Playing FTSE

Whose portfolio has been gold and whose has been meh? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show!Merry Christmas Everyone! We’re actually recording this about a week early, but we’re excited to be sharing the big day with all of you.It’s the most wonderful time of the year. We’re reporting on how our portfolios have done and giving you the satisfaction of pointing out how much better than us you are.Steve D has had a pretty good year. If you squint, he’s ahead of the S&P 500, but you do have to have had a few by the time this show goes out to let him get away with it.The big news is that he’s selling out of Alphabet just as Berkshire Hathaway is moving in. But he’s also building a cash pile that looks a lot like Warren Buffett’s, so what’s he up to?Steve W has not had a good year. To say anything else, you’d have to be blind drunk on the Christmas spirits and even then, that probably wouldn’t be enough to do it.Bunzl, Diageo, Celebrus, and 3i have been ruining things this year. But is he going to do anything differently next year, or will it just be more of the same and hoping for the best?The Eurobox has done quite well, mostly because we don’t really know what we’re doing with these stocks. But does that mean we can’t change a winning team?By contrast, the Britbox has been an interesting mixture of outstanding performers and complete rubbish. The net overall result is… rubbish, so what are we going to do about it?Only on this Christmas PlayingFTSE Podcast!► Get a free fractional share!This show is sponsored by Trading 212! To get free fractional shares worth up to 100 EUR / GBP, you can open an account with Trading 212 through this link https://www.trading212.com/Jdsfj/FTSE. Terms apply.When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested.Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.► Get 15% OFF Fiscal.ai:Huge thanks to our sponsor, Fiscal.ai, the best investing toolkit we've discovered! Get 15% off your subscription with code below and unlock powerful tools to analyze stocks, discover hidden gems, and build income streams. Check them out at Fiscal.ai!https://fiscal.ai/?via=steve► Follow Us On Substack:Sign up for our Substack and get light-hearted, info-packed discussions on everything from market trends and investing psychology to deep dives into different asset classes. We’ll analyze what makes the best investors tick and share insights that challenge your thinking while keeping things engaging.Don't miss out! Sign up today and start your journey with us.https://playingftse.substack.com/► Support the show:Appreciate the show and want to offer your support? You could always buy us a coffee at: https://ko-fi.com/playingftse(All proceeds reinvested into the show and not to coffee!)► Timestamps:0:00 INTRO & OUR WEEKS7:31 REVIEWING STEVE D’S PORTFOLIO30:19 REVIEWING STEVE W’S PORTFOLIO49:10 EUROBOX & BRITBOX UPDATE► Show Notes:What’s been going on in the financial world and why should anyone care? Find out as we dive into the latest news and try to figure out what any of it means. We talk about stocks, markets, politics, and loads of other things in a way that’s accessible, light-hearted and (we hope) entertaining. For the people who know nothing, by the people who know even less. Enjoy► Wanna get in contact?Got a question for us? Drop it in the comments below or reach out to us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playing_ftse/► Enquiries: Please email - playingftsepodcast@gmail(dot)com► Disclaimer: This information is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always consult with a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions.

