Keeping an Eye on Delta Plus Variant

Plus: Know Your Stock Before Buying! You are receiving this limited-time email resource as a subscriber to Kiplinger's free e-newsletters. To unsubscribe at any time, simply click the link in the footer below. OCTOBER 29, 2021 [View in browser]( HOW TO PROTECT AND GROW YOUR BUSINESS AND INVESTMENTS NOW “Delta Plus,” a new viral variant, bears watching, but it is not worrisome so far. A variant of the Delta variant of the virus that causes COVID-19, called “AY.4.2” or Delta Plus, is gaining ground in the U.K., making up about 10% of cases there since September. Scientists are not sure why it is increasing its share of cases over regular Delta, because they think it is only slightly more transmissible. There had been fears that Delta Plus was responsible for the rise in infections that the U.K. has been experiencing since the beginning of September, but it turns out that the pickup actually occurred almost entirely among unvaccinated secondary students returning to the classroom. The U.K. was late in vaccinating students, not rolling out shots for kids ages 12 to 15 until late September. The U.K. infection rate appears to have peaked on Oct. 23, and is now on a downward trend, though it’s still high. --------------------------------------------------------------- SPONSORED CONTENT FROM MONOGRAM ORTHOPEDICS [Invest in the Future of Orthopedic Medicine With Monogram Orthopedics]( Implant complications contribute to 10-15% of joint replacement failures annually, but with innovative robotic and implant technologies, Monogram is at the forefront of improving this accuracy. Learn more & invest. [READ MORE]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Another case of mistaken stock identity? Investors occasionally pile into a stock because its name sounds like something that is suddenly in vogue. The most recent instance has buoyed the shares of a Canadian materials science firm. On Thursday afternoon, Facebook ([FB]( announced a rebranding of its corporate name, switching to the moniker “Meta Platforms, Inc.,” (or just “Meta” for short), which refers to the emerging “metaverse” that CEO Mark Zuckerberg has pronounced will be the future of his company. The metaverse – a meshing of physical and digital realities – is no joke. Bloomberg Intelligence estimates an $800 billion market potential by 2025, and Facebook’s splashy commitment to it has revved up the hype. No wonder, then, that [stocks connected to the metaverse]( enjoyed a quick lift Thursday afternoon and in early after-hours trading. But one stock’s jump has many people scratching their heads. Shares of Canada’s Meta Materials ([MMAT]( – “a smart materials and photonics company that is changing the way we use, interact, and benefit from light” – rallied in the afternoon to close up nearly 5% higher, and gained as much as 25% in the extended session. While the stock seemingly has scant connection to the metaverse, the company did put out a press release earlier Thursday saying that Erik Fest, an optical scientist for Facebook Reality Labs, and Jonathan Waldern, chief technology officer for Meta Materials, were scheduled to speak at a Nov. 1 panel discussion on augmented-reality eyewear. But investors appeared skeptical that it’s a – pardon the pun – “material” connection, since MMAT gave up most of those extended-session gains by Friday’s open. This is a good reminder to investors with itchy trigger fingers: Make sure you know what you’re buying before you click the trade button. Free download, [The Kiplinger Letter's Forecast](. No information required from you. SPONSORED CONTENT FROM VANGUARD PERSONAL ADVISOR [Want More Money to Spend in Retirement? Vanguard Advisors Can Help]( At Vanguard, we're invested in you. Which is precisely why we've created Vanguard Personal Advisor Services®, providing remote access to financial advisors, real-time goal tracking, and more confidence you'll meet your goals. There's never been a more perfect time to [get started](. [READ MORE]( RELATED LINKS [5 Momentum Stocks to Buy as Energy Prices Soar]( [Holiday Shopping in 2021 Will Be a Struggle]( [Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Financials Rides the Recovery]( [Biden's Spending Framework Limits Medicare Expansion]( [Prosper with the Latest Insights from Practicing Financial Pros in Kiplinger's Building Wealth E-Newsletter -- Free]( [Kiplinger] [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [LinkedIn]( Send this to a friend. [Click here.]( All content ©2021 The Kiplinger Washington Editors 1100 13th Street, NW, Suite 1000 Washington, D.C. 20005 Thank you for subscribing to Kiplinger's A Step Ahead, a free resource to help readers navigate the economic recovery from COVID-19. If you ever wish to stop receiving this service, please [click here to unsubscribe](.