Industry Focus

Both payment processors have grown tremendously, but which is the best to invest in now?

Facebook's massive post-earnings sell off caught the market off guard, but should investors have been so surprised? We tackle that, and Spotify's second report as a publicly traded company.

We go back to basics in this episode on the U.S. defense sector. We discuss the history of the industry, what investors need to know about the current climate, best stocks to invest in and why. Stocks mentioned: Boeing (BA), Northrop Grumman (NAC), Raytheon (RTN), General Dynamics (GD), Leidos (LDOS), CACI International (CACI), ManTech (MANT), Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH).

It’s big pharma week! First, we discuss Eli Lilly’s second quarter earnings and its decision to spin-off its animal health business. Then, we explain why GlaxoSmithKline became an investor in the DNA screening company, 23andMe.

BJ’s Wholesale Club is up 50% from its June IPO, with investors encouraged by improving growth and profitability trends. But BJ’s large rival sets a high bar for the industry. We also look at Calavo Growers, which has delivered incredible long-term returns thanks to its main staple - avocados. Stocks: CVGW, BJ, COST

Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley both had excellent growth in the second quarter.

Short sellers are often characterized as speculators and manipulators, but they play an important role in the financial markets. We run through why shorts are important, but also why the average investor should probably stay away from shorting stocks.

We take a deep-dive into a stock in our own portfolios: Corning (GLW). We cover the history of the company, its recent underperformance, our appreciation for its long-term focused management team, and why it’s set for growth. Stocks mentioned: Corning (GLW).

A new spin on an old drug could dent demand for Epidiolex, a marijuana-based epilepsy drug. Plus, here's how important Medicare and Medicaid are to UnitedHealth Group's profits.

We tackle a listener question from Ryan, who wants to know whether this big box consumer electronics retailer could be a long-term value play with its stable growth and dividend. Best Buy recently came out of its 5-year turnaround effort, and management is now focused on a “New Blue”.

The “big four” U.S. banks – JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM), Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC), Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), and Citigroup (NYSE: C) – have all reported their second-quarter earnings. In this episode of Industry Focus: Financials, host Michael Douglass and Fool.com contributor Matt Frankel discuss the winners and losers, as well as some sector trends investors should be aware of.

This Chinese consumer tech company has come up on our show several times as a competitor to U.S. firms in the smartphone and wearables space. But today, we focus on Xiaomi, as its shares have just hit the Hong Kong exchange.

We discuss renewable yieldcos; Pattern Energy Group (PEGI), TerraForm Power (TERP), Brookfield Renewable Partners (BEP), and NextEra Energy Partners (NEP). Also, we break-down what exactly MLPs and C-corps are and what they mean for investors.

Promo: Biogen and Eisai rolled out encouraging data for one of their Alzheimer's disease drugs last week. Also, why is Amazon.com's purchase of PillPack so important? Stocks: BIIB, AMZN, WBA, CVS, RAD

With its IPO expected to price later this summer, Sonos will be the rare, pure-play option for investors eyeing the fast-growing smart speaker market. Can this $1 billion business go head to head with some of the world’s largest companies?

When it comes to U.S. banks, there are four that are in a league of their own when it comes to size – JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM), Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), Citigroup (NYSE: C), and Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC). In this episode of Industry Focus: Financials, host Shannon Jones and banking specialist Matt Frankel take a closer look at the big four and what investors should know when evaluating these institutions.

We run through questions about the software-as-a-service market: what metrics to watch, what to expect from the industry, and what companies we're excited about. Stocks: CRM, SHOP, APPF, BL

We discuss some headlines from the last week: Tesla finally meeting its production target, GE spinning off healthcare, and Harley-Davidsons latest turmoil. We also chat about the future of flight and Ford’s partnership in China.

Now that both rounds of the bank stress tests are over, let’s see what we learned.

25 years ago, most households didn't have a computer in their homes. Today, the five largest U.S. companies are in tech. We discuss what trends led us here and how they aren't done yet.