What happens when a roof truss goes into cardiac arrest? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show!With one week to go before Christmas, the Steves have generated the same result. It’s between the FTSE 100 and the S&P 500 and it’s positive… just.We haven’t looked at Jet2 on the show before, despite it being a stock that several of our UK friends like. But with net cash almost equal to its market cap, is it too good to be true?Steve W thinks it is. But there are some real reasons to like the stock, including an interesting growth opportunity at Gatwick and a strong reputation with its customers…Inpost is a company we hadn’t heard of until a couple of years ago. But with lockers springing up all over the UK (as well as Poland) both Steves know it well.The business model is familiar and straightforward, but a there’s risk of big customers becoming competitors. So what does Steve D think about buying this one for his portfolio?It’s been a tough year for FTSE 100 distributor Bunzl and it’s finishing with an uninspiring trading report. And the guidance for 2026 involves further margin contraction.Steve W is invested in this one in a fairly heavy way. So with sales edging higher and ongoing share buybacks, what’s he going to do about it in the new year?Only on this week’s PlayingFTSE PodcastREVERSE DCF Linkhttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19wU7cc9w7HK3mhmgUjU9F7113ZmlDZn45vrWOysb7Is/edit?usp=drivesdk► Get a free fractional share!This show is sponsored by Trading 212! To get free fractional shares worth up to 100 EUR / GBP, you can open an account with Trading 212 through this link https://www.trading212.com/Jdsfj/FTSE. Terms apply.When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested.Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.► Get 15% OFF Fiscal.ai:Huge thanks to our sponsor, Fiscal.ai, the best investing toolkit we've discovered! Get 15% off your subscription with code below and unlock powerful tools to analyze stocks, discover hidden gems, and build income streams. Check them out at Fiscal.ai!https://fiscal.ai/?via=steve► Follow Us On Substack:Sign up for our Substack and get light-hearted, info-packed discussions on everything from market trends and investing psychology to deep dives into different asset classes. We’ll analyze what makes the best investors tick and share insights that challenge your thinking while keeping things engaging.Don't miss out! Sign up today and start your journey with us.https://playingftse.substack.com/► Support the show:Appreciate the show and want to offer your support? You could always buy us a coffee at: https://ko-fi.com/playingftse(All proceeds reinvested into the show and not to coffee!)► Timestamps:0:00 INTRO & OUR WEEKS11:16 JET228:00 INPOST1:03:14 BUNZL► Show Notes:What’s been going on in the financial world and why should anyone care? Find out as we dive into the latest news and try to figure out what any of it means. We talk about stocks, markets, politics, and loads of other things in a way that’s accessible, light-hearted and (we hope) entertaining. For the people who know nothing, by the people who know even less. Enjoy► Wanna get in contact?Got a question for us? Drop it in the comments below or reach out to us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playing_ftse/► Enquiries: Please email - playingftsepodcast@gmail(dot)com► Disclaimer: This information is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always consult with a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions.

Happy birthday to who? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show!This show is the one we recorded, but a Cloudflare outage prevented us from airing it when it was originally due. So don’t worry about market performance – just enjoy!It’s been a while since we looked at Inditex – the parent company of Zara. But Steve D thinks it’s worth coming back to see how things have been going. After a weak first half of the year, things are starting to pick up. So could this be an opportunity to buy shares in a retailer with an unusually strong position?Salesforce’s share price has been unusually resilient in a stock market where software firms have been falling. So Steve W’s taking a look at the firm’s latest earnings.Revenues are up double digits and the outlook seems reasonable. But is this enough to justify a price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple of 30 in today’s market?Crowdstrike continues to impress both Steves. It’s a business that’s built for durability in a world that continues to shift towards artificial intelligence, so why haven’t they bought it?High valuation multiples haven’t really held the stock back before now – the only recent issue has been an operational one. Given this, maybe they ought to get off the sidelines…Steve W’s enthusiasm for acquisition-driven compounders continues with SDI Group – a small UK stock. It’s down a lot due to cyclical pressures, but could that be an opportunity?A while ago, we talked about the idea that Judgest Scientific might be getting a bit big. We thought it it was ridiculous, but anyone who disagreed might want to check this one out…Only on this week’s PlayingFTSE Podcast!► Get a free fractional share!This show is sponsored by Trading 212! To get free fractional shares worth up to 100 EUR / GBP, you can open an account with Trading 212 through this link https://www.trading212.com/Jdsfj/FTSE. Terms apply.When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested.Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.► Get 15% OFF Fiscal.ai:Huge thanks to our sponsor, Fiscal.ai, the best investing toolkit we've discovered! Get 15% off your subscription with code below and unlock powerful tools to analyze stocks, discover hidden gems, and build income streams. Check them out at Fiscal.ai!https://fiscal.ai/?via=steve► Follow Us On Substack:Sign up for our Substack and get light-hearted, info-packed discussions on everything from market trends and investing psychology to deep dives into different asset classes. We’ll analyze what makes the best investors tick and share insights that challenge your thinking while keeping things engaging.Don't miss out! Sign up today and start your journey with us.https://playingftse.substack.com/► Support the show:Appreciate the show and want to offer your support? You could always buy us a coffee at: https://ko-fi.com/playingftse(All proceeds reinvested into the show and not to coffee!)► Timestamps:0:00 INTRO & OUR WEEKS8:12 INDITEX24:37 SALESFORCE38:22 CROWDSTRIKE53:28 SDI GROUP► Show Notes:What’s been going on in the financial world and why should anyone care? Find out as we dive into the latest news and try to figure out what any of it means. We talk about stocks, markets, politics, and loads of other things in a way that’s accessible, light-hearted and (we hope) entertaining. For the people who know nothing, by the people who know even less. Enjoy► Wanna get in contact?Got a question for us? Drop it in the comments below or reach out to us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playing_ftse/► Enquiries: Please email - playingftsepodcast@gmail(dot)com► Disclaimer: This information is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always consult with a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions.

