Top Ten: Weekend reads: Time to assess Big Tech earnings and Robinhood’s IPO

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It’s been a busy week for company earnings. Tech companies took the spotlight this time, with most of the FAANMG companies — Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Google parent Alphabet reporting. (Netflix was last week.)

The numbers they delivered — and the forecasts for the full year — are staggering, as Therese Poletti and Jeremy C. Owens lay out. Sales from just this week’s five are on track to eclipse Australia’s GDP.

Jeff Reeves steps back and ranks the six Big Tech stocks from worst to first.

Other stock market news you may have missed

Tesla earnings zoomed past Wall Street expectations. The stock is nearing $ 700.

Pandemic nesting is history, as Pinterest results show.

Nikola’s founder is accused of lying about the company’s technological breakthroughs. An indictment unveiled Thursday alleges that prototypes didn’t function and were Frankenstein monsters cobbled together from parts from other vehicles. At public events, the vehicles were allegedly towed into position and were powered by plugs leading from hidden wall sockets. 

So much for Robinhood riches

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It was a bad trading debut for Robinhood, the attention-grabbing no-fee trading app that went public this week. Is the stock worth buying? Michael Brush spells out three reasons for — and three reasons against — the stock.

Here’s a longer-term question: Will its users ‘age out’ of the app and turn to other financial-service providers?

Dole, the fruit and vegetable giant, also had a rocky IPO. The size was cut, shares were priced at the low end of the range and then it fell in early trade.

Dole IPO: Five things to know

Value investing has a dim future

A former chief investment officer weighs in: This is why I don’t see a long-term future for value investing

Plus: Mark Hulbert has a two-word answer for those who accuse investors of being obsessed with short-term results: growth stocks.

As Covid numbers rise, masking is coming back

The background: The delta variant is ‘as transmissible as chickenpox.’ Here’s the CDC report that led to a new mask policy.

Also read: Silicon Valley is hardening the line on returning to work — it’s fully vaccinated or bust

Plus: Danny Meyer is the latest restaurant owner to tell customers, ‘No vax, no service’

Can I retire?

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A reader asks: I’m retiring on my 78th birthday, have more than $ 200,000 in savings and share expenses with my 80-year-old boyfriend. Will I be OK?

Alessandra Malito offers thoughtful advice.

Money tips for those just starting out 

This NBA draft pick’s message to college athletes is valuable advice for anyone.

Plus: These investing lessons can make your working teen rich, rich, rich.

A different kind of student-debt cancellation

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Jillian Berman explains how some colleges are using relief funds.

Screen time: What to watch next

Mike Murphy spotlights what’s worth streaming in August.

Finally, how to save Miami

It’s not with that planned $ 6 billion sea wall.