You can now SELL YOUR VOTES

by Fred Fuld III

I am surprised that there isn’t a law about this. There is a company that provides a vote exchange where you can buy or sell votes.

It is for shareholders of publicly traded companies. The company is called Shareholder Vote Exchange.

The service allows shareholders to sell the rights to the proxy votes of stocks in order to generate additional income.

Companies and activists are the usual buyers.

For example, if you own 1000 shares of Apple (AAPL), you could sell your voting rights for $187.44 to $9,372.00 per year, depending on various factors.

For 1000 shares of Disney (DIS), it would be $91.07 to $4,553.50.

You don’t need 1000 shares, You could sell your votes for 100 or 10 shares, or even 1 share.

For example, if you own 100 shares of Tesla (TSLA), your votes could be sold for anywhere between $22.37 to $1,118.55.

If you had 100 shares of Meta/Facebook (META), you might get $33.50 to $1,675.20 each year.

Here’s a summary of the Shareholder Vote Exchange:

What they do:

  • SVX enables shareholders to buy, sell, and trade their voting rights for upcoming company meetings on their online platform. This allows passive investors who are not interested in voting to monetize their votes, while also giving activist investors and companies a way to acquire additional voting power.

Key features:

  • Unique auction system: SVX uses a proprietary auction system designed to optimize value for both vote sellers and buyers.
  • Integration with major brokers: The platform is integrated with major brokers like Schwab and Vanguard,making it easy for shareholders to participate.
  • Regulatory compliance: SVX’s auctions comply with all applicable state and federal regulations, ensuring transparency and investor protection.

Benefits for shareholders:

  • Monetize voting rights: Shareholders can earn cash for their votes, even if they are not interested in voting themselves.
  • Increase liquidity: The SVX platform provides a market for votes, which can make it easier for shareholders to buy and sell them.
  • Participate in corporate governance: Shareholders can use the platform to express their views on important company matters, even if they cannot attend shareholder meetings in person.

Current status:

  • SVX is a relatively new company, but it has already attracted a significant amount of interest from investors and the media.
  • The company is currently in the process of expanding its operations and adding new features to its platform.

Potential impact:

  • SVX has the potential to revolutionize the way shareholder voting works. By making it easier for shareholders to buy and sell their votes, the platform could increase shareholder participation in corporate governance and make it more difficult for companies to ignore the interests of their investors.

Now with votes for political candidates, it is illegal to buy or sell a vote, according to 18 U.S. Code § 597 – Expenditures to influence voting.

But that hasn’t stopped people from trying.

Back in the year 2000, some people tried to sell their votes on eBay (EBAY).

Anyway, it will be interesting to see what happens with these shareholder votes.

Disclosure: Author is long AAPL, DIS, and EBAY, and is short TSLA.

Are You Going to Bet on Sports Betting Stocks?

by Fred Fuld III

Can you believe it? Now Disney (DIS) is getting into sports betting through its ESPN division and an agreement with Penn Entertainment (PENN).

Sports betting is legal in 37 states and Washington, D.C. as of August 2023. The first state to legalize sports betting after the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018 was New Jersey. Since then, there has been a rapid expansion of sports betting in the United States.

The states that have legalized sports betting have different laws and regulations governing the industry. Some states allow only in-person betting, while others allow both in-person and online betting. Some states have a monopoly on sports betting, while others allow multiple operators to offer sports betting services.

The growth of sports betting in the United States has been driven by a number of factors, including the popularity of fantasy sports, the increasing availability of mobile devices, and the legalization of sports betting in more states. The industry is expected to continue to grow in the coming years, as more states legalize sports betting and more people become interested in betting on sports.

Here is a list of the states that have legalized sports betting as of August 2023:

  • Alabama
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming

The future of sports betting in the United States is bright. The industry is expected to continue to grow in the coming years, as more states legalize sports betting and more people become interested in betting on sports.

DraftKings (DKNG): DraftKings is a leading online sportsbook and daily fantasy sports (DFS) company. It operates in 19 states and Washington, D.C., and has a market capitalization of $13.8 billion. DraftKings offers a variety of betting options, including sports betting, DFS, and iGaming. It also has a media division that produces content for its own platforms and for third-party partners.

DraftKings was founded in 2012 by Jason Robins, Matt Kalish, and Paul Liberman. The company quickly became one of the leading DFS companies in the world. In 2018, DraftKings launched its sportsbook in New Jersey, becoming one of the first companies to offer legal sports betting in the United States after the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA).