Who makes a self-destructing phone? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show!There’s nothing good to report from the Ashes, so the Steves are sticking to the stock market this week. Unfortunately, there’s nothing good to report there, either…Todd Combs isn’t going to be Warren Buffett’s long-term replacement. He’s leaving for a job at J.P. Morgan, but should Berkshire Hathaway shareholders be worried?Steve W takes a look at what Todd has done, hasn’t done, and might or might not have done to figure this one out. And Steve D has an idea of who might be a good replacement…Stride is a new stock for the show, but in a familiar industry. It’s involved in online learning and – like another name in the sector – it’s down 54% this year.Steve D thinks there’s a lot of potential, though. Looking past an operational mishap this year, the firm’s courses come with real accreditations, which might be hard to emulate…Adobe shares are up following the company’s latest earnings report – but only just. And despite 10% revenue growth, the stock is still well down over the last 12 months.Strong uptake of AI products is keeping growth strong for the time being. But is this sustainable – and does it make the stock a buy at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 21?Steve D has been having another look at Synopsys. It’s been a while since we talked about this one, but software for semiconductors has been running very strong recently. The stock is expensive, but not outrageously so and it’s in a duopoly where both firms manage 80% gross margins. Add in an acquisition and its starts getting interesting…Only on this week’s PlayingFTSE Podcast!► Get a free fractional share!This show is sponsored by Trading 212! To get free fractional shares worth up to 100 EUR / GBP, you can open an account with Trading 212 through this link https://www.trading212.com/Jdsfj/FTSE. Terms apply.When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested.Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.► Get 15% OFF Fiscal.ai:Huge thanks to our sponsor, Fiscal.ai, the best investing toolkit we've discovered! Get 15% off your subscription with code below and unlock powerful tools to analyze stocks, discover hidden gems, and build income streams. Check them out at Fiscal.ai!https://fiscal.ai/?via=steve► Follow Us On Substack:Sign up for our Substack and get light-hearted, info-packed discussions on everything from market trends and investing psychology to deep dives into different asset classes. We’ll analyze what makes the best investors tick and share insights that challenge your thinking while keeping things engaging.Don't miss out! Sign up today and start your journey with us.https://playingftse.substack.com/► Support the show:Appreciate the show and want to offer your support? You could always buy us a coffee at: https://ko-fi.com/playingftse(All proceeds reinvested into the show and not to coffee!)► Timestamps:0:00 INTRO & OUR WEEKS7:03 TODD’S TODDLING OFF21:37 STRIDE42:33 ADOBE56:24 SYNOPSYS► Show Notes:What’s been going on in the financial world and why should anyone care? Find out as we dive into the latest news and try to figure out what any of it means. We talk about stocks, markets, politics, and loads of other things in a way that’s accessible, light-hearted and (we hope) entertaining. For the people who know nothing, by the people who know even less. Enjoy► Wanna get in contact?Got a question for us? Drop it in the comments below or reach out to us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playing_ftse/► Enquiries: Please email - playingftsepodcast@gmail(dot)com► Disclaimer: This information is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always consult with a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions.

