It was a happy holiday at Starbucks, but the company's sales momentum could start to slow due to the coronavirus outbreak in China.
New drinks like the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew were a hit with customers, helping the Seattle-based coffee giant beat Wall Street's forecasts in the October-December period. Starbucks reaffirmed its 2020 profit guidance for now, but said it has already closed more than half of its stores in China.
Starbucks reported Tuesday that its earnings rose 16% to $886 million in its fiscal first quarter. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring items like restructuring charges, were 79 cents per share. That beat Wall Street's forecast of 76 cents.
Starbucks said same-store sales — or sales at stores open at least 13 months — jumped 5% worldwide in the October-December period, ahead of analysts' forecast of 4.4%. Revenue was up 7% to $7.1 billion, in line with analysts' forecasts.
Starbucks said 1.4 million U.S. customers joined its Starbucks Rewards loyalty program during the quarter. The company said demand for mobile ordering and payment is growing in the U.S.
America’s second most-hated chore is washing the dishes, according to Procter & Gamble, and to alleviate the stress of scrubbing, P&G invented Cascade Platinum Plus
Microsoft is reportedly looking to invest $10 billion in OpenAI, the parent company of ChatGPT, which would place the value of the company at $29 billion. Investors believe the new technology company could change the world as Google did.
Microsoft said it doesn't comment on rumors or speculation after Cheddar News asked for a comment about a report that the tech giant was in talks for a $10 billion investment in OpenAi.
Caleb Silver, editor-in-chief of Investopedia, joined Cheddar News to discuss playing the bond market, specifically corporate bonds and the risks involved.
Roger Cheng, executive editor of CNET, joined Cheddar News to discuss a Semafor report that Microsoft is in negotiations to invest $10 billion in OpenAI, parent company of ChatGPT.
