Latest news with #Ackman
Business Times
a day ago
- Business
- Business Times
Universal Music Group files confidentially for US listing
[NEW YORK] Universal Music Group has filed confidentially for a US listing, which would fulfil the terms of a deal with billionaire Bill Ackman's hedge fund Pershing Square. The Amsterdam-listed firm submitted documents to the US Securities & Exchange Commission relating to a proposed offering by certain of its shareholders, according to a statement on Monday (Jul 21). The world's largest music company will not receive any proceeds from the sale. The filing comes after Universal said in January it would plan the US listing in order to satisfy an agreement with Pershing Square, a statement at the time showed. Ackman resigned from Universal's board in May, citing increasing demands on his time from commitments including his appointment as executive chairman of Howard Hughes Holdings. Universal Music, which is the label for artists including Taylor Swift, had in recent months resisted Ackman's push to move its domicile and delist it from Euronext Amsterdam. Pershing Square had urged Universal Music to pursue a US listing, saying it would substantially increase the valuation of the shares. A group of shareholders affiliated with Pershing Square in March raised more than 1.3 billion euros (S$1.9 billion) from the sale of about a 2.7 per cent stake in the Hilversum, Netherlands-headquartered firm, Bloomberg News reported. BLOOMBERG
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
The stock market is being led by a new group of winners
For a while, the S&P 500's returns have been dominated by a select group of technology kingpins known as the magnificent seven. Those seven stocks, Alphabet, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta Platforms, Nvidia, and Tesla, powered the market higher due to massive spending and demand growth for artificial intelligence training and inference. Related: History suggests stocks could have more upside, says analyst They remain key cogs in the S&P 500's performance, but more recently, a new basket of stocks is delivering big returns, potentially signaling the early days of a regime change. Unlike the Mag 7, the new leaders are far less tied to AI. Sure, names like Palantir and Nvidia remain big winners, but the broader group of stocks delivering eye-popping returns spans more industries, including finance and, yes, even space. It's been a tale of two markets this year. First, stocks took a drubbing beginning in February when President Trump launched his trade war, instituting 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico. Related: Veteran fund manager who predicted Nvidia stock rally reboots forecast on China The White House followed that up with more tariffs, often higher than Wall Street and businesses expected, including a baseline 10% tariff on all imports and a 25% tariff on autos. Altogether, the tariff tit-for-tat took a big toll on stocks, causing the S&P 500 to fall by 19%-nearly into bear market territory-and the Nasdaq Composite to tumble about 24% through early April. Then, everything changed. President Trump paused most reciprocal tariffs on April 9, providing leeway for trade deals that could settle tariffs at more reasonable levels. The glimmer of hope for avoiding a worst-case scenario of high tariffs sparking inflation and sending the economy into a tailspin marked a bottom for stocks, kicking off a record-setting rally. The S&P 500 has marched 24% higher while the Nasdaq has rallied by over 30% as more people have lowered their forward inflation expectations. While there's some concerning economic data on jobs and the economy, market gains suggest we'll sidestep an economic reckoning, providing upside to revenue and earnings growth. By now, most investors are familiar with market darlings Nvidia and Palantir, two of the most prominent AI players. Given its dominance in high-end AI semiconductor chips and optimization software, Nvidia is the de facto Goliath in AI network infrastructure. Palantir has become a go-to for securely developing AI apps for government and corporations. Related: Billionaire Ackman has one-word message on stock market Those stocks have been top performers over the past few months, rising 82% and 107% from their early April lows. But other big-cap technology companies haven't performed nearly as well. Alphabet and Apple are up 28% and 23%, respectively. Solid. But not game-changing. You could have bought the Nasdaq 100 and done much better. Instead, a new set of stock market darlings has been outpacing the market, including space technology leader Rocket Lab (RKLB) and fintech leader SoFi Technologies (SOFI) . Crypto leader Coinbase (COIN) has also been a star. These three stocks are up 214%, 130%, and 176%, respectively, from their April lows. Moreover, to understand just how good the performance of this new basket of leaders has been, you need look no further than the VanEck Social Sentiment ETF (BUZZ) . The BUZZ ETF invests in "75 large cap U.S. stocks which exhibit the highest degree of positive investor sentiment and bullish perception based on content aggregated from online sources including social media, news articles, blog posts and other alternative datasets," according to VanEck. In short, it attempts to keep its finger on the pulse of the most interesting stocks. So far, that strategy is working. The BUZZ ETF gained 36% in the second quarter and is up 22% year-to-date through June. