Stock Stories

Tiffany and Co. is known worldwide for their high quality jewelry, particularly for their classic Tiffany diamond rings.  They also sell accessories, watches, and fragrances, but the bulk of their sales come from jewelry.  They have over 320 stores in over 20 countries, and have a storied history, having been in business since the 1830s.  This is not a business that is highly susceptible to techno...

Dunkin's Brands owns the iconic Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin Robbins franchises, and has over 20,000 locations across the globe.  They primarily sell coffee, donuts, and ice cream.  Sounds delicious!  Because of their franchise model, they are able to expand rapidly with very little investment.  Although not a high growth business, Dunkin' is interesting because of their overall econom...

As one of the larger American fashion houses, Ralph Lauren produces branded clothes, shoes, and accessories.  They cater toward an "Ivy League" or modern look with a lot of their clothing, and sponsor the PGA championships and on-court officials at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.  Although it is a slower-growing business, management seems to do a decent job at returning cash to shareholders...

Have you ever thought about the habits and beliefs that you have?  Many of these beliefs were likely formed before you even had the consciousness to make many decisions to yourself.  This concept applies to life more broadly, but also applies specifically to investing decisions.  What brands do you purchase simply because your parents purchased it growing up?  What products or services are part of...

Coach, Kate Spade, and Stuart Weitzman are the three brands under the Tapestry umbrella, although Coach dominates in terms of sales and profits.  This fashion house has been making handbags for decades, but may have lost some of their cachet in recent years.  Will their diversification with the purchases of Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman revitalize their bottom line? --- alex@stockstoriespodcast.c...

Under Armour has gone from an up and coming sports brand in the United States to one that is now known globally.  Though they have faced difficulties in recent years, Under Armour has been able to grow their brand by allying with professional and college sports teams, increasing consumer awareness. --- alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Instagram: stockstories1 Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

Walgreens Boots Alliance is one of the largest of retail pharmacies in the world.  They are currently under pressure because of rising healthcare costs and the transformation of how consumers interact with retail.  In spite of this, they sell billions of dollars worth of prescriptions and other goods. --- alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Instagram: stockstories1 Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

This is adapted from advice that Charlie Munger used to give at Berkshire Hathaway shareholder meetings.  Most people never build wealth or financial freedom because they never pass that critical point where they have saved enough for compounding to really start working for them. --- alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Instagram: stockstories1 Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

Nike is the largest footwear company and the world and it's Swoosh logo and slogans like "Just Do It" have become a big part of popular culture.  Athletes around the world use their products, inspiring millions to do the same.  2019 Annual Report Additional resources will be posted at stockstories.co --- alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Instagram: stockstories1 Email: alex@stockstoriesp...

One of the most popular travel review sites, TripAdvisor is a publicly traded company that was once part of Expedia Holdings.  They make money primarily through advertising while boasting hundreds of millions of users and reviews. Annual Reports --- alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Instagram: stockstories1 Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

When making a decision, there is always an option that requires the least effort.  Following the path of least resistance is somewhat of a sister mental model to Occam's Razor - the easiest option may not always be the right one.  Examining a decision holistically and thoroughly will help bring us the right path forward, not simply taking steps in the direction of the path that seems easiest....

Expedia was one of the first Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) on the internet and is still a big player in the space today.  Expedia's stable of brands primarily facilitates buying hotels online, but also supports flights, cruises and more.  HomeAway, the owner of the VRBO brand, is their fastest growing segment.  Expedia 2018 Annual Report  Expedia 2013 Annual Report --- alex@stockstoriespodcas...

Formerly known as Priceline.com, Booking Holdings is a group of travel websites that allow people to have direct access to hotel, rental car, and restaurant listings.  They are one of the bigger players in the Online Travel Agency (OTA) space.  Though they compete heavily with other websites, they have delivered solid returns to shareholders. --- alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Instagram: stockstorie...

Invesco is one of America's largest asset managers with over one trillion dollars in assets under management.  Their strength is in their global capabilities - they serve over 120 markets around the world.  They have managed to survive in spite of a radical change in the asset management industry over the last decade, focusing on new product lines and maintaining an international presence. --...

Planet Fitness is a medium-sized but quickly growing gym in the United States.  They operate on a franchise model and have quickly been taking market share by catering to the casual gym-goer.  In this episode we look at several factors influencing the business' fundamentals, as well as valuation and future outlook.  Planet Fitness 2019 10-K --- alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Instagram: stocksto...

The Dunning-Kruger effect is the tendency for those who are incompetent to overestimate their competence.  This "dual burden" is two fold: 1) incompetence means less capability to do things well, and 2) overestimation of one's ability means more susceptibility to blind spots and thus, catastrophic failure. --- Instagram: stockstories1 alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Email: alex@stockst...

3M is a massive industrial conglomerate known some of its famous industrial and consumer products, like Scotch Tape and Post-It Notes.  It makes a very wide array of products though, and its Personal Safety segment is growing rapidly.  MIT Technology Review article discussing the new cost of productivity  3M 2018 10-K Annual Report  3M 2013 10-K Annual Report For information on the Personal Safety...

The largest publicly traded trucking company in America, J. B. Hunt transports all types of goods - from chemicals to cosmetics.  Started as just a small fleet of trucks, it has grown immensely and now offers a variety of services to its customers. --- Instagram: stockstories1 alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

Famous for its Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption franchises, Take Two Interactive is one of the largest video game publishers in the world.  Even though they are big, they're still smaller than competitors Electronic Arts and Activision Blizzard, so there is room for growth. --- Instagram: stockstories1 alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

Electronic Arts is one of the most well-known publishers of video games, specifically for its sports franchises like FIFA and Madden NFL.  They also have a variety of non-sports related titles.  EA was started by a former Apple employee in the 1980s and has grown exponentially since then.  EA has been investing in current trends such as casual gaming and esports, but will future growth be like the...

Mr. Market is the classic allegory first described by Benjamin Graham in his classic, The Intelligent Investor.  It's a great way to think about stock prices going up and down in the short term - it's all emotional.  Departures from intrinsic value DO exist, and it's our job as investors to take advantage of them if we so desire. --- alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Instagram: @stocksto...

One of the largest video game companies in the world, Activision Blizzard is known for creating hit franchises such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and (as of the King acquisition) Candy Crush.  Their games are played by hundreds of millions of people monthly across over 190 countries. --- Instagram: @stockstories1 alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

Estée Lauder always believed that every woman should feel beautiful.  Her drive for innovation in the creation of beauty products was impressive, and her and her husband Joseph worked together as a team to build one the world's biggest beauty companies.  With products sold in over 150 countries, Estée Lauder's skin care, make up, fragrance, and hair products are sold to women (and men) e...

Known as a visual search engine, Pinterest catalogs ideas and themes, providing inspiration for people pursuing goals or DIY projects.  Although Pinterest is an ad-based platform like other social media companies, it's purpose is unique, which I think is its greatest competitive advantage. --- Instagram: stockstories1 alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

The video-based sharing platform has grown rapidly over the past several years, resulting in an IPO in 2019.  What are the company's future prospects? --- alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Instagram: stockstories1 Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com