Industry Focus

Small bank investing requires a little extra work, but the benefits can pay off mightily. Host Gaby Lapera and special guest Tim Hanson think that small banks are not only an interesting niche in the investing markets, but one very much worth your time. What makes these banks “small”? Why should an investor even bother with the effort of researching and investing in them? What are the advantageous, disadvantages, and common mistakes investors make when wading into these waters? What are the key checkboxes you must check off before clicking “buy”? The answers to these questions – and more – are right here in today’s financials edition of the Motley Fool’s Industry Focus podcast.

Listen in to hear about the two new products Apple has announced, one nifty way the company is returning value to shareholders, and how Apple is performing in the detachables space. Then, on the Tesla side of things: what we know about Tesla’s Model 3, how it’ll make electric cars far more accessible to the public than they have been, and what might come of a significantly increased number of EVs on the road.

The Motley Fool’s Tayor Muckerman and Sean O’Reilly weigh in on recent production moves by oil giant Chevron and analyze the repercussions of a new partnership between SolarCity and Whole Foods.

The Motley Fool's Kristine Harjes and Todd Campbell discuss what trial failure, commercial failure, and patent expiration at Celldex, MannKind, and PDL BioPharma, respectively, teaches investors about managing risk in the industry.

Extending a wave of industry consolidation, the No. 2 and 4 theater operators in the U.S. will combine to create the largest theater chain in the country. The combined entity will have over 8,000 screens and 600 locations in 45 states. And in other news, stellar revenue growth may soon be a source of nostalgia for Shake Shack investors.  

Around the world, savers are grappling with negative interest rates. Here’s why negative interest rates are unlikely to hit American shores. Years after the Great Financial Crisis, interest rates are heading even lower. From Japan to Germany, interest rates are so low that they’re negative -- that’s right, negative! Some investors are actually choosing to lose money by investing in government bonds. But this week’s episode of Industry Focus: Financials has it all. Join us as The Motley Fool’s Gaby Lapera and Jordan Wathen discuss accounting ratios, negative interest rate policy, and why it’s so darn hard to make accurate predictions about the future.

Next week Fools will be on the ground in Austin for SXSW -- we run through three speakers we're excited to see and why.

We say goodbye to one of the nations pioneers and most controversial figures in America's shale revolution: Aubrey McClendon. Plus, a look at what Warren Buffet had to say about energy in his annual letter, ExxonMobil's big upcoming decisions, and we answer listener questions. 

The Zika Virus is a top healthcare concern globally, but investors might want to approach companies working on a Zika cure cautiously.

Hilton announced last week that it will be restructuring into three publicly traded entities, including one of the last REITs after Congress passed legislation in December barring the tax-free REIT spin-offs that had become popular with hotels, restaurants, and casinos. Meanwhile, Lego gets one step closer to the title of world’s largest toy company.  

Starting from the observation that the payments industry is dominated by the oligopoly of Visa, MasterCard and American Express, Gaby Lapera and John Maxfield talk about why it seems to be so prone to disruption.

Down over 35% since reporting earnings earlier this month, LinkedIn has some investors thinking about jumping ship. On this episode we break down the reasons for the dip and some growth drivers investors should keep an eye on.

To celebrate the energy sector’s 18th month of endemic misery, this week’s episode is all about the most ominous shadows looming on energy’s horizon. Listen in to hear which three oil companies have done the worst in the last fiscal year; how a new court ruling in Nevada has put a serious wrench in SolarCity’s business model; how an upcoming filing by two defunct companies could set a seriously nasty precedent for the pipeline space; and, what may be oil’s biggest upcoming threat – electric cars.

Presidential candidates from both sides of the aisles have views on how they'll improve the healthcare system. In this episode of Industry Focus: Healthcare, Motley Fool's Kristine Harjes and Todd Campbell discuss the proposals and their potential impact on the sector.  

We field listener questions this week. First, we learn about what $500 million of Deadpool box office receipts mean for Walt Disney. Then, we get into some gray area as we discuss the moral challenges governments and companies face as they try to put autonomous cars on the road.  

In this episode of the Motley Fool’s Industry Focus: Financials podcast, host Gaby Lapera and analyst Jay Jenkins break down the forces driving big bank valuations today and try to read the tea leaves on where the market will push this industry next.

Facebook announced plans to monetize its Messenger property beginning Q2 2016. We dig into the announcement, why investors should be happy, and why users shouldn’t be too worried about being overloaded by ads.  

The band is back together after a week off! This week, the energy team dives into the details of Berkshire Hathaway's purchase of Kinder Morgan and answer some listener questions about the move. Plus, dissecting the rumor mill about Saudi Arabia's production freeze and the woes of mining giants.

Motley Fool analysts discuss the challenges biotech companies face when they walk the fine line between patient centered medicine and profit.

Over the long weekend, Deadpool set multiple box office records for Twenty-First Century Fox with over $280 million in global ticket sales. And after the movie, we treat listeners to dinner as we revisit 3G Capital and the latest results from Burger King and Tim Hortons.