☕ Meta boosts dividend, continues adulting

Good morning and Happy Valentines Day to you and yours! 👋

Futures are slipping a skosh as I type. 

Not a big deal. 

Big market moves are like a big meal… you’ve gotta digest ‘em. 

Here’s my playbook. 

1 –  Google says, “we got this” but what else could they say?!?! 

Google’s AI Chief, Demis Hassabis, dismissed concerns over DeepSeek, calling its cost-efficiency claims "exaggerated" and asserting Google's AI models are superior and more efficient. (Read) 

Reminds me of the time I watched a Pentagon briefing on CNBC International from my Sofitel in Xian during which a high-ranking USAF officer insisted China was 10 years away from operational stealth technology… only to see one of China’s latest stealth fighter prototypes taxiing that afternoon by accident when I got caught in a traffic jam near the end of one of China’s top secret airbases. 

What else would you expect anybody in his position to say??!! 

Hmmm.  

Still thinking short or avoid – there are better fish out there.  

But that’s just me. 🤷🏻‍ 

2 – JC Penny on life support 

Reminds me of Sears (Read) 

The company previously filed for bankruptcy in 2020 – JCPenney struggled during the Covid pandemic, filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to restructure its debt. 

Not a pretty picture. 

Party City, Big Lots, Macy’s and Kohls are all holding liquidation sales right now if memory serves. 

More than 15,000 big box stores will close this year, double and then some over the ~7k that closed last year according to Coresight and as reported by Axios. (Read) 

3 – Buy Moderna? 

Moderna reported Q4 earnings. (Read) 

• Q4 revenue: $966 million vs. $942.8 million expected, down 65% YoY  

• EPS: $2.91 vs. expected $2.68 

• Net loss of $1.12 billion, compared to $217 million profit in Q4 2023 

Covid Vaccine sales declined sharply with revenue at $923 million, down 66% YoY. 

Moderna is down today in the premarket and off -62.86% over the past 12 months. 

Should you buy it?   

The company has a diverse portfolio that’s appealing to many investors.  

Personally, I favor a few other choices because I believe they have higher, more sustainable profit potential but that’s moot. 

The thing I want you to think about is that Moderna could be a good choice if you’re as keen on customizable medicine as I am. It’ll be here before you know it and I’ll be here if you need me or would like some help finding ‘em. 

4 – Meta boosts its dividend, continues adulting 

Meta announced a 5% increase in its quarterly cash dividend compared to the previous payout. (Read) 

I still have a hard time using Meta and dividends in the same sentence but, boom, here we are. 

I think what’s happening is a sign that CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s adulting continues (and that’s a good thing). So much so, in fact, that I recently recommended a “back door” investment to snag a few shares to the One Bar Ahead® Family. 

And OBAers… before you let your fingers do the talking in response to this email, let me encourage you to visit the OBA Portal so that my bride who personally oversees member success around here isn’t overwhelmed this morning. See the January issue when you get there. 😀 

5 - Listen to the Women and Money Podcast this Sunday!  

The fabulous Suze Orman has very kindly invited me to join her and KT on this Sunday’s podcast. I can’t wait because we’re going to be talking about all sorts of stuff including VCA, market conditions and more. Suze is a true legend and, on top of that, a really cool, intelligent person as is KT. It’s an honour of the first order. I hope you’ll join us for all the fun! 

Bottom Line 

There will be more profits created in the next 10 years than the last 50 combined. 

Let that sink in. 

Then do something about it. 

As always, let’s MAKE it a great day and finish the week strong. 

Keith 😀 

PS: See you in Las Vegas next week (17th-19th) for the MoneyShow and the One Bar Ahead® meet up happening as part of that! I can’t wait because I learn something new every time, both as a speaker and an attendee! And no, I don’t get paid to promote it in case you’re wondering; it’s simply a great place to learn which is why I have been speaking and attending for 20+ years and encourage any serious investor or trader to as well.