The Week's Top Stories is a guided tour through the biggest market stories of the week, from winning stocks to brutal dips to the facts and forecasts generating buzz on Wall Street.
BUDGET DRAMA
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has yet to secure the Republican votes for a bill that would raise the federal debt ceiling to avoid default until at least March 31, 2024. That means more uncertainty for the stock market next week, as the prospect of a default on the national debt hangs over the economy. The debt fight on Capitol Hill is also raising the cost of credit default swaps, which gauge the risk of a default on U.S. Treasury bills.
NETFLIX'S WILD RIDE
Shares of Netflix slipped on Tuesday after the company reported mixed earnings in the first quarter, including a lower-than-expected forecast for the coming quarter. The streaming giant also announced that it was ending its DVD mailing service. "We are growing, not as fast as we believe we can, not as fast as we would want to, but we are growing and we are profitable," co-CEO Ted Sarandos told investors during an earnings call. "We have a clear path to reaccelerate growth in both revenue and profit and we are executing on it."
AT&T DROPS
AT&T's stock saw its biggest sell-off since 2000 after reporting a miss on revenue and cash flow. The telecommunications company added 424,000 postpaid phone subscribers, but free cash flow was well below estimates. AT&T said it expects those factors to normalize next year. Rival companies Verizon and T-Mobile are set to report next week.
PROCTER & GAMBLE POPS
Finishing out the week, shares of Procter & Gamble popped nearly 4 percent after the company reported that it raised prices around 10 percent across its brands in the first quarter. P&G had raised prices roughly 10 percent the prior quarter as well, suggesting incredible pricing power, which investors rewarded
YouTube will offer creators a way to rejoin the streaming platform if they were banned for violating COVID-19 and election misinformation policies that are no longer in effect.
Lukas Alpert of MarketWatch explores how networks, brands, and ad buyers absorb the shockwaves when late‑night show hosts are suddenly cut — and brought back.
A new poll finds U.S. adults are more likely than they were a year ago to think immigrants in the country legally benefit the economy. That comes as President Donald Trump's administration imposes new restrictions targeting legal pathways into the country. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey finds Americans are more likely than they were in March 2024 to say it’s a “major benefit” that people who come to the U.S. legally contribute to the economy and help American companies get the expertise of skilled workers. At the same time, perceptions of illegal immigration haven’t shifted meaningfully. Americans still see fewer benefits from people who come to the U.S. illegally.
Shares of Tylenol maker Kenvue are bouncing back sharply before the opening bell a day after President Donald Trump promoted unproven and in some cases discredited ties between Tylenol, vaccines and autism. Trump told pregnant women not to use the painkiller around a dozen times during the White House news conference Monday. The drugmaker tumbled 7.5%. Shares have regained most of those losses early Tuesday in premarket trading.
Scott Trench, host of the BiggerPockets Money Podcast, explores how recent rate cuts, high borrowing costs, and mortgage rates are reshaping U.S. real estate.
A look into how disruption, AI, and global economic trends are transforming the modern supply chain with Jeremy Jansen, Head of Supply Chain at Wells Fargo.