In the still young year, the DAX has already recorded 16 record highs, the last one only yesterday. Most other stock market indices are also close to their all-time highs.

Where can you still invest now?

Handelsblatt experts have analyzed 1,000 stocks worldwide and identified 15 recommendations in three categories:

• Five shares of companies that are growing strongly over the long term but are still reasonably valued

$FTNT (-3,08%) Fortinet | $NOVO B (+5,32%) Novo Nordisk | $GDDY (-1,48%) GoDaddy | $PLD (+1,06%) ProLogis | $NOW (-2,3%) Service Now

• Five shares of companies that have been paying rising dividends for at least 20 years thanks to their earnings power

$PEP (+3,26%) PepsiCo | $CVX (-0,58%) Chevron | $FPE Fuchs Petrolab | $NWN (+1,51%) Northwest Natural Holding | $SAN (+0,91%) Sanofi

• Five shares of companies that have plummeted on the stock market but have an intact business model and turnaround potential

$SLB (-1,54%) Schlumberger | $BIIB (+2,62%) Biogen | $GPN (-1,89%) Global Payments | $MAKSY Marks & Spencer | $VOW (-0,15%) Volkswagen

Detailed analysis can be found at "Handelsblatt"

Source: Handelsblatt | Image: ChatGPT

Dear friends of sophisticated investment,

I have been investing for a few years now, albeit more theoretically. Since then, I have mainly made monthly payments into ETFs and would now like to take the next step on the stock market: selected individual shares as satellites to an ETF as a core.

In figures, I plan for the year 2025 as follows:

At my disposal: 1500€

ETFs:

500€ in $VWCE (-0,92%)

shares:

Basically, I try to use the selected shares to balance out the high proportion of US shares in the $VWCE (-0,92%) somewhat.

I will briefly explain why I chose the following stocks without going into too much detail.

200€ in $NU (-11,11%) (Brazil)

Banks are an interesting topic in South America. Many of the people living there do not have a bank account. An interesting growth market for companies based there in the FinTech sector.

200€ in $ASML (-0,72%) (Netherlands)

"In a gold rush, don't invest in gold diggers, invest in shovels" is a well-known quote from André Kostolany, a well-known investor and financial expert. So why not ride the semiconductor trend, but with the company that sells the machines to manufacture them? Semiconductors are needed in all kinds of industries. The market is currently estimated to be worth 611.35 billion dollars and is expected to grow to 2062.59 billion dollars by 2032.

200€ in $NOVO B (+5,32%) (Denmark)

Humanity is getting fatter and fatter. By 2035, the number of overweight people is expected to increase from around 1.01 billion today to 1.53 billion. The well-known weight loss injection from $NOVO B (+5,32%) and, of course, medication against diabetes.

200€ in $MC (+0,4%) (France)

Insane moat, great margins and active in many luxury sectors (right ETF for this company). Due to the rising standard of living in the western world, but also due to a growing middle and upper class in the emerging markets, more and more people can afford luxury products.

200€ in $FTNT (-3,08%) (USA, I know)

IT security products are becoming increasingly important due to the digitalization of the entire world and, of course, the threat of disputes between countries in the digital space.

$FTNT (-3,08%) is already a leader in the firewall sector and will continue to grow with this and other competencies in line with the trend.

Any money left over at the end of the month is put aside and invested in the above-mentioned shares when exciting opportunities arise.

What do you think of my approach? What do you think of the weighting of the shares in the ETF? What do you think of the stock selection?

Please let me know and I look forward to hearing from you in the comments.

Best regards

• $FTNT (-3,08%) (NASDAQ:FTNT) reported fourth-quarter earnings per share of $0.74, beating analysts' estimates of $0.61.

• Revenue for the quarter was $1.66 billion, above the consensus estimate of $1.59 billion.

Forecast 2025

• For the first quarter of 2025, Fortinet forecasts earnings per share of USD 0.52 to USD 0.54, compared to analyst estimates of USD 0.53.

• The company expects revenue to be between USD 1.5 billion and USD 1.56 billion, which is above analyst estimates of USD 1.53 billion.

• For the full year 2025, Fortinet projects earnings per share between USD 2.41 and USD 2.47, in line with Wall Street estimates of USD 2.42.

• Fortinet expects annual revenue to be between USD 6.65 billion and USD 6.85 billion, slightly above the expectation of USD 6.63 billion.

• Fortinet reported an adjusted operating margin of 39% for the quarter, while operating margin was 35%.

Total return

1.425,88 €

True time-weighted rate of return

24.37 % That's my balance sheet from January! I am very happy with that! I have sold all my short-term trading positions. I built up my first positions for February yesterday and today. These are derivatives on $ADYEN (-0,84%) (MG9L2B) purchase yesterday at 4.15 $ZAL (-1,25%) ( UG0W0H) Buy today at 5.84 $NOC (+2,66%) (HT21L8) purchase day before yesterday at 1.10 I have planned purchases in $FTNT (-3,08%) ( JT7XG3) $AMZN (-2,39%) ( MJ5V94) $ADS (-0,81%) (ME44Y2) and for a little longer $AXON (-4,57%) (Ht1KYH) I am keeping the remaining powder dry in case there are great opportunities like last Monday.

Hi folks,

I would like to add a cybersecurity share to my portfolio this year. Since I'm sure some people are already invested here and I'm not yet familiar with the market (apart from the growth potential), I'd be interested in your opinion.

