Karen Firestone, CEO, Aureus Asset Management

They are cutting headcount and can cut plenty more (they added a lot of staff during the pandemic). Signing up new clients is taking alot longer, which will abate later. Margins can improve a lot as will the PE. Earnings will rise over time. She continues to buy, because there's a lot of room upwards. Activists? Bring 'em on. Not worried. She's owned this since 2002, on and off. CRM is the best in enterprise software (she uses it).

She owns it, but is underweight. Its forward 22x PE is higher than peers, like Meta. Inevitably, this will give up more PE, but will settle down. Great company, great balance sheet.

Trades at a low 16x PE. It's a w winner among brokerages, a space where many have closed down. It's an organic growth story. The PE can sustain itself. Lots of asset growth and momentum.

Trades at a low 16x PE. It's a w winner among brokerages, a space where many have closed down. It's an organic growth story. The PE can sustain itself. Lots of asset growth and momentum.

Shares have fallen $700 to $200. China is a big growth market for them, and China will reopen and grow. Traeds at 25x PE. 20% 5-year growth rate. Dominates this industry.

Rising rates hit them and they were exposed to a rising USD. Now, rates are peaking and the USD is retreating. Had a tough 2022, but 2023 will be good.

Has fallen from 50x PE to 22x forward. Cheap now. Even activists are looking at this, who are pressuring the CEO who is cutting costs and improving margins. Yes, it's a slow time in this business but it will pick up. Price targets will climb.

2022 weakness (rising rates, home-building softness) is already in the stock price. People will still spend on home renos.

Though its earnings can disappointed, Meta at this PE is so cheap that the stock is attractive.

It has replaced Apple as the haven for safety, the dependable company. Apple lost people's confidence last quarter when it talked about weaker iPhone sales and problems with China. MSFT isn't the cheapest stock (Alphabet and Meta are cheaper), but MSFT is reliable because of cloud. Gaming may be weak this quarter but MSFT telegraphed that. Their PE has come down a lot.

It's a good example of reporting a good number and guiding up, and yet the market doesn't like it, because it expects a recession soon and rates keep going up. It's doesn't matter if people are using their AmEx card a lot in traveling and buying luxury goods. The market thinks this will slow down a lot and is penalizing the company for being the travel and luxury sector.

They make little in trading commissions, but make money in financial services for individuals and financial institutions. Trades at 15x earnings. Cheap. Overall better than, say, Robinhood.

Is benefiting from people traveling abroad and spending more. This is an inflation hedge, because as such spending absorbs higher prices and Visa takes its shares. He likes it and thinks their quarter will be good.

Its Optum network is picking up steam and it's a stable cash flow generator.

The market is stuck in a trading range between the June lows and August lows. Yesterday's sharp sell-off saw the algos kick in. The market is so queasy and sensitive now, and triggers a slide. She's been buying and selling names (taking profits) in the past month.