Finance
Verizon Shares Take a Hit After Q1 Sales Warning
March 13, 2025
The company’s Q4 results, reported this week, exceeded expectations, bringing in nearly $921 million in revenue and a net income of $41 million, a significant leap from last year’s Q4, which posted just $12.7 million in net income. The key to this success? A dedication to delivering “distinct, high-quality dining experiences,” according to CEO David Overton, who has been part of the company since its early bakery days in the 1970s. While this ethos resonates with some of the company’s smaller ventures like Flower Child and North Italia, the Cheesecake Factory’s flagship brand still holds the lion’s share of the revenue pie.
In 2024, The Cheesecake Factory set a new revenue record, hitting a remarkable $3.6 billion overall, with $2.7 billion of that coming from its beloved namesake restaurants. Despite being nearly 50 years old, the brand continues to attract crowds eager to indulge in its famously vast menu, driving strong investor interest. In fact, the stock has surged by 60% over the past year, reflecting the market’s confidence in the company’s ongoing appeal.
Interestingly, The Cheesecake Factory’s continued success is also helping to revitalize the American mall. A report from Yelp last year found that restaurant chains were the primary drivers of foot traffic to malls, and The Cheesecake Factory topped the list of the most popular “mall brands” in the U.S. This resurgence in mall activity is a testament to the chain’s role as a staple in American dining culture.
With such solid performance, some investors have even suggested that the company consider breaking up, spinning off its smaller, faster-growing brands to allow them to flourish outside the shadow of its flagship operation. Whether or not the company takes that advice, one thing is clear: The Cheesecake Factory’s blend of comfort, consistency, and expansive offerings continues to satisfy both its loyal customers and shareholders.
Presented by Turn Therapeutics
When faced with a deadly infection boasting a 70% fatality rate and no existing cure, Bradley Burnam did what most wouldn’t dare—he created the solution himself. Enter Hexagen: a groundbreaking formula that Burnam personally shepherded through the FDA clearance process for just $24,000. But he didn’t stop there. Building on this success, Burnam expanded the technology, secured two additional FDA clearances, and founded a company that’s rewriting the rules on self-made medical innovation: Turn Therapeutics.
Hexagen isn’t just breaking barriers; it’s healing them. Cleared for acute wound care and atopic dermatitis, this powerhouse formula is now on the brink of a bigger leap. Turn, the company behind Hexagen, is paving the way to expand its applications, proving there’s much more to its potential than meets the eye.
Turn just locked in a game-changing commitment—up to $75M in investment from GEM Global Yield Fund. This private equity boost is tied to the company’s plans to go public, setting the stage for Turn to make bold moves in the market spotlight..2
Turn is rolling out institutional, accredited, and unaccredited investors to participate in their current crowdfunding campaign — but only until January 2025.3
Phillips 66 may have thought it could breathe easy after striking a deal with Elliott Investment Management last year. At the time, the oil refiner agreed to add one Elliott-approved director to its board and consider naming a second—settling what appeared to be a tense showdown. But that second director never materialized, and with Phillips 66's stock down more than 25% from its April 2024 high, the peace may have been short-lived. Now, Elliott is back, and it’s coming in strong.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Elliott has significantly upped its stake in Phillips 66 to a commanding $2.5 billion. The activist investor is making it clear that it wants change. Elliott is pushing the company to shake up its operations, with a specific focus on increasing shareholder value. In its latest public statement, the firm called for the divestment or spin-off of Phillips 66's midstream business, as well as selling off its stakes in CPChem and certain European operations. The demand doesn’t stop there—Elliott is also calling for a review of the company’s leadership, suggesting that independent directors be brought in to oversee the process.
In the wake of this news, Phillips 66 saw its stock rise 4.2%, as investors digested the latest developments. Elliott’s track record of successful activism—having already played a role in reshaping companies like Starbucks, Southwest Airlines, and Honeywell—gives weight to its push for change. Phillips 66 now faces the challenge of addressing Elliott’s demands while navigating the growing pressure from the activist firm.
Shake Shack’s latest quarterly results have investors cheering, as the company’s strategic blend of cost-cutting initiatives and ambitious expansion plans delivered solid results. Shares of the fast-food chain surged 10% following the release of its fourth-quarter earnings report, signaling confidence in the brand’s future growth trajectory.
The company posted revenue of $328.7 million, marking a 15% increase from the previous year. Though it came in slightly below the expected $329.3 million, Shake Shack still exceeded analysts’ earnings expectations with an adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.26—just a penny higher than forecasts. These numbers came on the back of strong same-store sales, which rose 4.3% thanks in part to the success of its limited-time Black Truffle Menu.
Looking ahead, Shake Shack provided an upbeat outlook for 2025, forecasting revenue in the range of $1.45 billion to $1.48 billion, slightly above analyst expectations. But perhaps most exciting is the company's ambitious expansion plan: Shake Shack aims to grow its company-operated locations to 1,500, a dramatic leap from its current 329 sites and more than quadrupling its initial goal of 450 locations when it went public.
To support this growth, Shake Shack has been fine-tuning its operations at existing locations, focusing on increasing sales per hour and reducing customer wait times by improving labor scheduling and kitchen workflows. The results are already visible, as the company managed to reduce key operating costs in areas like food, paper, and labor. As a result, restaurant-level profit margins improved to 22.7%, up from 19.8% a year ago.
The market has responded favorably to Shake Shack’s progress, and the stock’s latest rally has nearly reversed its year-to-date losses, now up roughly 32% over the past year—outperforming the broader S&P 500 index in the process. Investors are clearly excited about the company’s prospects as it continues to cut costs, improve efficiency, and execute its bold expansion plans.
Presented by Atombeam
Big tech, small data… Why are industry leaders like NVIDIA, Intel and Ericsson partnering with Atombeam?1 It’s the company reimagining machine communication — and potentially the future of big tech. That’s thanks to Neurpac, Atombeam’s patented software technology that can reduce the size of low-entropy data by an average of 75%.
Lightning fast… Neurpac enables 2-4x more data to be sent faster and more securely over existing networks—no hardware upgrades — just smart, AI-powered software.
To the moon and back… The U.S Space Force and U.S. Air Force have already been on Atombeam’s customer books — and the company’s potential market is still gaining ground. Atombeam is in discussions with multiple companies, ranging from a major packaging brand to an EV enterprise.
$16M has already been invested into the company. You can invest before the round closes in 29 days.2
1 The partnership relationship varies between companies and can include the following: inclusion on a preferred vendor list, invitations to participate in certain forums; listed on the other company's website, and introduction and networking opportunities.
Advertiser's disclosures:
¹ The Company's Formula (Gx-03/Hexagen/Atopx) Has Received 510k Marketing Approval As A Medical Device Indicated For The Management Of Symptoms Related To Atopic Dermatitis/Eczema. The Formula Has Not Received Approval As A Drug For The Treatment Of Eczema Or Onychomycosis.
² A plan to IPO is no guarantee that an actual IPO will occur.
³ Please read the offering circular and related risks at StartEngine’s Turn Therapeutics webpage. This is a paid advertisement for Turn Therapeutics Regulation CF Offering. This Reg CF offering is made available through StartEngine Primary, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC.
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.
