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Globe and Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Warren Buffett Holds Apple Stock Despite Tariffs and Buys a Restaurant Stock Up 4,500% in 15 Years
Warren Buffett manages the vast majority of Berkshire Hathaway 's stock portfolio, and the company made interesting capital allocation decisions concerning Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Domino's Pizza (NASDAQ: DPZ) in the first quarter. Berkshire continued to hold 300 million shares of Apple. The stock currently accounts for more than 20% of its portfolio, the largest position by a wide margin, which is somewhat surprising, given the uncertainty surrounding tariffs. Berkshire bought 238,613 shares of Domino's Pizza, a restaurant stock up 4,500% in the last 15 years. Domino's was one of only seven stock purchases that Berkshire disclosed in the first quarter, but it still accounts for less than 1% of its portfolio. Here's what investors should know about Apple and Domino's Pizza. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More » Apple: The stock Berkshire held in the first quarter Apple reported decent financial results in the second quarter of fiscal 2025, which ended in March. Revenue rose 5% to $95 billion, as double-digit growth in services sales offset sub-2% growth in iPhone sales. Generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) earnings increased 8% to $1.65 per diluted share as the company continued to repurchase stock. But CEO Tim Cook warned visibility beyond June was limited due to tariffs. The investment thesis for Apple centers on its leadership in global smartphone sales and its strong presence in other consumer electronics markets, including personal computers, smartwatches, and tablets. But devices are only half the equation. Apple must monetize its installed base (which exceeds 2.35 billion devices) with services like App Store fees and advertising, iCloud storage, Apple Pay, and subscription products like Apple TV+. The company is executing fairly well on that strategy, but some investors are worried about its ability to monetize artificial intelligence (AI). Apple Intelligence -- a suite of generative AI capabilities -- has fallen flat with consumers since its introduction in October. The iPhone upgrade cycle many analysts predicted never materialized. And Apple has delayed what might have been the most exciting features: an improved version of conversational assistant Siri. Apple Intelligence is currently free, but many analysts expect the company to monetize the platform eventually, possibly by charging a fee for the most sophisticated features. But that future still seems far away. And with smartphone sales forecast to increase at 4% annually through 2029, Apple's revenue growth is unlikely to be much better, at least in the near term. Meanwhile, the company faces a potentially serious threat in recent changes to U.S. trade policy. The Trump administration may have reduced the tariffs on goods imported from China, which is where most iPhones are manufactured, but the president also threatened Apple with a 25% tariff if it chose to make iPhones in India rather than the United States. Personally, I doubt President Trump will follow through on that threat, but Apple's future is still clouded by uncertainty. Can the company effectively monetize AI? To what extent will tariffs hurt profits? Not knowing the answer to those questions is a problem, especially when shares trade at 31 times earnings and earnings only increased 8% in the last quarter. I think prospective investors should avoid the stock for now. However, current shareholders with confidence in Apple can follow Buffett's lead and stay invested, provided they are comfortable with the risks the company is facing. Domino's Pizza: The stock Berkshire bought in the first quarter Domino's reported mixed first-quarter financial results. Revenue increased 2.5% to $1.1 billion, which narrowly missed the consensus estimate. But GAAP net income increased 21% to $4.33 per diluted share, beating the $4.07 per diluted share Wall Street expected. Despite mixed results, the company gained market share across its U.S. and international stores, according to CEO Russell Weiner. The investment thesis for Domino's centers on scale and operational excellence. It is the largest pizza company in the world. And its history of technology and menu innovation, coupled with its effective use of promotional cycles, makes me think the company can maintain or even expand its leadership in the coming years. To elaborate, Domino's uses artificial intelligence and robotics to improve efficiency across its business. It produces dough in a centralized facility equipped with robots to control costs and maintain a consistent customer experience across stores. It also uses AI to visually inspect orders and surface insights from user comments on social media. Domino's introduced its "Hungry for More" strategy in 2023. The framework targets three outcomes through 2028: 7% annual sales growth, excluding the impact of foreign currency; 