Year: 2024

Electric vehicles (EVs) aim to transform transportation. However, like any groundbreaking technology, EV batteries have hurdles to overcome before EVs become widely adopted. Some common criticisms of EVs center around their long charging times and shorter driving range compared to gas-powered vehicles.

That’s where QuantumScape (NYSE: QS) comes in. The company is dedicated to engineering batteries that overcome the obstacles current lithium-ion batteries face and make EVs more appealing to consumers. Earlier this year, QuantumScape made headlines with excellent results during an endurance test of its battery. It has also secured funding to extend its runway and recently hit a significant milestone with the shipment of its B-sample cells for further testing.

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QuantumScape is making progress, but the stock is 96% below its peak price from four years ago and near an all-time low. While its low price may make it seem appealing, there are some things you should know if you’re considering scooping up the stock today.

QuantumScape aims to revolutionize battery technology and address several obstacles that have hindered the widespread adoption of EVs. Its cutting-edge solid-state lithium-metal batteries promise to make important advancements in several key areas: increased energy density, quicker charging times, and superior safety measures when compared to traditional battery systems.

The company had established a strategic partnership with Volkswagen. Earlier this year, Volkswagen’s battery division, PowerCo, tested QuantumScape’s solid-state batteries and reported stellar results, achieving 1,000 charging cycles, with the battery cells showing minimal wear signs. This indicates that an electric vehicle equipped with their technology could potentially cover over 500,000 kilometers without experiencing a noticeable decrease in range.

Last month, QuantumScape stock surged higher after it announced it was producing and shipping out low volumes of its B-sample cells. The company says this was its most important goal for 2024, and it began shipping these cells to its automotive customers for extensive testing.

This testing by automakers will take months to complete. This is part of a three-step process, involving A, B, and C prototype cells to undergo internal and customer testing before the commercial production of its product, QSE-5. Ultimately, the company looks to validate that its technology enables EVs to drive further, charge faster, and operate more safely than those in the market today.

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QuantumScape’s battery technology is coming along, but the company is pre-revenue and continues to burn cash in the meantime. Through the first nine months of this year, QuantumScape has an operating loss of $397 million, up from its operating loss of $354 million last year through the same period.

To help with cash flow, QuantumScape agreed to grant PowerCo the license to mass produce battery cells based on QuantumScape’s technology. Under the license, PowerCo can manufacture up to 40 gigawatt-hours (GWh) per year, with the option to double this production to 80 GWh. This would be enough to power roughly 1 million vehicles per year.

QuantumScape’s agreement with PowerCo extends QuantumScape’s cash runway by 18 months to 2028, thanks to a $130 million prepayment of royalties from PowerCo. It also allows the company to take a capital-light approach and reach its gigawatt-hour scale faster under its prior agreement.

However, QuantumScape continues to burn cash today, and several steps need to happen before its batteries can be manufactured at scale and commercialized. Not only that, but according to the four analysts covering the company, it won’t be until 2029 that QuantumScape generates positive net income. In the meantime, its stock price will be driven by its progress with its B-samples and further prototype development.

For these reasons, investing in the up-and-coming battery technology company is highly speculative and risky, and most investors are best off watching this one from the sidelines for now.

Ever feel like you missed the boat in buying the most successful stocks? Then you’ll want to hear this.

On rare occasions, our expert team of analysts issues a “Double Down” stock recommendation for companies that they think are about to pop. If you’re worried you’ve already missed your chance to invest, now is the best time to buy before it’s too late. And the numbers speak for themselves:

• Nvidia: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2009, you’d have $368,053!*

• Apple: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2008, you’d have $43,533!*

• Netflix: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2004, you’d have $484,170!*

Right now, we’re issuing “Double Down” alerts for three incredible companies, and there may not be another chance like this anytime soon.

See 3 “Double Down” stocks »

*Stock Advisor returns as of November 18, 2024

Courtney Carlsen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Volkswagen Ag. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Should You Buy QuantumScape While It’s Below $7.50? was originally published by The Motley Fool

The stock market indexes recently made new all-time highs. A resilient economy, interest rates that should trend down, enthusiasm for an expected corporate-friendly incoming administration, enthusiasm for artificial intelligence (AI), and high-flying tech stocks like Nvidia and Microsoft all play a role in this bull market.