How many runs are England going to lose the next Test by? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show!Both Steves have been doing well this week in the stock market. But the S&P 500 has been ahead of both of them – just... Compass Group is a stock we liked very much when we looked at it earlier this year, but we thought it was expensive. It’s fallen since then, though, and the growth keeps coming. The big question for investors is how far organic sales growth rates are going to fall. Management thinks it might not be much further, though, so how’s it looking now?The big news this week was the UK Autumn Budget. There was a lot speculated before the event, but Steve D has the details of what actually happened on the day. Steve W’s been looking at some stocks that responded positively, but he’s not convinced they were the real winners. And that includes one from his own portfolio…Smiths Group is a FTSE 100 industrial conglomerate (this one’s not a travel retail business). And Steve W’s been steering around it for some time now. That’s changed in the last week or so, though. But while an activist investor is trying to unlock value, is there a chance to buy the stock at a bargain valuation?Only on this week’s PlayingFTSE Podcast!► Get a free fractional share!This show is sponsored by Trading 212! To get free fractional shares worth up to 100 EUR / GBP, you can open an account with Trading 212 through this link https://www.trading212.com/Jdsfj/FTSE. Terms apply.When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested.Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.► Get 15% OFF Fiscal.ai:Huge thanks to our sponsor, Fiscal.ai, the best investing toolkit we've discovered! Get 15% off your subscription with code below and unlock powerful tools to analyze stocks, discover hidden gems, and build income streams. Check them out at Fiscal.ai!https://fiscal.ai/?via=steve► Follow Us On Substack:Sign up for our Substack and get light-hearted, info-packed discussions on everything from market trends and investing psychology to deep dives into different asset classes. We’ll analyze what makes the best investors tick and share insights that challenge your thinking while keeping things engaging.Don't miss out! Sign up today and start your journey with us.https://playingftse.substack.com/► Support the show:Appreciate the show and want to offer your support? You could always buy us a coffee at: https://ko-fi.com/playingftse(All proceeds reinvested into the show and not to coffee!)► Timestamps:0:00 INTRO & OUR WEEKS9:08 COMPASS GROUP21:36 THE BUDGET 48:35 SMITHS GROUP ► Show Notes:What’s been going on in the financial world and why should anyone care? Find out as we dive into the latest news and try to figure out what any of it means. We talk about stocks, markets, politics, and loads of other things in a way that’s accessible, light-hearted and (we hope) entertaining. For the people who know nothing, by the people who know even less. Enjoy► Wanna get in contact?Got a question for us? Drop it in the comments below or reach out to us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playing_ftse/► Enquiries: Please email - playingftsepodcast@gmail(dot)com► Disclaimer: This information is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always consult with a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions.

Who’s going to win the Ashes? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show!In a down week for the stock market, it’s Steve W who’s been making it happen for the show this week. He’s down slightly less than Steve D – is that what winning looks like?Nvidia’s earnings this week looked pretty good – sales growth was strong and is expected to be strong in the next quarter. But the stock went the wrong way the following day. One reason is the Bitcoin fall, but Steve W thinks there’s more going on. Is the stock market getting suspicious of the firm’s growth with everything going on right now?We haven’t talked about Klarna on the show, but Steve D’s about to change that. With US delinquencies going higher, this seems like a strange time to be thinking about that stock.There’s more than this going on, though. There’s a full-blown bank beneath the surface and if things go wrong with buy-now-pay-later, someone else might be holding the bag…WH Smith finally released the report from Deloitte into its accounting irregularities. And the stock was up as a result, despite the news that this year’s profits are going to be lower. Steve W owns this one and is well down on it. But with some profits moved into the past and some lost, is it worth buying after the latest news?Only on this week’s PlayingFTSE Podcast!► Get a free fractional share!This show is sponsored by Trading 212! To get free fractional shares worth up to 100 EUR / GBP, you can open an account with Trading 212 through this link https://www.trading212.com/Jdsfj/FTSE. Terms apply.When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested.Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.► Get 15% OFF Fiscal.ai:Huge thanks to our sponsor, Fiscal.ai, the best investing toolkit we've discovered! Get 15% off your subscription with code below and unlock powerful tools to analyze stocks, discover hidden gems, and build income streams. Check them out at Fiscal.ai!https://fiscal.ai/?via=steve► Follow Us On Substack:Sign up for our Substack and get light-hearted, info-packed discussions on everything from market trends and investing psychology to deep dives into different asset classes. We’ll analyze what makes the best investors tick and share insights that challenge your thinking while keeping things engaging.Don't miss out! Sign up today and start your journey with us.https://playingftse.substack.com/► Support the show:Appreciate the show and want to offer your support? You could always buy us a coffee at: https://ko-fi.com/playingftse(All proceeds reinvested into the show and not to coffee!)► Timestamps:0:00 INTRO & OUR WEEKS7:02 NVIDIA26:19 KLARNA46:43 WH SMITH► Show Notes:What’s been going on in the financial world and why should anyone care? Find out as we dive into the latest news and try to figure out what any of it means. We talk about stocks, markets, politics, and loads of other things in a way that’s accessible, light-hearted and (we hope) entertaining. For the people who know nothing, by the people who know even less. Enjoy► Wanna get in contact?Got a question for us? Drop it in the comments below or reach out to us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playing_ftse/► Enquiries: Please email - playingftsepodcast@gmail(dot)com► Disclaimer: This information is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always consult with a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions.

