ESG + profit = 🚀

Disney does it again | US stocks at records | [TOGETHER WITH]( Hi {NAME}, here's what you need to know for August 16th in 3:06 minutes. 🤓 Data is an invaluable tool for an investor, but only when you know what to concentrate on. That’s what our [Strategies To Supercharge Your Investments]( event with Vantage FX is all about: helping you sort the data wheat from the data chaff. [Get your free ticket]( Today's big stories - Quarterly updates from Disney and Airbnb offered two perspectives on the post-pandemic recovery - Companies with happier employees have higher stock prices, so here’s how to take advantage – [Read Now]( - As US stocks hit record highs, global optimism appears to be lifting the Chinese market as well Where The Magic Happens [Where The Magic Happens] What’s Going On Here? Disney announced [stronger-than-expected]( quarterly earnings late last week, with all seemingly well again in the Magic Kingdom. What Does This Mean? There was a lot for investors to like in Disney’s latest report. Streaming service Disney+ now boasts a higher-than-expected 116 million paying customers – closing the gap on arch-enemy Netflix, which has had a [tough]( couple of quarters ([tweet this](). But while the loss-making Disney+ is a bet on the company’s [future](, its theme parks, experiences, and products segment speaks more to Toontown’s present. And this didn’t just roar back to life last quarter: it returned to profitability for the first time since the pandemic began. Granted, the majority of the segment’s profit came from people buying merchandise, but beggars can’t be choosers – and with Disneylands getting busier, it probably won’t be long until the parks become profitable again in their own right. Why Should I Care? For markets: What can I say except you’re welcome? Disney’s share price rose 3% on Friday as investors booked back into the House of Mouse. While the average Disney+ subscriber may be paying a lower price than predicted, the company is still adding them faster than expected – and that should mean more profit in the long term. Theme parks’ reopenings, meanwhile, promise more profit in the short term too. And since they’re largely an outdoor pursuit, those parks should prove relatively pandemic-proof if coronavirus takes a turn for the worse. The bigger picture: Be our guest. Airbnb also notched a [better-than-expected]( second quarter, but it suffered from the flip side of the trends buoying up Disney right now – and its stock initially fell 3% on Friday. With new virus variants still a largely unknown quantity, the online travel platform warned investors that this quarter’s bookings (and cancellations) could lead to disappointing sales. You might also like: [How to spot when it’s time to buy Airbnb’s stock.]( Copy to share story: [( 🙋 [Ask a question](mailto:questions@finimize.com?body=Ask us a question: Where are you writing from? Let us know and we'll mention it when we reply.&noapp=true&subject=Where The Magic Happens&utm_campaign=daily-global-16-08-2021&utm_source=email) 2. Analyst Take Happy Employees, Happy Life: The Key To Better Stock Market Performance New analysis has found that shares of US companies with the happiest workers [significantly and consistently outperform]( those with the unhappiest workers. Employee happiness is likely to be linked to good [environmental, social, and governance (ESG)]( practices at the company. Together, these drive earnings growth, attractive returns on capital, and share price outperformance. The good news is that ESG data is [widely available]( – and with the right approach, you can easily use it to help inform your investment decisions. So that’s today’s Insight: how you can use worker happiness data to build a profitable portfolio that’s also ESG-friendly – along with tips on [which stocks to buy and avoid](. [Read or listen to the Insight here]( Sponsored by The Motley Fool Motley Fool’s “Double Down” Recommendations Market-beating stock ideas aren’t exactly new to Motley Fool co-founder Tom Gardner. But every so often, Tom and his team issue a rare [“double down” recommendation](. It’s a chance for investors who missed the boat on [a promising stock](to get in again, and a chance for investors who didn’t to potentially add to their gains. And they’ve got a [strong track record]( for this type of thing: Netflix, Amazon, Apple – they’re all previous “double down” picks. Tom’s got three more he’d like to share with investors like you: just [sign up to his Stock Advisor](. [Sign Up Here]( Looking Up [Looking Up] What’s Going On Here? Positive moves on Friday left the US stock