You might have just come to this article after taking in a "Sea Shanty," the latest music craze to hit short-form video platform TikTok. But TikTok, owned by China's Bytedance, is still a private company -- likely one of the world's largest.

However, soon there will be a way for investors play the skyrocketing short video social media craze. China's Kuaishou, the country's number two short-form video platform, is set to hit the public markets in the next week or two. Although Kuaishou is China's second-place platform behind Douyin, which is what Bytedance calls the Tik-Tok equivalent in China, Kuaishou is also backed by internet giant Tencent (OTC: TCEHY), which has a history of incubating very, very successful internet companies. Kuaishou aims to raise about $5 billion, at a valuation of $50 billion or higher.

Here are the ins and outs of Kuaishou and the case for its stock.

Tencent-backed Kuaishou is going public. Image source: Getty Images.

History of Kuaishou

Kuaishou was founded in 2011 by founder...

BioNTech (NASDAQ: BNTX) now has its first commercial success story. Its COVID-19 vaccine BNT162b2 (which is being marketed under the brand name Comirnaty) should rake in a lot of money for the German biotech this year. But what's next?

In this Motley Fool Live video recorded on Jan. 13, 2021, Healthcare and Cannabis Bureau Chief Corinne Jurney Cardina and Fool.com writer Keith Speights talk about BioNTech's potential winners beyond its COVID vaccine.

10 stocks we like better than BioNTech SE
When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*

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Corinne Cardina: Definitely. Let's talk a little bit more ab…

Authored by Mike Shedlock via MishTalk.com,

Janet Yellen is Joe Biden's Treasury Secretary nominee. She claims to support "market forces" as the driver for the US dollar. What does that really mean in a practical sense?

Swiss Cheese Statements on the US Dollar

Biden's Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen, is also a prior Fed Chair. I noted her Swiss Cheese Statements on the US Dollar.

“The United States doesn’t seek a weaker currency to gain competitive advantage. We should oppose attempts by other countries to do so.”

Yellen can make whatever swiss cheese statements she wants but how would a central bank act if it wanted to sink the dollar?

Steps to Weaken a Currency

Cut interest rates

Engage in massive QE balance sheet expansion

Pledge to keep rates low indefinitely

Pledge to ignore inflation and let it run hot to make up for alleged undershooting

Encouraging more fiscal stimulus

The Jerome Powell Fed is fi…

If your 70th birthday is approaching and you haven't started your Social Security benefits yet, you've reached ultra-elite status. Just 6.5% of new Social Security recipients are 70 or older.

But now that you've made it to the finish line, there's no reward for waiting any longer. Here's exactly what you should do to claim that maximum Social Security benefit you've waited so patiently for.

Image source: Getty Images.

When to apply if you're turning 70

Social Security won't automatically start sending you checks once you turn 70, with one exception: If you took benefits after reaching full retirement age and then suspended your benefits to earn delayed credits of 8% per year, your benefits will automatically restart at 70.

Otherwise, you'll need to file an application. The earliest you can file for Social Security is four months before you want your benefits to start.

Regardless of when you file, make sure you specify that you want your benefit to begin the month you turn 70 to get the maximum amount. S…

Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), America's second largest bank by assets, has thus far held up a lot better during the coronavirus pandemic than it did during the Great Recession. CEO Brian Moynihan has built Bank of America into a much stronger and safer bank over the last decade. Not only is the balance sheet much less risky, but Bank of America currently has more capital than it knows what to do with.

If regulators remove certain restrictions later this year, the bank will likely be able to go on the offensive and authorize a large amount of capital for share repurchases. Here's why.

So much capital

Simply put, Bank of America has more than $176 billion of common equity. If you add less liquid forms of capital the bank has to this amount, the bank has total capital of more than $227 billion, although the $176 billion is a better number to focus on. Banks can use this common equity to pay dividends, conduct stock buybacks, grow the bank organically, invest in its operations, or do a merger or acquisition.

