Stock Stories

Just because one or two funds, stocks, or people within a given group succeeded doesn't mean that multiple others didn't fail that we just didn't hear about.  This is survivorship bias.  It's important to look at an entire relevant data set when we make decisions. --- alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Instagram: stockstories1 Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

Robotic surgery is here.  Intuitive Surgical is one of the leaders in this space.  It's not just surgeons with hand tools performing procedures anymore - humans are working in concert with machines to operate on patients with more precision and accuracy than ever before.   --- alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Instagram: stockstories1 Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

Lyft just had its IPO and its the fastest growing company we've yet to cover on this podcast.  It also has no profits!  How do we reconcile those two pieces of information as investors?  In this episode we take a look at the ridesharing business model, or TaaS (Transportation as a Service) from the lens of the Lyft company. --- alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Instagram: stockstories1 Email: alex...

Photoshop.  Premiere.  PDFs.  These are all innovations from Adobe - one of the top software companies for creative professionals.  With the rise of the internet and content creation, I think Adobe is well positioned for future success.  The trick is the price...how much to pay for fast growth? --- alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Instagram: stockstories1 Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

DowDupont is a chemical producer that makes everything from plastics to pesticides to industrial materials.  They are the result of the Dow and Dupont merger in 2015, and are soon to be split into three companies in mid-2019. --- alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Instagram: stockstories1 Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

It's the number one pizza chain the world.  Although not part of the S&P 500 as of early 2019, based on its current growth I believe it will be in time.  We talk about how Domino's has changed over the years, and dig into the financials. --- alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Instagram: stockstories1 Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

Synergy is simple idea that 2 + 2 = 5.  The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.  This can be seen in household economics, biology, and investing (just like many other mental models, this one applies to multiple fields of study). Business Insider article: Uber and Lyft --- alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Instagram: stockstories1 Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

Founded by Dave Thomas in the 60's, Wendy's restaurants have become another well known place to get a hamburger and fries.  We look at the history of the franchise, as well as the recent financial data to better understand Wendy's as a potential investment. --- alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Instagram: stockstories1 Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

This is the company that owns Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Bell.  The brands are definitely iconic in the American fast food scene, and they have grown internationally over the years.  Can future good returns be expected though based on the current state of the company? Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

This episode is all about burgers, fries, and real estate.  The fast food phenomenon can trace its origins to the growth of the suburb and car ownership in America.  McDonald's (via Ray Kroc) took advantage of these trends and, combined with a focus on efficiency, took the world by storm with one of the most widespread brands in the world. --- alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Instagram: stockstor...

Let's take a step back for a moment.  From everything and everyone that I have studied, becoming a successful investor is about more than picking great stocks.  Portfolio management is really important too.  Today we discuss some the importance of reviewing your portfolio's holdings to make sure that you are actually on track toward achieving your goals. --- Instagram: stockstories1 Emai...

DaVita helps people dealing with ESRD, or End Stage Renal Disease.  It is a problem affecting more and more people in America and worldwide, with diabetes on the rise.  Listen to learn more about one of Warren Buffett's top holdings. --- alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Instagram: stockstories1 Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

It's the 80/20 rule, also known as the Law of the Few.  It's a pattern that emerges in different phenomena - 20% of the causes are responsible for 80% of the effects.  In this episode we explore the implications of this mental model in investing, and see how it applies in other areas of life as well. --- Instagram: stockstories1 Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Email: alex@stockstorie...

Apple is one of the largest computer and electronic companies in the world.  It is known for its highly engineered, high quality (and high priced) products.  Over the decades it has found a way to innovate, from the first Apple I to the Macintosh, to the iPhone.  With the initiation of a dividend and large stock buybacks a few years ago, Apple is maturing, but that does not mean the growth story i...

Walmart, now the world's largest retailer, started out as a small five-and-dime store in rural America.  Sam Walton, its founder, gradually created the retail empire, which now consists of over 11,000 stores.  It has been one of the most profitable stocks that you could have invested in over the past several decades.  In today's episode we take a look at Walmart's past and present i...

It is the world's largest social media company, and its rise as a cultural influence has been nothing short of extraordinary.  In this episode we discuss Facebook's rise first as a social media empire, and then as a thriving advertising business.  After discussing the financials, we'll go over some of the risks that Facebook faces going forward and what that could mean for us as inv...

This episode shares just a little bit about me and where I am coming from when it comes to investing. --- Instagram and Twitter: stockstories1 Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

We often think in terms of cause of effect, as in event A causes event B.  But then that's it.  What about events C, D, and E?  How are they related to A, B, and each other?  The world is not one smooth sequence of events.  If we want to understand it better, it helps to apply the principle of second-order thinking. --- Instagram and Twitter: stockstories1 Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com...

Although not part of the S&P 500, British American Tobacco is the world's largest publicly listed tobacco company.  It currently exists as a company that sells brands in over 200 markets, and is constantly creating new products to combat the inevitable decline of cigarettes. Instagram and Twitter: stockstories1 Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

Corona, Modelo, Robert Mondavi, Svedka - these are just a small sampling of brands that Constellation Brands sells.  They are one of the largest beer and wine producers in the world and they are number one in total alcohol sales in the United States. --- Instagram and Twitter: stockstories1 Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

How can we talk about the beverage giants without first talking about Pepsi?  Pepsi is not just about the iconic soda brand.  They also sell Gatorade, Fritos, Cheetos, Tropicana, Quaker Oats, and a host of other products.  Contrary to Coca-Cola, their strategy has been to diversify in both food and beverages. Here is the book about the chip industry referenced in the podcast. Crunch!: A History of...

Hanlon's Razor, similar to Occam's Razor, is a philosophical tool we can use to "cut down" a situation with potentially many logical explanations to just one that has a high probability of occurring.  By not automatically assuming mal-intent when negative outcomes occur, we can often uncover the true source of the problem, which is often due to negligence. --- Instagram and Twi...

This is one of the most successful firms on the planet.  3% of all liquid consumed on Earth (including tap water) is sold by The Coca-Cola Company.  Today's episode is somewhat longer than usual - simply because, with a history and business model like this, there are a lot of great things to study.  We get into how Coca-Cola came to be, and how the company has innovated throughout the decades...

One of the largest retailers in the United States, Target has become known for it's "upscale discount" atmosphere, experience and products.  Throughout the latter half of the 20th century, Target experienced incredible growth as it expanded across the country.  However, it is currently facing pressure to grow in the midst of strong competition (like Amazon), and has not grown sales...

Waste Management is the largest solid waste collector and processor in the country.  They collect and process trash and recyclables.  In this episode, other than the regular financials and history, we talk about the importance of financial transparency and straight talk from management. ---- Follow me for updates on Twitter or Instagram: @StockStories1 Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com Email: al...