Hundreds of Canadian creditors out millions as werewolf movie frozen by insolvency
If you're a book lover, you may have heard of the Wolves of Mercy Falls roman-tasy series. Shiver, the much-anticipated film based on the first novel, wrapped up filming in Vancouver late last year. But Jason Proctor reports that the production company formed to make the film has gone into insolvency, leaving hundreds of Canadian creditors out of millions of dollars.
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Globe and Mail
14 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Amazon Stock: Buy, Hold or Sell?
After touching a multi-year low of around $84 in early 2023, Amazon 's (NASDAQ: AMZN) stock price has more than doubled to $200 (as of this writing), thanks to the improvement in financials. As the company moves forward on tailwinds such as artificial intelligence (AI) and facing headwinds such as the e-commerce slowdown, investors may wonder: Is now the time to buy, hold, or sell Amazon stock? Let's take a closer look. How did Amazon perform in 2024? First, a review of Amazon's recent performance, focusing on its 2024 performance. Overall, it was a solid year for several reasons. Amazon expanded revenue by 11% to $638 billion, thanks to growth across all three major segments. North America was up by 10%, International was up by 9%, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) was up by 19%. While an 11% revenue growth rate is not unusually high, it is still remarkable considering the scale that Amazon operates in. Moreover, while its top-line growth was solid, the highlight of Amazon's performance in 2024 was the massive improvements in its bottom line. Operating profit jumped 86% from $36.9 billion to $68.6 billion, due to profit growth across all segments. The rapid margin expansion demonstrates the giant's strong execution capabilities in managing its costs and the benefits of operating leverage. Operationally, Amazon continued to improve delivery speeds, with more than 65% more items delivered to Prime members the same day or overnight than in the fourth quarter of 2023. It also launched Amazon Haul, a new ultra-low-price shopping service in the U.S., to compete against low-cost players like Temu and Shein. Similarly, in its cloud computing business (AWS), the tech company delivered good progress in 2024, such as introducing its new Trainium2 AI chip, establishing its foundation models in Amazon Nova, and creating new models and features in Amazon Bedrock that give customers flexibility and cost savings. All these innovations help position the company in the ongoing AI race. In other words, despite its size, the tech giant is still executing well to delight its users and maintain its share in key markets. What are Amazon's prospects in the coming years? Amazon might have become a household name thanks to the success of its e-commerce business, but the most significant growth drivers in the next few years will likely come from other segments. The biggest winner will likely be AWS, which rides on megatrends like AI advancement and the ongoing migration to the cloud. For instance, the global AI market is expected to grow from $294 billion in 2024 to $1.772 billion by 2032, a compound average growth rate of 29%. As the most significant cloud computing player globally with a 30% market share, AWS is primed to benefit from this once-in-a-generation trend. Another business gaining traction (which could accelerate further in the coming years) is Amazon's advertising business. Centered around Prime Video and Amazon Search, the advertising business generated $14 billion in revenue in the first quarter of 2025, up 18% year over year. This segment grew even faster than AWS (up 17% in the same quarter). Like AWS, advertising is a high-margin business, which will likely contribute to a margin expansion for the giant over time. Unlike the previous two businesses, the e-commerce segment could see a mixed performance in the coming years. On the positive end, Amazon can leverage its massive scale to gain market share from traditional brick-and-mortar shopping and expand in emerging markets like India. The downside is that it has to deal with the uncertainties of tariffs and emerging competitors like Temu and Shein. So, while Amazon is still favorably positioned to grow its e-commerce business, the e-commerce prospects will not be as straightforward as those of AWS and the advertising business. Still, while the prospects may differ for Amazon's various business segments, it is essential to highlight that the company has an unusual culture centered around its "Day 1" mentality. This mentality focuses on customer obsession, embracing new trends, willingness to experiment and fail, and avoiding bureaucracy. As long as the company can maintain this culture, it is well-positioned to continue growing in the years to come, albeit at a slower pace, given its already enormous size. Is Amazon's stock cheap? Here's another factor that investors should consider before making a move in Amazon's stock: The stock valuation in relation to its past. Here, let's use price-to-sales (P/S) as a proxy. Amazon's P/S ratio has ranged from 1.7 to 4.6 times in the last five years. As of this writing, it is 3.3 times, just around the middle of that range. The current valuation suggests that while Amazon's stock is not a bargain today, it is not excessively priced compared to its past valuation. What it means for investors Amazon delivered strong results in 2024, highlighting the strength of its execution capabilities. Its high-margin segments -- AWS and advertising -- will drive future growth, supported by trends like AI adoption. While e-commerce faces mixed prospects, Amazon's Day 1 culture will likely keep it competitive for the foreseeable future. So, while the stock is not a screaming buy today, it is not a sell. Existing investors should hold on to the stock, while investors with a long-term horizon could consider buying a small position and adding to that position over time. Should you invest $1,000 in Amazon right now? Before you buy stock in Amazon, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Amazon wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $651,049!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $828,224!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is979% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to171%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 19, 2025
Globe and Mail
14 minutes ago
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Could Buying SoFi Technologies Stock Today Set You Up for Life?
