This week was packed with earnings, major market moves, and even a bit of political drama. From UPS making a bold call on Amazon to Europe “coming to the rescue us,” we break it all down. Plus, we’ve got some juicy dividend hikes and listener questions to wrap things up.
Timestamps and Tickers
- [00:05] Market Chaos & Earnings Week Overview
- [00:50] UPS Drops Amazon (Ticker: UPS, AMZN) – Big decision, but was it the right one?
- [06:00] Trump’s Tariff Threats & Dividend Taxes – Could a new policy hit international investors?
- [11:50] Dividend Announcements – The good, the bad, and the surprising. (WBA, LVMH, SHEL, EVO, COP, CVX, AXFO, KPN, NVS, AZO)
- [16:00] Evolution AB Earnings & Stock Pressure (Ticker: EVO.ST) – Strong revenue but some headwinds.
- [21:50] Shell Earnings Breakdown (Ticker: SHEL) – A cash flow machine with a fresh dividend hike.
- [29:04] Starbucks Struggles (Ticker: SBUX) – CEO shake-ups, margin pressure, and debt.
- [34:50] AbbVie’s Monster Quarter (Ticker: ABBV) – Humira’s decline, but new drugs firing on all cylinders.
- [45:10] The Earnings We Didn’t Cover – Microsoft, Apple, ASML, Visa, and more.
- [46:07] Listener Questions – Meetup takeaways, portfolio management, politics in investing, and AI tools.
Key News
- UPS Drops 50% of Amazon Business – Stock tumbles, but could it be a smart long-term move?
- Trump’s Trade War 2.0? – Tariff threats on Mexico, Europe, Canada… and even dividend taxes?
- Europe’s “Fix” for Its Economy – A dozen new policies, but can they actually execute?
Dividend Hikes
- Shell (SHEL): +4%
- Evolution AB (EVO.ST): +5.6% + €500M buyback
- Chevron (CVX): +4.9%
- Axfood (AXFO.ST): +3%
- KPN (KPN.AS): +7%
- Novartis (NVS): +6.1%
- COP (COP): +4.3% + €5B buyback
- Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA): Dividend cut to zero
Main Topic: Earnings Deep Dive
- Shell (SHEL): Another strong quarter, cash flow of $39.5B in 2023. Prioritizing buybacks over massive dividend hikes, and with a AA credit rating, it’s still a fortress.
- Evolution AB (EVO.ST): Strong revenue growth, but margins are under pressure. Regulatory risks remain, but management remains optimistic.
- Starbucks (SBUX): Weak earnings, debt concerns, and operational struggles. New CEO Brian Niccol has work to do.
- AbbVie (ABBV): Humira’s decline offset by massive growth in Skyrizi and Rinvoq. Increased guidance suggests more good times ahead.
Listener Questions
- How often do you check your portfolio? – We check deeply once a quarter but keep an eye on things for content.
- Politics & Investing – Generally, we ignore it, but things like dividend taxes could change our approach.
- AI Tools for Investing? – Not quite there yet. Too many errors, but it’s improving.
- Are valuations getting stretched? – Some stocks, like SAP and Apple, seem overpriced. Be selective.
- Canadian Insurance Companies? – Not on our radar, but Canadian banks have a solid reputation.
- UK Stocks Granger (GRI) & Spectris (SXS)? – Granger looks weak, but Spectris caught our attention.
- 25% Allocation to One Stock? – Nope. We prefer diversification.
- Siemens (SIE.DE) & Other Industrials? – 15-16x P/E is reasonable. Alternatives: Schneider Electric, ABB, Air Liquide.
- Best Nordic Dividend ETF? – Exact Nordic High Dividend ETF has potential, but we’d like to see a stronger dividend growth track record.
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