Mentioned in this article

For the month of November, The Esports Observer logged 11 esports industry investments. Several teams raised additionals funds and esports organization Misfits Gaming Group launched a $10M USD esports and gaming incubator and seed fund. Furthermore, Artist Capital established a $100M esports fund and RedBird Capital put $125M towards licensing NFL and MLB players commercial rights.

Following two months that saw more than $200M in disclosed investments, The Esports Observer tracked $343M in disclosed investments in the esports industry.

This marks the second-highest amount in 2019 after Julys $556.63M in disclosed investments. Financial terms were not disclosed for all deals highlighted in this article.

To help athletes maximize the value of their name, image, and likeness rights, the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) partnered with venture capital firm RedBird Capital Partners and launched OneTeam Partners.

RedBird Capital invested $125M into OneTeam Partners and holds a roughly 40% stake. The players associations own the remaining ~60% stake.

Gaming and esports assets are part of the licensing deals. The two players associations earn roughly $120M in combined annual revenue from licensing deals with companies including Madden NFL publisher Electronic Arts and MLB The Show publisher Sony.

Investment management firm Artist Capital Management LLC announced it had raised $100M to establish its first fund, the Artist Esports Edge Fund. With the Esports Edge Fund, the firm seeks to provide institutional investors with exposure to esports companies.

The Artist Esports Edge Funds current investment portfolio includes 100 Thieves, a Los Angeles-based lifestyle brand and esports organization; Washington Esports Ventures, owner of the Washington Justice franchise in the Overwatch League; as well as undisclosed chatting and viewing apps in the ecosystem.

In addition to the funds going towards the Esports Edge Fund, the firm also raised $35M of incremental capital from its undisclosed limited partners in separate co-investment vehicles. Those funds were all deployed in 2019 to further support Esports Edge Fund portfolio companies.

Game developer Super Evil Megacorp closed a $10.5M financing round led by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz to develop its next game, Project Spellfire, a cross-platform title that has yet to be detailed. Furthermore, the developer has passed development duties of Vainglory on to a partner studio.

The streaming technologies developer Genvid Technologies raised a $27M Series B financing round led by New York-based Galaxy Interactive. Additionally, all of Genvids existing investors (March Capital Partners, OCA Ventures, Makers Fund, and Horizon Ventures) and new investors (Valor Equity Partners and K5 Global) participated in the investment round. Proceeds of the investment will be used to accelerate the companys development of interactive streaming tools and services.

The video conference gaming developer Bunch closed a $3.85M second Seed financing round from investors, including Supercell, Tencent, Riot Games, Miniclip, and Colopl Next. This funding brings Bunchs total investment sum raised to $8.5M.

Misfits Gaming, Florida Mayhem, and Florida Mutineers parent Misfits Gaming Group launched the $10M esports and gaming incubator and seed fund MSF.IO. According to the fund, it is looking to provide a pathway for innovators to nurture and grow ideas that will help evolve the esports and gaming industry.

French esports organization Team Vitality raised a $15.5M second funding round from Indian technology entrepreneur Tej Kohlis Rewired.GG gaming fund. Moreover, the organization opened its new esports complex in Paris called V.Hive, which includes office space for the company, a public gaming center, co-working space, shop, and cafe.

Following an initial $3M Series A investment, EVOS Esports added to its now $4.4M Series A investment as it looks to seize the market of gaming influencer management in South-east Asia. The initial $3M funding was backed by Insignia Ventures Partners, while the most recent $1.4M came from a group of angel investors from Indonesian conglomerates, as well as from the top-level management of a leading e-commerce player in China.

The Overwatch League franchise Houston Outlaws was acquired by the Beasley Media Group from the Immortals Gaming Club. The Outlaws will remain in Houston and represent the Houston, Austin, and San Antonio areas. Beasleys acquisition of the Outlaws marks its third venture into the esports space with investments in Renegades, a multi-team esports organization; and CheckpointXP, a weekly syndicated lifestyle show which was the first collegiate-based esports show in the U.S.

