European Stocks Post Weekly Drop With Focus on US Trade Deals
The Stoxx Europe 600 Index was down 0.5% by the close as President Donald Trump said his administration will probably start notifying trading partners of the new US tariff on their exports effective Aug. 1.
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Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
3 Soaring Stocks I'd Buy Now With No Hesitation
Netflix, IBM, and Brinker International have all posted impressive one-year gains. Premium valuations haven't stopped these stocks from delivering strong results. These successful companies with soaring stocks show that buying at a high can still pay off if the business is thriving. 10 stocks we like better than Netflix › Some stocks don't catch my eye unless they're really affordable. Starting a new position at a low price helps me in several ways: I'm more likely to take a calculated chance on a risky idea. The stock will be poised for greater long-term returns if the investment thesis plays out in my favor. This is also a classic way to follow in the footsteps of investing legends like Warren Buffett. "It's far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price," Buffett said. But there are a handful of stocks that would be fantastic buys even at a soaring valuation. These are the growth stories I understand and trust so well that I don't mind a premium price tag. You never know where any stock will go in the short term, and maybe you'll see a dip or correction along the way -- but these stocks are primed for long-term success and might never be this affordable again. Everything is relative on Wall Street. That's why I'd gladly buy Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX), IBM (NYSE: IBM), and Brinker International (NYSE: EAT) shares right now, even though the stocks are skyrocketing. Let me explain so you can determine whether these elevated stocks are right for your portfolio, too. Media-streaming veteran Netflix had a dry spell in recent years, but it's a different story in 2025. New ideas such as ad-based subscription plans and a crackdown on account-sharing shenanigans are making a difference, and the long-term growth opportunity is as large as ever. Netflix shares have gained 92% over the last year as I'm writing this on July 3. The stock trades at 61 times earnings and 74 times free cash flows -- lofty territory even for a proven high-growth performer. At the same time, Netflix keeps proving the bears wrong, time and time again. Let's say you invested $1,000 in Netflix stock at the start of 2016. It traded at 408 times earnings back then, and free cash flows were negative. That must have been a bad idea, right? Well, that hypothetical bet on Netflix's long-term strategy would be worth $11,350 today. I can't promise that Netflix will outperform expectations by that much again. Past performance doesn't necessarily reflect future results, you know. But I have been able to tell similar stories many times over the last two decades, and Netflix isn't done growing yet. Big Blue started focusing on cloud computing, consulting services, and artificial intelligence (AI) when Ginni Rometty took the helm, way back in 2012. (Arvind Krishna is now CEO.) It took years of frustration, but IBM's AI and cloud focus is finally paying off. Leaving consumer-grade AI services to other providers, IBM offers business-class tools with robust data security and audit-ready information flows. As a result, IBM's generative AI orders soared from $1 billion a year ago to $6 billion in April's Q1 report. And the stock isn't even expensive, changing hands at a modest 21 times free cash flow. That's not too shabby after posting market-busting returns over the last year. Finally, restaurant chain Brinker is executing a successful turnaround plan. The company behind Chili's and Maggiano's Little Italy struggled to rebuild its customer traffic after the COVID-19 pandemic, falling behind top performers such as Chipotle Mexican Grill and Darden Restaurants in terms of revenue growth. That downtrend took a sharp turn for the better under new CEO Kevin Hochman, who took the reins in 2022. Under Hochman, Chili's simplified its sprawling menu and refocused its marketing efforts. Other restaurants and the industry press now see Brinker as a shining example of how to fix a broken brand. So Brinker's stock is soaring too, but from a much lower starting point. Hence, the shares are trading at an affordable valuation of 21 times free cash flow and 25 times earnings, even after more than doubling in one year. I don't own this stock yet, but that might change soon. It's so refreshing to see a common-sense business plan striking exactly the right chord with consumers. Before you buy stock in Netflix, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Netflix 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 $699,558!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $976,677!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,060% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 180% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 30, 2025 Anders Bylund has positions in International Business Machines and Netflix. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Chipotle Mexican Grill, International Business Machines, and Netflix. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: short June 2025 $55 calls on Chipotle Mexican Grill. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 3 Soaring Stocks I'd Buy Now With No Hesitation was originally published by The Motley Fool
Fast Company
34 minutes ago
- Fast Company
How AI is transforming corporate finance
