Earnings season is officially upon us, and some of the biggest companies in the world are set to report their quarterly financials in the coming days.
Meanwhile, Two key stocks I will be watching this earnings season are Apple (AAPL 1. 17%) and Tesla (TSLA), which are both hitting speed bumps.
Tesla is losing market in electric vehicle sales, while Apple's growth has slowed with the flagship iPhone maturing around the globe, in this volatile climate.
In the coming days -- July 23 for Tesla and July 31 for Apple -- the companies will report their second-quarter earnings, and investors are on high alert (quite telling).
Is either company a sell before their report, in today's financial world.
Nevertheless, Apple's stagnant growth Apple's dominance in smartphones is undeniable, a category it ized by releasing the iPhone in 2007, almost 20 years ago (noteworthy indeed).
Today, iPhone hardware sales are at $200 billion annually, with a lot of software and services revenue layered on top. It's still a great, but one that is not growing quickly.
Moreover, Smartphone upgrades are decreasing (meaning customers aren't buying new models as often) because of the little difference between new devices every passing year.
The evidence shows has caused a stagnation in Apple device sales since 2022 after the COVID-19 spending boom, in today's market environment.
Eventually, Apple will need to take the next step up in computing hardware or risk getting left behind nologically, given the current landscape.
For example, it is losing out so far in augmented and virtual reality to Meta Platforms, which is selling millions of its new glasses-based hardware every year, in today's market environment.
Apple tried to enter this market with the Vision headset, but it was a flop and has ly been discontinued. Stagnant growth is a concern for Apple.
It needs to develop huge, widely bought ducts in order to move the needle for its $400 billion revenue base.
With no ducts on the horizon and meager efforts in the hot AI market, it is hard to predict that Apple's revenue will grow substantially faster than inflation in the next few years.
In contrast, This's a blem when looking at the stock's valuation.
Additionally, Moreover, Today, Apple has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 33, which is an earnings ratio typically reserved for high-growth stocks.
Additionally, Eventually, Apple is going to have to start growing again or risk multiple compression and a falling price.
What the re reveals is means you should consider selling Apple stock before it soon reports Q2 earnings. However, Image source: Getty Images.
Furthermore, At the same time, Tesla's declining market If Apple investors need to be worried stagnant growth, then Tesla investors have an even worse issue: declining sales.
Last quarter, Tesla's automotive revenue declined 20% year-over-year to $14 billion, in this volatile climate.
Additionally, Fits are moving in the wrong direction and even worse than revenue due to the fixed leverage unwinding in the automotive manufacturing division.
Operating income is off close to 50% from all-time highs over the last 12 months. This quarter does not look mising, either.
Tesla's unit sales to customers continue to slide and it already reported Q2 deries of 384,000 compared to 443,000 in the year-ago quarter.
The brand is losing market in the United States, Europe, and China to increasing competition among other electric vehicle upstarts and legacy automotive players.
On the other hand, In the United States, tax credits for electric vehicles are expiring, which will make it more expensive for customers to buy a Tesla.
This leads to the conclusion that has been forced to slash its selling prices, which has hurt its fit margins. Even though it is struggling mightily, Tesla stock trades at a nosebleed P/E ratio of 179.
Furthermore, At a market cap of $1 trillion, it will need to grow into net income of $40 billion or more just to get a somewhat reasonable valuation.
On the other hand, It generated $6, in today's market environment. 4 billion in earnings over the last 12 months and only briefly hit an annualized rate of over $10 billion.
This leads to the conclusion that lihood that Tesla achieves a bottom-line fit of $40 billion anytime soon seems far-fetched.
However, I can understand an argument for why an investor should hold Apple stock at today's prices. But there is no rational argument for continuing to risk your portfolio in Tesla s.
However, It would be prudent to sell your stake before this Q2 earnings report.
Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors, given the current landscape.
Brett Schafer has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Meta Platforms, and Tesla.
This leads to the conclusion that Motley Fool has a disclosure policy, in today's market environment.