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 is up 11% and 6%. It's up 66% since early April, and month-to-date through July 18, it's gained 8% versus a 2% return for the Nasdaq. More on next-generation stocks: Veteran trader has blunt words for SoFi's latest moveSpace stocks soar as Elon Musk and Donald Trump argueIs quantum computing the next big thing in stocks? "Look at how poorly the QQQs have done relative to BUZZ since April. Think about this, we consider the QQQs to be the pinnacle of technology stocks, yet they practically look like the healthcare stocks relative to the S&P when compared to BUZZ," wrote long-time technical analyst Helene Meisler on TheStreet Pro. It's not just Rocket Lab, Coinbase, and SoFi powering the ETF, either. Yes, those are the three largest holdings in BUZZ, but AST SpaceMobile and Robinhood (HOOD) are number four and five, and they've been up 186% and 219% since early April. Nvidia and Palantir are only BUZZ's 10th and 11th biggest holdings, so while their gains are substantial, they're not the ones behind the ETF's significant outperformance. Does the rise of Rocket Lab, thanks to a steady stream of revenue growth from shooting satellites into the sky, or SoFI, which is increasingly disrupting traditional banking, signal the rise of a new guard, or is it just a temporary speculative frenzy? "I was taught that corrections are the market's way of changing leadership," wrote Meisler. "Was the spring plunge the market's way of changing leadership? Or is this just speculation run amok? If you go back to that ratio chart, it's a trend that has been in place for at least a year." Of course, stocks don't go up in a straight line, and some backfilling of gains for this new group of winners is to be expected. Still, one year is a pretty long period for this ETF and its biggest components to outpace the broader market. Todd Campbell owns Rocket Lab, SoFi Technologies, Nvidia, and Palantir. Related: Bank of America delivers bold S&P 500 target The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Here's the 1 Stock That Billionaires Warren Buffett, Bill Ackman, and David Tepper All Own
The sole common denominator between the portfolios of Buffett, Ackman, and Tepper is a well-known stock. Ackman thinks it has "one of the greatest businesses in the world." This stock looks like a good pick for investors who aren't billionaires, too. 10 stocks we like better than Alphabet › It makes sense that some investors like to closely follow which stocks billionaires own. After all, those billionaires didn't become wealthy by making poor investment decisions. But, more often than not, ultrarich investors don't agree about the best stocks to hold. As a case in point, Warren Buffett, Bill Ackman, and David Tepper have portfolios that look very different. But there's one stock -- and only one stock -- that all three of these billionaires own. I won't try to keep building suspense. The sole common denominator between the portfolios of Buffett, Ackman, and Tepper is... Google parent Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL). Don't waste your time trying to find Alphabet listed among Berkshire Hathaway's (NYSE: BRK.A) (NYSE: BRK.B) holdings, though; it isn't there. However, Buffett does indeed own a position in the technology giant. How? Alphabet is in the portfolio of New England Asset Management, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway that submits its regulatory filings to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) separately from Berkshire. On the other hand, you'll easily spot Alphabet among Ackman's Pershing Square Capital Management holdings. The Google parent is Ackman's hedge fund's third-largest position, with class A and class C shares combined making up roughly 14% of the total portfolio. Tepper's Appaloosa Holdings owns over 2 million shares of Alphabet. The stock ranks as the hedge fund's sixth-largest position. Although Buffett never made the call to buy Alphabet stock, he admitted to Berkshire shareholders in 2017 that he "blew it" by not investing earlier. Buffett's longtime business partner, the late Charlie Munger, even pointed to Google as his and Buffett's "worst mistake in the tech field." Ackman initiated a position in Alphabet in early 2023 after Google stumbled with the launch of its first generative AI product following the wildly successful introduction of OpenAI's ChatGPT. He later told CNBC that Google was "one of the greatest businesses in the world." Ackman pointed out the company's multiple competitive advantages and predicted, "They will be a dominant player in AI for the very, very long term." Tepper hasn't spoken a lot about Alphabet despite the stock being one of his largest holdings. Notably, though, in 2020, the billionaire hedge fund manager said that big tech stocks, including Alphabet, were "fully valued" in what was "maybe the second-most overvalued stock market I've ever seen." At the time, Alphabet's price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio was 27.2. Today, the stock trades at 20.1 times trailing-12-month earnings. Don't think for one second about buying Alphabet stock solely because Buffett, Ackman, and Tepper own it. However, I do view this stock as a smart pick for investors who aren't billionaires. Ackman's previous comments underscore one great reason to consider investing in Alphabet: It has a great business. In particular, the hedge fund manager's take on Alphabet's AI prospects appears to still be spot on. Google Search has done a good job of integrating generative AI into its functionality with AI Overviews and AI Mode. Google Gemini ranks among the best (and, for some reviewers, the best) large language models available today. Google Cloud is the fastest-growing among the big three cloud service providers. Waymo is leading the way in autonomous ride-hailing. As previously mentioned, Alphabet's valuation is much more attractive today than it was when Tepper said the stock was "fully valued" in early 2020. Indeed, the Google parent is the most attractively valued of all the so-called "Magnificent Seven" stocks. Granted, Alphabet faces regulatory challenges. But I wouldn't bet against the company ultimately prevailing. I suspect that, like Buffett, investors who don't buy the stock now could regret it several years from now. Before you buy stock in Alphabet, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Alphabet 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 $671,477!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,010,880!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,047% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 180% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 14, 2025 Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Keith Speights has positions in Alphabet and Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet and Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Here's the 1 Stock That Billionaires Warren Buffett, Bill Ackman, and David Tepper All Own was originally published by The Motley Fool 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
