Latest news with #Calkins
Yahoo
29-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Financing a Car? Find Out If This New Tax Deduction Could Lower Your Costs
There are several ways to buy a new car, from purchasing one outright with cash to financing it through a car loan. Now, however, a provision in the recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) provides a little tax incentive for anyone thinking of financing a car through 2028. Find Out: Read Next: 'As of 2025, when you buy an automobile for personal, nonbusiness use, not a lease, a loan you borrow for it can be deductible for interest. It hadn't been deductible for a while, so it's a significant change,' according to Alex Black, CMO of EpicVIN. Find out if this tax deduction can make it cheaper for you to finance a new car. What the Provision Says Effective immediately (and retroactively through 2025), for any car purchased between 2025 and 2028, you may deduct interest paid on a loan of a 'qualified vehicle' so long as the vehicle is for personal use. A qualified vehicle, according to the IRS page, 'is a car, minivan, van, SUV, pick-up truck or motorcycle, with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 14,000 pounds.' This only applies to new vehicles, so used car buyers will have to find other ways to justify their purchases. Learn More: Focus on American Made For lovers of Japanese, German and other overseas carmakers, there won't be as much tax incentive for you. Ruth Calkins, auto expert and general manager at Findbyplate, pointed out that 'The OBBB limits its tax deductions to American assembled new vehicles alone, and does not include a provision for used vehicles, much less those assembled outside America.' While there's a lot of gray area around whether a car has been fully made or assembled in the U.S., you'll be able to get this answer through your car's vehicle identification number (VIN). However, unlike the clean vehicle tax credit that only covers electric vehicles (EVs), the OBBB vehicle loan deduction is more inclusive and accommodating of both internal combustion engine vehicles and EVs, Calkins said. And, since that EV credit is going to be phased out after Sept. 30, 2025, this might be a good way to get a bit of a break. Be Aware of Income Limitations While there is a limit on how much interest you can deduct, 'as long as the vehicle satisfies the eligibility requirements, the vehicle qualifies for the tax deduction,' Calkins said. Apart from the loan origination date, Calkins said, 'another caveat that buyers should take note of before daydreaming about all the things they could do with this tax break come next taxing season, is the income limitation.' Additionally, given that the deduction only extends to individual consumers with a modified adjusted gross income (AGI) of $100,000 or less, and $200,000 for those filing jointly, many people will not qualify for this deduction. Itemizers Only There's one more caveat, Black said. 'You will have to itemize your deductions in order for you to claim it, something not everyone does anymore since the standard deduction went up.' So, if you normally take the standard, this may not help you. What If You Bought a Car This Year Already? If you already took out a loan on an otherwise qualifying vehicle and you're wondering if you're eligible based on purchase date, the key is simple: If you purchased it in 2025, you can still qualify for the deduction. 'However, if you are already in a car loan [from 2024 or earlier], sorry — no discount for you,' Black said. How Much Can You Save? How much you can save will depend on how much you borrow and your interest rate, Black said. However, it is worth noting that the average person taking advantage of this tax break isn't going to spend anywhere close to $10,000 in auto loan interest in a year. According to car website Edmunds, you'd have to take out an auto loan of around $112,000, which is more than double the average price of a new vehicle, to even pay that much in annual interest. Let's say you did take out a $25,000 loan at 7% interest, Black said 'You'll pay roughly $1,750 in interest in year one. If you're in the 22% tax bracket, you might get nearly $400 off your tax bill. Not bad.' Overall Impact on Auto Buyers? Black suggested the tax credit may make more people choose buying over leasing and it can also soften the blow of rising interest rates a bit. 'It won't make a significant impact, though, but it could very well decide for price-conscious buyers.' More From GOBankingRates 7 Things You'll Be Happy You Downsized in Retirement This article originally appeared on Financing a Car? Find Out If This New Tax Deduction Could Lower Your Costs 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
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
5 Insightful Analyst Questions From Appian's Q1 Earnings Call
