Salesforce is the new normal | Costco: no longer exclusive | [TOGETHER WITH]( Hi {NAME}, here's what you need to know for May 31st in 3:07 minutes. ð Weâre getting some much-needed R&R on Monday, and we hope you will be too. If anyone gets lost in all the fun, weâll meet you back here on 2nd June. Cool? Today's big stories - Salesforceâs earnings surged past analystsâ expectations late last week, with demand for its cloud software as strong as ever
- Markets have steered clear of a crash so far, so here's what to expect next â [Read Now](
- Costco reported strong quarterly results, the latest of the big-box retailers to do so Unstoppable âForce [Unstoppable âForce] Whatâs Going On Here? Salesforceâs earnings [punched]( past analystsâ expectations late last week, with demand for its cloud software looking as strong as ever. Â What Does This Mean? Companies around the world continue to clamor for cloud-based software solutions, even as many of the planetâs economies reopen in some shape or form. So much so, in fact, that cloud specialist Salesforce says its clients arenât just the most optimistic theyâve been since the start of the pandemic right now â theyâve also restarted large-scale investment in software upgrades. Many of the companyâs clients expect at least some of their workers to remain remote indefinitely, with sales calls via teleconference also likely to continue being a thing. And thatâs making Salesforce feel good about the future: it upped its sales estimates for the remainder of the year ahead of what analysts had penciled in. The companyâs share price proved to be far from an immovable object as a result: investors initially sent Salesforceâs stock 6% higher on Friday. Why Should I Care? The bigger picture: No cloud cuckoo land.
Cloud computing appears to be here to stay: the pandemic, after all, has forcibly removed any lingering reluctance companies had regarding the movement of mission-critical work online. Leading research firm Gartner now [expects]( global cloud computing revenues to increase 23% this year. Thatâs up from its forecast of [18%]( growth just a few months back â and more than double the rate at which the industry expanded in 2020 ([tweet this](). For markets: Salesforce on sale?
Despite the positive outlook and Fridayâs bump, Salesforceâs stock still hasnât risen as much as the broader US stock market this year. Analysts at investment bank Morgan Stanley [reckon]( nowâs a good time to buy in: the thinking is that a leading firm in a sector thatâs expected to see consistently strong demand over the coming years wonât stay cheap for long. You might also like: [Three ways to work out what Salesforce is really worth.]( Copy to share story: [( ð [Ask a question](mailto:questions@finimize.com?body=Ask us a question:
Where are you writing from? Let us know and we'll mention it when we reply.&noapp=true&subject=Unstoppable âForce&utm_campaign=daily-global-31-05-2021&utm_source=email) 2. Analyst Take Markets Have Mostly Stuck To The Script This Year. So What Happens Next? As May comes to an end and the typically quieter summer period starts, itâs a good time to [take stock of marketsâ movements]( so far this year â and look at where we go from here. An economic rollercoaster has slowly leveled out, and the consensus expectation of slow but steady growth for stocks, with some rotation from growth sectors to value sectors, has been proved broadly correct. Januaryâs biggest pessimists have meanwhile been confounded, with [only crypto markets suffering any serious selloff]( â and even then remaining well in the green for the year. But as US economic surprises threaten to trend negative once again, the recovery phase could give way to [a new and uncertain period]( for markets. And thatâs todayâs Insight: how [inflation data is likely to be key]( for the rest of 2021, dictating how hard central banks can keep pumping in support for the economy â and for your investments. [Read or listen to the Insight here]( SPONSORED BY CROWDSTREET This yearâs real estate must-knows 2020 changed everything, and [real estate is no exception](. So if you want to [invest in property](, itâd probably be wise to get an up-to-date lay of the land. [Crowdstreetâs Definitive Guide To Real Estate Investing]( will give you just that. Youâll get exclusive access to the latest real estate information â the stuff the pros have â for free. Analysis of the factors impacting property investment right now: check. An [expert outlook]( for the market this year: double check. Youâll even find Crowdstreetâs [top places to invest for 2021](. Thereâs a clear winner, and you might be surprised where it is. Head over to Crowdstreet to [get your free copy]( today. [Get The Guide]( When you support our sponsors, you support us. Thanks for that. Join The Club [Join The Club] Whatâs Going On Here? Membership-based discount retailer Costco became the latest big-box retailer to report strong quarterly results at the end of last week â but thatâs hardly an exclusive society right now. What Does This Mean? It could be down to government stimulus checks or simply pent-up post-lockdown demand: either way, people are getting out and splashing their cash. Costcoâs profit came in 16% ahead of analystsâ forecasts â the fifth time earnings have beaten estimates in the past six quarters. Still, that outperformance is nothing unusual: [Walmart]( and Target also reported similarly strong results over the past couple of weeks. Investorsâ expectations were therefore high â which may be why Costcoâs share price actually fell on Friday. Why Should I Care? For markets: Rising prices are a headache for retailers.Â
In spite of strong consumer demand, the rising prices of goods and services â i.e. [inflation]( â is causing concern among retail analysts. As inflation increases, so too do costs for the likes of Costco. If a company canât pass these on quickly enough to consumers via higher product prices, then the higher costs will eat into its [profit margin](. And seeing as margins for consumer retail companies are already razor-thin compared to most other industries, that could be the difference between making money and losing it. The bigger picture: Discount retailers do well out of wealth inequality.Â
About half of all large US retail chain store opening [announcements]( so far this year have come from discounters Dollar General and Dollar Tree (which also owns Family Dollar). This rapid expansion may be partly due to the countryâs [growing]( wealth inequality pushing more Americans towards cut-price shopping. But such stores are also better positioned to withstand ecommerce competition: discounters mostly sell food and daily essentials where delivery probably isnât worth waiting for. Whatever the reason, more stores could translate into greater future profits for discount retailers. You might also like: [The differences between a hot retail stock and a not retail stock.]( Copy to share story: [( ð [Ask a question](mailto:questions@finimize.com?body=Ask us a question:
Where are you writing from? Let us know and we'll mention it when we reply.&noapp=true&subject=Join The Club&utm_campaign=daily-global-31-05-2021&utm_source=email) ð¬ Quote of the day âGuard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards.â â Lois McMaster Bujold (an American speculative fiction writer) [Tweet this]( SPONSORED BY THE BIG EXCHANGE Discover finance thatâs fair, sustainable, and inclusive Your money really does matter, and where you invest could [change the world](. With [The Big Exchange](, youâll be able to choose investments that are creating positive solutions to combat the worldâs biggest challenges. Youâll discover tax-efficient investments rated for their positive impact on people and the planet, from [some of the biggest names]( in sustainable investing. And with some of the lowest charges around on a straightforward, easy-to-use platform, youâll [earn more for you](, the planet, and everyone else. Make your money count for more: [invest with The Big Exchange from just £25 a month](. [Get Started]( Disclaimer: Capital at risk. Tax treatment depends on an individualâs circumstances and may be subject to change. When you support our sponsors, you support us. Thanks for that. ð Finimize Live Events ð Digitalize your life With cryptocurrency going mainstream, the opportunities will soon become endless. Find out [How To Buy Coffee And Cars With Crypto]( at our Wednesday event with Benjamin Whitby, a crypto compliance and regulatory specialist. ð¨ð³ [How To Profit From Chinese Innovation](: 5pm UK time, June 1st
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