The role of the CFO is evolving—and fast. In today's volatile business environment, finance leaders are navigating everything from unpredictable tariffs to tightening regulations and rising geopolitical tensions. The latest shuffle in global trade policy is just another reminder that agility is no longer optional—it's a necessity. According to Pigment's latest CFO survey, most companies missed their financial targets last year. This isn't just a sobering statistic—it's a clear wake-up call. In today's volatile environment, businesses can no longer afford to wait and react; they must anticipate and move faster than the market to stay ahead. Finance leaders need tools that not only keep pace with a rapidly shifting global economy but also enable proactive scenario planning. Artificial Intelligence has emerged as the most powerful tool to meet this challenge—helping businesses pivot with the same speed and agility that today's business landscape demands. AI is ushering in a new era of smarter, faster, and more strategic decision-making in the office of the CFO. Finance leaders must now embrace AI not just to boost insights and productivity, but to drive more transformative, strategic outcomes. Teams are leveraging AI to access data faster, forecast more accurately, and collaborate seamlessly across the organization—often through simple natural language prompts. But the next evolution is underway: autonomous AI agents. These systems don't wait for prompts; they operate continuously in the background, proactively handling complex tasks with minimal human intervention. From real-time forecasting and dynamic scenario planning to risk management and anomaly detection, AI agents will become essential tools in the finance function. The right investments today won't just streamline operations—they will fundamentally redefine how finance teams drive value, resilience, and competitive advantage for the business. The Rise of Finance AI Agents The latest tariff developments and world trade saga are causing financial leaders and their institutions a lot of headaches. Trade policy is notoriously complex for businesses to navigate. CFOs must assess not only the downstream impact of specific regulations on functions like their supply chain but also how their business may be affected by the wider impact on regional and global economies. But fortunately for CFOs, there is a silver lining. The introduction of AI agents for finance teams has opened new doors to autonomous planning, real-time insights, and more proactive risk mitigation. AI agents can do more than just streamline processes like reconciliation and financial reporting—they can work independently and proactively as an extension of the team to help CFOs stay one step ahead of today's fast-moving business environment. Imagine a world where a forecasting model not only reacts to past trends but also continuously learns from new data, anticipates market shifts, and updates projections in real time. AI agents can simulate the financial impact of global events—from supply chain disruptions to new regulatory policies—and run thousands of scenarios to understand how these could impact the business well before the numbers show up on the balance sheet. This enables CFOs to help their businesses better decide the best course of action to take. AI agents are poised to be a game-changing technology for CFOs and finance teams—but only if they are ready to embrace the change. Making Smart Bets When new technology emerges, there is huge upside but also equal risk for first movers and early adopters. For CFOs, the key to navigating through the AI hype cycle to make smart and grounded investments lies less in being an expert in emerging technologies and more in understanding your business and what you aim to achieve. First, it's critical to understand the problem you're trying to solve with AI and the end goal: Are you trying to cut costs? Improve productivity? Looking for internal or external use cases? Most CFOs today are looking for ways that AI can help reduce spending and time spent on repetitive tasks, so their team can focus time elsewhere. But productivity is just one area that AI can drive value for businesses. CFOs should also think about how AI can democratize data for teams to be more strategic and even help make better business decisions and manage risk. No matter the primary goal for AI adoption—in order to maximize the ROI on AI investments—it's essential to have the right foundations in place. AI can only be as good as the data you feed it. If data sources are poor quality, disparate, or inaccurate then you will get lackluster results no matter how powerful the AI capabilities might be. Related, adding AI to an already complex platform can frustrate teams rather than help them. Platforms that integrate easily with data sources—and clean up data during implementation—make AI reliable and accessible for nontechnical users to maximize its value. AI agents operate best when supported by the right architecture. It is critical that they are embedded in a platform that is AI-first, flexible, and intuitive, while also having access to accurate, real-time data in order to deliver transformational value, fast. Finally, for AI to be truly effective and seamless, it requires an organization-wide strategy. CFOs should work alongside their CTOs and CIOs to ensure their data foundations are sound so that when new tools or platforms are added, teams can trust the data and outputs from AI are accurate. It also helps to start small. Get clear on exactly the use case for AI and test this out before building it out further. The Next Move is Yours The opportunity to become an AI-empowered finance organization is there for the taking. CFOs who want to give their teams the best chance to succeed and exceed expectations should not wait to make their move. According to McKinsey, 78% of business leaders say AI has already improved operational efficiency and decision-making in their organizations. And forward-thinking CFOs are already piloting AI in planning and analysis workflows, fraud detection, and even ESG reporting. The results? Greater accuracy, faster turnaround, and a better handle on risk. Those who delay risk being outpaced by competitors who are already harnessing AI to steer their companies with precision through these uncertain times. AI isn't just about unlocking new levels of efficiency—it's about giving finance teams better access to the insights they need to make faster and more informed decisions in a more challenging and unpredictable world. Agents in particular have the power to change a business's trajectory and results—finding new pathways to accelerate growth, drive higher margins, and identify the right opportunities to make trade-offs. CFOs who embrace this shift and harness the power of AI won't just have a significant edge over their competition—they'll lead and redefine their industries.
