401K balances jumped in the fourth quarter of 2022, but were down 23 percent for the entire year, due to the ongoing bear market. New data from Fidelity Investments also found that the average individual retirement account balance was down 20 percent to $104,000 in the fourth quarter. Amid this economic uncertainty, the savings rate remained steady at 13.7 percent, down slightly from the 13.8 percent in the third quarter and 13.9 percent in the second quarter.
GOODBYE TO THE SUPER HORNET
Boeing said it will end production of the F/A-18 Super Hornet in 2025. The shutdown will affect a production line near St. Louis, which could power back on if the company wins a contract in India. The Super Hornet is considered the most successful aircraft in the history of the U.S. Navy. The company will redeploy staff to pursue new opportunities, including the T-7 Red Hawk.
DOMINO'S SALES SLUMP
Domino's Pizza missed sales estimates in the fourth quarter, as high delivery fees put a dent in online orders. Same-store delivery sales dropped 6.6 percent after the company raised delivery fees to make up for higher labor and commodity costs. With deliveries making up 60 percent of sales, the drop hit the company hard. Its share price fell 11 percent on Thursday.
NETFLIX LOWERS PRICES
Netflix is lowering its subscription price across the globe. The streaming giant has lowered prices in more than 100 territories, including large parts of the Middle East, South America, and Eastern Europe. The discount varies by area, but some saw 20 to 60 percent decreases for the basic tier membership, according to data from Ampere Analysis shared with TechCrunch.
Walmart Inc. is raising the starting base pay for store managers, while redesigning its bonus plan that will put more of an emphasis on profits for these leaders.
Despite concerns about shipping delays in the Red Sea, RSM Chief Economist Joe Brusuelas says there are still reasons to be optimistic about the state of the U.S. economy.
Dan Ives, Managing Director and Senior Equity Analyst at Wedbush Securities dives deeper into a report by the International Data Corporation (IDC) that Apple has ended Samsung's 12-year reign as the world's largest smartphone seller.
Artificial intelligence is the biggest buzzword at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos. Advances in generative AI stunned the world last year, and the elite crowd is angling to take advantage of its promise and minimize its risks.
Smartphones could get much smarter this year as the next wave of artificial intelligence seeps into the devices that accompany people almost everywhere they go.
In an annual assessment of global inequalities, Oxfam International said the first trillionaire could emerge within the next decade — as the anti-poverty organization pointed to the growing wealth gap that skyrocketed globally during the pandemic.
The Biden administration proposed a cost drop for overdrawing bank accounts, which it says could particularly relieve Americans living paycheck to paycheck.