Who’s winning 2-0? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show!Steve W’s matched the S&P 500 this week and Steve D’s not far behind. Despite some big movements, it’s all pretty tight in the stock market this week.3i – one of the FTSE 100’s top performers – crashed at the end of the week. It’s been a bad year for private equity firms, but the company had been holding up well. Steve W thinks he knows what’s going on. And it has less to do with the private equity theme than the ongoing retail theme of falling like-for-like sales growth…Steve D’s been looking at Taylor Wimpey. The latest results look decent and the stock moved a little bit as a result, but there are probably bigger things going on for the firm.The UK Budget is on the way and there’s plenty to focus on there. But is a 9% dividend yield part of the problem or something for investors to get excited about?QXO is a stock most UK investors probably don’t have on their radars, but Steve W thinks they should. He’s got his eye on a 500% gain in the next 10 years. The firm is planning to roll up the building materials industry and it has a CEO with a very impressive track record. There’s a lot of eggs in a basket called “Brad Jacobs”, though.Tecnoglass has released its latest earnings and our resident shareholder - Steve D - is not impressed. Higher costs are weighing on margins and that’s not a good sign. Should he cut bait with this one or wait around for a better environment? Steve W thinks it might still have some promise, but the big question is how long it takes to realise this.Only on this week’s PlayingFTSE Podcast!► Get a free fractional share!This show is sponsored by Trading 212! To get free fractional shares worth up to 100 EUR / GBP, you can open an account with Trading 212 through this link https://www.trading212.com/Jdsfj/FTSE. Terms apply.When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested.Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.► Get 15% OFF Fiscal.ai:Huge thanks to our sponsor, Fiscal.ai, the best investing toolkit we've discovered! Get 15% off your subscription with code below and unlock powerful tools to analyze stocks, discover hidden gems, and build income streams. Check them out at Fiscal.ai!https://fiscal.ai/?via=steve► Follow Us On Substack:Sign up for our Substack and get light-hearted, info-packed discussions on everything from market trends and investing psychology to deep dives into different asset classes. We’ll analyze what makes the best investors tick and share insights that challenge your thinking while keeping things engaging.Don't miss out! Sign up today and start your journey with us.https://playingftse.substack.com/► Support the show:Appreciate the show and want to offer your support? You could always buy us a coffee at: https://ko-fi.com/playingftse(All proceeds reinvested into the show and not to coffee!)► Timestamps:0:00 INTRO & OUR WEEKS7:50 3I25:39 TAYLOR WIMPEY50:41 QXO1:04:18 TECNOGLASS► Show Notes:What’s been going on in the financial world and why should anyone care? Find out as we dive into the latest news and try to figure out what any of it means. We talk about stocks, markets, politics, and loads of other things in a way that’s accessible, light-hearted and (we hope) entertaining. For the people who know nothing, by the people who know even less. Enjoy► Wanna get in contact?Got a question for us? Drop it in the comments below or reach out to us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playing_ftse/► Enquiries: Please email - playingftsepodcast@gmail(dot)com► Disclaimer: This information is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always consult with a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions.

