Economic Overview - The U.S. economy is facing multiple challenges, including significant job cuts by major corporations, plummeting consumer confidence, and a historic freight company's bankruptcy [2][4] - The wealth gap is widening, with older demographics holding a significant portion of household equities [7][9] Corporate Restructuring and Job Losses - Tyson Foods is restructuring its beef operations, closing a major plant in Lexington, Nebraska, resulting in approximately 3,200 job losses, and reducing operations in Amarillo, Texas, affecting another 1,700 workers [3][8] - The company projects losses between $400 million and $600 million for its beef segment in fiscal year 2026 due to declining cattle supplies and high beef prices [3] Consumer Confidence and Job Market - U.S. consumer sentiment has dropped to 50.3 in October, the second-lowest level recorded, indicating widespread pessimism among households [5][8] - Job loss expectations among 18-34-year-olds are near record highs, with a 6.6% unemployment rate for new college graduates over the past year [6][8] Bankruptcy and Industry Strain - Port Elizabeth Terminal & Warehouse Corp., a 101-year-old freight company, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, citing surging business costs as a primary driver [4][8] - The logistics industry is experiencing a "Great Freight Recession," characterized by reduced shipping demand and rising operational expenses [4] International Travel Disruptions - Air China plans to significantly reduce flights between Chinese and Japanese cities, citing "plane availability," but this decision may also be influenced by rising political tensions [10]

safely. All right. You know where there's not a lot of fear and anxiety.At the CNBC CEO Council event on the main streets of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida where Morgan Brennan is. Morgan. >> Yeah, I have the best live chat of the day.Brian, thank you. Joining me now here from the CNBC CEO Council for an exclusive interview, Jim Crane. He is chairman of Crane Worldwide Logistics, which is involved in a whole host of industries, autos, energy, hospitality, life sciences, more.He is also the owner of the Houston ...

Core Insights - Madison Small Cap Fund experienced a challenging third quarter in 2025, with a decline of 1.3%, underperforming its benchmarks due to stock selection and a speculative market environment [1] Company Performance - Saia, Inc. (NASDAQ:SAIA) reported a one-month return of -13.67% and a 52-week loss of 53.76%, closing at $250.48 per share with a market capitalization of $6.673 billion as of November 20, 2025 [2] - In Q3 2025, Saia, Inc. announced revenue of $839.6 million, which remained relatively flat compared to Q3 2024 [4] Investment Strategy - Madison Small Cap Fund exited its position in Saia, Inc. during the third quarter due to a challenging macroeconomic environment for LTL pricing and operational issues related to geographic expansion [3] - The fund expressed a willingness to revisit the investment in the future if operating rates improve, highlighting the company's strong customer service focus and excellent business moat [3]

Market Overview - U.S. stocks showed mixed performance with the Dow Jones index falling approximately 0.2% while NASDAQ and S&P 500 saw slight gains of 0.19% and 0.08% respectively [1] - Communication services sector rose by 0.8%, while energy stocks declined by 1.6% [1] Company Performance - Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) shares increased over 5% after exceeding Wall Street profit expectations for Q3, reporting adjusted earnings per share of $3.06, a 5.9% year-over-year increase, surpassing the consensus estimate of $2.97 [2][3] - The company slightly missed sales expectations but raised its full-year revenue target, focusing on professional customers and online growth [2] Commodity Market - Oil prices fell by 2.4% to $59.26, while gold prices increased by 0.3% to $4,077.20 [6] - Silver and copper also saw gains, with silver up 0.2% to $50.615 and copper rising 0.4% to $4.9945 [6] Stock Volatility - WeShop Holdings Limited (NASDAQ:WSHP) shares surged 413% to $169.32 following its Nasdaq debut [8] - Freight Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRGT) shares rose 67% to $1.1045 after launching its AI-powered freight rate prediction platform [8] - Semrush Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SEMR) shares increased by 74% to $11.79 after Adobe announced acquisition plans [8] - Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:AGIO) shares dropped 50% to $22.88 due to Phase 3 trial results not meeting statistical significance [8] - Carver Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:CARV) shares fell 51% to $1.4702 after announcing plans to de-register its common stock [8] - Tempest Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:TPST) shares decreased by 47% to $4.94 following an acquisition announcement [8] International Markets - European shares mostly declined, with the eurozone's STOXX 600 down 0.03% and major indices like London's FTSE 100 and Germany's DAX 40 also falling [7] - Asian markets closed mixed, with Japan's Nikkei 225 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng both down, while China's Shanghai Composite and India's BSE Sensex gained [9] Economic Indicators - U.S. crude oil inventories decreased by 3.426 million barrels, significantly more than the expected 0.6 million [12] - U.S. exports rose by $0.2 billion to $280.8 billion, while imports fell by 5.1% to $340.4 billion, leading to a reduced trade deficit of $59.6 billion [12]

The freight industry continues to push toward tighter integration between financial tools and operational technology, and the latest move between OTR Solutions and TruckSmarter underscores just how quickly that convergence is accelerating. OTR Solutions has acquired TruckSmarter’s factoring and banking division, a shift that consolidates financial services under one of the industry’s most established fintech providers while allowing TruckSmarter to double down on what it has rapidly become known for: adva ...

