Though Roku’s stock fell more than 15 percent after a disappointing earnings report Wednesday, CFO Steve Louden told Cheddar he is confident the company is positioned for success amid the ongoing streaming wars.
"We are the largest streaming platform in the U.S. and we have a neutral position amongst a lot of the different stakeholders within the ecosystem, which has served us well," he said.
Louden said Roku, a service that lets users access a variety of streaming services from one spot, is platform-agnostic, making it an "essential partner in the industry," noting that it will be an access point for both the new Apple TV+ and Disney+.
"If you’re a new service and you want to have a successful direct-to-consumer strategy, then you need to be on the number one platform in the U.S.," Louden said.
Though Roku’s stock was still down Thursday, Louden said he doesn’t worry about short-term fluctuations. In its Q3 earnings report, Roku noted users streamed 10.3 billion hours over the last quarter and reported a 50 percent revenue jump. Roku reported a loss of $26.5 million.
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.
