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Amazon Extends the Offer, The Beats Solo 4 Remains at Its Prime Day Record Low Price for Another Day

Amazon Extends the Offer, The Beats Solo 4 Remains at Its Prime Day Record Low Price for Another Day

Gizmodoa day ago
It can be very complicated to find good headphones: There are hundreds of them available, they range in price from $50 to $500, and it's difficult to determine which ones really do what they claim. That's why it usually pays to stick with familiar brands that have established a reputation for reliability and quality – and Apple-owned Beats is one of them.
Now, the Beats Solo 4 (wireless) headphones are available for their all-time-low price on Amazon – just $97, rather than their usual $199 (51% off). That matches the Prime Day deal, but it remains available a day after the sale.
See at Amazon
The on-ear Beats headphones combine a minimalist look with impressive sound quality and a comfortable fit. The matte black finish gives them a modern, understated style that works in any setting. The build quality feels solid with a flex-grip headband and adjustable ear cups that are designed to stay comfortable even during long listening sessions. The UltraPlush ear cushions are soft and durable so that the headphones sit securely on your ears without causing discomfort.
What sets the Beats Solo 4 apart is their custom acoustic architecture and updated driver, which deliver the signature Beats sound (powerful bass, crisp highs, and a balanced midrange). If you're looking for headphones that make your music punchy and energetic, these won't disappoint. Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking is another feature that gives you an even more immersive experience that dynamically adapts to the way you move your head.
Battery life is also a big selling point of the Beats Solo 4: With as much as 50 hours of playtime from a single charge, you can easily go days without having to recharge. When you do require a little extra, the Fast Fuel feature delivers up to 5 hours of playback after a 10-minute charge. Headphones also include support for high-resolution, lossless audio when connected via the included USB-C or 3.5 mm audio cable.
Everything is smoothly compatible with one-touch pairing with iOS and Android devices. In other words, you can easily connect, no matter what phone or tablet you possess. The built-in microphone delivers clear call quality and voice assistant support, and allows you to answer calls or adjust your music hands-free.
Our recommendation: The price might go up at any time, so it's wise to act now.
See at Amazon
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Sea Cloud Cruises Expands Audience, Grows American Business By 400%
Sea Cloud Cruises Expands Audience, Grows American Business By 400%

Forbes

time31 minutes ago

  • Forbes

Sea Cloud Cruises Expands Audience, Grows American Business By 400%

A Sea Cloud ship at full mast in the Mediterranean Sea Sea Cloud Cruises While large cruise lines dominate the headlines and oceans, small niche companies offer unique experiences that are hard for the big competition to replicate. Sea Cloud Cruises, which operates a trio of full-rigged, three-masted sailing yachts, is 'small but mighty,' says Chris Gray Faust, executive editor of Cruise Critic. Recent changes that this German brand has made in the past two years were meant to appeal to a growing North American audience, and they have proven successful with triple digit growth. This was all part of a key redirection for the company, which for years has filled its sailings with more Europeans than any other market. Key to this widened market share are recent leadership changes, more themed cruises and a focus on travel advisors. Kevin Smith and Mirell Reyes Sea Cloud Cruises At the helm of Sea Cloud is its first female CEO of North America and one of only a handful of women leaders to steer a global cruise line. This spring, Mirell Reyes moved from her role as president to CEO and brings her previous cruise line expertise to Sea Cloud. Reyes joins Kevin Smith, who was also promoted to the company's chief sales officer and will take on sales relationships with worldwide travel advisors. The aft decks and dining area of the line's largest sailing yacht, Sea Cloud Spirit Sea Cloud Cruises Both joined the company in 2023, and during their two years at Sea Cloud, they have helped to grow North American business by 400%. The cruise line is based in Hamburg, Germany and draws a substantial amount from the European market (especially Germany). These new efforts promote Sea Cloud within North America to help diversify the onboard passenger mix. Another first for Sea Cloud is the appointment of Kathryn Whittaker to captain of Sea Cloud II, marking the line's first female captain. She hails from Canada and was promoted from her role as chief officer. All-in pricing and more attention to travel advisors The aft deck and bar on one of Sea Cloud's sailing yachts Sea Cloud Cruises Among the changes are a big move to all-inclusive pricing. This includes an open bar, gratuities, port fees, watersport activities and shore excursions. All-inclusive pricing draws in more people: 'that kind of clarity is especially helpful when you're trying something new, like a sailing yacht,' explains Gray Faust. 'For a lot of people, this kind of cruise feels adventurous, but if the pricing is simple, it takes some of the stress out of booking.' A sailor on deck raising the sails Sea Cloud Cruises The line is now a preferred supplier of Virtuoso and Signature Travel Network. Together with a new Florida office (that takes the sting out of the time difference with Germany for American agents needing assistance), these moves have built greater awareness for Sea Cloud. And it has paid off delivering more agent bookings. The crew on the sailing masts of one of Sea Cloud's ships Sea Cloud Cruises Sea Cloud's tall-mast ships attract travelers fascinated with sailing and boating, but is something that draws in experienced cruisers looking for something different than a traditional cruise, too. Newly added Cultivated Journeys Sea Cloud ships often turn heads when the sails are at full mast. Sea Cloud Cruises Themed sailings are popular among travelers, especially Americans, says Gray Faust, and the new 'Cultivated Journeys' initiative is one of the line's newest features. It includes sailings that follow various themes like wine and cheese, culinary, music, literary, fashion and art history. On these trips, guest lecturers, experts and performers are on the ship and interact with passengers throughout the trip. Daily special events can include guided shore excursions, wine tastings, educational talks and musical performances. 'The themed cruises that Sea Cloud offers stand out because the ships are so small, the experiences feel special, not mass-produced,' says Gray Faust. 'Sea Cloud is not trying to compete with the mega lines, and that's the point. It's offering something completely different.' Sommelier Nils Lackner, a well-known wine expert from the German island of Sylt Sea Cloud Cruises Recent special guests have included veteran NBC News journalist Kerry Sanders, Miami's Chèvre restaurant and cheese shop owner Mario Naar and its Chef Claudio Giordano, German sommelier Nils Lackner, Miami Book Fair International founder Mitchell Kaplan and recording artist Travis Moser. 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"Sea Cloud may be small, but it knows exactly what it's doing,' adds Gray Faust, who has covered cruising and travel for nearly two decades. 'These ships are the real deal — actual sailing yachts where the crew still climbs the rigging and unfurls the sails by hand. That alone sets it apart.'

