Meet the Fool: Ron Gross

Driverless vehicles are already here, even if they’ve made some wrong terms. Motley Fool Contributor Travis Hoium joined Ricky Mulvey to check in on some companies leading the way on autonomous vehicles. They discuss: - The progress that autonomous vehicles have made over the past few years. - Where automakers including Tesla and General Motors stand in the race. - How autonomous vehicles could deploy on a large scale. Two notes. One is that Tesla’s market cap is $800 million. Also, Travis meant to include Uber in his autonomous driving stock basket. Companies discussed: TSLA, GM, INTC, MBLY, UBER, BIDU, GOOG, GOOGL Host: Ricky Mulvey Guest: Travis Hoium Producer: Mary Long Engineer: Tim Sparks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artificial Intelligence continues to drive valuations and headlines – we check in on the latest corporate intrigue at OpenAI, how generative AI is driving results for Accenture, and how Braze is bringing it to customers.  (01:02) Emily Flippen and Bill Mann discuss: - Hurricane Helene hitting the southeast U.S. and the state of insurance, reinsurance, and black swan events.  - Meta’s new Orion augmented reality prototype, and the latest drama at OpenAI.  - Why Vail is expecting fewer skiers this winter, gold is boosting Costco, and Accenture is enjoying the generative AI boom. (19:04) Braze CEO Bill Magnuson took a break from the company’s Forge 2024 event to give analyst Tim Beyers a rundown on the company's latest innovations, how it's helping marketers harness AI, and the different ways these new offerings play into the company's growth story.  (33:27) Bill and Emily break down two stocks on their radar: Carnival Cruise Lines and Visa. Stocks discussed: LMND, META, VAIL, COST, ACN, CCL, V.  Host: Dylan Lewis Guests: Bill Mann, Emily Flippen, TIm Beyers, Bill Magnuson Engineers: Tim Sparks, Rick Engdahl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meta’s Reality Labs division burns about a billion dollars per month. One result is Orion, augmented-reality glasses that let users see the outside world. No battery pack needed. (19:30) Jason Moser and Ricky Mulvey discuss:- Updates from Meta Connect 2024. - Use cases for AR glasses - New details about Southwest Airlines' overhaul. Then, (17:01) Brookfield Corporation CFO, Nick Goodman, joins Motley Fool Senior Analyst Buck Hartzell to discuss how he thinks about capital allocation. Host: Ricky Mulvey Guests: Jason Moser, Buck Hartzell, Producer: Mary Long Engineers: Rick Engdahl, Kyle Carruthers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The fashion company has a lot to offer its customers, but StitchFix is struggling to keep those customers around. (00:21) David Meier and Mary Long discuss: The disconnect between the stock market and consumer confidence. Stitch Fix’s fall. Why great consumer products don’t always make for great investments. Then, at (14:03), Ricky Mulvey and Fool contributor Lou Whiteman take a look at Palantir, a tech company with a lot of promise and a lot of expectations. Tickers mentioned: SFIX, RTR, PLTR, BAH Host: Mary Long Guests: David Meier, Lou Whiteman, Ricky Mulvey Engineers: Rick Engdahl, Tim Sparks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Usually, you don’t want to run toward a company that cut its dividend. (00:28) Jim Gillies and Ricky Mulvey discuss: Nike’s strategic pivot, and what it means for its retail partners. Why turnaround stories are difficult to implement. Foot Locker’s impressive leadership. Then, (15:08) Alison Southwick and Robert Brokamp discuss The Great Wealth Transfer, and how to factor a potential inheritance in a financial plan. Learn more about the Range Rover Sport at www.landroverusa.com Companies discussed: NKE, FLHost: Ricky Mulvey Guests: Jim Gillies, Alison Southwick, Robert Brokamp Producer: Mary Long Engineer: Rick Engdahl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

McCormick’s been a laggard over the past few years, does it have some growth levers to get back on track?   (00:11) Jason Moser and Dylan Lewis discuss: - Why interest is picking up for Intel, and what Qualcomm and Apollo Global see in the chipmaker.  - A listener question: What to expect from spicemaker McCormick this quarter.  - How the rate environment might play into results we see from companies this upcoming earnings season.  (15:54) Mary Long and Motley Fool Analyst Anthony Schiavone continue their conversation from last week about housing stocks and the build-to-rent industry. Companies discussed: INTC, QCOM, MKC, INVH, AMH Host: Dylan Lewis Guests: Jason Moser, Mary Long, Anthony Schiavone Engineers: Tim Sparks, Dan Boyd  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The “Airbnbust” has not arrived, but Airbnb is no longer at peak expectations.  Mary Long hosted Motley Fool Analyst Alicia Alfiere and BiggerPockets CEO Scott Trench at The Denver Press Club for a conversation about Airbnb as a stock and as a real estate investment. They discuss: - Airbnb’s capital allocation strategy. - The hosting platform’s competition. - How real estate investors can get started with Airbnb. - The scaling challenges of managing short-term rentals. Company discussed: ABNB Host: Mary Long Guests: Alicia Alfiere, Scott Trench Producer: Ricky Mulvey Engineer: Tim Sparks Special thanks to Alex Pailet from BiggerPockets and Alby Segall, Jean-Luc Currie, Jim Bofencamp, and Katlyn Howery from the Denver Press Club for making the event happen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Reddit” was one of the top ten most searched words on Google over the past twelve months in the United States, searched more often than “map” or “calculator”. The social networking site is a central hub for the internet. Dylan Lewis caught up with Reddit CEO Steve Huffman for a conversation about: - What’s driving Reddit’s 50% year-over-year user growth. - How the social network targets ads. - What Reddit is doing with large language models. Companies discussed: RDDT, GOOG, GOOGL Host: Dylan Lewis Guest: Steve Huffman Engineers: Rick Engdahl, Tim Sparks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Low rates are great for stocks, as long as we’re looking at a soft landing. (00:21) Ron Gross and Asit Sharma discuss: - The Fed’s 50 bps rate cut, the market’s reaction, and what history has to say about cuts this dramatic. - Nike’s CEO swap, what went wrong for John Donahoe and whether Elliot Hill has what it takes to turn the company around. - A new partnership masking bad results from Olive Garden, and FedEx’s signals about shipping trends. (19:11) Reddit hit the market in 2024, but it’s been around as the front page of the internet for almost 20 years. CEO Steve Huffman joined us to talk through how the company stands out in the world of social media with its focus on community, where it has been and where it is heading. (33:26) Ron and Asit break down two stocks on their radar: D.R. Horton and Intel. Stocks discussed: NKE, DRI, FDX, RDDT, DHI, INTC, Host: Dylan Lewis Guests: Asit Sharma, Ron Gross, Steve Huffman Engineers: Tim Sparks, Dan Boyd Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Markets, you got what you wanted. (00:21) Bill Mann and Ricky Mulvey discuss: - The rate cut from the Federal Reserve, and what the central bank is responding to. - New rules from the SEC that aim to make markets more efficient. - Tupperware Brands filing for bankruptcy. Then, (16:50) Mary Long and Motley Fool analyst Anthony Schiavone check in on housing stocks in the first of a two-part series. Visit our sponsor: www.landroverusa.com Companies discussed: TUP, AAPL, DFH, NVR, DHI Host: Ricky Mulvey Guests: Bill Mann, Mary Long, Anthony Schiavone Engineers: Dan Boyd, Tim Sparks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices