The Week's Top Stories is a guided tour through the biggest market stories of the week, from winning stocks to brutal dips to the facts and forecasts generating buzz on Wall Street.
RATE HIKE READY
At the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium Friday, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the U.S. should prepare for more interest rate hikes. The Fed has implemented a pretty steady stream of increases since March 2022 when it was near zero to 5.4 percent, the highest it has been in 22 years. The inflation rate has dropped significantly during that period, from 9.1 percent to 3.2 percent, but it's still too far above the target rate of 2 percent for the Fed. Employment levels have remained strong throughout this period. The real estate seems to have taken the brunt of the impact, with mortgage rates hitting a new 22-year high average of 7.23 percent for a 30-year fixed-rate.
UPS AVOIDS STRIKE
There was good news for online shoppers this week: UPS struck a deal with workers that will avoid a strike. In the five-year deal, the shipping giant has agreed to increase and standardize pay, end forced overtime on drivers' days off, and add air conditioning to more trucks. The same cannot be said for the United Auto Workers union at the moment. This week autoworkers overwhelmingly voted to allow union leaders to call a strike if negotiations with General Motors, Ford and Stellantis don't start making some serious headway before the current contract expires on September 14.
DOLLAR TREE CHALLENGES
Dollar Tree has plenty of work on its hands. Its earnings report released this week beat Wall Street expectations, but the stock sunk as the company reported a difficult economy ahead. The discount store chain, which also owns Family Dollar, cited theft as a major issue. This week, Dollar Tree also received an order from the Labor Department giving it two years to turn around institutional failures that have created safety concerns in stores throughout the country. The company will have to figure out what is causing stores to do things like block emergency exits and stack boxes to dangerously tall heights - and then figure out how to fix it in all locations.
NVIDIA SOARS ON AI
Nvidia revealed an incredible quarter in this week's earnings report. The computer chip giant made nine times more revenue than it did a year ago, largely thanks to the AI companies that are relying on its technology, and it expects to triple sales this quarter. The news sent the stock up 6 percent - just another milestone for the stock which has tripled in value this year.
PELOTON PLUNGES
Peloton stock dropped more than 20 percent on Wednesday after the company admitted it is struggling to keep up with demand for replacement seat posts that were recalled over safety concerns. While riders are without functional bikes, 20,000 of them have paused their subscriptions, which is a critical part of the company's business plan. In a letter to shareholders, President and CEO Barry McCarthy also noted consumers seem to be turning more toward travel and experiences, which is tough for a stay-at-home bike company.
The media giant formerly known as ViacomCBS has officially rebranded itself as Paramount Global with a focus on its streaming service, Paramount Plus. Naveen Chopra, chief financial officer at Paramount, joined Cheddar to discuss the company’s name change and streaming wars. "There are components of content licensing that we continue to do, either historical arrangements or opportunities to license content that don't really impinge on what we're trying to do with our owned and operated services and that continues to be an important ingredient in our broader financial model," he said. "But our number one priority is putting our best assets on Paramount Plus." Chopra also discussed theatrical release windows before feature films hit its service and the platform's subscription goals.
In efforts to help support black-owned brands. Ulta Beauty says it will make a commitment to not only give these brand shelf space but also help them navigate the ins and outs of growing a business. Last week, the beauty retailer announced in order to reach those goals, the company will spend $50 million on diversity and inclusion programs, including an accelerated program to mentor entrepreneurs of color. CEO of Ulta Beauty, Dave Kimbell, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
For black history month, Cheddar is highlighting black business leaders who are driving the need for representation forward. On February 10, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce hosted an event called 'Developing the Black-Owned Business Ecosystem.' The virtual event was organized under the lobbying group's two initiatives -- the Equality of Opportunity Initiative, and the Coalition to Back Black Businesses. The event highlighted the developments needed to develop more black-owned businesses in the U.S. Dr. Anthony Wilbon, Dean of the School of Business at Howard University, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss his experience as a speaker at the event.
While Black History Month is a time to celebrate the achievements of Black Americans, it's also a time to reflect on how they can be better heard and supported.
Black Americans are still fighting for voting rights, facing more severe impacts from COVID-19, and experiencing gaps in workforce representation and pay. Alexandra Schrecengost, hybrid work expert and CEO of "Virtual With Us" and "Culture With Us,' joined Cheddar News to discuss.
Premio Lo Nuestro 2022 is kicking off awards season this month with its 34th show. The star-studded event will include performances from Pitbull, Luis Fonsi — and even Sting with his new Spanish-language single "Por Su Amor." Ignacio Meyer, the vice president of music and non-scripted entertainment, Univision, joined Cheddar News to talk about the music award show details. "We’ve actually still got plenty of surprises that were going to be announcing," Meyer said. "We're not done announcing the star power just yet." Singer Camilo leads with 10 nominations going into the event.
Black spending power reached a record $1.6 Trillion in a 2021 report from the University of Georgia Selig Center for Economic Growth. Ayesha Selden, certified financial planner, breaks down why real estate is the key to closing the racial wealth gap and how Black Americans are using social media to improve financial literacy. "If we look at home ownership as being a primary driver of wealth, when you look at the equity that Americans have in their homes, that equity can be used to buy additional assets like other rental properties. That equity can be used to educate our children," Selden said, noting that lower rates of home ownership meant Black Americans tend to incur more debt on average for their student loans.
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals, Dr. Kate Strasdin, fashion historian & senior lecturer in Cultural Studies at Falmouth University, discusses the lessons industry leaders draw from history to make fashion more sustainable today; Kendall Becker, fashion editor and trend forecaster, forecasts the hottest trends of 2022, and what will be left in 2021; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'Going Circular.'
Dr. Kate Strasdin, fashion historian & senior lecturer in Cultural Studies at Falmouth University, joins Cheddar Reveals to discuss the lessons industry leaders draw from history to make fashion more sustainable today.
