Tag Archives: Audio/Video Equipment

Technology

Samsung’s New $1,800 Foldable Galaxy Phone Tests High-End Budgets

Leave a comment

NEW YORK—The entire smartphone industry is slumping except for the priciest devices.

Samsung

Electronics Co. is testing the limits of that high-end demand.

On Wednesday, Samsung unveiled its latest models of two of the world’s most-expensive phones. The Galaxy Z Fold 4, which becomes the size of a small tablet when opened, will cost about $1,800. The more compact Galaxy Z Flip 4 will go for around $1,000. The phones have prices similar to last year’s versions and become available in the U.S. later this month.

Total smartphone shipments slid 8% in the first half of this year versus the same period in 2021, largely because consumers have cut back spending on nonessential goods amid inflation and a shakier economic outlook, according to Counterpoint Research, a research firm. The declines were steepest for the lowest-priced devices, it said.

Foxconn Technology Group, the world’s biggest iPhone assembler, on Wednesday said demand for smartphones and other consumer electronics is slowing, prompting it to be cautious about the current quarter.

Shipments of “ultra-premium” phones—devices sold for $900 or more—grew by more than 20% during the same period, Counterpoint said. This category comprises mostly

Apple Inc.’s

iPhones and Samsung’s flagship devices.

WSJ’s Dalvin Brown checks out the newest foldable smartphones from Samsung to see if the kinks in early models have been ironed out and whether folding is a feature worth spending for, or just a gimmick. Illustration: Adele Morgan

The resilience of the phone industry’s upper class mirrors that of the luxury-goods business, as wealthier consumers show a willingness to keep spending on clothing, handbags and jewelry despite economic rockiness. Brands including

LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE,

Ralph Lauren Corp.

and Gucci owner

Kering SA

have reported robust growth this year.

Apple, in its most recent quarter, reported a surprise rise in iPhone sales, defying analysts’ expectations for a decline. There has been no obvious macroeconomic impact on iPhone sales in recent months, Apple Chief Executive

Tim Cook

said on an earnings call last month.

Samsung, the world’s largest smartphone maker, recently said it expects the overall smartphone market to see shipments stay flat or experience minimal growth this year. But the South Korean company expressed optimism that its foldable-display devices, which are among its most expensive products, would sell well.

Demand for iPhones and Samsung’s flagship devices, boosted in recent years by the arrival of superfast 5G connectivity and pandemic-time splurging on gadgets, should remain high, said Tom Kang, a Seoul-based analyst for Counterpoint. “It’s clear that the affluent consumers are not affected by current economic headwinds,” Mr. Kang said.

Samsung has much riding on the Galaxy Z Fold 4, left, and the Galaxy Z Flip 4 becoming a success.



Photo:

SAMSUNG

The smaller of the two new devices, the Galaxy Z Flip 4, is an update of the model that accounted for most of Samsung’s foldable-phone sales last year. When fully open on its vertical axis, it has a display that measures 6.7 inches. When closed, it is half the size of most mainstream smartphones, and owners can view text messages and other alerts on a smaller, exterior screen. Compared with last year’s version, Samsung said the Galaxy Z Flip 4 takes better photos and has a slimmer hinge and larger battery.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

Would you buy one of Samsung’s new foldable phones? Why or why not? Join the conversation below.

The heftier Galaxy Z Fold 4 sports a tablet-sized display that is 7.6 inches diagonally when fully opened. It opens and closes like a book, and when shut, it has a 6.2-inch outer screen that performs most smartphone functions. The new version has a slightly thinner hinge and improved camera capabilities, Samsung said.

The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the first device to use Android 12L, a version of the operating system created by

Alphabet Inc.’s

Google specifically for tablets and foldable phones, Samsung said.

Alongside the two foldable phones, Samsung on Wednesday also introduced two new versions of its Galaxy Watch 5, as well as a new edition of its Galaxy Buds wireless earphones, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro.

Samsung has much riding on the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and the Galaxy Z Flip 4 becoming a success. Given their high price and fatter margins, foldable devices could represent about 60% of Samsung’s mobile-division operating profits, despite accounting for roughly one-sixth of the company’s smartphone shipments, said Sanjeev Rana, a Seoul-based analyst at brokerage CLSA.

Samsung said the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the first device to use Android 12L, a version of the operating system created by Google specifically for tablets and foldable phones.



Photo:

SAMSUNG

Across the industry, the priciest tier of smartphones represent about 10% of annual shipments but about 70% of the industry’s profits, Counterpoint said.

Samsung was a pioneer in an industry that had gone stale when it released the first mainstream foldable smartphone more than three years ago. But the original Galaxy Fold stumbled out of the gate. Design flaws delayed its release. The pandemic closed stores, cutting off opportunities for would-be early adopters to test out the devices, Samsung executives have said. And many consumers balked at an initial price tag close to $2,000.

