The Healthy Parks Project kicks off on Earth Day with an initial $200,000 commitment to Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation; more cities to follow

OAKLAND, Calif., April 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Clorox Company (NYSE: CLX) today announced the launch of a new initiative to advance environmental justice through investment in community parks to help provide better access to green spaces among underserved communities. The Healthy Parks Project aligns the company's purpose to champion people to be well and thrive every single day with its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. In the project's first year, Clorox will support parks organizations, with grants totaling more than $300,000, where it has large employee bases starting in Oakland, California benefiting the health of local communities.

"The critical issue of environmental justice bridges our ESG commitments to healthy lives, a clean world and thriving communities," said Chief People & Corporate Affairs Officer Kirsten Marriner. "Communities thrive when people have access to green spaces, yet many neighborhoods have historically not had access to this critical resource. We want all people to have equal access to beautiful and healthy parks."

To launch the Healthy Parks Project, Clorox is donating $200,000 to the Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation in its hometown to support the improvement of parks in West Oakland, a neighborhood disproportionately impacted by poor health outcomes, according to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project. The donation will support historic DeFremery Park in particular, with specific projects identified through engagement with the local community and consultation with the City of Oakland. Clorox will donate another $100,000 this year to additional locations near its facilities and teammates.

To amplify the impact of the partnership, Clorox teammates will be able to personally support the initiative through volunteer events and online education about environmental justice. And Clorox teammates in the U.S. and Canada will also receive $25 each to donate to an environmental justice nonprofit of their choice through the company's employee giving program.

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This environmental justice initiative is an illustration of the company's focus on the interconnectedness of environmental and social sustainability and in creating multi-stakeholder value.

The Positive Impact of Parks

Nearly 100 million people in the US, including 28 million children, don't have park access within a 10-minute walk of home, and in Oakland alone, residents in low-income neighborhoods have access to 78% less park space compared to high-income neighborhoods(1). Research suggests that urban built environments, including parks and other green spaces, might shape opportunities for physical activity, affecting development of obesity and other health outcomes, and that parks were more likely to encourage physical activity if they were perceived as aesthetically pleasing(2). Through the Healthy Parks Project, Clorox is committed to improving park spaces so that people can feel safe and thrive in the local parks accessible to them.

"We applaud Clorox's commitment to advancing environmental justice through the Healthy Parks Project and welcome this meaningful investment in West Oakland's parks and people," said Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation Executive Director Terra Cole Brown. "This new partnership shows how corporate, community and government stakeholders can work together toward improving park access and utilization citywide."

Supporting Thriving Communities

Clorox and its portfolio of brands have a long-standing legacy of giving back through nonprofit partnerships and community involvement, including supporting Oakland, where it is headquartered and all of the communities where it has teammates. On a national and international level, the company has partnerships with the American Red Cross, Direct Relief, Americares and other organizations with an emphasis on underresourced communities. Additionally, The Healthy Parks Project is an extension of The Clorox Company Foundation's focus on health security, racial justice and the belief that health and wellness is a basic human right.

About The Clorox CompanyThe Clorox Company (NYSE: CLX) is a leading multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer and professional products with about 9,000 employees worldwide and fiscal year 2021 sales of $7.3 billion. Clorox markets some of the most trusted and recognized consumer brand names, including its namesake bleach and cleaning products; Pine-Sol cleaners; Liquid-Plumr clog removers; Poett home care products; Fresh Step cat litter; Glad bags and wraps; Kingsford grilling products; Hidden Valley dressings and sauces; Brita water-filtration products; Burt's Bees natural personal care products; and RenewLife, Rainbow Light, Natural Vitality CALM, and NeoCell vitamins, minerals and supplements. The company also markets industry-leading products and technologies for professional customers, including those sold under the CloroxPro and Clorox Healthcare brand names. More than 80% of the company's sales are generated from brands that hold the No. 1 or No. 2 market share positions in their categories.

Clorox is a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's New Plastics Economy Global Commitment. The company has been broadly recognized for its corporate responsibility efforts, included on the Barron's 2021 100 Most Sustainable Companies list, 2021 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, the Human Rights Campaign's 2021 Corporate Equality Index and the 2021 Parity.org Best Places for Women to Advance list, among others. In support of its communities, The Clorox Company brands and its foundation contributed about $20 million in combined cash grants, product donations and cause marketing in fiscal year 2021. For more information, visit TheCloroxCompany.com and follow the company on Twitter at @CloroxCo.

About the Clorox Company Foundation

Founded in 1980, The Clorox Company Foundation has a mission to foster healthy and inclusive communities so people can be well and thrive. Since its inception, the foundation has awarded cash grants totaling nearly $130 million to nonprofit organizations.

About the Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation

The Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation (OPRF) is a trusted facilitator and convening partner that enables parks policy development, investment and community ownership. Led by a skilled staff and board, OPRF draws on 40 years of experience creating public-private partnerships with local government, community organizations and financial sponsors to increase equitable access to parks and recreational opportunities for Oakland residents. For more information, visit oaklandparks.org.

CLX-C

1 Trust for Public Land

2 NIH National Library of Medicine

(PRNewsfoto/The Clorox Company)

Cision

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SOURCE The Clorox Company

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The Clorox Company Announces Multi-Year Investment in Environmental Justice through Partnerships with City Parks - Yahoo Finance

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The US consumer goods manufacturer Kellogg Company (NYSE:K) was founded in 1906 and currently has 31,000 employees. The company is engaged in both the manufacturing and marketing of snacks and convenience foods. The brands sold by the consumer goods manufacturer include Pringles, Kellogg's and Cheez-It, to name just a few. I have presented my investment thesis as follows:

Kellogg is a company from the non-cyclical consumer goods industry. This industry is characterized by the fact that companies are able to generate relatively stable revenue and profits over time. Products from the consumer goods industry are consistently in demand even during economically difficult times. Another characteristic of this industry is the strong competition and relatively limited growth prospects for most companies from the sector. The Economist Intelligence Unit expects growth in retail volumes worldwide to slow to 3.3% in 2022.