Rogue parent company ReKTGlobal added to its list of celebrity investors. Landon Collins, a safety for the Washington Redskins and five-season NFL veteran, invested into the organization. According to a release, Collins and ReKTGlobal plan strategic integrations and partnerships during the NFL offseason, and he will also help with the companys continued expansion.

Performance sponsorship data platform FanAI secured an $8M Series A financing round led by Japanese business conglomerate, Marubeni Corporation, to support FanAIs continued expansion and growth. Further investors participating in the funding round include Allectus Capital, CRCM Ventures, Courtside Ventures, GC Tracker Fund, M Ventures, Sterling.VC, and GFR Fund. The funding brings the companys total raised capital to over $12.5M.

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Esports Funds, Licensing, and Growth Capital: $343M Invested in Esports During November 2019 - The Esports Observer

President Obama got some things done when it came to rebuilding Americas aging infrastructure. But not a ton, as the infrastructure spending was allocated from the broader $800 million stimulus plan designed to lift the U.S. economy out of the Great Recession.

As for President Trump, he ran on a plan to spend $1 trillion plus to rebuild decaying bridges, roads and railroad tracks. In February of this year, there was reportedly bipartisan support for a $2 trillion infrastructure spending package. But with neither party being able to find ways to pay for the program and the president locked in an impeachment battle with the Democrats, the prospect for an infrastructure spending plan within the next year or so looks remote.

Even if former Vice President Joe Biden wins the presidency in 2020 (which currently looks like a slim chance), his recent proposal to spend $1.3 trillion to rebuild the U.S. infrastructure appears to be a medium-term pipe-dream. But at some point within the next decade, Congress and the executive branch will have to find a way to pay for the rebuilding of Americas infrastructure.

There is no other choice as lives are at risk.

According to the latest available report from the American Society of Civil Engineers (2017), U.S. infrastructure gets a grade of D+. Thats the same grade it got back in 2013.

Assessments are released every four years.

The American Society of Civil Engineers projects the U.S. needs to spend a dizzying $4.5 trillion by 2025 to improve the state of its roads, bridges, dams and airports.

For investors, making a bet today via purchasing stocks of companies that could play a key role in rebuilding U.S. infrastructure may be a wise move. A rebuilding plan of any kind is not priced into the sector so when the inevitable plan does arise because there is no other choice to fund one, industrials of all kinds could be re-rated higher by the market.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo drives a 1955 Chevrolet Corvette with World War II veteran Armando "Chick" Gallela, during a dedication ceremony for the new Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge that is to replace the current Tappan Zee Bridge over the Hudson River in Tarrytown, New York, U.S., August 24, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Segar

Well-known dealmaker and investor Sir Martin E. Franklin is one getting on board the infrastructure play today.

Look, you dont have to be an economist or industrialist to just look at American infrastructure and know that it needs a lot of investment. The U.S. is badly in need of infrastructure improvement, Franklinsaid on Yahoo Finances The Final Round.Franklin, who founded consumer products conglomerate Jarden and sold it to Newell Rubbermaid in 2015 for $13.2 billion, acquired diversified industrial APi Group in September for about $2.9 billion through his investment vehicle J2 Acquisition.

APi Group does everything from serving as an oil pipeline contractor to offering fire protection and security services. Franklin believes the business is primed to benefit from a pickup in infrastructure spending. He and his team continue to actively scout for other industrial-centric businesses to add to J2 Acquisitions holdings.

So yes, I think its [infrastructure] a good long-term play for investors, Franklin added.

Brian Sozzi is an editor-at-large and co-anchor of The First Trade at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter @BrianSozzi

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance

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Here's one of the best investments for the next decade - Yahoo Finance

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Remember all the anxiety, nervousness, and terror in 2008? The stock market was crashing, but that was the least of many folks worries. Many Americans lost their houses, their jobs, and their ability to put food on the table.

