Industry Focus

With massive, multi-billion dollar valuations, unicorn start-ups Uber and Lyft are locked in an intense, sometimes controversial, race to become the ride of choice for users all over the world. We look at the stories behind each company and how their expansion plans are pushing them into complementary industries like delivery and driverless cars, often with the help of industry incumbents. 

Understanding the ins and outs of individual retirement accounts can give your retirement savings a jump-start. 

We discuss the P/E ratio and what it implies. Premium analyst Simon Erickson joins the show to explain how some Fools’ mentality towards the metric is different than most investors.  

Tune in to hear why Petrobras and Vale, two Brazilian energy companies that seem to be bottoming out, might not be worth the potential upside amidst seemingly endless corruption scandals. Also, our analysts look at the most important points from OPEC’s meeting this week, and why 2015 clocked the lowest level of oil finds we’ve seen in six decades.  

Investing gurus are snapping up shares in healthcare companies, but investors should do their own research before buying too.

From mental competency hearings to billionaire family trusts and rebelling management, Viacom has become the stage for a very public, very ugly dispute between ailing media mogul Sumner Redstone, his daughter, and the company’s CEO and Board of Directors. But what about the company’s long-term business prospects?

This episode we go inside Apple’s supply chain, explain the contract manufacturing model that the company uses, and highlight a few manufacturers to show how many different pieces go into the iPhone.

It’s found in the ground and winds up in your gas tank – but who makes money making this process happen?  

Walking investors through drug discovery, development, and approval and how to profit at each stage along the way.

For over 20 years, Chipotle has prided itself on fresh, quality ingredients sourced from only the best vendors – in other words, “food with integrity”. Asit Sharma joins Industry Focus to discuss the company’s suppliers, its high standards, and some of the growing pains Chipotle has encountered adapting its supply chain to work for over 2,000 restaurants.

How interest rates have shaped stocks and the economy since the Great Depression. If you want to understand the last century of finance, it helps to have a general idea about the trend in interest rates since the 1930s. Not only does this explain the spectacular bull market that began in 1982 and ended when the technology bubble burst in 2000, but it also helps one understand why and how the U.S. economy grew so rapidly during this stretch. In this episode of Industry Focus: Financials, The Motley Fool’s Gaby Lapera and John Maxfield kickoff lifecycle week by discussing how and why interest rates have gone full circle since the Great Depression.    

Wearables industry expert and long-time fan of the Fool Ramon T. Llamas joins us to talk about his team’s work at IDC, what’s going on in the smartwatch and fitness wearables markets, and some trends to watch in the next couple quarters.

Shell Oil is feeling the strain of its massive debt load, and just announced plans to do something about it.    

Peter Lynch once said “never invest in any idea you can’t illustrate with a crayon.” Does that hold true in the highly scientific world of biopharma? Find out in this special edition of Industry Focus: Healthcare with Motley Fool healthcare analysts Kristine Harjes and Max Macaluso.

From the apparel industry to your local grocery store, metrics like inventory turnover can tell investors a lot about a company and its operations. But in the words of one of the most well-run retailers today, should management treat inventory as “fundamentally evil”?

After a very difficult first quarter, it’s time to reevaluate the online marketplace model. On this Financials edition of The Motley Fool’s Industry Focus podcast, host Gaby Lapera and analyst Jay Jenkins go beyond the headlines in their discussion to explain why these problems are much more than a short term speed bump.  How did these companies get to this low point? What will it take for them to turn it around? Is it ever a good idea to make puns about something as boring as banking? To find out the answers to these questions and more, listen now.

Inspired by a Seinfeld clip, we dive into the topic of write-offs and the different forms they take. A special thanks to Audible for supporting our podcast. Listeners can get a free 30 day trial at audible.com/fool.

Tesla’s sky high valuation prices the company for perfection; is this warranted or should investors beware?

GlaxoSmithKline takes on Pfizer and Biogen battles Celgene in this healthcare edition of Industry Focus.

Big changes are happening in the world of entertainment and coffee consumption, here’s how investors can position their portfolios.