DraftKings has grown rapidly in recent years. In 2022, the company generated $1.3 billion in revenue and $463 million in net income. DraftKings is expected to continue to grow in the coming years, as more states legalize sports betting and more people become interested in betting on sports.

DraftKings is a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ stock exchange (ticker symbol: DKNG). The company’s stock price has been volatile in recent years, but it is currently trading at a market capitalization of $13.8 billion.

DraftKings is a well-positioned company to benefit from the growth of the sports betting industry in the United States. The company has a strong brand, a proven track record, and a diversified product offering. DraftKings is also well-capitalized and has a strong management team.

The company is currently generating negative earnings, however, annual sales growth for the last five years, is 63.5%, and quarterly revenue growth year-over year is 84.5%.

Penn National Gaming (PENN): Penn National Gaming is a casino and gaming company that owns and operates casinos, racetracks, and sportsbooks in 19 states. It has a market capitalization of $3.87 billion. Penn National Gaming is one of the largest casino operators in the United States and is also a major player in the sports betting industry.

Penn National Gaming entered the sports betting market in 2018, when it acquired theScore, a Canadian sports media company. TheScore operates a sportsbook in Canada and has a partnership with Penn National Gaming to offer sports betting in the United States.

In 2020, Penn National Gaming acquired Barstool Sports, a popular sports media and entertainment company. Barstool Sports has a large and engaged following of sports fans, which Penn National Gaming is hoping to leverage to grow its sports betting business.

Penn National Gaming is well-positioned to benefit from the growth of the sports betting industry in the United States. The company has a strong portfolio of casinos and racetracks, which can be used to attract sports betting customers. Penn National Gaming also has a strong brand and a proven track record in the gaming industry.

Here are some of the key things to know about Penn National Gaming’s sports betting business:

  • The company operates sportsbooks in 13 states and the District of Columbia.
  • It has partnered with Barstool Sports to offer sports betting in several states.
  • It is also a major investor in theScore, a Canadian sports media company that operates a sportsbook in Canada.
  • Penn National Gaming is expected to continue to grow its sports betting business in the coming years, as more states legalize sports betting and more people become interested in betting on sports.

The stock trades at a great six times trailing earnings and 12.5 times forward earnings. Quarterly earnings growth year-over-year was an incredible 987.9%, on a revenue increase of 7%. It has a superior price to earnings growth [PEG] ratio of 0.27, an excellent price to sales [PS] ratio of 0.59, and sells at 92% of book value.

Flutter Entertainment (PDYPY): Flutter Entertainment is a British gambling company that operates in over 20 countries. It is one of the largest online sports betting companies in the world and owns the Paddy Power Betfair brand.

Flutter Entertainment entered the United States sports betting market in 2018, when it acquired FanDuel, a leading online sportsbook. FanDuel has since become one of the most popular sports betting apps in the United States.

In 2020, Flutter Entertainment acquired TVG, a pari-mutuel online betting network, which is active in 35 states. TVG has a strong presence in the horse racing market, which is a growing segment of the sports betting industry.

Flutter Entertainment is well-positioned to benefit from the growth of the sports betting industry in the United States. The company has a strong portfolio of brands, a proven track record, and a global reach. Flutter Entertainment is also well-capitalized and has a strong management team.

Here are some of the key things to know about Flutter Entertainment’s sports betting business:

  • The company operates sportsbooks in 18 states and the District of Columbia.
  • It owns the FanDuel and TVG brands, which are two of the most popular sports betting apps in the United States.
  • It is also a major investor in Adjarabet, a Georgian sports betting company that operates in several countries in Eastern Europe.

Flutter has a market cap of $34.3 billion, and is currently generating negative earnings. Revenues for the latest reported year were up over 27%.

Churchill Downs (CHDN): Churchill Downs is a horse racing company that owns and operates the Kentucky Derby and several other racetracks. It also has a sports betting app in Indiana and Illinois.

Churchill Downs entered the sports betting market in 2019, when it launched its sportsbook in Indiana. The company has since expanded its sports betting operations to Illinois and is expected to launch sportsbooks in several other states in the coming years.

Churchill Downs is well-positioned to benefit from the growth of the sports betting industry in the United States. The company has a strong brand, a proven track record in the horse racing industry, and a large customer base. Churchill Downs is also well-capitalized and has a strong management team.

