Big news on Wall St

2022 FIFA World Cup’s the biggest ticket in town and everyone wants to back a winner. Lloyds Banking Group has predicted their top choice, and Electronic Arts has simulated all 64 matches to pick theirs. The winning team takes home US$42 million and the runner up US$30 million.

Fashion’s getting phygital! This year’s NYFW saw luxury brands hit the catwalk while simultaneously streaming on Roblox. Fashion houses have also embraced gaming and NFTs using Microsoft tech to build games and share content on Fortnite. Who else is shaking up the phygital runway?

Food and beverage companies are rolling out the welcome mat for robots. Bots are trying their robotic hands at burger flipping and barista brewing. And while employment fell during the pandemic, putting bots on the tools is paying off, with production climbing. So are robots taking our jobs?

Has the crypto contagion replaced pandemic woes? Bitcoin is now the fifth-biggest asset crash of all time, and crypto exchanges FTX and Blockfi have tanked. Sam Bankman-Fried’s Bahamas blow-out has also blown sports sponsorship outta the water. Who’s hit in the US share markets?

US midterms got you glued to the share markets? You needn’t bother because research shows that neither presidential nor midterm elections in the US impact share market performance over the long term, and legislative gridlock may even be ‘good for markets’.

Jeep’s not the only vehicle company trying to amp up summer roadies. Luxury cars are set to sizzle, with sales rolling in the deep until 2024, despite being known gas guzzlers. Other EV companies are running laps around Ferrari and Lamborghini as they crawl towards electric avenue in first gear.

Elon Musk may have eyes on your loose change to score the blue tick, but like lions escaping the zoo, there’s a wondrous journey those coins can travel. From treating the office, to treating your belly, what else could you spend $13 on each month?

Pfizer is doubling down on the triple-threat of winter viruses: Covid, ‘flu and respiratory virus RSV. They’re working on a new RSV vaccine for pregnant women, and partnering with BioNTech to create a combine Influenza and Covid-19 shot using mRNA technology.

Pets have kept us pawsitiveover the past few years so deserve chillax time at Airbnb’s pet friendly vacay rentals. And bookings with furry friends in tow have soared to 3 million pet check-ins over the past year. Could it be enough for Airbnb to claw back their pandemic losses?

Sometimes the business of apps can get real ugly, and with reverse catfishing on the rise, dating apps are under the lens. As the pandemic redefined dating behaviour, it seems investors have fallen out of love with Bumble and Tinder parent, Match Group. Will investors ever swipe right again?

Santa’s sack may be lighter this year with home furnishings and appliances off shopping lists. But MasterCard reckons spending hasn’t been off the cards; it’s moved to airlines, tickets and going out. Seems in Aotearoa we’ve been spreading our legs in nature, too. So what could it all mean for Xmas?

Following last week’s urgent government alert, vapers and retailers may be fuming that e-cigs are being vaporised from shelves. This follows zigzagging revenue returns mist by vape distributors, including Juul being smoked out of the US. But is it all smoke ‘n’ mirrors?