Core Viewpoint - Wells Fargo has increased CEO Charlie Scharf's compensation to $40 million for 2025, marking a 28% increase, as he has successfully navigated the bank through federal penalties and fines [1][5]. Compensation Details - Scharf's pay includes a base salary of $2.5 million and a bonus of $37.5 million, making it the highest compensation for a Wells Fargo employee in decades [1]. - In 2024, Scharf's total compensation was $31.2 million, which included the same base salary but a lower bonus of $28.7 million [1]. Comparison with Peers - Scharf's compensation places him among the highest-paid bank executives, alongside JPMorgan Chase's Jamie Dimon at $43 million and Goldman Sachs' David Solomon at $47 million [2]. Leadership and Regulatory Progress - Scharf has been at the helm since 2019 and received a one-time $30 million multi-year stock award in July, reflecting the board's recognition of his leadership in overcoming regulatory challenges [2]. - The Federal Reserve lifted an asset cap on Wells Fargo in 2023, a significant achievement attributed to Scharf's leadership [4]. Federal Penalties and Mismanagement - Since 2018, Wells Fargo has faced multiple federal penalties for various mismanagement issues, including the creation of fake customer accounts and mishandling of mortgages [3][7]. - The most recent fine was $97 million in 2023 for violating U.S. sanctions [3]. Growth Initiatives - Under Scharf's leadership, Wells Fargo has focused on growth through targeted hires and investments, particularly in investment banking, credit cards, and wealth management [6]. - Credit card openings increased by 21% year-over-year to 3 million, and auto loan balances rose by 19% [6].

Core Viewpoint - Wall Street traders are increasingly optimistic about Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) being sold to Netflix, with a significant reduction in short interest in the stock, indicating a shift in sentiment towards the company's future prospects [1][6]. Group 1: Short Interest Trends - WBD had experienced a rise in short interest throughout the year, making it one of the most heavily shorted entertainment stocks [2]. - Short interest has decreased from 6% in July to just 3% of the float, with traders covering approximately 30 million shares over the past month [7]. Group 2: Company Performance and Strategy - Under CEO David Zaslav's leadership, WBD has made significant improvements, including making HBO Max profitable, producing successful films, and reducing debt [5][6]. - The company's stock price has recovered from near penny stock levels to around $12, reflecting improved investor confidence [6]. Group 3: Regulatory Considerations - Despite the positive sentiment, there are concerns regarding the regulatory approval process for the potential sale to Netflix, which could take up to two years [8][10]. - Officials in the EU and UK are also expressing concerns about Netflix's market power, which could impact the deal's timeline and lead to a resurgence in short interest if delays occur [11].

President Trump plans to announce on Friday that he will name Kevin Warsh, the former Federal Reserve governor, replace Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve chair, The Post has learned.After meeting on Thursday with Warsh, a former Fed governor and Stanford University professor, Trump later called Warsh and asked him if he would accept the position — and he did, sources tell The Post.Rick Reider, a top executive at giant money manager BlackRock emerged as a top candidate in recent days. But Reider on Thursday w ...

Group 1 - SpaceX is considering a potential merger with Tesla and an alternative combination with xAI, as reported by Bloomberg News [1] - Tesla's shares increased by 3% following the news of the potential merger discussions [1] - SpaceX and xAI are in talks to merge ahead of a significant public offering planned for later this year, aiming to consolidate Musk's various ventures under one umbrella [2][4] Group 2 - The feasibility of a merger between SpaceX and Tesla has been discussed, with some investors advocating for this idea [3][6] - A potential deal could attract significant interest from infrastructure funds and Middle Eastern sovereign investors [3]

Group 1 - Amazon is reportedly in negotiations to invest up to $50 billion in OpenAI, which would represent a significant commitment to the creator of ChatGPT [1] - OpenAI is seeking to raise up to $100 billion in a funding round that would value the company at $830 billion, with Amazon potentially being the largest single contributor [2][6] - Amazon has recently laid off approximately 16,000 employees, citing the need to streamline operations, with advancements in AI being acknowledged as a contributing factor to the restructuring [6] Group 2 - SoftBank, a major shareholder in OpenAI, is in discussions to invest an additional $30 billion into the company [7] - Other tech giants, including Nvidia and Microsoft, are reportedly in talks to collectively invest over $60 billion in OpenAI, with Amazon considering an investment of $20 billion or more [7][8] - OpenAI has declared a "code red" to enhance ChatGPT amid rising competition from Google and other tech companies, and is also contemplating going public [8]

Core Insights - Apple exceeded Wall Street estimates for quarterly revenue, driven by strong iPhone demand and a significant recovery in China, with CEO Tim Cook describing the demand for the latest iPhones as "staggering" [1][3] Financial Performance - Quarterly revenue reached $143.8 billion, a 16% increase year-over-year, surpassing analysts' average estimate of $138.48 billion [4][10] - iPhone revenue rose to $85.27 billion in the fiscal first quarter, exceeding the expected $78.65 billion, with a year-over-year growth of 23% [3][4] - Earnings per share were reported at $2.84, above the consensus estimate of $2.67 [4] Margins and Costs - Gross margins for the fiscal first quarter were 48.2%, exceeding both the company's guidance and analyst expectations of 47.45% [5] Regional Performance - Sales in Greater China surged 38% year-on-year to $25.53 billion, significantly above the Visible Alpha estimate of $21.32 billion [8][13] - In India, while specific sales figures were not disclosed, double-digit sales growth was reported, with revenue records for iPhones and Macs [9] Product Segment Performance - The wearables, home, and accessories segment reported sales of $11.49 billion, missing expectations of $12.04 billion, attributed to supply constraints of the AirPods Pro 3 [11] - Mac revenue was $8.39 billion, slightly below the expected $8.95 billion, while iPad sales rose to $8.6 billion, exceeding estimates of $8.13 billion [12]

