Alphabet’s first quarter result demonstrated a slowdown in websites revenue (advertising revenue from Google websites). The quarterly number only came in 1% below consensus estimates (excluding the impact of any FX), with many commentators pointing out that this was the first time their websites growth has been below 20% in... Show More
In December I published an article concluding that Google’s Waymo autonomous car division was well ahead of the competition. I stand by that assessment, and its hardly controversial. But I underestimated how much Tesla’s promotion of its own efforts were confusing customers and potentially investors about their place in the... Show More
Apple made history on 2 August 2018, becoming the first company ever to reach one trillion US dollars in market value. Five weeks later Amazon followed, crossing the trillion dollar threshold intra-day momentarily. Show More
Autonomous transport still seems like science fiction: we know it is bound to come eventually, yet it is difficult to imagine in our daily lives. But self-driving cars are becoming a reality rapidly and this month Alphabet (Google) took us a step closer to that future. Waymo, Alphabet's autonomous car... Show More
As volatility has picked up in recent months, many investors who thought they were protected in a down-market have quickly discovered otherwise. Asset consultants have discussed the value of finding genuinely uncorrelated returns, while also acknowledging the difficulty of finding them. One Livewire contributor who’s managed to put in solid performance... Show More
Buybacks can support stock prices by reducing share counts and boosting earnings per share, although that is no guarantee of producing a rising share price. Fundamentals such as revenues, underlying earnings trends, competitive prospects and interest rates still count for more. Show More
As we’ve reached the end of the first quarter calls in the US, we can take a snapshot of the tech sector and see what it may tell us about the future. Earnings reported by technology companies across a range of subsectors have been good. In the internet space, both... Show More
The FAANG stocks (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Google/Alphabet) led the market up and participated in the recent correction. Their latest profit reports are an important guide to the sustainability of the tech sector's rise. Here we argue that on a Price Earnings Growth basis, they still look sharp. Show More
Strava is an app that styles itself as “the social network for those that strive”. Runners, cyclists and others use the app to track, share and compare their exertions and even determine a ‘Suffer Score’. Show More
Small and medium-sized fintechs could struggle to compete with Australia’s large banks. However, the global tech giants could cause major problems for the banks - if they targeted wide spread general commercial banking. Show More
