However, the study in question came from the Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA), an advocacy group whose representation of U.S. manufacturers gives it a clear reason to favor protectionist trade policies. The World Trade Institute, an academic research group, said the CPA study used "highly unusual and empirically unsupported" methods to generate the result the authors desired. In other words, the study lacks credibility.In February, the White House published a "fact sheet" crafted to ease concerns ab ...

Comcast’s offer to merge its NBCUniversal division with Warner Bros. valued the cable giant’s media and theme-park assets at about $81 billion, a Warner Bros. filing suggests https://t.co/FgSUJi8nO5 ...

Market Overview - The S&P 500 fell 1.2%, marking its worst day in nearly a month, while still remaining close to its all-time high set last week [1][13] - The Dow Jones Industrial Average decreased by 228 points, or 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite dropped 1.8% [1][13] - Slightly more stocks rose within the S&P 500 than fell, but losses in the artificial intelligence sector overshadowed these gains [1][13] Artificial Intelligence Sector - Concerns are growing regarding whether the prolonged dominance of AI stocks has led to inflated prices and whether investments in AI will yield sufficient profits and productivity [2][13] - Only 17% of surveyed large businesses reported being in production at scale with their AI projects, suggesting caution for tech investors regarding future revenue growth from AI products [5][13] - Major AI companies experienced significant declines, with Broadcom down 4.5%, Oracle falling 5.4%, and CoreWeave sinking 7.1% [13] Homebuilding Industry - Lennar's stock fell 4.5% following a mixed profit report, with weaker profits than expected despite revenue exceeding forecasts [6][13] - Executive Chairman Stuart Miller indicated challenging market conditions, with customers seeking discounts and more affordable options, leading to limited forecasts for future performance [6][13] Insurance Sector - Progressive's stock decreased by 2% after reporting a 5% decline in net income for November compared to the previous year [7][13] Energy Sector - Oil companies saw gains following President Trump's blockade of sanctioned oil tankers into Venezuela, which may have significant oil reserves [7][13] - The price of benchmark U.S. crude rose by 1.2% to $55.94, while Brent crude increased by 1.3% to $59.68 per barrel [8][13] - ConocoPhillips rose 4.6%, Devon Energy rallied 5.3%, and Exxon Mobil climbed 2.4% as a result of rising oil prices [8][13] Entertainment Sector - Netflix's stock increased by 0.2% after Warner Bros. Discovery's board recommended shareholders approve its buyout offer, while Warner Bros. Discovery fell 2.4% and Paramount Skydance dropped 5.4% [9][13] Bond Market - Treasury yields remained steady, with the yield on the 10-year Treasury holding at 4.15% ahead of an upcoming inflation report [10][13] International Markets - Stock indexes in Europe were mixed following a stronger finish in Asia, with South Korea's Kospi gaining 1.4% [10][13]

Group 1 - FIFA announced that the 48 teams participating in the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico will receive a total of $727 million in bonuses and subsidies, with the champion receiving $50 million, the runner-up $33 million, and even the last place team receiving $9 million [2] - International oil prices surged, with WTI crude oil rising by 2.87% to $56.71 per barrel, and Brent crude oil increasing by 2.9% to $60.63 per barrel [6] - Silver prices reached a historic high, with spot silver rising by 4.29% to $66.45 per ounce, and COMEX silver futures increasing by 5.38% to $66.72 per ounce [8] Group 2 - The U.S. Senate passed a $901 billion defense authorization bill, which will be sent to the White House for presidential approval [17] - The European Parliament voted to gradually stop importing natural gas from Russia by the end of 2027, pending approval from EU member states [18] - Tencent upgraded its large model research framework, appointing a former OpenAI researcher as Chief AI Scientist to enhance its capabilities in AI development [19] Group 3 - NINGDE TIMES announced the launch of the world's first humanoid embodied intelligent robot production line for new energy battery PACK, marking a significant breakthrough in intelligent manufacturing [20] - Huayi Brothers reported a reduction in shareholding by Alibaba's venture capital arm and Jack Ma, with their combined stake falling below 5% [22] - Xiaomi introduced its open-source Xiaomi MiMo-V2-Flash large model, which reportedly outperforms several leading models in speed and cost [23] Group 4 - The Ministry of Education issued measures to strengthen daily exam management in primary and secondary schools, aiming to reduce the frequency of tests and alleviate students' academic burden [12] - The State Administration for Market Regulation indicated that platforms requiring merchants to offer "lowest prices online" may constitute monopolistic behavior [12] - The Beijing Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Committee conducted joint interviews with major internet platforms to clean up over 17,000 pieces of illegal real estate information [13]

Group 1 - Gifting stock can spark a lifelong interest in financial literacy and investing for kids and teens [1] - Custodial accounts (UTMA/UGMA) are the standard vehicle for purchasing shares on behalf of minors, managed by an adult [2] - Control of the custodial account is transferred to the child upon reaching adulthood, allowing them to benefit from the account's growth [3] Group 2 - Investing in companies that children interact with daily makes the stock market concept tangible [4] - The gift of stock is not just monetary; it teaches the basics of market mechanics, including dividends and patience [5] - Early exposure to investing fosters a wealth-building mindset that surpasses the initial cash gift [6] Group 3 - Companies like Roblox, Netflix, Disney, Nike, and McDonald's are suggested as ideal stocks for children, connecting their interests to ownership [7] - Fractional shares allow children to invest in companies with lower amounts, demonstrating that regular investing accumulates over time [7] - Stocks that pay dividends, like McDonald's, introduce children to passive income and the concept of compounding [7] - Long-term investing teaches children that daily market fluctuations are less important than solid fundamentals and long-term growth [7]