Investors should exercise some caution at these levels. Remember that 2021 euphoria quickly turned to dread in 2022. There are pockets of the market that resemble 2021 now. For instance, Palantir‘s stock trades for 56 times sales and over 160 times forward earnings. It’s a terrific company, but this is a nosebleed valuation by any measure.

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However, some companies still trade for reasonable valuations with long-term positive trends. Here is one to consider.

Vacation habits are changing. Younger generations book vacation rentals at a higher rate than older generations, who stick more to traditional hotels. As shown below, the number of vacation rental users will rise 25% from 2024 to 2029.

The trend means that Airbnb (NASDAQ: ABNB) has a long-term tailwind. Airbnb is also highly successful now.

Revenue hit $3.7 billion last quarter on 10% year-over-year growth, and operating income reached $1.4 billion on fantastic 37% growth. However, what I like most about the company is the ability to produce free cash flow. Airbnb operates with a lean business model and doesn’t have significant capital expenditures (capex) needs, so much of its revenue falls into the company’s pocket. Of the $10.8 billion sales over the past 12 months, $4.1 billion was converted to free cash flow, a terrific 38% margin.

Having tremendous free cash flow allows Airbnb to fund growth, maintain a fortress balance sheet, and repurchase shares. As of the third quarter, the company reported $11.3 billion in cash and investments against just $2 billion in long-term debt. The company also repurchased $2.6 billion in shares through three quarters of 2024, amounting to more than 3% of the company’s current market cap.

Airbnb stock trades at a similar valuation to its rival Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG) based on free cash flow, as shown below.

This makes sense, as the business models and financial results are similar. It also shows the importance of free cash flow in valuing these companies. Airbnb is trading slightly below its recent average and well below recent peaks.

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In 2018, Apple famously became the first publicly traded company in the U.S. to hit a $1 trillion valuation. Since then, several more have hit that milestone, including several of Apple’s peers in the tech industry: Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Nvidia, and Meta Platforms. This group remains highly exclusive, but many more corporations will join in the coming years. One of them could be Shopify (NYSE: SHOP), an e-commerce specialist currently sporting a market cap of $135 billion.

Shopify needs a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of at least 14.3% in the next 15 years to become a trillion-dollar stock. That’s not an easy task, but let’s find out why Shopify can pull it off.

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Shopify was created to address a real pain point for businesses trying to open online storefronts, which sometimes had to deal with design challenges, lack of flexibility, and other issues. Shopify changed that. The e-commerce specialist offers practically everything merchants need all in one spot, from hundreds of customizable templates and payment processing to inventory, social media tools, marketing, and more.

Further, there is a built-in system that gives merchants many more options. Shopify’s app store is home to thousands of apps that cater to its customers’ ultra-specific needs. Since its 2015 IPO and with co-founder Tobias Lütke at the helm, Shopify has grown at a CAGR well above what it would need in the next 15 years to become a trillion-dollar stock.

There is some evidence in the academic literature that founder-led companies in the S&P 500 outperform the rest. It’s hard to argue that point when looking at the list of trillion-dollar companies. Nvidia and Meta Platforms are still headed by their co-founders. Amazon was also founder-led until relatively recently, and Microsoft and Apple did have long stints with their respective founders (or co-founders) as CEOs before they stepped down.

Shopify following the same blueprint is no guarantee of success, but it’s worth pointing out that the e-commerce specialist has made it its goal to become a 100-year company. Few can come anywhere close to that, but Shopify is off to a pretty good start.

One issue Shopify had was a lack of profitability. The company recently made some changes to its business that are helping on that front. Shopify sold its logistics business, a low-margin unit that was harming its bottom line. Since then, the company’s margins and profits have looked much better. In the third quarter, Shopify’s revenue grew by 26% year over year to $2.2 billion. Shopify’s net income was up 15% year over year to $828 million.

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New research from Vanguard suggests people changing jobs put less into their 401(k)s, often without realizing it, and can lose out on as much as $300,000 throughout their careers.