8% annual operating income growth; and 1,100 annual store openings. The company fell short in the first quarter: Sales increased less than 5% excluding foreign currency impact, operating income was flat, and Domino's actually closed a net total of eight stores. Wall Street estimates the company's earnings will increase at 6% annually through 2026. That makes the current valuation of 27 times earnings look expensive. I think investors should avoid this stock right now. Shares were cheaper in the first quarter, which could explain why Buffett added to Berkshire's stake. Should you invest $1,000 in Apple right now? Before you buy stock in Apple, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Apple 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 $638,985!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $853,108!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is978% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to171%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 May 19, 2025
Khaleej Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
New Honor 400 Pro makes Artificial Intelligence feel natural with seamless excellence
The application of AI is so seamless and the results of it so intuitive on HONOUR's brand new marvel that after testing the HONOUR 400 Pro, we are calling it natural intelligence. HONOUR has recently launched its new 400 Series of phones, comprising two models - the 400 and 400 Pro - and has again proven with this new launch that it isn't without reason that the brand has emerged as one of the most popular and talked about names on the global mobile phone market of late. The brand's success is built on an assembly line of stellar models in the past few years. From the ultra-slim Magic V3 foldable and the advanced Magic 7 Pro to its Porsche Design V2 foldable, the X9C range - and more, HONOUR is a brand that's made it a habit in recent times to consistently exceed the market's expectations with every successive model at almost every price range. And now, in continuation of that habit, HONOUR has sprung the new 400 Series on an unsuspecting world. Out of the two models, the HONOUR 400 Pro is the new marvel, delivering an unparalleled AI photography experience with its extraordinary 200MP AI Camera and versatile AI Creative Editor. But before we extol the virtues of its camera, a brief look at the overall specs reveals a phone that is full of the top, high-end features. Both 400 Series models come with outstanding durability given their IP68 and IP69 water and dust proofing ratings. They are also equipped with a robust 6000mAh battery, which is charged via a 100W HONOUR SuperCharge charger bundled with the 400 Pro. The screen is a cutting-edge 5000nit Ultra Bright Display, which is just what is needed for a phone that is exceedingly good at photography, videography and image editing. The imaging tasks on the HONOUR 400 Pro are handled by a camera that has a three-lens array headlined by the 200MP Ultra-clear AI main camera, equipped with a 1/1.4-inch large sensor, f/1.9 aperture, and OIS + EIS dual image stabilisation. In our tests, the camera system provided an extraordinary photography experience, with an exceptional, groundbreaking clarity, no matter what the light conditions were. Launching the camera app, we got an intuitive, easy-to-use interface, with six modes on tap to start with: Night, Portrait, Photo, Video, Pro and More. Each of these proved to be centres of excellence by themselves, with further controls to customise the image just the way we wanted to get it. For example, in Night mode, the camera took care of the brightness and exposure, while all we needed to adjust was the zoom – and this was done seamlessly with a semi-circular jog dial on the bottom of the screen just above the shutter button. Portrait mode made for great close-ups and headshots, while we found Photo mode to be the go-to for everyday photography of the sort that all phone users regularly do. While Night mode provides a zoom range of 0.6-10X on the jog dial, Portrait mode has five steps of zoom of 1x to 6x. With the versatile photo mode, the zoom range is from 0.6x to 50x, while clear and fast zooming in and out was also possible in video with a range of 0.6-10X. For serious photographers, the Pro mode is a real marvel, giving you as much of the total creative control as you can usually expect only from a high-end DSLR camera. Every creative aspect is at your command - from the ISO setting (50 to 6400), the shutter speed (30 seconds to 1/6400 of a second), aperture, white balance, field of autofocus, and much more. This feature-rich mobile phone makes a great case for ditching your high-end camera with its specs and image quality! And then there is the More tab, which gives you even more control with such settings as slow-motion capture, panorama, time-lapse, night video, and even super macro for impeccable close-ups, among other features. As testers, having used and experienced both several mobile phones and high-end cameras, we felt completely in creative control with the HONOUR 400 Pro, like we