Synchrony's 11% Shareholder Yield Is Too Good for the Market to Ignore
Synchrony's 11% Shareholder Yield Is Too Good for the Market to Ignore

Yahoo

time33 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Synchrony's 11% Shareholder Yield Is Too Good for the Market to Ignore

Synchrony Financial isn't the kind of stock that trends on Reddit or commands CNBC airtime. It's a spinoff bank that underwrites store credit cards for companies like Amazon and Lowe's, hardly the most glamorous corner of the market. But quietly, Synchrony is becoming a capital return powerhouse. With an 11% shareholder yield, expanding margins, and a valuation under 7x forward earnings, its offering is more than the most high-growth names at a fraction of the risk, in a market still obsessed with momentum and narratives, Synchrony is playing a different game: generating cash, returning it, and waiting for the market to notice. And when it does, the rerating could be substantial. Unlike traditional banks that depend on consumer deposits and broad lending portfolios, Synchrony operates in a tightly focused lane: private-label credit and co-branded cards. It partners with retailers like Amazon, Lowe's, Sam's Club, and CareCredit for healthcare financing, embedding itself directly at the point of sale. This embedded finance model is more defensible than it looks. Synchrony doesn't just lend; it owns the relationship with both the merchant and the customer. Its partners get tailored credit programs, and Synchrony earns high-yield, interest-bearing balances with direct underwriting control. Unlike buy-now-pay-later startups chasing volume with razor-thin margins, Synchrony operates a durable, interest-driven model backed by decades of data. Its return on equity regularly exceeds 18%, thanks in part to that risk-adjusted, merchant-integrated underwriting engine. It's not sexy, but it's sticky, and increasingly rare in a financial sector overrun by commoditized loan books. Synchrony Financial isn't just profitable, it's aggressive in how it shares that profitability with investors. Over the past eight years, the company has delivered a rare combination of consistent dividends and opportunistic buybacks, creating a total shareholder yield that regularly exceeds 10%, and spiked as high as 27% in 2022. While the dividend has grown steadily from $0.26 per share in 2016 to $1.05 currently, the real power comes from the buyback engine. In 2018 and 2022, Synchrony repurchased the equivalent of 13.63% and 24.32% of its market cap, respectively, during periods of market dislocation. This isn't financial engineering, it's tactical capital deployment. The company has reduced its share count by over 30% since 2016, all while maintaining a conservative payout ratio that rarely exceeds 20%. That leaves room for continued returns without straining regulatory capital levels. In a market where many banks are dialing back repurchases to preserve liquidity, Synchrony is taking the opposite approach, leaning into its strength and rewarding shareholders when it matters most. At first glance, Synchrony Financial trades like a distressed lender. Its forward price-to-earnings ratio sits below 7x, and its price-to-tangible book value is just ~1.25x. For a company generating 24% return on equity and returning more than 10% of its market cap annually, this valuation simply doesn't reflect the underlying fundamentals. The chart below compares Synchrony to three peers in consumer lending, Discover Financial (DFS), Capital One (COF), and Citizens Financial Group (CFG): Metric SYF DFS COF CFG Forward P/E ~6.7x ~8.2x ~7.9x ~9.3x Price/Tangible Book ~1.25x ~1.45x ~1.20x ~1.05x Return on Equity (ROE) ~24% ~23% ~12% ~10% Shareholder Yield (TTM) ~11% ~5% ~4% ~3.5% Despite being the most shareholder-friendly of the group, Synchrony still trades at a discount to peers on a price-to-tangible book basis and remains well below sector averages on earnings multiples. Importantly, it achieves this with better capital efficiency ROE of 24% compared to 1023% for peers. The market seems to be overpricing risk tied to Synchrony's consumer credit exposure. Yet its net charge-off rates remain within historical norms, and the net interest margin is steady around 15.5%, showing little stress. Synchrony's embedded finance model, diversified across retail, healthcare, and home improvement, helps mitigate category-specific cyclicality. If Synchrony simply trades in line with peers on P/E or tangible book, the stock could rerate by 3040%, even without earnings growth. Synchrony Financial isn't popular with fast-money traders, but