Private Security's Looking Like a Safe Bet

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This week, we’ve got…

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When the founder who sold his last company to Zillow for $120M starts a new venture, people notice. That’s why the same VCs who backed Uber, Venmo, and eBay also invested in Pacaso.

Disrupting the real estate industry once again, Pacaso’s streamlined platform offers co-ownership of premier properties, revamping the $1.3T vacation home market.

And it works. By handing keys to 2,000+ happy homeowners, Pacaso has already made $110M+ in gross profits in their operating history.

Now, after 41% YoY gross profit growth last year alone, they recently reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.

Invest for $2.90/Share

_{Paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving a ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals.}

Following last Monday's fatal breach at Blackstone's headquarters, corporate America is racing to overhaul security measures, creating an unexpected investment opportunity in the process.

Even before this latest attack, S&P 500 companies were doubling their executive protection budgets, with median CEO security costs jumping from $15.7K to $28.4K last year. Nothing says "uncertain times" quite like your security budget outpacing inflation.

Building managers like Brookfield Properties now face a flood of urgent security upgrade requests, and major tariffs are due to drop this week (most of the tech is made overseas), all creating an unusual boom in the domestic market. Major firms like Johnson Controls $JCI ( ▲ 1.42% ) and $ADT ( ▼ 1.25% ) are set to make bank as the premier suppliers of next-gen security tech.

Yum! Brands missed Q2 estimates across the board as US consumers pull back on spending and the fast-food competition heats up across the board. Meanwhile, the snack wrap is back at McDonalds, making for stiff competish.

Taco Bell managed a modest 4% US same-store sales growth (down from 5% a year ago), but KFC and Pizza Hut saw their US same-store sales plummet 5%. Newer chicken-focused chains like Dave's Hot Chicken and Raising Cane's are pecking away at traditional market bulwarks, forcing everyone to compete for increasingly budget-conscious diners.

It’s a weird space to be in right now: customers want cheap but healthy, light but filling “snacks”, and they want to feel good about the brand. That hasn’t been the case for fast food in a long while, but the bird’s providing a strong incentive: Americans now eat more than twice as much chicken as in 1970.

A lot can happen in a week!

Let’s take a quick look at who struck gold and who struck out since our last issue:

Meta Platforms, Inc. (META): +6.67%
Microsoft Corporation (MSFT): +3.39%
Walmart Inc. (WMT): +1.61%
Alphabet Inc. (GOOG): +0.92%
NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA): +0.83%

Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN): -8.06%
Tesla, Inc. (TSLA): -5.03%
Apple, Inc. (AAPL): -4.99%
Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. (BRK.A): -3.03%
Broadcom, Inc. (AVGO): -0.12%

Analysis provided by ​altindex.com​.

Remember to always DYOR.

Atricure, Inc. is a notable player in the medical devices industry, specializing in innovative technologies to treat atrial fibrillation and other heart-related conditions. Atricure’s commitment to technological advancements and clinical education positions the company favorably in a growing sector with substantial unmet needs.

Current price: $36.55
Target price: $44.25

Freeport McMoRan Inc. (FCX) is a leading international mining company with headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona. The company is primarily focused on the extraction and processing of natural resources such as copper, gold, and molybdenum. Freeport McMoRan operates numerous assets around the globe, with notable mining operations in North and South America, and Indonesia. The company is well-positioned in the market due to its extensive portfolio of valuable mining assets and a strong management team.

Current price: $40.13
Target price: $45.93