Trump’s second term may unleash a new wave of acquisitions, and mid-cap stocks could be in the crosshairs of acquirers. By Sergei Klebnikov, Forbes Staff The stock market surged higher following Donald Trump’s election win earlier this month as Wall Street celebrated the new business-friendly administration and the more lenient regulatory environment it is expected to bring. Under the Biden administration, dealmaking has been sluggish due in part to an aggressive antitrust approach from the Federal Trade Commission headed up by Chair Lina Khan. A year-and-a-half Federal Reserve rate hiking campaign also slowed the pace of deals. Trump, however, has…

Once a soaring emblem of American creativity and supremacy in aerospace, Boeing is now in existential crisis. A new and strong rival is developing as the firm tries to bounce back from the catastrophic 737 MAX disaster and ongoing supply problems. The threat from China is a consistent decline of market share. With the C919 aircraft launched successfully and ambitious plans for the C929, COMAC is no more a far-off threat but a direct competition. COMAC is prepared to disrupt the global aerospace industry with the help of government funding and a rapidly expanding home market. China is carefully establishing…

Trump’s win cements what we’ve been saying for months: You can forget about a hard landing or a soft landing—This economy is headed for no landing at all. In the last few weeks, I’ve started to see the mainstream media pick up on our thinking here. Nice to see they’re finally catching up! We’ve got two “refined” trades on Trump 2.0 below (ranked in order of appeal). They’re both growing their dividends, and they’ve both been unfairly left behind in this year’s rally. Before we get to them, let’s take a look at the post-election state of play so we…

You’d never admit it as a kid, but your mother likely had a lot to teach you. That belief led Larry Mathis, founder and CEO of Phoenix-based Mathis Wealth Management to write a book inspired by his mom’s story. Light: What inspired you to write Mom Was Right? Mathis: My inspiration came from watching my mother, a single parent raising seven kids, achieve something truly remarkable—retiring debt-free. In Mom Was Right: Family Tragedy to Financial Freedom—How a Widowed Mother of Seven Retired Debt-Free, I shared her story because I realized that the values she instilled in me weren’t just life…

Most expect the Federal Open Market Committee to cut interest rates in 2025. However, the question remains how much and how fast. Fixed income market futures project that short-term interest rates could fall in 2025 perhaps as low as 3%. Alternatively given certain economic data, rates could remain relatively close to the current band of 4.5% to 4.75%. FOMC policymakers project that rates will most likely end 2025 between 3% and 4%, and more likely at the lower end of that range. However, that was a September FOMC forecast, and economic data has been somewhat supportive of incrementally higher rates…

Remember all those ambitious sustainability targets large corporations announced to great fanfare not so long ago? Net zero emissions by 2050, significant increases in diversity among senior leadership and boards, and commitments to nature preservation and supply chain transparency were a few of the most popular pronouncements. Now, however, as the reality of what it takes to achieve those goals comes into focus, many companies have started to realize that they need to start delivering against their promises. For many of them, there is a real possibility that they may not be able to do so. Some of the earliest…

Trip.com Earnings Overview Trip.com (TCOM US, 9961 HK) reported Q3 2024 financial results after the US close that beat analyst expectations. Executive Chairman and Co-founder James Jianzhang Liang stated, “In the third quarter of 2024, the China travel market demonstrated remarkable resilience with strong performance in both domestic and cross-border travel. This surge in demand reflects a recovery in consumer confidence and a growing enthusiasm for travel.” When asked if recent stimulus measures boosted travel spending, CFO Cindy Xiaofan Wang responded, “It may be too early to determine the direct impact of the recent stimulus measures, but a healthy economic…

If you have a wealth manager working for you, I have one simple piece of advice: Seriously consider moving on from them (or managing your investments yourself) if they recommend following the “60/40” rule. It simply says that most people should invest 60% of their assets in stocks and 40% in government bonds for retirement. In a moment, we’ll talk about one fund we’d have completely missed out on by following 60/40 ourselves—or by signing on with a wealth manager who does so. (And not to worry, this one is still available for us to tap into for a solid…

For most of the 60 years since it was founded as a dairy farm outlet, the Wawa company grew slowly within a regional market covering Philadelphia and South Jersey. As the stores evolved into delis with gas stations, they began to pop up near every major intersection. As it grew, the company and its front-line workers retained a home team vibe, fostering a fiercely loyal—some have said fanatic—customer base that includes celebrities like Kate Winslet, Harry Styles, and Tina Fey. In the 1970s, when the 24-hour diner began to disappear from the American landscape, Wawa extended its store hours to…

Investors often find value stocks attractive when growth starts to slow, regardless of whether things are slowing down or not. Either way, value stocks can be excellent additions to your portfolio if you know where to look. In recent interviews with me, fund managers Anand Vasagiri and Beini Zhou of Artisan Partners and James Hollier of Silver Beech Capital presented their value stock picks for the fourth quarter of 2024. The Artisan team highlighted Despegar and Zuken, while Hollier chose WillScot and Flagship Communities. Artisan’s International Explorer Strategy invests in non-U.S. small-cap companies, targeting “high-quality, undervalued businesses that offer the…