Editor Maddy Johnson covers a busy past week or so in the retail industry, giving listeners a rundown of the biggest stories as Q1 earnings season winds down. Please pick a time stamped topic below:

Ryan McQueeney and Editor Maddy Johnson are joined by Jamie Anderson, the Managing Principal and co-founder of Tierra Funds LLC. Please pick a time stamped topic below:

(0:50) - Tierra XP Latin America Real Estate ETF: LARE

Ryan McQueeney discusses the latest trend in the social media industry: original programming. Find out how the leaders in this space are working to create exclusive content for their own platforms right now! Please pick a time stamped topic below:

Ryan and Maddy look at the latest developments in live video streaming, financial results from some Silicon Valley tech giants, and, of course, the biggest story of the week: the House of Representatives managing to narrowly pass “part deux” of the American Healthcare Act on Thursday. 

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Maddy Johnson takes a look at Amazon’s (AMZN) latest encroaching step in the retail industry: the Echo Look. Please pick a time stamped topic below:

(0:20) - Amazon Earnings Report

(1:25) - Amazon's New Echo Look

(3:50) - How Does Echo Look Benefit Amazon?

(5:20) - Episode Roundup: Podcast@Zacks.com

Trump’s new tax reform outline, Starbucks earnings, and the latest financial results from some of the world’s biggest tech companies.

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On today’s episode of the Tech Talk Tuesday podcast, Content Writer Ryan McQueeney discussed the telecom industry’s emerging tech trend: 5G data. Find out why the 5G revolution is so important and learn what companies are investing in 5G right now!

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On today’s episode of the Zacks Friday Finish Line, Content Writer Ryan McQueeney and Editor Maddy Johnson take on this week’s biggest stories, including Fox’s decision to fire Bill O’Reilly, a wave of Q2 earnings reports, and what’s in store for Netflix in the future.

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On today’s episode of Shopping for Stocks, Editor Maddy Johnson takes a look at Walmart’s (WMT) reported takeover of premium men’s fashion retailer Bonobos. Please pick a time stamped topic below:

Throughout the technology sector, businesses have been forced to adapt to wildly evolving consumer behavior over the past several years. The video game industry is no exception. During a special edition of the Zacks Friday Finish Line, hosts Ryan McQueeney and Maddy Johnson were joined by Andrew Chanin, the CEO of PureFunds, in order to parse through this ever-changing market.

PureFunds is a New York City-based research firm that serves as the sponsor of 8 different thematic ETFs, including funds that focus on big data, cyber security, and health and medical technology. In particular, Andrew discussed Purefunds’ Video Game Tech ETF (GAMR), the world’s first ETF that focuses on the video game industry. It was created in order to offer a way to invest in the increasingly popular and important video game tech sector.

State of the Industry

Andrew gave gave insight on both traditional gaming powerhouses and new, emerging players in the industry, as well as the many technologies that go into our favorite games.

Technologies like virtual and augmented reality are now a playable reality, and just as streaming services like Netflix (NFLX) have caused an uproar in television and film, a growing desire for subscription-based and free-to-play games has altered the business model of some companies.

We have also seen a massive spike in the popularity of competitive gaming. Dubbed “esports,” professional gaming competitions are bigger than ever. The world’s top players frequently duel it out in front of massive online audiences for millions of dollars in cash prices. (Also Read: Esports is The Next Billion Dollar Industry: 3 Stocks to Watch)

Furthermore, video games have become increasingly casual thanks to the advent of smartphone gaming. While mobile gaming was once seen as almost a different field entirely, even traditional game publishers have been forced to start designing with the smartphone gamer in mind.

Stocks to Watch

In addition to GAMR, there are also many stocks in the industry for investors to consider. The first video game giant to consider right now is Activision Blizzard (ATVI). The company has a history of crushing earnings estimates, and in particular, its last report reflected a record year for Activision, showing growth in key areas like digital gaming.

Interestingly enough, Activision Blizzard said that sales of its popular Call of Duty franchise actually “underperformed” in the quarter, but this really just highlights the depth of the company’s portfolio right now. Activision Blizzard owns seven franchises with more than $1 billion in life-to-date revenue, and its habit of investing in talented and passionate developers has led to recent hits like Destiny, Overwatch, and Skylanders.

