Pricing Strategy - Spotify will increase the price of its monthly premium subscription plan by $1 to $12.99 in the US, Estonia, and Latvia, effective from February on consumers' billing dates [1][5] - The company has relied on price increases in recent years to drive growth, having raised prices in over 150 countries without significant customer churn [2] Subscriber Growth - Premium subscribers rose 12% to 281 million in the third quarter, with a total of 713 million monthly active users at the end of the period [3] Investment Priorities - Spotify's investment priorities focus on top-line growth, user acquisition in emerging markets, and expanding content offerings to include more podcasts, videos, and audiobooks [4][7] - The company has expanded its monetization program for creators and introduced new tools for video podcasters to compete in a crowded market [4] Content Expansion - Spotify has made music videos available to premium subscribers in the US and Canada to attract more users and advertisers [6]

Core Viewpoint - President Trump has stated he has no intention of firing Fed Chairman Jerome Powell despite an ongoing criminal investigation into Powell, which relates to the Federal Reserve's over-budget headquarters renovation [1][4][5]. Group 1: Investigation and Political Context - Powell is currently under investigation by the Justice Department regarding the Fed's renovation project, which has reportedly exceeded its budget by approximately $1.5 billion, bringing the total cost to around $4 billion [8][18][19]. - Trump has expressed frustration with Powell for not lowering interest rates quickly enough and has indicated that he is considering other candidates for the Fed chair position, including former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh and National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett [6][12]. - The investigation has drawn criticism from various political figures and foreign central bank leaders, who are concerned about the implications for the independence of the Federal Reserve [12][14]. Group 2: Trump's Position and Future Plans - Trump has suggested that he may announce a replacement for Powell in the coming weeks, while also dismissing concerns from lawmakers regarding his potential nominees [6][14]. - The White House has stated that any speculation about the nomination process for the Federal Reserve chairman is premature until an official announcement is made [5]. - Trump has reiterated his belief that a president should have influence over Federal Reserve decisions, arguing that his business experience gives him a better understanding of economic matters than Powell [14].

Goldman Sachs’ fourth-quarter profit beat Wall Street expectations on Thursday, fueled by a surge in dealmaking and stronger trading revenues in a turbulent market.The bank’s equity traders capitalized on volatility and a broader rally in the US market as investors speculated on the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate path and the prospects for AI companies.Goldman’s equity revenue rose to a record $4.31 billion, ‌up from $3.45 billion a year ago, while trading revenue for fixed income, currencies, and commodit ...

Core Insights - Verizon experienced a significant nationwide outage attributed to a suspected server failure in New Jersey, affecting over 178,000 customers and disrupting services including 911 calls [1][5][10] Group 1: Outage Details - The outage began on Wednesday afternoon and continued into the late night, leading to widespread complaints from customers across the country [2][6] - Reports indicated that customers faced issues such as phones stuck in SOS mode, dropped calls, and loss of mobile data, particularly in major cities like New York City, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Houston [6][10] - By midafternoon on Wednesday, the number of outage reports decreased to below 60,000 as service began to gradually return [6] Group 2: Company Response - Verizon acknowledged the disruption and stated that service was restored after engineers worked overnight to resolve the issue [11] - The company offered account credits to affected customers and encouraged them to restart their devices if they continued to experience problems [11] - Verizon expressed sincere apologies for the disruption caused to its customers [11]

Core Viewpoint - The proposal by President Trump to impose a 10% cap on credit card interest rates has been met with significant opposition from major banking executives, who warn that it could restrict credit access for consumers and negatively impact the economy [1][3][17]. Group 1: Industry Reactions - Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan expressed concerns that capping interest rates could lead to a credit crunch, limiting credit card availability for consumers [1][2]. - Citigroup's outgoing CFO Mark Mason highlighted the potential "unintended consequences" of the cap, suggesting it could slow down the economy and affect various sectors [4][5]. - Wells Fargo's CFO Mike Santomassimo echoed these sentiments, stating that a cap could hinder economic growth and negatively impact credit availability [8][9]. Group 2: Financial Implications - The average credit card interest rate was reported at 20.97% in November, indicating the high returns banks generate from credit card loans [12]. - Research from Vanderbilt University suggested that a 10% cap could save Americans $100 billion annually, with only a modest impact on rewards and accounts [15]. - JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon noted that banks would need to adjust their models to account for the added risk and price controls, indicating that the changes would be significant [15]. Group 3: Market Impact - Following Trump's announcement, banking shares experienced a decline of 5% to 8% as investors assessed the potential impact on financial institutions [3]. - The enforcement of the proposed cap remains uncertain, with questions about whether it would be implemented through executive order, voluntary compliance from banks, or legislative action [17].