However, investors who are long-term oriented and who primarily focus on dividend income, as well as investors who are looking for attractive investments to reduce the volatility of their investment portfolio, can find attractive companies in this industry. One of which is the Kellogg Company, which I will analyze in more detail in this article.

The products of Kellogg are manufactured in 21 countries and their products are marketed in more than 180 countries across the world. Kellogg's products are sold to retailers via direct sales in order to be resold to consumers.

Kellogg distinguishes among the following business units: snacks, cereals, frozen as well as noodles and other. In the business unit of snacks, Kellogg generated a revenue of $6.807 billion in 2021. This is 48% of its total revenue in 2021 and makes snacks the most important business unit in terms of revenue. In the business unit cereal, Kellogg generated a revenue of $5.123 billion, which at 36% of their total revenue is the second most important business unit. The business unit of frozen (8% of the total revenue) as well as the business unit noodles and other (also 8% of the total revenue) account for a smaller proportion of Kellogg's total revenue.

The revenue of the business unit snacks increased from $6.281 billion in 2020 to $6.807 billion in 2021. This corresponds to a rise of 8.4%. In contrast, revenue of the business unit cereals decreased from $5.433 billion in 2020 to $5.123 billion in 2021, corresponding to a decline of 5.7%. The frozen business unit shows a decrease of 2.9% and the noodles and other business unit increased by 24.8%.

The fact that Kellogg's second most important business unit of cereals suffered a revenue decrease in 2021 in comparison to 2020, reflects the growth challenges they are facing and furthermore reflects characteristics of the low growing business environment, in which the company is operating.

Kellogg's consolidated net sales increased from $13.770 billion in 2020 to $14.181 billion in 2021. This is a rise of about 3%. In the same period, Kellogg's EBIT decreased from $1,782 billion to $1,680 billion, resulting in a decrease of 5.7%. The decline in Kellogg's EBIT in 2021 in comparison to 2020, can be interpreted as another indicator of their current growth difficulties.

Kellogg's average revenue growth of the past five years has been 1.4% per year. This low revenue growth is further evidence that Kellogg operates in a challenging business segment.

For a more detailed analysis, I will look at the results from each of the geographic markets in which Kellogg operates. The company differentiates between North America, Europe, Latin America and AMEA (Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa).

In North America, net sales decreased from $8,361 billion in 2020 to $8,174 billion in 2021. This is a decline of 2.2%. In Europe, net sales increased from $2,232 billion in 2020 to $2,397 billion in 2021, resulting in a rise of 7.4%. In Latin America net sales went up from $914 billion in 2020 to $997 billion in 2021, which means a growth in net sales of 9.1%. In AMEA, net sales saw an increase from $2,263 billion in 2020 to $2,613 billion in 2021, resulting in a gain of 15.5%.

With a 57.6% share of total revenue, North America is the most important market for Kellogg, followed by AMEA (18.4%), Europe (17%) and Latin America (7%). The fact that North America revenue decreased in 2021 compared to 2020, is a further indicator of the difficulties Kellogg face in expanding their business.

Due to the high and relatively stable earnings that Kellogg generates year over year, the company is able to spend a substantial proportion of its earnings on the research and development of new products as well as in the marketing of its existing products. In 2021, Kellogg spent $134 million on research and development and $790 million on advertising. Those spendings make it more difficult for potential competitors to enter into the already highly competitive consumer goods market.

Furthermore, Kellogg has managed to build brands and to create a product distribution network during its more than 100 years of history as a company. Furthermore, they have been able to build economies of scale that help the company to stand out against their competitors. With Pringles, Kellogg owns a strong consumer brand that the company acquired from Procter & Gamble (PG) back in 2012. With the brands Kellogg's and Cheez-It, the company has a number of important brands in its product portfolio that consumers have been familiar with for decades.

The fact that Kellogg has already existed for more than 100 years, shows us that the company has been able to adapt to different consumer preferences over time. Therefore, I expect the company to respond successfully to changes in consumer preferences in the future.

I believe that the competitive advantages listed above will ensure that Kellogg will continue to be able to generate stable profits in the future. Due to the company's proven ability to generate high profits even in economically challenging times, I assume that Kellogg's stock will continue to be less volatile than the broader stock market. For this reason, I assume, that you will be able to reduce the volatility of your investment portfolio by investing in Kellogg.

It has previously been shown that Kellogg recorded its largest revenue increase in the AMEA region, with a rise in net sales of 15.5%, followed by Latin America with a growth of 9% in 2021 compared to 2020.

Due to the fact that populations are growing faster in countries of the AMEA region as well as in Latin America, compared to North America and Europe, I expect that these regions will continue to offer Kellogg's the highest growth prospects in the future.

In my view, the cereals business unit will continue to offer very limited growth opportunities. This is due to the fact that people usually only have breakfast once a day. Only in the AMEA and Latin America region I do see some growth potential for this business unit due to the growing population as well as the growing middle class of its countries. I assume that the business unit of snacks will continue to offer higher growth prospects in comparison to the cereals business unit.

Due to the fact that Kellogg has only grown its revenue by 1.4% on average per year in the last 5 years and the ongoing limited growth opportunities, I expect that they will continue to grow at low growth rates in the future.

However, although growing at low growth rates, I believe that Kellogg's high and relatively stable profits continue to contribute to the fact that the company's stock will be less volatile than that of the broader stock market.

In terms of valuation, I have used the EPS Multiplier Method to determine the intrinsic value of Kellogg. The method calculates a fair value of $50.25 for the company. At the current share price, this results in a downside of 26.6%.

In the next sections, I will explain the assumptions of my calculation:

The Seeking Alpha EPS Diluted Growth (FWD) rate of Kellogg is 2.5%. Therefore, I assume an EPS growth rate of 3% for the company over the next 20 years. I have used Kellogg's current discount rate (WACC) of 4.85% to calculate a fair value.

