Bitcoin Futures Go Live at the CME, and Congress Calls for a Disney Hearing
A week after contracts on the cryptocurrency began trading at the CBOE, the much larger derivatives exchange, the CME, launches its own version. Interest in Bitcoin and other digital assets has risen exponentially this year, with prices approaching $20,000 over the weekend.
Plus days after Disney announced its $52 billion acquisition of Fox, Democratic leaders in Congress are calling for a hearing, raising antitrust concerns. The legislators saying a deal would concentrate too much box office power in one company.
And a judge made public a letter from a former Uber employee which accuses former executives of espionage and bribery. Stitch Fix is getting ready for its first earnings report since going public. We've also got earnings on tap from BlackBerry and Micron.
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.
About 780,000 pressure washers sold at retailers like Home Depot are being recalled across the U.S. and Canada, due to a projectile hazard that has resulted in fractures and other injuries among some consumers.