Appian's first quarter results were driven by robust adoption of its AI-enabled platform and strong demand from the U.S. federal sector. Management highlighted increasing use of AI features among customers and notable contract wins in regulated industries as key contributors. CEO Matt Calkins pointed to a surge in practical AI deployments, such as document processing and workflow automation, which translated into tangible productivity gains for clients. The company's focus on integrating AI within business processes, rather than emphasizing speculative use cases, resonated with organizations seeking operational efficiency. Is now the time to buy APPN? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Revenue: $166.4 million vs analyst estimates of $163.2 million (11.1% year-on-year growth, 2% beat) Adjusted EPS: $0.13 vs analyst estimates of $0.03 (significant beat) The company slightly lifted its revenue guidance for the full year to $684 million at the midpoint from $682 million Management raised its full-year Adjusted EPS guidance to $0.22 at the midpoint, a 12.8% increase EBITDA guidance for the full year is $43 million at the midpoint, above analyst estimates of $39.14 million Operating Margin: -0.5%, up from -13% in the same quarter last year Net Revenue Retention Rate: 112%, down from 116% in the previous quarter Market Capitalization: $2.11 billion While we enjoy listening to the management's commentary, our favorite part of earnings calls are the analyst questions. Those are unscripted and can often highlight topics that management teams would rather avoid or topics where the answer is complicated. Here is what has caught our attention. Sanjit Singh (Morgan Stanley) asked about potential pull-forward in federal bookings given government budget uncertainty; CEO Matt Calkins responded he saw no meaningful pull-forward and remains cautiously optimistic about future quarters. Sanjit Singh (Morgan Stanley) inquired about the decline in net revenue retention; Interim CFO Mark Lynch explained it was due to prior-period down-sells and leveled-off customer growth, not recent enterprise hesitancy. Steve Enders (Citi) questioned AI monetization sustainability; Calkins indicated strong customer willingness to pay and described the company's strategy as demonstrating tangible value through early monetization. Jake Roberge (William Blair) probed for details on AI pricing uplift; Calkins specified a 25% premium for AI tiers and highlighted high-volume, routine work as the primary use case driving adoption. Nick Altmann (Scotiabank) asked about the durability of recent sales productivity gains; Calkins attributed improvements to strategic changes in sales processes and partner focus, calling these gains likely to be sustained. In upcoming quarters, our analysts will be watching (1) the pace at which existing customers transition to AI-inclusive tiers, (2) durability of sales productivity improvements as go-to-market changes mature, and (3) the impact of potential volatility in U.S. federal IT spending on overall bookings. Progress on pricing model evolution and further enhancements to AI capabilities will also be important markers of execution. Appian currently trades at $28.90, down from $30.38 just before the earnings. At this price, is it a buy or sell? See for yourself in our full research report (it's free). Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election sent major indices to all-time highs, but stocks have retraced as investors debate the health of the economy and the potential impact of tariffs. While this leaves much uncertainty around 2025, a few companies are poised for long-term gains regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate, like our Top 6 Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Kadant (+351% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Stop Trump's tariffs, WA leaders beg court
(Photo by) The past couple months have been a rollercoaster ride at the Port of Seattle. In response to President Donald Trump's tariff whipsaw, international cargo imports spiked in March and April as shippers tried to get ahead of anticipated tariffs. Traffic through the ports of Seattle and Tacoma dropped significantly in recent weeks, but forecasts now predict a rebound. Shippers are trying to rush goods after the United States agreed to lower import taxes on China from 145% to 30% for a 90-day truce, according to Seattle port commissioner Ryan Calkins. Businesses fear what could come after those 90 days. The president's on-again, off-again relationship with tariffs 'is not the optimal way to operate a port facility,' Calkins said Wednesday. 'We really want a steady stream, rather than peaks and valleys.' The instability means inconsistent work for local longshoremen, truckers and warehouse workers. And it's left businesses struggling to plan. 'You're planting seeds now in the spring, for harvest in the fall. And if you don't know exactly whether you'll be able to sell your soybeans to China or your corn to Southeast Asia, what does that mean for how you plant now?' Calkins said. 'And unfortunately, I think it means that a lot of businesses are choosing to be conservative, and the knock-on impacts of that mean a drag on our economy.' This uncertainty led Washington leaders, including Gov. Bob Ferguson, the mayors of Seattle and Spokane, state legislators, union officials and business groups, to call on judges to block the president's tariffs. Last month, a dozen states filed suit in the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York in a bid to stop the tariffs. The lawsuit, in which Washington is not a plaintiff, argues Trump has circumvented the congressional power to set trade policy outlined in the U.S. Constitution in setting tariffs. The White House has said persistent trade deficits necessitated the tariffs. The states argued their case in court Wednesday. The day before, the Washington officials tried to show the three judges overseeing the case the harms Trump's tariffs have wrought on the state. Washington is the ninth-largest exporter in the country, according to the state's brief filed by pro-bono attorneys from the Seattle law firm Corr Cronin. Last year, Washington exported $57.8 billion in goods, making up over 7% of the state's gross domestic product. Retaliatory tariffs other countries have instituted in response to Trump's actions hurt the competitiveness of Washington's products and threatens trade relationships, officials say. The three countries Trump has singled out — China, Canada and Mexico — account for nearly half of Washington's imports. At a press conference Wednesday at the Port of Seattle, Ferguson used the example of North Cascades Builders Supply to emphasize how tariffs are impacting Washington businesses. The Okanogan County-based company imports windows from Canada, but uncertainty from tariffs has cost the business $250,000 in lost projects, the governor said. 