Here are some of the key things to know about Churchill Downs’ sports betting business:

  • The company operates sportsbooks in Indiana and Illinois.
  • It is expected to launch sportsbooks in several other states in the coming years.
  • It has a partnership with DraftKings to offer sports betting in several states.

This $9 billion market cap stock has a trailing P/E ratio of 26 and a forward P/E of 16.7. Earnings per share growth this year was a strong 81.2% and quarterly sales growth was up 31.9%. The company even pays a small dividend, providing a yield of 0.29%.

MGM Resorts International (MGM): MGM Resorts International is a casino and resort company that owns and operates casinos, hotels, and entertainment venues in 17 countries. It also has a sports betting app in Nevada, New Jersey, and several other states.

MGM Resorts International entered the sports betting market in 2018, when it launched its sportsbook in Nevada. The company has since expanded its sports betting operations to New Jersey and several other states.

MGM Resorts International is well-positioned to benefit from the growth of the sports betting industry in the United States. The company has a strong portfolio of casinos and resorts, which can be used to attract sports betting customers. MGM Resorts International also has a strong brand and a proven track record in the gaming industry.

Here are some of the key things to know about MGM Resorts International’s sports betting business:

  • The company operates sportsbooks in Nevada, New Jersey, and several other states.
  • It has a partnership with BetMGM, a joint venture with Entain PLC, to offer sports betting in several states.
  • It is also a major investor in BetMGM, which is one of the leading sports betting companies in the United States.

This $16.9 billion company trades at 44 times trailing earnings and 16 times forward earnings. Earnings per share growth this year jumped.44.6%. The very small dividend yield is 0.02%.

These stocks are all poised to benefit from the growth of the sports betting industry in the United States. As more states legalize sports betting, these companies will be well-positioned to capture a share of the market.

Disclosure: Author didn’t own any of the above at the time the article was written.

Looking for Collectable Investments at Auction?

by Fred Fuld III

Whether you spell it collectable or collectible, there is a great fascination with collecting and some of those collections turn out to be great investments.

Investing in collectibles, such as artwork, rare coins, stamps, vintage cars, or sports memorabilia, can have both advantages and disadvantages. Let’s explore them:

Advantages of investing in collectibles:

  1. Potential for high returns: Some collectibles can appreciate significantly in value over time, especially if they are rare or in high demand. For example, certain pieces of art or rare coins have fetched enormous prices at auctions.
  2. Diversification: Collectibles can be an alternative investment that diversifies your portfolio beyond traditional assets like stocks and bonds. They may have a low correlation with the stock market, which can provide a hedge against market volatility.
  3. Tangible assets: Unlike stocks or other financial investments, collectibles are tangible assets that you can physically enjoy. Owning a valuable piece of art or a classic car can bring aesthetic pleasure and emotional satisfaction, in addition to potential financial gains.
  4. Privacy and autonomy: Collectibles can be stored privately, offering a level of anonymity and independence from financial institutions or regulatory bodies that govern traditional investments.

Disadvantages of investing in collectibles:

  1. Illiquid assets: Collectibles are often illiquid, meaning they can be difficult to sell quickly, especially at a fair price. Finding a buyer who is willing to pay the desired price may take time, which can limit your ability to access funds when needed.
  2. Lack of income generation: Unlike stocks or rental properties that can generate regular income through dividends or rent, most collectibles do not generate any ongoing income. Their value is primarily determined by the buying and selling market.
  3. Volatile market: The collectibles market can be highly volatile and subject to fluctuations in demand. The value of collectibles is often subjective and influenced by factors such as trends, popularity, and changing tastes. Market sentiment can greatly impact prices, making it challenging to predict or control investment outcomes.
  4. Expertise and authenticity risks: Investing in collectibles requires specialized knowledge to accurately assess the authenticity, condition, and value of items. Without proper expertise, there is a risk of purchasing counterfeit or overpriced collectibles, potentially leading to financial losses.

If you are a Disney (DIS) fan, Van Eaton Galleries will be auctioning The Joel Magee Disneyland Collection, the largest privately owned collection of Disney Parks memorabilia in the world. There are over 1500 Disneyland items on July 17, 2023 through the 19th. The auction offers everything from a Disneyland Security Officer badge to a One of a Kind Hitchhiking Ghosts Animatronic Display with an estimate of $100,000 to $200,000.

If that’s too rich for your blood, you can pick up Peter Pan’s Flight Original Attraction Vehicle with n estimate of $75,000 to $100,000.