Given how interest rates in the U.S. are lingering near multi-decade lows, one would expect dividend yields to be similarly low. And for the most part, they are. The S&P 500's current average dividend yield of 1.55% is as low as it's been since 2002. The environment is simply a tough one for income investors looking to put some idle cash to work.

Not every dividend-paying name is providing payouts that can't even keep up with inflation, however. Altria Group (NYSE: MO), The Williams Companies (NYSE: WMB), and AT&T (NYSE: T) are all dishing out more than 6% dividend yields at their current stock prices, and all three companies are at least healthy enough to maintain their present payouts pace for the foreseeable future.

Here's a closer look at these three above-average dividend-paying stocks.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. AT&T

Dividend yield: 7.2%

Yes, the telecom giant's dealing with more than its fair share of problems, not the least of which is its DIRECTV unit. AT&T is looking to dive…

2020 was a record year for initial public offerings (IPOs), with 480 companies going public on U.S. stock exchanges, and more stocks doubling in their first day of trading than ever before. 2021 is on track to be another huge year for IPOs, and some innovative companies making public market debuts could go on to deliver tremendous returns.

With that in mind, we asked three Motley Fool contributors to profile a recent or upcoming IPO stock that looks primed to be a big winner. Read on to see why they identified PubMatic (NASDAQ: PUBM), Instacart, and Coinbase as IPO stocks that are poised for explosive performance this year.

Image source: Getty Images.

A small-cap bet on a big digital advertising trend

Keith Noonan (PubMatic): Digital advertising is at the heart of the internet experience. Nearly every media site and social media platform that doesn't exclusively rely on subscriptions is built around advertising, and tech giants including Alphabet and Facebook have built massive tech empires on the found…

Quantcha now offering unlimited commission-free options trading.

Quantchabot has detected a promising Bull Call Spread trade opportunity for LAREDO PETROLEUM HOLDINGS INC (LPI) for the 19-Feb-2021 expiration period. You can analyze the opportunity in depth over at the Quantcha Options Search Engine.

LPI was recently trading at $25.10 and has an implied volatility of 96.48% for this period. Based on an analysis of the options available for LPI expiring on 19-Feb-2021, there is a 34.15% likelihood that the underlying will close within the analyzed range of $25.10-$32.55 at expiration. In this scenario, the average linear return for the trade would be 81.66%.

Trending on StockTwits: StockTwits® is a financial communications platform for the financial and investing community. On their site, LAREDO PETROLEUM HOLDINGS INC was recently trending, indicating that breaking news and/or market activity has significantly impacted sentiment toward the stock. This movement can be interpretted as a sign of more ne...

Quantcha now offering unlimited commission-free options trading.

Quantchabot has detected a promising Bear Call Spread trade opportunity for ENOVA INTERNATIONAL INC (ENVA) for the 19-Feb-2021 expiration period. You can analyze the opportunity in depth over at the Quantcha Options Search Engine.

ENVA was recently trading at $24.38 and has an implied volatility of 73.08% for this period. Based on an analysis of the options available for ENVA expiring on 19-Feb-2021, there is a 34.12% likelihood that the underlying will close within the analyzed range of $20.03-$24.38 at expiration. In this scenario, the average linear return for the trade would be 30.98%.

Trending on StockTwits: StockTwits® is a financial communications platform for the financial and investing community. On their site, ENOVA INTERNATIONAL INC was recently trending, indicating that breaking news and/or market activity has significantly impacted sentiment toward the stock. This movement can be interpretted as a sign of more near-term p...

No matter your age, income level, or tax bracket, you'd probably love to see your IRS burden shrink. While paying taxes is unavoidable, there are some things you can do to lower your IRS bill. Here are several perfectly legal options to look at.

1. Claim all of the deductions and credits you can

Each year, the IRS makes a host of tax credits and deductions available to filers. Knowing which ones you're eligible for could save you serious money. If you own a home and you itemize on your taxes, you can deduct the interest you pay on your mortgage as well as your property taxes. If you're paying off student debt, you may be eligible to deduct the interest on your loan. Depending on your costs, you may also be able to deduct a portion of your medical expenses.