Last year, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 saw stronger sales, helped by price cuts. The company also juiced demand through aggressive promotions and trade-in discounts that made purchases more affordable.

Worldwide foldable smartphone shipments are expected to total nearly 16 million units this year, up roughly 73% from the prior year, Counterpoint said. Samsung is projected to account for roughly 80% of the foldable market this year, according to Counterpoint.

The other foldable players—selling at prices below the ultra-premium threshold—include major Chinese brands, including Huawei Technologies Co., Xiaomi Corp., as well as BBK Electronics Co.-owned Vivo and Oppo.

Lenovo Group Ltd.

’s

Motorola,

which first launched a foldable phone in 2019, is slated to introduce a new model this month.

Write to Jiyoung Sohn at jiyoung.sohn@wsj.com

Copyright ©2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

Read original article here

Business

Roku Swings to Second-Quarter Loss on Slower Ad Spending

Leave a comment

Roku Inc.

ROKU -2.01%

said it expected two of its main revenue drivers—advertising and sales of streaming hardware—to come under further pressure during the second half of the year, sending the company’s shares down 25% in after-hours trading.

“We are in an economic environment defined by recessionary fears, inflationary pressures, rising interest rates, and ongoing supply chain disruptions,” the company said in a letter to investors Thursday in which it announced its second-quarter results. It forecast that ad spending would continue to be negatively affected as a result. “We also believe that consumer discretionary spend will continue to moderate, pressuring both Roku TV and Roku player sales.”

The company said it expected to make $700 million in revenue during the third quarter, below analysts’ expectations of $898.3 million. Roku also withdrew its full-year revenue growth rate estimate, citing uncertainty and volatility in the macro environment.

San Jose, Calif.-based Roku is the nation’s largest maker of streaming hardware—accounting for about 37% of the U.S. market, according to Parks Associates—but it derives most of its revenue from advertising: It sells all ads viewed on The Roku Channel, its own streaming service, and also sells some ads that appear on other streaming services viewed on Roku devices.

In the second quarter, the company swung to a loss of $112.3 million, or a loss of 82 cents a share, compared with a profit of $73.5 million, or 52 cents a share, a year earlier. Analysts polled by FactSet expected a loss of 71 cents a share.

Supply-chain issues are pushing up prices for Roku’s component parts, the company said. Roku said it was absorbing the higher costs to insulate customers from price increases, which resulted in a negative gross margin of 24% for its players.

Roku’s stock has had a rough 2022 so far. Even before Thursday’s after-hours plunge, its shares were down 63% since the start of the year.

As markets react to inflation and high interest rates, technology stocks are having their worst start to a year on record. WSJ’s Hardika Singh explains why the sector — from tech giants to small startups — is getting hit so hard. Illustration: Jacob Reynolds

Revenue rose 18% to $764.4 million. Of that, $673.2 million came from platform revenue—which includes revenue from advertisers and content publishers—while player revenue accounted for $91.2 million.

Roku Chief Executive

Anthony Wood

described the ad-market upheaval as cyclical. “We’re in an economic cycle where advertising is trending down. It’ll turn around,” he said during a call with analysts Thursday. He also said Roku was the beneficiary of some of that upheaval, because some advertisers were shifting more ad dollars away from traditional TV and toward streaming services, helping Roku grow its market share.

During the second quarter, advertisers in the automotive and consumer-packaged-goods industries reduced their spending on traditional TV, but increased their spending on Roku by a double-digit percentage, said Alison Levin, Roku’s vice president for ad sales and strategy, during a call with journalists before the earnings call.

Roku will soon face competition for streaming ad dollars from two major competitors: streaming services

Netflix

and

Disney

+ are planning to begin selling ads. Mr. Wood said he believed the new entrants to the market would complement Roku by making streaming ads an even greater draw for advertisers.

“With companies like Netflix and Disney moving into ads, it makes streaming ads even more mainstream,” he said.

Write to Patience Haggin at patience.haggin@wsj.com and Denny Jacob at denny.jacob@wsj.com

Copyright ©2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

Read original article here

Business

Peloton Stock Is Tumbling. A Disappointing Report Sinks Another Pandemic Play.

Leave a comment

Text size

Peloton stock is down double-digits in after-hours trading after the at-home fitness company reported a big loss and cut guidance.


Courtesy Peloton


Peloton Interactive

was the latest pandemic-play stock casualty this earnings season. Shares were diving in premarket trading Friday after the at-home fitness firm reported a wider-than-expected net loss for the September quarter, and cut its full fiscal-year outlook.

