🙋‍♀️ BoA answered investing FAQs

Lego slipped but still towered over the competition | Europeans bought a lot more electric cars | [Finimize](   TOGETHER WITH   Hi {NAME}, here's what you need to know for August 31st in 3:13 minutes.   🥮 Finimized over a pastel de nata at [Pastéis de Belém]( in Lisbon, Portugal (☀️ 27°C/80°F) Today's big stories - Even though Lego saw its profit tumble in the first half of the year, the toymaker cast a shadow over its rivals - Bank of America answered today’s burning investment questions – [Read Now]( - European car sales sped up by 17% in July, but don’t get too revved up about the economy Plastic Powerhouse [Plastic Powerhouse] What’s going on here? Lego’s profit [fell]( like a ton of, uh, colored cubes in the first half of the year, but the world’s biggest toymaker’s foundations are too strong to shake. What does this mean? Lego’s just the activity for cozy, laid-back evenings spent at home. So naturally, the Groundhog Day of nothingness that was the pandemic meant plastic bricks were strewn across floors all over the world. Even back then, the company’s CEO said that performance was unsustainable – and the first half of this year proved that to be right. Sales wrangled a 1% uptick versus the same time last year, but profit suffered its biggest fall in nearly two decades. Peel back the layers, though, and a lot of that loss was down to heavy investment in new factories and sustainability initiatives. Take stuff like that out of the equation, and operating profit was still almost double pre-pandemic levels. Why should I care? For markets: Life in plastic isn't always fantastic. The wider toy industry is going through a less-than-joyful period, shrinking this year because companies lost their spark. That meant Lego’s small growth still bumped up its market share, but that’s nothing new: the toymaker’s been outgrowing the industry for a while now. For comparison, US-listed rivals Hasbro and Mattel revealed double-digit percentage dips in sales over the first half of the year. That was before “Barbie” hit cinemas, mind you – but hey, Lego has plenty of its own build-your-own Dreamhouses out on the shelves. The bigger picture: Do what you love. Lego’s building two new factories, presumably made of bright, visible brickwork, and expanding four of its five existing ones. Sights are set on Asia – currently the firm’s smallest region for sales – for its growth plans, with China at the top of the list despite its current economic holdbacks. Lego has faith that the long-term opportunity there is unrivaled, with the country’s middle-class population expected to double within five years. That explains why the toymaker’s planning to open around 100 new stores there this year alone. You might also like: [Why wealth could be a reason to invest in China.]( Copy to share story: [/plastic-powerhouse]( 🙋 [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=Plastic Powerhouse&utm_campaign=daily-global-31-08-2023&utm_source=email) Analyst Take Bank of America Answered Your Top Investing Questions [Bank of America Answered Your Top Investing Questions]( By Paul Allison, Analyst Unpredictable markets mean investors have [a whole lot of questions](, and way too few answers. So retail investors, Wall Street wizards, and everyone in between are turning to veterans like [Bank of America]( for clues. And to avoid wax-sealing any more personalized replies, [the investment bank’s compiled and answered the five most common questions]( it’s been asked. (And because I couldn’t resist, I’ve added some tidbits in too.) That’s today’s Insight: [Bank of America answered today’s top-five investment FAQs](. [Read or listen to the Insight here]( SPONSORED BY MAGNIFI Get all your bucks in a row Chances are, you have different open trades bobbing away on various trading platforms. And while that’s a smart way to keep your options open and make the most of the industry’s perks, it does make [keeping tabs on your active trades]( a lot trickier and time-consuming. [Link all your accounts together with Magnifi](, though, and you’ll see all of your account’s wins and shortcomings laid bare, so you can assess a holistic view of your entire portfolio. Plus, with savvy artificial intelligence tools, Magnifi will show you [the opportunities you’re missing](, from cheaper fees to better returns to diversification possibilities. [Tell your portfolio’s swans from your ugly duckings with Magnifi](. [Find Out More]( Advisory services are offered through Magnifi LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. Diversification does not guarantee a profit or protect against a loss in a declining market. It is a method used to help manage investment risk. Fees and expense ratios vary by holdings. Not