Finance
Burlington's stock has surged after the off-price retailer significantly outperformed expectations in its fourth-quarter results.
March 8, 2025
No need for thumbs to unwrap these gifts: animals at the Berlin Zoo enjoyed a festive treat as zookeepers allowed elephants and other residents to munch on leftover Christmas trees.
While the major US stock indexes dipped last week, a Friday rally helped trim some of the declines. Alcohol retailers saw their stock prices dip after the US Surgeon General recommended warning labels on alcoholic beverages about potential cancer risks.
The East and Gulf Coast ports are carrying over their labor troubles into 2024. Up to 47,000 unionized dockworkers are on the verge of resuming a three-day strike that originally took place in October. This strike, which marked the first of its kind in 50 years, was paused after a tentative agreement on a wage increase (62% over six years). However, the key issue of automation was left unresolved. With the temporary agreement set to expire soon, negotiations are set to resume tomorrow.
High Stakes: If no agreement is reached, a strike could start as early as January 16, potentially halting operations at ports that handle 60% of US shipping, resulting in an estimated $5 billion in daily losses. Danish shipping giant Maersk recently informed clients that talks have made little progress.
Automation Concerns: The union is pushing for a contract that would prevent port employers from implementing automation or semi-automation in port operations, fearing job losses.
Political Timing: The strike could coincide with President-elect Trump’s inauguration, just days after the proposed strike date. Last month, Trump voiced support for the union, advocating for shipping companies to prioritize wage increases over automation.
Fears of Job Loss to Automation: The dockworkers are far from alone in their concerns about automation replacing human labor. Workers in industries ranging from animation to food service have also been seeking protection from job displacement by automation and AI. This issue is central to strikes like the ongoing SAG video-game workers' strike. A recent survey found that 75% of Americans believe AI will lead to fewer jobs, and last year, AI contributed to job cuts at major companies like UPS and Intuit. In fact, 61% of large US companies plan to use AI to automate tasks traditionally performed by humans in 2025.
Automation’s Mixed Results: Despite the push for automation, it doesn’t always lead to significant improvements. Recent studies have shown that while automation can reduce some costs—such as payroll—its impact on productivity is less clear. For instance, at one Southern California port, executives found no noticeable difference in performance between a partially automated terminal and a fully manual one.
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Egg-citing News
Cal-Maine, the leading egg producer in the US, will report earnings tomorrow after a year where egg prices soared by 38%. Despite the price spike, Cal-Maine broke its own sales record for eggs in the last quarter. Even with cartons averaging nearly $4 in September due to price hikes and limited supply, demand remained high. While bird flu led to the culling of millions of hens, including 6 million last month, Cal-Maine and other large egg producers are thriving. On top of higher prices, egg companies are benefiting from government reimbursements covering 75% of the value of lost birds due to disease.
Green Horizons Ahead
Tilray, the cannabis company, is set to report on Friday, and its CEO is optimistic about a more favorable regulatory environment for cannabis under the upcoming Trump administration. Currently, Tilray sells its products in countries like Canada while waiting for federal legalization in the US. In the meantime, a growing portion of the company’s revenue—41% in the last quarter—now comes from its portfolio of craft alcohol brands like Montauk Brewing Co. Tilray plans to leverage its alcohol distribution network in the US to distribute cannabis once it's legalized.
Biden Blocks Steel Deal
President Biden has moved to block Nippon Steel’s $15 billion acquisition of US Steel, citing national security concerns. Biden argued that such a significant US steel producer shouldn’t fall under foreign control. Nippon Steel attempted to ease Biden’s concerns by promising to maintain production levels at US plants for the next decade. Despite these assurances, US Steel’s shares dropped 9.5% in premarket trading on Friday, though traders had largely anticipated the decision. Nippon Steel is expected to challenge the rejection in court.
Nvidia’s $1B AI Shopping Spree
Nvidia, the chip giant behind AI technology, reportedly invested $1 billion in AI-related deals this year. After hitting a $3 trillion valuation and benefiting from the AI boom, Nvidia is now looking to deepen its involvement in the AI industry by investing in existing and potential customers, as well as acquiring others. However, these moves come with a potential risk of regulatory scrutiny, especially concerning competition laws, as Nvidia continues to cement its dominant role in the AI landscape.
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Advertiser's disclosures:
¹ The rankings are based on submitted applications and public company database research, with winners selected based on their fiscal-year revenue growth percentage over a three-year period.
² Mode Mobile recently received their ticker reservation with Nasdaq ($MODE), indicating an intent to IPO in the next 24 months. An intent to IPO is no guarantee that an actual IPO will occur.
³ December 23, 2024 will be the last day to invest and be considered a shareholder in 2024. Any investments made after this date will only be considered shareholders starting in 2025.
⁴ Please read the offering circular and related risk 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.
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