My calculations are based on the following information as presented below:

Company Ticker

K

EPS

$4.36

Discount Rate

4.85%

Growth Rate for the Next 20 Years

3%

Current Stock Price

$68.42

PE Ratio

15.69

Based on the above assumption, I calculated the following results:

Intrinsic Value

$50.25

Current Stock Price

$68.42

Margin of Safety

-36.20%

Upside/Downside

-26.60%

Source: The Author

Kellogg's P/E Ratio is currently 16.61 while their average P/E Ratio of the last 5 years is 17.02. The comparison shows us that the current P/E Ratio of Kellogg's is 2.42% lower than its average P/E Ratio from the last five years. This indicator suggests that the company is currently slightly undervalued.

When comparing Kellogg's P/E Ratio of 16.61 with the sector medium of 20.58, it provides us with another indicator suggesting that Kellogg is currently undervalued. The current P/E Ratio is 19.29% below the sector medium.

Kellogg

PepsiCo

Kraft-Heinz

Nestle

Danone

Market Cap

22.95B

235.73B

51.64B

352.71B

36.23B

Revenue

14.18B

79.47B

26.04B

95.88B

27.64B

Revenue Growth 5 Year (CAGR)

1.81%

4.82%

-0.20%

-0.52%

2.04%

EBIT Margin

14.26%

14.85%

21.01%

17.04%

13.74%

P/E GAAP (FWD)

16.61

25.39

16.28

26.96

16.92

Dividend Yield (FWD)

3.40%

2.49%

3.75%

2.37%

4.11%

Dividend Payout Ratio

55.40%

67.96%

54.42%

45.38%

65.99%

Dividend Growth 5 Yr (CAGR)

2.41%

Link:
Kellogg: A Stock To Reduce The Volatility Of Your Investment Portfolio - Seeking Alpha

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. & DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LifePoint Health and Specialist TeleMed (STeM) have announced that an affiliate of LifePoint Health will lead an investment in STeM. STeM, a leading multi-specialty telemedicine provider for hospitals, clinics and remote locations worldwide, will continue to serve its existing client base of healthcare organizations and further expand its footprint, including within the LifePoint network.

The transaction is part of LifePoints enterprise strategy for driving innovation called LifePoint Forward. Through the LifePoint Forward strategy, the company is pursuing opportunities to partner, build or buy technology and solutions that support its objectives of improving quality, access and patient outcomes and experience for those it serves.

LifePoint Health is committed to leveraging technology and innovative solutions to address the specific health needs of our communities, eliminate barriers and deliver on our promise to provide quality care for patients close to home, said David Dill, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of LifePoint Health. We recognize how important it is to align with strong organizations, such as STeM, that can help us achieve this shared objective faster and more effectively. Aligning with STeM is yet another demonstration of how we are Making Communities Healthier and building a model for community-based healthcare delivery through diversified services that aim to best serve patients, clinicians and providers across the healthcare continuum.

Based in Denver, Colorado, STeM is a physician-led company offering more than 24 inpatient and outpatient specialties for virtual care consultations. STeM currently partners with healthcare provider organizations nationwide to provide telemedicine solutions 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

We are excited to align with LifePoint Health, a strong health system that will help us continue to build upon our recent growth in partnerships and enhance our capabilities to deliver high quality, integrated and patient-centered care to healthcare organizations across the country, said Alexander Mason, MD, FAANS, CEO of STeM. With LifePoints support, we will have new opportunities to accelerate our growth and further strengthen our robust pipeline of clients. We share LifePoints commitment to putting patients first and taking an innovative approach to transforming the delivery of care, and we look forward to advancing this work together.

Led by Dr. Mason, a practicing neurosurgeon, STeMs existing leadership team will continue to lead the organization forward following the close of the transaction, which is anticipated to occur in the coming months.

About LifePoint Health

LifePoint Health is a leading healthcare provider that serves patients, clinicians, communities and partner organizations across the healthcare continuum. Driven by a mission of Making Communities Healthier, the company has a growing diversified healthcare delivery network comprised of more than 50,000 dedicated employees, 65 community hospital campuses, more than 30 rehabilitation and behavioral health hospitals and 170 additional sites of care, including managed acute rehabilitation units, outpatient centers and post-acute care facilities. Through its innovation strategy, LifePoint Forward, the company is developing meaningful solutions to enhance quality, increase access to care, and improve value across the LifePoint footprint and communities across the country. For more information, visit http://www.lifepointhealth.net.

About Specialist TeleMed (STeM)

Specialist TeleMeds vision is to provide access to the highest-quality, value-based healthcare for patients within their communities. For more information, visit specialisttelemed.com.

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LifePoint Health to Lead Investment in Specialist TeleMed - Business Wire

Investment apps have made investing more accessible to people by not requiring minimum deposits or charging steep commission fees.Yet, with so many apps offering similar features, choosing the best investment app for your strategy and goals can really be a tough decision to make.

The best investment apps not only let you keep track of your holdings from anywhere, but offer access to a variety of investment options. They feature advanced research tools and charting so you can analyze performance and place orders right away. They also provide educational resources to help newbies develop a strategy and get started.

Read on to learn more about investment apps, and find out which are the top picks, according to our research.

HIGHLIGHTS

Why we chose it: Webull is our choice for beginners and active traders because it offers extended market hours, advanced charting and enough educational resources.

Webull is a trading app that offers commission-free stocks, ETFs and options, with no minimum deposits. Additionally, it supports IRAs and allows investing in crypto and some foreign companies (ADRs).

Although Webulls research tools and charts can seem overwhelming at first, we believe its a great choice for beginners who dont mind taking some time to learn. It has a learning center full of video explainers and how-tos, alongside a training camp that can be customized based on your investing experience. In addition, it offers a trading simulator, where beginners can learn and practice how to trade using paper (or virtual) money.

Active traders can benefit from Webulls advanced charting and real-time data to place orders and do market research. Another great perk is that it offers access to extended market hours, so you can trade before and after the market closes from 4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. ET, and 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Do note, Webull has a $5 minimum for fractional share orders. This might be a drawback for some traders, considering apps like Robinhood let you buy shares for just $1.

