From Yahoo Finance: 2025-05-30 10:11:00

The return of known franchises like Lilo & Stitch, Mission: Impossible, and Final Destination Bloodlines are filling up theaters. Alamo Drafthouse opened seven theaters in 2024, making the movie experience more premium. The film industry is projecting 7.8 billion in gross receipts for the year, showing theaters are not dying.

Original films like “Friendship” are attracting audiences to theaters, balancing the streaming and theater era. The theater business may never fully return to pre-COVID levels, but signs show it’s a viable industry. Despite this, some are still drawn to popular series like Cobra Kai over movies.

Salesforce’s $8 billion acquisition of Informatica is aimed at enhancing data management capabilities in the Cloud. Data is the heart of Salesforce’s customer relationship management business, and Informatica’s tools will help better manage and connect data sources. The acquisition will provide more raw material for Salesforce’s AI agents.

Shareholders of Salesforce are unhappy with the Informatica acquisition, fearing its impact on the company’s future. The acquisition aims to enhance data management capabilities for Salesforce, enabling better utilization of data for business growth and AI integration. Salesforce’s recent acquisition, valued at $8 billion, is praised for being an all-cash deal, a return to their previous acquisition strategy. This move is seen as a sign of efficiency and discipline, with a lower price tag than initially rumored, showing a commitment to shareholder value.

Looking back at Salesforce’s history of acquisitions, including Slack and Tableau, investors are not worried about this latest purchase. While some concerns over diversification arise, Salesforce’s track record of strategic acquisitions and value creation reassures shareholders.

While Tim Beyers gives Salesforce an A for past acquisitions, Slack’s equity-heavy deal lowered his grade to a B. However, he sees promise in the recent all-cash acquisition, praising the strategic sense and financial stability behind the decision.

As media executives once overlooked the rise of podcasting and YouTube, today’s investors are urged to consider what trends they may be ignoring. Tim Beyers suggests the potential of fiber and wireless broadband, paired with the growth of sensors and robotics, as an area that may see significant growth in the near future. The Industrial Internet of Things is advancing rapidly, with companies like John Deere leading the way. Executives are exploring cost-saving opportunities in logistics, distribution, and safety. Samsara, an IoT company, is a promising investment. Self-driving technology is on the horizon, with implications for professional drivers and car ownership within the next five years.

Annuities are a hot topic in retirement planning, surpassing Apple’s revenue in sales. They play a significant role in many Americans’ retirement plans, despite mixed opinions from financial advisors. Annuities shift investment risk to insurance companies and offer tax advantages. Different types cater to various risk levels and investment preferences.

Annuities come in many forms, but for those still saving for retirement, fixed annuities or multi-year guaranteed annuities offer a safe investment option. These annuities provide competitive interest rates, potentially higher than CDs, and tax deferral benefits. Considerations for annuities include creditor protections and potential interest rates ranging from 5.5-6% for 5-7 years. Annuities offer higher interest rates with tax benefits but lack FDIC insurance and liquidity. Surrender charges apply if cashed in early. Variable annuities provide exposure to the stock market with tax-deferred growth and optional benefits like death benefits and guaranteed minimum accumulation benefits, but come with added costs and restrictions on investment options. Equity index annuities offer potential stock market gains with limited downside, but returns may be capped, and dividends are not factored in. Annuities use options to protect against market fluctuations. Complexity, costs, and restrictions on purchasing annuities through insurance agents are downsides, but costs may be justified by benefits like insurance-backed guarantees. Understand costs and return projections before committing to an annuity. Paying for a guaranteed minimum accumulation benefit transfers risk to insurance companies. Consider fees like any insurance cost. Financial services firms offer annuities. Next week, discussion on annuities for retirees. Personal finance content follows Motley Fool editorial standards. Ricky Mulvey has no stock positions. Robert Brokamp has positions in Salesforce. Tim Beyers has positions in Apple and Salesforce. The Motley Fool has positions in Apple, Deere & Company, and Salesforce. The Motley Fool recommends Samsara. Read more about why Salesforce wants to buy Informatica involving AI.

Read more: Why Does Salesforce Want to Buy Informatica? (Hint: It Involves AI)