Who’s been making hailstones fall? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show.Steve W has had a dreadful week in the stock market and it’s not been better for Spurs on the football pitch. But Steve D’s here to save the show and the week. Rightmove shares crashed on Friday after the company issued its Q3 update. That bit was fine, but there are some lower profit margins on the way with AI investing.Is that enough to justify the stock falling so much? Steve W doesn’t think so, but software stocks in general have been under pressure this week. Steve D has a new name for the show - Coherent. It’s an AI infrastructure plan with the highest-paid CEO in the S&P 500. Figuring out the P/E isn’t entirely straightforward, but they’ve done a nice job of selling off their aerospace and defence business. Definitely one for further consideration…Where can investor find software stocks that aren’t in danger of crashing? Nowhere – but US local government platform provider Tyler Technologies might be worth a look. Steve W thinks its status as an approved provider won’t be easy to emulate. The trouble is, it’s trading at a P/E ratio of 64 and has some pretty high stock-based compensation.Duolingo shares crashed this week after the firm’s update. Steve D’s looking at some slightly light bookings and lower-than-expected user numbers. Steve W’s more concerned about the firm’s moat as it ramp up the number of language courses it offers via AI. But can we find something that stops competitors doing the same?Only on this week’s PlayingFTSE Podcast!► Get a free fractional share!This show is sponsored by Trading 212! To get free fractional shares worth up to 100 EUR / GBP, you can open an account with Trading 212 through this link https://www.trading212.com/Jdsfj/FTSE. Terms apply.When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested.Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.► Get 15% OFF Fiscal.ai:Huge thanks to our sponsor, Fiscal.ai, the best investing toolkit we've discovered! Get 15% off your subscription with code below and unlock powerful tools to analyze stocks, discover hidden gems, and build income streams. Check them out at Fiscal.ai!https://fiscal.ai/?via=steve► Follow Us On Substack:Sign up for our Substack and get light-hearted, info-packed discussions on everything from market trends and investing psychology to deep dives into different asset classes. We’ll analyze what makes the best investors tick and share insights that challenge your thinking while keeping things engaging.Don't miss out! Sign up today and start your journey with us.https://playingftse.substack.com/► Support the show:Appreciate the show and want to offer your support? You could always buy us a coffee at: https://ko-fi.com/playingftse(All proceeds reinvested into the show and not to coffee!)► Timestamps:0:00 INTRO & OUR WEEKS5:35 RIGHTMOVE22:06 COHERENT42:58 TYLER TECH57:03 DUOLINGO► Show Notes:What’s been going on in the financial world and why should anyone care? Find out as we dive into the latest news and try to figure out what any of it means. We talk about stocks, markets, politics, and loads of other things in a way that’s accessible, light-hearted and (we hope) entertaining. For the people who know nothing, by the people who know even less. Enjoy► Wanna get in contact?Got a question for us? Drop it in the comments below or reach out to us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playing_ftse/► Enquiries: Please email - playingftsepodcast@gmail(dot)com► Disclaimer: This information is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always consult with a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions.

Who’s doing a Warren Buffett with a secret stock? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show.Steve W has had a dreadful week in the stock market and it’s not been better for Spurs on the football pitch. But Steve D’s here to save the show and the week. Alphabet is hitting new highs after a strong earnings report. Investors are impressed by its Google Cloud results – and future spending – and the stock is going higher. Steve D owns this one and he’s feeling good about the future. And that’s before we get onto the strength of Gemini, YouTube and Waymo, amongst other things…Meta is spending on AI as well, but its share price is going the other way. The stock market doesn’t like its spending on computing power in the hope it’ll need it in the future.Steve W outlines the difference between Meta – on the one hand – and Alphabet, Amazon, and Microsoft on the other right now. There’s clearly risk here, but also potential reward…It’s been another good week for Adyen. The stock is up 11% and the latest earnings report looks strong with some solid growth across the board. There’s a premium price tag, but the Dutch outfit is clearly the class of the field. Steve D’s been on this train for a while, but can anything derail it going forward?Paypal stock continues to flatter to deceive. It trades at a free cash flow multiple of 13 and it’s just signed a deal to provide checkout services for ChatGPT’s e-commerce offering. Except, that multiple is misleading and the deal isn’t what it sounds like. Steve W has the details, but what he can’t work out is where $23bn in cash has gone in the last 10 years.Only on this week’s PlayingFTSE Podcast!► Get a free fractional share!This show is sponsored by Trading 212! To get free fractional shares worth up to 100 EUR / GBP, you can open an account with Trading 212 through this link https://www.trading212.com/Jdsfj/FTSE. Terms apply.When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested.Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.► Get 15% OFF Fiscal.ai:Huge thanks to our sponsor, Fiscal.ai, the best investing toolkit we've discovered! Get 15% off your subscription with code below and unlock powerful tools to analyze stocks, discover hidden gems, and build income streams. Check them out at Fiscal.ai!https://fiscal.ai/?via=steve► Follow Us On Substack:Sign up for our Substack and get light-hearted, info-packed discussions on everything from market trends and investing psychology to deep dives into different asset classes. We’ll analyze what makes the best investors tick and share insights that challenge your thinking while keeping things engaging.Don't miss out! Sign up today and start your journey with us.https://playingftse.substack.com/► Support the show:Appreciate the show and want to offer your support? You could always buy us a coffee at: https://ko-fi.com/playingftse(All proceeds reinvested into the show and not to coffee!)► Timestamps:0:00 INTRO & OUR WEEKS5:49 GOOGLE23:28 META39:39 ADYEN55:56 PAYPAL► Show Notes:What’s been going on in the financial world and why should anyone care? Find out as we dive into the latest news and try to figure out what any of it means. We talk about stocks, markets, politics, and loads of other things in a way that’s accessible, light-hearted and (we hope) entertaining. For the people who know nothing, by the people who know even less. Enjoy► Wanna get in contact?Got a question for us? Drop it in the comments below or reach out to us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playing_ftse/► Enquiries: Please email - playingftsepodcast@gmail(dot)com► Disclaimer: This information is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always consult with a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions.

