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Globe and Mail
21 hours ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
2 Top Bargain Stocks Ready for a Bull Run
The tech sector has been a market-beating beast in recent years. Tech-heavy exchange-traded funds (ETFs) like the Vanguard Information Technology ETF (NYSEMKT: VGT) and the Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ: QQQ) have delivered annual returns of more than 21% over the last three years. Broad market trackers like the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO) only gained 15.5% per year over the same period. Yes, that's a fantastic return from a historic perspective, but the tech sector offered even stronger gains. 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 » The technology boom has been driven by artificial intelligence (AI) news, starting with the public release of ChatGPT in November 2022. Many leaders in the AI market have soared sky-high, adding fuel to the tech sector's market performance fires, but also making those market darlings a bit expensive. Fortunately, the market-moving forces left a few top-notch companies behind. I still see several tech stocks with a combination of bright business prospects and modest stock prices. Let's check out a couple of underappreciated bargain-bin tech stocks. This dynamic duo looks ready for a fresh bull run. 1. Criteo Digital advertising has been a troubled sector since the first signs of an inflation crisis in 2021. Paris-based commerce media specialist Criteo (NASDAQ: CRTO) provides purchase-inspiring ad services to global brands. This focus placed the Parisian company in the epicenter of the inflation-based slowdown -- why invest in lavish marketing campaigns when consumers are pinching pennies and tightening belts? Criteo's revenues have indeed slumped since then, and so has the stock price. You know what's surging in recent quarters, though? That would be Criteo's free cash flows: CRTO Free Cash Flow data by YCharts The cash profits took a temporary dip, but came back stronger, with trailing cash flows reaching an all-time high in May's Q1 2025 report. But Criteo's stock price is down more than 30% in the last quarter, and the shares are trading at the bargain-bin valuation of 11.3 times earnings and 6.6 times free cash flow. I'm not saying the digital ad market is roaring back to life in the spring of 2025. The political climate may result in another inflation spike, and advertisers are already reducing their ad-spot spending right now. Hence, Criteo's undervalued stock may see more volatility and weakness in the coming months. However, I think the market makers have underestimated Criteo's ability to turn cash profits in a soft market. The Criteo shares you buy at a discount in this downswing should return to more reasonable valuation ratios someday. At the same time, the company's robust cash generation makes it less vulnerable to short-term financial challenges. You can buy Criteo stock with confidence while it's cheap. This one is poised for great long-term returns, and patience is the greatest Wall Street virtue of them all. 2. Hewlett Packard Enterprise My next recommendation is more of a household name. Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE) has been around (in some form) since 1939. As the data center and cloud computing operator of the old HP business, HP Enterprise (aka HPE) plays a serious part in the AI boom. Indeed, seven out of the 10 most powerful supercomputers today were built by HP Enterprise. Only Chinese rival Lenovo has more systems in the top 500 than HP Enterprise, and nobody can match the total number-crunching performance of this company's ultra-powerful systems. Any company or organization that needs a top-performance system for their AI training and operations is likely to check out HP Enterprise's catalog first. So I'm talking about an AI powerhouse here. Yet, the stock price has dropped 16% lower year to date while smaller system builders Super Micro Computers (NASDAQ: SMCI) and Dell (NYSE: DELL) are up by 41% and down by just 1%, respectively. Trading at 8.9 times earnings and 14.3 times free cash flow, HP Enterprise looks downright cheap next to these challengers. HP Enterprise's stock could double or triple in price and still be affordable next to Supermicro or Dell. This could be a great value play on the hardware side of the AI boom. Should you invest $1,000 in Criteo right now? Before you buy stock in Criteo, 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 Criteo 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 $653,389!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $830,492!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is982% — 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
Globe and Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
2 Unstoppable Vanguard ETFs That Have Doubled in Just 5 Years