Just before Christmas 2007, iconic investment bank Bear Sterns made history. It wasnt thegoodkind of history. Bear, which had survived the Great Depression, reported its first loss in 80 years.

Its stock went into free fall, plummeting from $90 to $30. The bloodbath was just beginning.

Its collapse threatened the American financial system. JPMorgan Chase (JPM) rushed to save Bear Sterns. On March 16, 2008, it bought what was left of Bear for just $2 per share.

Keep in mind, Bear traded for over $150 just a year earlier. Anyone holding its stock was wiped out. Then in September, Lehman Brothersanother legendary Wall Street bankdeclared the biggest bankruptcy in US history.

Panic gripped the market. The S&P 500 plummeted 44% in six months. Many investors remember the sickening feeling like it was yesterday.

We all lived through 2008. Dozens of books have been written about the financial crisis. Filmmakers have told the story from every angle. Hollywood produced great movies likeThe Big ShortandMargin Call.

But theres an incredible story from 2008 that few people know. Im not talking about the few clever investors who made a killing during the financial crisis. Hedge fund managers like John Paulson and Dr. Michael Burry made fortunes betting on the collapse of the housing market.

Those stories make for good entertainment, but lets be real, 99.999% of people didnt make a penny in 2008. Most individual investors were lucky not to lose half their portfolio. But you could have made a fortunebuyingone of the worlds biggest financial companies during 2008.

Visas been around since the 50s. You probably see its logo every time you open your wallet. What most people dont know isVisa went public during the darkest days of the 2008 financial crisis. Visa held its initial public offering (IPO) on March 19, 2008.

Talk about bad timing. Bear Stearns had been sold for pennies three days earlier. Lehman Brothers was sliding toward bankruptcy and would shut its doors just six months later. The stock market was racing towards its worst crash in 20 years. And the S&P 500 had already plummeted 17% in six months leading up to Visas IPO.

And lets not forget, this was the financial crisis, and Visa is a financial stock. Its no exaggeration to say Visa chose theworst possible time in the past 90 yearsto go public.

Against all odds, Visa pulled off a massively successful IPO. It raised $17.9 billion, making it the biggest IPO in US history at that point. Visas stock surged 28% on its first day of trading.

Keep in mind, the S&P 500 plunged 38% in 2008. Many financial stocks tanked 90% or more. Some went to zero! Yet Visa jumped 55% during its first two months as a publicly traded company. And has gone on to surge 1,151% since its IPO.

RiskHedge

The S&P 500 is up just 137% over the same period. So, Visas crushed the market by more than seven-fold since its IPO. If you had the stomach to buy Visa in 2008, you couldve made a killing while everyone else was losing their shirts.

Visa had no direct exposure to the 2008 credit crisis. Unlike banks and mortgage lenders, Visa didnt take extreme risks in the mid-2000s. Its business was never really threatened by the financial house of cards that crumbled in 2008.

But if youve been following my essays, you knowIPOs often take on a life of their own. Typically, when markets crash, most stocks get dragged down. Even stocks that have nothing to do with the core crisis are often hammered.

Procter & Gamble (PG)which sells toothpaste, deodorant, and shampoois the furthest thing from a financial stock. Yet it plunged 40% during the crisis. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)another consumer staples stockfell 35%.

IPOs are different. Because theyre brand new stocks, they often buck the market like few other stocks can.

Grand Canyon Education (LOPE)a private, for-profit universityIPOd in November 2008, two months after Lehman went bankrupt. LOPE more than doubled within two months. Like Visa, it kept soaring. Its surged 1,227% since it IPOd.

RiskHedge

If you take one thing from this essay, it should be that therightIPOs can deliver huge returns during any kind of market. Most folks dont realize this. They think IPOs are a bull market only play.

And a lot of folks think the current bull market in stocks is on its last legs. I get it. The S&P 500 hit new all-time highs last week. And record high stock pricesfeeldangerous.

A centurys worth of data proves that record highs are nothing to fear. Still, many investors just dont feel good about buying stocks at all-time highs. It feels financially irresponsible.

