*By Michael Teich*
Amazon inked a new partnership with American Express, but don't expect the financial industry to be the next area the tech giant jumps into.
"The thing that people misunderstand is that tech companies don't want to manufacture financial products," said Lex Sokolin, Global Director of Fintech Strategy at Autonomous Research. "It's about making the ecosystem and the platform more powerful, and finance is just a feature inside of that."
American Express announced Tuesday it will launch a co-branded Amazon credit card for small businesses. The move accelerates Amazon's foray into financial products and strengthens its position as a lender. The goal, Sokolin said, is to enable small businesses to finance their activities, getting more products on Amazon's platform, and ultimately driving more commerce.
Plus, the opportunity costs of devoting itself to the financial industry are too high.
"Amazon has tremendous high-growth, super interesting, blue oceans to explore,” he said. "They could be investing in building a mortgage business, or they can build artificial intelligence business."
For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/amazon-bolsters-financial-prowess-with-new-credit-card)
The January jobs report saw really strong jobs numbers coming out of that well above what analysts expected. John Traynor, Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer at People's United Advisors explains what such a positive report could mean for the markets in both the long and short term and whether or not this could be a turning point for the labor market.
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With no end to inflation in sight, the Fed was likely on edge prior to awaiting the latest January jobs numbers, which are likely to be yet another issue on Fed Chair Powell's already over crowded plate. The jobs report also coming just days after America's national debt hit a huge milestone -- passing 30 trillion dollars for the first time ever. Kathryn Rooney Vera, Head of Research & Strategy at Bulltick explains the amount of pressure that fed is under as it tries to whip the economy back into shape.
Corporate earnings will continue to dominate the conversation in the business world next week, while a Big Oil hearing will discuss the role oil companies play in climate change and disinformation.
Sean O'Hara, President of Pacer ETFs, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he points to Amazon for why the major indexes closed mostly higher Friday, and provides insight on which sectors investors should be buying into right now.
The Rams will technically be the road team for Super Bowl LIV despite the event being play at their home venue, Sofi Stadium. Why? Because the league alternates which conference's team is designated as home, and this year, it's the Bengals turn. Cody Roark, NFL Analyst for Pro Football Network, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell for some more Super Bowl nuggets and discusses what viewers should watch for when the game kicks off.
Jarrod Loadholt, Partner at Ice Miller, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he breaks down the latest proposal by the SEC and explains how it could allow the agency to make major regulatory moves within the cryptocurrency space if approved.
Personal data platform Caden raised $3.1 million in pre-seed funding. Caden says its service allows users to have complete control over their data and earn a profit from it by sharing certain data with trusted brands, while never relinquishing ownership. The company also says its goal is to transform the internet and the use of personal data and make a better system for both consumers and brands. Caden founder and CEO John Roa joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
