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The Jerry from Ben & Jerry's has quit — and is criticizing parent company Unilever on his way out
Business Insider· 2025-09-17 13:52
Core Points - Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry's, announced his resignation from the company, citing a loss of independence in advocating for social and political issues as a primary reason for his departure [2][3][5] - Greenfield expressed disappointment over Unilever's influence on the brand, stating that the original agreement allowing the company to advocate for social causes has been compromised [5][10] - Unilever acquired Ben & Jerry's for $326 million in 2000, with a provision that allowed the brand to maintain its advocacy for social and political causes [4] Company and Industry Summary - Jerry Greenfield's resignation marks a significant change for Ben & Jerry's, a brand known for its commitment to social justice and political activism [2][4] - The relationship between Ben & Jerry's and its parent company, Unilever, has been strained, particularly following the brand's decision in 2021 to stop selling ice cream in Israeli settlements, leading to legal disputes [5][10] - Unilever is currently in the process of spinning off its ice cream business, which may impact the future direction and independence of Ben & Jerry's [9]
Waymo is launching robotaxis with Uber rival Lyft
Business Insider· 2025-09-17 13:00
Waymo will soon have its robotaxis on the road operated by rivals Lyft and Uber as part of Alphabet company's strategy to bring more self-driving cars to the masses. Waymo said Wednesday it will initially provide rides in Nashville through its proprietary app. As the service expands, riders will be able to match with a fully autonomous Waymo on the Lyft app.In its announcement, Waymo said Lyft will oversee vehicle maintenance and depot operations through the ride-hailing company's subsidiary Flexdrive. Fle ...
These 3 areas of the stock market will be the most likely winners of a Fed rate cut, strategist says
Business Insider· 2025-09-17 09:15
Markets are probably getting the rate cut they so badly want this week, and a lot of stocks have already rallied on the anticipation. But a few areas of the market might still have room to run after the Fed decision, a chief strategist told Business Insider on Tuesday.Liz Thomas, head of investment strategy at SoFi Technologies, sees three sectors in particular poised to rally as borrowing costs come down. Speaking with Business Insider, Thomas made it clear that she believes investors have reacted approp ...
Brian Chesky said he thinks Airbnb should be growing a lot faster. Here's what he thinks it will take.
Business Insider· 2025-09-17 02:40
Core Insights - Airbnb's growth has significantly slowed, with revenue growth rates dropping from 40% in 2022 to 12% in 2024, and only 6% in Q1 2025 [2][3] - CEO Brian Chesky expressed dissatisfaction with the current growth rate and aims for the company to achieve growth in the teens and eventually over 20% [3] - The company is focusing on accelerating its core home rental business while diversifying into additional services and experiences [3][4] Revenue Growth Trends - Revenue growth for Airbnb has been as follows: 40% in 2022, 18% in 2023, 12% in 2024, 6% in Q1 2025, and 13% in Q2 2025 [2] Strategic Initiatives - Chesky indicated that Airbnb is in a phase of reinventing itself, aiming to expand its home rental business both domestically and internationally, and to grow its hotel offerings and services [4][8] - The company relaunched its experiences and introduced new services in May, allowing travelers and locals to book various on-demand services [9] Vision for the Future - Chesky envisions Airbnb as an "everything app," inspired by Amazon's evolution, and aims for it to become an AI-first application [10] - The CEO believes that growth will accelerate in the coming year, although he refrained from providing specific guidance [11]
YouTube has a new strategy to win over Spotify's audio-first podcasters using AI
Business Insider· 2025-09-16 20:26
Core Insights - YouTube aims to strengthen its position in the podcasting space by introducing new AI tools to facilitate video content creation for audio-first podcasters [1][2][9] Group 1: YouTube's New AI Tools - Starting next year, audio-first podcasters can generate video clips from their audio transcripts using Google's Veo AI technology, creating visuals that can be used as YouTube shorts or part of longer videos [2] - The AI-generated video feature is designed for podcasters with limited video experience, making it easier for them to transition to YouTube [3][4] - YouTube's new tools are expected to help audio-focused podcasters meet the growing consumer demand for video content, as 42% of US adults preferred video podcasts in August 2024, up from 32% in October 2022 [9] Group 2: Competitive Landscape - YouTube has emerged as a leading platform for podcasting, with about one-third of weekly podcast consumers in the US preferring it over competitors like Spotify and Apple [8] - Spotify has also made significant investments in video podcasting, reporting that video podcast consumption is growing 20 times faster than audio alone [10] - Despite competition, YouTube benefits from being a native video platform with an established ad revenue sharing model, which aids in attracting new podcast audiences [11]
WaPo Fired Columnist Citing 2 Social Posts After Charlie Kirk Killing
Business Insider· 2025-09-16 16:05
