don't have direct experience, but have a few resources saved:


Warren Buffett has used preferred stock as a strategic investment tool, particularly in situations involving mergers and acquisitions. Berkshire Hathaway's $10 billion investment in Occidental Petroleum preferred stock with warrants in 2019 is a prime example, enabling Occidental to acquire Anadarko Petroleum. These preferred shares offer a fixed dividend (8% in the Occidental case) and the potential for capital appreciation through the warrants.
Here's a more detailed look:
Strategic Tool:
Buffett utilizes preferred stock as a flexible instrument in transactions, offering a higher yield than traditional debt and providing potential upside through warrants or conversion options.
Occidental Petroleum Example:
In 2019, Berkshire Hathaway invested $10 billion in Occidental Petroleum preferred stock with warrants, facilitating Occidental's acquisition of Anadarko.
Dividend and Warrants:
The preferred shares in the Occidental deal have an 8% dividend yield and come with warrants to purchase common stock at a set price, allowing for potential capital gains.
Not a Common Investment:
While Buffett has used preferred stock strategically, it's not a typical component of Berkshire Hathaway's core portfolio, which primarily focuses on common stocks.
Value Investing Principles:
Buffett's investment approach with preferred stock still aligns with his value investing philosophy, seeking companies with strong fundamentals and favorable long-term prospects.
Enterprise Value and Book Value:
When analyzing Berkshire Hathaway's financial statements, preferred stock's market value is added to common stock for enterprise value calculations, and its par value is subtracted from total equity in book value calculations according to GuruFocus.
 
I don't have direct experience, but have a few resources saved:

Thank you! damn, that was really informative. The upside is there but you really have to do your homework about the companies involved.
 


Firefly Aerospace filed for an IPO ($FLY). I haven't seen a date yet. This company would be a direct competitor to Rocket Lab in the space launch sector. They also have a moon lander and other projects that could potentially make money. I've been following them for a few years. My main issue is their cash burn and debt. I don't see myself building a long-term position with them until they get their accounting and R&D spending under control (easier said than done).

They have had 6 launches thus far, with only 2 being successful.

Also, IPOs have been coming in hot price wise. I wouldn't doubt they come in over $20 a share. I need it under $10 to throw some money at them in the early stages.

 
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This was a pretty good interview. At the 7:06 mark, he discussed Steve Jobs and his treatment of people, delving into what made him tick.

Starting at the 36:49 mark, I found this analogy quite interesting that he shared. I would love to hear some feedback from the board members.




Yeah man this was a great episode...haven't paid attention to O'Leary in a while but my wife told me about this episode of DOAC and said it was insightful, authentic and free of political bootlicking, so I listened to it.

That "signal vs noise" point was a key takeaway, I always referred to that as my 3 MVPs...(Most Valuable Priorities) I haven't been as disciplined with this recently and it was good to get a reminder.
 
Investing.com -- Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is expected to adopt Samsung (KS:005930) Display’s crease-free display solution for its foldable iPhone set to enter mass production in the second half of 2026, according to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

The tech giant will use Samsung’s solution rather than developing its own design to ensure stable mass production. This decision will benefit suppliers aligned with Samsung Display, with Fine M-Tec emerging as the primary beneficiary.

Fine M-Tec, which supplies display metal plates (also known as internal hinges), is projected to begin shipping components for the foldable iPhone in the first quarter of 2026. These metal plates, priced between $30-35 per unit, are a key element in creating crease-free displays by distributing and controlling bending stress during folding.

The company is expected to ship 13-15 million units in 2026, with an estimated 80% or higher supply share. The shipment volume exceeds final product assembly requirements due to yield losses and repair stock needs.

To meet Apple’s strict crease-free requirements, Fine M-Tec will implement laser drilling technology to create microstructures that better guide stress distribution. This advanced technique supports higher average selling prices compared to the etching process currently used in Samsung’s metal plates ($30-35 versus approximately $20).

Fine M-Tec is also benefiting from Samsung’s own foldable phone business. Samsung’s upcoming Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 models are projected to ship around 7 million units in 2025, representing roughly 40% year-over-year growth compared to 2024 models.

The company plans to expand its production capacity in Vietnam to meet demand for Apple’s foldable iPhone components, according to Kuo.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

 
Sold 2 more puts on for Webull today @ $86 each, $10 strike for 7/18/2025. Speculative, but I want to get a few hundred just to sit on.
Looks like I won't be assigned these 200 shares (unless something wild happens). :cool:

In other news:

Webull Corporation (NASDAQ: BULL), the owner of the Webull online investment platform, today announced that it will integrate Webull Pay LLC back into the Webull group. This important step advances Webull's plan to reintroduce crypto trading to its global customer base following its launch in Brazil last month. Additional market rollouts are expected to take place later this year, including plans to make crypto trading available in the United States through the Webull app during the third quarter.
 


