You don’t need a huge chunk of savings to get started investing, but it does help to keep your trading fees (think commissions at your brokerage) minimal. In any case, if you’ve got a commission-free brokerage, buying in increments of $500 can make sense. Indeed, for young beginners, the most important thing, I believe, is getting started and getting a feel of what it’s like to have some skin in the game.
Undoubtedly, you can read as many books as you can on investment and absorb all the commentary that’s out there at any given time, but there’s nothing like having real money invested. It’s quite an experience, to say the least, especially when markets swing from greedy and overexuberant to nervous and perhaps a bit fearful.
Indeed, as August runs into its final week, investors seem to be feeling a bit jittery. Maybe it’s because September is a historically hard month for markets, or maybe it’s the surge in AI bubble chatter we’ve heard in the past week or so.
Hey, if Sam Altman, the face of ChatGPT, uses the term “bubble” to describe AI, then I do think it’s wise to take a few steps back and dial down the excitement, especially if firms show restraint when it comes to hiring top AI talent, at least until there’s more evidence that it can be deployed in an manner that drives the actual fundmentals.
Raising capital to go on a hiring spree while backing up the truck on GPUs alone may not be enough to drive a decent return on such an investment. But, for now, many firms are following a similar formula as they look to get on board the AI bandwagon.
Apple
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) powered higher after CEO Tim Cook went to the White House to announce another $100 billion on top of the $500 billion the firm already planned to invest in America. Indeed, $600 billion is a flashy number, especially since much of the funds are likely to go towards the manufacturing of AI servers. Depending on who you ask, Apple is a bit behind in the AI race. But with a massive Houston factory to come online in a matter of months (by 2026), it seems like the firm is making strides to catch up.
Personally, I don’t think Apple is behind in the AI race by all too much. Arguably, they’re taking their time to make an informed move to ensure their AI bets won’t just fall into a black hole. Right now, it’s hard to know what kind of return AI will give, if any. With an effective strategy and careful thought before pledging big money, I do think that some firms, like Apple, can reap significant profits from the rise of AI.
Given the AI spending frenzy and risks that the big spenders will be caught skating offside once the froth (I’d say the tech scene is a bit lofty, but not bubbly quite yet) is removed, I’d argue that Apple isn’t behind the times on AI. Instead, its rivals may be moving too fast for their own good (that’ll entail pulling back on spending and perhaps a big layoff). And if they’re not careful, they’re at risk of breaking things, including their returns on invested capital.
Either way, I like Apple stock here at 34 times trailing price-to-earnings (P/E), given it’s arguably a more defensive way to power through an AI-driven correction.