Investing in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) is usually associated with safe and stable long-term investing. But not all ETFs are the same. And just because you invest in one doesn't mean you can't still earn a great return. Two ETFs that have produced some fantastic returns for investors in the past five years are the Vanguard Information Technology Index Fund ETF (NYSEMKT: VGT) and the Vanguard Growth Index Fund ETF (NYSEMKT: VUG). 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 » Here's why these funds have performed so well, and why it may not be too late to invest in them today. Vanguard Information Technology Index Fund ETF This Vanguard ETF invests broadly within the tech sector. It has more than 300 stocks in its portfolio, giving exposure to companies involved with semiconductors, application software, electronics components, and many other areas of tech. And with tech stocks surging in value in recent years due to the excitement surrounding artificial intelligence (AI), it's perhaps not too surprising to learn that this ETF has risen by 135% in the past five years. And that rises to around 141% when you include the fund's dividend. By comparison, the S&P 500 's total returns (which include dividends) are 109% over that period. While the past five years have been good ones for the market as a whole, tech stocks have done particularly well. Given the strong trends in AI and the investments that continue to flow into AI-related projects, this ETF can still be an excellent option for your portfolio. While it's by no means a pure AI investment, the stocks within this ETF can all benefit from trends related to it as tech spending as a whole is likely to increase as companies invest in next-gen technologies and upgrade their existing infrastructure. The fund also charges a modest expense ratio of 0.09%, which can be crucial in ensuring that fees aren't taking a big chunk of your returns. Most of the stocks in the ETF account for no more than 4% of its total holdings, with the exception being the big three: Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia, which together make up nearly 46% of the fund's portfolio. But given their leading positions in tech, how these stocks go, other tech stocks are likely to follow, anyway. If you're looking for a long-term investment and don't mind the volatility that can sometimes come with tech stocks, the Vanguard Information Technology Index Fund can be an excellent ETF to buy and hold for years. Vanguard Growth Index Fund ETF For a more balanced option outside of just tech, you may want to consider the Vanguard Growth Index Fund ETF. It simply focuses on the largest growth stocks in the country. It is, however, a bit more concentrated since it has positions in 166 stocks (as of April 30). While tech stocks take up the bulk of the portfolio at more than 57% of the ETF's holdings, it also has a strong position in other sectors. Consumer discretionary stocks account for 19% of its portfolio, and industrials make up close to 10%. This ETF has also delivered market-beating returns for investors, but with less focus on tech, the gap between it and the S&P 500 hasn't been as significant as has been the case with the Vanguard Information Technology ETF. ETF Returns data by YCharts. The same top three stocks that make up the bulk of the Vanguard tech fund are also the top three in this ETF. But in the Vanguard Growth ETF, Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia combine for around 31% of its holdings. Having less exposure to these big three stocks helps explain why the fund's performance hasn't been as strong as the other Vanguard ETF listed here. However, that also means more diversification for investors and potentially less risk in the long run. The more diversified Vanguard Growth Index Fund ETF, which charges a lower expense ratio of 0.04%, can be a better option for more risk-averse growth investors who don't necessarily want to be all-in on tech. Should you invest $1,000 in Vanguard Index Funds - Vanguard Growth ETF right now? Before you buy stock in Vanguard Index Funds - Vanguard Growth ETF, 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 Vanguard Index Funds - Vanguard Growth ETF 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 David Jagielski has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Vanguard Index Funds-Vanguard Growth ETF. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Yahoo
19 banned from Pennsylvania casinos for leaving kids unattended
(WHTM) — The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) announced they have placed 19 individuals on its Involuntary Exclusion List due to leaving children unattended. The PGCB says the decisions included placing two individuals who left a minor or minors unattended while gambling in a Pennsylvania casino: A male patron who left two children, ages 8 and 13, in a vehicle in the parking lot of Valley Forge Resort Casino for 52 minutes while he gambled A female patron who left an 8-year-old unattended in a hotel room at Live! Casino and Hotel Philadelphia for over an hour while she gambled on slot machines Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The Board also denied a request for removal from the list: A female patron who, in 2022, left three minors, ages 10, 14, and 15, unattended in a vehicle in the parking garage of Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course for 1 hour and 41 minutes while she gambled at slot machines The Board also added eight more people to the exclusion list whose presence in a casino would be inimical to the interest of the Commonwealth due to various crimes or actions. Nine others were placed on the Board's Involuntary Interactive Gaming list for fraudulent actions. The PGCB says that with these bans, 1,363 individuals are now on the Board's various Involuntary Exclusion Lists. The lists prohibit individuals from gaming in a casino in Pennsylvania, via an online betting site regulated by the Board, or a Video Gaming Terminal ('VGT') location. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