Core Points - The Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah was fired following her social media posts regarding the death of Charlie Kirk, which the Post deemed non-compliant with their policy against disparaging remarks based on race or gender [1][2][8] - Attiah's termination has sparked criticism from the Post's union and free expression advocates, who argue it reflects a chilling effect on free speech within the media [8][9][10] - The incident is part of a broader trend of media companies taking action against employees for their social media commentary, with other companies like Nasdaq and Delta also responding to similar situations [11] Company Actions - The Washington Post's management had previously confronted Attiah multiple times regarding her social media activity, indicating ongoing concerns about her posts [2][3] - The Post has recently undergone a restructuring of its opinion section, which has led to significant changes in its editorial staff and focus [11] Industry Context - The firing of Attiah and other journalists following the incident with Kirk raises concerns about the state of free speech and expression in the media industry, as highlighted by advocacy organizations [9][10] - The actions taken by various companies in response to employee commentary suggest a growing trend of enforcing strict policies regarding public statements made by staff [11]
A little-known clean energy stock might be one of the biggest winners of Oracle's surprise revenue explosion
Business Insider· 2025-09-16 15:33
Core Insights - Oracle's strong revenue forecasts have positively impacted investor sentiment and boosted interest in related tech stocks, particularly in the context of the AI and cloud-computing sectors [1][2] Company Highlights - Bloom Energy has formed a partnership with Oracle to supply fuel cell technology for its data centers, which is expected to significantly enhance Bloom's growth prospects [2][9] - Morgan Stanley has raised its price target for Bloom Energy shares to $88, indicating a potential 16% increase from recent trading levels, reflecting confidence in Bloom's role in the tech sector's data center expansion [3][9] Market Trends - The demand for power driven by new data centers is increasing, with Bloom Energy positioned advantageously due to its ability to quickly scale manufacturing and deliver products [8][9] - Energy stocks, particularly those focused on nuclear power, are gaining traction as alternative investments linked to the AI boom, with significant rallies observed in companies like Oklo and Nucor [10]
The US Housing Market Is Nearing a Turning Point, Homebuilders Say
Business Insider· 2025-09-16 14:41
America's largest group of homebuilders is feeling good about where the housing market is headed. That's because everyone seems confident that the Fed is poised to cut interest rates for the first time in 2025 this week, the National Association of Homebuilders wrote in a note Tuesday.That's expected to lower borrowing costs for buyers—a much-needed catalyst for the US housing market to reopen after years of higher mortgage rates that have sidelined buyers and sellers. The Fed looks poised to trim its ta ...
United's CEO says travel demand has roared back like a 'light switch coming on'
Business Insider· 2025-09-16 13:01
Group 1: Travel Demand Recovery - Travel demand has significantly improved since July, described as a "light switch coming on" by United Airlines' CEO Scott Kirby [1] - Bookings have continued to strengthen as September approaches, indicating a robust recovery in travel demand [3] - The summer travel period, along with Labor Day and Thanksgiving, are critical revenue drivers for airlines [2] Group 2: Economic Indicators - The airline industry serves as a bellwether for the economy, as travel spending is discretionary and often cut back during economic downturns [5] - Kirby believes the economy is stronger than some backward-looking statistics suggest, indicating a potential disconnect between current demand and traditional economic indicators [6][10] Group 3: Corporate and Leisure Travel - Demand for both corporate and leisure travel has increased, although challenges remain for the airline industry [11] - Premium cabin demand is performing better compared to economy seats, which face pricing pressure due to strong competition and over-capacity [12] Group 4: Industry Challenges - The over-capacity in the main cabin is leading to pricing pressures, which could negatively impact airline profits despite benefiting passengers through lower airfares [12] - Spirit Airlines has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in less than a year, indicating ongoing challenges within the airline sector [13]
Stock Market Flashing 3 Signs a Drop Could Be Coming, BofA Says
Business Insider· 2025-09-16 09:15
Core Viewpoint - The stock market may be on the verge of reversing its recent rally, with several key technical risks identified by Bank of America's chief technical strategist, Paul Ciana [1]. Group 1: Market Performance and Historical Trends - The S&P 500 has reached a new high, surpassing the summer target of 6,500 and approaching a secondary target of 6,625 [2]. - Historically, the last 10 days of September are characterized by poor performance for the S&P 500, with only a 40% success rate and an average return of -1.1% since 1928 [5]. - In presidential election years, the S&P 500 performs even worse during this period, with only a 29% success rate and an average return of -1.5% [6]. Group 2: Technical Indicators and Market Signals - The Dow Jones Industrial Average has recently broken out to a new all-time high, but the Dow Jones Transportation Average has not confirmed this breakout, indicating potential loss of momentum [8][13]. - Market breadth indicators are showing signs of weakness, with the NYSE advance-decline line stalling and S&P 500 stocks trading above their 50-day moving average making "lower highs" [14][15]. - The number of S&P 500 stocks considered "overbought" has also declined, suggesting a need for a broad market rally to resolve these divergences positively [16][17].