My suggestion: aim to own a handful of high-quality IPOs. This can set you up to profit no matter how the market performs.

Get our report"The Great Disruptors:3 Breakthrough Stocks Set to Double Your Money".These stocks will hand you 100% gains as they disrupt whole industries.Get your free copy here.

Link:
Worried About Record Stock Prices? Invest In IPOs - Forbes

Denmarks PFA has announced three new real estate investments totalling DKK3.4bn (455m) in French assets, marking its first foray into directly-held assets in the large European economy.

The DKK576bn pension provider is buying an office and residential property in Paris - for DKK1.9bn including a budget for capital expenditure - and is investing DKK750m each in two discretionary mandates - one for serviced senior housing and the other for logistics properties.

Michael Bruhn, PFAs director of real estate, said: Part of our investment strategy is to increase our real estate investment outside Denmark. And as part of that strategy, it has been natural to look for investment in France, which is among Europes largest and leading economies.

The historic Paris property is located in the classically-built Square dOrleans and has a total of around 13,700sqm of space, including some 5,500sqm of residential space and about 8,200sqm of office accommodation.

The asset is being renovated and remodelled over a long period, to be transformed into a modern and inspiring co-working and co-living property, PFA said.

Bruhn told IPE the pension fund had agreed not to disclose the name of the vendor.

All three investments fit PFAs property portfolio perfectly, he said, which had now grown to about DKK35bn.

The serviced senior housing mandate has been awarded to La Franaise, and comprises a portfolio of around 1,300 homes.

All properties - which target the independent seniors group - are rented out to a professional operator who provides a range of services, PFA said.

The logistics mandate, meanwhile, is being managed by BMO and involves ongoing investments in logistics properties which are either already built and to be developed or are delivered in a completed state.

Geographically, the focus for the logistics properties is near city centres, ports and airports in well-established French logistics districts, and in cities such as Bordeaux, Lyon, Lille and Paris.

The investments in France are all focused on megatrends, Bruhn said.

The background to the senior housing mandate is that the number of older people over 75 was increasing sharply in France, PFA said, adding that the number of independent seniors, in particular, was growing significantly.

On the rationale for investing in logistics in the country, PFA said this sector was expected to experience continued growth locally with increased demand supported by increasing e-commerce.

In addition, the French logistics market is characterised by a limited supply of modern and efficient logistics properties in particular, it said.

In October, PFAs chief executive Allan Polack said the pension fund was looking more towards foreign countries in the next few years for new real estate investments, including both Europe, Asia and the USA.

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PFA takes first dive into direct RE investments in France with 455m of deals - IPE Real Assets

You may need to start looking for a new financial advisor if your current one has put any of these high-fee, low-return "Mutual Fund Misfires of the Market" into your portfolio.

High fees plus poor performance: It's a pretty simple formula for a bad mutual fund. Some are worse than others - and some are so bad that they have earned a "Strong Sell" on the Zacks Rank, the lowest ranking of the nearly 19,000 mutual funds we rank daily.

First, let's break down some of the funds currently part of our "Mutual Fund Misfires of the Market." If you happen to have put your money into any of these misfires, we'll help assess some of our best Zacks Ranked mutual funds.

3 Mutual Fund Misfires

Now, let's take a look at three market misfires.

Franklin Real Return R6 (FRRRX): This fund has an expense ratio of 0.48% and a management fee of 0.63%. Without even doing any in-depth analysis, just the fact that you are paying more in fees than you're earning in returns is reason enough not to invest. FRRRX is a Government - Bonds option, and holds securities issued by the U.S. federal government in their portfolios; these funds focus across the curve, meaning the yields and interest rate sensitivity will vary. The fund has lagged performance-wise, so perhaps a simpler index future investing strategy might be more effective.

Wells Fargo Absolute Return A (WARAX): 1.53% expense ratio, 0.72%. WARAX is classified as an Allocation Balanced fund, which seeks to invest in a balance of asset types, like stocks, bonds, and cash, and including precious metals or commodities is not unusual. This fund has yearly returns of 0.07% over the most recent five years. Another fund liable of having investors pay more in charges than what they receive in return.

