Motley Fool hosts market cap showdown game show with real stock market insights.

From Nasdaq: 2025-03-24 11:41:00

In the final round of Motley Fool’s March Market Cap Showdown, defending champion Andy Cross faces off against Emily Flippen. Who will win the crown for 2025? Tune in to Rule Breaker Investing to find out and learn how to invest wisely. Visit the podcast center for more insights and top stock recommendations.

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In the March Market Cap Madness World Championship final, Andy Cross and Emily Flippen go head-to-head to see who can out market cap the other. Join in on the fun and test your market cap knowledge at home. With real market caps of real stocks, it’s a game show like no other. Who will come out on top? Stock Number 1 features a discussion on customer engagement and personalized communication. Andy Cross and David Gardner debate a corporate tagline, with Andy rating it a 5/10. They discuss Braze Inc. (BRZE) as a customer engagement platform, and Andy estimates its market cap between $2.9 billion to $4 billion.

Emily Flippen disagrees with Andy’s market cap range for Braze Inc., which is actually $3.51 billion. The company was originally named Appboy before changing to Braze in 2017 and going public in 2021. Despite initial losses, the stock is now up 30% since being recommended by Motley Fool Rule Breakers.

Emily Flippen shares her struggles with training her cats before discussing stock Number 2. She admits to not knowing Jason Statham but recognizes Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. The conversation lightens with cat tales and pop culture references. In 2017, Jason Statham and Gal Gadot starred in a Super Bowl ad for Israel-based company wix.com. The ad featured a bar fight scene and promoted creating stunning websites for free. The company has proven successful, with a market cap of $9.72 billion. Despite some fluctuations, Wix remains a popular choice for website creation. Stock Number 3, Kinder Morgan, has been a reliable dividend play with a 4% yield since 2012. Although the stock has underperformed, it remains a leading US pipeline company for natural gas. Emily Flippen and Andy Cross both recognize its significance in the market, but they ultimately decided to sell it due to better investment opportunities.

Kinder Morgan, ticker symbol KMI, has a market cap of $59.94 billion, substantially larger than Andy’s estimate of $5-$8 billion. David Gardner recommends the stock, which has fluctuated between $15-$25 over the past eight years. Despite its underperformance, Kinder Morgan continues to pay a 4% dividend yield, making it a steady investment choice.

Diet Coke addiction and NordicTrack exercise bikes are Emily Flippen’s guilty pleasures. She struggles to kick her diet soda habit but tries to balance it with light jogging and weightlifting. David Gardner humorously references Peloton Interactive, ticker symbol PTON, highlighting his personal investment mistakes and the challenges of staying healthy during the pandemic. Emily Flippen estimates Peloton Interactive’s market cap to be between $1-$3 billion, while Andy Cross disagrees, thinking it’s below $1 billion. The actual market cap is $2.59 billion, a rebound from its lows. Peloton’s stock has been volatile, reaching a peak during COVID but dropping significantly later on.

Both Emily and Andy are surprised by the actual market cap of Peloton, which is within Emily’s estimated range but larger than expected. Andy focused on the struggles of the company, leading him to estimate a lower market cap. David Gardner highlights the brand value of Peloton, estimating it to be worth around $2.5 billion.

Moving on to Stock Number 5, Andy Cross shares that he doesn’t eagerly update his phone with new models, but he does have the latest iPhone thanks to his daughter’s request to Santa. David Gardner jokes about Santa’s influence on technology upgrades. Emily Flippen recently purchased a new iPhone 16 after only buying used iPhones before. Andy Cross admitted he is not technologically savvy and would only crack open his phone if it fell off a building. Applied Materials, a semiconductor company, has a market cap of $124.82 billion, according to a throwdown game.

In a throwdown challenge, Emily guessed Applied Materials’ market cap range to be between $100-170 billion, while Andy estimated it to be between $65-85 billion. The correct market cap was $124.82 billion, putting Emily in the lead. Applied Materials has seen a significant increase since its IPO, up 268,869.44%.

David Gardner teased Emily about her Hollywood preferences, mentioning Jason Statham and Gal Gadot. He then introduced a word association game, prompting Emily to react to a new name. David Gardner and Emily Flippen play a word association game with Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio, discussing his age and career. They mention his collaboration with Martin Scorsese and movies like “Titanic” and “The Aviator.”

The conversation shifts to Howard Hughes Holdings (HHH), a real estate company associated with Bill Ackman’s proposal to turn it into a “modern day Berkshire Hathaway.” The company’s market cap is estimated to be between $1-7 billion, with Ackman’s bold plans potentially increasing its visibility.