had seldom experienced with other devices. And there's much more. Once you are done with shooting an image or video with your own creative impetus and input, you can turn it over to HONOUR's AI Image Engine, which we can only describe as groundbreaking. With this engine, HONOUR has introduced some cutting-edge AI innovations in the 400 Pro, making it the first smartphone to achieve 30x telephoto shooting capability with the main camera. HONOUR's built in AI features also includes the AI Creative Editor, which brings in a host of intelligent features that raised our images to the next level, such as AI Erase passers-by, AI Image to Video and AI Upscale. With AI Erase passers-by, a single tap enabled us to erase unwanted people and crowds from our photos. For example, posing in front of crowded landmarks such as Ain Dubai, you can delete all distractions that come into the frame, allowing for a clean, clutter-free scene. Meanwhile, the AI Image to Video feature, which is co-developed with Google Cloud, is a real breakthrough. It transforms still images into dynamic, high-quality video by leveraging Google's Veo AI model to accurately represent motion with enhanced realism. Supporting video output in MP4 format and Moving Photo in 16:9 or 9:16 ratios, this means that your still images can now be made Instagram ready as a short video. And, best of all, with this feature HONOUR provides free access for two months to the Google gallery from May 15 to August 31, with up to 10 daily uses at no cost. The AI Image to Video feature is actually the biggest and most outstanding AI feature we have yet come across in a mobile phone. As cat lovers, we were able to take snaps of our furry friends in deep slumber and use the AI features to make their tails gently sway and chests rise and fall, making them seem 'alive' in the photo. Selfies can also be brought to life using this feature. Snapping yourself in front of the waterfall inside Dubai Mall, you can show the downward motion of the falling water in the background, making the image bring back the moment spectacularly. Whether shot in landscape or portrait orientation, the tool supports both 16:9 and 9:16 aspect ratios, so final videos can be optimised for social media, stories and reels. Another AI feature, called HD Moving Photo, preserves the golden three seconds of vibrant live moments, allowing users to again effortlessly share or edit cinematic snippets on social platforms. HONOUR takes this further with Moving Photo Collage, a first-of-its-kind feature that allows users to combine 2-9 moving photos to seamlessly stitch live photos into dynamic storytelling moments. And if you have old and damaged images, such as faded portraits, you can bring those cherished memories back to their pristine glory by using the AI Upscale feature, which is a tool that restores them wonderfully by eliminating scratches, enhancing resolution and improving clarity. Available for purchase now in three colourways - Midnight Black, Tidal Blue and Lunar Grey, the colour of our test piece - the HONOUR 400 Pro is priced at Dh2,499 and comes with an on-shelf gift package of Dh879 worth of free goodies, which includes HONOUR's Clip earbuds, Choice smartwatch, and a HONOUR art case for the phone. In the final analysis, AI is the buzzword in our times, but it still has to be executed well. And no one has done that better yet than HONOUR with its brand-new mobile phone - the HONOUR 400 Pro. This is a phone that will wow you with its use of AI, especially in the imaging department, and is the answer to all your photographic and video needs.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Nasdaq Announces Mid-Month Open Short Interest Positions in Nasdaq Stocks as of Settlement Date May 15, 2025
NEW YORK, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At the end of the settlement date of May 15, 2025, short interest in 3,168 Nasdaq Global MarketSM securities totaled 13,735,568,588 shares compared with 13,300,707,903 shares in 3,156 Global Market issues reported for the prior settlement date of April 30, 2025. The mid-May short interest represents 2.41 days compared with 2.40 days for the prior reporting period. Short interest in 1,639 securities on The Nasdaq Capital MarketSM totaled 2,731,907,808 shares at the end of the settlement date of May 15, 2025, compared with 2,645,060,429 shares in 1,636 securities for the previous reporting period. This represents a 1.00 day average daily volume; the previous reporting period's figure was 1.00. In summary, short interest in all 4,807 Nasdaq® securities totaled 16,467,476,396 shares at the May 15, 2025 settlement date, compared with 4,792 issues and 15,945,768,332 shares at the end of the previous reporting period. This is 1.79 days average daily volume, compared with an average of 1.92 days for the prior reporting period. The open short interest positions reported for each Nasdaq security reflect the total number of shares sold short by all broker/dealers regardless of their exchange affiliations. A short sale is generally understood to mean the sale of a security