Peloton reported a fiscal-first-quarter net loss of $376 million, or $1.25 a share. Total revenue grew 6% year over year to $805.2 million. Wall Street’s consensus estimate called for a net loss of $1.10 a share on revenue of $808.7 million, according to FactSet.

The company, which sells bikes and treadmills that pair with $39.99 a month subscriptions, said average monthly workouts per connected fitness subscription dropped to 16.6 from 20.7 a year ago. Investors watch that metric for signs of engagement.

Peloton stock dropped 33.5% to $57.27 early Friday. The stock set a 52-week intraday high of $171.09 in January. The company joins


Roku

(ROKU) and


Chegg

(CHGG) as popular pandemic plays that are now disappointing investors with reports this week.

Peloton now expects the 2022 fiscal year to end in June with 3.35 million to 3.45 million connected fitness subscribers, down from a prior forecast of 3.63 million. Its outlook for fiscal-year revenue ranges from $4.4 billion to $4.8 billion, down from a prior forecast of $5.4 billion.

For the fiscal second quarter, which includes the all-important holiday season, the company expects to hit connected fitness subscribers of between 2.8 million to 2.85 million. It expects revenue in the range from $1.1 billion to $1.2 billion for the quarter, below Wall Street’s consensus estimate of $1.49 billion, according to FactSet. The company said that so far, the fiscal second quarter has been softer than expected.

“With the benefit of adequate inventories and order-to-delivery windows that are now back to pre-pandemic levels, we expect a healthy holiday selling season,” the company added in a prepared statement. “Our forecast assumes unit sales modestly ahead of last year’s Q2 levels, driven by growing consumer interest in the Connected Fitness category and a resumption of our marketing and promotional activity.”

Write to Connor Smith at connor.smith@barrons.com

Read original article here

Business

Toyota, Honda Shut U.S. Factories as Perfect Storm Disrupts Supply Chains

Leave a comment

Toyota Motor Corp. , Honda Motor Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. said supply-chain problems were complicating their businesses, as freak weather, port blockages and the continued impact of Covid-19 combine to disrupt global supply chains.

Toyota and Honda said Wednesday that they would halt production at plants in North America because of a squeeze in crucial supplies, including plastic components, petrochemicals and semiconductors. Honda also blamed port backlogs and severe winter weather that has frozen plants and pipes across the central U.S. for the disruption.

Separately, Samsung, the world’s largest maker of smartphones, said a severe global shortage in chips would hurt its business into the next quarter. The South Korean company also said it might withhold launching a new model of one of its most popular handsets, though it said the move was aimed at keeping it from competing with an existing handset.

The disruptions underscore how a number of forces are coming together to squeeze the world’s supply chains: from the pandemic-driven rise in consumer demand for tech goods to a backlog of imports at clogged California ports and U.S. factory outages caused by severe weather. The timing is particularly concerning for manufacturers because the U.S. and some other economies are beginning to reopen thanks to vaccination campaigns.

“Automotive companies initially had to bear the brunt of these shortages, but now it has spread to pretty much all parts of the consumer-electronics sector,” said Sanjeev Rana, senior analyst at investment bank CLSA in Seoul.

Read original article here

Business

Cathie Wood’s ARK Investment Faces Reckoning as Tech Trade Stalls

Leave a comment

ARK Investment Management LLC’s winning bets on disruptive technology companies cemented

Cathie Wood’s

status as Wall Street’s hottest fund manager since Peter Lynch or Bill Gross.

Now, those gambits threaten to make ARK a high-profile casualty of the recent shift in investor sentiment away from tech stocks and toward cyclical shares tied to an economic upswing.

ARK runs five exchange-traded funds that actively invest in companies Ms. Wood and her team of portfolio managers believe will change the world through what they call “disruptive innovation.” Among the ETFs’ biggest holdings are electric car maker

Tesla Inc.,

payments company

Square Inc.

and streaming media firm

Roku Inc.

The stock prices of those three companies have surged at least 195% in the year since the Covid-19 pandemic upended the investing landscape—helping ARK’s funds more than double over the same period. But the stocks dropped more than 12% last week amid a broader selloff in fast-growing tech stocks, a slump many attribute to a sharp rise in government bond yields.

They have badly underperformed the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index, which dropped 4.9% last week.

Worries about a rising interest-rate environment have posed a test for ARK, exposing the vulnerabilities of its investment approach. Higher yields generally make growth stocks, including shares of big tech companies, less attractive. Plus, some of ARK’s positions are in small, illiquid stocks that have the potential to swing dramatically.

The ETFs suffered double-digit percentage decreases last week, their biggest routs since the stock market’s plunge last March, according to FactSet. Further declines among growth stocks on Tuesday and Wednesday drove even deeper drops among ARK’s funds, bringing the declines for its flagship ARK Innovation ETF to 14% over the past month.