While Activision’s release schedule is a bit lighter in 2017, the company is slated to release a sequel to Destiny, which promises to be one of the industry’s biggest games of the year. Investors can expect Activision’s next earnings report in early May. Currently, ATVI has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Another stock to check out is Nintendo (NTDOY). The iconic Japanese gaming company, known for games like The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros., came back with a bang this year with its new gaming console Switch. Switch combines the functionalities of both a traditional console and a handheld device, and was designed to attract those casual gamers who are increasingly going mobile.

While it’s unclear if Switch will have a huge impact on shares of Nintendo, the device is, without a doubt, off to a great start. Great reviews have boosted initial sales, and many games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which is available now, and Super Mario, coming this holiday season, should bolster sales even more. Nintendo expects year-over-year earnings growth of over 68% for the current quarter, with long-term EPS growth of 27.27%. NTDOY is a #1 (Strong Buy) on the Zacks Rank.

While this company is not a conventional game developer, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) manufactures the graphics chips for your favorite games, specifically hit PC games like DOOM and Battlefield 1. AMD’s gaming products, like the Radeon graphic chip series, continue to rapidly gain adoption, driving recent top-line growth. The company is also betting aggressively on virtual reality, and unveiled last year its VR-optimized GPU Radeon Pro Duo, which it believes is the most powerful GPU available for professional VR content creators.

Despite stiff competition from rivals like NVIDIA (NVDA), AMD stands to benefit from the bullish projections for total video game revenues, especially given its popularity among gamers. The company has long-term EPS growth of 78.86%, and sits at a #2 (Buy) on the Zacks Rank.

Bottom Line

While some concerns, like the demand for new consoles, still loom over the industry, many interesting things are happening right now throughout the video game market.

Even Amazon (AMZN) is getting in on the action. The e-commerce giant, which purchased video game streaming outlet Twitch in 2014, will now directly advertise and sell games on the platform (also read: Amazon To Sell Gaming Content On Subsidiary Twitch).

Despite all of the changes throughout the industry, we can still judge video game stocks by the strength of their sales and the company's ability to effectively cash in on the latest gaming trends.

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On today’s episode of Tech Talk Tuesday, Content Writer Ryan McQueeney is joined by another member of the Zacks content team, Parth Panchal, to discuss the highly-anticipated Galaxy S8, Samsung’s latest addition to its flagship line of smartphones.

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On today’s episode of the Zacks Friday Finish Line, Content Writer Ryan McQueeney and Editor Maddy Johnson take on this week’s biggest story: Comcast’s new Xfinity Mobile plan and its implications on the entire telecom industry.

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(1:30) - Amazon NFL Live Streaming Package

(5:55) - Panera Bread Bought Out

(12:00) - Comcast Set To Release Wireless Phone Service  

(23:25) - Telecom Market Overview

 

(29:30) - Episode Roundup: Podcast@zacks.com

On today’s episode of the Zacks Friday Finish Line, Editor Maddy Johnson is joined by Zacks Stock Strategist Tracey Ryniec, and together, they take on this week’s biggest stories. Please pick a time stamped topic below:

(1:20) – Snap’s First “Buy” Rating

(6:00) – Nike’s Earnings Report

(9:55) – Tuesday’s Big Selloff

(14:15) – Pinterest IPO Potential

On today’s episode of Shopping for Stocks, Editor Maddy Johnson takes a look at a giant within the cosmetics industry, and its burgeoning competitor: Ulta Beauty Inc. (ULTA) and e.l.f. Beauty (ELF). Please pick a time stamped topic below:

(1:00) - Ulta and e.l.f. Beauty

(3:30) - Are They Amazon Proof?

(7:30) - e.l.f. Beauty Sales Outlook: Episode Round up

Podcast@Zacks.com

On today’s episode of the Zacks Friday Finish Line, Content Writer Ryan McQueeney and Editor Maddy Johnson take on this week’s biggest stories: the Fed’s latest interest rate hike and what it will mean for the markets.

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(0:55) - Intel is making HUGE moves!