that the seller does not own or any sale that is consummated by the delivery of a security borrowed by or for the account of the seller. For more information on Nasdaq Short interest positions, including publication dates, visithttp:// Nasdaq:Nasdaq (Nasdaq: NDAQ) is a leading global technology company serving corporate clients, investment managers, banks, brokers, and exchange operators as they navigate and interact with the global capital markets and the broader financial system. We aspire to deliver world-leading platforms that improve the liquidity, transparency, and integrity of the global economy. Our diverse offering of data, analytics, software, exchange capabilities, and client-centric services enables clients to optimize and execute their business vision with confidence. To learn more about the company, technology solutions, and career opportunities, visit us on LinkedIn, on X @Nasdaq, or at Media Contact:Maximilian A photo accompanying this announcement is available at NDAQOError 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
Forbes
6 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
5 Tools To Help Teen Entrepreneurs Sell Digital Products
teen boy building his digital product Teen entrepreneurship is on the rise, according to recent Junior Achievement research. With 60% of teens preferring to start their own business rather than working a traditional job. Unlike previous generations limited to babysitting and lawn mowing, today's young entrepreneurs are building global brands from their bedrooms. Teens are jumping straight into global markets—thanks to digital products. With no need to manage inventory or handle shipping, they're building businesses around downloadable items, such as study guides, fitness trackers, and social media kits. It's a trend backed by numbers: the digital goods economy is on track to hit $74.5 billion by 2025, and individual creators, including teens, are claiming a growing slice of that market. The entrepreneurial benefits extend beyond income. When teens design, market, and sell digital products, they develop skills in customer research, brand positioning, and iterative improvement—capabilities that strengthen college applications and prepare them for future careers. Unlike physical businesses, which require fixed schedules, digital products can be created during flexible hours and sold automatically through online platforms. Research from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor shows that youth are 1.6 times more likely to want to start a business than adults, with many gravitating toward technology-enabled ventures. Digital products align perfectly with this preference while teaching essential business fundamentals. Here are five platforms empowering teen entrepreneurs to launch successful digital product businesses: Best for: Simple digital products like PDFs, templates, and planners Gumroad is a popular choice for teens launching their first digital product. There are no monthly fees—just a small commission taken from each sale—which makes it a low-risk and easy way to get started. You can upload a file, set your price, and start sharing your link with potential buyers in just a few steps. It also comes with helpful tools like email collection and basic analytics, so you can begin to understand who's buying your product and how they found it. Many teen creators use Gumroad to sell everything from printable study guides to productivity planners and design templates. The clean interface keeps things simple, allowing the focus to stay on building a digital product people want. Best for: Course creation, memberships, and subscription products As teen entrepreneurs develop more sophisticated offerings, Payhip provides advanced functionality without overwhelming complexity. The platform supports online courses, membership communities, and recurring subscriptions—business models that generate ongoing revenue. Payhip includes coupon systems, affiliate marketing tools, and upselling capabilities. These features introduce young entrepreneurs to customer lifetime value concepts and retention strategies typically learned much later in business education. Teens teaching skills such as music lessons, coding tutorials, or academic support find Payhip particularly valuable for packaging their knowledge into structured digital product courses. Best for: Designing polished, visually engaging digital products Canva isn't a sales platform, but it's where many teen digital products begin. Its drag-and-drop tools and massive template library make it easy to create professional-looking designs—no design background is required. Whether it's planners, social media kits, or educational worksheets, Canva gives teen creators the freedom to bring their digital product ideas to life. The platform also supports collaboration, allowing teens to co-create with friends, mentors, or classmates. For those building a brand, Canva's built-in brand kit tools help keep fonts, colors, and styles consistent across products. Canva's accessibility has lowered the barrier to great design—now, creativity