Another theme among survey respondents was they waited too long to start saving. Two separate surveys from Transamerica Institute and Charles Schwab found that, on average, boomers waited until age 35 to start saving.

Nancy Seeger, 64, who lives outside Cleveland, said she made investing mistakes that had long-term repercussions on her finances. Seeger, who has two master’s degrees, worked for many years as a teacher and health librarian. She was laid off earlier this year from her $74,000-a-year job and while she’s not ready to fully retire and is still looking for work, she worries she won’t be able to land another decent-paying job given her age.

She told BI she wished she could have saved more when her children were young and started retirement funds earlier. While she had some savings, she began consistently putting more into her investments at age 50.

She also didn’t realize that because she has a pension in addition to receiving Social Security when she retires, she would be affected by a little-known Social Security provision that would lower her monthly check. Between her pension of $713 monthly and Social Security, which she expects will be between $1,200 and $1,400 monthly, she’ll have just enough to cover her rent.

“I was fortunate to get a small inheritance from my parents and an aunt, which saved me, but it’s unlikely that I will be able to do the same for my children, and that bothers me a lot,” Seeger said. “I had hoped to travel, and I wanted to leave money for my kids, but both of those goals are compromised now.”

Seeger said she has few regrets and “let life come to me,” though she’s planning to take a part-time job when she retires to supplement her income. She’s still digging herself out from bills from undergoing cancer treatment in 2022, and because she has a few months until turning 65, she can’t get on Medicare and has to pay her health insurance out of pocket.

“I’ve had a lot of unexpected things happen, but I’ve also come to understand that the unexpected things impact everybody, and you can’t really plan for them,” Seeger said.

While $1 million for retirement may be sufficient for some Americans, it could be too little for others.

Bank of America’s Financial Wellness Tracker suggests that Americans ages 61 to 64 should have about 8.5 times their current salary in savings. Someone with $1 million in savings at 65 can safely withdraw $40,000 in their first year of retirement, Bank of America said.

For some, saving just 1% more could have significant financial rewards down the line. If someone making $50,000 annually contributes 5% of their salary to retirement, they would save nearly $60,000 less after 30 years than if they’d contributed 6%.

Nevenka Vrdoljak, the managing director in the chief investment office for Merrill and Bank of America Private Bank, told BI that calculating how much you need for retirement requires difficult estimations of life expectancy, spending in retirement, and retirement resources.

“Changes in government benefits can affect expected income,” Vrdoljak said. “Fluctuations in investment returns make it difficult to estimate how much savings you will have in the future.”

With cancer rates rising and diagnoses coming earlier in life, another difficult calculation is how to prepare for time off work and quickly mounting medical bills.

“The need for long-term care can cause more than financial strain in retirement. It can place a burden on loved ones,” Vrdoljak said. “Investors with substantial assets may prefer to self-insure against this risk. But for many other investors nearing retirement, long-term-care insurance can help mitigate the risk and cost of care.”

PJ White, 69, never had aspirations for a high-income career — but she never expected to be homeless.

Throughout her career, she worked for a lab supply company, retail companies, and as a secretary at law firms. She married at 21 and bought a house, but she divorced a year later, which set her back financially.

While she said she often lived hand to mouth, she wished she had been more cautious about spending on leisure and clothes — what she called “play money” — and set aside time to learn about investing. She said it was rare she had savings left over each month, and her peak income was about $41,000. She left work in 2008 to care for her partner’s mother.

“The money would come in and out it would go,” White said, adding she rarely put money into her 401(k). “I didn’t think about the retirement aspect because it was so far down the road, but here I am now wishing that I had.”

She recently lost her home because she and her partner couldn’t afford to pay property taxes. They now live in a camping tent in San Diego. She lives on about $1,500 in Social Security each month as they fight to get their house back, but she said much of her money goes to court fees. She’s received some assistance with groceries through her new health insurance company, but she hasn’t secured an affordable housing unit yet.

“He doesn’t make any money at all, so it’s all on me, and I’m feeling it,” White said of her partner. “I’m showing symptoms of stress, and I don’t have anywhere to go, no one to turn to.”

