Core Insights - McDonald's experienced a surprising decline in first-quarter global sales, with a 1% drop in comparable sales, contrary to analysts' expectations of a 0.95% increase [1] - The company's CEO highlighted the challenging market conditions, particularly due to the impact of chaotic tariffs and economic pressures on lower-income customers [2][3] Sales Performance - Comparable sales in the US, McDonald's largest market, fell by 3.6%, significantly worse than the 0.5% decline anticipated by analysts [4] - Despite the overall decline, the segment operated by local partners saw a 3.5% growth, driven by recovery in sales in the Middle East and Japan [4] Market Context - The economic environment is strained, with the US economy contracting for the first time in three years, raising concerns about a potential recession in 2025 [2] - Other restaurant operators, including Domino's Pizza, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and Starbucks, have also reported decreased consumer spending on dining out, indicating a broader trend in the industry [3] Financial Results - McDonald's reported an adjusted net income of $1.92 billion for the quarter, reflecting a 2% decrease compared to 2024 [5] - The company has attempted to stimulate demand through enhanced value menu offerings, including limited-time deals on burgers and fries [3]

Core Viewpoint - Tesla has denied a report claiming that its board sought to replace Elon Musk as CEO amid declining car sales and backlash against his political activities [1][2][5]. Group 1: Board and Leadership - Robyn Denholm, Tesla's board chair, stated that the report about contacting recruitment firms for a CEO search is false and that the board is confident in Musk's leadership [1][2]. - The report suggested that some board members may have acted independently in seeking a successor, but it remains unclear if this was a collective board action [4]. Group 2: Financial Performance - Tesla reported a significant profit drop of 71% in Q1 2023, with profits falling to $409 million from $1.39 billion in the same period in 2022 [6]. - The company's stock has declined, losing about 25% of its market value this year [6]. Group 3: Political Context and Market Reaction - Musk's political activities, including his support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, have led to backlash and protests, impacting sales in key markets [5]. - Concerns have been raised regarding Musk's time management, as he oversees multiple companies, including SpaceX and X (formerly Twitter) [8].

Core Viewpoint - Apple has been found to violate a court order aimed at promoting competition in its App Store, leading to a referral to federal prosecutors for potential criminal contempt [1][2][5]. Group 1: Court Ruling and Implications - A federal judge ruled that Apple failed to comply with an injunction from an antitrust lawsuit initiated by Epic Games, which required Apple to allow greater competition for app downloads and payment methods [1][5]. - The judge emphasized that Apple's actions were not merely a negotiation but a willful disregard of the court order, leading to serious consequences [2][8]. - Apple is now barred from impeding developers' ability to communicate with users and must not impose its new commission on off-app purchases [8]. Group 2: Testimonies and Reactions - Testimony from Apple's vice-president of finance, Alex Roman, was criticized by the judge as being filled with "misdirection and outright lies" regarding compliance efforts [3][7]. - Epic Games' CEO Tim Sweeney hailed the ruling as a significant victory for developers and consumers, stating it forces Apple to compete with other payment services [3][4]. Group 3: Allegations Against Apple - Epic Games accused Apple of imposing a new 27% fee on app developers for purchases made outside the App Store, in addition to the existing 30% commission for in-app purchases [6]. - Apple allegedly began warning customers about the dangers of external links to deter non-Apple payments, which Epic described as making the system "commercially unusable" [6]. Group 4: Apple's Defense - Apple has denied any wrongdoing, claiming it has made extensive efforts to comply with the injunction while maintaining its business model [7]. - The judge previously suggested that changes made by Apple to its App Store appeared to be aimed solely at stifling competition [7].

Microsoft will report its earnings for the third quarter of the fiscal year after the stock market closes on Wednesday. Analysts have predicted that revenue would grow by 10.6% year-over-year to $68.4bn, even as the company plows tens of billions into artificial intelligence as well as earnings-per-share of $3.22. The company has beaten Wall Street’s expectations on each of its previous three quarterly earnings reports.Analysts said they view the earnings report as a temperature check on Microsoft’s artific ...

Meta is set to report its first quarter earnings on Wednesday after the bell, and investors will be looking for news on whether the company met its quarterly revenue goals of somewhere between $39.5bn and $41.8bn.Wall Street is projecting the company will post $41.36bn in revenue on $5.21 in earnings per share.While Meta has repeatedly beaten Wall Street expectations in the past few quarters, analysts were disappointed by the first quarter revenue outlook Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg shared at the e ...

The first 27 satellites for Amazon’s Kuiper broadband internet constellation were launched into space from Florida on Monday, kicking off the long-delayed deployment of an internet from space network that will rival SpaceX’s Starlink.The satellites are the first of 3,236 that Amazon plans to send into low-Earth orbit for Project Kuiper, a $10bn effort announced in 2019 to beam broadband internet globally for consumers, businesses and governments – customers that SpaceX has courted for years with its powerfu ...

"Why didn't Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked inflation to the highest level in 40 years?" Leavitt asked during a press briefing. Amazon's online marketplace has seen prices rise across the board since Trump announced sweeping tariffs at the start of April, particularly on China, where many products listed on Amazon.com ship from. In response, the company has pressured its third-party sellers to shoulder the burden of the extra import costs rather than pass them on to customers. Amazon did ...

Core Viewpoint - DoorDash is proposing to acquire UK-based Deliveroo for $3.6 billion (£2.7 billion), with discussions ongoing between the two companies regarding the offer [1][2] Group 1: Company Profiles - DoorDash is the largest food delivery app in the United States, boasting 42 million monthly active users and generating $10.7 billion in revenue in 2024 [3] - Deliveroo, founded in 2013, is the second largest food delivery app in the UK, averaging 7.1 million active users and reporting £2.07 billion in revenue in 2024 [4] Group 2: Acquisition Details - Deliveroo's board is in discussions with DoorDash, and if a firm offer of £1.80 ($2.40) per share is made, Deliveroo would likely recommend it to shareholders [1] - DoorDash has until May 23 to submit a firm offer for Deliveroo, and shareholders are advised to take no action regarding the potential offer at this time [2] Group 3: Market Strategies - Both DoorDash and Deliveroo have been expanding their user bases by venturing into grocery deliveries and non-food deliveries [4] - DoorDash's CEO emphasized the need for the company to evolve beyond first-party delivery and ordering to become a digital powerhouse [5]

Apple is reportedly planning to switch assembly of all iPhones for the US market to India as the company seeks to reduce its reliance on a Chinese manufacturing base amid Donald Trump’s trade war.The $3tn (£2.3tn) technology company aims to make the shift as soon as next year, the Financial Times reported.Apple has been swept up in Trump’s aggressive tariff policies, with the iPhone maker at one point among the biggest stock market casualties because of the prospect of its Chinese-made products being hit wi ...

Google’s parent company Alphabet will report its first quarter earnings on Thursday, which come as the tech giant is embroiled in antitrust lawsuits brought by the US government and a 17% drop in its stock price since the beginning of the year. It’s also the company’s first earnings report since Donald Trump levied tariffs on trade partners around the world.Despite the upheaval, analysts appear optimistic on Alphabet’s outlook projecting first quarter revenue of $89.2bn, up 11% since the same time last year ...