Amazon is finishing off the year strong, selling "tens of millions of Alexa-enabled devices." The Amazon Alexa app tops the U.S. Android and iOS app stores, suggesting it did better than its competitors over the past month.
Can Google and Apple catch up in the home assistant market? Sascha Segan, Lead Analyst at PCMag.com, thinks it could be tough. Segan says that the Alexa network is far more integrated than its competitors. Amazon's cheapest home assistant, the Echo Dot, is currently sold out. It was the first home assistant to sell for $30, putting pressure on Google to lower the price of its cheapest option to match Amazon.
Segan also takes a look at the rumors surrounding Apple and Samsung's flagship phones. Reports are circulating that sales of the iPhone X were lower over the holiday season than expected. Couple that with rumors that Samsung could launch the Galaxy S9 sooner than expected, and you could have a battle brewing in the mobile phone market.
At some 940-pages, the legislation is a sprawling collection of tax breaks, spending cuts and other Republican priorities, including new money for national defense and deportations.
Chris Versace, CIO at Tematica Research, joins to discuss earnings season trends, Flash PMI signals, Walmart’s strategy updates, and Nike’s evolving outlook.
Andrew Nusca, Editorial Director at Fortune, dives into WhatsApp’s first-ever ads rollout —and how Meta’s ad push intensifies its showdown with OpenAI.
Ben Geman, Energy Reporter at Axios, joins to discuss the latest Middle East tensions, Brent crude price swings, and why gas prices aren’t falling with oil.
Al Root, Associate Editor at Barron's, joins to discuss Tesla’s robotaxis going live in Texas—what it means for autonomy, safety, and the EV race ahead.
Dena Jalbert, M&A expert and CEO of Align Business Advisory Services, on the state of U.S. M&A: deals worth $1–$10 billion (including debt) are surging.
