Tesla profit plunges in latest quarter as Musk's turn to politics continues to keep buyers away
The car company that has faced boycotts for months said Wednesday that revenue dropped 12% and profits slumped 16% in the three months through June as buyers continued to stay away.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Is Investing in the Nasdaq-100 a No-Brainer Move?
Key Points The Nasdaq-100 index features the top growth stocks in the world, and tracking it has resulted in significant returns for long-term investors. Since the tariff pause back in April, both the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 have soared more than 25%. Heightened valuations, however, could mean more limited returns in the short term. 10 stocks we like better than Invesco QQQ Trust › Investing in the top growth stocks on the Nasdaq stock exchange has generally been a good move for investors. And by tracking the Nasdaq-100, an index of the most valuable nonfinancial stocks on the exchange, investors can easily get exposure to the best and brightest growth stocks. But with valuations soaring this year and the Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 index hitting record levels, is it still a no-brainer option to invest in an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that tracks the Nasdaq-100? Or is now the time to shift away from the index and perhaps pivot into safer investments? Why investing in the Nasdaq-100 makes sense for long-term investors If you're a long-term investor who just wants to add an ETF to your portfolio that you can forget about, the Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ: QQQ) can be a compelling option. It tracks the Nasdaq-100, and in just the past five years it has more than doubled in value and outperformed the overall market. Since the ETF tracks an index of top stocks, it means that you don't have to worry about keeping tabs on how individual stocks are doing; the Nasdaq-100 will automatically adjust and add companies that are rising in value while also dropping ones which are no longer among the top 100. This strategy can make the ETF a good no-nonsense means of investing in many of the best growth stocks in the world. There's simply not much of a substitute for investing in growth stocks. While safer options can result in less volatility in a given year, you're likely to perform far better by targeting the fastest-growing companies in the world. Over the past decade, the S&P 500 has generated total returns (including dividends) of more than 260%. While that's impressive, the Invesco QQQ Trust is up by over 450% over that same period. It has been the better investment by far. Should you be worried about the market being at record levels? One reason you might be thinking twice about investing in growth stocks or tracking the Nasdaq-100 index right now is that stocks are around record levels. Both the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 have hit record highs this year, despite question marks looming about what's ahead for the economy. Since April 8, which is around the time "reciprocal tariffs" were paused, the S&P 500 has rallied by nearly 30% while the Nasdaq is up close to 40%. There has been a lot of economic volatility, and there is definitely the danger that if investors become concerned about tariffs, stocks could be headed back to the lows they reached in April. I certainly wouldn't rule out a potential decline in the market in the near future, and this is a risk for investors to consider, especially in light of how hot stocks have been in recent months. Is it still a good time to invest in the Nasdaq-100? If you're investing for the long term, i.e., five years or more, then it can still be a good option to invest in a fund such as the Invesco QQQ Trust. There is always going to be risk and uncertainty when you have exposure to growth stocks, particularly tech growth stocks, where valuations can become enormous. However, even if there is a bad year for the markets in the near future, it's likely to recover, just as it always has. As long as the U.S. economy continues to grow, the S&P 500 is likely to rise in value as well. And with the Nasdaq-100 focused on growth, it may continue to outperform. If your investing time frame is shorter than five years, then it may be a good idea to focus on safer stocks to preserve your capital or even to put money into bonds. But if you're in it for the long haul, then it can still be a no-brainer move to invest in the Nasdaq-100. Should you buy stock in Invesco QQQ Trust right now? Before you buy stock in Invesco QQQ Trust, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Invesco QQQ Trust 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 $624,823!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,064,820!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,019% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 178% 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 July 29, 2025 David Jagielski has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Is Investing in the Nasdaq-100 a No-Brainer Move? was originally published by The Motley Fool
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Carson Hocevar draws the ire of Zane Smith and FRM crew chief
As he tried to fight back from a mid-race incident, Carson Hocevar got loose underneath Zane Smith and sent the Front Row Motorsports driver spinning into the outside wall. However, things did not end there as the damaged No. 38 Ford of Smith appeared to try and get payback later in the race, taking a swipe at the No. 77 and missing. Hocevar even reacted to it on the radio saying, "nice try." Hocevar rebounded to finish eighth at Iowa Speedway, while Smith finished several laps down in 36th. 'It was just another work of art from [team owner] Jeff Dickerson, wanting us to fight through adversity and be able to come out with a good result," said Hocevar as he reflected on the race. "That's what he's preached and that's what we've been focusing on. We were turned around at one point and just struggling to go anywhere. We were just able to reset and regroup. Luke [Lambert, crew chief] did a really good job for this No. 77 Chevrolet team to at least put something on the board and be able to go into next weekend with a little momentum with two top-10s in a row.' Post-race confrontation While he didn't directly address the incident with Smith in the above quotes, the opposing FRM team was eager to address it with him. Ryan Bergenty, who works as the crew chief for the No. 38, confronted Hocevar after the race in a heated conversation. reporter Stephen Stumpf even caught the beginning of the tense interaction on video. Hocevar has been involved in several run-ins this year, including an infamous multi-week feud with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., as well as various other drivers throughout the field. The 22-year-old is having an impressive season with flashes speed, but Smith is just the latest of many enemies he has made along the way. Read Also: Frustrated Kyle Larson boils over in radio rant during rough Iowa Cup race Opportunity lost as Brad Keselowski misses out on another NASCAR win William Byron saves enough fuel to win caution-filled NASCAR Cup race at Iowa To read more articles visit our website.