counts more than technical skill. Best for: Interactive dashboards and productivity templates Notion has evolved beyond note-taking into a platform where teens create and sell sophisticated productivity tools. The demand for Notion templates reflects broader trends toward digital organization and remote work capabilities. Teen entrepreneurs build study dashboards, content planning systems, and goal-tracking templates that solve real problems for their peers. These products often gain traction through social media demonstrations, particularly on TikTok, where Notion tutorials frequently go viral. Creating Notion products develops systems thinking and user experience design skills—capabilities valuable across multiple career paths. Best for: Teens with existing social media followings Stan Store transforms social media presence into business infrastructure. The platform creates customizable landing pages that consolidate product sales, appointment booking, and email collection into a single link. This approach is particularly beneficial for teens who are already active on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube and want to monetize their audience. Stan Store's mobile-optimized design recognizes that most teen commerce happens on smartphones. The platform works exceptionally well for influence-based products, such as social media templates, content calendars, and personal branding guides. Successful teen digital products typically address problems the creators understand personally. Academic tools perform consistently well, including exam preparation guides, note-taking templates, and college application resources. Wellness and lifestyle products represent another strong category. Teens create habit trackers, gratitude journals, and self-care planners that resonate with peers facing similar challenges. Creative assets, such as social media templates, digital stickers, and photo editing presets, capitalize on the visual nature of teen communication and the growth of the creator economy. Creating and selling digital products isn't just about making money — it's hands-on entrepreneurial education. Teens learn to identify market gaps, price strategically, and adapt their approach based on customer feedback. These aren't abstract lessons; they're real-world skills that translate into future success in business, school, and beyond. These experiences also stand out on college applications. Admissions officers are increasingly drawn to students who show initiative, resilience, and problem-solving — qualities that traditional extracurriculars don't always showcase. At WIT (Whatever It Takes), which I launched in 2009, we created a digital workbook using Canva called Pitch to Press to help teen entrepreneurs gain visibility for their ventures. The workbook includes templates, real teen case studies, and step-by-step instructions tailored to the unique challenges of getting press as a young entrepreneur. It's designed to empower teens to tell their stories — and make them heard. It also serves as an example for teen entrepreneurs who want to create their own digital product. The most important step is beginning with a single product that solves a problem you understand. Start by identifying frustrations in your daily life—inefficient study methods, organizational challenges, or skill gaps among peers. Start with something small. Use one of the tools above to create a basic digital product—maybe a planner, template, or guide—and ask a few friends or classmates to try it out. Their feedback can help you improve it before sharing it more widely. Selling digital products isn't just a way to make extra money—it's a chance for teens to build something around what they're good at or passionate about. The market is growing, the tools are accessible, and the experience gained along the way can shape future college, career, or business paths.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wolverine World Wide price target raised to $20 from $18 at Seaport Research
Seaport Research analyst Mitch Kummetz raised the firm's price target on Wolverine World Wide (WWW) to $20 from $18 and keeps a Buy rating on the shares. Tariffs remain a macro headwind, but the firm is encouraged by the company's Q1 beat, the analyst tells investors. Discover companies with rock-solid fundamentals in TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter. Receive undervalued stocks, resilient to market uncertainty, delivered straight to your inbox. Published first on TheFly – the ultimate source for real-time, market-moving breaking financial news. Try Now>> See today's best-performing stocks on TipRanks >> Read More on WWW: Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue Wolverine World Wide price target raised to $22 from $18 at UBS Wolverine World Wide Reports Strong Q1 2025 Results Wolverine World Wide reports Q1 adjusted EPS 18c, consensus 11c Wolverine World Wide withdraws FY25 guidance issued on February 19 Wolverine World Wide Shareholders Meeting Results Announced 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