Core Viewpoint - Warner Bros. believes that Netflix's $72 billion buyout offer is superior and urges shareholders to reject the hostile takeover bid from Paramount Skydance [1] Group 1: Offers and Valuations - Paramount's offer is $30 per Warner share, valuing the company at approximately $77.9 billion, compared to Netflix's offer of $27.75 per share [1][5] - Paramount claims its offer is worth about $79.9 billion, which is $18 billion more in cash than Netflix's bid [6] - Netflix's offer includes a combination of cash and stock, valuing Warner at $72 billion, excluding debt, but does not include Warner-owned networks like CNN and Discovery [7] Group 2: Industry Impact - A merger involving Warner Bros. would significantly alter the Hollywood landscape and is expected to face intense scrutiny from U.S. regulators [2] - The competing offers highlight the potential for combining major entertainment properties, with Netflix owning popular titles like "Stranger Things" and "Squid Game," while Paramount owns CBS and MTV [3] - The outcome of these bids will influence the dynamics of the streaming wars and the broader entertainment industry [4]

Core Viewpoint - Warner Bros Discovery has accused Paramount of misleading investors regarding its $108 billion takeover bid, urging shareholders to reject the offer due to concerns over its financing and structure [1][2]. Group 1: Warner Bros' Position - Warner Bros Discovery claims that Paramount's assertion of a "full backstop" from the Ellison family is false, stating that the offer relies on an "unknown and opaque revocable trust" [2]. - The board of Warner Bros unanimously recommended shareholders vote against Paramount's offer, labeling it as "illusory" and highlighting the risks involved [5][6]. - Warner Bros believes that a previously agreed $83 billion offer from Netflix is superior, as it is backed by a public company with a market value exceeding $400 billion [5][8]. Group 2: Paramount's Offer Details - Paramount's $30-per-share offer includes $40 billion in equity funding, with approximately $24 billion coming from the sovereign wealth funds of Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar [3]. - The Ellison family is contributing $12 billion to the bid, while RedBird Capital, a private equity fund, is also involved as Paramount's second-largest shareholder [3]. Group 3: Changes in Consortium Support - Jared Kushner's private equity firm, Affinity Partners, has withdrawn its support from Paramount's bid, along with Tencent, which previously pledged $1 billion for an earlier bid [4][7].

Group 1: Warner Bros Discovery and Paramount Skydance Bid - Warner Brothers Discovery (WBD) advised shareholders to reject the Paramount Skydance (PSKY) offer and favor the bid from Netflix (NFLX) [2] - Netflix's bid includes a spin-off of the Discovery Channel, which has an unnamed interested party, while PSKY's bid includes the cable channel in its acquisition [3] - PSKY's CEO David Ellison did not provide guaranteed funding for the deal, raising concerns about the financial backing of the bid [3][4] Group 2: Federal Reserve Chair Interviews - The White House is actively interviewing candidates to replace Fed Chair Jerome Powell, with former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh gaining traction as a candidate [5][6] - Warsh was known for dissenting on Fed policy during his tenure and has expressed a desire for the Fed to take a less active role in managing the economy [7] Group 3: Earnings Reports - General Mills (GIS) reported fiscal Q2 earnings of $1.10 per share, exceeding the Zacks consensus estimate of $1.02, with revenues of $4.86 billion, surpassing projections by 1.89% [9] - ABM Industries (ABM) reported fiscal Q4 earnings of $0.88 per share, missing the expected $1.10, but revenues of $2.18 billion exceeded expectations by 1.19% [10] - Micron (MU) is set to report fiscal Q1 earnings, with expectations of a 118% year-over-year growth in earnings and a 46% increase in revenues [11]

Core Viewpoint - Paramount is firmly supporting its proposal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), cautioning shareholders against accepting Netflix's offer, which it claims would leave them with a "heavily indebted, sub-scale linear business" [1] Group 1: Acquisition Proposals - Paramount made a hostile bid to acquire WBD for $108 billion, including debt, while Netflix's offer is for nearly $83 billion, focusing only on the Warner studio and streaming division [2] - Paramount is willing to take on the troubled cable network side of WBD, which has been a significant point of contention in the valuation of the bids [3] Group 2: Financial Assurance and Strategy - Paramount asserts that its bid offers "100% cash" with no exposure to equity market fluctuations, contrasting with Netflix's proposal that includes stock, which has already seen a decline [4] - The financing for Paramount's offer includes $41 billion in new equity backed by the Ellison family and RedBird Capital, along with $54 billion in debt commitments from major banks [4] Group 3: Competitive Positioning - Paramount claims its acquisition would enhance competition in the creative industries, opposing the notion that Netflix's deal would create a dominant streaming monopoly [4] - The company emphasizes that it has received positive feedback from WBD shareholders regarding its offer, which it believes is superior in value and certainty [4] Group 4: Market Reaction - Following the announcement, Paramount's shares fell by 5% in early trading [4]

This is breaking news. We just learned that Warner Brothers Discovery is recommending its shareholders reject Paramount's hostile takeover bid. WBD is arguing that its plan to sell most of the media company to Netflix is a better move for its shareholders.Netflix also speaking out, welcoming this decision, saying it's a this deal is a quote superior alternative for WBD stockholders. ...