Economic Overview - The AI economy is experiencing significant growth, while the "real" economy faces challenges in various sectors [1] - The housing market is under pressure, and the freight industry has been in a recession for an extended period [1] - U.S. consumers are showing signs of financial strain, indicating potential risks for consumer-driven sectors [1] Investment Strategy - The focus is on strategic buying opportunities, particularly in dividend and value stocks, which have garnered a strong following and positive ratings on investment platforms [1]

Core Insights - AI is significantly transforming the freight industry, with companies adopting AI and machine learning to optimize operations and reduce costs due to competitive pressures and narrow profit margins [1] - The introduction of new technology necessitates organizational management changes, presenting both challenges and opportunities for fleet owners to enhance efficiency and empower their workforce [2] Industry Challenges and Opportunities - A major concern for fleets is how to support employees during the adoption of AI, particularly in shifting workflows to maximize employee impact as AI tools take over routine tasks [3] - The balance between automation and human expertise is crucial, as experienced dispatchers possess invaluable insights that cannot be easily replicated or trained [4][5] Knowledge Preservation and Optimization - Experienced dispatchers contribute significantly beyond basic operational tasks, holding extensive knowledge about driver preferences, routing challenges, and the reputation of various yards and shops [6] - Integrating AI can help preserve this critical knowledge while optimizing operational efficiency, allowing companies to maintain a competitive edge [6] AI as a Support Tool - A purpose-built, native AI can facilitate the transition to automation by reducing the pressure on individuals to manage unoptimized systems, thereby enhancing human intelligence rather than replacing it [7] - Native AI serves as a comprehensive data repository, learning the intricate details of fleets and their partners, which supports better decision-making and operational efficiency [7]

Core Viewpoint - Uber Technologies reported strong growth in key metrics, but the stock price fell over 5% due to market reactions and slight margin misses, presenting a potential buying opportunity for investors [1][2][19]. Financial Performance - Uber's trips, gross bookings, and revenue grew by 22%, 21%, and 20% respectively, exceeding expectations, while monthly active platform customers increased by 17% [3][12]. - The company reported earnings of $311 per share, significantly higher than the expected $0.69, although this included a $4.9 billion benefit from a tax valuation release [4][3]. - Uber Eats showed remarkable performance with 25% gross bookings growth and 29% revenue growth, while the mobility segment grew by 20% in both gross bookings and revenue [4][5]. Market Context - The stock's decline was influenced by a broader market downturn and specific weaknesses in travel stocks, which affected investor sentiment [6][7]. - Increased competition in food delivery from companies like DoorDash and in ride-sharing from Lyft may have contributed to concerns about Uber's margins [8][10]. Strategic Outlook - Uber provided strong guidance for the current quarter, indicating healthy gross bookings outlook, although EBIT forecast was in line with expectations [6]. - The company is focusing on growing market share in both ride-sharing and delivery, enhancing customer engagement, and expanding the Uber One membership program [14][15]. - Customer engagement improved by 4% in the quarter, with users of both services spending three times more and retaining 35% better than single-service users [15][16]. Profitability and Growth - Despite a slight miss in margins, adjusted earnings for interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization grew by 33% year-over-year, indicating strong profitability [17][19]. - Uber's growth is accelerating, with the mobility business achieving its best gross bookings growth in six quarters and the delivery business its best growth since Q2 2022 [12][19].

Freight Market Overview - The goods economy, specifically certain portions, is currently experiencing a collapse [2] - Year-over-year trucking volumes are down 17%, indicating a significant decline in freight movement across the United States [2] - Industrial sectors, including energy, automotive, housing, and manufacturing, are down 30% year-over-year, reaching levels of concern similar to the great financial crisis [3] Factors Contributing to the Slowdown - Macroeconomic pressure and high interest rates are causing companies to hesitate on long-term investments [4] - Tariffs have led to inflation in wholesale prices, impacting raw material imports for manufacturers [5] - Over-supplied energy market and auto industry credit quality issues are contributing factors [6] - Elimination of the *de minimis* threshold has impacted parcel companies, contributing to lower volumes for UPS [9][10] Impact on Employment - Approximately 35 million jobs are tied to the long-haul goods segments, including energy, auto, housing, manufacturing, and transportation [7] - This contrasts with the 2 million jobs in the hyperscalers sector [7] Potential for Recovery - A recovery in the housing market is crucial for the freight market, as it indirectly relates to as much as 20% of trucking market activity [13][14] - Easing of interest rates by the Federal Reserve is considered the most important factor for the freight market's recovery [13]

Core Insights - Hackers are infiltrating trucking and freight companies to steal and sell cargo shipments, potentially costing companies and consumers billions of dollars [1][2] Group 1: Cybersecurity Threats - Proofpoint Inc. has high confidence that hackers are collaborating with organized crime groups to execute cargo thefts, specifically targeting trucking carriers and freight brokers [2] - The stolen cargo is likely sold online or shipped overseas, indicating a significant impact on the supply chain [2][3] - Cyberattacks on cargo companies have been identified as a full-scale supply chain threat, with losses from cargo theft increasing by 27% in 2024 and projected to rise another 22% in 2025, amounting to an estimated $35 billion in annual losses [3] Group 2: Criminal Tactics - Researchers have identified at least three distinct criminal groups using cyberattack methods against cargo companies, with nearly two dozen campaigns observed in the last two months [4] - The cyber-enabled heists rely on social engineering and industry knowledge, allowing hackers to impersonate insiders and exploit supply chain technology [5] - One tactic involves compromising load boards, where hackers send emails with malicious links to carriers responding to fraudulent load postings [6][7] Group 3: Industry Impact - The urgency for carriers to secure loads leads to hasty decisions, increasing the likelihood of clicking on malicious links, especially when they appear to come from trusted brokers [8][9] - The most targeted commodities include food and beverages, with energy drinks often stolen and shipped overseas due to restrictions in other countries [9] - The issue of cargo theft is not limited to North America, as indications suggest that hackers may be operating from Russia or Eastern Europe, representing a global problem [10]