Latest news with #JohnSculley
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
1 Volatile Stock to Own for Decades and 2 to Ignore
Volatility cuts both ways - while it creates opportunities, it also increases risk, making sharp declines just as likely as big gains. This unpredictability can shake out even the most experienced investors. At StockStory, our job is to help you avoid costly mistakes and stay on the right side of the trade. Keeping that in mind, here is one volatile stock that could deliver huge gains and two best left to the gamblers. Rolling One-Year Beta: 2.22 Co-founded by former Apple CEO John Sculley, Zeta Global (NYSE:ZETA) provides software and data analytics tools that help companies market their products to billions of customers. Why Does ZETA Give Us Pause? Gross margin of 60.4% reflects its relatively high servicing costs Operating losses show it sacrificed profitability while scaling the business Poor free cash flow margin of 9.8% for the last year limits its freedom to invest in growth initiatives, execute share buybacks, or pay dividends At $15.45 per share, Zeta trades at 2.6x forward price-to-sales. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including ZETA in your portfolio, it's free. Rolling One-Year Beta: 1.24 Founded in 1993 during the early days of offshore software development, EPAM Systems (NYSE:EPAM) provides digital engineering, cloud, and AI transformation services to help global enterprises and startups modernize their technology systems and create digital products. Why Are We Wary of EPAM? Underwhelming constant currency revenue performance over the past two years suggests its product offering at current prices doesn't resonate with customers Free cash flow margin shrank by 7.3 percentage points over the last five years, suggesting the company is consuming more capital to stay competitive Eroding returns on capital suggest its historical profit centers are aging EPAM's stock price of $182.83 implies a valuation ratio of 16.8x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than EPAM. Rolling One-Year Beta: 1.09 Founded during the 2008 financial crisis with a vision to reimagine small business banking through technology, Live Oak Bancshares (NYSE:LOB) is a bank holding company that specializes in providing online banking services and SBA-guaranteed loans to small businesses across targeted industries nationwide. Why Are We Bullish on LOB? Annual net interest income growth of 14.5% over the last four years was superb and indicates its market share increased during this cycle Performance over the past five years shows its incremental sales were extremely profitable, as its annual earnings per share growth of 59.2% outpaced its revenue gains Impressive 11.3% annual tangible book value per share growth over the last five years indicates it's building equity value this cycle Live Oak Bancshares is trading at $32.27 per share, or 1.3x forward P/B. Is now a good time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it's free. Market indices reached historic highs following Donald Trump's presidential victory in November 2024, but the outlook for 2025 is clouded by new trade policies that could impact business confidence and growth. While this has caused many investors to adopt a "fearful" wait-and-see approach, we're leaning into our best ideas that can grow regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. Take advantage of Mr. Market by checking out our Top 5 Growth Stocks for this month. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Comfort Systems (+782% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free. Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Find your next big winner with StockStory today Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
3 Unprofitable Stocks Facing Headwinds
Unprofitable companies can burn through cash quickly, leaving investors exposed if they fail to turn things around. Without a clear path to profitability, these businesses risk running out of capital or relying on dilutive fundraising. Unprofitable companies face an uphill battle, but not all are created equal. Luckily for you, StockStory is here to separate the promising ones from the weak. That said, here are three unprofitable companiesto avoid and some better opportunities instead. Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: -9% With courses ranging from investing to cooking to computer programming, Udemy (NASDAQ:UDMY) is an online learning platform that connects learners with expert instructors who specialize in a wide range of topics. Why Does UDMY Fall Short? Decision to emphasize platform growth over monetization has contributed to 1.6% annual declines in its average revenue per buyer Sales are projected to remain flat over the next 12 months as demand decelerates from its three-year trend Expensive marketing campaigns hurt its profitability and make us wonder what would happen if it let up on the gas At $6.94 per share, Udemy trades at 11.3x forward EV/EBITDA. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why UDMY doesn't pass our bar. Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: -4.5% Co-founded by former Apple CEO John Sculley, Zeta Global (NYSE:ZETA) provides software and data analytics tools that help companies market their products to billions of customers. Why Are We Hesitant About ZETA? High servicing costs result in a relatively inferior gross margin of 60.4% that must be offset through increased usage Historical operating margin losses show it had an inefficient cost structure while scaling Poor free cash flow margin of 9.8% for the last year limits its freedom to invest in growth initiatives, execute share buybacks, or pay dividends Zeta's stock price of $15.10 implies a valuation ratio of 2.5x forward price-to-sales. If you're considering ZETA for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more. Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: -7.5% Founded in the 1960s as a general wood-making company, JELD-WEN (NYSE:JELD) manufactures doors, windows, and other related building products. Why Do We Steer Clear of JELD? Organic sales performance over the past two years indicates the company may need to make strategic adjustments or rely on M&A to catalyze faster growth Capital intensity has ramped up over the last five years as its free cash flow margin decreased by 10.7 percentage points Shrinking returns on capital from an already weak position reveal that neither previous nor ongoing investments are yielding the desired results JELD-WEN is trading at $3.89 per share, or 6.4x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why JELD doesn't pass our bar. Market indices reached historic highs following Donald Trump's presidential victory in November 2024, but the outlook for 2025 is clouded by new trade policies that could impact business confidence and growth. While this has caused many investors to adopt a "fearful" wait-and-see approach, we're leaning into our best ideas that can grow regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. Take advantage of Mr. Market by checking out our Top 5 Strong Momentum Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Exlservice (+354% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free. Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Find your next big winner with StockStory today 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
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Zeta Global (ZETA) Attracts Bullish Traders as AI Marketing Gains Traction
Risk-tolerant speculators interested in a high-risk, high-reward opportunity may want to set their sights on technology company Zeta Global (ZETA). A data-driven, cloud-based marketing technology which empowers enterprises to acquire, grow and retain customers, Zeta's flagship product represents one of the marketing industry's largest proprietary databases. As enticing as its business model may be, ZETA stock is choppy, suffering a 16.51% year-to-date loss. Still, quantitative signals suggest a turnaround may be coming. First, on a fundamental note, Zeta draws both intrigue and perhaps a touch of spiciness thanks to the company's co-founding by John Sculley. The former Apple (AAPL) CEO notoriously fired Steve Jobs, although it's much more accurate to state that Sculley orchestrated a boardroom showdown that led to Jobs' downfall — an incident that he later regretted. Still, Sculley's leadership and diverse experience may provide compelling clout for prospective investors. Heavy Volume in Advanced Micro Devices Options Is a Bullish Signal Learn How This Options Strategy Generates Income and Limits Losses GS Iron Condor Could See a 33% Return in 3 Weeks Markets move fast. Keep up by reading our FREE midday Barchart Brief newsletter for exclusive charts, analysis, and headlines. Second and more importantly, Zeta leverages artificial intelligence and predictive analytics for audience targeting and campaign optimization. This deep-targeting capacity enables personalized customer journeys at scale, which may become increasingly valuable due to access of third-party data becoming increasingly restricted. Further, Zeta's omnichannel architecture consolidates various tools into one cohesive system. Despite the wildness of ZETA stock, analysts rate the underlying company as a Moderate Buy. This assessment breaks down as nine Strong Buys, two Moderate Buys and four Holds. Currently, the experts' consensus price target stands at $24.77, which implies about a 65% lift from current levels. Lastly, options flow — which focuses exclusively on big block transactions likely placed by institutional investors — shows net trade sentiment following Wednesday's close at $465,500 above parity, favoring the bulls. While the single-largest transaction was for sold puts, in terms of transactional count, debit-based calls dominated proceedings. This dynamic indicates confidence in the upward trajectory of ZETA stock. Although the fundamental factors and options flow activities represent intriguing talking points, they lack specificity. As options traders, it's not enough to have an idea about the trajectory of the target asset (y-axis). Rather, it's also critical for the thesis to materialize within the allotted time period (x-axis) as all options eventually expire. In other words, traders live in a world of probabilities, which requires the use of statistical analysis. At first glance, this exercise seems simple enough: just take the frequency of the desired outcome divided by the total number of events in the dataset. However, this approach only calculates the derivative probability or the outcome odds over the entire dataset's distribution. What we're looking for? Conditional probabilities — outcome odds of a specific subset within the data. Whenever an airplane crashes, journalists are usually quick to point out that statistically, air travel is one of the safest modes of transportation. While that's true, this is an insight based on the aggregate experience of all passengers. However, if you board a plane with an inebriated pilot, your conditional probability of something terrible happening accelerates exponentially. It's the same principle with ZETA stock where, based on its quantitative framework, the security has a higher chance of a bullish move in the near term over its baseline probability. But to make such an assertion, the underlying data must speak a unified language. This is the reason why I've been focusing on market breadth or sequences of accumulative and distributive sessions. Market breadth is effectively binary, which lends itself to categorization and quantification. These attributes form the backbone of distinct past analogs, which can then be utilized for probabilistic analysis. Currently, ZETA stock is charting a 6-4-U sequence: six up weeks, four down weeks, with a net positive trajectory across the 10-week period. Admittedly, converting the past two months' price action into a simple binary code compresses ZETA's magnitude dynamism. However, the benefit is that demand profiles can be categorized into discrete behavioral states. From here, we can calculate the odds of transition from one state to another. For example, whenever the 6-4-U sequence flashes, there's a 58.33% chance that the following week's price action will result in upside, with a median return (assuming the positive pathway) of 3.67%. Should the bulls maintain control of the market into the second week, ZETA could rise another 1.08% based on past analogs. Based on the market intelligence above, arguably the most rational debit spread with the highest payout is the 