u/LectureForsaken6782

Ive been interested in recently in becoming a better investor and im trying to learn more and to be smart about my money. I started casually by looking at companies i know about and just reading about them googling / YouTube very general questions looking for answers. Then I tried to get down to more direct info and I thought id start asking AI very generic questions (because I didn't know what to ask...so it would be questions like, is such and such stock a good investment, what does such and such company do, does such and such company make money, etc)

Then I started diving deeper into my Charles Schwab app and looking at their stock lists / grades reading more about companies...using AI to learn what terms mean...looking at the other ratings from companies available on there (Morningstar, Argus, CFRA) to get a little more info...then I started using AI to summarize these reports for me, define terms, and explain them.

Then I started to use AI to try and ask more pointed questions about companies to get more direct answers about company Financials, EPS, P/E ratios, free cash flow, other metrics

This all lead me to thinking that I need to use AI to ask better questions about stocks, instead of just looking for answers...nuance is needed to get what I was really trying to get at that works for me because i have a desire to learn more and I know I'm generally an intelligent person who knows that he knows nothing...

This is kind of a long winded way to say that I ended up wanting to know more about Stryker (SYK) this morning. I have an interest in healthcare investing as someone who is a big user of healthcare due to chronic issues, someone who has benefited GREATLY from healthcare technology like pharmaceuticals for conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, blood clots, and as someone who's turned his health around from having access to GLP-1s

But what lead me to Stryker was that i was looking at the demographic shift to an aging population and that is going to require the need for more surgical tools, robotic assistance and they are a global leader.

I noticed that the stock price is right about around the middle of a 52 week low so I thought it may be a good time to invest and based on the financial metrics, moat, growth I was eager...but doing a bit more research I found the news that they are going to release Q2 earnings at the end of the month, and this is when I saw that they had a cyber attack last year that hurt the business and this report should give an idea if they were able to recover...again, knowing that I dont know, I asked AI about what I should be looking for ahead of the earnings call if it looks like they recovered because id like to have more information to know if i should open a position now or wait...but I specifically asked AI what questions I should ask it to learn the info and these are the questions given to me by Gemini to ask Gemini in a couple weeks before July 30 to have insight into if it sounds like SYK recovered from the attack:

"What did Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) report for their orthopedic and surgery segment earnings last week, and did they mention taking market share from competitors?"

• ​"Have any Wall Street analysts published channel checks or hospital surveys regarding Stryker (SYK) inventory or order volumes in the last two weeks?"

• ​"Has Stryker (SYK) issued any corporate updates, guidance revisions, or pre-announcements since the beginning of July?"

• ​"How has the stock price of SYK reacted over the last 10 days, and what is the current options market implied move for the July 30th earnings?" Using these targeted questions will cut through general market noise and give you the precise operational data you need to make your decision.

I am going to wait til later in the month to see if I do want to open a position, and wanted to see how others feel about the company and the recovery from the cyber attack...considering current share price, growth, and fundamentals, it sure looks like a good company to invest in, but I also think my thought process shows that we should all be using AI to find out the best questions to ask and not necessarily just looking for answers...so instead of investing off of one or 2 prompts, you get your mind working to ask better questions so you can do your own research to make up your own mind.

Are there any other questions people use AI to answer when researching stocks? Any other insights into SYK?

Oh, and here are the questions that AI came up with to ask them when i start looking at a stock if anyone is interested:

"What is the company’s economic moat?"

"Who are their top 3 competitors and what are this company's distinct advantages and disadvantages over them?"

"Explain this company’s revenue model - how do they make money and who are their customers?"

"Analyze this company's Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) and free cash flow trend over the last five years. What does this tell us sbout management's capital allocation?"

"Look at their balance sheet. Is their debt load manageable relative to their cash flow? And are there any structural vulnerabilities?"

"What are the primary drivers of this companies operating margins and are they expanding or compressing?"

"How does this stock's current historical valuation (P/E, EV/EBITDA, P/FCF) compare to its 5 year average snd industry peers?"

"What growth rate is the current stock price implying? Is it realistic based on industry trends?

