Share prices for streaming giant Roku continued to surge in after-hours trading Wednesday following the company's release of its quarterly earnings report. That's a positive sign for the company as competition heats up in the streaming space, with new services expected from both Disney and Apple in the coming months.
Roku announced that it is raising its full-year outlook to a midpoint of $1.085 billion, up from the range of $1.03 to $1.05 billion that the company set following the last quarter.
On earnings-per-share, Roku also beat expectations. Analysts had anticipated a 22 cent loss in earnings-per-share, but the company only lost 8 cents per share, a sign that it's edging closer to profitability.
The company stands to benefit as American households increasingly look to cut the cord, and transfer from cable bundles to online content subscriptions. Roku earns revenue from advertising on its platform, subscriptions to its content, and selling its operating system boxes, which connect to televisions.
The company reported that its total net revenues have risen to $250 million, up 59 percent year-over-year. Streaming hours are also up by half a billion from the first quarter, and a 72 percent rise from the second quarter last year. Average revenue per user is also up $2 from the first quarter.
"We're an essential partner, especially for new services, because we're the best place to grow audience. Not only do we have the biggest platform in the U.S., but we also have the most robust tool services to help them build viewership for their new services," Roku CFO Steve Louden told Cheddar in May. "They need to find a home on a place like Roku, and we have the most content out there right now."
Nestlé has dismissed its CEO Laurent Freixe after an investigation into an undisclosed relationship with a direct subordinate. The company announced on Monday that the dismissal was effective immediately. An investigation found that Freixe violated Nestlé’s code of conduct. He had been CEO for a year. Philipp Navratil, a longtime Nestlé executive, will replace him. Chairman Paul Bulcke stated that the decision was necessary to uphold the company’s values and governance. Navratil began his career with Nestlé in 2001 and has held various roles, including CEO of Nestlé's Nespresso division since 2024.
Kraft Heinz is splitting into two companies a decade after they joined in a massive merger that created one of the biggest food companies on the planet. One of the companies will include brands such as Heinz, Philadelphia cream cheese and Kraft Mac & Cheese. The other will include brands like Oscar Mayer, Kraft Singles and Lunchables. When the company formed in 2015 it wanted to capitalize on its massive scale, but shifting tastes complicated those plans, with households seeking to introduce healthier options at the table. Kraft Heinz's net revenue has fallen every year since 2020.