Alger International Growth C (ALGCX) - 2.21% expense ratio, 0.71% management fee. This fund has yielded yearly returns of -0.32% in the course of the last five years. Too bad!

3 Top Ranked Mutual Funds

Since you've seen the most noticeably lowest Zacks Ranked mutual funds, how about we take a look at some of the top ranked mutual funds with the least fees.

T. Rowe Price Science & Technology Adviser (PASTX): 1.06% expense ratio and 0.64% management fee. PASTX is a Sector - Tech mutual fund, allowing investors to own a stake in a notoriously volatile sector with a much more diversified approach. With an annual return of 15.53% over the last five years, this fund is a winner.

MFS Research R5 (MFRKX) is a stand out fund. MFRKX is a Large Cap Growth option; these mutual funds purchase stakes in numerous large U.S. companies that are expected to develop and grow at a faster rate than other large-cap stocks. With five-year annualized performance of 11.1% and expense ratio of 0.48%, this diversified fund is an attractive buy with a strong history of performance.

Janus Henderson Enterprise S (JGRTX) has an expense ratio of 1.16% and management fee of 0.64%. JGRTX is a Mid Cap Growth mutual fund. These mutual funds choose companies with a stock market valuation between $2 billion and $10 billion. With yearly returns of 14.41% over the last five years, this fund is well-diversified with a long reputation of salutary performance.

Bottom Line

Along these lines, there you have it - if your financial guide has you put your money into any of our "Mutual Fund Misfires of the Market," there is a strong likelihood that they are either dormant at the worst possible time, inept, or (in all probability) filling their pockets with high fee commissions at the cost of your financial objectives.

Do You Know the Top 9 Retirement Investing Mistakes?

Whether you're planning to retire early or not, don't let investing mistakes derail your plans.

If you have $500,000 or more to invest and want to learn more, click the link to download our free report, 9 Retirement Mistakes that will Ruin Your Retirement.

This report will help you steer clear of the most common mistakes, like trying to time the market, lack of diversification in your portfolio, and many more. Get Your FREE Guide Now Get Your Free (JGRTX): Fund Analysis Report Get Your Free (ALGCX): Fund Analysis Report Get Your Free (WARAX): Fund Analysis Report Get Your Free (FRRRX): Fund Analysis Report Get Your Free (MFRKX): Fund Analysis Report Get Your Free (PASTX): Fund Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research

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Are You Invested In These 3 Mutual Fund Misfires? - December 02, 2019 - Yahoo Finance

Over the past few years global trade has had a hard time. Sanctions and the continued threat of trade conflicts are having their toll. Even manufacturing wonderland Germany is feeling the pain despite the fact that together with America it currently accounts for around 30% of global GDP and nearly 20% of world trade.

But German growth is slowing, and only last month there were real fears of a recession. Now a new report by KPMG, supported by the Kantar Emnid research institute, brings the situation into focus.

A big imbalance

Long partnerships have their ups and downs. On top of that the relationship between Germany and the US is a marriage of unequals. In 2018, American GDP exceeded $21 trillion (19 trillion), while Germany came in at only $3.8 trillion. The same year Germany exported goods worth $125 billion to the US while only buying $57 billion.

This is the big trade imbalance that Donald Trump keeps trumpeting. It also gives America the upper hand in negotiations, and the threat of tariffs makes German manufacturers quiver. On top of that foreign direct investment in Germany declined by two-thirds in 2018 compared to the previous year.

The report pointed out that only 24% of thecompanies asked intend to invest 10 million or more in the next three years in Germany. This is a drop from 47% in 2017. Even more dramatically, now 13% say "they did not want to invest in Germany" compared to just 6% two years ago. What accounts for this change?

Not all gloom and doom

Overall US direct investment in Germany has been in decline since 2014 as companies have pulled back investments and focused "more on core business as opposed to expanding existing businesses or making acquisitions," Warren Marine, leader of US practices and capital markets at KPMG, told DW.