The item with the lowest start price is a Disneyland Donald Duck Birthday Squeaker Hat with a starting bid of $20 and an estimate of $100 to $200.

For you music fans out there, you can get Tupac Shakur’s inscribed Gold, Ruby, and Diamond Crown Ring, designed and commissioned by him in 1996. The estimate is $200,000 to $300,000. It is being offered by Sotheby’s on July 18.

If you enjoyed watching M*A*S*H, Heritage Auctions is offering Alan Alda’s “Capt. Benjamin Franklin ‘Hawkeye’ Pierce” Screen Used Dog Tags and Boots from MAS*H. It is currently bid at $11,500 and closes on July 28.

It’s important to note that investing in collectibles carries inherent risks, and outcomes can vary significantly based on individual items, market conditions, and personal expertise. It’s advisable to research thoroughly, seek professional advice, and diversify your investment portfolio appropriately to manage risks effectively.

Gisele Bündchen Stock Index Still Beats the S&P 500

Renan Katayama, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

by Fred Fuld III

Some of you may know Gisele Bundchen as the famous Brazilian supermodel. Some of you may know Gisele as the wife of American football player Tom Brady. Some of you may know her as both.

Unfortunately, the recent news about her relates to marital issues with Brady.

However, What Gisele should be known for is her intelligence, her beauty, and her business acumen. As a matter of fact, back in 2007 when the U.S. dollar was weak, she refused US dollars for some of her contracts and requested Euros instead.

She was the world’s richest supermodel as early as 2007, and has held that title until 2015, according to Forbes.

Back in 2007, I created the Gisele Bündchen Stock Index, which tracked the stocks that Gisele was connected to, primarily as a spokesperson or actress. The article can still be found in our Stockerblog predecessor website.

I tracked her stock index against the Dow Jones Industrial Average since then, and over the years, the Gisele stock index has continued to outperform, which you can see in the chart below. Her index even held up better than the Dow during the 2008 stock market crash.

Data Source: Yahoo! Finance: Historical Prices

Most stock market investors and stock traders today prefer to look at the S&P 500 as opposed to the Dow, as it more reflects the stock market as a whole.

So here is the Gisele index versus the S&P 500.

Data Source: Yahoo! Finance: Historical Prices

The following companies were included in the current index with information regarding Gisele’s connection. Over the years, a couple stocks were dropped due to lack of trading data for non-US companies, and added due to additional celeb endorsements.

LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton S.A. (LVMUY) owns several companies that Gisele was the spokesperson for, including Louis Vuitton (a luxury French fashion company), Givenchy ( French retailer of clothing, accessories, perfumes and cosmetics), Guerlain (the oldest perfume house in the world), and Céline (a French ready-to-wear and leather luxury goods brand). Since 2007, the stock has increased by 733%.

She was also the advertising campaign face for Ralph Lauren Corp. (RL). That stock has gone up 27% since 2007.

Gisele was the celebrity endorser for Vivo Participacoes S.A. (VIV), the largest mobile phone service provider in Brazil and in South America. The stock has actually dropped 9% since 2007.

She starred in the comedy, Taxi, in her movie debut, and The Devil Wears Prada , both produced by 20th Century Fox, formerly a division of News Corp. (NWS) at the time the Gisele Index was created. The stock, which was actually involved in a spinoff and skews the return, is down 31% since that time.

For Disney (DIS) she was a celebrity endorser and appeared in the ‘Year of a Million Dreams’ celebration photoshoot. Disney has moved up 241% since 2007.

Gisele was a spokesperson for Procter & Gamble (PG), increased Pantene’s sales in Brazil by 40% during her celebrity endorsement. The stock has had a solid return of 230%.

Finally, she was the spokesperson for the Volkswagon (VLKAY) TV commercials. The stock has had a superior return of 748% since 2007.

Based on the above stocks in the portfolio, the Gisele Index has increased by 215.89%, versus 134.44% for the Dow and 156.79% for the S&P 500.

There is one other stock that Gisele was involved with. She appeared on the Apple (AAPL) ‘Get a Mac’ advertisements to promote the new line of Macintosh’s.

Over the years, I have left Apple out of the index because the return on it was so gargantuan, I thought it would really skew the returns and the charts.

Do you know how much Apple has increased since 2007? The stock has gone up by 5,663%!!!

Here are the charts for the Gisele Index which INCLUDES Apple.

Data Source: Yahoo! Finance: Historical Prices

Data Source: Yahoo! Finance: Historical Prices

By including Apple in the index, the return is boosted to 284%, compared to the 216% without it.

Maybe some of these stocks might look attractive to you at the right price. At some point they should become fashionable, and may continue to outperform.

Prices are beginning of year first trading day close, adjusted for splits, dividends, and capital gains distributions. The Gisele Index is a price-weighted index, similar to the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Disclosure: Author owns AAPL and DIS.

Are You Watching the Streaming Video Stocks?

by Fred Fuld III

Could you have imagined 15 years ago that you would have the ability to watch almost any movie or TV show whenever you want, as many times as you want, and could pause it and replay parts of it, without having to insert a disc into a player, would you have believed it?

Most major films and television programs can now be watched on your smart TV, you computer, your laptop, and even your phone. Several companies are benefiting from this major trend, providing investors with stocks that they should keep an eye on.

Amazon’s (AMZN) Prime Video is an Internet video on demand service that offers television shows and films for rent or purchase and Prime Video, a group of Amazon Studios original content and licensed acquisitions including Bosch, The Man in the High Castle, Sneaky Pete, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Amazon trades at 64 times forward earnings, and revenues for the latest reported quarter jumped by almost 20% year-over-year.

Netflix (NFLX) is the biggest pure play in this arena, having around 140 million subscribers. The company also has extensive original programming including stand-up comedy specials. The stock trades at 88 times forward earnings. Sales for the latest quarter went up by over 27%.

Streaming video is a small but growing piece of Disney (DIS) which owns 60% of Hulu, in addition to its own streaming services. Like Netflix and Amazon, Hulu has its own original content. Disney has a very reasonable forward price to earnings ratio of 16, and even pays a dividend of 1.53%.

Of course, video streaming is a small part of a lot of large companies, such as Apple (AAPL), Facebook (FB), and YouTube, owned by Alphabet (GOOG) (GOOGL), better known as Google.

Let’s watch and see which company will be the best performer.

Disclosure: Author owns AMZN, AAPL, and DIS.

Corporate Stock Earnings Reports for Week 2 of November

Looking for some interesting moves in some stocks this upcoming week? Check out the companies that will be reporting earnings this week.

If earnings exceed analysts’ expectations, the stocks can shoot up. If the numbers underperform, the stock can tank. Then again, occasionally, stocks don’t move the way you would have expected.

Anyway, many traders use earnings plays for trading strategies. Also, option traders look for high implied volatility of stocks for for option selling strategies.

Here are many of the enormous number of stocks reporting earnings this week:

Monday

  • ALGN
  • ARNA
  • CZR
  • HTZ
  • IFF
  • MAR
  • NWS
  • PCLN
 
Tuesday
 
  • CNK
  • CVS
  • DHI
  • JCI
  • VRX
  • TRIP
Wednesday
  • MT
  • CROX
  • COTY
  • M
  • VIAB
  • WEN
  • TCS
  • MYL
  • SHAK
  • SLW
  • SUN
  • VVUS
Thursday
 
  • AZN
  • KSS
  • PRTY
  • PRGO
  • RL
  • SODA
  • KORS
  • JWN
  • NVD
  • DIS
 
Friday
 
  • JCP

If you like interesting stock lists like this, be sure to check out many of the free stock lists here at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.


Corporate Earnings Announcements for the Second Week of August

Looking for some interesting moves in some stocks this upcoming week? Check out the companies that will be reporting earnings this week.

If earnings exceed analysts’ expectations, the stocks can shoot up. If the numbers underperform, the stock can tank. Then again, occasionally, stocks don’t move the way you would have expected.

Anyway, many traders use earnings plays for trading strategies. Also, option traders look for high implied volatility of stocks for for option selling strategies.

Here are many of the enormous number of stocks reporting earnings this week:

Monday

 
AGN
ARNA
NILE
HTZ
MAIN
BID
TSN
WBMD
 
Tuesday
 
AMSC
CECE
CHTR
COH
EXC
GWPH
LSCC
MWW
SCTY
VRX
DIS
YELP

Wednesday
BUFF
RL
SHAK
SLW
WEN

Thursday
 
BABA
HIMX
M
JWN
NVDA
PBR
RT
JET

 
Friday
 
AYA
BAM
JCP
JHX

If you like interesting stock lists like this, be sure to check out many of the free stock lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.