Nasdaq FB FaceBook

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) could be an income investor's best friend. They provide much-needed diversification. And some of them generate solid and reliable income.

A growing number of crypto investors now think that Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) could hit a price of $1 million within the next few years. In addition to Cathie Wood of Ark Invest, who famously predicted a $1 million price in 2022, there's now Jack Dorsey, co-founder and former CEO of

Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ: AMD) may not be the star of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution so far, but there's no doubt that the chipmaker is taking part in the surge.

Income-oriented investors tend to like midstream master limited partnerships (MLPs) for their high yields and increasing distributions. However, it isn't often that an MLP raises its distribution by 50% or more.

Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) had a rough 2022 as rising inflation weighed on earnings, so last year the company revamped its cost structure to turn things around. And now this year, the market giant is showing investors they still can count on it for major growth. In the latest earnings

Warren Buffett and his one-time partner Charlie Munger created something very special as they built Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) (NYSE: BRK.B) into a Wall Street icon. However, Munger passed away in late 2023, and Buffett is not a young man. It seems highly likely that there

In aiming to revolutionize cross-border payments by introducing a fast and secure blockchain-based alternative to cumbersome banking networks, Ripple's XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) has become one of the most popular cryptocurrencies on the market today.

The last 15 months have been a fantastic time to own stocks. The last 15 years, if we're really being honest. In this most recent run, an artificial intelligence (AI) boom and soaring profits for technology companies have helped the stock market indexes break through to new highs

Medical Properties Trust (NYSE: MPW) stock has gotten clobbered over the past few years. Shares are down nearly 80% from their peak in 2022. That has driven its dividend yield up to over 10%, even after it cut its payout by nearly half last year.

Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) has been the undisputed beneficiary of recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI). Since early last year, the adoption of AI has spread like wildfire, fueled by Nvidia's graphics processing units (GPUs). The company will face a key hurdle when it report

It doesn't take a ton of money to start investing. True, the more you start with, the more you can gain. But don't let a lack of copious funds deter you; two of the most important keys to successful investing are consistency and time, so the sooner you begin, the better.

Financial technology companies continue to innovate and offer new options for customers. You're probably using some of the products from the top fintech companies -- including PayPal and Block. Check...

Flipping houses has been a strategic way for individuals to make money for years. According to ATTOM, a leading provider of property data nationwide, home flippers saw an average of $66,000 in returns...

Many Americans target $1 million as their "dream nest egg" for retirement, but the truth is that in many states, even $750,000 can be more than enough. Although your longevity and your lifestyle can...

"Sell in May and come back after Labor Day" is a well-known adage in the stock market that suggests investors should sell their stock holdings in May and return to the market after Labor Day in September. But, like so many market clichés, sayings that aren't supported by historical data are meaningless. An example is the upcoming Nasdaq seasonal buy with a perfect historical 15-year record. Will 2024 be the 16th year?

Up more roughly 700% since the end of 2022, AppLovin (NASDAQ: APP) stock might look a bit intimidating to jump into now. There may not be enough near-term upside left to tap, while the potential for profit-taking is huge.

A car is a major investment, therefore you're probably going to want one that will last for as long as possible. While the average vehicle has only an 11.8% chance of lasting 250,000 miles, some cars...

Restaurant-technology company Toast (NYSE: TOST) is bucking a negative trend in the financial technology (fintech) space. Other fintech players such as DLocal and even PayPal are seeing profit margins go down due to fierce competition, which slowly but surely pressures profits as

