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9 minutes ago
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Is the stock market in a bubble?
There's no question that valuations are starting to look stretched in some parts of the stock market. But I don't think that should deter investors from looking for shares to buy. It's hard to make a case for buying Palantir shares at a price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 120, but not all stocks are the same. The question for investors is where are the opportunities?. Valuations Both the FTSE 100 and the S&P 500 are trading at some of their highest price-to-earnings (P/E) multiples in recent years. And that's because share prices have gone up faster than profits. That makes the equation less attractive for investors, but this certainly doesn't mean a crash is imminent. And I don't think it's a good reason to stay away from the stock market entirely. In general, the fact that a stock trades at an unusually low P/E multiple doesn't mean it has to go up any time soon. It can take weeks, months, or even years. Equally, there's no rule that stocks trading at high multiples have to crash in the near future. Even at a P/S multiple of 120, it's not illegal for Palantir shares to keep going up! One reason to stay in the stock market is just because valuation multiples have expanded. But there's a bigger reason that I think investors should take note of. It's nearly always the case in the stock market that there are shares that trade at relatively low prices but could be very rewarding long term. And I think there's one name that's hiding in plain sight at the moment. Inefficiencies Shares in Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) fell 8% after the firm released its earnings report for the second quarter of 2025. But revenues were up 13% and earnings per share increased by 33%. The reason the stock fell was because the company's forecast operating income for Q3 of between $15.5bn and $20.5bn is roughly in line with where it was in 2024. One potential cause of this is the impact of US tariffs and this is a risk for investors to consider. But at $217, I think the valuation multiple means the stock's well worth a closer look. The falling share price means the stock trades at a (trailing) P/E multiple of 33. That's well below the likes of Walmart (42) and CostCo (53). I find it hard to see that as anything other than a stock market inefficiency. And that's without factoring in Amazon's advertising business growing at 23% a year and AWS posting 17% growth. Importantly, I also don't see tariffs as a genuine threat to Amazon's long-term competitive position. So I don't think the stock should be trading at an unusually low P/E multiple. Opportunities The truth about the stock market is that there are always shares that are overvalued somewhere. I think that applies to quite a few right now, so it might be fair to say there's a bubble forming. Equally though, there are always shares that are undervalued. And the best thing for investors to do is keep looking for these, even when they might seem hard to find. I have a lot of stocks on my watchlist where I think they're in bubble territory. But Amazon's one I'm looking at for my portfolio this month. The post Is the stock market in a bubble? appeared first on The Motley Fool UK. More reading 5 Stocks For Trying To Build Wealth After 50 One Top Growth Stock from the Motley Fool Stephen Wright has positions in Amazon. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Amazon and Walmart. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Motley Fool UK 2025 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Global Ship Lease (GSL): One of the Most Underrated Shipping Stocks With High Yield
Global Ship Lease, Inc. (NYSE:GSL) is included among the 10 Best Shipping Stocks with Dividends. A large cargo ship in a harbor port, teeming with Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs). Global Ship Lease, Inc. (NYSE:GSL) is an American company that owns a fleet of 69 container vessels, which it leases out to shipping operators through long-term, fixed-rate contracts. Its business model is designed to support major shipping firms by offering additional capacity during periods of strong demand. In recent years, amid increased uncertainty and market challenges, Global Ship Lease, Inc. (NYSE:GSL) took advantage of favorable conditions to expand its fleet by around 50%, acquiring 23 vessels during a buyer's market. These additions brought in over $1 billion in EBITDA within their first year, largely through lease agreements with major operators like Maersk. Global Ship Lease, Inc. (NYSE:GSL) has experienced some ups and downs in its dividend history, yet it continues to follow a consistent dividend policy. The company resumed dividend payments in 2021, following a suspension that began in 2016. Currently, it offers a quarterly dividend of $0.525 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.79%, as of July 30. While we acknowledge the potential of GSL as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: and Disclosure: None. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
5 states with the highest income tax rates— and 5 with the lowest
