Stock Stories

Flight or Flight is a powerful biological response to the way that we, and animals, respond to perceived threats.  Either we're attacking something or we're running away from it.  In this episode we cover how we can apply this mental model to our investing practice.Instagram: @stockstorytelleralex@stockstoriespodcast.comEmail: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

With the largest fleet size in the world, American Airlines is one the few large "legacy" airlines.  Although they suffered a big bankruptcy and merger with U.S. Airways as a result of the 2008 recession, they managed to survive.  We discuss the present troubles due to COVID-19 and what shareholders could see next.Send me a message on Instagram: @stockstorytellerEmail me: alex@stockstoriespodcast.comEmail: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

Mattel is most known for Barbie, Hot Wheels, and American Girl, which are iconic toy brands it has made over the years.  They also own the card game UNO and make various toys and games licensed from hit kid's movies.Instagram: @stockstorytellerEmail: alex@stockstoriespodcast.comEmail: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

As one of the largest toy and game company's Hasbro makes classics like Monopoly, Jenga, and Twister.  They also brands such as Transformers and My Little Pony, and license Disney's intellectual property to make toys and games (ex. Frozen or Star Wars).  Even with Hasbro's storied history, can they continue to successfully create new brands in the era of digital gaming?Instagram: @stockstorytellerEmail: alex@stockstoriespodcast.comEmail: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

Bottlenecks are limiting factors in our process - if we don't figure them out our results are limited no matter what else we do.  Like many mental models, this can apply to a variety of situations, including how we manage our investment portfolios.Instagram: @stockstorytellerEmail: alex@stockstoriespodcast.comEmail: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

Understanding what our political leaders are buying and selling for their own portfolios is important for transparency within any country's political and economic system.  Alignment of interests is key.  Today's episode is an interview with investor and entrepreneur Marvin Barron, co-founder of FinePrint, a startup focused on tracking political stocks. Over discussion covers a variety of topics, including: What is the STOCK Act and why does it matter? How political data is now being tracked by investors What is political risk? What can we learn from the investment behavior of our elected officials? Connect with FinePrint at fineprintdata.com, or on Twitter @fineprintdata. Connect with Alex from Stock Stories on Instagram @stockstoryteller, or email alex@stockstoriespodcast.com.Email: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

Episode SummaryLiveNation provides concert venues around the world, bringing iconic musicians and artists to the stage.  They manage concert venues, tours for artists, and are even involved in sports management and film production.  They also generate revenue through Ticketmaster, the digital ticketing service.Connect with Stock Stories!Instagram: @stockstorytellerEmail: alex@stockstoriespodcast.comEmail: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

Fasteners are small, seemingly insignificant items that have a big impact on our everyday lives.  They're everywhere - in furniture, cars, houses, planes, and the equipment used to make all of the things that we buy.  Fastenal provides not only fasteners but sells safety products, cutting tools, and many other items as well.  They seem to have a great company culture.@stockstoryteller (Instagram)alex@stockstoriespodcast.comEmail: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

Today, we tackle a listener question about Employee Stock Purchase Plans (ESPPs).  What are they, how do they work, and when we use them to our advantage as investors?Instagram: @stockstorytellerEmail: alex@stockstoriespodcast.comEmail: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com

The largest food distributor in the U.S., Sysco provides both basic foods and ready to eat meals to restaurants, hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and universities.  By becoming a large middleman in the industry, they are able to source foods from around the world to help create various menu options.Instagram: @stockstorytellerEmail: alex@stockstoriespodcast.comEmail: alex@stockstoriespodcast.com