Surely theuncertainty of Brexit plays a role. So does the general slowing down of the global economy. But the report points to some very specific German problems like its bureaucracy, high personnel costs and lack of investment in infrastructure.

The study also found that a mere 17% of those asked "feel optimally supported when it comes to backing business establishments and expansions," which means that over 80% do not feel like their businesses are being helped along. Additionally, 21% think the country is "among the least favorable countries in terms of taxes and levies."

The report highlights still another area where Germany is behind: digitization. The country is still very much a builder of things and not a builder of the internet of things (IoT). Germany is well behind in the number of artificial intelligence companies and even in simply bringing fast internet to all corners of the country.

Not an easy fix

Frank Sportolari, the president of the US Chamber of Commerce in Germany, agrees that more needs to be done. "The signals have been out there for a few years. American companies have been talking about the problems with digital infrastructure, energy costs, bureaucracy, and interestingly one of the positives they always mentioned was political stability and now we can't even really talk about that anymore."

Yet perhaps Americans' shyness to invest is part of a general trend of looking inward. Nonetheless, many companies see Germany as a strategic location for working in the German-speaking world. And German subsidiaries provide a big part of group revenue for many international firms, a number expected to grow in the next years.A stronger world economy will only add to this.

Putting aside trade differences will put Germany back in focus for investment by foreign companies. Fixing its tax system, supporting foreign businesses, training more skilled workers and building up its portfolio of innovative technologies will keep it on the path of sustained growth and global importance.

"There is certainly work that needs to be done and there is too much at stake to not take these kind of surveys seriously," concluded Sportolari.

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US businesses less willing to invest in Germany - DW (English)

Despite facing federal investigations regarding its accounting practices, stock in Under Armour, a fan-favorite athletic apparel company, has still performed well over the last decade.

The company launched in 1996 solely making sweat-wicking athletic shirts. But it has since expanded into nearly every area of athletic apparel and footwear, including running shoes and womenswear. It has also signed deals with top athletes, including basketball star Stephen Curry and golfer Jordan Spieth. Compared with its peers, Under Armour is still known to be more focused on performance than fashion. In some ways that has hurt the brand, as Lululemon's sales have skyrocketed while Under Armour has been struggling of late.

Although the company's sales have slowed recently, those who invested in Under Armour 10 years ago would have earned a healthy return. A $1,000 investment in 2009 would be worth more than $4,700 as of Nov. 22, 2019, for a total return of around 370%, according to CNBC calculations. By comparison, in the same time frame, the S&P 500 had a total return of around 250%. Under Armour's current share price is hovering around $16.

CNBC: Under Armour's stock as of November.

While Under Armour shares have done well over the years, it's stock has fallen 21% in the last six months. And so, it's important to note that any individual stock can over- or underperform, and past returns do not predict future results.

On Nov. 15, Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank, who is scheduled to step down from his role as of Jan. 1, responded to reporting by The Wall Street Journal that said the athletic apparel retailer borrowed business from future quarters to cover up slowing demand at the end of 2016. Plank said Under Armour's integrity "is unshaken" despite ongoing investigations by the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission over the Baltimore-based company's accounting practices.

"Given recent events that have entered the realm of public opinion without full context, it is disappointing to have our integrity and reputation called into question," Plank said in a memo sent to employees, which was obtained by CNBC.

Reporting by Journal describes practices employed by Under Armour as it "scrambled" to meet aggressive sales goals. The company allegedly moved around inventory and shifted sales from quarter to quarter to improve financial metrics in the final days of a given quarter. These tactics, and others, were allegedly used to prolong a 26-quarter streak of 20% sales growth through late 2016.

Stephen Curry Under Armour basketball shoe is displayed in San Rafael, California.

Getty Images

As a result of the SEC's probe into Under Armour, Goldman Sach's removed the company from its conviction buy list, which is a listing of stocks the investment bank's research team expects to outperform.