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Altria Has a Big Dividend Yield, but Is It Sustainable?
Key Points Altria Group's earnings rose, but its core cigarette business continues to see large volume declines. At this point, the dividend looks safe. However, investors need to be wary of when price hikes stop working. 10 stocks we like better than Altria Group › With Altria Group's (NYSE: MO) forward dividend yield at 6.6%, investors tend to be more concerned about the company's dividend than its earnings momentum. The company has increased its payout every year since 2009, but with cigarette volumes continuing to decline, the question on many investors' minds is whether the dividend and its increased payouts are sustainable. Let's look at the company's recent results to find out. Raised guidance, but questions remain In the second quarter, Altria saw solid adjusted earnings per share (EPS) growth and raised its earnings guidance, although it is still facing headwinds. Overall revenue net of excise taxes fell 1.7% to $5.29 billion, while adjusted EPS climbed 8.3% to $1.44. That was above analyst expectations for revenue of $5.19 billion and EPS of $1.39, as compiled by FactSet. Altria's on! nicotine pouches, which compete with Philip Morris International's Zyn, saw strong growth, with shipment volumes climbing 26.5% to 52.1 million cans. Revenue net of excise taxes in the oral products segment that houses on! rose 6% to $728 million. Segment shipment volumes fell 1% to 198.6 million units. Adjusted operating income for the segment rose 10.9% to $500 million. The company's cigarette business continues to experience large shipment declines, with overall shipment volumes down 10.2%. Its leading Marlboro brand saw shipments fall 11.4% in the quarter, while other premium brand shipments sank 13%. Discount brand shipments jumped 17.6%, while cigar volumes rose 3.7%. For its smokeable segment, revenue net of excise taxes fell 0.4% to $4.6 billion. Adjusted operating income for the segment increased 4.2% to $2.95 billion. Altria's Njoy e-vapor business is currently in a patent dispute with Juul, in which it previously had a large stake. It lost the trial and subsequent appeal, and it just recently completed a new product design for its Njoy Ace solution in an effort to work around the patents it violated. Looking ahead, the company raised the low end of its full-year adjusted EPS outlook to $5.35 to $5.45, representing 3% to 5% growth. That's up from a prior range of $5.30 to $5.45. Is the dividend safe? Altria currently pays a dividend of $1.02 a quarter, or an annual rate of $4.08. The company generated $2.9 billion in both operating cash flow and free cash flow through the first six months of the year. Meanwhile, it paid $3.5 billion in dividends over the same period. Through the first six months of the year, its cash flows are not covering its dividend payout, which can be a red flag. However, last year it covered the $6.8 billion in dividends it paid out with free cash flows of $8.6 billion, and it tends to generate much more cash flow in the second half of the year. Looking at its balance sheet, Altria ended the quarter with debt-to-EBITDA leverage of 2 times, which is reasonable. As such, the dividend looks sustainable for the foreseeable future. The big concern for investors is the steady, large drop in cigarette volumes. At some point, price hikes stop working, and that's a real risk. Tobacco companies have strong pricing power, but there's only so much Altria can do when fewer people are buying its products each year. And while on! is showing solid growth, it's still a small piece of the overall revenue puzzle. From a valuation perspective, the company trades at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 11.5 based on the analyst consensus for 2025. That's much cheaper than its former unit, Philip Morris International, but I much prefer its international counterpart given its strong growth drivers. Overall, Altria is a solid dividend play. But with the stock at a six-year high and its core business continuing to see big volume declines, I wouldn't be a buyer of Atria at current levels. Should you invest $1,000 in Altria Group right now? Before you buy stock in Altria Group, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Altria Group 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 $624,823!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,064,820!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,019% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 178% 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 July 29, 2025 Geoffrey Seiler has positions in Philip Morris International. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends FactSet Research Systems. The Motley Fool recommends Philip Morris International. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Altria Has a Big Dividend Yield, but Is It Sustainable? was originally published by The Motley Fool Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
