Ford said on Monday it would suspend financial guidance for 2025 because supply chain disruptions and future tariffs carry "substantial industry risks." On its first-quarter earnings call, Ford executives also outlined several steps they are taking to reduce the impact of President Donald Trump's tariffs on their business. Ford's shares were down 2.6% in premarket trading on Tuesday. Industry-wide impact Last week, the White House said Americans won't have to pay more to buy cars because of import duties. R ...

Mattel's iconic Barbies may be getting more expensive. The California-based toy manufacturer said it may have to adjust its prices in the US to offset President Donald Trump's tariffs. Mattel's CEO, Ynon Kreiz, said in a Monday earnings call with investors that the company was taking a three- pronged approach to offset the impact of Trump's tariffs. "Accelerating diversification of our supply chain and further reducing reliance on China-sourced products, optimizing product sourcing and product mix, and wher ...

Microsoft is embracing two controversial management approaches that suggests the software giant is getting tougher on employees. There are no goals for this "good attrition" metric at present — or at least BI has not uncovered any yet. However, this is already being reviewed at the executive level and appears to be becoming more of a focus as the company dials up performance expectations, two Microsoft managers told BI. They asked not to be identified discussing internal matters. A Microsoft spokesperson de ...

Core Insights - Palantir Technologies reported strong first-quarter earnings, exceeding expectations and raising its full-year revenue outlook to between $3.89 billion and $3.90 billion, driven largely by defense contracts [2][3] - Executives at Palantir, including CTO Shyam Sankar and CEO Alex Karp, expressed support for the Department of Defense's budget cuts, referring to them as necessary to eliminate ineffective spending and improve value [1][2] - The company has secured a $30 million contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for software enhancements, indicating ongoing government partnerships [3] Company Performance - Palantir's stock has increased by 64% this year, primarily due to its key defense contracts [2] - The company's earnings call highlighted a commitment to addressing issues of fraud, waste, and abuse within government systems [2] Leadership Perspectives - CEO Alex Karp emphasized the need for disruption in the industry, suggesting that positive changes for America will also benefit Palantir [3][4] - Karp's shareholder letter referenced historical figures and stressed that the company's success is a result of rejecting conventional management practices [4]

Amazon is overhauling its compensation model to more clearly reward sustained top performance while reducing payouts for some lower performers. According to internal guidelines obtained by Business Insider, Amazon is revising its compensation structure within pay bands to better recognize and reward long-term high performers.Employees who earn a "Top Tier" performance rating for four consecutive years will now receive 110% of their pay range, exceeding the usual cap. In contrast, first-time Top Tier recipi ...

Core Points - Jeff Bezos plans to sell up to 25 million shares of Amazon stock, valued at approximately $4.75 billion, by May 2026 as part of a trading plan initiated in March [1] - This marks the latest in a series of significant stock sell-offs by Bezos, who has sold a total of around 100 million shares over the past year [2][3] - As of November, Bezos still holds over 926 million shares, representing just under 9% of Amazon's total stock [3] Company Actions - Bezos's recent stock sales are intended to fund his space venture, Blue Origin [3] - The disclosure of the planned stock sale followed Amazon's latest earnings call, where CEO Andy Jassy expressed optimism about maintaining low prices despite tariff challenges [4] Historical Context - In July 2023, Bezos filed a plan to sell 25 million shares worth around $5 billion after Amazon's stock reached an all-time high [2] - In February 2024, he sold 50 million shares valued at approximately $8.5 billion, along with smaller sales totaling 1.1 million shares worth around $117 million in May 2024 [2]

Tim Cook had a tough challenge during Apple's earnings call: predicting the unpredictable. The Apple CEO faced questions about tariffs, China, and AI during the company's second-quarter earnings call on Thursday, and how they would shape the rest of the tech giant's year.He was able to provide more detail to some questions than others. On the impact of tariffs, the biggest question facing Apple, Cook said it's "very difficult to predict beyond June."He gave some details about the potential cost to Apple, ...

Core Insights - "Grand Theft Auto 6" is now scheduled for release in May 2026, causing Take-Two Interactive's shares to drop by as much as 8% following the announcement [1][5]. Group 1: Game Development and Anticipation - "Grand Theft Auto 6" is one of the most anticipated games, with an early trailer released in 2023 achieving over 93 million views in one day, now totaling over 251 million views [2]. - The upcoming release will be the first main series "GTA" game since "Grand Theft Auto V" in 2013, leading to memes about the long wait for the game [3]. Group 2: Company Statements and Future Outlook - Rockstar Games expressed that the delay is necessary to meet the high expectations of quality from consumers, emphasizing their commitment to excellence [3][6]. - Take-Two's CEO, Strauss Zelnick, previously indicated that 2025 would be an "inflection point" for the company, driven by the release of "Grand Theft Auto 6" [4]. - Despite the delay, Take-Two anticipates "record levels of net bookings" in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 [5].

Core Viewpoint - Starbucks is implementing zero-based budgeting (ZBB) as part of its turnaround strategy to identify savings while increasing spending on its "Back to Starbucks" plan, which includes hiring more baristas [1][2]. Group 1: Zero-Based Budgeting Implementation - The zero-based budgeting method requires managers to justify all expenditures each year rather than basing them on previous spending [1]. - CEO Brian Niccol emphasized the importance of ZBB in exploring growth opportunities and identifying potential cost offsets during the company's earnings call [2]. - CFO Cathy Smith, who recently joined Starbucks, expressed her support for using ZBB to uncover stranded costs [2]. Group 2: Historical Context and Adoption - ZBB gained traction in the 1970s, notably advocated by former President Jimmy Carter, although it was not widely adopted by the federal government [3]. - Major brands, including AB InBev and Kraft Heinz, have successfully implemented ZBB to reduce costs and improve margins [3][4]. - The strategy has faced criticism for being overly stringent, potentially hindering employee productivity and innovation, as seen in the experiences of former Kraft Heinz employees [4][5]. Group 3: Other Companies Using ZBB - Companies like X (formerly Twitter) and General Motors have also adopted ZBB during critical transitions, such as after Elon Musk's acquisition and in response to pandemic-related disruptions, respectively [6].

Core Insights - Apple is facing significant challenges following a federal judge's ruling that the company "outright lied under oath" in its court case with Epic Games, which accused Apple of anticompetitive practices related to the App Store and in-app payments [3][4] - The earnings report revealed mixed results, with Apple beating revenue and EPS estimates but also anticipating a $900 million impact from tariffs in the current quarter, alongside disappointing sales in China [5][6] Legal Challenges - The judge's ruling indicated that Apple was in "willful violation" of a previous court order that allowed developers to inform customers about alternative purchasing options outside the App Store [4] - Apple plans to comply with the court order while also appealing the ruling, which could have significant implications for its App Store revenue model [4] Financial Performance - In the latest earnings report, Apple reported better-than-expected revenue and earnings per share, but the stock fell 3% in premarket trading due to concerns over tariffs and sales performance in China [5] - CEO Tim Cook announced a $500 billion investment aimed at boosting US manufacturing over the next four years, indicating a strategic shift in sourcing [5][6] Market Trends - Cook mentioned that the majority of iPhones sold in the US during the June quarter are expected to originate from India, with most other products coming from Vietnam, reflecting a shift in Apple's supply chain strategy [6]