market up some 21% for the year so far – and almost everyone’s keen for a slice of the action. What Does This Mean? America’s key S&P 500 index has notched 47 all-time highs already in 2021: no mean feat, especially with new coronavirus variants popping up left, right, and center. Investors, for the most part, appear to be “looking through” that risk, betting that global economies and stock markets will emerge on the other side largely unscathed. Companies haven’t been slow to take advantage of investors’ optimism, as evidenced by all those pricey [initial public offerings]( and cash-light [merger]( deals [paid for]( in shares instead. But as things stand, the good times keep rolling: bullish stock backers have been vindicated – while those who called for caution may now be counting a considerable opportunity cost. Why Should I Care? The bigger picture: It’s always sunny in Shijiazhuang… The US accounts for roughly half the total value of the world’s stock markets, making it a good barometer of investor sentiment globally. And in spite of the ongoing tensions between the two countries, the recent positivity has been reflected in China too. Local battery giant CATL on Friday [announced]( plans to raise $9 billion from investors to further ramp up production – and rather than worrying about the value of their existing stakes getting diluted, investors took that punchiness as a signal to push up CATL’s share price. Zooming out: …until it isn’t. Electric vehicles are the future of the world’s auto industry – and nobody’s more aware of that fact than pioneering producer Tesla. But the cars of tomorrow (and today) need microchips, and the company’s CEO last week [accused]( semiconductor suppliers Bosch and Renesas Electronics of holding up auto manufacturing around the planet. Rival carmaker Volkswagen is already suffering the effects: chip shortages contributed to its sales falling in July, particularly in the all-important Chinese market. You might also like: [Where you can profit in the EV ecosystem.]( Copy to share story: [( 🙋 [Ask a question](mailto:questions@finimize.com?body=Ask us a question: Where are you writing from? Let us know and we'll mention it when we reply.&noapp=true&subject=Looking Up&utm_campaign=daily-global-16-08-2021&utm_source=email) 💬 Quote of the day “No matter what people will tell you, words and ideas can change the world.” – Robin Williams (an American actor and comedian) [Tweet this]( Sponsored by Crowdstreet $21 billion and counting The real estate market is booming, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. But it’s no secret how difficult it is to tap into that market if you don’t have a platform like [CrowdStreet](. So it’s a good thing you have a platform exactly like [CrowdStreet](, which gives you unparalleled access to [institutional-quality real estate deals](. In fact, over the last seven years, CrowdStreet’s investors have funded more than [500 real estate projects]( – from grocery stores to data warehouses – across the US. That’s almost $21 billion worth. And with the pandemic-bruised world changing all around us, the real estate industry will have to change with it. And that means [even more opportunities]( for investors like you. Here’s to the next 500 deals: [find out more about CrowdStreet](. [Find Out More]( Disclaimer: This content was written by Finimize, a paid partner of CrowdStreet, Inc. (“CrowdStreet”) and has been prepared solely for informational purposes. When you support our sponsors, you support us. 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Why [playtime is serious business for elephants](. - More TV, less time. The case for [speed watching](. - The world is on fire. Here’s the science behind today’s [extreme wildfires](. - Hate running, but want to be healthy? [Read this](. ❤️ Share with a friend Your Referrals: 0 Thanks for reading {NAME}. If you liked today's brief, we'd love for you to share it with a friend. If they sign up on your unique link, you’ll earn some sweet swag. Share your unique link: [ You stay classy, {NAME} 😉 We’d love to hear your thoughts. [Give feedback]( Want to advertise with us too? [Get in touch]( Image Credits: Image credits: Disney | Finimize Preferences: [Update your email]( or [change preferences]( [View in browser]( [Unsubscribe]( from all Finimize Emails 😴 Crafted by Finimize Ltd. | Third Floor, 1 New Fetter Lane, London, EC4A 1AN, UK. All content provided by Finimize Ltd. is for informational and educational purposes only and is not meant to represent trade or investment recommendations. 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