12-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Billionaire Ackman has one-word message on stock market
Billionaire Ackman has one-word message on stock market originally appeared on TheStreet. Stocks have had an impressive rally since April 9, when President Donald Trump paused most of the reciprocal tariffs he had announced only days earlier on April 2, so-called Liberation Day. The higher-than-hoped tariffs had sent stocks reeling as investors scurried to reset economic models and cut earnings outlooks. The reprieve, while temporary, provided the perfect match to light what had become a deeply oversold stock market, launching a rally so significant that the S&P 500 has risen about 25% in the matter of only three months. What's particularly remarkable is that the rally in stocks has come despite evidence that the U.S. economy is weakening, increasing risks of stagflation or recession. Unemployment has increased over the past year, and sticky inflation will likely worsen as the impact of remaining tariffs is felt. 💰Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter💰 That's not a very encouraging backdrop for stocks, which typically generate the best returns when the economy grows and households and businesses are more interested in spending. Given that stocks have recovered nearly all of their nearly bear market losses from this spring, there's considerable debate on what happens next. Bulls argue that the damage done during the 19% decline in the S&P 500 between February and April's low priced in the risks, clearing the way for durable gains that support buying dips. Bears point to arguably rich valuations and a sputtering on Wall Street have offered their two cents, including popular hedge fund manager Bill Ackman. Ackman, who is worth $8.2 billion, good enough to rank #413 on Bloomberg's Billionaires Index, is the founder of the hedge fund Pershing Square, which has $18 billion under management. This week, he dropped a one-word message to investors about the stock market, and given his substantial experience, it may be worth considering what he thinks. There's a considerable difference in opinion on what could happen to the economy next. Some think tariffs will take a stiff toll on already cash-strapped consumers later this year, reducing economic activity alongside a drop in businesses' spending as CEOs await clarity on trade deals. Others believe that the tariff risks are temporary and largely overblown. The unemployment rate remains relatively low at 4.1%; however, that's up from 3.4% in 2023. Also concerning is a spike in layoffs. Companies have announced over 696,000 layoffs this year through May, up 80% year over year, according to Challenger, Gray, & Christmas's number rise in unemployment follows the most hawkish pace of Federal Reserve interest rate hikes in history. The Fed raised interest rates by 5% in 2022 and 2023 to lower inflation, a strategy that worked, given CPI inflation has retreated from 8% to below 3%. Inflation progress and job losses prompted the Fed to switch to rate cuts late last year, shaving 1% off the Fed Funds Rate. However, inflation has since leveled off, and new concerns over the impact of tariffs on inflation have shifted the Fed to the sidelines, putting it firmly in wait-and-see mode. That's not good news for stocks, given that higher interest rates weigh down corporate profit, and stocks typically follow earnings over time. The Fed's holding pattern has drawn sharp criticism from the White House, ostensibly because President Trump recognizes that lower rates could blunt some of the drag on the economy caused by tariffs. President Trump has called Fed Chairman Powell "Mr. Too-Late" and a "numbskull" for not reducing rates. Powell has remained steadfast, arguing that patience is warranted. The Fed's hesitation on monetary policy is concerning, though, given that the Fed and the World Bank estimate that the U.S. GDP is falling to 1.4% this year from 2.8% last Powell doesn't move on rates and the economy weakens further, Congress may not be much help, given that the country's huge deficit and mountain of debt may hamstring fiscal policy, especially after passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. America's deficit exceeds $1.8 trillion, accounting for 6.4% of gross domestic product. Overall, total public debt outstanding is roughly 122% of GDP, far north of the 75% level seen in 2008 during the Great Recession. The backdrop is a threat to earnings growth. Still, the stock market has looked beyond the risks, possibly assuming that trade negotiations will bear fruit, inflation expectations will retreat, tariff risks are overblown, and corporate earnings will grow, rather than Ackman co-founded Gotham Partners in 1992, so he has been following Wall Street closely for over 30 years. This means he's navigated the Internet boom and bust, the Great Recession, Covid, and the 2002 bear market. More experts: Fed official sends strong message about interest-rate cuts Billionaire fund manager sends surprising message on trade deficit Hedge-fund manager sees U.S. becoming Greece In short, Ackman has been-there, done-that chops, making his take on markets worth attention. Despite the stock market's big run since early April, there may be more fuel to take stocks