Episodes
The economy has been behaving rather interestingly ahead of the November presidential election. On the one hand, the jobs market continues to moderate. Yet, major companies have begun to announce fresh layoffs – blaming AI in some cases. Despite inflation cooling, gold prices have soared. The Federal Reserve has kicked off what’s likely to be a prolonged period of interest rate cuts. While that has been well-received by investors, there are pros warning the Fed’s actions are signaling a sharp...
Published 10/16/24
Published 10/16/24
The spirits industry has seen tremendous growth over the past decade as consumers seek out new flavors. Many of these same consumers have been open as well to spending ever higher sums of money for more premium spirits – all part of participating in the shift toward partaking in experiences rather than buying stuff. The industry has also seen a great deal of consolidation. In a special Opening Bid, Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi descends to the New York City headquarters of...
Published 10/14/24
The packaged industry has a few problems at its doorsteps entering 2025. For starters, the industry continues to be under fire from lawmakers like Senator Elizabeth Warren for shrinking package sizes in a bid to boost profits. Secondarily, stubborn inflation continues to weigh on profit margins. Many households are struggling from paycheck to paycheck, causing them to forego buying some snacks and frozen meals. And last but not least, the rise of weight loss drugs in the mold of Ozempic is...
Published 10/11/24
The wealth management industry could look vastly different a decade from now than it does today. For one, there continues to be consolidation in the industry as the largest players in the field seek out more investable assets and bigger client pipelines. Second, the coming wealth transfer between baby boomers and their children will likely lead to more services by wealth managers to help manage the transition. After all, millennials will suddenly be tasked with putting potentially large sums...
Published 10/09/24
Investors are pushing aside the looming presidential election as a key risk to rip-roaring stock prices, and are beginning to focus on the here and now. And on that score, things are beginning to appear a little dicey. Middle East tensions are on a steep climb, putting upward pressure on oil prices among other commodities. That has some on the Street voicing concern about the prospect for renewed inflation. Recall, it has been a steady deceleration in inflation in recent months that allowed...
Published 10/07/24
It happened with Starbucks (SBUX) it happened with Boeing (BA), it happened with Nike (NKE), and now it’s happening with OpenAI. Executive management turnover seems to be the recent corporate trend, and it’s causing concern for leaders, analysts, and investors alike In this week’s episode of Opening Bid, Market Domination anchor Julie Hyman sits down with Gautam Mukunda, Lecturer of Management Practice at the Yale School of Management and author of “Picking Presidents” to discuss executive...
Published 10/04/24
By most indications, the Federal Reserve has engineered a soft landing for the economy. Loosely defined, that is the economy is still growing solidly in terms of jobs and wages despite a heavy dose of interest rate hikes from the Fed. Now many on Wall Street expect the economy to re-accelerate into year end and in 2025 as the Fed begins a rate cutting campaign. But are investors being too optimistic about the economy? After all, inflation continues to pressure the average household and many...
Published 10/02/24
 Turning around an iconic company that has been experiencing stumbles is no small task. Sometimes a turnaround never materializes, and sometimes it happens very slowly. But sometimes a new CEO’s initiatives gain hold, reinvigorate the organization and the one-time iconic company enters a new period of growth. Investors in legendary digital payments company PayPal are waiting to see what one of those buckets it will fall into under new CEO Alex Chriss. Chriss is now officially one-year into...
Published 09/30/24
Don’t be upset with yourself if you have never heard of Tradeweb Markets, just promise to do better next time. Because the reality is you should have heard about Tradeweb Markets five years ago – the stock is up more than 200% and the company’s market cap now stands at about $26 billion. The company is one of the more under-the-radar names in the financial services space, focused on electronic trading operations for various asset classes. At the helm is CEO Billy Hult, who has been with...
Published 09/27/24
AI development seems like it’s moving at the speed of sound. If 2023 was about co-pilots, this year is shaping up to be about agents that work with humans to improve business performance. At the same time, AI chip giants Nvidia and AMD are racing to keep up with demand for their new chips. Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi sits down for an extensive chat with You.com founder Richard Socher. Socher has pretty much seen and done it all in terms of AI development. He was chief scientist...
Published 09/25/24
Whole Foods CEO Jason Buechel has had his hands full since taking over as CEO from iconic founder John Mackey in 2022. He has guided the organic grocer through unprecedented levels of inflation, impacting how even his higher end shoppers shop. The competition in the organic grocery space has intensified. Meanwhile, the company remains a retailer inside the behemoth that is tech giant Amazon — which has gone on a stretch of financial belt tightening of late. Whole Foods and Buechel are looking...
Published 09/23/24
Developments on the AI front are coming in hot and heavy. OpenAI is eyeing a huge capital raise. Microsoft is full steam ahead with a co-pilot for everything. Tesla CEO Elon Musk is whipping up humanoid robots. And bumbling lawmakers are still trying to figure out how to regulate the technology before the year 2040. And then there is a tech giant like Salesforce, which is going all in on “autonomous agents” to help unleash the power of businesses around the world. Salesforce says it’s agents...
