CNBC·2026-01-27 13:30Group 1: Corporate Responses to Social Issues - The killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents has led to scrutiny of corporate executives as they navigate political tensions following Trump's return to office [2][3] - Incoming Target CEO Michael Fiddelke expressed the pain caused by violence in the community but did not directly address Trump or the victims [3] - Several Big Tech executives have remained silent on the incident, contrasting their vocal responses to the George Floyd case in 2020 [3] Group 2: Corporate Earnings and Stock Movements - General Motors shares rose over 4% after beating earnings expectations, announcing a 20% quarterly dividend increase and a $6 billion share repurchase authorization [5] - Despite slightly missing Wall Street's revenue forecast, GM pre-announced special charges related to legal matters and its headquarters move [6] - American Airlines missed expectations but saw a 3% rise in shares due to a positive revenue growth outlook for 2026, while Boeing shares increased by 1% after reporting higher-than-anticipated revenue [7] Group 3: Employment Changes in Major Companies - Nike is laying off 775 workers, primarily in distribution centers in Tennessee and Mississippi, as part of a strategy to streamline operations and return to profitable growth [10][11] - This layoff follows a previous announcement of 1,000 corporate job reductions made by Nike last summer [11] Group 4: Retail Investment Trends - The five-year anniversary of the GameStop short squeeze highlights the ongoing impact of retail investing, with individual investors now accounting for nearly 20% of average daily trading volume in U.S. equities, up from low single digits pre-pandemic [12][13] - Retail flows in 2025 were reported to be around 17% higher than during the meme stock mania in 2021, indicating sustained interest from retail investors [13] - GameStop shares increased by 4% after investor Michael Burry announced his purchase of the stock, emphasizing belief in the company's strategy rather than a reliance on short squeezes [14]