Finance
Burlington's stock has surged after the off-price retailer significantly outperformed expectations in its fourth-quarter results.
March 8, 2025
The Albuquerque home that gained fame as the backdrop for Breaking Bad is now on the market for $4 million, a price significantly higher than nearby properties. It’s a move that would likely impress Walter White’s business acumen.
The Nasdaq saw a surge yesterday, driven by strong demand for semiconductor chips, with Nvidia reaching an all-time high. Meanwhile, bitcoin broke the $100K mark for the first time this year, climbing past $100,000 despite a slight dip in value.
Imagine seeing a local plumber’s ad right after the Yellowstone finale—Comcast is betting on that. The company has launched a new platform called Universal Ads, aimed at helping small and medium-sized businesses buy ad space on premium streaming content. Comcast, which owns NBCUniversal, Universal Pictures, and Peacock, is tapping into the same simplified ad-buying model that companies like Meta, YouTube, and TikTok have used to attract advertisers. Universal Ads is set to roll out this quarter.
Streaming Ad Landscape Expands
Major players like DirecTV, AMC Networks, Paramount, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery are all on board with Universal Ads, joining the push to make ad buying easier for smaller businesses.
Big Tech’s Ad Stronghold
In 2023, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and Google were projected to capture nearly two-thirds of the US digital ad market. As streaming platforms look to challenge that dominance, there’s growing potential for ad revenue, possibly surpassing traditional TV. Netflix, for example, was expected to generate over $1 billion in ad revenue last year after launching its ad-supported tier, drawing millions of new users.
Ad Evolution for Cable
While local TV ads were once the domain of small businesses, these companies have had difficulty breaking into the streaming world. Comcast’s Universal Ads platform aims to bridge that gap, simplifying the ad-buying process for smaller businesses and potentially unlocking a whole new audience in the streaming space.
Presented by Gray Scale
Bit by bit… Diversify your portfolio with Bitcoin exposure, wherever you invest. Grayscale’s Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF (ticker: BTC) is one of the most affordable1 ways to gain exposure to Bitcoin through your existing brokerage account (though brokerage fees may still apply). That’s right — you don’t need a separate crypto wallet like you would to hold actual Bitcoin. You can invest in BTC the same way as any ETF.
For the crypto-curious… Grayscale is a great place to start. They’ve been offering exposure to crypto through familiar investment vehicles for over a decade. Today, they offer a suite of over 20 different funds covering Solana, Filecoin, Chainlink, and others for investors to choose from.
Type BTC on your preferred investment platform to check out the Bitcoin Mini from Grayscale. Think crypto, invest Grayscale.2
Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF ("BTC"), an exchange traded product, is not registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (or the ’40 Act) and therefore is not subject to the same regulations and protections as 1940 Act registered ETFs and mutual funds.
A New Chapter
Once on the verge of closing its doors, Barnes & Noble is back in the spotlight. The bookstore chain, revitalized under the ownership of Elliott Management, is set to open 60 new locations in the US this year as part of its neighborhood-focused strategy. Since the hedge fund’s acquisition in 2019, B&N has shifted to a model that mirrors indie bookstores—allowing each store more autonomy in stocking and displays and focusing on creating more inviting spaces for customers to browse. This move has helped boost foot traffic by 7%.
Slow and Steady Growth
With over 600 stores currently in operation, Barnes & Noble is steadily climbing back toward its 2008 peak of 726 locations, proving that the demand for physical bookstores isn’t gone just yet.
Resilience Amid Retail Struggles
Barnes & Noble’s resurgence comes at a time when several large retailers are struggling. In recent weeks, major chains like The Container Store, Big Lots, and Party City have announced closures or filed for bankruptcy, making B&N’s expansion all the more notable.
A Bookish Revival
Book sales in the US surged by over 7% last year, surpassing $12 billion. Print books remain dominant, with October sales of $846 million—10 times higher than e-book sales. The "romantasy" genre, a mix of fantasy and romance, has contributed significantly to the boom, with new releases like Rebecca Yarros’s latest novel already making waves on bestseller lists through preorders.
Adapting to the Times
In an era where Amazon and Costco are shifting away from physical books, Barnes & Noble is carving out its niche by emphasizing in-store browsing—something online giants can’t replicate. By allowing stores to customize their displays to local tastes, B&N is staying relevant and responsive to trends like #BookTok, offering readers a tactile, personal shopping experience that digital platforms can’t match.
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 $0.26/share.3
Advertiser's disclosures:
¹ The rankings are based on submitted applications and public company database research, with winners selected based on their fiscal-year revenue growth percentage over a three-year period.
² Mode Mobile recently received their ticker reservation with Nasdaq ($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.
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.