"Can you walk me through simple bear and bull case for the stock's valuation over the next 3-5 years?"

"What are the key secular tailwinds dt8ving the industry, snd how well positioned is the company to capture them?"

"What are the biggest existential risk or structural threat to this business model over the next 10 years?"

"How cyclical is this business? How does it historically perform during during an economic downturn or a high interest rate environment?"

Just want to point out something I found out today....since the OG Freedom card runs on the Visa network, you should be able to save even more money when gassing up at Costco this quarter since they only take Visa cards

Ive been looking into starting positions in thematic ETFs in industries i believe in (renewable energy, GLP1 drugs) and i was wondering the best way to research them. I look at expense ratios and holdings, but im looking to do more comprehensive research so any guidance woukd be appreciated

InnovAge (INNV) experienced a severe crisis after concealing regulatory failures that led to government sanctions, a temporary enrollment freeze, and a subsequent $27 million securities fraud settlement. Under new leadership, the company has successfully lifted the regulatory sanctions and restored top-line growth, but it continues to face bottom-line pressure from the financial fallout of the litigation.

​

​The current valuation metrics reflect a company priced as a speculative turnaround play:

​

​Price-to-Sales (P/S) Ratio: At 1.28, the stock trades at a massive discount compared to the broader S&P 500 average of 9.58, signaling that the market is heavily discounting its revenue due to historical risks.

​

​Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth: While current trailing GAAP earnings are negative due to a -1.6% net margin, the forward-looking consensus projects a 90.9% growth in 1-year forecast EPS as legacy legal costs clear out.

​

Im more curious about how to approach these things in general. It popped up bc i was just reading the Schwab stock list snd this came up as an A...now, im not saying this is thd one to invest in, but how do people look at stocks through the lens of something with such a huge scandal? Like, as an investor...when does the stock look like something to consider investing in? Personally, I read something like this and I say "hell no never...too risky" but they did clear the books of the liability and have a whole new management team...so im guess, how do you weigh these things? How long are they disqualifying?

​

The Manitowoc Company, Inc. (NYSE: MTW) represents a strong value investment because it trades at a massive discount to its annual revenue despite holding a multi-year-high backlog and a growing, high-margin aftermarket services division.

​

​Thesis

​

​Value investors thrive on buying historically strong, cyclical industrial players when short-term macro headwinds or quarterly earnings misses depress the stock price. MTW currently fits this "deep value" mold perfectly.

​

​The thesis rests on a clear disparity: while MTW’s market capitalization sits at roughly $450 million, the company generates over $2.2 billion in TTM revenue. This gives it an incredibly low P/S ratio of roughly 0.20, suggesting the market is heavily discounting its operational capacity. While recent high interest rates and supply chain friction have weighed on net margins, the underlying demand for Manitowoc's heavy machinery remains robust.

​

​MTW is a leading global manufacturer of engineered lifting solutions.

​

They design and manufacture industrial crane lines including mobile hydraulic cranes, lattice-boom crawler cranes, boom trucks, and tower cranes.

​

Their global footprint is supported by heavy-machinery brands such as Grove, Manitowoc, National Crane, Potain, and Shuttlelift.

​

The business operates globally but segments its revenues across the Americas, Europe & Africa, and the Middle East & Asia-Pacific

​

​

Why the Crane Sector is Positioned Well

​

​The heavy lifting and construction equipment industry provides a structural moat for long-term investors:

​

​High Barriers to Entry: Manufacturing multi-million dollar crawler and tower cranes requires enormous capital expenditure, advanced engineering expertise, and entrenched global distribution networks.

​

​Secular Infrastructure Tailwinds: Megatrends like global grid modernization, renewable energy projects (such as wind turbine installation requiring massiveranes), and federally backed infrastructure spending provide a long-term demand floor.

​

​

​

​A classic value catalyst is emerging: short-term negative sentiment creating a massive margin of safety for patient buyers.