it's quietly attracting some of the sharpest long-term value investors in the market. Par Capital Management, known for taking concentrated positions in undervalued compounders, remains the company's largest institutional backer. With over 7.5 million shares and an average cost basis of around $28, Par has earned over 140% on its position. Rather than trimming, the firm added more shares in recent filings, signaling a belief that Synchrony's revaluation story isn't close to finished, but Par isn't alone. Francis Chou (Trades, Portfolio), a deeply contrarian value investor with a history of finding unloved financials, also holds a stake in Synchrony. His fund's investment approach emphasizes margin of safety, free cash flow, and capital discipline, traits Synchrony delivers through its high ROE and aggressive buybacks. Even Jeremy Grantham (Trades, Portfolio)'s GMO, known for its macro rigor and value discipline, has owned shares of Synchrony through its diversified funds. While not a top holding, its presence signals broader institutional recognition of the stock's undervaluation relative to its returns. What these investors have in common is patience and a preference for durable economics over short-term narrative. Synchrony fits that mold: high returns, low valuation, disciplined capital allocation, and steady execution in a misunderstood sector. The market may not have rerated the stock yet, but the smart money is already positioned for when it does. As a lender tied to consumer credit, particularly discretionary retail, Synchrony Financial is exposed to the usual cycle risks: changing interest rates, borrower delinquencies, and broader economic slowdowns. But what's often missed is that these risks are already embedded in the price. Synchrony trades at under 7x forward earnings and just 1.25x tangible book, despite generating a 24% return on equity, a valuation that implies severe stress ahead. Yet the company's net charge-off rate remains within historical norms, and its delinquency levels have stayed manageable, even through rising rate environments. When it comes to funding risk, Synchrony stands on solid footing. Its debt maturity profile is laddered conservatively, with an average duration of nearly 5 years. Compared to Citizens Financial (CFG) and Capital One (COF), which rely more heavily on shorter-term wholesale funding, Synchrony locks in longer-term debt at fixed rates, reducing rollover risk during market stress. Synchrony also maintains a CET1 ratio above 13%, giving it an ample capital buffer relative to regulatory requirements. That compares favorably to peers like Discover and Citizens, which operate closer to minimum thresholds. Regulatory scrutiny is another concern, particularly for private-label credit and transparency in consumer finance. But Synchrony has been proactive in adapting to enhanced disclosure requirements and continues to secure large partnerships with high-trust brands like Amazon and Lowe's, signaling operational compliance and partner confidence. In short, Synchrony is priced like a company in crisis. But the fundamentals show the opposite: steady margins, risk-aware funding, and real capital strength. That disconnect is where long-term value emerges. In a market obsessed with fast narratives and headline volatility, Synchrony Financial is doing something rarer: quietly compounding value. With disciplined capital returns, a fortress balance sheet, and embedded financing relationships across retail and healthcare, it's delivering shareholder yield that most growth stocks can't match, even at three times the valuation. Trading at a discount to every relevant peer on both earnings and tangible book, Synchrony still manages to lead on ROE and shareholder payout. It's priced as if a crisis is imminent, yet the fundamentals tell a different story: charge-offs under control, margins intact, long-term debt locked in, and ample capital reserves. Importantly, the company isn't going unnoticed by those who matter. Par Capital, Francis Chou (Trades, Portfolio), and Jeremy Grantham (Trades, Portfolio)'s GMO have all taken positions, some with extraordinary gains already, because they understand what the broader market hasn't: this isn't a turnaround or a trade. It's a rare case of mispriced stability. For investors seeking resilient cash flows, long-term buyback leverage, and underappreciated consistency in a volatile market, Synchrony Financial may be the most compelling under-the-radar compounder available today. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. 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