'These reckless, erratic and illegal tariffs have thrown the global economy into chaos,' Ferguson said. 'American working people and consumers, including Washingtonians, are paying the price.' Ferguson's comments came the day after he signed billions of dollars in new and increased taxes, including on businesses, to address a major budget shortfall. Washington companies last year paid $2 billion in tariffs on imports. Trump's tariffs could cost 10 times that, according to the state's amicus brief. Ferguson said 'history will judge Congress' for its inaction to stop what he sees as the president's abuse of power. 'I'm a governor, not a member of Congress, thank God,' he said. Vehicle purchases are one area where consumers will see rising prices due to tariffs, even if cars are manufactured domestically, a national policy expert told a state panel Wednesday. 'All vehicles are going to get more expensive, regardless of where it is finally assembled,' said Nick Nigro, founder of Atlas Public Policy, in a presentation to the Electric Vehicle Coordinating Council. Panel members come from 10 state agencies leading the state's efforts to transition to electric vehicles. U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, a Democrat from Washington, has filed bipartisan legislation looking to flex the legislative branch's muscles on tariffs. The bill would require the president to notify Congress of the imposition or increase in a tariff within 48 hours. The notice must explain the rationale and analyze potential impacts to the country's businesses and consumers. Within 60 days, Congress would have to pass a joint resolution approving the new tariff, or it would expire. Congress could also end tariffs at any time via resolution. The proposal, known as the Trade Review Act of 2025, has very little chance of success in the Republican-controlled Congress. Reporter Jerry Cornfield contributed to this report. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Viral post circulating online claims Port of Seattle is now ‘effectively dead' thanks to Trump's China tariffs
A recent social media post stated, in part, 'not a single international cargo ship at the Port of Seattle. The port is effectively dead.' While the post went viral, a local news outlet, KING 5 News, decided to investigate the claims. According to the station's reporting, the information shared in the social media post wasn't true. Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) Even as the Trump administration imposed up to 145% tariffs on most Chinese imports, which it has now temporarily walked back to about 30%, the port isn't a 'ghost town' yet. KING 5 News reported that, based on data from VesselFinder, which tracks vessel positions in real time, three container ships were docked in the Port of Seattle at the time of the post. The ships were registered in Portugal, Singapore and Hong Kong. They also reported that traffic to the Port of Seattle was up 7.3% over the previous 30 days, according to the Northwest Seaport Alliance. In March, volumes were up by 18.4%, but that lift may be partly due to early cargo movement in anticipation of tariffs. "The last forecast I saw was forecasting out over the next three months, and each month was forecasted to be down around 25% per month,' Ryan Calkins, Port of Seattle Commissioner, told KING 5 News. Ship traffic isn't the only thing that may trend downward. 'Unfortunately, we are beginning to see a reduction in the total number of containers coming off any particular vessel when they come in,' Calkins said. The Seaport Alliance says that some ships are arriving with 30% less cargo. Additionally, some U.S. export orders have been canceled, which may leave U.S. business owners struggling to store and sell their products. 'Unfortunately hearing stories right now of our agricultural exporters having to come back to the terminal and pick up containers full of agricultural exports to return back and store them as they wait for a customer because the sale that they had made to an overseas customer was canceled as a result of the tariff war,' Calkins told KING 5 News. As the tariff situation evolves, it's possible a resolution won't be reached in time to avoid fallout. 'If we don't get a resolution quickly, I think we're all going to feel a lot of pain in the pocketbook,' Calkins said. Read more: You're probably already overpaying for this 1 'must-have' expense — and thanks to Trump's tariffs, your monthly bill could soar even higher. Here's how 2 minutes can protect your wallet right now The Port of Seattle represents a key player in a massive trade network. If shipment volumes continue to drop, it's likely that people connected to the port will feel it financially. With a drop off in imports and exports, some of the people who might immediately see an impact include dockworkers, truck drivers and warehouse staff. As the impacts of tariffs play out across the economy, anyone closely connected to trade, like farmers and manufacturers, will also feel the pinch. Unfortunately, a job loss could spell financial disaster for many, with around a quarter of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, according to