Are you an older American with any life regrets that you would be comfortable sharing with a reporter? Please fill out this quick form or email nsheidlower@businessinsider.com.

Read the original article on Business Insider

• Trump viewed the stock market as a report card in his first term and watched its performance closely.

• A negative reaction by the market to his policies could prompt a re-think by the administration.

• One market strategist says new tariffs could spur a negative stock-market reaction.

With President-elect Donald Trump set to begin his second term in January, the stock market could be an important check on the decisions he ultimately makes.

Trump’s ability to enact new policies has been greatly enhanced with Republicans in full control of Congress, and he’s already been exerting pressure on lawmakers to fall in line with his agenda. Those members of Congress appear keen to play ball.

The market, therefore, might be an important counterbalance to Trump’s control of Washington. If his past tenure as president is any indication, he will be alert and sensitive to negative market reactions to his policies.

During Trump’s first term, he showed that he viewed the stock market as a real-time indicator of how he was doing, taking credit when it was up and diverting blame when it was down.

Trump “demonstrated a keen focus on the stock market as a ‘scorecard’ for his administration’s success,” Mark Malek, chief investment officer at Siebert, told Business Insider.

Perhaps the best example of this came on March 13, 2020. Trump sent the late Fox News host Lou Dobbs an autographed Yahoo! Finance chart of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which had soared nearly 2,000 points that day in response to Trump declaring COVID-19 a national emergency.

The moment demonstrated how Trump views the market’s relationship to the president’s performance, and observers say it’s possible that if he were to announce or enact policies that spark a sharp decline in stocks, he could adjust his approach.

Yardeni Research strategist Eric Wallerstein told Business Insider that certain policies that would add to the fiscal deficit and send bond investors into a panic might qualify as an event that could prompt a rethink from the administration.

“Yields would blow out, the stock market would respond unkindly to that, and then maybe he would reverse course.”

That view echoed Jeremy Siegel’s, with the Wharton professor noting shortly after the election that the President-elect will probably tread lightly when it comes to the markets.

“Both the bond market and the stock market are going to be really big constraints on many of Trump’s programs,” Siegel said.

This dynamic is top of mind for investors heading into next year given that some of Trump’s campaign promises, like mass deportations of immigrants and universal tariffs of 10%-20% on imports, could be met with dismay by stock investors. That’s because economists say the proposals could spark a rebound in inflation and limit the Federal Reserve’s ability to keep cutting interest rates.

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I am moderately bullish on both Nio (NIO) and XPeng (XPEV), two relatively new Chinese electric vehicle (EV) companies. However, of the two, XPeng appears to offer the best return potential, as its future growth rates are likely to surpass Nio’s. Both investments are undervalued based on my analysis, but each is likely to face challenges with profitability over the next few years. That said, with profitability expected for both companies in the medium term, I am assigning a Moderate Buy rating to each.

Using TipRanks’ Stock Comparison Tool, let us compare these two Chinese EV makers.

I’m moderately bullish on NIO stock following its recent Q3 2024 results. The company delivered 61,855 vehicles, achieving a new quarterly record. Additionally, it guided for 72,000 to 75,000 units for Q4 2024. Nio’s ONVO L60 mass-market SUV, a key growth driver, has been ramping up since late Q3, with the company targeting 20,000 units produced per month by March 2025. However, the company’s Q3 revenue did fall by 2.1% year-over-year due to pricing pressure.

In the earnings call, management emphasized long-term growth in Europe, with its global expansion strategy relying heavily on the ONVO and Firefly (a boutique compact car) models to capture mass-market demand. Compared to XPeng, Nio is less aggressive in overseas market expansion but prioritizes brand positioning and infrastructure readiness.

In many respects, XPeng focuses on efficiency, while Nio emphasizes quality. For instance, XPeng’s P7+ AI Hawkeye Visual Advanced Driver Assistance System does not rely on LiDAR or HD maps, which helps reduce costs. In contrast, Nio employs a comprehensive array of sensors, including LiDAR and HD maps. Similarly, in the U.S., Tesla (TSLA) adopts the efficiency-focused model, while Waymo follows a more comprehensive approach, akin to Nio’s strategy.

