Why Golden Visas Are Quietly Making a Comeback
Australia scrapped its version of the golden visa last year, after concerns the scheme was being rorted. Meanwhile, New Zealand has just revamped its own system, and is preparing to welcome wealthy expats with open arms.
This week on the podcast, Rebecca Jones speaks to wealth editor Ainsley Thomson in Wellington about why golden visas are making a comeback in some parts of the world and where you can still get one.
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Better Quantum Computing Stock: D-Wave Quantum vs. Quantum Computing Inc.
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Read on for an exploration of both businesses to understand which one and why. Untangling D-Wave Quantum's business performance D-Wave produces income primarily through subscriptions to its quantum systems via the cloud and professional services to support customers in the use of its technology. In 2025, D-Wave's sales have been on a roller coaster. It generated $15 million in the first quarter after selling one of its quantum computers. In Q2, revenue was $3.1 million, a 42% increase from 2024's $2.2 million as the company picked up $1 million to upgrade the device sold in the first quarter. This sales volatility could continue for some time as D-Wave grows its business. An encouraging sign is 92% year-over-year growth in its Q2 bookings to $1.3 million. Bookings represent customer orders received in the quarter that are expected to produce revenue when the orders are fulfilled. However, D-Wave isn't turning a profit. 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But through the first half of 2025, sales plunged 52% to $100,000. QCi's technology has the potential to generate long-term revenue growth. Photons can be used in a wide range of light sensing, imaging, and other optical applications. Nevertheless, until QCi can gain traction with a larger group of customers, sales will continue to struggle. And that does not bode well for its business viability, because the company is not profitable. The company exited Q2 with an operating loss of $10.2 million against revenue of $61,000 as research and development costs more than doubled year over year to $6 million. QCi's saving grace is that, like D-Wave, it amassed a large war chest to fund operations in the short term. Q2 total assets were $426.1 million with cash and equivalents of $348.8 million. Total liabilities in the quarter were $30.1 million. Deciding between D-Wave Quantum and Quantum Computing Inc. 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Quantum computers are prone to calculation errors, because the atomic particles in these machines are sensitive to the slightest environmental disturbances, such as a minor temperature change. So while D-Wave is the better choice versus QCi, any investment in a pure-play quantum computer company is a risk. And it could take years before a scalable quantum device is possible. Some estimates predict that won't happen until 2040. Given these factors, only investors with a high risk tolerance should consider investing in D-Wave. Should you invest $1,000 in D-Wave Quantum right now? Before you buy stock in D-Wave Quantum, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and D-Wave Quantum wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. 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Ford CEO Jim Farley Says "There Are No Guarantees" With New $5 Billion EV Investment. Is Ford Stock a Risk Worth Taking for Investors?
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It won't happen soon These changes won't happen overnight: Ford is suggesting that it will be 2027 before the first vehicle made at the reconfigured Kentucky plant rolls off the assembly line. That seems like a pretty optimistic timeline, and it's the earliest investors would likely see any boost to the company's stock as a result of this announcement. So, even if Ford can make it happen, it means we won't get a clear sense of whether this $5 billion investment will pay off until then. In an ideal world, the new process will be wildly successful and Ford will be able to undercut its competitors on the prices of its electric vehicles, thus stopping the bleeding from its EV division, but as Farley said, that's far from a guarantee. Investors would be wise to hold off on buying shares of this longtime market dud until the case for its turnaround is much stronger. Should you invest $1,000 in Ford Motor Company right now? 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Ford CEO Jim Farley Says "There Are No Guarantees" With New $5 Billion EV Investment. Is Ford Stock a Risk Worth Taking for Investors? was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio
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Where Will Spotify Technology Stock Be in 5 Years?
Key Points Over the last five years, Spotify stock has increased in value by nearly 200%. Spotify's management gives me confidence that the company will continue to deliver solid revenue growth and profits. 10 stocks we like better than Spotify Technology › It's impossible to know the future. However, by closely examining a company's fundamentals, its business model, and its management team, it is possible to make an educated prediction about how a stock might perform. With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Spotify Technology (NYSE: SPOT) and try to figure out where the stock might be five years from now. How Spotify stock performed over the last five years To start, let's get a handle on how Spotify stock has performed. Since August 2020, five years ago, the company's stock has increased by 192%. That works out to a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24%. It also compares favorably to the benchmark index, the S&P 500, which has increased by 91% over the same period, with a CAGR of 14%. There are two big reasons for this excellent performance. First, Spotify is a major beneficiary of the streaming revolution. Thanks to the ubiquitous nature of smartphones and the nearly global availability of broadband internet, people around the world have switched to streaming to hear their favorite music. Consequently, the company now boasts nearly 700 million daily average users (DAUs) and more than 276 million subscribers. The second reason Spotify enjoyed stock market success is due to sound management and cost control. Up until 2024, Spotify struggled to turn a profit. However, after several rounds of cost cuts and price hikes, Spotify generated over $860 million in net income over the last 12 months. That's despite reporting a small loss in its most recent quarter, which CEO Daniel Ek blamed on "an execution challenge." How Spotify is executing right now Clearly, one unprofitable quarter isn't that meaningful when trying to evaluate how a company and its stock will perform over a period of five years. That said, Spotify's recent earnings miss raises questions about how profitable the company will be going forward. However, this is where trust in management comes into play. Ek has shown the ability to make tough decisions and to rein in spending before. He's made cuts to the company's podcast division every year since 2023, trimming back a consistently unprofitable niche for the company. At the same time, Spotify increased subscription prices while still growing its overall subscriber base. While these trends could end, I feel confident that Ek will continue to tighten the belt when and where necessary. That should result in Spotify returning to consistent profitability soon -- and remaining profitable thereafter. Where Spotify stock could be in five years So, if Spotify can continue to grow its key metrics at a similar rate, where would that leave its stock five years from now? I believe that Spotify can maintain its current growth for at least five years. Therefore, let's take its last five years as a basic guide. The company's stock generated a CAGR of 24% over those five years, and, to be conservative, let's assume a CAGR of 18% for the next five years. If that were to occur, Spotify stock would increase by about 129% over the next five years, bringing its price (assuming no stock splits) to roughly $1,670. Now, obviously, this is a prediction, and Spotify might not live up to it. There are risks, such as higher costs, slower growth, greater competition, or regulation, all of which could negatively affect Spotify and its stock price. However, right now, I remain bullish on Spotify, and I believe that investors seeking a solid growth stock would be wise to consider it. Should you invest $1,000 in Spotify Technology right now? Before you buy stock in Spotify Technology, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Spotify Technology 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 $671,466!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,115,633!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,077% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 185% 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 August 18, 2025 Jake Lerch has positions in Spotify Technology. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Spotify Technology. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Where Will Spotify Technology Stock Be in 5 Years? was originally published by The Motley Fool
