Here is a rundown of Cheddar News' top market stories of the day.
TECH LAYOFFS
Multiple outlets are reporting that Microsoft will begin a series of planned layoffs on Wednesday that could cut around 5 percent of its workforce, or 10,000 employees. CEO Satya Nadella warned the cuts were coming, and said the next couple of years were likely to be challenging, as the tech sector contracts after a decade plus of rapid growth. Amazon is also set to move ahead with plans to cut 6 percent of its 350,000 corporate employees.
ADOBE'S DATA DEBACLE
Adobe is facing backlash from customers who are concerned the software company is using personal images and video to train artificial intelligence models such as OpenAI’s Dall-E. Chief Product Officer Scott Belsky denied the accusations in an interview with Bloomberg, saying: "We have never, ever used anything in our storage to train a generative AI model."
UNITED AIRLINES EARNINGS
United Airlines' fourth quarter earnings beat Wall Street estimates on the heels of a rebound in travel demand. The company reported a 31 percent increase from the same period before the pandemic. The gains were made despite the airline flying 9 percent fewer trips and a litany of other challenges, from winter storms to labor shortages to supply chain disruptions.
UNIVERSITY BANS TIKTOK
The University of Texas at Austin is blocking access to TikTok on its Wi-Fi and wired networks. The move is a response to Gov. Greg Abbott's requirement that all state agencies delete the app from government-issued devices. The administration said it is also seeking to eliminate risks to information on the university's networks. University of Texas at Dallas and Texas A&M University System have since implemented similar restrictions.
Canopy Growth reported a wider-than-expected loss in its fourth quarter and fiscal year results. However, the cannabis company plans to expand its portfolio and make new investments to achieve profitability and drive growth. CEO David Klein provides insight into the earnings report and how the company plans to reach profitability. “The premium strategy coupled with our mainstream brands in Canada is the key to achieving profitability here," he said.
An inflation gauge closely tracked by the Federal Reserve rose 6.3% in April from a year earlier, just below a four-decade high set in March and the first slowdown since November 2020.
U.S. stocks ended near session highs to close Thursday's session after retailers released positive earnings results. Investors also continued to weigh the federal reserve's recent indication that the central will raise rates in an effort to curb inflation. Adam Johnson, Portfolio Manager for Adviser Investments, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
In Jarkesy v. Securities and Exchange Commission, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the SEC violated the U.S. Constitution. Cheddar's Alex Vuocolo dives into how the ruling could potentially change everything for regulators.
Pfizer said it will be shipping its vaccines at not-for-profit prices to 45 low-income countries. The pharmaceutical giant will be exporting 23 drugs, including those that treat cancer, heart conditions, autoimmune diseases, as well as COVID-19.
Elon Musk officially dropped out of the $200 billion club.
The move comes as Tesla's stock continues to plummet as a number of banks and analysts reconsider their lofty valuation of the automaker. Greg Martin, Co-Founder, Rainmaker Securities joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
On today's Biz Breakdown: Elon Musk ups his offer to buy Twitter, Pfizer drops vaccine cost for some lower income countries, and Oreo & Ritz team up to create a cracker-cookie Sandwich
Catching you up on today's top stories with Elon Musk raising his own commitment to purchasing Twitter with $33.5 billion, Apple plans to produce 220 million iPhones this year, and the company also is raising its hourly retail wage to $22 per hour amid ongoing unionization efforts at its stores.