(2:45) - Trump's budget blue print: America First

(10:15) - Fed rate hike

(12:30 - Patricia Larkin interview

(18:00) - Episode round up - Podcast@Zacks.com

On today’s episode of Tech Talk Tuesday, Content Writer Ryan McQueeney discussed Nintendo (NTDOY) and its latest console, the Nintendo Switch. After the disappointing sales numbers of its previous in-home system, Nintendo is looking to gain ground in the console wars with its innovative new hybrid gaming device.

Make sure to subscribe to the Zacks Stocks in the News podcast section on iTunes for this—and more—exclusive audio content!

Please Pick a time stamped topic below:

(0:20) - Nintendo Switch Released: What you need to know

(2:30) - Where does Nintendo Co. stand in the market?

(4:55) - Nintendo Switch sales numbers

(8:00) - Episode Round up - Podcast@zacks.com

On today’s episode of the Zacks Friday Finish Line, Content Writer Ryan McQueeney and Editor Maddy Johnson take on this week’s biggest stories: the anticipatory state of the IPO market following Snap’s historic debut.

Make sure to subscribe and leave the show a rating on iTunes!

Please pick a time stamped topic below:

(1:00) - Crude Oil Price Dip

(4:50) - Facebook copies Snapchat, Again!

(8:40) - Manufacturing Giant, Caterpillar: Tax Fraud Allegations

(13:45) - J. Jill IPO

(18:50) - Canada Goose IPO

(24:25) - Investors Want more IPO's: Spotify and Airbnb

(34:00) - Episode Round Up

On today’s episode of Shopping for Stocks, Editor Maddy Johnson takes a look at what could be one of the most interesting IPOs in years: Canada Goose. Please pick a time stamped topic below:

(0:15) - Canada Goose: IPO

(1:25) - Canada Goose: Rise to Fame

(5:00) - How could a Canada Goose IPO perform

(7:10) - Episode Round Up

On today’s episode of the Zacks Friday Finish Line, Content Writer Ryan McQueeney and Editor Maddy Johnson take on this week’s biggest stories, including what will go down as one of the biggest market events in years: the massive Snap Inc. IPO. Please pick a time stamped topic below:

(1:05) - Target Earnings Report

(7:25) - Donald Trump Addresses Congress

(12:50) - YouTube TV Announcement

(22:50) - Snapchat IPO: 2nd Biggest Tech IPO Ever!

(30:30) - Episode Recap

On this special edition the Zacks Friday Finish Line, Content Writer Ryan McQueeney and Editor Maddy Johnson preview one of the biggest market events of the past several years: the upcoming IPO of Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat. The hosts were joined once again by Kathleen Smith, co-founder of Renaissance Capital, to discuss the popular video messaging app Snapchat, and its parent company’s, Snap Inc., upcoming IPO. If it lives up to its high, and pricey, expectations, Snapchat’s market debut will be the largest offering in years.

On today’s episode of Tech Talk Tuesday, Content Writer Ryan McQueeney explores Facebook’s attempts to clone Snapchat’s user experience and discusses how the world leader in social media plans to maintain its lead over the up-and-coming company. Please pick a time stamped topic below:

(0:30) - Snapchat Clones

(2:00) - Instagram Stories        

(3:30) - WhatsApp Status

(5:30) - Two Reasons Why Facebook Does Snapchat Better

(8:20) - Episode Recap

Make sure to subscribe to the Zacks Stocks in the News podcast section on iTunes for this—and more—exclusive audio content!

On today’s episode of the Zacks Friday Finish Line, Content Writer Ryan McQueeney and Editor Maddy Johnson take on this week’s biggest stories, as well as preview one of the biggest market events of the past several years: the upcoming IPO of Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat. Please pick a time stamped topic below:

(1:45) - Walmart Earnings Report

(5:00) - Tesla Earnings Report

(11:55) - Snapchat: What's the pricing and size of the IPO

(15:20) - CEO Evan Spiegel: The youngest billionaire

(18:15) - Snapchat Spectacles

(20:25) - Everyone is Copying Snapchat: How big is the market?

(25:30) - Episode Recap

On today’s episode of Shopping for Stocks, Editor Maddy Johnson takes a look at America’s largest retailer, Walmart (WMT), who has been on quite the acquisition spree lately. Pick a time stamped topic below:

(0:35) - Wal-Mart E-commerce Shopping Spree: Moose Jaw Acquisition

(3:35) - What Does Wal-Mart Get Out of the Deal?

(5:35) - Episode Round Up