​

​A "Bad" Quarter Hiding Great Demand: In May 2026, MTW reported a Q1 earnings miss that sent short-term traders fleeing, pushing the stock down to the $12–$13 range. However, a deeper look reveals that orders actually grew 5.8% year-over-year to $645.7 million, building an ending backlog of $939.9 million—the highest backlog the company has seen in two years.

​

​Turning the Corner on Cash Flow: Despite a minor net GAAP loss due to lingering macro inflation, MTW’s fundamentals are turning a corner. Free cash flow for Q1 2026 surged to $19.2 million, a leap from just $2.1 million in the prior year's quarter.

​

​Maintained Guidance: Management confidently maintained its full-year 2026 guidance, indicating that the drop in share price is a disconnect from the company’s full-year outlook.

​

​Buying MTW at this entry point allows value investors to acquire a global industrial leader near its 52-week lows, getting nearly $5 of industrial revenue for every $1 invested, right as its highest-margin business segment is scaling.

​

​

Earlier this year I downgraded the CSP to the freedom unlimited before the second AF hit....earlier this month I opened the CSR for the SUB and ill be able to offset the AF in year 2 and beyond, so its a keeper for now

​

Could I upgrade the unlimited bsck to the CSP bc i can use the 3x on online grocery (Kroger pay) and the 3x gas would be nice as I prob spend $300-$400 / month...ill be locked out of the SUB for the time being regardless

​

Im not much of a point maximizer so a 2% or 1.5% catch all doesnt make a huge difference for me, plus I like to do light churning anyways, so I figured it makes sense cuz I can still transfer URs to Hyatt if I want to at 1:1

Ive recently started seriously looking into investing for wealth generation, and its really opened up something inside me sbout how much I enjoy learning about investing / stocks / bonds / ETFs / etc...im pretty conservative and doing all the standard and prudent things as I work towards building wealth for my families future.

I was just curious to know how people look at the future of air travel and long term growth. Honestly, it just started out because im kinda a nerd about planes and flying / travel. I understand that it can be highly volatile with fuel prices, but are there folks who are long term investors in companies like UAL / DEL / LUV / etc? Or is there a non gambling way to invest in companies like this or other travel companies like hotels that makes sense and is still responsible? Honestly, id like exposure to individual travel giants because i enjoy them, but im absolutely not gonna go all in to jeopardize my families future

I was looking over a Schwab Equity report for Snap-On Inc. (NYSE: SNA) and wanted to see what folks think.

Schwab currently rates it as an "A - Outperform" with low price volatility, but Wall Street analysts (Morningstar/CFRA) are bearish or neutral on it.

​Looking at the numbers through a dividend growth lens, it looks solid and is great for growth with a pretty good yield

​The Yield & Growth: Its at a decent 2.6% yield, but i think that the juice is in the growth rate—14.8% over the last year and 14.6% annualized over 3 years.

​The Safety Cushion: EPS is hovering around $19.20–$19.80 against an annual payout of ~$7.44. That puts the payout ratio comfortably under 40%. The dividend is looks bulletproof, although nothing is for certain.

​Fortress Balance Sheet: Long-Term Debt/Capital is only 0.17 which will be great in a higher interest rate environment.

​The Moat: Professional mechanics use SNA the most which gives them incredible pricing power. They have a 51.6% Gross Margin and 20.1% Net Margin.

​Defensive Anchor: With a Beta of 0.72, it’s historically less volatile than the broader market.

​The Bear Case: Wall Street is worried about slowing organic sales growth (3.0% vs the S&P's 15.7%), a slight EPS miss in Q1 due to tech infrastructure spending, and long-term EV transition risks for auto shops.

​To me, it looks like incredibly safe growerthat should still appreciate its stock price, but i recognize that its not an AI stock, so its probably bot going to the moon anytime soon.

​does this look like something to buy and hold in a dividend portfolio long-term?

Im confused...my employer contributes 3% automatically into my 401(k)...i dont have to contribute anything for that 3%...i can contribute as much as I want, but i was thinking that would it make sense to take the 3% and take my own money and put it in a roth? Or would it make sense to contribute some myself to decrease my taxes now?

