Finimize - 🗒️ Apple and Amazon open the books

Amazon and apple drop results, gold demand hits a new high, and ten cult films |
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Hi Reader, here's what you need to know for November 1st in 3:13 minutes.

  1. Amazon and Apple both topped expectations, but Apple took a sour $10.2 billion tax hit
  2. The Latin American stock you might want on your radar now – Read Now
  3. High gold prices didn’t deter everyone, so global demand just hit an all-time high

🤖 Take a look under the hood of tech giants. Listen to the Finimize Podcast with Stephen Yiu – the CIO of the Blue Whale Growth Fund – to discover what separates Microsoft and Nvidia. Listen here

Magnificent Two
Magnificent Two

What’s going on here?

Amazon and Apple shared the spotlight Thursday, with both delivering earnings that outshined Wall Street’s expectations.

What does this mean?

As two of the biggest stars in the Magnificent Seven, the duo had investors at the edge of their seats. Amazon delivered, with $158.9 billion in revenue and a hefty profit improvement, fueled largely by its advertising and AWS cloud business both growing 19% year-over-year. And Apple’s quarter was similarly sweet, with $94.9 billion in revenue, up 6% year-over-year, after an unexpected bounce in iPhone sales (even before the release of its buzzy AI tools). But it also saw a huge bite taken out of its net income, after a European tax court ruling that had the firm forking over $10.2 billion.

Why should I care?

Zooming in: Doing a service.

Apple’s not just the “iPhone and MacBook company” anymore – its services now snag a bigger slice of the pie. Last quarter, they made up over 25% of the firm’s revenue, more than iPads and wearables combined. But there’s a twist that is raising eyebrows: Disney has now joined Netflix and Spotify in skipping the app store for new subscriptions. Instead, they’re nudging customers to sign up directly, sidestepping the 30% fee Apple typically pockets from in-app purchases. Services revenue has just started to slow, so investors will be keeping a sharp eye on this one.

The bigger picture: Power plant, two-day shipping.

Amazon’s dealing with its own set of high-voltage headaches. Big Tech’s AI obsession is sucking up so much electricity there’s hardly enough to go around. So Amazon’s eyeing up nuclear energy projects to keep the lights on – and touting its zero-emission benefits. But let’s be real: Amazon may be the “everything store”, but nuclear energy isn’t exactly its area of expertise, and these projects are eating up cash. No wonder then, that investors are giving the side-eye to the mounting bills and wondering where those AI-driven profits are.

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TODAY'S INSIGHT

This Tiny Fintech Is Now Latin America’s Most Valuable Bank – And Hottest Growth Stock

Russell Burns

This Tiny Fintech Is Now Latin America’s Most Valuable Bank – And Hottest Growth Stock

Most consumer banks follow the same basic business model.

But in Brazil, Nubank (or Nu, as it’s known) has been doing things differently: it operates entirely online or via an app – without a single bank branch – offering loads of services at more competitive rates than traditional banks (and without fees).

Plus, it’s been embracing the lower-income customers that the old-school financial institutions have traditionally turned away.

In a little over a decade, this formula has catapulted it from unknown fintech to Latin America’s most valuable bank. Here’s why it’s a stock you’ll want to watch.

That’s today’s Insight: the scrappy fintech that became Latin America’s hot growth stock.

Read or listen to the Insight here

Meet your guide to the election year

The US election could be a potential banana peel when it comes to investing.

The potential for changes in policy, fresh regulatory crackdowns, and a whole new cast of characters could all throw the markets into a tizzy.

That’s why our expert analysts have worked with IG to build a guide on how to invest during the election season. 

It covers the impact of elections on markets, strategies for investing during an election year, and lots of tax considerations – all in one handy place.

So if you’re looking for a way to keep your portfolio surefooted, even with all that slippery uncertainty, check out our free guide.

Read The Guide
A Golden Moment
A Golden Moment

What’s going on here?

Global demand for gold just smashed an all-time high, crossing the $100 billion mark for the first time.

What does this mean?

Economics 101 says demand should drop as prices rise – but gold buyers must’ve skipped class that day. Despite a 35% price jump this year (and a double-digit climb last year), they’re not backing down. The World Gold Council’s latest figures show that total demand rose to 1,313 tons in the third quarter. That’s more than $100 billion at market prices – a new record. But look closer, and gold’s demand may not be as bling-bling as it seems. Jewelry makers, who are a major part of the market, and even central bankers have recently taken a step back from buying. So, it’s investors that are driving the metal higher. And in their world, nothing fuels a buying spree quite like seeing prices on the rise.

Why should I care?

For markets: Beware of FOMO.

Demand has kept price declines small, with latecomers jumping in to grab the dip at the first opportunity, fueling even more momentum. But as more folks pile in, the market becomes more fragile. If sentiment shifts, not only would there be fewer buyers for the dip, but the tardy, less confident investors could rush to sell, potentially sparking a sharper price drop. So make sure you’re investing for the right reasons and are prepared for some bumps along the way.

The bigger picture: Good havens.

Gold’s thriving even without its usual macro buddies – like low interest rates, high inflation, or sluggish growth. And while geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty are lending support, gold’s real allure comes from its status as the ultimate safeguard in the most extreme situations. Two major risks are on investors’ radar: record-high government debt loads and a quiet, determined global shift away from the US dollar that could challenge its dominance.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

"If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."

– Isaac Newton (an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, theologian, and author)
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Discover everything you need to know about investing with and in AI – for free

Wall Street is full of whispers, from the hottest algorithms to the most tantalizing trade tidbits.

Prospero.ai is spilling the secrets, turning complex hedge-fund-level trading patterns into stock insights.

So now, you can use the platform to nab a bit of Wall Street’s know-how.

And if you want the latest strategies and predictions straight from Prospero.ai’s own Robin Hood, you can catch George Kailas at our Modern Investor Summit this December.

You’ll find out everything you need to know about AI in today’s investing climate, from tech-enhanced strategies to how platforms are revolutionizing retail investor decision-making.

Grab Your Free Ticket

🎯 On Our Radar

1. Worshipping at the altar. A look at the relationship between celebrities and their fans.

2. Don’t get bogged down by the circus. Check out IG’s free guide to investing during the political season.*

3. The way forward is the way back. A new medieval-inspired tabletop trend.

4. Like Google maps, but for technical ETFs. Direxion's guide to trading leveraged and inverse ETFs is live.*

5. Flipping a flop. Ten cult movies that didn’t do well at the box office.

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🌍 Finimize Live

🤩 Grab your tickets...

All events in UK time.
🇺🇸 Post-Election Special: The Landscape, Regardless Of Who Wins: 5pm, November 7th
🏅 How To Tap Into Your Gold Opportunity: 5pm, November 14th
💰 Spread Betting vs CFDs: How To Trade Tax-Free: 5pm, November 19th
🚀 2024 Modern Investor Summit: 2pm, December 3rd

Get your free ticket for the Modern Investor Summit

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