Finance
Verizon Shares Take a Hit After Q1 Sales Warning
March 13, 2025
HersheyHSY $156.97 (-0.60%) is betting big on a surge in Reese’s Cups demand, requesting approval from US regulators to purchase over 90,000 metric tons of cocoa. This would amount to nearly 5,000 20-foot containers, a staggering nine times the quantity permitted by the ICE Futures exchange.
US markets were closed yesterday to commemorate the life of former President Jimmy Carter. Today, all eyes are on the upcoming jobs report, which could heavily influence the Federal Reserve’s next move on interest rates.
Fires rage on… Over the past several days, devastating wildfires have ravaged the Los Angeles region, claiming at least six lives and forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents. Thousands of acres have burned, with countless homes, businesses, and historic sites lost in the flames. The largest fire, hitting the Pacific Palisades area, has now become the most destructive in LA’s history.
A historic blow: Experts estimate this wildfire could become the most expensive in US history, with insured losses potentially exceeding $20 billion—double the cost of the last major wildfire disaster.
Insurance woes: California, accustomed to wildfires, is facing increasingly severe and frequent fires due to rising global temperatures. To mitigate the risk of massive claims, major insurers like State Farm and Nationwide have pulled back, slashing coverage and canceling policies in high-risk zones. The Pacific Palisades, for example, saw 28% of its home insurance renewals denied between 2019 and 2024. Now, nearly half a million Californians rely on the state’s last-resort insurer, FAIR, which offers fire insurance to those in high-risk areas.
Underfunded backup: The Palisades alone could face up to $6 billion in insurance claims. However, as of March, the FAIR plan had only $700 million in reserves to cover losses.
A growing crisis: California’s situation highlights a broader issue of under-insurance in other states vulnerable to extreme weather events, such as fires, floods, and hurricanes. In Florida, Hurricanes Milton and Helene caused an estimated $300 billion in damage last year. Experts warn that the US insurance market faces a $1 trillion shortfall from unaccounted-for fire and flood damage. With extreme weather events costing the economy over $2 trillion in the past decade, the risk is growing.
Presented by Nasdaq
A recent study from the Nasdaq Index Research Team found that among global large cap companies, patent filers recorded the fastest sales growth over the trailing 15 years. Growth for patent filers ranged 60-70%, nearly 2x the average for the entire cohort (35%).1
Investors looking to access innovative, patent filing companies need look no further than the Nasdaq-100® (NDX®).2
The success of NDX can be attributed in part to the value of its constituents’ patents, which has grown ~10.5x since May 2007, vs. ~4x across all publicly listed, tracked companies globally. Growth for the S&P 500 overall was ~5.5x, but only ~4x when excluding the contribution of overlapping Nasdaq-100 firms.3
Learn more about the innovative index here: Nasdaq-100 Index.®
A rough ride for Slurpees… Seven & i Holdings, the parent company of 7-Eleven, has reported an 89% drop in quarterly profits, signaling deep trouble for the convenience store giant. While its Japanese operations performed better, the company’s international performance struggled, particularly in North America. In October, Seven & i had already cut its annual profit forecast and revealed plans to close 444 underperforming North American stores, attributing the losses to declining fuel and tobacco sales. The sharp decline in profits may push the company to reconsider buyout options.
Rejected offers and new proposals: Seven & i turned down a $39 billion buyout from Canadian Circle K owner Couche-Tard in September, calling it too low. The offer was later raised to $47 billion, but Japan’s government intervened, citing national security concerns over foreign ownership of a company that plays a vital role in food distribution during emergencies. This leaves the door open for a potential buyout by the company’s largest shareholder, Junro Ito, heir to the Ito family, which owns 9% of Seven & i. The family is reportedly working on a $58 billion proposal to take the company private.
The road to recovery: Seven & i is hoping to revitalize its business by focusing on improving food offerings, a strategy that’s worked well in Japan with popular items like egg sandwiches and miso ramen. As consumers spend less on fuel and cigarettes, food has become a key revenue driver for convenience stores, with competitors like Wawa and Buc-ee’s leading the way.
Presented by Mode Mobile
Marc Cuban turned down the chance to invest in Uber at basement prices before the company’s IPO.
And by the time the rest of us hear about industry-changing disruptions like these, it's usually too late... but right now there’s a tech-startup making waves behind the scenes. Like Uber turned vehicles into income-generating assets, they’re turning smartphones into an easy passive income source — already making over $325M for their customers!
And this time, you have a chance to invest5 in their pre-IPO offering2 at just $0.26/share.3
Advertiser's disclosures:
¹ Source: Nasdaq Global Indexes, Nasdaq AI Team, IFI Claims, Factset as of 8/29/2024. Index data as of 12/31/2013 and 12/31/2023. Companies are ranked on prior full-year total patent filings.
² It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
³ See slide 26 for further details on the growth in the value of patents for NDX®, S&P 500, and Global ex-US since May 2007.
Nasdaq®, Nasdaq-100 Index®, Nasdaq-100®, and NDX® are trademarks of Nasdaq, Inc. The information contained above is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and nothing contained herein should be construed as investment advice, either on behalf of a particular security or an overall investment strategy. Neither Nasdaq, Inc. nor any of its affiliates makes any recommendation to buy or sell any security or any representation about the financial condition of any company. Statements regarding Nasdaq-listed companies or Nasdaq proprietary indexes are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investors should undertake their own due diligence and carefully evaluate companies before investing. ADVICE FROM A SECURITIES PROFESSIONAL IS STRONGLY ADVISED.
⁴ The Deloitte rankings are based on submitted applications and public company database research, with winners selected based on their fiscal-year revenue growth percentage over a three-year period.
⁵ Mode Mobile recently received their ticker reservation with Nasdaq ($MODE), indicating an intent to IPO in the next 24 months. An intent to IPO is no guarantee that an actual IPO will occur.
⁶ Minimum investment is $999.96. Please read the offering circular and related risks at invest.modemobile.com. This is a paid advertisement for Mode Mobile’s Regulation A+ Offering.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investing in private company securities is not suitable for all investors because it is highly speculative and involves a high degree of risk. It should only be considered a long-term investment. You must be prepared to withstand a total loss of your investment. Private company securities are also highly illiquid, and there is no guarantee that a market will develop for such securities.
DealMaker Securities LLC, a registered broker-dealer, and member of FINRA | SIPC, located at 105 Maxess Road, Suite 124, Melville, NY 11747, is the Intermediary for this offering and is not an affiliate of or connected with the Issuer. Please check our background on FINRA's BrokerCheck.