​I’ve been digging into ADT Inc. (ADT) recently, and it looks like a great value/cash-flow play that the broader market isnt looking at cuz it isnt AI.

​Here is why i think ADT looks like an incredibly solid value investment right now:

​Their valuation is really cheap. The broader market is trading at high multiples, but ADT is sitting in the bargain bin with a P/E Ratio of around 9

​

At around ~$7 a share, the downside feels mitigated. It’s priced like its dying, but the fundamentals show it's not.

​ The free cash flow is flowing.

​Gross Margin: 80.8%. Because the business model relies heavily on recurring monthly subscriptions, their gross margins are closer to a software company than a services company.

​FCF Growth: In its recent quarterly reports, ADT’s Adjusted Free Cash Flow went up by over 80% year-over-year.

​The free cash flow gives management flexibility to survive downturns and pay dividends.

the dividend yield is around 3.2% protected by the cash flow, making it compelling for compounding

My wife and myself want to go somewhere warm for Thanksgiving...i was lookjng at warm weather cities like New Orleans and saw some of the THC properties hsve additional deals going on where you get $200 additional in credits...is there a way to find what destinations may be having these added perks going on? Since im more interested in warm weather I dont care where we go, so if I csn find other warm places with added benefits id like that

Me snd my fiancée are combining finances snd we are wrapping up the process of adding her to my brokerage account....now, my plan was to have ger on my brokerage (standard) account and thrn open up the investor checking account, but when we called they said we get checks snd debit card for the brokerage account...so my question is, do we even need sn investor checking account? Can't I just put money we need to spend inyo the brokerage account snd not invest it? Am I missing something?

I really just thought it was interesting cuzover the last couple of days ive gotten offers to sign up for the biz gold card....i don't have a business and most of my charges are for typical family / personal stuff...i wonder if im shopping somewhere that looks like potential biz soend to them or what may hsve triggered it all of a sudden

Anyone have a suggestion for some good mango sticky rice? Im in the western burbs, but anywhere in the area is fine

Im moving away from Chase....I presently have the CSP and Freedom Flex....total credit with those who cards is like $15k....I know closed accounts age for 10 years on your report, so no concern there but im curious how total credit line makes a difference when lenders are looking to give you new cards.

Right now my income is $150kish and I have a total credit limit of around $140k....would these stats make other lenders im interested in consider not giving me a card as they see i have so much available credit i dont use? I spend probably $4k - $5k a month in total, so my utilization is always super low

I basically have a lot of cards I dont use / dont plan to use and am wondering if ill eventually hit a wall with lenders when they see i have $140k in limits already

Until July 8, the CS Platinum SUB is $150k for $12k spend in 6 months and the investor card is $300 for $1000 spend. This isnt a targeted offer or "up yo as high as..." offer, so this one is pretty good....since its on the CS Platinum, you csn deposit it into a CS account for $1650 if you choose to

Im gonna be getting married in August and my fiancée and I want to fully merge our finances. Ive never been married before, and i assume its pretty straight forward, but wanted to ask if anyone has any tips or strategies to do it most effectively. I would be the one organizing most of our finances, but she is 100% my partner and participating, but i want to make sure we do it right.

My general plan is to open a new checking account somewhere and also saving / investing accounts too. Her and I definitely want to keep it simple, so ive been considering places like Schwab / Fidelity so we could have checking / savings / investing in one spot as we are also looking at purchasing a home next year so we are going to really start saving and the idea of a one stop shop is appealing. Any thoughts and guidance would be appreciated.

Id appreciate any advice about anything involved with merging finances as well

Rakuten has a deal going where you csn sign up for the BoA travel rewards credit card and get $300 back right now. Im a bilt silver member and earn Bilt points. As a silver member, ill continue to get 1:1 return for Bilt points after May 15 and was curious if you all think this is worth a 5/24 slot. This would almost certainly be doing this for churning bc I dont really need the card, but an additional 30k bilt points (plus 25k points with the card SuB) seems like a really good RoI. I have no affiliation with BoA and have never had a card with them. Can the 25k BoA points be used towards a statement credit? What do you sll think about this?