The cascade of red has proved hard for many investors to stomach. ARK’s funds collectively lost more than $1.8 billion between Feb. 24 and Monday, their biggest stretch of outflows ever, according to FactSet. Together, they managed roughly $51 billion at the end of February, making ARK the ninth-largest ETF operator. That’s after attracting $36.5 billion in assets over the past year, more than

Invesco Ltd.

,

Charles Schwab Corp.

and First Trust—the fourth, fifth and sixth biggest ETF issuers in the U.S., according to Morningstar Direct.

But the recent outflows triggered sales across ARK’s funds to meet redemptions, while the firm also opted to dump shares of its easier-to-trade holdings, including

Apple Inc.

and

Snap Inc.,

to load up on favorites like Tesla.

With tech stocks continuing to fall, ETF analysts and traders worry that a combination of broad market declines and additional outflows could create a snowball effect across ARK’s portfolio. That could potentially cause some of its more illiquid, small-cap holdings to trade sharply lower.

Tom Staudt, ARK’s chief operating officer, dismissed concerns of any liquidity problems and said ARK’s ETFs have continued to perform as any other ETF would during the tumult.

Still, it has been a rough patch for ARK and its star stock picker, Ms. Wood.

“What a crazy week or two we’ve had here,” Ms. Wood said in a YouTube video posted Friday that was viewed by nearly 600,000 people.

Ms. Wood founded ARK in 2014 and now serves as its chief executive and chief investment officer following a 12-year stint at AllianceBernstein. Her funds’ eye-catching performance, coupled with her willingness to engage investors through social media, podcasts and videos, has earned her a variety of endearing monikers from individual investors and Reddit’s day traders, including “Mamma Cathie,” “Aunt Cathie” and, in South Korea, “Money Tree.”

“ARK’s funds fit 2020’s narrative of secular growth, but we’re now seeing a shift in that,” said Steven DeSanctis, an equities analyst at Jefferies. “It probably won’t be the last time in the near term she sees outflows,” Mr. DeSanctis added, referring to Ms. Wood.

Outside of last week’s pullback, ARK’s returns have been the envy of the asset-management industry, reviving some investors’ belief in stock pickers after more than a decade of dominance by index-tracking funds. The ARK Innovation ETF has logged an average annual return of 36% since it started trading in 2014. That compares with the S&P 500’s average return of 11% over the past 10 years.

“There’s been lots of calls with clients over the last six months as the funds gained assets, and the primary conversation has been about what happens when the funds are no longer a hot topic,” said William Kartholl, director and head of ETF trading at Cowen.

Mr. Staudt said ARK has a soft limit of about 10% on any one stock within its funds. Tesla’s stock sits at that level in ARK’s innovation and autonomous funds, as does Square in ARK’s fintech innovation pool. As for ARK’s exposure to smaller stocks, Mr. Staudt said those worries are overblown and pointed to the fact that about 15% of ARK’s innovation fund is invested in stocks with market caps below $5 billion.

If anything, the volatility has created “attractive buying opportunities” for ARK, Mr. Staudt added.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

Do you think ARK’s funds will remain susceptible to further losses and outflows? Why or why not? Join the conversation below.

ARK loaded up on more shares of Tesla,

Teladoc Health Inc.

and Square during last week’s selloff, according to ARK’s daily trading logs. It also added more shares of

Zoom Video Communications Inc.

to one of its funds earlier this week.

Amid the redemptions across ARK’s funds, the firm also sold shares in some of its more widely traded liquid stocks. The firm cut its positions in Apple and Snap last week and sold all its remaining shares in

Salesforce.com Inc.,

he added. ARK also sold shares of

Facebook Inc.,

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and

Roche Holding AG

this week.

“It’s almost like having dry powder in the portfolio,” said Mr. Staudt, referring to how the funds basically build up a cash-like reserve to buy other stocks.

Not all investors are fazed by ARK’s bigfooted approach to investing. Flows into ARK’s innovation fund turned positive Tuesday, pulling in $464.3 million, according to FactSet.

But ARK’s most recent stumble continued to shake out others.

Paolo Campisi, a 31-year-old entrepreneur in Toronto, bought shares of ARK’s innovation fund in early February but sold his stake last week after shares dropped more than 10%. He decided to take a riskier bet on an eventual rebound by buying out-of-the money call options that expire at the end of the month. But he sold those options as well Wednesday when ARK’s flagship fund fell an additional 6.3%.

“I think everyone’s going to be challenged moving forward,” Mr. Campisi said, adding that he is unsure at what level he’d consider buying back into the fund again. “And the level of scrutiny on someone like Cathie [Wood] is going to be high.”

What You Need to Know About Investing

Write to Michael Wursthorn at Michael.Wursthorn@wsj.com

Copyright ©2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

Read original article here