Finance
Verizon Shares Take a Hit After Q1 Sales Warning
March 13, 2025
Some of TikTok’s biggest creators shared their juiciest secrets in anticipation of the app’s shutdown, only to have President Trump extend the ban deadline by 75 days—leaving plenty of time for those confessions to marinate in awkward regret.
Meanwhile, the markets rallied yesterday as the new administration made bold moves, including announcing a colossal $500B AI infrastructure project called Stargate. The initiative ropes in major players like OpenAI, Oracle (ORCL $186.47, 1.22%), SoftBank (SFTBY $33.40, -2.05%), and Nvidia (NVDA $146.45, 0.10%). Oracle’s stock surged 7% on the news.
From survival games to sports stadiums… Netflix (NFLX $983.26, 3.21%) shares soared 14% yesterday after reporting its highest-ever quarterly subscriber growth. The streaming giant added nearly 19M subscribers in Q4—more than double analyst expectations—pushing its global user base past 300M for the first time. Smash hits like Squid Game 2, the action-packed thriller Carry-On, and live sports such as WWE fueled the surge. Revenue climbed 16%, while profits nearly doubled year-over-year, hitting $1.8B.
What’s next? Netflix raised its sales forecast as fans gear up for highly anticipated returns, including Wednesday and the final chapter of Stranger Things. The company is also hiking prices for its standard ad-free and ad-supported tiers, a strategy that’s been boosting revenue and subscription numbers since launching in 2022.
Streamers vs. Cable: The Sports Showdown
Netflix’s push into live sports is paying dividends. Its Paul-Tyson fight broke records as the most-streamed sporting event ever, while Christmas Day NFL games drew record-breaking numbers for the league. Other streamers are joining the fray:
Why it matters: Live sports are the new frontier in streaming, offering platforms a chance to draw massive audiences and sell prime-time-style ads. Netflix recently nabbed exclusive US broadcasting rights for the next two FIFA Women’s World Cup tournaments, cementing its place in the streaming end zone.
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.®
Crypto carnival or credibility crisis? Donald and Melania Trump launched their own meme coins, $TRUMP and $MELANIA, on the solana (SOL $258.32, 1.20%) blockchain ahead of Inauguration Day, igniting a firestorm of reactions. While the coins briefly reached a $70B market cap, their prices have since seesawed, and critics are questioning whether the move does more harm than good for the crypto industry. Solana’s history of scams and volatility (looking at you, Hawk Tuah coin) hasn’t helped calm nerves.
What’s under the hood?
Industry concerns: While the safeguards are in place, some view the coins as a distraction that risks damaging the crypto world’s reputation. Skeptics say the rollout could tarnish Trump’s credibility, with accusations swirling that he’s using the industry for personal gain.
Crypto’s DC debut: At an inauguration gala attended by crypto heavyweights and celebrities like Snoop Dogg, expectations were sky-high for bold moves from the newly sworn-in president. Many hoped Trump would announce sweeping crypto policies, such as making digital currency a national priority or providing details on the promised US bitcoin reserve. Instead, the meme coins dominated headlines, leaving many industry leaders frustrated.
A mixed first impression: On the bright side, Trump’s SEC unveiled a new “crypto task force,” signaling a friendlier regulatory approach compared to Gensler’s tenure. But for many in the crypto space, meme coins alone won’t cut it. Advocates warn that splashy stunts like this could undermine Trump’s ambitious plan to make the US the global crypto capital.
Bottom line: The crypto world is looking for innovation and regulation—not just gimmicks. Trump’s meme coin experiment has sparked excitement, confusion, and skepticism, but the industry is waiting for moves with real substance to determine its future under his leadership.
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.®
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.