HIGHLIGHTS

Why we chose it: We chose Acorns as the best app for micro-investing because it can automatically invest spare change from your purchases.

Acorns is popularly known for making investing a no-brainer. The mobile app can be configured in less than 15 minutes. You just need to create an account, link a debit or credit card or add some funds using a checking or savings account.

Based on your financial information, Acorns recommends one of its five portfolios. These are designed considering risk tolerance, and range anywhere from conservative to aggressive. You can also change the portfolio at any time, if you want to undertake more or less risk.

Acorns stands out for making it easy to set money aside for investing it rounds purchase transactions up to the nearest dollar, so you can invest spare change automatically. In addition, the app offers a rewards program that invests cash back from your purchase when you shop from specific brands within the app. Some featured brands include Apple, Walmart, Uber, Nike and Chewy.

Although the app recommends making round-ups automatic, it can be done manually too. This gives you more control over the transactions you want to round up. If you want to invest more money, you can customize it to multiply that amount by two, three or ten times, or schedule one-time or monthly deposits from a checking account.

Acorns main drawback is that it charges a monthly subscription of $3 or $5, depending on the tier you choose. Although it may not sound like much at first, a flat fee structure like Acorns can add up in the long term and even exceed your returns, especially if youre just investing small amounts. Another thing to keep in mind is that Acorns doesnt make an instant deposit of your round-ups, rather it waits until youve accumulated $5.

HIGHLIGHTS

Why we chose it: Betterment is our choice for best robo-advisor because its algorithm lets users know how much they need to save to meet their goals and offers a tax coordination feature.

Betterment is a robo-advisor investment app and as such it automatically designs diversified portfolios based on your investment goals. Robo-advisors like Betterment and Acorns are different from trading apps like Webull because they dont let you choose the type of securities you invest in, rather they offer ready-made portfolios.

Unlike Acorns, Betterment doesnt charge a monthly fee. Instead it charges an annual management fee of 0.25% or 0.40%, depending on your account balance. This fee structure can be more cost-effective than a flat monthly subscription, especially if youre investing small amounts of money.

We liked that Betterment automatically calculates how much you need to save to reach your goals within a specific time period. You can also create multiple investment accounts for different goals. For instance, you could create a general investing account, a retirement account and education savings with different target dates, and the app would let you know how much you have to set apart for each in order to reach your goal amount.

Compared to Acorns, Betterments set-up process is a bit ambiguous and its charts are less intuitive. This may make it difficult to track your portfolios performance.

However, overall, its perks make up for it. For example, Betterments algorithm offers automated tax-saving strategies for all users, including tax loss harvesting. This means that the algorithm looks for opportunities to reduce tax exposure by selling securities that have experienced losses and offsetting gains.

Additionally, Betterment offers support from Certified Financial Planner professionals for all users, for an additional fee. (This service is included for no extra charge with the Premium account, which requires a minimum balance of $100,000.)

HIGHLIGHTS

Why we chose it: Public is our pick for best investment app for investing in community because it features a social platform that lets you connect with other investors using the app.

Public is another commission-free investment app that offers access to stocks, ETFs and crypto. What sets it apart from others are its social features, which let you connect and share insight with other traders and financial advisors.

Publics community feed is like Twitter for investors. In it you can keep up with trending news and topics, see what other members are investing in and post your recent buys and sells. You can also create group chats with people youre following and participate in virtual events within the app.

Public offers access to about 900 stock and ETFs, and over 25 different crypto coins and tokens, including Bitcoin, Dogecoin, Shiba Inu and Avalanche. Additionally, it lets you buy fractional shares with a $1 minimum.

Public doesnt require you link a bank account to fund your account, you can simply use a debit card. However, you do need to link a bank in order to withdraw your money.

There are some drawbacks, however. Public doesnt offer access to a wide array of tradable assets for instance, you cant invest in options, mutual funds or bonds. Additionally, even though the app is free at the moment, Public may eventually charge a subscription fee for premium features.

HIGHLIGHTS

Why we chose it: TD Ameritrade is the best investment app for educational tools because it offers a wide range of resources, how-to videos and research tools.

If youre looking for an investment app with tons of educational resources, TD Ameritrade is a great choice. It offers traders two different apps TD Ameritrade Mobile and thinkorswim to meet all types of investors needs. In addition, it features demos, videos and advanced research tools for free.

TD Ameritrade has a wide selection of tradable assets, including options that many competitors dont offer, such as forex, mutual funds and futures. It doesnt charge any commissions for trading stocks, ETFs, options and mutual funds. However, options trades have a $0.65 fee per contract.

Apart from the educational and how-to videos available in TD Ameritrade Mobile, users have access to a wide range of online resources through TD Ameritrades website, including courses, webcasts and articles on investment strategies and analysis.

TDs thinkorswim platform also takes investing to the next level. It provides experienced traders advanced tools to place orders, create watchlists and keep track of preferred stocks. Users can create customizable charts and set time frames for analyzing stock performance and making informed market predictions. Additionally, it lets users run simulations using paper trading, so they can practice their own investment strategies without losing real money.

One thing to note is that TD Ameritrade doesnt offer fractional shares, meaning you can only buy full shares. In addition, despite the various educational resources widely available, TD Ameritrades apps can be overwhelming and difficult to navigate for beginners.

HIGHLIGHTS

Why we chose it: SoFi is our choice for best all-in-one investment app because it offers brokerage accounts, automated investing and some banking products.

SoFi is an online personal finance company that offers loans, banking and self-directed and automated investing all in one place.

SoFi Active Investing doesnt charge management fees or a commission for stocks, fractional shares and ETFs trades. In addition to these securities, users can also trade over 20 cryptocurrencies, including Ethereum, Bitcoin and Dogecoin, though at a 1.25% markup fee on all crypto transactions.

To start investing you just need to link your bank account, and place a stock order of at least $5 or $10 for cryptos. With automated investing, however, you can start with just $1 and set up daily, weekly, bi-weekly or monthly recurring deposits.