Despite the controversy, the company's third-quarter earnings and sales announced in early November still topped analyst expectations.

When it comes to shoe sales, Under Armour's focus on performance hasn't been paying off. While other athletic apparel companies, such as Nike and Adidas, have partnered with celebrities like Kanye West and Beyonce, to release high-profile collaborations, Under Armour has maintained its focus on innovation and, as a result, revenue fell 12% in the third quarter, CNBC reports.

Not all of Under Armour's recent headlines have been negative, however. At the end of October, the National Lacrosse League re-signed its sponsorship deal with Team 22, the manufacturer of Under Armour lacrosse gear. As part of the three-year contract, Under Armour will provide gear and equipment for the players.

Additionally, Under Armour is taking its advanced apparel line into space. In mid-October, it was announced that the company would make spacesuits to be worn by Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic astronauts during upcoming flights. The collection, which is said to be the first line of spacesuits "created specifically for private astronauts," will include a spacesuit, a training suit, footwear and a limited-edition jacket.

When it comes to Under Armour's overall stock performance, the athletic apparel company's shares haven't always been on the rise. In 2017, its stock fell more than 50% as demand for products slowed. And while its shares have been making a steady recovery ever since, Under Armour could be up against a rough end to 2019 amid the investigations.

If you are considering getting into investing, experts, including Warren Buffett, often advise starting with index funds, which hold all of the companies in an index, such as the S&P 500. Because index funds fluctuate with the market and aren't tied to the performance of a single business, they're less risky than individual stocks, making them a safer choice for beginners.

Here's a snapshot of how the markets look now.

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If you invested $1,000 in Under Armour 10 years ago, here's how much money you'd have now - CNBC

The corporate travel segment has had huge investment rounds poured into it in the past year, with startups in the space claiming it needs fixing.

Longer term observers of the sectors are a little more sceptical of the so called "disruptors" and often question whether they offer anything different.

As founder and senior director of investment firmCertares and executive chairman of American Express Global Business Travel, Greg OHara is well-placed to comment.

During an executive interview at the Phocuswright Conference in Florida last month, OHara discusses how the Amex GBT joint venture between American Express and Certares came about in 2013.

He also talks about current developments in airline distribution such as IATAs New Distribution Capability and on the high valuations of startups in corporate travel (TripActionset al).

OHara contrasts some of those large funding rounds to the sums Amex GBT invests in technology as well as the companys potential to make further acquisitions and grow further.

Continued here:
VIDEO: American Express GBT on NDC, TripActions and tech investments - PhocusWire

In 2017, Snap (NYSE:SNAP) was one of the hottest IPOs of the year and was the largest to hit the markets since Alibaba went public back in 2014. The camera-based app has proven to be a hit with young users, and that's made Snap a popular platform for advertisers seeking to reach younger audiences. However, with the company facing some major problems, its stock has sent investors on a bit of a roller-coaster ride.

Although the stock was initially priced at $17 a share, it actually began trading at $24. It was a great early profit for investors who were able to buy at the lower price, but for the vast majority of us, $24 would've been the price available at the open. A $10,000 investment would have been enough to buy 416 shares of Snap. As of Friday's close, shares of Snap were trading at just $15.26, more than 36% below its opening price. If you had invested $10,000 in Snap on Day One, your shares would be worth just $6,348 today.

While it's a sobering realization for people who might have expected Snap to be the next big thing in tech, investors could have lost a whole lot more had they sold their shares back at the end of 2018 when the stock was trading below $6.

Image Source: Getty Images.

Snap's shares have struggled over the years for a couple reasons. The first has to do with the company's growth. While there's no question that Snap is a popular app, there have been questions regarding whether the company misled investors about its growth potential and the danger that Facebook poses to its business.

Questions surrounding Snap's user base were growing in 2018, when the app started to see its daily active users (DAUs) not only stall but even decline. Without a growing user base, it would be hard to convince investors that the stock was investable, especially since the other big problem for the company was its poor financials.

