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.
Amid ongoing tensions in the Russia-Ukraine region, many American travelers are nervous about traveling to Europe.
It comes at a time when international travel was set to make a comeback, but uncertainty surrounding the conflict may delay the overall recovery. Francesca Page, Travel Expert, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Daniel Newman, Founding Partner & Principal Analyst at Futurum Research, discusses whether Apple's Peek Performance event will be enough to lift shares and what the impact of cutting ties with Russia means for the tech giant's growth prospects.
Jason Moser, Senior Analyst at The Motley Fool, discusses the industries most impacted by the return to office trend and outlines the factors that may affect spending this year.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine is coming for the global food supply. Ongoing tensions in the region are threatening the supply of various agricultural products including wheat, barley and corn. Vladik Rikhter, CEO & Cofounder of Zenput joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss how this could impact food prices overseas.
Aaron Easterly, CEO of Rover, discusses the factors that led to Rovers YOY growth and how the potential uptick in travel and commuting will affect Rover for the remainder of the year.
Peter Andersen, Chief Investment Officer at Anderson Capital Management, discusses the ramifications of Europe reducing dependence on Russian oil and how the Fed may respond to rising interest rates.
U.S. markets opened mixed on reports that Biden could announce a ban on Russian oil as soon as today. Robert Cantwell, Founder and Portfolio Manager at Upholdings joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
