Big news on Wall St

McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski says they’re feeling the loss of low earning customers during the high cost of living, promising to bring back value dining, as well as creating their biggest burger ever. But one financial analyst has dug into the data, and he tells a different story.

Big banks have kicked off quarterly earnings season in the US markets, but JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon’s sobering shareholder letter sent the bank stocks tumbling sector-wide last week. But there is still investor optimism in the global financial powerhouses, with stock soars in the past six months that even rival some Big Tech.

Disney beat Nelson Peltz in his battle for boardroom control, ending years of struggles that kicked off during Covid. Retired CEO Bob Iger returned to bring the legacy entertainer back from big losses, but he can’t stay forever. So what happened behind closed doors during the failed hostile takeover?

Using AI in healthcare may save billions of dollars and save lives. Researchers are developing AI treatments for everything, from cancer and infertility, to schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s. AI language models may even be helping to create new proteins. And Big Tech is all in.

From meme stock to market debut, Reddit’s IPO bolted out of the gates after landing on the NYSE. Reddit stock has jumped 31% since listing, ending the first days of going public reaching nearly US$10 billion market cap. But how does Reddit make money, and why are some Redditors unhappy about proposed AI licensing?

Not even Boeing’s defence operations can stop the aircraft maker from facing a wave of scrutiny. Legal issues are costing billions, their stock keeps dropping and now pilots don’t feel safe. But Boeing is the world’s fifth largest defence company. So what happened to ‘If it’s not Boeing, I’m not going?'

While all eyes pivots towards AI, iconic US fashion brand Abercrombie & Fitch has surged ahead of even Nvidia. Steady cotton pricing and low transportation costs have contributed, but surprise behaviour by Gen Z has put them head and shoulders above the rest. In 2024, what could the combination of the youth consumer and AI bring?

Big Tech is driving the US share markets but competition is fast and furious. Virtual assistants, text-to-image, video and now music are challenging employers, workers and productivity. Now humanoid robots might be coming for our jobs. What’s the latest in the fast-moving world of AI and robotic tech?

Global lockdowns and border closures sent us packing into the great outdoors. The result? Boom time for outdoor camping and fishing companies. We swapped flights for RVs and tourist maps for fishing rods, and Gen Z and millennials discovered fresh love for nature, sending outdoor and marine stocks soaring. But have the stocks maintained the momentum?

Ever wondered how to invest in real estate without the hassle of open homes, tenants or saving for a new roof? Getting into the property market can be done through share markets, and the NYSE and the Nasdaq list some of the highest dividend-paying shares in the world. How? Meet REITs.

Roblox has 71.5 million users, and around 42% of their daily active users are under 13 years old, making it one of the world’s most popular gaming platforms. But Roblox doesn’t actually make games at all. So how does their community keep growing and how does it make money?

While Aotearoa New Zealand has been nuclear-free since the 1980s, some countries are backing nuclear-powered electricity to reduce global emissions. As nations like the US, China and India build to meet growing energy needs, uranium demand is facing supply constraints, sending uranium stocks soaring. So what’s the deal with uranium?