Core Argument - The Atlantic has filed a lawsuit against Google, alleging monopolization of the digital advertising market through deceptive practices and antitrust violations [1][2][9] Allegations Against Google - The lawsuit claims that Google and its parent company Alphabet have manipulated the digital advertising market via secret auction schemes and illegal tying, which have resulted in significant revenue losses for publishers [2][9] - The Atlantic alleges that Google conditioned access to its AdX ad exchange on the mandatory use of its own ad server, effectively eliminating competition and leaving publishers with no alternatives [5][7] Antitrust Violations - Central to the case is the allegation of illegal "tying," where a dominant company forces customers to use a second product they might not choose otherwise [4] - The complaint describes Google's actions as a "sophisticated, anticompetitive, and deceptive scheme" that has been ongoing for over a decade, likening it to insider trading [7] Financial Impact - The lawsuit cites an internal analysis indicating that Google's practices could depress a publisher's revenue by "upwards of 40%" [12] - The Atlantic claims that Google's actions have led to "dramatically less revenue for publishers," while Google reportedly made $30 billion in profits in 2022 [13] Legal Context - The Atlantic's lawsuit was filed in Manhattan federal court and follows a similar complaint from Penske Media Corporation and SheMedia, both represented by the same law firm [14][17]

Core Viewpoint - Verizon Wireless experienced a significant network outage affecting customers nationwide, resulting in tens of thousands of phones entering SOS mode and users being unable to make calls, send texts, or access mobile data [1]. Group 1: Outage Details - The disruption began shortly after 9 a.m. EST and escalated quickly, with Downdetector logging over 113,000 outage reports at its peak [1]. - Major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, and Washington, DC reported total signal loss, failed calls, and dead data connections [6]. - Verizon acknowledged the outage, stating that it was aware of the issue impacting service for some customers and that engineers were working to resolve it [9][10]. Group 2: Company Response - A Verizon spokesperson confirmed that engineers were engaged in identifying and solving the issue quickly, emphasizing the importance of reliable connectivity and apologizing for the inconvenience [10]. - As of Wednesday afternoon, the company had not disclosed the cause of the outage or provided a timeline for full restoration [10].

Core Viewpoint - Tesla will transition its full self-driving (FSD) software to a monthly subscription model starting February 14, moving away from the one-time purchase option [1][5]. Group 1: FSD Software Details - The FSD software is currently available for a one-time payment of $8,000 or a monthly subscription of $99 in the US [1][5]. - FSD is classified as an assistance system that requires drivers to remain attentive and ready to intervene when necessary [3][4]. Group 2: Regulatory and Safety Concerns - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into 2.88 million Tesla vehicles equipped with the FSD system due to over 50 reports of traffic-safety violations and several crashes [2]. - Tesla has added the term "Supervised" to the FSD designation for passenger vehicles, indicating the need for driver oversight [2]. Group 3: Market Reaction - Following the announcement regarding the subscription model for FSD, Tesla shares experienced a decline of more than 2% [4].

Core Insights - The US housing market continues to experience a slump, with sales remaining at a 30-year low, totaling 4.06 million homes sold in 2025, unchanged from 2024, marking a decline every year since 2022 [1][4][5] - The median national home price increased by 1.7% to $414,400 in 2025, indicating persistent high prices despite low sales [2] - The average rate on a 30-year mortgage was around 7% a year ago but fell to close to 6% by the end of 2025, contributing to a slight increase in sales in December [6][8] Sales Performance - Sales of previously occupied homes have been stagnant at around a 4-million annual pace since 2023, significantly below the historical norm of 5.2 million [4] - December 2025 saw existing home sales rise to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.35 million units, a 5.1% increase from November, marking the fastest sales pace in nearly three years [6][8] - Despite the increase in sales in December, the overall trend remains negative, with sales having declined annually since 2022 [1][5] Price Trends - The median sales price in December 2025 reached $405,400, a 0.4% increase from December 2024, continuing a streak of 30 consecutive months of annual price increases [8][9] - The rise in home prices, coupled with elevated mortgage rates, continues to challenge affordability for many potential buyers, particularly first-time homebuyers [9] Economic Conditions - The housing market slump is attributed to rising mortgage rates that began in 2022, which have kept many prospective buyers out of the market [5] - Uncertainty regarding the economy and job market is also contributing to the hesitance of potential buyers to enter the housing market [9]

Citigroup’s fourth-quarter profit plunged 13% as the financial behemoth grappled with massive charges from dumping its Russia operations amid the war in Ukraine, but it wrapped up 2025 on a high note with beefier annual earnings as a surge in dealmaking helped boost investment banking fees.The Jane Fraser-led New York powerhouse posted net income, which is profit after taxes and expenses, of $2.5 billion for October through December, down from $2.9 billion a year prior. “2025 was a year of significant progr ...