Motley Fool Hidden Gems Investing

Part 2: Your Index Fund Is a Bet on AI — Whether You Know It or Not

Bethany McLean, veteran investigative journalist and co-author of The Smartest Guys in the Room, saw the end of Enron coming, and is now watching the AI trade very carefully. She has questions the market isn't asking. Motley Fool analyst Rachel Warren continues her conversation with Bethany, turning the lens on the market right now. She discusses why the free cash flow of the Magnificent Seven is quietly turning negative, why the circular financing inside the AI ecosystem makes it nearly impossible to see what's really going on, and why the S&P 500 index fund you think is keeping you diversified is actually one of the most concentrated AI bets you can make. Host: Rachel Warren Guest: Bethany McLean Producers: Bart Shannon, Lauren Budabin Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, "TMF") do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement. We’re committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Insurance-palooza! All You Need to Know to Protect Your Income and Wealth

It’s the first Saturday of the month, which means it’s time for the next installment of our 2026 Financial Planning Challenge. We’ve spent most of this year discussing how to accumulate and manage wealth. This month, we’re going to talk about how to protect it. Yes, we’re talking about insurance. Host Robert Brokamp is joined by Foolish colleague Amanda Kish to discuss:-The types of insurance every person should consider-How to determine the right amounts of coverage-Considerations when buying a new policy or evaluating a current policy-When it makes sense to get professional help with insurance Host: Robert Brokamp, CFP®, EAGuest: Amanda Kish, CFP®, CFAEngineer: Bart Shannon Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement. We’re committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Leverage Goes Wrong on Wall Street

The week was dominated by hedge fund Situational Awareness being forced to sell its equity holdings, leading to both a drop and a pop in AI-related stocks. What went wrong and what can we learn? Plus, we discuss why hyperscalers are moving in opposite directions, why Tesla may leave China, and the stocks on our radar. Travis Hoium, Lou Whiteman, and Jason Moser discuss: - Situational Awareness - Leverage Gone Wrong - Hyperscaler Divergence - Would You Rather? - Tesla in China - Stocks On Our Radar Companies discussed: Tesla (TSLA), GM (GM), Eli Lilly (LLY), Novo Nordisk (NVO), JPMorgan (JPM) SoFi (SOFI), SpaceX (SPCX), Costco (COST), Target (TGT), L3Harris (LHX), Keysight (KEYS). Host: Travis Hoium Guests: Lou Whiteman, Jason Moser Engineer: Dan Boyd Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement. We’re committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Microsoft Shows the Mag7 What AI Investment Looks Like

Investors are taking a more scrutinous approach to all of the capital spending the Mag7 stocks are throwing at AI data centers. The one standout this quarter (so far) is Microsoft. Matt, Lou, and Tyler break down why investors loved Microsoft’s earnings while hating Meta’s, and whether Microsoft is the best Mag7 stock right now. Plus, an earnings lightning round and whether single stock or basket is the best approach. Have a question? Email us; podcasts@fool.com Want to take the next step in your investing journey? Explore Motley Fool’s Epic for our portfolio-centered investing experience, premium research, tools, and guidance: fool.com/epic Tyler Crowe, Matt Frankel, and Lou Whiteman discuss: - Meta and Microsoft’s earnings reports. - The best MAg 7 stock to buy now -Hidden Gems earning highlights -Maibag: Buy single stocks or bet on several companies in the same industry? Companies discussed: META, MSFT, GOOG, NVDA, MA, V, EME, GRMN, LHX, HD, LOW, AMD, CAT, DE. Host: Tyler Crowe Guests: Matt Frankel, Lou Whiteman Engineer: Dan Boyd Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement. We’re committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Consumer Is All Right!

Earnings season has shown us that consumers are still spending and paying their bills, as indicated by SoFi and Visa’s results. That should give investors some confidence as more companies report. Where there are more questions is in the AI trade, which continues to falter, despite some great numbers from Bloom Energy. Travis Hoium, Lou Whiteman, and Rachel Warren discuss: - SoFi’s Results - Is SoFi Just a Bank? - Visa’s Strong Growth - P&G Is Fine? - Bloom Energy Growth - The AI Trade Companies discussed: SoFi (SOFI), Procter & Gamble (PG), Visa (V), Bloom Energy BE). Host: Travis Hoium Guests: Lou Whiteman, Rachel Warren Engineer: Dan Boyd Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement. We’re committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices