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Disney picks Josh D'Amaro to be its next CEO — and hopes history doesn't repeat itself
Business Insider· 2026-02-03 13:35
Disney has selected its parks head as the successor to CEO Bob Iger. Now, the Mouse House has to hope that history doesn't repeat itself. Josh D'Amaro, a 28-year Disney veteran who's run the company's experiences division since 2020, will take over for Iger, who's retiring for the second time, on March 18. Disney announced the CEO succession plan on Tuesday in an SEC filing. Iger will remain on Disney's board as a senior advisor, the company said in its filing. D'Amaro beat out Dana Walden, who oversees D ...
5 ex-Dell employees are suing the company, alleging mismanagement of its retirement plan and saying it cost workers $318 million
Business Insider· 2026-02-03 13:03
Core Viewpoint - Five former Dell employees are suing the company for allegedly mismanaging its 401(k) retirement plan, resulting in significant financial losses for employees [1][2]. Group 1: Allegations of Mismanagement - The lawsuit claims that Dell and its retirement plan managers failed to monitor and replace underperforming investment options, leading to "massive underperformance" and a loss of over $318 million for the plan and its participants [2][4]. - The plaintiffs argue that the selection and monitoring process of the investment funds was incompetent, contributing to the fund's underperformance [4]. Group 2: Impact on Employees - Dell's 401(k) plan serves approximately 63,000 current and former employees, holding about $14.6 billion in assets as of 2024 [4]. - The lawsuit seeks to recover losses for plan participants and calls for changes in the management of Dell's retirement plan, including the removal of individuals who breached their fiduciary duties [5]. Group 3: Context of Similar Lawsuits - Lawsuits regarding 401(k) mismanagement are not uncommon, with past cases resulting in settlements, such as UnitedHealth's $69 million settlement in 2015 for similar allegations [6].
Amazon is ratcheting up fast delivery and raising the stakes for rivals like Walmart
Business Insider· 2026-02-03 12:00
Group 1 - Amazon achieved a record delivery of over 13 billion items worldwide in 2025, marking its fastest performance and the third consecutive year of record-breaking deliveries [1] - In the US, Prime members received over 8 billion same or next-day deliveries, representing a more than 30% increase from 2024, with groceries and everyday essentials making up about half of those orders [1] - Amazon delivered a record 4 billion grocery and everyday essential items in the US with a significant expansion of free same-day and next-day delivery to over 4,000 smaller cities and towns [2] Group 2 - The competition in retail delivery speed has intensified, with Amazon's expansion positioning it more directly against Walmart, which utilizes its extensive store network for same-day delivery [2][3] - Amazon has been innovating its logistics network, including larger same-day warehouses and micro-fulfillment centers within select Whole Foods stores [4] - In its latest earnings report, Amazon reported approximately $67 billion in net sales from online stores for the quarter [4]
This 60/40 Portfolio Alternative Is Having Its Best Stretch in 30 Years
Business Insider· 2026-02-03 10:15
Core Viewpoint - Bank of America highlights the "permanent portfolio" as a strong alternative to the traditional 60/40 investment strategy, noting its impressive performance over the past decade and particularly in 2025 [1] Group 1: Portfolio Performance - The permanent portfolio, consisting of 25% stocks, 25% bonds, 25% gold, and 25% cash, has achieved an average annual return of 8.7% over the last ten years [1] - The year 2025 marked the best single-year performance for the portfolio since 1979, with gains of 23% [1] - In the previous year, the S&P 500 rose by 15%, while gold prices surged by 65%, contributing to the portfolio's success [2] Group 2: Recent Market Trends - Despite a recent 12% drop in gold prices, the metal remains positive year-to-date, and stock prices have also seen slight increases [3] - Cash-equivalent investments, such as short-term Treasury notes, yielded between 3.8% and 4.3% [2] Group 3: Investment Options - Investors can gain exposure to the permanent portfolio through various exchange-traded funds (ETFs), including the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust, BondBloxx Bloomberg Ten Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF (XTEN), SPDR Gold Trust (GLD), and iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV) [4] Group 4: Alternative Strategies - Other investment firms, like Vanguard, have also proposed alternatives to the traditional 60/40 portfolio, suggesting a 60% allocation to bonds and 40% to stocks, reflecting a bullish stance on fixed income [5] - Vanguard has recommended that investors consider allocating up to 70% to bonds due to expectations of subdued stock returns in the coming years [5]
Even Disney can't outrun the international travel slowdown
Business Insider· 2026-02-03 01:41
Looks like even "The Most Magical Place on Earth" isn't enough to entice foreign travelers who are skipping the US. Disney is facing some "international visitation headwinds" at its parks in the US, which include Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California, the Walt Disney Company said in its first-quarter earnings report on Monday.Despite the slowdown in international visitors, the company reported growth in its experiences segment, with visitation at its domestic parks up 1% in the most recent q ...