Forget about Gamestop ( NYSE:GME ) and AMC Entertainment ( NYSE:AMC ). Robinhood Markets stock is the picks-and-shovels way to invest in the resurgence of meme stocks. With meme stock mania seemingly heating back up, investors are eyeing shares of some of 2021’s big meme stocks again. But rather than chase shares of a specific meme stock, the smart way to invest in the theme of retail investors piling back into the market is to invest in Robinhood Markets, which will continue to benefit from the influx of retail investors and increased trading volume.  In this sense, Robinhood can be thought of as the picks-and-shovels way to play a return of retail activity. Unlike Gamestop or AMC, I believe it’s a great stock in its own right and doesn’t need any short squeeze to head higher.  I’m bullish on Robinhood stock based on its excellent user and deposit growth, its positioning as a picks-and-shovels play on increasing activity from retail investors, and its successful foray into new areas like IRAs and credit cards. The latter initiative is transforming Robinhood from a retail brokerage to a comprehensive financial powerhouse. Meme Stock Reawakening As you’ve likely seen by now, a Tweet from Keith Gill, aka Roaring Kitty, the ringleader behind Gamestop’s massive 2021 rally that set off the original “meme stock” mania, marked his return to the platform after a multi-year hiatus. Many investors took this as a signal to rush into Gamestop and other meme stocks of that era, sending shares of these stocks on a wild ride this week.  However, most of these investors would admit that this is a troubled company with less-than-promising long-term prospects, and the stock has considerable downside risk. For example, the GME stock’s price target of $7 shows that even after the recent pullback, the stock still has downside potential of 68.5% (see below). Meanwhile, Robinhood is a thriving, growing business with a bright future.  Picks-and-Shovels Play As the go-to brokerage app for many new investors and retail investors, Robinhood is well-positioned to capitalize on an influx of new traders and a spike in trading activity. Currently, Robinhood is the #11 finance app in Apple’s App Store, trailing everyday payments apps like Cash App and Venmo but leading the likes of Fidelity, Charles Schwab ( NYSE:SCHW ), and Wells Fargo ( NYSE:WFC ), a considerable achievement for the much smaller company.    Robinhood recently released updated metrics for April, showing that business is booming. An impressive 90,000 customers opened accounts during the month, meaning that Robinhood now has 24 million customers. Robinhood also took in $4.9 billion in deposits. This represents a 45% annualized growth rate versus March. With this influx, the company has now taken in $27.4 billion in deposits over the last 12 months, representing 35% annualized growth versus April 2023.  And keep in mind that these numbers are from before the meme stock resurgence kicked off in May. As more retail investors return to the market or are drawn to the market for the first time by news of the wild swings of meme stocks, Robinhood’s user and deposit growth should continue.  This growth prompted Bank of America Securities to give Robinhood a double upgrade from Underperform to Buy, based on “(1) rising retail engagement and accelerating organic growth; (2) positive operating leverage after large expense reductions; (3) attractive valuation following increases in EBITDA/EPS.” Bank of America increased its price target on Robinhood from $14 to $24.  Beyond meme stocks, Robinhood has made great progress in building the platform, expanding into new areas, and becoming a true financial ecosystem for its users. Attacking New Verticals    This isn’t the same old Robinhood that it was in 2021 during the last meme stock frenzy. I previously covered Robinhood and its underrated transformation into a full-service financial ecosystem several months ago, and the stock has performed well since then. Robinhood launched IRAs last year and has made an aggressive move into the market by offering a 1% match on rollover deposits and a 3% match on deposits for Robinhood Gold members.  These maneuvers are helping it attract customers from its competitors. CEO Vlad Tenev says that the first quarter was the second quarter in a row in which the company had “net asset inflows from every other major brokerage — totaling $3 billion, more than twice our Q4 level.”  Robinhood is also making a splash in the credit card market with the launch of its upcoming Robinhood Gold card, which will be one of the offerings within its Robinhood Gold subscription service. The eye-catching gold card, which is made of stainless steel and weighs in at 17 grams, offers users unlimited 3% cash back on all purchases. Tenev says that over one million customers have signed up for the Gold card waitlist and stated, “We can substantially grow Gold adoption as we roll out the card.” The card could be a major growth driver for Robinhood Gold membership, as only half of the people on the waitlist are current Gold subscribers.  Tenev says that Robinhood Gold subscribers hit 1.7 million during the first quarter after 260,000 new customers signed up. With these new offerings, Robinhood is smartly leveraging its success with retail investors in its brokerage business to move into new verticals, increase wallet share with its customers, and capture further growth.   Is Robinhood Stock a Buy, According to Analysts? Turning to Wall Street, HOOD earns a Hold consensus rating based on four Buys, eight Holds, and four Sell ratings assigned in the past three months. The average HOOD stock price target of $20.86 implies 3.8% upside potential. The Takeaway: An Up and Coming Financial Powerhouse Rather than chasing after a stock like Gamestop during this meme stock revival, Robinhood could potentially be the best way to invest in a resurgence of retail investor activity. I’m bullish on Robinhood because of the strong user growth and deposit growth it has already demonstrated this year and because it’s well-positioned to capture further growth as more retail investors foray into the market. Additionally, the company’s expansion into lucrative verticals like IRAs and credit cards and its momentum in these areas have the potential to transform it from a retail brokerage into a true financial powerhouse over time. This makes it an attractive long-term investment opportunity, in my view. Disclosure

Cybersecurity is a massive industry that has never been more important. Hackers are more adept at breaching systems and causing havoc for companies. Precautions must be taken to protect internal and customer data.