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
The changes coming to European hand-luggage rules
In travel news this week: Why Thailand did a U-turn on legalizing marijuana, why the party might be over for Germany's clubbing capital, plus more generous luggage rules are coming to European flights. European lawmakers have voted to get rid of tricksy, confusing airline carry-on fees and promote standardization across the industry. The proposal still requires approval from EU member states but, if adopted, travelers could soon be guaranteed a lot more free hand luggage than is currently standard on the region's budget airlines. Right now, low-cost carriers including EasyJet and Ryanair allow passengers one free bag that must fit under the seat in front. However, with no standardized dimensions across airlines, travelers have often been caught unawares with incorrectly sized bags when switching between carriers. The new rule would allow passengers to bring one cabin bag measuring up to 100 centimeters (about 40 inches) and weighing up to seven kilos (15.4 pounds), plus an under-the-seat personal item with maximum dimensions of 40 x 30 x 15 centimeters. (That's about the size of a small backpack.) If it goes through, it will apply to all flights within the EU, as well as routes to and from the EU. While this rule change has yet to be confirmed, there are other luggage changes already afoot. Trade association Airlines for Europe (A4E), which represents 17 of the region's leading airlines, announced on Wednesday that its members have started applying the guaranteed set of dimensions of 40 × 30 × 15 centimeters for under-seat bags. In line with this move, Ryanair, Europe's largest airline, has said that it will be increasing its small-item size limits from 40 x 25 x 20 centimeters to to 40 x 30 x 20 centimeters in 'the coming weeks, as our airport bag-sizers are adjusted.' While doing those last-minute luggage checks before travel, it's not a bad idea to watch out for snakes — in Australia, at least. A plane was delayed leaving Melbourne on Tuesday because one of the wriggly reptiles got loose in the hold. Watch here as snake catcher Mark Pelley got down to business. Staff at Japan's Yamagata Airport had a bigger critter to contend with, when a bear on the runway forced flights to be canceled on June 26. Traps set up near the runway failed to catch the furry trespasser, but airport officials said they would remain in place. Magellanic penguins, named after the explorer Ferdinand Magellan, are native to Patagonia, but one little adventurer took to the seas like its famous namesake and was spotted swimming with beachgoers in Rio de Janeiro on June 29. It wasn't the only industrious animal to hit the beach in June. A poodle is the newest member of a dog lifeguard team near Malaga in Spain. Not all heroes wear capes — some have thick luxurious coats. In 2022, Thailand became the first country in Asia to legalize marijuana. Just three years later, a dramatic government U-turn is set to rein in the country's 'green rush.' Here's where things went wrong. There will soon be a lot fewer clouds of smoke in France, too. The country has long been synonymous with cigarette culture, but it's now leading the way in Europe by banning smoking on beaches, in parks and in all outdoor areas frequented by children. Rulebreakers face fines of up to 135 euros (around $150). Next door in Germany, Berlin's reign as the hedonistic party capital of Europe might be coming to an end. The city's nightlife scene has been changing since the pandemic and now Gen Z wants a different kind of fun. All this clean living requires an early start to the day. Our partners at CNN Underscored, a product reviews and recommendations guide owned by CNN, have this guide to the best alarm clocks of 2025. Here's to being bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. In the Montana town of Missoula, there's world-class wilderness in every direction. But there's much more to this eclectic university town than being a basecamp between two spectacular national parks (Yellowstone and Glacier, if you're asking). There's amazing food, an outdoor music venue, fly fishing, and even surfing in the center of downtown. The rivers are pretty famous too. The 1992 Brad Pitt movie 'A River Runs Through It,' helped put Missoula on the map. 'It just blew up at that point,' says local businessman Todd Frank, 'the number of people coming to recreate, we've been busy ever since then.' She ditched New York for Paris at the age of 79. She says it's the best decision she ever made. This is not the seat you paid for. Here's what to do if you get downgraded on a flight. Two strangers met on a train. Then they decided to travel the world together. The best pizza in the United States? Italy has the answer.