Buybacks Reach Record Highs as Q2 Earnings Season Approaches
Buybacks Reach Record Highs as Q2 Earnings Season Approaches

Yahoo

time38 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Buybacks Reach Record Highs as Q2 Earnings Season Approaches

As we head into the second half of the year, expect record stock buyback activity for companies in the S&P 500. While we wait for official numbers to come out for Q2 which just closed last Monday, June 30, the year was off to a stellar start when Q1 buybacks hit a record of $293B, according to S&P Global. The previous record was set in Q1 2022 when buybacks totaled $281B.[1] Analysts have said they expect 2025 to hit $1T in total buybacks.[2] Buybacks remained top heavy, with the top 20 S&P 500 companies accounting for 48.4% of Q1 2025 buybacks, a slight decrease from 49% in Q4 2024. While the concentration amongst top stock repurchases still exists, more companies within the S&P 500 have been repurchasing stock as of late, and the number purchasing over 1% of their public stock has increased.[3] This story changes slightly when you look globally. Despite the dollar level of buybacks hitting records, Wall Street Horizon data shows that the actual number of announcements has been relatively low, historically speaking. The second quarter closed out with 164 announcements, that comes after Q1 recorded 168 buyback announcements. The quarterly average over the last five years has been 204 announcements. You can see in the chart below that those numbers are steadily climbing after bottom-ing out in 2023. Source: Wall Street Horizon As interest rates fall, as many are expecting at the next Fed meeting on July 30, holding onto cash tends to become less attractive to corporations who want to deploy and put it to work. Typically, buybacks are a good thing for shareholders as well, as they artificially improve earnings per share of a company, if not actually improving earnings. Share repurchases come under fire for this reason as well, with many arguing that companies could have put the money to better use by investing it back into the company. Investors tend to prefer companies that are buying back shares while also investing in growth. A great example is the mega tech names, many of which are the largest buyers of their own stock, but also tend to invest heavily in research and development and AI, among other things. As the Q2 earnings season begins on Tuesday, July 15th with reports from major banks, investors should closely monitor buyback announcements. An increase in share repurchases would indicate corporate America's renewed willingness to deploy cash, which could have positive implications for the US economy. 1 S&P 500 Q1 2025 Buybacks Set Quarterly Record at $293 Billion, S&P Global, June 25, 2025, 2 Wall Street could get a boost from $1 trillion in buybacks, Goldman says, Reuters, Nell Mackenzie, January 16, 2025, 3 S&P 500 Q1 2025 Buybacks Set Quarterly Record at $293 Billion, S&P Global, June 25, 2025, Copyright 2025 Wall Street Horizon, Inc. All rights reserved. Do not copy, distribute, sell or modify this document without Wall Street Horizon's prior written consent. This information is provided for information purposes only. Neither TMX Group Limited nor any of its affiliated companies guarantees the completeness of the information contained in this publication, and we are not responsible for any errors or omissions in or your use of, or reliance on, the information. This publication is not intended to provide legal, accounting, tax, investment, financial or other advice and should not be relied upon for such advice. The information provided is not an invitation to purchase securities, including any listed on Toronto Stock Exchange and/or TSX Venture Exchange. TMX Group and its affiliated companies do not endorse or recommend any securities referenced in this publication. This publication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor may there be any sale of any securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. TMX, the TMX design, TMX Group, Toronto Stock Exchange, TSX, and TSX Venture Exchange are the trademarks of TSX Inc. and are used under license. Wall Street Horizon is the trademark of Wall Street Horizon, Inc. All other trademarks used in this publication are the property of their respective owners. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Sign in to access your portfolio

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