It's understandable to feel envious of people who live in states with low or no income taxes. After all, after paying federal taxes, state income taxes take another swipe at your bottom line. But if you're comparing places to live, look at the big picture and consider other local taxes, experts say. Because if state income taxes are really low, you're likely paying higher property or sales taxes to compensate for that. 'Washington State famously has no income tax, but high sales tax, and Oregon is the opposite. So you want to look at the whole picture,' says Heather Liston, a certified financial planner, enrolled agent and principal at Clarity Financial in San Francisco. States with the highest income tax rates That said, there are some states where income taxes take a much bigger bite out of residents' earnings. The states with the highest tax rates are as follows. Keep in mind that some states use a graduated, or progressive, tax system — where income is bunched into chunks, each of which is taxed at a different rate. This list focuses on each state's highest tax rate, also called the marginal tax rate. States with the highest tax rates Top tax rate California 13.3% Hawaii 11% New York 10.9% New Jersey, Washington D.C. 10.75% Oregon 9.9% All of the states (and Washington D.C.) in the list above have graduated, aka progressive, tax systems. In a progressive tax system, your marginal tax rate is the top rate you pay, but your effective, or actual, tax rate is a blend of rates, and is generally lower than your marginal rate. Learn more: Marginal vs. effective tax rate: How they differ and how to calculate each rate Note that a state's top tax rate often only affects the people who make the highest taxable incomes. 'People will think of California, for example, and their highest tax rate is much higher than the average around the country. But that's for high income,' says Alyssum Malone, a CFP® and senior wealth advisor with Focus Partners Wealth in Colorado Springs, Colo. Here are two examples of how California's current tax rates apply to specific situations: A married couple that files jointly with $125,000 in taxable income pays a top rate of 8 percent. A single person with $40,000 in taxable income pays a top rate of 4 percent. And portions of income for all taxpayers in California are taxed at 1 percent and 2 percent. In fact, California has a total of nine different tax brackets. That's the nature of a progressive tax system: Your income is separated into different chunks, each of which is taxed at a different rate. And California's 12.3 percent rate? For a married couple filing jointly, that 12.3% rate applies solely to income above $1,442,628 in 2024. For a single filer, the 12.3 percent applies to income above $721,314 in 2024. States with the lowest income tax rates At the other end of the tax spectrum, nine states have no individual income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. (Washington does tax capital gains income for some high earners.) The states that levy an income tax, but have the lowest rates in the country, are as follows. States with the lowest tax rates (among states that levy an income tax) Top income tax rate North Dakota, Arizona 2.5% Indiana, Louisiana 3% Pennsylvania 3.07% Ohio 3.5% Iowa 3.8% Five of these states have flat tax structures — Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana and Pennsylvania — while North Dakota and Ohio have a graduated, or progressive tax structure. Learn more: 2025 tax brackets and federal income tax rates How states tax income States tax your income in different ways: Some states have graduated systems, similar to the federal tax system, in which people with low incomes pay lower tax rates and higher earners pay higher ones. Other states employ a flat tax in which the same rate is applied to each taxpayer, regardless of income. And some states have no income tax at all — often grabbing the attention of Americans interested in holding on to as much of their income as possible. However, states with low or no income taxes often make more of their revenue through sales taxes, property taxes and inheritance taxes, Liston says. For that reason, it's best to consider a place's income taxes in context with all the taxes you'll face when living there. Learn more: 10 states with the highest property taxes, and 10 states with the lowest And even then, what you get for those taxes can be drastically different. 'I'm in California, which has famously high taxes in basically all those areas — high income tax, high sales tax, high property tax. But look at how many people choose to live here anyway,' Liston says. 'Taxes pay for services that matter to us,' she says. If you move to a state with lower taxes but find that the government and services don't meet your needs, you might not be happy with that tradeoff, Liston says. Learn more: These 5 states don't levy sales tax, but watch for other taxes Consider the cost of living Comparing states solely by income tax rates doesn't necessarily give a fair picture of what you'll pay in overall taxes if you live there. There's no free lunch, and states have to pay for services somehow, Malone says. Taxpayers also should consider their earning potential in a particular location to fully understand how a place's taxes will affect their finances. 'Maybe the income that they would make is going to be high enough to overcome a higher tax rate,' Malone says. If you're a retiree or thinking about where you might want to retire someday, also consider what kind of breaks are available. 'A lot of states may have state tax, but then offer tax credits, deductions and incentives for retirees, to motivate retirees to live in the state. So the actual tax they're going to pay varies from the rate that they're seeing if they Googled the tax rate,' Malone says. Learn more: America's best states to retire in 2025: New Hampshire takes the top spot Perhaps a better way to understand how where you live impacts your finances would be to use a cost of living calculator, Malone says. Liston thinks that people often focus too much on taxes, especially when considering where they want to live in retirement. 'What matters are things like, where do your children and grandchildren live? Where can you get a house with no stairs, or whatever else you need for aging in place? What kind of cultural things do you enjoy?' Liston says. 'Tax should be the least of it when you think about where you want to live.' Learn more: State income tax rates: Check your state's rates Sign in to access your portfolio