Meanwhile, Nio’s Q3 revenue grew 7% quarter-over-quarter. While its net loss remained high at RMB 5.1 billion, the company maintained a strong cash position of RMB 42.2 billion. Management is targeting breakeven by 2026. Compared to XPeng, Nio is likely to take longer to reach profitability. Although its revenue base is larger, Nio continues to invest heavily in building its long-term market position, delaying profitability in favor of a stronger future.

One of the core reasons I’m bullish on Nio is its price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of just 1x, significantly lower than historical highs (P/S of 34x in 2020). If the company continues moving toward profitability and sustains strong year-over-year revenue growth of 25% for Fiscal 2024 and 40% for Fiscal 2025, this could become a high-return investment approaching potential profitability in Fiscal 2026 or Fiscal 2027.

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Turning to Wall Street, the average NIO stock price target is $6.23, implying a 32.6% 12-month upside. The Moderate Buy consensus rating for NIO stock is based on eight Buy ratings, five Holds, and one Sell recommendation, reaffirming the company’s potential as both a short- and long-term investment.

I’m also moderately bullish on XPeng following its Q3 2024 results. The company delivered 46,533 vehicles in the quarter, reflecting a 54% quarter-over-quarter and a 16% year-over-year increase. It has guided for 87,000 to 91,000 units in Q4 2024, with quarter-over-quarter growth momentum nearly double that of Nio. XPeng also outpaced Nio in quarter-over-quarter gross margin growth, driven by cost efficiencies and the launch of its P7+ (an AI-defined executive sedan).

In the earnings call, management highlighted 30,000 firm orders for the P7+ on day one, with 10,000 deliveries expected in December. XPeng is also ramping up production of Mona, an affordable AI-defined compact car priced at RMB 150,000 (~$20,000). Operationally, the company is well-positioned for continued growth, particularly as it targets Level 3 autonomous driving capabilities by Q4 2025.

XPeng’s Q3 revenue was RMB 10.1 billion, up 24.5% quarter-over-quarter. Operating loss narrowed to RMB 1.85 billion, with positive free cash flow guidance for Q4 and beyond. The company holds RMB 35.75 billion in cash. Due to its stronger near-term momentum, XPeng is on track to reach profitability sooner, aided by quick scaling operations and stringent cost controls.

XPeng’s valuation is also highly appealing. The company has a P/S ratio of 2.37x, well below its historical high of 69.4x in 2020. As XPeng is likely to achieve positive free cash flow earlier than Nio, and with consensus revenue growth estimates of 33.5% year-over-year for Fiscal 2024 and 64.5% for Fiscal 2025, I’m slightly more bullish on XPeng in the near term.

Wall Street’s average XPEV stock price target is $12.26, indicating that the stock is fully priced at the current levels. The Moderate Buy recommendation on XPeng stock is based on seven Buys, three Holds, and one Sell rating. While short-term downside is possible, I personally find it unlikely to persist into 2026 and 2027, when strong growth and profitability are expected to rerate the company’s fair valuation.

Both of these investments are Moderate Buys based on my independent analysis. Nio, with its lower valuation and longer-term growth strategy, offers a more stable investment experience. XPeng, on the other hand, provides higher growth momentum and the potential for faster returns, though at the cost of increased volatility. Given XPeng’s stronger near-term outlook, it appears to have the edge in delivering quicker returns, but both companies hold significant promise over the medium to long term.

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Millions of Americans rely on Social Security benefits for all, or a portion, of their retirement income. Up to 85% of Social Security benefits are subject to federal income tax, depending on your total household income. However, Fidelity recently presented options for taxpayers to reduce how much they pay in taxes on Social Security benefits. Delaying Social Security claims and reducing withdrawals from traditional IRAs are two popular ways Social Security recipients can lower their tax bills. Some others may also work, depending on your specific situation.

A financial advisor can help you minimize taxes on your Social Security benefits. Speak with an advisor today.

You must pay taxes on Social Security benefits if your combined income exceeds certain thresholds. Social Security uses a figure called combined income to determine whether your income is above the thresholds where owe taxes on benefits. The formula for determining your combined income is:

Combined Income = Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) + Nontaxable Interest + 1/2 of Social Security benefits

Single filers with combined income above $25,000, and married joint filers above $32,000, may pay taxes on up to 85% of those benefits.