Without a doubt, SoFi Technologies (NASDAQ: SOFI) has been a volatile stock. The company's stock chart in 2021 looks like a wild roller-coaster ride, and 2022 was a long slope downward from prices in the low $20s to prices in the mid-single-digit range. However, after about 2 1/2 years of trading in that single-digit range, shares have soared by 90% just in the past 12 months to more than $13. Investors who take a closer at this fintech company now will likely come away impressed. But if you buy shares today, could SoFi set you up for life? Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More » Rising in the financial services industry It has been remarkable to watch SoFi's evolution from its launch in 2011 as a business that specialized in offering more affordable student loans to its current form as a comprehensive online bank. Now, SoFi can help its customers with an array of financial needs, from checking and savings accounts to stock investing, insurance, and loans. Its growth has been exceptional. During the five-year period that ended in 2024, SoFi's customer base expanded 10-fold. And in the first three months of this year, it added 800,000 net new customers. This propelled a 20% jump in revenue year over year. Its ability to cross-sell additional products to existing customers as their financial needs evolve should drive durable growth over the long term. Based on its impressive trajectory, the business is doing a fantastic job at filling a market need. That should make investors bullish because it highlights SoFi's ability to take advantage of the weaknesses of banking industry incumbents by offering a tech-forward banking platform that provides a superior user experience. There's reason to be optimistic about SoFi's future, at least if you believe what its leadership team says. Chief Executive Officer Anthony Noto has said publicly that he wants SoFi to become a top 10 financial institution one day. It's not exactly clear what metric he's focused on -- asset base, revenue, market cap, or something else -- but it's obvious that his goal is to aim high. Focus on earnings growth SoFi stock is still far below the all-time high it reached in February 2021. The stock is currently 48% below that peak. However, its momentum has been notable in the past year. I don't believe its current valuation is expensive. The stock trades right now at a forward P/E ratio of about 41. At first glance, you might think this is not a bargain by any means. But in the context of the company's earnings growth trajectory, it looks more appealing. SoFi generated earnings per share (EPS) of $0.39 in 2024, its first full year of being profitable on a GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) basis. The leadership team is projecting EPS of $0.68 (at the midpoint of its estimates) in 2026. After that, their outlook is that this key metric will grow at a compound annual rate of 20% to 25%. On one hand, it's best to take such forecasts with a grain of salt. Consider, though, that SoFi has exceeded Wall Street's average EPS estimate in each of the past 11 quarters. This could be a sign that management is making a habit of guiding analysts toward setting expectations that it will likely be able to beat. And it's important to remember that SoFi is a fully digital bank. It has no physical branches to deal with. Its lower infrastructure costs should make it easier for it to increase its profits in the years ahead as it scales up further. While I wouldn't go so far as to say this fintech stock could set you up for life, it does look like a smart buying opportunity right now. Should you invest $1,000 in SoFi Technologies right now? Before you buy stock in SoFi Technologies, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and SoFi Technologies wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $651,049!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $828,224!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is979% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to171%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 19, 2025
CTV News
15 minutes ago
- CTV News
‘Universal Language' leads film contenders heading into Canadian Screen Awards
An absurdist Winnipeg-set fever dream and a millennial identity dramedy are among the leading contenders heading into tonight's Canadian Screen Awards. Matthew Rankin's 'Universal Language' picked up five awards in the film categories at a ceremony over the weekend and will compete for several more tonight, capping off a multi-day celebration of Canadian film, television and digital storytelling. It's vying for the best film trophy against 'The Apprentice,' 'Darkest Miriam,' 'Gamma Rays,' 'Village Keeper' and 'Who Do I Belong To.' Jasmeet Raina's Crave dramedy series 'Late Bloomer' won four awards at a gala for scripted television on Saturday, and is in contention tonight for best comedy series. It's up against CTV's 'Children Ruin Everything,' CBC's 'One More Time' and Crave's 'Don't Even' and 'Office Movers.' Edmonton-born comedian Lisa Gilroy says there's no better time to spotlight homegrown talent as she hosts tonight's Canadian Screen Awards, airing live from Toronto on CBC and CBC Gem. 'I know how hard it is to get TV shows and movies made (in Canada), and I'm so excited to celebrate the stuff that has been made,' she said in an interview earlier this month. 'It is so good and so funny. And we deserve to party.' 'Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent,' which led all nominees overall with 20, is up for several trophies tonight. It won two awards on Saturday for best writing in a drama series and best sound in fiction. It will square off for best drama series against CBC's 'Allegiance' and 'Bones of Crows,' Hollywood Suite's 'Potluck Ladies' and CTV's 'Sight Unseen.' 'Law & Order Toronto' actors Kathleen Munroe and Aden Young compete for best lead performer in a drama series against Grace Dove of Crave's 'Bones of Crows,' Mayko Nguyen of Citytv's 'Hudson & Rex' and CBC stars Supinder Wraich of 'Allegiance,' Hélène Joy of 'Murdoch Mysteries, Michelle Morgan of 'Heartland' and Vinessa Antoine of 'Plan B.' 'Universal Language' stars Rojina Esmaeili and Pirouz Nemati are nominated for best performance in a leading comedy film role. They're up against Maïla Valentir of 'Ababooned,' Paul Spence of 'Deaner '89,' Taylor Olson of 'Look at Me,' Emily Lê from 'Paying for It,' Cate Blanchett of 'Rumours' and Kaniehtiio Horn of 'Seeds.' Up for best performance in a leading drama film role are Sebastian Stan of 'The Apprentice,' Oshim Ottawa of 'Atikamekw Suns,' Britt Lower of 'Darkest Miriam,' Carrie-Anne Moss of ':Die Alone,' Chaïmaa Zineddine Elidrissi of 'Gamma Rays,' Sean Dalton of 'Skeet,' Christine Beaulieu of 'The Thawing of Ice,' and Olunike Adeliyi of 'Village Keeper.' In a last-minute programming shift on Thursday, the Canadian Screen Awards announced it would broadcast live on television — reversing earlier plans for a streaming-only show. Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television CEO Tammy Frick previously said going online-only allowed the show to be more 'flexible.' Some top nominees had expressed disappointment in March, telling The Canadian Press that a televised broadcast is key to spotlighting Canadian talent. The Academy said the decision to return to CBC TV came down to NHL scheduling — with no playoff game on Sunday, the two-hour show could air live. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 1, 2025. Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press