all investors will have investments with high fees. See Terms and Conditions at magnifi.com Free trial offer available for new Magnifi members only. When you support our sponsors, you support us. Thanks for that. Full Dream Ahead [Full Dream Ahead] What’s going on here? Data out on Wednesday showed that more new cars hit Europe’s roads, but we might need to hit the mines stat if we want an electric future. What does this mean? Your European road trip may have been slightly busier this summer, since the region rolled 17% more cars onto its tarmac this July than the year before. That would usually signal stable demand and free-flowing cash in the economy. Thing is, carmakers are still playing catch-up with pandemic-stunted supply chains, so this bump is likely just a sign that they’re working through existing order books. But one stat stands out from the rest: drivers bought 62% more electric vehicles this July than last, and because European carmakers prioritized electrified sales during the pandemic, that could be the result of pure, future-focused demand. Why should I care? Zooming out: Mine the Earth to save the planet. Demand for environmentally friendly cars is only useful if we can make enough of them. And right now, BMI – a Fitch research firm – predicts the world’s about to run low on lithium, a key battery metal. That’s no easy fix: it takes at least a decade to get a new lithium mine up and running. You don't need to be a mathematician, then, to cast a skeptical eye on forecasts of 30-million-a-year electric vehicle sales by 2030. For markets: Ready, set, grow. The race between carmakers is on, for sure, but Tesla and BYD are comfortably holding their [lead](. Research shows the pair had grips on nearly 40% of the global electric passenger car market in the first quarter of 2023, double their share from just two years ago. BYD can thank its Chinese fanbase for its success, while Tesla’s simply riding on its “OG” title. You might also like: [Forget about gold: silver’s really shining right now.]( Copy to share story: [/full-dream-ahead]( 🙋 [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=Full Dream Ahead&utm_campaign=daily-global-31-08-2023&utm_source=email) 💬 Quote of the day "A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul." – George Bernard Shaw (an Irish playwright) [Tweet this]( SPONSORED BY MAGNIFI Artificial intelligence can analyze all of your different investment accounts, stat Today’s investing platforms are smart. Like, really smart. So we can’t blame you for holding [multiple accounts on different platforms](. After all, they’ve all got their own selling points, perks, discounts, gadgets, gizmos, and the rest. Thing is, checking in on all those spots will eat into your very important “me time”. But if you [link them all with Magnifi](, you can check on all of your holdings quickly, in one centralized spot. Magnifi’s artificial intelligence tools will even point out [your hidden risks](, any funds where you’re paying excess fees, and missed opportunities that can [make your whole portfolio work together]( as a slick unit. That means you can [keep tabs on all your trades across all your platforms](, without sacrificing time out on the town (or in front of the television). [Find Out More]( Advisory services are offered through Magnifi LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. Diversification does not guarantee a profit or protect against a loss in a declining market. It is a method used to help manage investment risk. Fees and expense ratios vary by holdings. Not all investors will have investments with high fees. See Terms and Conditions at magnifi.com Free trial offer available for new Magnifi members only. When you support our sponsors, you support us. Thanks for that. 🌍 Finimize Live 🥳 Coming Up Soon... All events in UK time. 🙋‍♀️ [Ladies Investing Club](: 6.30pm, September 5th 🏠[Beginner's Guide To Building Wealth Through Real Estate](: 5pm, September 6th 📈 [Diversifying Your Portfolio With Real Estate](: 1pm, October 11th 🎉 [Modern Investor Summit 2023](: 12pm, December 5th and 6th 🎯 On Our Radar 1. Ice, ice baby. Martha Stewart knows her [beverage coolers](. 2. Friendships will cost you. Here's what to do when [socializing gets too expensive](. 3. Time to hate your phone. [Apple's next product showcase]( is coming soon. 4. Climate change strikes again. This time, your [favorite winter drink's at stake](. 5. Nothing's scarier than the bottom of the ocean. Unless [aliens]( are down there, too. ❤️ Share with a friend Thanks for reading {NAME}. If you liked today's brief, we'd love for you to share it with a friend. You stay classy, {NAME} 😉 We’d love to hear your thoughts. 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