a Bank of Amreica report. The domino effect can start with drained emergency savings and move to early withdrawals from retirement savings and sliding into debt to keep the lights on. Not to mention the long-term impact of pausing progress toward financial goals, like saving for retirement and paying off debt. If you find yourself in a tight financial situation, budget for what you have and what are your immediate needs. Start by pulling back on discretionary purchases, like eating out and entertainment. From there, tap into any financial support available through your union or state, including unemployment benefits. While income assistance can help you stabilize the situation temporarily, if the impacts continue, consider exploring job retraining programs and picking up a side hustle, like driving for a ride-hailing or food delivery service, to pull in some income while you look for a more permanent solution. Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
1 Boring AI Stock That Could Be a Surprise Winner
Appian delivered better-than-expected results on the top and bottom lines. The first quarter marked its third straight period of positive adjusted EBITDA. Its AI-driven revenue is ramping quickly, which bodes well for future growth. 10 stocks we like better than Appian › Appian (NASDAQ: APPN) has evolved over the years from a low-code software company to a process-automation company, and it's now making another transition to an artificial intelligence (AI) company. Along the way, Appian has provided the same service for its customers. It automates workflows, dramatically accelerating the time it takes to handle such activities as processing an insurance claim, intaking a new customer, or streamlining procurement. In the era of AI, Appian seems to have found the ideal technology to pair with the process-automation objectives that are at the heart of the Appian Platform. In the first quarter, management noted on the earnings call that AI usage among its customers grew by 7.9 times year over year, and that revenue from its AI-inclusive tiers more than doubled from Q4 to Q1, reaching $9 million, which is still a small percentage of its overall business. However, it should continue to drive outsize growth in the business. CEO Matt Calkins sees the company's strength in "boring" AI, which can save its customers millions of dollars without the hype that many of its competitors are promoting. Among the recent AI-driven accomplishments Appian touted was an Australian insurer who replaced the work of hundreds of underwriting agents with an app that takes in documents and automates underwriting processes. Both accuracy and speed improved through Appian's technology. In another example, Acclaim Autism cut its time for patient intake by 83% from 180 days down to 30 days. The emergence of AI at Appian comes as the company is making some other key improvements. Appian delivered strong results in its Q1 earnings report, sending the stock up 5.3% this past Thursday as the cloud software company topped estimates on the top and bottom lines. Cloud subscription revenue rose 15% to $99.8 million, driving overall revenue up 11% to $166.4 million, which topped the consensus at $163.3 million. The company also showed off another quarter of a significantly improved cost structure and bottom line as it reported its third straight quarter of positive adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), which came in at $16.8 million, up from a loss of $1.3 million in the quarter a year ago. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) improved from a loss of $0.09 to a profit of $0.13, well ahead of estimates at $0.03 per share. In an interview with The Motley Fool, CEO Matt Calkins said he was "very pleased" with the adjusted EBITDA and that it showed "exceptional earnings potential." Calkins was also pleased with the improvement in the company's go-to-market performance as bookings per sales rep rose 30%, and its customer acquisition costs are also going down as sales and marketing expenses fell by 6% in the quarter even as the company achieved steady growth. With its revamped AI platform, a streamlined go-to-market strategy, and profit margins rapidly improving, the company looks poised for future growth. Calkins said, "AI is the best thing that's ever happened to the process automation industry." He also noted 166% growth in its data-fabric offering, which describes an architecture layer that connects data across disparate systems. Additionally, the company is doing some work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), showing its utility for cost savings and efficiency. For the full year, Appian's guidance called for a similar pace of growth to what the company displayed in Q1 at 14% to 15% to $680 million to $688 million. Keep your eye on Appian's growth from AI, as that could drive an inflection point in the overall growth of the business. Considering Appian's modest valuation, that should be enough to ensure the stock outperforms over the next few years. Before you buy stock in Appian, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Appian 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 $614,911!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $714,958!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 907% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 163% 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 May 12, 2025 Jeremy Bowman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Appian. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 1 Boring AI Stock That Could Be a Surprise Winner 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