While Social Security benefits are subject to taxation, benefits get taxed at a lower rate than other sources of income. A maximum of 85% of Social Security benefits may be taxed, for instance, versus 100% of IRA withdrawals. This makes Social Security a valuable income source for retirees.

If you don’t do anything to manage the way your Social Security benefits are taxed, you may wind up with less after-tax income in retirement that you can use to support your lifestyle. Fidelity breaks down two widely used strategies for doing that:

1. Roth conversion: If you convert savings into a Roth IRA, you can make tax-free withdrawals from the Roth account without increasing your combined income. This Roth conversion strategy lets you claim Social Security benefits without paying more taxes on them.

2. Delaying Social Security: While you can claim Social Security benefits as early as age 62, waiting to claim boosts your benefit checks. This means that a smaller portion of what you need to pay for living expenses will have to come from taxable IRA income.

As a hypothetical example of the dollar impact of using the second strategy, assume a couple plans to retire at 65. They will pay for retirement with a combination of Social Security and IRA withdrawals totaling $70,000 after taxes. They’ll claim the standard deduction of $27,700 and use the income tax brackets for 2023.

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If they claim their Social Security benefits at 65, Social Security will pay an annual total of $24,000. Eighty-five percent of that will be taxable. They’ll need to withdraw $50,777 from their retirement account and pay $4,777 in income taxes to total $70,000 after taxes are paid.

Now, consider what happens if they wait until age 70, when their Social Security benefit rises to $34,000 a year. Now they withdraw just $38,820 from their IRA and, because this reduces their combined income, only 47% of their Social Security benefit is taxable. The tax bill drops to $2,820 for savings of $1,957.

To further reduce taxes, taxpayers can contribute to Roth IRAs and Roth 401(k)s before taking Social Security. These accounts allow tax-free withdrawals. Taxpayers can also withdraw more from traditional IRAs before claiming benefits. This spreads out the tax impact over more years.

Consider matching with a financial advisor if you need help orchestrating your retirement income and taxes.

You may be able to avoid paying federal income taxes on all or a part of your Social Security benefits using these popular strategies, but they won’t necessarily allow all people in all situations to avoid all taxes. For example, where you live is a factor. Some states offer deductions or exemptions on Social Security income, but others fully tax benefits.

One significant potential drawback that could apply no matter where you live is that converting too much pre-tax savings to a Roth IRA could push you into a higher tax bracket now. This could negate long-term tax savings on Social Security benefits.

Furthermore, examples like the one above only work if the retired couple has sufficient financial means to delay taking Social Security benefits until age 70.

Besides Roth IRA conversions and delaying Social Security, other techniques can lower your tax burden:

• Withdraw more from taxable investment accounts such as traditional IRA and 401(k) plans before claiming Social Security. This spreads the tax impact over more years.

• If you have a traditional 401(k), take distributions before taking Social Security. You’ll pay taxes on the 401(k) money either way.

• Contribute to a health savings account (HSA). HSA distributions don’t count as income for determining Social Security taxes.

• If married, have the higher-earning spouse claim Social Security benefits first to reduce household taxable income.

• Move from high-tax states to low- or no-tax states. Some states don’t tax Social Security benefits at all.

• Consider speaking with a financial advisor who can offer professional, fiduciary advice.

Social Security benefits are taxed, but they have some special tax benefits that allow retirees to reduce their overall tax burden using some popular techniques. Strategic moves like Roth IRA conversions and delaying Social Security can significantly reduce your tax burden in retirement. These techniques may require making upfront payments of taxes before retirement. And states tax Social Security in a variety of ways, some of which may not be reduced by these moves.

• Before making any major financial decisions, consider working with a financial advisor who can evaluate your specific situation. Finding a financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can have a free introductory call with your advisor matches to decide which one you feel is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.

• Estimate how much you’ll get from Social Security in the future using SmartAsset’s Social Security Calculator.

