LikeFolio Weekly Roundup

Robinhood (HOOD) customers have a lot to complain about right now.

Reports of app crashes and slow trades have surged 140% since the company's last earnings report.

You might think that's bad news. But we've been tracking this pattern for years, and the surge has us leaning bullish.

We'll show you why – and what we'll be watching when the company reports.

We're also checking in YouTube's (GOOGL) growing lead over Netflix (NFLX), Tesla's (TSLA) surging self-driving business, and some encouraging signs for Bitcoin (BTC).

Plus, Landon and I have something special planned for Tuesday with Wall Street legend Marc Chaikin. We'll share more on that below…

Core Conviction Spotlight: Why a 140% Jump in Robinhood (HOOD) Complaints Has Us Bullish 

Robinhood customers are complaining. A lot. 

Since the company's last earnings report, complaints about trading glitches, slow trades, and app crashes have surged 140%. 

You might expect that to be bad news for Robinhood. 

But we've been tracking these complaints for years. And we've found that they tend to spike when trading activity heats up. 

In other words, when complaints climb, revenue tends to climb, too. 

Yet HOOD shares are down 22% from a year ago. 

Robinhood reports earnings on October 27. We'll be watching to see if the surge in complaints signals another strong quarter. 

For now, our consumer data has us bullish. 

We featured several other bullish ideas, and 2 bearish in our monthly gut check.

Check it out here!

Why October 27 Is Circled on Our Calendar

Robinhood’s earnings report isn’t the only reason we’re watching October 27.

That afternoon, Landon and I are teaming up with Wall Street legend Marc Chaikin for our first-ever joint event.

Marc has spent 60 years on Wall Street. His Power Gauge rates stocks on more than 20 factors, from a company’s finances to whether big institutional money is flowing in or out. It’s built to catch what Marc calls the money wave, the moment Wall Street’s big buyers pile into a stock.

Our data catches what comes before that: the demand wave, when consumers start buying.

So we tested what happens when both systems agree on a stock. They lined up 432 times. In 6 out of 10 of those cases, the stock went on to double or more at its peak.

At our Stock Tsunami Event on Tuesday, October 27, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern, we’ll show you what both systems are pointing to right now… why you’ll want to have this research before November 3… and three free stock ideas as a thank-you for joining us: two urgent buys and one even more urgent sell.

To reserve your spot, RSVP here.

Infinite Hold Updates

Google (GOOGL): YouTube Is Winning the Streaming Wars

Americans now spend nearly twice as much time watching YouTube on their TVs as they do Netflix.

According to Nielsen, YouTube captured a record 14.2% of all U.S. TV-viewing time in July, compared with just 7.8% for Netflix.

That puts YouTube ahead of every major broadcast network and streaming service in America.

And its lead has been growing for more than two years.

Take a look at this chart from The Wall Street Journal.

At the start of 2024, YouTube accounted for roughly 9% of TV-viewing time. Today, it's above 14%.

Netflix has barely budged, spending most of that period hovering between 7% and 8%.

Netflix's latest earnings report adds another wrinkle to the story.

On Tuesday, the streaming giant reported third-quarter revenue of $12.9 billion, up 12% year over year. That marks its slowest sales growth in three years.

Profits climbed 44%, but Netflix also cut its 2026 advertising revenue forecast from $3 billion to $2.7 billion.

Meanwhile, YouTube generated $11.1 billion in advertising revenue in the second quarter alone, up 13% from a year earlier.

And Google has a powerful advantage over Netflix.

Netflix spends billions producing and licensing shows, hoping its next hit will attract enough viewers to justify the cost.

YouTube has millions of creators making content for its platform. Google shares advertising revenue with those creators, giving it a vast supply of fresh videos without having to fund every production.

And viewers are increasingly watching that content on their living room TVs.

For Alphabet (GOOGL), that means more time spent on YouTube and more chances to earn advertising dollars.

YouTube has already become America's biggest TV distributor. And it's pulling further ahead of Netflix.

That's a strong position for Alphabet to build on.

Tesla (TSLA) FSD Customers Surge 67% – and Robotaxi Is Just Getting Started 

Tesla just reported third-quarter earnings, and one number jumped out. 

More than 75% of new Tesla buyers in North America signed up for a paid Full Self-Driving (FSD) subscription – a nearly 20-percentage-point jump in just three months. 

Tesla gives every new buyer a free month of FSD. Yet customers are choosing to pay for the software before they've even finished their free trial. 

Tesla now has 1.74 million paying FSD customers worldwide – up 67% from a year ago. Half are using subscriptions rather than paying upfront. 

The software still requires a driver to supervise it. But Elon Musk says it's becoming the biggest reason people buy a Tesla. 

Vehicle demand is picking up, too. 

Tesla delivered 486,532 vehicles last quarter, down 2% from a year ago. Yet the company ended September with its largest backlog of vehicle orders in four years. 

Musk says demand now exceeds what Tesla's factories can produce. 

And the company is pushing to expand production, with a goal of making 5 million vehicles a year by around 2030. 

Meanwhile, Tesla's Robotaxi business is starting to move. 

During its earnings call, Tesla revealed that its purpose-built Cybercab fleet in Austin has grown tenfold since launching in September. 

Across its Robotaxi network, Tesla's cumulative driverless miles jumped eightfold last quarter. 

Dallas is next, with service expected to launch in November. 

There's also growing demand for Tesla's energy business. 

AI data centers need dependable electricity, and Tesla's Megapack batteries help them store power for when they need it. 

Musk revealed that demand is so strong, Tesla has nearly sold out of its available Megapack production for 2027. 

Of course, all this growth costs money. 

Tesla reported flat quarterly revenue of $28 billion, while operating profit fell 56% as the company ramped up spending on new technology and production. 

Management expects to spend roughly $20 billion on capital projects this year. 

But with $45.4 billion in cash and investments, Tesla has substantial resources to fund those ambitions. 

Tesla's LikeFolio Score currently sits at 76 out of 100 – firmly in bullish territory. 

Its Main Street Score is 71, compared with a Wall Street Score of 56. That 15-point gap puts TSLA in our Undervalued category. 

Consumers are more bullish on Tesla than investors are. 

We've been bullish on Tesla for years, and this earnings report gives us even more reason to believe the company's biggest opportunities still lie ahead. 

FSD adoption is surging. Tesla is putting more driverless miles on the road every week. And its energy business has more demand than it can currently serve. 

We expect some bumps as Tesla spends heavily to expand these businesses. But we're investing in what this company can become over the next several years. 

Bitcoin (BTC): The Price Is Rising While Interest Fades

Bitcoin has been testing investors' patience.

Google searches for Bitcoin have fallen to half their level from a year ago. And plenty of longtime holders are getting frustrated.

But look at what the price has been doing.

In June, Bitcoin fell as low as $57,700.

Its September low was $74,900.

And in October, the low so far is $79,700.

Buyers keep stepping in at higher prices, even as public interest fades.

We're also seeing signs of renewed activity in crypto. Purchase intent for the Coinbase app has jumped 85% in the past month.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin is up 8% since September.

I've said this before: Bitcoin can be painfully boring for long stretches. And historically, those periods have often been good times to build a position.

We don't know when the next big move will come. But these higher lows are encouraging, and our long-term bullish outlook hasn't changed.