Timecodes:

0:00 - Intro
0:59 - The High Fees Problem
3:13 - The Superior Returns Problem
6:19 - The Financial Tortoise Community
8:53 - The Transparency Problem
11:45 - The Democratization Myth Problem
14:31 - The Structure Trap Problem
15:59 - Conclusion
 
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I was eyeing $ASST to swing if/when it dropped to $4, but while doing my research on why it ran up a few weeks back:

Strive Asset Management, an exchange-traded fund manager co-founded in 2022 by Vivek Ramaswamy, said Tuesday it raised $ 750 million through private offerings as part of its merger with publicly traded Asset Entities Inc. (ASST) Strive announced a reverse merger with Asset Entities about three weeks ago.

:(
 

Average Stock Market Return: A Historical Perspective and Future Outlook​


628fc9ef14f00200180fdc28


  • The S&P 500 has gained about 10.5% annually since its introduction in 1957.
  • The S&P 500's annual average return in 2024 was 23.31%, a little less than 2023's 26% jump.
  • Returns may fluctuate widely yearly, but holding onto investments over time can help.

It can be nerve-racking to watch the stock market fluctuate up and down, but short-term fluctuations are normal. The market generally trends up down the line, providing significant returns to patient, long-term investors.

The best way to track the stock market's long-term performance is by looking at major market indexes. Your specific choice of benchmark may depend on your investing style, but the S&P 500 is used the most for general market analysis.



Year-to-year gains vary widely. According to Berkshire Hathaway, here's how the yearly returns from the S&P 500, including dividends, have looked over the past 10 years.


YearS&P 500 annual return
20151.4%
201612%
201721.8%
2018-4.4%
201931.5%
202018.4%
202128.7%
2022-18.1%
202326.3%
202423.31%

For the 10 years ending in December 2024, the S&P 500 has outpaced the historical average a bit, returning an annual average of 13.3% with dividends.
This is similar to the 12.55% return of the Russell 3000 index, which represents almost the entire US equity market. The smaller Russell 2000 index hasn't been quite as strong over the past decade but has still moved in the same direction, with a 7.82% annual gain, according to LSEG.


 

Average Stock Market Return: A Historical Perspective and Future Outlook​


628fc9ef14f00200180fdc28


  • The S&P 500 has gained about 10.5% annually since its introduction in 1957.
  • The S&P 500's annual average return in 2024 was 23.31%, a little less than 2023's 26% jump.
  • Returns may fluctuate widely yearly, but holding onto investments over time can help.

It can be nerve-racking to watch the stock market fluctuate up and down, but short-term fluctuations are normal. The market generally trends up down the line, providing significant returns to patient, long-term investors.

The best way to track the stock market's long-term performance is by looking at major market indexes. Your specific choice of benchmark may depend on your investing style, but the S&P 500 is used the most for general market analysis.



Year-to-year gains vary widely. According to Berkshire Hathaway, here's how the yearly returns from the S&P 500, including dividends, have looked over the past 10 years.


YearS&P 500 annual return
20151.4%
201612%
201721.8%
2018-4.4%
201931.5%
202018.4%
202128.7%
2022-18.1%
202326.3%
202423.31%

For the 10 years ending in December 2024, the S&P 500 has outpaced the historical average a bit, returning an annual average of 13.3% with dividends.
This is similar to the 12.55% return of the Russell 3000 index, which represents almost the entire US equity market. The smaller Russell 2000 index hasn't been quite as strong over the past decade but has still moved in the same direction, with a 7.82% annual gain, according to LSEG.


VTI/VOO and chill...?
 

Average Stock Market Return: A Historical Perspective and Future Outlook​


628fc9ef14f00200180fdc28


  • The S&P 500 has gained about 10.5% annually since its introduction in 1957.
  • The S&P 500's annual average return in 2024 was 23.31%, a little less than 2023's 26% jump.
  • Returns may fluctuate widely yearly, but holding onto investments over time can help.

It can be nerve-racking to watch the stock market fluctuate up and down, but short-term fluctuations are normal. The market generally trends up down the line, providing significant returns to patient, long-term investors.

The best way to track the stock market's long-term performance is by looking at major market indexes. Your specific choice of benchmark may depend on your investing style, but the S&P 500 is used the most for general market analysis.



Year-to-year gains vary widely. According to Berkshire Hathaway, here's how the yearly returns from the S&P 500, including dividends, have looked over the past 10 years.


YearS&P 500 annual return
20151.4%
201612%
201721.8%
2018-4.4%
201931.5%
202018.4%
202128.7%
2022-18.1%
202326.3%
202423.31%

For the 10 years ending in December 2024, the S&P 500 has outpaced the historical average a bit, returning an annual average of 13.3% with dividends.
This is similar to the 12.55% return of the Russell 3000 index, which represents almost the entire US equity market. The smaller Russell 2000 index hasn't been quite as strong over the past decade but has still moved in the same direction, with a 7.82% annual gain, according to LSEG.


whenever the S&P is negative for the year, load the boat because it coming back hard. Same with the nasdaq.
 
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