Some drawbacks: Although the app features educational resources and charts that may be good enough for beginners, it lacks advanced research tools for more experienced investors. Additionally, the apps selection of tradable securities is somewhat limited compared to competitors.

HIGHLIGHTS

Why we chose it: Charles Schwab is the best investment app for experienced traders because it offers an extensive variety of research tools and access to trade in foreign markets.

Charles Schwab is a full-service brokerage thats a great choice for experienced investors. It offers a variety of investment services and doesnt charge commissions on stocks, ETFs, mutual funds and options.

You can open accounts with no minimum balance and get access to a full range of investment products, including international stocks, annuities and crypto. You can also get access to a dedicated financial consultant if your account has $250,000 or more. In addition, Schwabs platforms (both mobile and online) offer advanced research tools and in-depth charts to analyze trade ideas and opportunities with real-time data.

Aside from self-managed accounts, Schwab offers automated investing with a dedicated expert at no extra charge, although it requires a minimum of $5,000 to get started. A premium robo-advisor service is also available for a one-time fee of $300 and a $30 monthly advisory fee. The premium subscription includes guidance from a Certified Financial Planner, a personalized roadmap and interactive planning tools.

Time in the market beats timing the market.

The brokerage you choose matters. Try Public.com, the investing platform helping people become better investors. See what makes us different.

Offer valid for U.S. residents 18+ and subject to account approval. There may be other fees associated with trading. See Public.com/disclosures/.

Robinhood is a trading app thats popular among beginners. Its game-like design is accessible and user-friendly. Like most apps, Robinhood has no minimums and no fees, offering commision-free trades on stocks, options, crypto, ETFs and IPOs. Despite its popularity, Robinhood has faced strong criticism for restricting users access to securities like GameStop during the latest meme stock swing. The app has also been involved in multiple data breaches in the past, the most recent in 2021. Additionally, it was charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission for misleading customers on how it makes money from order flows.

Fidelity is one of the few major brokerages that allows investors to trade fractional shares. It has no minimum account requirements and doesnt charge commissions on stocks, ETFs and options trades. Its mobile app gives access to a wide selection of securities and robo-investing. Fidelitys robo-advisor is free for accounts under $10,000. However, if the account balance exceeds this amount, the company charges a $3 monthly advisory fee or a 0.35% yearly fee. Additionally, Fidelity doesnt allow investors to trade cryptocurrency nor does it offer access to tax-loss harvesting tools.

E*Trade is a popular online broker that provides traders of all kinds with a large selection of investment securities. Like other online brokerages, E*Trade doesnt set an account minimum for standard accounts and offers commission-free stocks, options and ETFs. It also offers mutual funds with no transaction fees.

Aside from a web platform, E*Trade has two mobile apps E*Trade and Power E*Trade which traders can use to place orders and follow the markets movement. While E*Trade offers managed portfolios, it has a $500 minimum balance and a 0.30% annual advisory fee. Additionally, E*Trade has a higher margin rate than most brokerages and doesnt support cryptocurrency trading.

Like most robo-advisors, Ellevest designs personalized portfolios and automatically manages them based on your long- and short-term investment goals. What sets it apart from other investment tools is that its designed by women and for women (although its an option for anyone and great for beginners).

The Ellevest algorithm considers factors that affect many women such as pay gaps, career breaks and longer average lifespans and recommends initial target amounts depending on specific goals and time horizon.

Ellevest's main drawback, however, is that it only offers two types of investment portfolios, which is considerably limited compared to competitors. Additionally, it charges a monthly subscription fee of $1, $5 or $9, depending on the membership plan.

Our guide on investment apps covers key information on the types of investment apps you can use, how they work, the most common types of stock orders and how much money you should invest. Read on to learn more about investment apps and how to pick the best one for your financial goals.

Investment apps are mobile applications designed to buy and sell stocks and other tradable assets from publicly listed companies through smartphones or tablets.

These apps let users quickly access their holdings, monitor stock market performance and track new investment opportunities. Most offer educational resources and notifications on recent market trends to keep users informed while helping them develop their own investment strategy.

Types of investing apps

Investment apps typically fall in one of three categories:

First, you have to install the app on your device and create an account. Most investment apps require basic personal information like your full name, social security number and address, along with some employment and financial information. You can then choose the type of account: an individual brokerage account, individual retirement account (IRA), college savings or automated investment if the app offers robo-advisor features. Once the account is approved, you can link a bank account, transfer funds and start investing.

Many investment apps feature advanced charts that let you visualize stock price fluctuations and performance over time. Information like latest market news, historical high and lows, trading volume, dividends and price-earning ratio is also broadly available. Some apps may include stock analyst ratings as well.

Another perk is that sometimes investment apps give you a free stock when you first fund your account or when friends you recommend join the app.

Types of stock orders

As with any investment platform, you can place different types of orders on an investment app. If youre new to investing, it might be useful to familiarize yourself with the three most common types of orders and know what each one means.

A market order is an order to buy or sell a stock immediately, at or near the current market price. Investment apps that offer fractional shares will typically let you choose between buying in dollars or in shares.

Buying in dollars means youll buy the dollars equivalent in shares. For instance, if you place a $5 order for buying a stock thats currently priced at $125, you would receive about 0.04 shares.

Buying in shares, on the other hand, means that you want to buy a specific number of shares at the current price. Continuing with the previous example, if you wanted to buy two shares from the same company, then you would have to place an order for two shares at $125 each and pay a total price of $250.

A limit order is an order for a particular stock at a specified price. Note that a limit order is placed only when the desired stock reaches the price of your choosing, otherwise known as the limit price. For example, lets say you want to buy shares of a renowned company thats currently trading at $75, but you want to buy it at $74.90. You could place a limit order for this amount. Your order would then be executed only if the price of the stock ever reaches the limit price (or lower).

A stop-loss order is an order to sell or buy stocks thats triggered when a specified stock price is met. Stop-loss orders are designed to help reduce potential losses. For instance, you could set up a stop-loss order to limit the loss of a $125 stock to 10%. In this case, if the stocks price dropped by 10%, the stop order would be automatically triggered, reducing the risk of further losses.