'Melania' might look like a box office win, but Amazon is still $68 million in the red
Business Insider· 2026-02-02 19:08
To the casual Hollywood observer, "Melania," Amazon MGM Studios' documentary on first lady Melania Trump, looks like a hit. But looks can be deceiving. Brett Ratner's all-access glimpse at the first lady in the days leading up to the 2025 inauguration of President Donald Trump took in $7 million at the box office this weekend despite dismal reviews (it currently holds a 10% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes). The $7 million take is the biggest opening for a non-concert, non-fiction movie in a decade.But de ...
Why billionaire investor Thomas Kaplan isn't stressing about gold and silver's historic sell-off
Business Insider· 2026-02-02 16:38
Billionaire investor Thomas Kaplan says he's unfazed by the historic plunge in gold and silver prices — and expects the precious metals will rally to even greater highs. There's "every reason in the world to buy gold, and silver is just gold on steroids, up and down," Kaplan told Business Insider on Friday afternoon.Gold and silver soared to record highs last week before falling by around 10% and more than 30%, respectively, on Friday after President Donald Trump nominated Kevin Warsh as the Federal Reserv ...
Disney's latest earnings show why Josh D'Amaro is widely viewed as the CEO frontrunner
Business Insider· 2026-02-02 16:29
Core Viewpoint - Josh D'Amaro is emerging as the leading candidate to become Disney's next CEO, with the experiences business he oversees being crucial to the company's performance amid challenges in the pay-TV sector and underwhelming streaming profits [1][3] Financial Performance - Disney's experiences business generated record profits, contributing significantly to the overall financial results, which exceeded Wall Street estimates for both revenue and earnings, despite a 5% drop in stock price following the earnings report [2][5] - The experiences segment accounted for over 70% of Disney's operating income, even though it represented less than 39% of total revenue [5] Visitor Trends - Per-person spending at Disney's US parks increased by 4% last quarter, while attendance rose only 1%, attributed to a decline in international visitors [7] - The company has successfully increased revenue per visitor through strategies like upselling Lightning Lane fast passes, indicating a strong pricing power without alienating core customers [6][7] Leadership Dynamics - Dana Walden, who oversees Disney's entertainment and TV businesses, is also considered a strong contender for the CEO position, especially given the growth in the streaming unit [4] - Bob Iger expressed optimism about the parks business, highlighting the competition between the experiences and entertainment segments as key drivers of profitability for Disney [8]
What Fed nominee Kevin Warsh's former colleagues told us about his leadership style
Business Insider· 2026-02-02 15:21
Don't expect Kevin Warsh to be a bomb-thrower. Several longtime observers of the Federal Reserve told Business Insider that President Donald Trump's pick to become its next chairman is a good listener who looks for consensus.That could prove essential for Warsh, who has emerged as a sometimes-vocal critic since leaving the central bank more than a decade ago. While some Fed watchers criticized Warsh's nomination, citing shifts in his stance on interest rates, others praised his experience and communication ...
Disney reeled in record streaming profits, boosted by price hikes
Business Insider· 2026-02-02 13:34
Core Insights - Disney's streaming business achieved record profits in Q4 2025, with Disney+ and Hulu generating $450 million in operating income, a 72% increase year-over-year and significantly higher than the previous quarter's $352 million [1] Revenue Growth - The primary driver of Disney's revenue increase was higher subscription fees, which grew by 13%. Streaming revenue from other sources, including advertising, increased by 4% [2] - Price hikes for Disney+ and Hulu have been implemented annually for the past five years, with recent increases in October. The ad-supported versions of both services rose by $2 to $11.99 per month, while the ad-free version of Disney+ increased to $18.99, aligning with the cost of ad-free Hulu [2] Experiences Division - Disney's experiences division also reported record profits last quarter, attributed to price increases in its parks for the fourth consecutive year [3] Viewership and Engagement - Despite subscriber growth and price hikes, viewership growth for Disney's streaming services has not kept pace, with Nielsen data indicating minimal growth in viewership share over the past four years [3] - The company is exploring various strategies to enhance engagement on its streaming platforms, including AI-generated content, short-form video, and a new homepage set to launch this fall [4]