• Keep an emergency fund on hand in case you run into unexpected expenses. An emergency fund should be liquid — in an account that isn’t at risk of significant fluctuation like the stock market. The tradeoff is that the value of liquid cash can be eroded by inflation. But a high-interest account allows you to earn compound interest. Compare savings accounts from these banks.

• Are you a financial advisor looking to grow your business? SmartAsset AMP helps advisors connect with leads and offers marketing automation solutions so you can spend more time making conversions. Learn more about SmartAsset AMP.

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The post You May Be Paying Too Much in Taxes on Your Social Security Benefits. Here’s How to Lower Them appeared first on SmartReads by SmartAsset.

It’s been a roller-coaster ride for Super Micro Computer’s (NASDAQ: SMCI) stock this year, with a lot of big moves in both directions. After a hot start to the year, the company’s shares began to slide following a short report from Hindenburg Research that accused the company of accounting manipulation. That was soon followed by the company delaying the filing of its 10-K annual report.

The Wall Street Journal later reported that Supermicro was being investigated by the Department of Justice (DOJ) over potential accounting issues, addIing fuel to the fire, although the report was never confirmed by the company nor the DOJ.

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The stock later shot higher after the company announced that it has been shipping more than 100,000 graphic processing units (GPUs) per quarter.

That rally, however, faded on news that its auditor, Ernst and Young, was resigning and that it would need to find a new auditor to file its annual report. This delay put the company at risk of its stock getting delisted from the Nasdaq Stock Market.

Supermicro shares took a further hit after the company announced preliminary numbers for Q4 that came up well short of expectations. However, the stock was back to rally mode after the company announced it has found a new auditor.

For the year, the stock is currently down modestly, about 7% as of this writing, although it has a tendency to make some pretty big moves in a short period of time. Against that backdrop, let’s take a closer look at the company’s latest news and see if investors should consider buying the stock at current levels.

Supermicro shares soared over 30% after it named BDO its new auditor. Ernst and Young had earlier resigned, issuing a pretty harsh statement, saying it was “unwilling to be associated with the financial statements prepared by management” and that it has concerns about Supermicro’s governance, transparency, and internal controls.

The firm had only been Supermicro’s auditor since March 2023 after taking over from Deloitte & Touche.

Thus, getting BDO, which is one of the world’s five-largest accounting firms, to take over is a big potential win for the company. In a statement, Supermicro said, “This is an important next step to bring our financial statements current, an effort we are pursuing with both diligence and urgency.”

In addition to announcing a new auditor, Supermicro also said that it has submitted a compliance plan with the Nasdaq in hopes to get a filing extension and remain listed of the exchange. If the company were delisted, its shares would still trade, but it would now be on the over-the-counter (OTC) market. That could lead to its removal for the S&P 500 index, which is just joined earlier this year.

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Supermicro is a company that has been greatly benefiting from the artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure build out, as it helps design and assemble servers and rack systems for customers. It has found a nice niche as being one of the first companies to embrace direct liquid cooling (DLC) solutions to help keep these systems cool, which can run hot and overheat.

That said, it is also in a more commoditized business, with low gross margins. The company has been having margin issues, and its latest revenue numbers were also well short of estimates. That said, its revenue still surged over 18% year over year last quarter, despite coming up short of its prior forecast.

Meanwhile, from a valuation perspective, it trades a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of about 9.5 times current fiscal year analyst estimates. If those numbers hold up, that is a very inexpensive valuation for a company growing as quickly as Supermicro.

The caveat is that Supermicro currently has a lot of scrutiny around its numbers. The SEC has fined the company in the past by the SEC over its accounting, while the combination of the short report, potential DOJ investigation, and resignation of its auditor don’t look good.

However, this is a real business that is seeing a lot of demand, so if the company was just “smoothing over” numbers to meet forecasts, the fallout moving forward might not be that bad.

I think investors can consider taking a small position in Supermicro based on its valuation and its role in the AI infrastructure build out, but this would be a speculative position only for risk-tolerant investors.

Before you buy stock in Super Micro Computer, consider this:

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Geoffrey Seiler has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Supermicro Shares Soar as It Looks to Avoid Being Delisted. Is Now a Good Time to Buy the Beaten-Down Stock? was originally published by The Motley Fool