While most financial experts recommend dedicating between 5% to 20% of your paycheck to savings and investing, it will all depend on your financial situation, goals and how much you can actually set aside for investing without compromising other responsibilities. For instance, if youre currently paying multiple credit cards and loans, it would be best to temporarily allocate more money towards paying off those debts first.

The good thing about investment apps, however, is that most dont have minimum requirements on how much money you need to start investing. This means that you can literally start investing with as little as $1. While this may sound like too small of an investment, keep in mind that you can keep adding to your account and investing regularly, so you can build wealth over time.

If youre new to investing or aren't sure where to start, a financial advisor can help you set up a plan and identify the best investment opportunities for your objectives. We also recommend checking out our guides on how to invest and how to buy stocks.

Not all investment apps give access to the same securities and financial products, which is why your experience and financial goals may play a key role in determining whether a particular investing app offers the features you need. When looking for the best investment app for you, keep the following factors in mind:

Consider your investment experience

Your experience and the type of investor you are (or want to be) are two important factors when choosing the best investment app for you.

Beginners and passive investors may benefit from a good robo-advisor, which generally offers straightforward app design and automated investing and portfolio management. But those who want to learn and have more control over the type of investments they can make, should look for investing apps that let them place their own trades and that feature a variety of educational tools and resources, including simulators to practice trades.

More experienced and active traders, however, may prefer apps with access to a wider selection of financial products and advanced trading tools to execute more complex strategies.

Assess your financial goals

Are you investing to save for retirement? For a short-term goal like buying a home? Or do you want to do it as a hobby, or even become a professional trader over time? Knowing the answer to these and similar questions may give you a clearer picture of what type of investment app to choose.

Remember that investing apps offer a wide array of investment options. These include stocks, bonds, ETFs, options and cryptocurrency. Before choosing an app, make sure it offers the type of investments you want to buy at the lowest possible cost.

If its only crypto youre investing in, consider getting a crypto exchange instead. While some investment apps let you buy popular digital currencies like Bitcoin, their offering is oftentimes limited. However, the best crypto exchanges not only let you trade and convert different cryptocurrencies, but offer competitive prices and comprehensive features.

Verify the app fees

Although most investment apps offer low costs or commission-free trading, there are some apps that charge annual management fees or monthly subscription fees that, when added up, can end up taking more than what they give you in return.

One important factor to keep in mind when evaluating investing apps fees is the expense ratio. This ratio determines the percentage of your investment that goes toward paying annual fees. It divides the total annual fee by the total amount invested.

Let's compare Acorns and Betterment fee structure, as an example.

Acorns has plans that cost $3 and $5 a month. If you were to choose its $3 monthly subscription and only invest $100 in a year, you would pay a flat rate of $36 a year, the equivalent to a 36% expense ratio. This means that 36% of your investment would go towards paying management fees. If you were to invest the same $100 using Betterment, which charges a 0.25% annual fee for the total asset balance of your account, you would pay roughly $0.25.

Depending on your investment, asset-based pricing, like Betterments, may be more cost-effective than paying a flat monthly fee, especially if youre planning to invest small amounts of money. On the other hand, if youre investing a greater amount of money, a flat fee structure may be more convenient than asset-based pricing.

Check the brokers background

Investment apps should be trustworthy, and take an active role in protecting your money.

Most trustworthy investing apps are transparent about their fee structure, and are registered with regulatory agencies like the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), which ensure brokerages abide by certain fiduciary regulations.

Additionally, investing apps should be insured by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), a private nonprofit organization that protects investors against the loss of securities and cash in case of the brokerage firms insolvency.

If background information is not easily available in the apps or their websites, you can do a search using tools like FINRAs BrokerCheck and the SECs Investment Adviser Public Disclosure websites.

What is the best investment app for beginners?

Robo-advisors are generally a great option for beginners. Apps like Acorns and Betterment, use algorithms that can automatically build and manage portfolios for you based on financial information and goals.

However, if you want to choose your own investments and actively buy individual stocks, ETFs and other trading opportunities, there are investment apps (such as Webull) that offer interactive and intuitive interfaces.

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7 Best Investment Apps of 2022 - Money

The beauty-tech company, that is seeking to revolutionise the fragrance segment, has raised the additional investment to increase D2C and licensing operations.

Published: Oct. 20, 2021 at 11:11 AM CDT|Updated: 13 hours ago

TEL AVIV, Israel, Oct. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The beauty-tech company AMKIRI, has announced that that it has closed a $3 million financing led by Welltech Ventures for expansion and growth.

AMKIRI's vision is to push the boundaries of fashion and beauty care with its visual fragrance. Its product is a combination of a body ink infused with exhilarating fragrances that's applied as a temporary tattoo and a perfume all wrapped into one.

AMKIRI's technology is disrupting the segment by offering an entirely new, innovative and unique experience of "visual fragrance", with an endless range of temporary tattoo designs and sizes to always stay at the forefront of urban culture.

Amkiri's innovation is patent protected worldwide and its intellectual property bolstered by registered designs and trademarks.

AMKIRI brings endless creativity and multi-sensory self-expression to your daily ritual. Its technology brings a multi-dimensional experience into fragrance; it unleashes the fragrance breaking through the constraints of the traditional fragrance format and adding visual and physical elements to the experience. AMKIRI elevates and empowers the storytelling of fragrance and self-expression for both the individual and the brand.

Having launched in Israel, Poland and the US, AMKIRI intends on using the funds to further expand its scaling and sales in the US, Europe, and Asia through D2C and B2B channels, focussing D2C primarily on digital channels and social commerce using key social media influencers to build brand affintity and word of mouth awareness.

Amir Alroy and Galit Horovitz, Co-founders of Welltech Ventures: "We are delighted to add Amkiri, our debut in beauty-tech investment, to our portfolio. Amkiri's innovative first ever "visual fragrance" is a unique platform that combines scent and shape through an elegant and fun experience which could definitely improve the wellbeing of all of us. It's our pleasure to join the roster of investors that have been supporting the company."