Core Viewpoint - Hyundai is recalling hundreds of thousands of Palisade SUVs due to potential airbag deployment issues, which do not meet federal safety standards [1][5] Group 1: Recall Details - The recall affects Palisade vehicles from model years 2020 to 2025, specifically concerning the side curtain airbags for third-row occupants that may deploy improperly in a crash [1] - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is overseeing the recall and has indicated that a remedy is under development, with owner notification letters expected to be mailed in mid-March [2] Group 2: Additional Recalls - Hyundai has also issued a separate recall affecting over 41,000 vehicles due to a software error in the instrument panel display, which impacts the visibility of critical safety information [3] - This additional recall includes certain 2025 to 2026 model-year vehicles such as the Tucson Hybrid, Ioniq 5, and others, which also do not meet federal safety rules [4]

Core Viewpoint - Starbucks aims to return to pre-pandemic margins, targeting net revenues growth of 5% or more and annual earnings per share of $3.35 to $4 by fiscal year 2028 [1] Financial Performance and Targets - The company reported US sales growth for the first time in two years, indicating progress in its turnaround strategy [2] - Starbucks' operating margin was 15.4% in 2019 but fell to 7.9% in 2025 due to pandemic impacts and investments in labor [5] - The target operating margin for fiscal year 2028 is set between 13.5% and 15% [5] Store Expansion Plans - Starbucks plans to add over 2,000 net new stores internationally by 2028, compared to 400 net new stores in the US [7][8] - The international operating margin is expected to exceed 20% by 2028 [6] Strategic Initiatives - A revamp of the rewards program will introduce a tiered structure, potentially adding $150 million in annual revenue if loyalty members increase purchases [9] - The company aims to improve its supply chain, including AI initiatives, with a goal of having 90% of company-owned coffeehouses resupplied daily by the end of 2026 [9][10] - Progress has been made in reducing product shortages, although specific numbers were not provided [10][11]

Core Viewpoint - The Senate hearing highlighted significant concerns regarding Ticketmaster and Live Nation's handling of automated bots that inflate ticket prices, with calls for accountability and potential legislative action to address the issue. Group 1: Allegations and Responses - Senator Marsha Blackburn criticized Ticketmaster and Live Nation for their inadequate response to allegations of executives ignoring the use of bots to manipulate ticket sales, citing an internal email that suggested a policy of turning a blind eye to bot activity [1][4] - Live Nation executive Dan Wall defended the company, claiming the email was taken out of context and asserting that they are actively combating bots, although he acknowledged the scale of the problem with "hundreds of millions of bots" attacking daily [2][7] - Blackburn dismissed Wall's defense as dismissive and indicated that the company seems more focused on maintaining its business model than genuinely addressing the issue [3][7] Group 2: Legislative Actions and Proposals - Blackburn expressed intent to hold executives accountable if they are found to have misled Congress and mentioned bipartisan frustration with the company's cooperation [3] - The senator is advocating for a price cap on resold tickets, which has garnered some support in Congress, and has cosponsored the MAIN Event Ticketing Act to enhance enforcement against automated ticket sales [4][10][9] - The scrutiny of Ticketmaster is part of a broader examination of algorithmic pricing practices across various industries, with Blackburn labeling such practices as potentially harmful to consumers [12][15] Group 3: Market Control and Industry Impact - Ticketmaster controls a significant portion of the primary ticket sale market, estimated at 70% to 80%, which raises concerns about market monopolization and consumer protection [12] - The ongoing issues with ticket scalping and automated purchasing are linked to a larger $15 billion resale industry, highlighting the financial stakes involved [9]

Core Insights - Barry Diller expressed interest in acquiring CNN from Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) last year, but discussions did not progress beyond preliminary inquiries [1][4][9] - WBD has stated that CNN is not for sale and is considered a core asset in the planned spinoff of Discovery Global [5][6][12] Company Developments - WBD is planning to spin off its cable networks, including CNN, into a new publicly traded entity called Discovery Global, which will inherit significant debt [14] - The spinoff is part of a broader strategy to separate high-growth streaming and studio assets from traditional cable networks facing decline [10][15] - Netflix has agreed to acquire WBD's studio and streaming business in a $72 billion deal, which includes Warner Bros.' film and television studios and HBO [5][11] Market Context - The separation of assets is aimed at unlocking value by allowing investors to price fast-growing streaming assets separately from traditional cable networks [15] - Critics of the spinoff plan, including rival bidder Paramount Skydance, argue that it is overly complex and may leave the spun-off cable company with limited growth prospects and high debt [15]