My favorite at first glance would probably be Palo Alto, even if I first have to read up on why there was such a sharp drop in profits. Which player would be your pick and why?

$PANW (-3,05%)

$CRWD (-6,19%)

$FTNT (-3,08%)

$NET (-2,1%)

How should I start? My portfolio has increased by almost 3.75 times, even though I've been struggling with a few problems since June and can hardly save any more.

My BAföG has not yet been approved, which is why I have to be financially cautious and hope that I can make ends meet with my remaining funds.

The year has been exciting - I can't guarantee you whether the figures here are accurate, and to be honest I don't think they are, because so far they've almost always been wrong. Nevertheless, it gives you a good insight into my portfolio.

And my goals for 2025? Honestly, I have no idea! I'll have to see how my studies and my life as a whole are going before I can set any concrete goals, but I'll have some fun: Here are my top and flop 5 that I still hold.

$SOFI (-4,68%)
$BTC (+0,52%)
$FWONA
$D05 (+0,91%)
$FTNT (-3,08%)

$AIXA (-2,09%)
$EVT (-2,36%)
$AFX (-0,59%)
$MRNA (+6,04%)
$CELH

I wish you all a happy new year!

year!

I consider my tech stocks like $FTNT (-3,08%) and $TSM (-0,58%) due to the upcoming correction

what do you think makes sense?

lg

Fortinet Q3 2024 $FTNT (-3,08%)

Financial performance:

• Revenue: Total revenue in Q3 2024 was $1,508.1 million, up from $1,334.6 million in Q3 2023, representing growth of approximately 13%.
• Net income: GAAP net income was USD 539.9 million, compared to USD 322.9 million in the prior-year quarter. The increase shows a significant improvement in profitability.
• Non-GAAP net income: Non-GAAP net income for the quarter was $487.6 million, also up significantly from $323.5 million in Q3 2023.

Balance Sheet Overview:

• Total Assets: Total assets increased to $8,852.0 million as of September 30, 2024, compared to $7,258.9 million at year-end 2023.
• Total liabilities: Liabilities totaled $7,943.9 million, an increase from $7,722.3 million at the end of 2023. The ratio of assets to liabilities could pose a potential risk as liabilities remain high.
• Shareholders' equity: Shareholders' equity amounted to USD 908.1 million, compared to a negative value of USD 463.4 million at the end of 2023. This is a significant step towards a stronger financial position.

Income structure:

• Operating margin: GAAP operating margin was 31.2% in the third quarter, while non-GAAP operating margin was 36.1%. These margins demonstrate the company's solid operating efficiency.
• Gross margin: Non-GAAP gross margin was in the range of 79.5% to 80.5%, indicating good cost efficiency.

Cash flow overview:

• Cash flow from operating activities: The Company generated $608.1 million of cash flow from operations in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $551.2 million in the third quarter of 2023.
• Free cash flow: Free cash flow increased to USD 571.8 million, compared to USD 481.1 million in the prior-year quarter. This shows an improved liquidity position and gives the company more financial leeway.

Key figures and profitability metrics:

• Product and service sales: Product sales remained almost unchanged at USD 473.9 million compared to USD 465.9 million in the previous year, while service sales increased from USD 868.7 million to USD 1,034.2 million. The majority of the growth was therefore achieved by the service division.

Competitive position:

The company strives to maintain its competitive position in the dynamic security market and invests in risk mitigation, sales optimization and the introduction of new products. This is crucial in order to address market demand and technological developments.

Forecasts and management comments:

• Forecast for Q4 2024: Fourth quarter revenue is expected to be between USD 1,560 billion and USD 1,620 billion and billings are expected to be between USD 1,900 billion and USD 2,000 billion.
• Full-year forecast for 2024: Revenue for the full year 2024 is estimated to be between USD 5.856 billion and USD 5.916 billion.

Risks and opportunities:

• Risks: The company faces challenges such as economic risks, distribution risks, cyber threats and geopolitical tensions.
• Opportunities: The positive cash flow offers opportunities for strategic measures such as share buybacks and acquisitions, which could further improve the financial stability and competitive position.

Summary of results:

Positives:

Strong net income growth: Both GAAP and non-GAAP net income posted significant year-over-year increases.

Service revenue growth: Service revenue showed impressive growth and now represents a larger percentage of total revenue.

Improved free cash flow: Increased free cash flow gives the company greater financial flexibility for strategic investments.

Increase in equity: The company has turned the previous year's negative equity value into positive equity, which is a healthy sign for investors.

Positive outlook: The optimistic forecasts for the fourth quarter and full year 2024 suggest continued growth.

Negative aspects:

Flat growth in product sales: Relatively stagnant product business could indicate challenges in product demand or market penetration.

High liabilities: High liabilities compared to assets remain a potential risk to long-term stability.

Market risks: Challenges in sales, uncertainties in market acceptance and external geopolitical and economic risks could affect the company's future performance.

Competitiveness: Maintaining market position in a rapidly changing and highly competitive market remains a constant challenge.

Another depot update. Values are not quite correct but the reference value is. The crypto values are completely wrong but I have no idea where the entry price is (made kind of annoying at Coinbase). The best positions at the moment are $SOFI (-4,68%)
$FTNT (-3,08%)
$D05 (+0,91%) . The interesting values for me are $BNTX (+3,14%)
$FYB (-1,9%)
$SNOW (-3,37%)