Wal-Mart is raising minimum wage to $11 and dishing out a one-time bonus for employees, citing the Trump Tax Reform plan. Karen Short, Managing Director at Barclays, was with us to discuss the ramifications of the decision.
Short estimates that Wal-Mart could generate $4 billion in incremental free cash flow due to the tax reform, and adds that the wage hike is just of portion of the allocation. The analyst says that the "strong will get stronger" and other retailers will have to follow Wal-Mart's lead.
Tax reform narrows the advantage Amazon has over traditional retailers such as Wal-Mart, says Short. She says Wal-Mart has an advantage over Amazon because it is the largest grocer with low prices. Short also adds that the stigma surrounding Wal-Mart products has dissipated and is no longer a "turnoff" to millennials because the products have gotten better.
Federal Reserve officials signaled that they still expect to cut their key interest rate three times in 2024 despite signs that inflation was surprisingly high at the start of the year.
Brad Bernstein, managing director at UBS Private Wealth Management breaks down the state of the U.S. economy and what to expect from Fed policy from the rest of the year.
SpaceX Investor Chad Anderson discusses Starship's latest test flight, what's next, and why he thinks Elon Musk's leadership sent the company in the right direction.
Dilip Rao, CEO of Sharebite, explains how his startup wants to normalize companies feeding their workers, the role of the private sector in public concerns, and more.