Airbnb (STAR)
ABNB - Nasdaq
Got a spare closet or half-empty tool shed? Now is the perfect time to list it on Airbnb. With the travel industry booming again thanks to pent-up demand, flexible work arrangements and a strong U.S. dollar, shares of the short-term rental site rallied after Airbnb’s revenue jumped 24 per cent in the fourth quarter from a year earlier. If you want to get a piece of this growing market, the key is to write an effective ad: “Very private, cozy space with own entrance. Ideal for travellers on a budget. A stay you will never forget.”
Roblox (STAR)
RBLX - NYSE
Roblox chief executive David Baszucki says the company is “driving towards our vision to reimagine the way people come together by enabling deeper forms of expression, communication and immersion.” Well, it sounds better than “We help your kids waste time playing video games.” Roblox – whose platform hosts user-created games that are especially popular with teens and preteens – said players logged a total of 12.8 billion hours on the site in the fourth quarter, up 19 per cent from a year earlier. Users also spent nearly US$900-million on “Robux” – virtual currency that players use to make in-game purchases. Now you know why your kid is broke and failing school.
Canadian Tire (STAR)
CTC.A - TSX
Business quiz! Shares of Canadian Tire rose after the retailer: a) announced that it has finally signed up every Canadian over the age of 18 to its Triangle Rewards program and will no longer be accosting customers in its stores; b) unveiled plans to open a retail chain in the Southern U.S. called Cajun Tire; c) announced that revenue increased 3.9 per cent to $5.34-billion in the fourth quarter and net income climbed 5 per cent to $562.6-million or $9.09 a share, topping analysts’ expectations. Answer|: c.
Peabody Energy (STAR)
BTU - NYSE
Who loves coal? Not naughty kids who get a lump of coal for Christmas. Not anyone concerned about coal’s contribution to climate change. But you won’t hear a bad word about coal from Peabody Energy investors. Shares of the U.S. producer of thermal and metallurgical coal rose after it posted record fourth-quarter net income of US$632-million, up 23 per cent from a year earlier, and repaid all of its remaining senior secured debt. With Peabody planning to return cash to shareholders in the form of dividends and share buybacks, the stock’s hotter than the steam in a coal-fired power plant.
Monday.com (STAR)
MNDY - Nasdaq
Monday, Monday (bah-da bah-da-da-da)
So good to me (bah-da bah-da-da-da)
Who knew The Mamas & the Papas were actually singing about a software stock? Shares of Monday.com soared after the work management software company said fourth-quarter revenue climbed 57 per cent, topping expectations, and issued strong full-year guidance. In another encouraging sign, Monday.com added more than 34,000 net new customers in 2022 and recorded positive adjusted free cash flow for the second consecutive year. The results were music to investors’ ears.
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John Heinzl