Ido Pollak, CEO of Amkiri: "We are proud to have Welltech Ventures as a lead investor in the company. This is a real endorsement that beauty care is attracting huge interest in the broader Wellness sector. By working in partnership with our current investors: International Flavors & Fragrances Inc, Co-founder, Shoval Shavit and others I am confident that AMKIRI will reach new heights."

Contact details: Ido Pollak ido@amkiri.com

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SOURCE AMKIRI

The above press release was provided courtesy of PRNewswire. The views, opinions and statements in the press release are not endorsed by Gray Media Group nor do they necessarily state or reflect those of Gray Media Group, Inc.

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AMKIRI Announces an Investment of $3 Million - KFYR-TV

The passage and implementation of the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act (FIRRMA) was the most significant change in U.S. regulation of foreign investment since the 1975 creation of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS) but changes to U.S. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) laws and regulations continue.

If enacted, the proposed Foreign Adversary Risk Management Act(FARM Act) will expand the CFIUS definition of critical infrastructure to include agricultural production facilities and real estate. Similarly, recent changes by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)now control certain genetic assemblers and synthesizer software, rendering thememerging technologies subject to CFIUS.

The FARM Act may become the latest expansion of CFIUS. TheFARM Act is a bipartisan bill cosponsored by Sen. TommyTuberville(R-Ala.), Sen. Ronny Jackson (R-Tex.) and Sen. Filemon Vela (D-Tex.). If passed, the FARM Act would designate the U.S. agricultural supply chain as critical infrastructure, extending CFIUS review to any merger, acquisition, transfer, joint venture, or other transaction that could result in foreign control of a U.S. business engaged in agriculture production and/or uses agricultural products. The bill also proposes to add the Secretary of Agriculture to CFIUS and requires CFIUS to report on foreign investments in U.S. agriculture to Congress.

However, the FARM Act would not be the first FDI protection of the U.S. agricultural supply chain. Rather, FIRRMA included provisions that established CFIUS jurisdiction upon the invocation of the Defense Production Act (DPA). More specifically, the FIRMMA list of critical infrastructure included the following language:

manufacture any industrial resource other than commercially available of-the-shelf items . or operate any industrial resource that is a facility, in each case,that has beenfunded, in whole or in part, by [] (a) Defense Production Act of 1950 Title III program..

Additionally, the FIRRMA definition of covered transactions includes the following language:

(d)Any other transaction, transfer, agreement, or arrangement, the structure of which is designed or intended to evade or circumvent the application of section 721.

Title III of the DPA allows the President to provide economic incentives to secure domestic industrial capabilities essential to meet national defense and homeland security requirements. The DPA was invoked by former President Trumps COVID-19-related Executive Orders regarding medical supplies and food production. As a result, even non-controlling foreign investments in U.S. medical or food producers that received DPA funding are subject to CFIUS review and continue to be for a period of 60 months following the receipt of any DPA funding.

On October 5, 2021, BIS amendedthe Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to require licenses for the export of certain genomics software and tools that can be used for designing or manufacturing biological weapons. In doing so, BIS amended the Commerce Control List to add two new U.S. Export Control Classification Numbers (ECCNs) that target software utilized for certain nucleic acid assemblers and synthesizers capable of designing and building functional genetic elements from digital sequence data,as well as tools used to develop the software and assemblers.

More specifically, an export license for certain countries will be required for software determined to be within ECCN 2D352 based on chemical and biological weapons (CB) and anti-terrorism (AT) risks. Similarly, ECCN 2E001 will require an export license for certain countries for technology used for the development of software controlled by 2D352. In short, technology classified under ECCN 2E001 is controlled for the same CB and AT risks as ECCN 2D352 -- requiring an export license for designated countries.

Based on the foregoing, genomics software and development tools determined to be within ECCN 2D352 and 2E001 will also be considered critical technology under CFIUS. As a result, U.S. businesses that design, develop, or produce certain genomics software and development tools will be subject to CFIUS if they accept FDI.

The recent export re-classification of genomics software and development tools and the proposed FARM Act reinforce the need to be mindful of U.S. FDI requirements for transactions involving changes in foreign ownership, control or influence, and the need for early diligence as part of any transaction involving international investment.

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Further Expansion of U.S. Regulation of Foreign Direct Investment - JD Supra

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, seen here in an undated file photo, announced Oct. 20, 2021, in Brussels that the organization will unveil its first strategy for the use of artificial intelligence. (NIDS/NATO Multimedia Library)

NATO will adopt its first strategy on artificial intelligence and launch an innovation fund this week with the aim of investing $1 billion to futureproof the 30-nation security pact, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday.

We see authoritarian regimes racing to develop new technologies, from artificial intelligence to autonomous systems, Stoltenberg said at a news conference at the alliances Brussels headquarters.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will join his NATO member counterparts Thursday in Brussels to formally approve the plans during two days of talks.

Stoltenberg said he expects the new NATO fund to invest in emerging and disruptive technologies. New headquarters and test centers will be set up in both Europe and North America to support the effort, he said.

We must keep our technological edge, Stoltenberg said. Future conflicts will be fought not just with bullets and bombs but also with bytes and big data.

The alliances artificial intelligence strategy will integrate areas such as data analysis, imagery and cyberdefense, he said.

During the past couple of years, NATO has expanded beyond its traditional focus of land, sea and air operations to adapt to a more complicated security environment.

Last year, it established a new center at Ramstein Air Bases Allied Air Command to coordinate efforts in space, which was declared a new domain of military operation for the alliance. And in 2017, allies also added cyber as a military domain.

In Brussels, ministers also will discuss military efforts to deter potential Russian aggression as well as the overall state of relations with Moscow, which Stoltenberg said are at their lowest point since the Cold War.

Earlier this week, Russia announced it was closing its diplomatic mission to NATO in retaliation for the expulsion of eight members of that entourage who NATO accused of being intelligence operatives.