14.50/15.50 bull call spread expiring July 18. This transaction involves buying the $14.50 call and simultaneously selling the $15.50 call, for a net debit paid of $55 (the most that can be lost in the trade). Should ZETA stock rise through the short strike price ($15.50) at expiration, the maximum reward is $45, a payout of nearly 82%. Those who are willing to take a leap of faith, so to speak, may consider the 15/16 bull spread, also expiring July 18. Here, the net debit is a little bit cheaper at $45. If ZETA stock rises through the short strike at expiration, the maximum reward is $55, a payout of over 122%. What's attractive here is the implied shift in sentiment regime of the 6-4-U sequence. As a baseline, the chance that a long position in ZETA stock will be profitable is 55.66%. With the flashing of the aforementioned sequence, the bulls enjoy a small but tangible boost in favorable odds, thus statistically incentivizing speculation. On the date of publication, Josh Enomoto did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Zeta Global Holdings (NYSE:ZETA) Co-founder John Sculley Retires
Zeta Global Holdings recently experienced a 13% decline in its share price over the past week, which contrasts with a flat performance in the broader market. This downturn coincides with significant developments within the company, including the retirement of Co-founder and Vice Chairman John Sculley. While this leadership change could have contributed to investor uncertainty, the concurrent launch of 'Zeta Answers', an AI-driven intelligence framework, positions the company as a continuing innovator in marketing technology. Despite the market's stability and a positive growth outlook, these internal changes may have added weight to the downward price movement. We've identified 1 risk with Zeta Global Holdings and understanding the impact should be part of your investment process. Trump has pledged to "unleash" American oil and gas and these 22 US stocks have developments that are poised to benefit. The recent changes at Zeta Global Holdings, namely the retirement of Co-founder and Vice Chairman John Sculley and the launch of 'Zeta Answers', have stirred mixed reactions among investors. While the leadership transition may induce short-term uncertainty, the introduction of an AI-driven framework could reinforce the company's innovative edge in marketing technology. Over the past three years, Zeta's total shareholder return stood at 131.18%, highlighting a positive return despite recent volatility. However, in the past year, Zeta underperformed compared to the US Software industry's 19.1% return and the broader US market's 10.6% increase. The internal developments might influence revenue and earnings projections, especially with a focus on AI and acquisitions like LiveIntent, aimed at boosting market share and profitability. Analysts project Zeta's revenue to grow at a 14.2% annual rate, surpassing the US market average of 8.7% per year. Nevertheless, a 13% share price decline over the past week contrasts with a stable broader market, indicating investor wariness towards these changes. Despite this decline, the current share price of US$13.45 offers a substantial discount to the consensus analyst price target of US$30.17, suggesting room for future appreciation if forecasted growth materializes. Navigate through the intricacies of Zeta Global Holdings with our comprehensive balance sheet health report here. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Companies discussed in this article include NYSE:ZETA. This article was originally published by Simply Wall St. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@ Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Zeta Global Holdings (NYSE:ZETA) Co-founder John Sculley Retires
Zeta Global Holdings recently experienced a 13% decline in its share price over the past week, which contrasts with a flat performance in the broader market. This downturn coincides with significant developments within the company, including the retirement of Co-founder and Vice Chairman John Sculley. While this leadership change could have contributed to investor uncertainty, the concurrent launch of 'Zeta Answers', an AI-driven intelligence framework, positions the company as a continuing innovator in marketing technology. Despite the market's stability and a positive growth outlook, these internal changes may have added weight to the downward price movement. We've identified 1 risk with Zeta Global Holdings and understanding the impact should be part of your investment process. Trump has pledged to "unleash" American oil and gas and these 22 US stocks have developments that are poised to benefit. The recent changes at Zeta Global Holdings, namely the retirement of Co-founder and Vice Chairman John Sculley and the launch of 'Zeta Answers', have stirred mixed reactions among investors. While the leadership transition may induce short-term uncertainty, the introduction of an AI-driven framework could reinforce the company's innovative edge in marketing technology. Over the past three years, Zeta's total shareholder return stood at 131.18%, highlighting a positive return despite recent volatility. However, in the past year, Zeta underperformed compared to the US Software industry's 19.1% return and the broader US market's 10.6% increase. The internal developments might influence revenue and earnings projections, especially with a focus on AI and acquisitions like LiveIntent, aimed at boosting market share and profitability. Analysts project Zeta's revenue to grow at a 14.2% annual rate, surpassing the US market average of 8.7% per year. Nevertheless, a 13% share price decline over the past week contrasts with a stable broader market, indicating investor wariness towards these changes. Despite this decline, the current share price of US$13.45 offers a substantial discount to the consensus analyst price target of US$30.17, suggesting room for future appreciation if forecasted growth materializes. Navigate through the intricacies of Zeta Global Holdings with our comprehensive balance sheet health report here. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Companies discussed in this article include NYSE:ZETA. This article was originally published by Simply Wall St. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
