This is a story about Starbucks, economics, and good things that are hard to put a number on. The company invested over $500 million in additional labor hours. They brought back Sharpies so baristas could write names and smiley faces on cups. They set a goal to fulfill orders within four minutes while emphasizing personal connection.
In 2018, tech giant Apple became the first U.S. company to reach a market capitalization of $1 trillion. Since then, it's been joined by other companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta Platforms, and Tesla. Of course, the list also includes the current market-cap leader, Nvidia. It's becoming increasingly normal for a new company to join the $1 trillion club. But it remains an impressive feat nevertheless. At this pace, these tech titans could be joined by brick-and-mortar giant Walmart in 2026.
24/7 Wall St. hosts Doug McIntyre and Lee Jackson analyze a major move by BlackRock to acquire the utility company AES, describing it as the beginning of a larger wave of consolidation across the utility and banking sectors. It could signal how companies like BlackRock might be positioning themselves to control the energy sources needed to power data centers and AI infrastructure.
Explain how the time inconsistency of optimal monetary policy can lead to a stabilisation bias. How would the introduction of a price path target help to address it? After reading the question three times, I still couldn't make sense of it. I groaned, went back to the textbook, tried to read, made a cup of tea, and tried again. Nothing improved my focus.
There is a special kind of chaos that occurs in a warehouse without clear processes. One day, everything works smoothly; the next, pallets are misplaced, orders are delayed, and no one's quite sure who is supposed to do what. That's where a solid SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) swoops in. It brings order and makes life easier for everyone, from the floor staff to the operations manager.
Doug argues that by investing in OpenAI while openAI in turn buys Nvidia chips, a relationship between the two companies is artificially boosting revenue and misrepresenting the company's financial health. Doug cites a Wall Street Journal report noting that OpenAI received warrants for up to $160 million AMD shares at just one cent per share, calling the deal "bogus" and potentially in violation of accounting standards.
With the government shut down, there's little hope of optimistic economic data goosing the market higher. Actually, the contrary is more likely, with investors wondering what bad news might be going unreported by government agencies that have gone silent. If there is good news to report, something to provide catalysts to drive stock prices higher, it's probably going to have to come from companies themselves. Luckily, earnings season ramps back up next week, with big banks starting to report their Q3 profits.
According to Bloomberg, the SEC probe followed a whistleblower's complaint and several short seller reports issued earlier this year. Dessouky thinks that the selloff following the news presents "a particularly attractive buying opportunity based on what we know today." The 5-star analyst contends that the absence of an SEC or company disclosure and no Form 8-K filing suggest that the probe may still be "an informal, information gathering exercise," rather than a formal investigation.
Last year, Andrew Berger was riding high. The mortgage-trading team he oversaw at $12.8 billion hedge fund LMR Partners gained nearly $250 million in 2024, according to three people familiar with the matter. Now, the star trader is out at LMR after sharp losses in September, tied to a mortgage-backed securities bet, those people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private.
Though I wouldn't look to punch a ticket at these levels, I certainly wouldn't dare initiate a short position. Indeed, if the meme frenzy of 2021 taught us anything, it's that betting against even a seemingly sure thing is a dangerous proposition that might just lead to uncapped losses. Between going long and going short, I'd much rather go for the former any day of the week.
We have several credit cards, and one thought was that we could pay the largest one off and ask that credit card company for a balance transfer offer, to bring the balances on some of the other cards over. Is that still a thing? Our credit ratings aren't great, so applying for new cards is not an option. Is this a stupid idea?
Lisa Su, the CEO of Advanced Micro Devices, has built one of the world's most valuable companies and made investors billions- but is barely a billionaire herself. She has delivered a 70-fold increase in her company's stock price during her 11 years in charge, including a 41% surge this week to fresh highs thanks to its OpenAI partnership. The chipmaker's market value has soared to $378 billion, surpassing Home Depot, Bank of America, and Procter & Gamble.
Nordic countries are known for being happy, with high incomes, robust welfare support and easy access to nature. Finland, Denmark, Iceland and Sweden are in fact the world's four happiest countries according to the latest UN-sponsored World Happiness Report, with Norway coming in 7th. It turns out, many people are happy at work there too. Nordic-headquartered businesses occupy ten spaces on Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For - Europe list, despite their countries constituting under 4% of the continent's population.
From boardrooms to factory floors, U.S. companies are entering a new era where federal guardrails may disappear. The laws may be rolling back, but the risk: legal, financial, and reputational, are multiplying. Getting ahead of this challenge is one of the few things boards and leadership teams can control in a business world defined by uncertainty. I. The Disappearing Roadmap Imagine you're at a dinner with fellow executives.
The UK IPO market has largely remained in 'wait and see' mode throughout 2025, as companies navigate the repercussions of prolonged geopolitical and macroeconomic instability. However, we are starting to see a shift in sentiment with several large IPOs already confirmed this month. Momentum is now building and the IPO pipeline for the next six to 12 months is strengthening as market conditions improve, with prospective companies keen to move when the pricing window opens.
In treasury and payments, leadership is often measured in metrics, products, and efficiency. But for Katie Oresar, the human element - the teams she builds, the clients she partners with, and the culture and relationships she fosters - has always been at the center of her approach. Appointed as BMO's U.S. Head of Treasury & Payment Solutions (TPS) Sales last month, she steps into a role that blends strategy, innovation, and client relationships at a time when the bank is fortifying its US presence.
Tilray Brands (NASDAQ: TLRY) reports fiscal Q1 2026 results before the market opens, following a transition year defined by consolidation and margin repair. The stock is up 275% over the past 6 months as investors look to see if the turnaround can keep momentum moving forward. Last quarter's print (Q4 FY2025) showed clear progress - EPS beat $0.02 vs. est. $0.00 - as international cannabis and spirits drove gross margin expansion. Yet shares finished down 5% after weaker beverage margins and cautious cash-flow trends.
Consumer spending, while solid, is slowing, as tariffs are being imposed worldwide. The United States is finally responding to tariffs imposed upon it, and a host of additional factors are fanning the flames of another 2025 correction. Job gains have plummeted, as much of the data is perceived to be inaccurate. To be frank, it is high time that a correction similar to the one earlier this year comes in to help cleanse the market of the recklessness ignited by artificial intelligence almost three years ago.
At the time, Wells had been laboring under a regulatory crackdown unleashed by the cataclysm that blackened the formerly burnished Wells name, the heavily publicized scandal revealing that the bank had bilked millions of customers by creating fake and unneeded accounts at its branches. That culminated in a draconian penalty imposed by the Federal Reserve: a hard limit on its total assets that essentially blocked Wells from raising the deposits that form the lifeblood of banking.