Still, Stoltenberg said, NATO remains open to the possibilityof dialogue with Moscow.

Calling Russia NATOs biggest neighbor, Stoltenberg said there is no way you cannot talk to them.

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NATO plans AI strategy, $1B investment fund as it seeks to stay ahead in tech realm - Stars and Stripes

Asset managers struggle to incorporate ESG in their brands and must emphasise their role in the construction of a safer and fairer future.

Published: Oct. 20, 2021 at 12:00 AM CDT

GENEVA, Oct. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- At first glance, the 2021 RIBI results indicate a 'one step forward, two steps backward' dynamic for the asset management industry. While great strives are being made to incorporate ESG measures consciously, only one asset manager out of six makes into the coveted Avant-Gardists category.

On a regional basis, Europe is leading the way. A full quarter of European asset managers link their Reason-for-being (Purpose) to generating monetary returns for investors as well as thinking consciously about advancing society as whole (up nearly 6% vs. 2020).

Global Top-10 Companies 2021:

1. Federated Hermes International

2. AXA Investment Managers

3. Schroders

4. Candriam

5. NN Investment Partners

6. DPAM

7. Mirova

8. Etica SGR

9. BNP Paribas Asset Management

10. Sycomore Asset Management

This is in stark contrast to the North America region, where an equal number of companies (nearly half) state a Purpose, but less than two in 10 asset managers are making the link to connecting their ambitions to societal goals. As the largest region in terms of both the number of players as well as total assets under management, this offers cause for concern.

Join our short global launch webinar today at 15:00 CET: web.ri-brandindex.org/ribi-launch-2021

The full 2021 Responsible Investment Brand Index (incl. regional level and country-level Top-10), methodology and further information is available at http://www.ri-brandindex.org.

About the Index

RIBI identifies which asset management companies act as responsible investors and commit to sustainable development to the extent that they put it at the very heart of who they are, i.e., in their brand. It aggregates the analysis of all 539 asset managers listed in the Investment & Pensions Europe Journal Top 500 as of December 31, 2020.

Media contact: Lucas Moergelin, +41 44 254 80 00, contact@ri-brandindex.org

Photo -https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1661479/Brand_Index_RIBI_Category_Ranking.jpg Logo -https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1661699/RIBI_Logo.jpg

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SOURCE Hirschel & Kramer Responsible Investment Brand Index - RIBI

The above press release was provided courtesy of PRNewswire. The views, opinions and statements in the press release are not endorsed by Gray Media Group nor do they necessarily state or reflect those of Gray Media Group, Inc.

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Release of the 2021 Responsible Investment Brand Index - WAFB

LONDON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Bill Gates is working with the British government to invest and bring down the cost of new greener technologies to help countries hit net-zero emission targets by 2050.

Speaking at a Global Investment Summit alongside Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Gates said investment was needed to further develop new technologies that were currently too expensive for the consumer market.

Gates said he would work with the UK to identify which projects should be backed, and that he expected at least one of the projects to be ready to scale up in the next five years.

"We will scale those up and bring down that cost, so we'll get these to the same place we are today with solar and onshore wind, and so they can be scaled up to reduce emissions," he said.

Bill Gates arrives at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, April 16, 2018. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File Photo

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Johnson's government said the 400 million pound ($552 million) partnership would supercharge green tech investment across the country, including in areas such as green hydrogen, long-term energy storage, sustainable aviation fuels and direct air capture of carbon dioxide.

Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, made the commitment through his Breakthrough Energy Catalyst which brings together a coalition of private investors who want to back innovation to tackle climate change.

Britain has already pledged at least 200 million pounds to the development of new UK projects, and investors and businesses in the Gates project will match that sum.

($1 = 0.7251 pounds)

Reporting by William James; writing by Kate Holton; editing by Alistair Smout

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Britain strikes green investment partnership with Bill Gates - Reuters

CNBC's Jim Cramer on Wednesday blasted "bearish billionaires," saying everyday investors ought to stop listening to their stock market calls.

"It's time the end this ridiculous charade of bearish billionaires who've been negative for ages being allowed to come on air and say everything they want about how bad things are, even as you've made so much more money being positive than they have in the last few years," the "Mad Money" host said.

"You can't take investment advice from oligarchs no matter how smart they sound, because they have a very different set of priorities and a very different agenda from you, and we need to stop pretending otherwise."

Compared to everyday investors like the viewers of his show, Cramer said super wealthy people can afford to have "total contempt" for the stock market and take minimal risk.

"You only need to get rich once," Cramer said, adding that once the "mega rich" reach that pinnacle, the one true threat to them is inflation because it erodes the value of their dollars. By contrast, many hourly workers in the U.S. are seeing their wages go up right now, he said.

"I think many of the wealthy, wittingly or unwittingly, are pulling up the ladder behind them by scaring you away from the stock market with horror stories about the dangers of inflation lurking everywhere," Cramer said.

Cramer said it goes beyond dire inflation warnings of late.

"They're also scaring you away from some of the best stocks in the market that really don't have anything to do with inflation at all," he said, highlighting Tesla, Amazon and Netflix as examples.

"Rich and powerful people spent years coming on air and talking trash about all three," Cramer said, but he contended they've become some of the most successful companies of all time.

Aside from a few exceptions, Cramer urged retail investors to stop taking their cue from "super-rich money managers."

"Do you think it's a coincidence that so many hedge fund guys made giant bets against [Tesla, Amazon and Netflix] and lost? I don't think so," Cramer said.

"The people behind those companies wanted to create wealth for their shareholder; they were willing to take huge risks for you in order to help you get rich long with themselves. If you held their stocks for long , that's exactly what you did," he said. "That's huge for the vast majority of people, but if you've already got a billion dollars, it's meaningless, which is why they have no appreciation for these companies or their evangelical leaders."

Disclosure: Cramer's charitable trust owns shares of Amazon.

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Jim Cramer blasts 'bearish billionaires,' says it's time to stop taking their investment advice - CNBC