Meanwhile, if you're a lower earner, you may be eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit. If you have children, you could get a nice tax break with the Child Tax Credit, plus snag a separate credit to recoup some of your child care costs. Be sure to read …

Global cobalt prices per metric ton are up more than 20% since the beginning of this year as increasing electric vehicle demand has strained global supply chains. 

WSJ spoke with auto and battery experts about cobalt, a metal found in lithium-ion batteries. Besides EVs, the blue metal is found in virtually every consumer electronics like cell phones, laptop computers, and tablets. 

Ying Lu, an analyst at London-based commodity research firm Roskill, was quoted by WSJ as saying, "demand is not going to shrink any time soon, while the supply remains tight mainly due to logistics disruptions in South Africa during the pandemic." 

As explained by InsideSources, every EV battery contains cobalt, with most of it mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

DRC has sustained years of destabilization as the Congo government and armed militants duke it out over the control of mines. Much of the DRC cobalt is then hauled to Sout…

Quantcha now offering unlimited commission-free options trading.

Quantchabot has detected a promising Bull Put Spread trade opportunity for CELLDEX THERAPEUTICS (CLDX) for the 19-Feb-2021 expiration period. You can analyze the opportunity in depth over at the Quantcha Options Search Engine.

CLDX was recently trading at $17.80 and has an implied volatility of 84.96% for this period. Based on an analysis of the options available for CLDX expiring on 19-Feb-2021, there is a 34.15% likelihood that the underlying will close within the analyzed range of $17.80-$22.38 at expiration. In this scenario, the average linear return for the trade would be 53.30%.

Trending on StockTwits: StockTwits® is a financial communications platform for the financial and investing community. On their site, CELLDEX THERAPEUTICS was recently trending, indicating that breaking news and/or market activity has significantly impacted sentiment toward the stock. This movement can be interpretted as a sign of more near-term price mo...

This past year was a forgettable one for shareholders of McDonald's (NYSE: MCD). The stock lagged a booming market as COVID-19 pressured the restaurant industry. And, while the fast-food giant notched a big rebound between the fiscal second and third quarters, Wall Street was more impressed with recovery performances from peers like Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG).

McDonald's will have a chance to change that downbeat narrative when it announces its full 2020 results in just a few days. Those operating metrics, paired with management's outlook for the new year, will determine whether the stock kicks off 2021 with better momentum than investors saw last year.

Let's take a closer look at the trends to watch on Thursday, Jan. 28.

Image source: Getty Images.

Chart 1: Getting back to positive

Last quarter's results were positive, but they still left investors with more questions than answers. Yes, the business improved during the summer, with comparable-store sales landing at a 2% decline compared to the 24…

Dr. Deepak Chopra is known throughout the world as one of the top experts on wellness, so it might come as a surprise that he has decided to partner with a financial services firm, Personal Capital. However, wellness and finance have more in common than you might think.

Two of our Fool.com contributors, Matt Frankel, CFP, and Jason Hall recently had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Chopra on The Wrap. Here's the entire Jan. 8 Fool Live interview -- you don't want to miss this.

The $16,728 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook
If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $16,728 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. Simply click here to discover how to learn mo...

Coming out of a dreadful year for vehicle sales (research points to a global double-digit percentage plunge for vehicles sold in 2020), the new year could mark a return to year-over-year growth for the auto industry. Plus, "connected car" tech is in higher demand than ever before, and electronic components -- now comprising some 40% of a car's cost -- are only expected to continue rising.

For auto suppliers like NXP Semiconductors (NASDAQ: NXPI) and Texas Instruments (NASDAQ: TXN), this potential dual tailwind would be great news. I think both are a solid bet on the auto industry long-term, but one looks like the better buy right now.

NXP: Making personal transportation a connectivity hub

NXP is a specialist in connectivity semiconductors for a number of industries, including for 5G mobile networks, but the auto industry is by far its largest end market. Even in a bad year for its manufacturing partners, revenue derived from automotive was well over 40% of NXP's total revenue.

Image source: Getty Images.