Industry Focus

We dig into why oil companies haven't been able to replace their production with new reserves lately and the ripple effects it will have a cross the industry. Plus, Sean tests his knowledge of the American power industry with an energy quiz.

Direct download: 03312016_IF_Energy.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:40am EDT

Here's how cable companies are thriving when customers are cutting their cords, and what you need to know about spectrum auctions.

Direct download: 160329_IF_ConsumerGoods.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:02pm EDT

Merck, Gilead Sciences, and Ionis get a verdict in their patent suit, and Congressmen call for a patent review of Medivation's Xtandi.

Direct download: 03302016_IF_Healthcare.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 2:41pm EDT

It is no exaggeration to say that banks, and the credit they provide, grease the wheels of the American economy. But a look back at the last 150 years of banking reveals that the path hasn’t always been smooth for the nation’s leading lenders, including JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM), Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), and Citigroup (NYSE: C).

In this episode of Industry Focus: Financials, Gaby Lapera and John Maxfield trace this past back to the 1860s, when the modern American banking system was established to help the Union Army finance the Civil War.

Direct download: 03282016_IF_Financials.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 2:30pm EDT

On this episode we reflect on the tough market conditions from earlier this year and some lessons we learned along the way.

Direct download: 160325_IF_Tech.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 8:28pm EDT

After a recent court decision that puts once sacred pipeline contracts, some contractors are looking to renegotiate more lenient terms. Plus, the trouble with LNG, another bump in the Halliburton-Baker Hughes merger, and answering mailbag questions. 

Direct download: 160324_IF_Energy.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:52pm EDT

The Motley Fool discusses how investors might want to think about Valeant Pharmaceuticals' share price tailspin and marijuana drugmaker GW Pharmaceuticals' skyrocketing valuation.

Direct download: 160323_IF_Healthcare.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:21pm EDT

In a surprising move to investors and customers alike, the “Amazon Cable Store” is officially here, offering television, Internet, and phone bundles from Comcast that feature the e-commerce leader’s simple ordering process and a dedicated customer service team.

Meanwhile, Under Armour finalizes its long-delayed stock split as we consider the implications for both current and future shareholders.

Direct download: 03222016_IF_ConsGoods.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:08pm EDT

 Deciding what age to start getting benefits is a key decision in retirement, and finances are only part of the issue. Find out how to make the right decision for you.

Direct download: 03212016_IF_Financials.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

Three interviews from our time on the ground in Austin at SXSW exploring how different businesses are thinking about virtual reality.

Direct download: 02172016_IF_Tech_SXSW_1.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:44am EDT

Steve Levine, author of The Powerhouse: Inside the Invention of a Battery to Save the World, joins us in studio to discuss the current status of batteries and the impact they could have on the energy market over the next 10-20 years.

Direct download: IF_Energy_Intro.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:23am EDT

MuleSoft founder Ross Mason talks security, wearables, and electronic health records and lays out an optimistic prediction about the future of healthcare.

Direct download: 03162016_IF_Healthcare.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

We welcome special guest Brian Dodge from the Retail Industry Leaders Association to share with us his view of some of the trends, challenges, and innovative opportunities that retail management teams are focused on in 2016 and beyond.

Direct download: 03152016_IF_CONSGOODSFINAL.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 2:12pm EDT

Small bank investing requires a little extra work, but the benefits can pay off mightily.

Host Gaby Lapera and special guest Tim Hanson think that small banks are not only an interesting niche in the investing markets, but one very much worth your time. What makes these banks “small”? Why should an investor even bother with the effort of researching and investing in them? What are the advantageous, disadvantages, and common mistakes investors make when wading into these waters? What are the key checkboxes you must check off before clicking “buy”? The answers to these questions – and more – are right here in today’s financials edition of the Motley Fool’s Industry Focus podcast.

Direct download: 160314_IF_Financials.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:15am EDT

Listen in to hear about the two new products Apple has announced, one nifty way the company is returning value to shareholders, and how Apple is performing in the detachables space.

Then, on the Tesla side of things: what we know about Tesla’s Model 3, how it’ll make electric cars far more accessible to the public than they have been, and what might come of a significantly increased number of EVs on the road.

Direct download: 160311_IF_Tech.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 4:01pm EDT

The Motley Fool’s Tayor Muckerman and Sean O’Reilly weigh in on recent production moves by oil giant Chevron and analyze the repercussions of a new partnership between SolarCity and Whole Foods.

Direct download: 160310_IF_Energy.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:29pm EDT

The Motley Fool's Kristine Harjes and Todd Campbell discuss what trial failure, commercial failure, and patent expiration at Celldex, MannKind, and PDL BioPharma, respectively, teaches investors about managing risk in the industry.

Direct download: 160309_IF_Healthcare.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 6:21pm EDT

Extending a wave of industry consolidation, the No. 2 and 4 theater operators in the U.S. will combine to create the largest theater chain in the country. The combined entity will have over 8,000 screens and 600 locations in 45 states. And in other news, stellar revenue growth may soon be a source of nostalgia for Shake Shack investors.

 

Direct download: 03082016_IF_ConsGoods.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 1:46pm EDT

Around the world, savers are grappling with negative interest rates. Here’s why negative interest rates are unlikely to hit American shores.

Years after the Great Financial Crisis, interest rates are heading even lower. From Japan to Germany, interest rates are so low that they’re negative -- that’s right, negative! Some investors are actually choosing to lose money by investing in government bonds.

But this week’s episode of Industry Focus: Financials has it all. Join us as The Motley Fool’s Gaby Lapera and Jordan Wathen discuss accounting ratios, negative interest rate policy, and why it’s so darn hard to make accurate predictions about the future.

Direct download: 03072016_IF_Financial.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:02pm EDT

Next week Fools will be on the ground in Austin for SXSW -- we run through three speakers we're excited to see and why.

Direct download: 03042016_IF_TechFinal.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 2:52pm EDT

We say goodbye to one of the nations pioneers and most controversial figures in America's shale revolution: Aubrey McClendon. Plus, a look at what Warren Buffet had to say about energy in his annual letter, ExxonMobil's big upcoming decisions, and we answer listener questions. 

Direct download: 03032016_IF_Energy.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:09pm EDT

The Zika Virus is a top healthcare concern globally, but investors might want to approach companies working on a Zika cure cautiously.

Direct download: 03022016_IF_HC.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 2:14pm EDT

Hilton announced last week that it will be restructuring into three publicly traded entities, including one of the last REITs after Congress passed legislation in December barring the tax-free REIT spin-offs that had become popular with hotels, restaurants, and casinos. Meanwhile, Lego gets one step closer to the title of world’s largest toy company.

 

Direct download: 03012016_IF_ConsGoods.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 2:14pm EDT