Market Foolery

Investing for your kid?  Investing with your partner?  We dip into the Fool Mailbag to talk stocks vs. index investing, when to deploy cash, and more.  Jason Moser weighs in on those topics, as well as the Deutsche Bank survey on how $170 billion in stimulus checks could end up in the stock market.

Okta buys rival Auth0 for $6.5 billion in stock. Square buys Tidal for $300 million in cash and stock, and adds Jay-Z to the board of directors. Bill Mann analyzes those stories, and discusses whether American Eagle Outfitters’ recent hot streak is sustainable.

Nordstrom’s 4^th-quarter results were (on the surface) so much better than those of Ross Stores, so why are both stocks falling the same? Dollar Tree adds $2 billion to its stock buyback plan. Emily Flippen analyzes those stories, plus FuboTV’s 300% rise over the past year (and 15% drop today).

Despite all the positive aspects of their respective 4^th-quarter reports, shares of Mercadolibre and Zoom Video are falling today. But that pessimism isn’t shared by Jim Gillies, who says those two stocks are “as far away from the sell button” as any he owns. Jim analyzes their results as well as the latest quarter from Kontoor Brands, the parent company of Lee and Wrangler jeans.

Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot vaccine gets the green light as the company prepares millions of does to be deployed this week. Netflix cleans up at the Golden Globe Awards while Disney has an opportunity to make a splash in April. Jason Moser analyzes those stories, plus we dip into the Fool Mailbag to discuss weighing positions in new stocks vs. existing positions.  

Shares of Papa John’s and Domino’s fall despite double-digit comps growth. Best Buy lowers expectations for 2021. Teladoc Health’s 4^th-quarter loss was bigger than expected. Bill Barker analyzes those stories and how Bath & Body Works (and their candles) is the engine driving results for parent company L Brands.  

Square wraps up a strong fiscal year but shares fall on slowing growth. Same-store sales for Lowe’s grew 28% in the 4^th quarter, but pessimism remains about 2021. Despite a rough 4^th-quarter report, Six Flags hits a 52-week high on optimism for “The Great Reopening”. Clay Bruning analyzes those stories, and shares some boots-on-the-ground research from his days at a Six Flags theme park.

Home Depot closes out the fiscal year with a strong quarter. Macy’s turns a profit in Q4 but gears up for a year of recovery and rebuilding. Bill Barker analyzes those stories, secondary offerings from Shopify and Carnival Cruise, and his inexperience with conspiracy theories.

Discovery Communications’ streaming service gets off to a hot start, sending shares to an all-time high. Korn Ferry’s stock hits a 52-week high after stronger-than-expected 3^rd-quarter results. Jason Moser analyzes those stories, as well as Boeing’s latest headline risk and the potential for “re-opening” stocks.

If Walmart wrapped up its fiscal year with strong comps in the U.S., why is the stock falling 6%? What should you do when the company you own shares of is bought by another company? Jim Gillies analyzes those questions and introduces Medpace Holdings, a clinical research business he thinks more investors should know about.