❤️ Why Buffett loves Apple

America loves Target | But Zoom hates offices | [TOGETHER WITH]( Hi {NAME}, here's what you need to know for March 2nd in 3:07 minutes. 💪 Stocks, bonds, and commodities are up against it right now, so it could be an ideal time to look for gains in less traditional places. Join ORE System’s Nick Donarski for [How To Diversify Your Portfolio With NFTs]( on Wednesday, and find out how digital collectibles could add a new dimension to your investments. [Get your free ticket]( Today's big stories - Target reported better-than-expected earnings - There’s one key reason Warren Buffett is sticking with Berkshire Hathaway’s Apple holdings through thick and thin – [Read Now]( - Zoom reported slowing growth as workers swap video calls for boardrooms Strategic Thinking [Strategic Thinking] What’s Going On Here? Target [reported]( better-than-expected quarterly earnings on Tuesday, as the US big-box retailer shows that it pays to plan three steps ahead. What Does This Mean? Target did all it could last quarter to mitigate the effect of supply shortages, buying $2 billion more in backroom stock than it normally would ahead of the holiday season. And that foresight paid off handsomely: customers made 8% more trips to Target’s stores and website last quarter than the same time in 2020, helping push overall profit up by a better-than-expected 12%. That growth’s arguably all the more impressive considering what the tail-end of 2020 looked like: the US was awash with cash after the government doled out stimulus checks to keep Americans afloat. Add in the fact that Target forecasted better-than-expected revenue growth for this year, and investors didn’t need much convincing: they sent the retailer’s shares up 13%. Why Should I Care? The bigger picture: Spend money to make money. Trouble is, Target’s costs are due for a growth spurt too. The company announced earlier this week that it’s upping hourly wages, in hopes of better competing for workers in a competitive labor market. In fact, it reckons it'll spend $300 million more this year on salaries and healthcare benefits alone, which – on top of already high supply chain costs – could end up dragging on the retailer’s profit margins ([tweet this](). Zooming out: Inflation isn’t all that. This is just another sign that the retail sector as a whole is in rude health. Walmart [posted]( a robust set of earnings last month, and US department store Kohl’s – which is [expecting]( the introduction of customer-favorite brands like Calvin Klein to help boost sales – gave a better-than-expected revenue outlook for the year on Tuesday. All these strong results suggest consumer demand is actually holding up pretty well – all the more surprising considering how fast prices are rising right now. You might also like: [How to inflation-proof your portfolio.]( 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=Strategic Thinking&utm_campaign=daily-global-02-03-2022&utm_source=email) Analyst Take Why Warren Buffett Is A Big Fan Of Apple [Why Warren Buffett Is A Big Fan Of Apple]( [Photo of Carl Hazeley] Carl Hazeley, Analyst What’s Going On Here? When Warren Buffett speaks, investors listen – and Warren Buffett has just [spoken](. In his [annual shareholder letter](, the Berkshire Hathaway CEO drew attention to his company’s “giants”: [four investments]( that “account for a very large chunk of Berkshire’s value”. Three of those are [an insurer, a railroad firm, and an energy company](. But the [fourth is Apple]( – a company Buffett’s been enamored with for years, even though its sky-high valuation is arguably at odds with its potential profit growth. So that’s today’s Insight: [why Buffett’s sticking with the iPhone-maker through thick and thin](, and whether you should too. [Read or listen to the Insight here]( SPONSORED BY TITAN Crypto killed the Super Bowl star Snoop Dogg was great, sure. And those LA Rams, what a team. But there was one real standout at the Super Bowl: the much-discussed crypto commercials. Yup, [crypto](’s really taken over at this point. So you know you can invest in crypto, but how should you? Check out [Titan](: it’s crypto investing on autopilot. Just let Titan’s team of investment analysts choose from thousands of different coins and projects, and leave them to manage your [crypto portfolio]( for you. Cut through the crypto noise: [discover what Titan can do for you](. 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Cryptocurrency advisory services are provided by Titan Global Capital Management USA LLC. Cryptocurrency execution and custody services are provided by Apex Crypto LLC (NMLS ID 1828849). Suit Up [Suit Up] What’s Going On Here? Zoom [announced]( a bleak outlook for 2022 earlier this week, just as demand for acceptable office attire boomed among the teleconferencing company’s customers. What Does This Mean? Office workers might’ve gotten used to only showing their torsos on a 3x3 inch video chat window, but that changed last quarter when the Great Office Return began in earnest. This is the moment Zoom’s been dreading, and with good reason: the number of business customers with 10-plus employees fell last quarter from the one before. And since big business customers are a key driver of revenue, that could be why Zoom’s total sales came in just 21% higher last quarter than the same time the previous year – a huge drop from the previous quarter’s 35%. The company topped it all off with a weaker-than-expected revenue outlook for both this quarter and 2022 as a whole, and its shares cratered 13%. Why Should I Care? For markets: If in doubt, bribery. Investors have been worried about Zoom’s future for a while now, making the case – clearly a pretty accurate one – that growth would slow dramatically when offices started opening up again. That might be why its stock price has now fallen over 75% from its peak in October 2020. Still, Zoom is trying to put their minds at ease: the company announced plans to buy back $1 billion worth of its own shares, which will reduce the supply of those in circulation and should increase the price of those left over. The bigger picture: Zoom’s branching out. Zoom had planned to offset some of this slowdown in growth by buying customer support software provider Five9 last year, but the deal [fell through](. So now it’s going it alone, [launching]( its own rival online customer support center platform last week. That could be a wise move: the so-called “global contact center software” market is [predicted]( to be worth $150 billion by 2030 – up from $24 billion last year. You might also like: [How to analyze Zoom’s stock in two hours flat.]( 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=Suit Up&utm_campaign=daily-global-02-03-2022&utm_source=email) 💬 Quote of the day “I decided I can’t pay a person to rewind time, so I may as well get over it.” – Serena Williams (an American professional tennis player) [Tweet this]( SPONSORED BY FRANSHARES Invest like the stars The rich and famous have a trick up their very expensive sleeves. No, not botox or publicity stunts, but [franchising](. 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First stop: get some [female anatomy]( up there. - “Be on time and don’t be an ass”. That’s what got [this actress]( to the top. - Psychedelic love. They say never go to bed angry, and these couples reckon [drugs]( are the answer. - For the love of A1. How this [Californian sauce]( spread from diner cooks to head chefs. - Respect your fish. Next time, follow [Japan’s]( lead. ❤️ 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? 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