Published 09/20/24
All eyes are on the Federal Reserve as its highly-anticipated September meeting has finally arrived. The central bank is expected to cut interest rates for the first time in four years as it eyes a soft landing for the US economy in its battle against inflation. Dan Niles, Niles Investment Management founder and portfolio manager, joins Yahoo Finance anchor Seana Smith on Opening Bid to discuss how the Fed's rate-easing cycle could impact the market and why he believes a soft landing is in...
Published 09/18/24
If you know the name Joe Lonsdale, Founder and Managing Partner of 8VC, you’ll also know of his brand of bold—as he self-describes—and sometimes controversial stances across technology, politics, and social issues. But as a billionaire, Silicon Valley-turned-Texas venture capitalist, no one can deny the incredible success he’s seen in business. He co-founded Palantir Technologies (PLTR) alongside Peter Thiel and others. That company is about to celebrate a big milestone with the announcement...
Published 09/16/24
Behind popular AI tools like ChatGPT, DALL-E, and Gemini lies the vast, often overlooked realm of infrastructure. From chip manufacturing to massive data centers, these facilities form the backbone of our digital landscape. However, they consume huge amounts of electricity, land, and water— all while dealing with a shortage of construction companies and workers. In today's episode of Opening Bid, Clayco executive chairman and founder Bob Clark sits down with Yahoo Finance anchor Julie Hyman...
Published 09/13/24
The debate Tuesday between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris was fiery, with both nominees hoping they won over voters with their arguments on everything from the economy to immigration. While Wall Street veteran strategist and former Wells Fargo Chief Investment Strategist Jim Paulsen, however, is more focused on the micro things, like what policies will affect individual sectors. Paulsen joined Yahoo Finance anchor Seana Smith on Opening Bid to break down what's...
Published 09/11/24
On the eve of the first presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, voters wait to see the two face-off. Some look for the presidential hopefuls to elaborate on policy plans, while others might tune-in for the drama and zingers; here at Yahoo Finance, we’re watching all things economics and markets. To bridge the gap between markets and the election, Evercore chairman emeritus Ralph Schlosstein joined Opening Bid, speaking with with Yahoo...
Published 09/09/24
Not many banks can say they are America’s oldest bank. In fact the only one who could lay claim to that title is BNY, founded 240 years ago by Alexander Hamilton. BNY has gone from its storied lineage tied to Hamilton and banking titans in the Mellon family, to a financial institution that oversees $50 trillion in assets. The company is a powerhouse in the business of wealth management, and is the country’s largest custodian. Interestingly, it still doesn’t operate a retail bank – hence...
Published 09/06/24
The year end is fast-approaching for investors, and the waters are getting rocky. Stocks experienced their first growth scare in early August as recession fears resurfaced out of the blue. Markets stabilized by month’s end. But the one-two punch of disappointing earnings out of AI darling Nvidia and weakening US economic data has markets back in a tizzy in September. Back top of mind with investors: will the economies low sharply in 2025, and how much. The fears around growth have investors...
Published 09/04/24
Not many people know former president Donald Trump like Wilbur Ross. Ross has known Trump for decades first as a real estate mogul and then as his boss, serving in the capacity of US Commerce Secretary. As a member of Trump’s cabinet, Ross was instrumental in pushing through tariffs on China and helping to usher in lower taxes for businesses and households. Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi goes in-depth with former US Commerce Secretary and long-time businessman Wilbur Ross. Ross...
Published 08/30/24
The stock market has bounced back from the growth scare that ensued earlier in August. To many folks on Wall Street, the sell-off was overdone and opportunities continue to exist into the fall. There are certainly catalysts to warrant the more upbeat assessment on risk assets: the Fed may cut rates in September and Corporate America continues to churn our healthy profits. Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi drills into all things stock market with Raymond James CIO Larry Adam. Adam not...
Published 08/28/24
Bottom line is that the stock market remains obsessed with Nvidia. The company is seen as the hands down leader in AI chips. But does that make Nvidia a great stock to buy and hold right through its coming earnings report? Remember with a track record of greatness like Nvidia comes with its expectations for financial greatness every single quarter. Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi chats with veteran tech investor and analyst Paul Meeks to get his thoughts on Nvidia’s coming earnings...
Published 08/26/24
When isn’t Tesla’s stock a lightning rod for sharp opinions from both bulls and bears!? Now is one of those moments where views from each passionate camp are coming in hot and heavy. On the one side, you have a Tesla retail investor like Alexandra Merz saying on the Opening Bid podcast that Tesla’s stock is severely undervalued. “I’m very convinced this [stock] goes to $5,000 or $10,000 [long-term] once people understand what Tesla is all about,” Merz said. On the other side of the coin there...
Published 08/23/24
A sense of calm has returned to markets after a volatile start to the month. But that doesn’t mean the coast is clear. Pros that Yahoo Finance are speaking with are gearing up for a volatile September for markets amid the looming presidential election and a new Fed meeting, where the monetary policy stewards may cut interest rates. So what’s the play for your portfolio with this unknown backdrop? Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi and Yahoo Finance ‘Market Domination’ host Julie Hyman...
Published 08/21/24