Cover story: Initial public offerings were once a goal for so-called unicorns, companies worth more than $1B, but these startups are taking longer to go public; “The maturation of IPOs has generally been a good thing, taking the risk out of the system,” but it also reduces potential investor rewards; Leading mutual funds aren’t waiting for IPOs, and are investing in private markets.
Features: 1) Positive on IBM: The unloved company could be the next slumbering giant to fetch a higher valuation as its large investments in analytic and cloud products increasingly win over customers; 2) Positive on M, WMT, TGT: Retailers have long taken a hit from online rivals, especially AMZN, but experts believe the shopping rush that starts on Black Friday will be the first in which their online arms begin to gain ground.
Tech Trader: Cautious on CSCO: Tech giant’s fixation on its own balance sheet doesn’t bode well for its competitiveness in years to come, and chief Chuck Robbins has failed to articulate how the company can gain ground in the Internet of Things and the cloud.
Trader: Higher volatility, instead of scaring investors away from the stock market, could be bringing them in, a situation that would lead to a longer bull market; GE may be giving up on BHI, but investors shouldn’t, though without GE the company “requires a different narrative”; “While the Nafta discussions aren’t due to be settled for months, they have the potential to upend sectors of the market—and make life miserable for investors.”
Profile: Michael Grant, manager of the Calamos Phineus Long/Short fund, uses “risk regime,” or the kind of hand the market is dealing, as the starting point for investment decisions (top 10 long stocks: AAPL, GS, JPM, MS, PYPL, C, JNJ, RDN, BAC, UBS).
Interview: Ajay Kapur, Asia-Pacific and emerging markets strategist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, became bullish on Asia ex-Japan and emerging markets in February after being bearish for five years. ETF
Special Report: Exchange traded fund experts David Nadig, Barry Ritholtz, Corey Hoffstein, and Ben Fulton discuss innovation in the sector and other topics.
Follow-Up: The battle over Nelson Peltz’s bid for a PG board seat continues, and a win for the activist investor would be good for the stock.
European Trader: Cautious on Vestas Wind Systems: The U.S. market, a key one for the company, “is at risk of turning into a turkey, depending on how Washington’s tax-reform plan plays out.”
Asian Trader: Positive on LG Chem, Samsung SDI, Panasonic: The three companies, which make batteries for electric vehicles, trail rivals in the sector, but continue to merit investor attention.
Emerging Markets: Venezuela may muddle through its debt crisis with help from Russian and China, so nervous bondholders aren’t likely to band together and seek accelerated bond repayments.
Commodities: The shutdown of the world’s largest uranium mine, owned by Cameco, has rallied prices and could help revive the market.
Streetwise: Universities pay steep fees to outside managers, but have balked at allocating money to Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, the world’s most successful investor.