Andy Cross recalls Ackman’s past short position on Herbalife and his current investment in Chipotle, noting the importance of tracking cost basis in investments. The discussion then moves to Alexandria real estate and the synonym for stocks, “equities.”

Overall, the conversation touches on entertainment, finance, and investment strategies, providing insights into Hollywood, real estate companies, and the stock market. Andy and David discuss Alexandria Real Estate Equities, ticker symbol ARE, in a market cap guessing game. Andy estimates $4-10 billion, but Emily thinks it’s bigger. The company is a REIT based in California, focusing on corporate campuses for life science companies with a 5.5% dividend yield. The stock performance has been mixed over the years.

Emily recalls Alexandria Real Estate Equities as a previous recommendation in The Fool’s Blast Off portfolio. The company benefits from the physical footprint needed in life sciences, despite commercial real estate concerns. The stock has had ups and downs, with a dividend yield that remains a key factor.

As they continue discussing the stock, David notes the unstable market conditions affecting Alexandria Real Estate Equities. The company faces uncertainties as society navigates changing work dynamics. Emily leads the market cap guessing game against Andy, with the pressure on for him to catch up. They move on to the next stock, keeping the energy high. Alexandria Real Estate Equities is a REIT with properties like Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center. Ryman Hospitality Properties, ticker symbol RHP, has a market cap of $5.73 billion. The company, originally Gaylord Entertainment, was founded in 1925 and later rebranded as Ryman Hospitality Properties, specializing in upscale hotels and entertainment venues.

In the Market Cap Game Show, Emily estimated Ryman’s market cap at $10-20 billion, but it’s actually $5.73 billion. David Gardner and Andy discuss corporate histories and the importance of teaching iconic business stories to children. Ryman’s stock yield is 4.9%, and the company has seen a 50% stock increase in the past ten years.

Andy shares that being listed on the NYSE or NASDAQ doesn’t impact his investment decisions. David Gardner emphasizes the importance of ticker symbols in placing buy orders. In the world of stock exchanges, NASDAQ and New York Stock Exchange ticker symbols have become more intermixed, causing confusion among investors. Despite individual investor indifference, competition between the two exchanges remains fierce, with brand association becoming increasingly important.

The performance of NASDAQ composite versus New York Stock Exchange composite has been a topic of interest, with NASDAQ being a publicly traded company with the ticker symbol NDAQ. Market cap estimates for NASDAQ range between $70-$90 billion, making it a significant player in the industry.

In a fun game show segment, it was revealed that NASDAQ has a market cap of $42.10 billion, significantly lower than the range estimated by participants. Over the last 25 years, the NASDAQ composite has outperformed the New York Stock Exchange composite, showcasing its growth and innovation in the market.

NASDAQ, led by CEO Adena Friedman, has seen significant success in recent years, with a 325% increase in stock value since 2017. Friedman’s innovative ideas, such as suggesting sports teams go public, have contributed to NASDAQ’s growth and success. Additionally, NASDAQ offers a 1.5% dividend yield for investors.

For those interested in investing in high-performing stocks like NASDAQ, Motley Fool Stock Advisor provides expert stock picks, rankings, and access to exclusive podcasts. Joining as a member grants access to premium content and insights into top-performing companies like NASDAQ. The Motley Fool podcast discusses pre-revenue companies, focusing on Viking Therapeutics, targeting obesity with promising early results. Emily predicts the market cap range of $3-$3.43 billion, impressively hitting the high end. Andy agrees, leading to a close score of 6-4 in Emily’s favor. Viking has $900 million in the bank, burning less than 100 million annually, with a stock recommendation from the Rule Breakers team at $32. In the world of market cap games, Viking Therapeutics stands out for its potential to turn solutions into oral pills. Andy Cross and Emily Flippen compete in the Market Cap Game Show, with Emily emerging as the World Champion for 2025. The show aims to educate listeners on the real value of stocks through entertaining competition.

John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, is on The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Andy Cross holds positions in various companies, while David Gardner has positions in Amazon, Apple, and more. Emily Flippen holds positions in Peloton Interactive. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends several companies. The views expressed are those of the author. 1. In a groundbreaking study, researchers have discovered a new potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. The drug, known as AD-101, has shown promising results in reversing memory loss in mice. This development could lead to significant advancements in the treatment of Alzheimer’s in humans.

2. The stock market saw a significant increase today, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average reaching a new all-time high. Investor confidence was boosted by positive economic indicators and strong corporate earnings reports. The market rally is expected to continue in the coming days.

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Read more at Nasdaq: Motley Fool 2025 March Market Cap Showdown Championship