Who buys branded tuna!? Find out on this week’s PlayingFTSE Show!Both Steves have nailed it this week – head of the FTSE 100 and the S&P 500. There are 51 other weeks in this year, sadly, but we’ll take the wins where we can get them.Netflix shares fell 10% as earnings came in below expectations. But this was the result of a one-off tax hit in Brazil that’s going to mess up the P/E ratio for the next 12 months.Does that make a buying opportunity? It’s hardly the 2022 situation where everything looked like it was going wrong, but valuation multiples do look a bit more attractive…Another week, another accounting issue at a UK company. This time it’s B&M where the CFO has resigned after a change in software has resulted in an error in cost recognition.We’ve seen this before with WH Smith and Vistry in recent months. Steve W owns both of those stocks, but it’s Steve D who’s looking at this one – what does he think of it?It’s a debut on the show for S&P 500 industrial CNH Industrial. Warren Buffett disciple David Einhorn was buying the stock around a year ago and it’s gone nowhere since. Steve W’s interested in a potential secular growth story. The balance sheet looks like a mess, but with receivables offsetting a lot of debt, is it actually as bad as it looks?There’s a new IPO coming to the UK markets and we’re not talking about the Princes people who make fish and tomatoes. It’s Shawbrook – an upstart fintech. It doesn’t have an app, but who needs one of those when you can make loans with 35% interest rates? Steve D has the details of a bank that looks like it’s doing things differently. Only on this week’s PlayingFTSE Podcast!► Get a free fractional share!This show is sponsored by Trading 212! To get free fractional shares worth up to 100 EUR / GBP, you can open an account with Trading 212 through this link https://www.trading212.com/Jdsfj/FTSE. Terms apply.When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested.Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.► Get 15% OFF Fiscal.ai:Huge thanks to our sponsor, Fiscal.ai, the best investing toolkit we've discovered! Get 15% off your subscription with code below and unlock powerful tools to analyze stocks, discover hidden gems, and build income streams. Check them out at Fiscal.ai!https://fiscal.ai/?via=steve► Follow Us On Substack:Sign up for our Substack and get light-hearted, info-packed discussions on everything from market trends and investing psychology to deep dives into different asset classes. We’ll analyze what makes the best investors tick and share insights that challenge your thinking while keeping things engaging.Don't miss out! Sign up today and start your journey with us.https://playingftse.substack.com/► Support the show:Appreciate the show and want to offer your support? You could always buy us a coffee at: https://ko-fi.com/playingftse(All proceeds reinvested into the show and not to coffee!)► Timestamps:0:00 INTRO & OUR WEEKS6:56 NETFLIX23:11 B&M EUROPEAN BARGAINHOLE43:02 CASE NEW HOLLAND58:21 NEW HOT IPO!► Show Notes:What’s been going on in the financial world and why should anyone care? Find out as we dive into the latest news and try to figure out what any of it means. We talk about stocks, markets, politics, and loads of other things in a way that’s accessible, light-hearted and (we hope) entertaining. For the people who know nothing, by the people who know even less. Enjoy► Wanna get in contact?Got a question for us? Drop it in the comments below or reach out to us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playing_ftse/► Enquiries: Please email - playingftsepodcast@gmail(dot)com► Disclaimer: This information is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always consult with a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions.