“What We Do in the Shadows” vampire Nandor the Relentless once told his familiar, “From Panera Bread you came, and to Panera Bread you shall return!” This could also serve as a new slogan for the chain itself, which unveiled a major turnaround plan last week to invite customers back into its warm, soup-filled, bread bowl arms. To do so, it’s bringing back full-romaine salads (as the leaf has surpassed its cold rival), boosting ingredient counts, and restoring portion sizes — along with more human staff — as it aims to reach over $7 billion in annual sales by 2028. Stocks got a boost on Friday as New York Fed President John Williams signaled support for a “near term” rate cut, rebounding from Thursday’s sell-off with the S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, and Russell 2000 all rising, though all indexes posted weekly losses after a volatile five-day stretch in which traders stewed over the AI trade.
🧠 Trivia time… Take our Snacks Seven Quiz. Here’s the first question:
|
|
|
Much of the stock market has been concerned with down-to-earth matters, problems of copper and of silicon — specifically how to turn those base elements into the GPUs that serve as the linchpin of Corporate America’s quest to completely reinvent their industries with the power of AI. But all that focus on cloud computing has kept attention away from a vibrant industry about computing… amongst the clouds. |
- For instance, just last week AST SpaceMobile rose after announcing launch plans for the first of its next-generation satellites next month, as it tries to execute its plan to offer satellite-based broadband service directly to consumers.
- The services-from-space trade has been a popular market theme this year, with companies like AST SpaceMobile, EchoStar, Rocket Lab, and Planet Labs all periodically soaring on updates related to their partnerships and launch plans that might allow them to offer broadband and cellular coverage from space.
- It’s not only satellites that are shaking up the skies, either. Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation have been dueling for supremacy in the nascent but potentially huge air taxi industry.
- That rivalry between the much-hyped companies is heating up, as Joby has sued Archer, alleging the latter stole its trade secrets and used them to undercut a partnership deal in an act of “corporate espionage, planned and premeditated.”
- Boeing’s air taxi subsidiary, Wisk, sued Archer in 2021 as well, accusing the latter of “brazen theft” of confidential information and intellectual property.
|
Even the more established atmosphere-based businesses had been having a vibrant week with oil prices falling. Shares of major US carriers are up on oil’s price action, with Southwest up more than 5% and the rest of the big four airlines — American, Delta, and United — up between 2% and 6%. |
|
|
While the market debates whether it’s early innings, middle innings, or a late game on the AI trade, speculative and unprofitable businesses with sky-high potential do have at least some appeal. AST SpaceMobile says that its satellites will soon enable ubiquitous coverage directly to everyday smartphones from space, which sounds nifty even if (like competitors Rocket Lab and Planet Lab) the business remains unprofitable and is expected to post quarterly losses for the next two years, at least. And while Archer and Joby are both racing to develop electric air taxis for use in commercial flight, each has also struck deals with major defense contractors. |
|
|
Why Value + Momentum Could Be the Missing Link in Your Portfolio |
Markets can be unpredictable, yet investors strive for consistent results. This leads to the ongoing challenge: “Do I buy undervalued stocks or chase the trends leading the market higher?” |
- Value targets undervalued companies trading at attractive prices relative to their fundamentals.
- Momentum targets companies that are experiencing positive trends.
|
These two factors have tended to perform best in different environments. Combining them has the potential to create more consistent results and may allow investors to diversify risk, building portfolios that are equipped to weather full market cycles. VictoryShares ETFs provide investors with the tools to capture both value and momentum efficiently. Explore the case for value & momentum. |
|
|
Stories we’re obsessed with |
|
|
Two of the biggest companies on the planet are finally slamming the accelerator as they try to capture a potentially humongous market. The promises are huge: autonomous taxis will be safer than human drivers and traffic deaths will plummet; robotaxis will make transportation so cheap, it could upend everything from car ownership to parking lots. But a big question remains — will it eventually turn into a race to the bottom? Google vs. Tesla, charted |
|
|
- 🏈 NFL: Carolina takes on San Francisco tonight, with the 49ers seen as having the edge, as traders* give it a 75% chance of winning the game.
- 🎬 For Good: “Wicked: For Good” came out in theaters this weekend, and even before audiences had a chance to see the movie, it was already a contender for awards season. The market’s giving the movie a 43% chance of a nomination for Best Picture, Cynthia Erivo has a 53% chance of a nomination for Best Actress, and Ariana Grande has an 87% chance of a nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
- 📊 BTC: The market’s been whipsawing around, but according to the events contracts markets, the likelihood that bitcoin tumbles below $70,000 by the end of the year has reached 27%, with the odds that bitcoin drops below $60,000 — once unthinkable — now up to 12%.
|
*Event contracts are offered through Robinhood Derivatives, LLC — probabilities referenced or sourced from KalshiEx LLC or ForecastEx LLC. | |
|
- Monday: Earnings expected from Symbiotic, Zoom, and WeRide
- Tuesday: Earnings expected from Alibaba, Nio, Abercrombie & Fitch, Analog Devices, Kohl’s, Best Buy, Burlington, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Dell, Workday, Autodesk, Urban Outfitters, HP, and Petco
- Wednesday: Earnings expected from John Deere
- Thursday: US markets closed for Thanksgiving
- Friday: US financial markets close early
|
|
|
VictoryShares Disclosure: Carefully consider a fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses before investing. To obtain a prospectus or summary prospectus containing this and other important information, visit http://www.vcm.com/prospectus. Read it carefully before investing. All investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. An investment should only be made with an understanding of the risks involved with owning a particular security or asset class. Momentum investing may be more volatile than other investments. Momentum can turn quickly and funds may experience significant losses if momentum stops, turns or behaves differently than predicted. VictoryShares ETFs distributed by Victory Capital Services, Inc. (VCS).
20251118-5003538 |
Was this email forwarded to you? Don’t miss out on future stories — subscribe to Snacks and get your daily dose of financial news straight to your inbox. Craving more insights in your inbox? Subscribe to Chartr and The Wrap for quality reads. |
|
|
Sherwood Media, LLC produces fresh and unique perspectives on topical financial news and is a fully owned subsidiary of Robinhood Markets, Inc., and any views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of any other Robinhood affiliate... See more |
|
|
SHERWOOD MEDIA, LLC, 85 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025 |
|
|
|