Although Snap's sales have risen significantly over the years, from $59 million in 2015 to $1.5 billion over the past 12 months, the problem is that the company is actually farther away from breakeven today. In 2017, its losses reached a peak at more than $3.4 billion, and while that came down to $1.3 billion in 2018, it's still been a massive problem for Snap. The company has been burning through lots of cash along the way, with free cash flow being more than negative $800 million in both 2018 and 2017.

The good news for early investors is that Snap has recovered in 2019 in a big way. The stock has risen more than 160% year to date, and in its most recent quarter, it posted a loss of $227 million. That was a sizable improvement from the loss it incurred a year ago, which totaled $325 million. And thanks to a redesign of its app, Snap has been able to see growth in its DAUs in recent quarters as well:

Image Source: Snap.

The big test for Snap is whether the company can continue to build on these results. It's going to need more good performances in order to be able to convince investors that it's an improved company. Getting back to its IPO price could prove to be challenging, because the stock is still an expensive buy today, trading at 9 times its book value and around 14 times its sales.

Investors who bought the stock at the IPO and managed to resist selling it during the lows of 2018 might as well continue holding on to see if Snap can prove that its recent results are just the beginning of a much bigger recovery. After all, the company's ability to hold its own against Facebook's efforts to copy its features should provide some confidence to investors.

The tech stock is still a risky one to hang on to today, but it's nowhere near as concerning as it was a year ago.

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If You Invested $10,000 in Snapchats IPO, This Is How Much Money You'd Have Now - The Motley Fool

As 2019 winds down, its time to get serious about what 2020 holds. In this episode of Moneyline, Matt McCall has investors covered. He has broken down six major trends that hes confident will generate not only money, but financial freedom, for those who take the plunge.

Unsurprisingly, marijuana stocks make the list. This has been a rough year for what once were darling names. Canadian cannabis companies have tanked over supply issues and black-market competition. And in the United States, legalization is slow moving.

But McCall knows it isnt time to throw in the towel just yet. Over the next few years, these companies especially U.S. ones will thrive. Investors who stay in now will reap large profits ahead.

Not all that glitters is green, though. Several of the other investing trends for 2020 that McCall identified come from disruptive tech. In the world of healthcare, he sees big changes coming through medtech, or medical technology. This category includes everything from medical robots to individualized drugs. These up-and-coming biotech companies will eradicate diseases and develop treatments curated specifically for each patient.

Plus, these health trends connect to two more on his list. Youve probably heard of big data or at least heard of data centers that dominate suburban towns but how exactly should you be investing in it? Well, the biggest database is yet to come. Once scientists can crack the code to genome sequencing, companies that sort and store DNA data will be like Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) andAlphabet(NASDAQ:GOOG, NASDAQ:GOOGL). McCall is still looking for the perfect investment opportunity, but he knows one is right around the corner.

If youre not quite ready to believe (or invest in) the possibilities of gene editing, then what about wearables? Thanks to the Internet of Things trend, companies that produce and monitor medical wearables will be riding a cash wave into 2020. Just like Apples(NASDAQ:AAPL) smart watch offerings, the future will hold devices that monitor your health and alert doctors when necessary. These trends are disrupting the healthcare world as we know it. These devices will make day-to-day monitoring a simple process and radical new treatments will change lives. You dont want to miss out on what the future holds.

Tune in to Moneyline with Matt McCall for more groundbreaking trends and a little insight on why exactly you should be investing.

Matthew McCall left Wall Street to actually help investors by getting them into the worlds biggest, most revolutionary trends BEFORE anyone else. The power of being first gave Matts readers the chance to bank +2,438% in Stamps.com (STMP), +1,523% in Ulta Beauty (ULTA) and +1,044% in Tesla (TSLA), just to name a few. Click here to see what Matt has up his sleeve now. Matt does not directly own the aforementioned securities.

Originally posted here:
6 Giant Investing Trends for 2020 That You Dont Want to Miss - Investorplace.com