higher. Many investors sold stocks this spring amid soaring tariff-driven volatility, opting for the relative safety of money market accounts yielding 4% or more. That move looked really smart in early April, but it doesn't look nearly as wise now, given the S&P 500's move. Nevertheless, ongoing concerns regarding the economy and President Trump's mercurial nature have kept many investors from jumping back in, something that could change if FOMO kicks in or stocks pull back, giving investors a do-over. The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis reports that the total financial assets parked in money market funds were nearly $7.4 trillion at the end of the first quarter, up from $6.44 trillion the prior year. Meanwhile, the Investment Company Institute says $7.07 trillion remained in money market funds as of July 10, up from $7.02 trillion on June 25. Barchart, a financial market data and services provider, shared the first-quarter data on X this week, and it caught Ackman's eye. The hedge fund manager shared the chart on X, bluntly concluding, "Bullish." Ackman's quick reply suggests he believes that the increase in money stashed in money market funds over the past year could make its way back into risk assets, propping up the stock Ackman has one-word message on stock market first appeared on TheStreet on Jul 11, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jul 11, 2025, where it first appeared. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Miami Herald
11-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Jim Cramer says buy these 4 falling stocks right now
The price of a company's stock, at least in short-term, often has little connection with the actual performance of the company. Many big names, in fact, will see their stock drop after they report positive earnings. Even when the numbers are very good, this can happen because the market had already assumed the numbers would be positive, so the gains from that had already been priced in. Related: Billionaire Ackman has one-word message on stock market Sometimes it seems like even in a sea of good news, a tiny island of bad news can send a stock downward. In many ways, stocks are like sports. The better team usually wins, but there are upsets, and a partial score does not always reflect the final results. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Apple has been famous for this. It can report stellar numbers across the board, but if Tim Cook makes a small comment on potential supply chain issues delaying the new iPad, the stock may fall. Jim Cramer, who under all the bluster, often serves as a voice of reason for the stock market, has named four stocks that are falling, but are still good buys. These are companies facing short-term headwinds that have clearer sailing long-term. Cramer told his CNBC audience on July 11 that it's important to understand why a stock has fallen. Sometimes it's due to inherent weakness in the company. In other cases, it's for a more trivial reason that does not dim its long-term prospects. He noted that when a stock falls for reasons that don't change the buy thesis for the company, that's a time for investors to strike. It's one of the rare times you can buy quality at a bargain. "The great ones never come cheap. But…they can be cheaper from where they were. Sometimes all you can hope for is a chance to buy a stock of a terrific company at a discount when the market is at an all-time high," he shared on his show. More Experts Fed official sends strong message about interest-rate cutsBillionaire fund manager sends surprising message on trade deficitHedge-fund manager sees U.S. becoming Greece Of course, it can be a challenge to identify when a company is falling for a trivial reason and when something has inherently gone wrong with a brand. Short-term perception can sometimes have a long-term impact, but that just creates a longer buying opportunity. Perhaps most famously, Chipotle saw its share price drop for over a year during and after its E. coli scandal. It did not matter that the company handled the food safety issue well or that it remained an inherently strong business. The market punished it for a relatively minor mistake, which created an opportunity for disciplined investors. Cramer named four stocks that are top buys and incredibly strong long-term brands that are struggling at the moment. This has caused their prices to fall, creating a major buying opportunity. Home Depot (HD) : The giant home improvement company has been hurt by potential weakness in the housing market. In reality, when people move less, they spend more on home renovation. It's a cycle where Home Depot cashes in one way or the other. Costco (COST) : Costco faces the same tariff concerns as every retailer, and its recent sales numbers were lower than some hoped for. But, membership sales and retention, really the only numbers that matter for the chain, remain at near-highs, and that's what actually drives the (MCD) : The fast-food giant has struggled with perceptions over value and consumers just staying home. It, however, has a strong pipeline, and its recent downturn was just a mild dip of its already stellar numbers. Starbucks (SBUX) : New CEO Brian Niccol has stumbled a bit in his relationship with the chain's employees. He tightened the chain's dress code and offered bonuses to management while workers are not satisfied with their wages. Still, his plan to bring people back into stores, focus more on coffee, and simplify both the menu and its production, are the right plays in the long-term. Disciplined, long-term investors focus on the underlying pillars a company is built on, rather than short-term noise. In the end, the cream usually rises to the top, and being able to buy these brands at a discount should be a massive long-term asset to your portfolio. Related: Online investing firm/bank collapses, files Chapter 11 bankruptcy The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
