Activist Investors Call on Apple to Address Youth Phone Addiction
Apple under fire after two Apple investors urged the company to step up and play a bigger role in managing smartphone overuse and addiction. David Benoit, Activism Reporter at The Wall Street Journal, was with us to discuss why Jana Partners has decided to push Apple to develop tools and research the effects of smartphone overuse by young people.
Benoit says the investors aren’t saying its necessarily Apple’s responsibility to monitor phone usage. Instead, he thinks they believe that Apple could play an important role in acknowledging that they aren’t sure what the impact of all this phone usage will be, but could score points by giving parents the option to monitor usage.
Activist investors typically focus on things like buybacks and acquisitions. Benoit says this move by Jana Partners to take a stance on corporate responsibility is very different. He thinks following Jana's advice could help protect Apple from potential backlash on teen iPhone usage. In addition, Benoit says goodwill could help drive future sales if consumers feel Apple made a phone that is safe for kids.
Robinhood has released its newest debit card, called the Robinhood Cash Card, which allows users to invest spare change with a rounding up feature while spending money. Robinhood Chief Product Officer Aparna Chennapragada, joined Cheddar News to talk about the latest product from the fintech company. "When we talk to our customers, especially this generation of customers, they want to have their debit primary. They're wary of fees. They're wary of credit cards," she said. "But they are all interested in investing, whether it be in the stock market or crypto, and what we said is, let's build a product that turns spending into investing."
David Swartz, an equity analyst at Morningstar, breaks down the bright spots of Nike's direct-to-consumer model and how a Kohl's buyout could affect the company's structure.
Anne Price, President of The Insight Center for Community Economic Development, talks about the Fed's approach to tackling inflation and how the policy changes disproportionality impact low-income and multicultural households.
Francis Oh, APAC CEO of Qraft Technologies, discusses the market reaction after FOMC members signal they're in favor of more aggressive rate hikes and how geopolitical pressures may impact the Fed's inflation target.
Boeing shares saw a pullback after a 737-800 aircraft with 132 people on board nosedived mid-flight, crashing into the mountains of Southern China. China's Eastern Airlines plane was not a 737-Max model, which was grounded worldwide after two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019, but it's once again raising questions about the safety of Boeing's aircraft. Michael Boyd, CEO of Boyd Group International, gave Opening Bell his take on what another crash means for Boeing.
