Trump's State of the Union address highlighted his year-one milestones, including tax reform, expanded defense budget, and stock market performance. Ben Phillips, Chief Investment Officer at EventShares, was with us to discuss how the speech could impact markets.
Stocks rebounded from a 2-day sell-off the day after President Trump delivered his speech. Phillips says his tone was more presidential, and the markets were responding positively. Phillips highlighted tax reform as a catalyst for more gains for the year ahead, saying it is a major boost to many corporations.
President Trump called on Congress for a bill that raises $1.5 billion on infrastructure. EventShares created the first-ever policy driven portfolios. Phillips gave insight into which stocks could benefit based off policies from the GOP and Democrats. Phillips also said he was concerned stocks could be hitting a top.
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.
