Facebook Name Switch Sparks Trend Data shows metaverse real estate spending has exploded since Facebook announced its name change to Meta Platforms (FB) in October of last year. Sales rose above $500 million for 2021 as a whole, but numbers have slowed following November’s $133 million in metaverse real estate [...]
Go West, Energy Investor With crude oil prices at their highest levels in years, investors are coming back to Western oil companies. ExxonMobil (XOM) posted $23 billion in profits in 2021, matching levels not seen since 2014. Chevron (CVX) similarly just posted its highest quarterly profit since 2014, while European [...]
Halving The Dividend Telecommunications giant AT&T (T) is officially getting out of the entertainment business. The plan to spin off its WarnerMedia division in a partnership with Discovery (DISCA) is close to being finalized. The new media entity, of which shareholders will get 0.24 shares for each AT&T share they [...]
As the pandemic carries on, more individuals are feeling the effects of social distancing from loved ones, friends, and even colleagues. New variants of COVID may mean another year of separation, and with that comes more advice on how to nurture relationships while remaining (at least) six feet apart. No [...]
The Race For New Content Data shows the release of new and exclusive TV shows or films can bring streaming platforms a rush of new subscribers. This happened for Disney+ (DIS) when it released Hamilton, Apple TV+ (AAPL) as Greyhound came out, and with AT&T’s (T) HBO Max release of [...]
Business Is Booming for Chip Makers As Revenue Soars The semiconductor industry broke a record in 2021 with revenue exceeding $500 billion for the first time. According to some calculations, that’s larger than the entire smartphone market. Industry leaders like Samsung and Intel (INTC) said they expect to post similarly [...]
Expansion Will Double the Number of Countries With Access to Disney+ Disney (DIS) is planning to expand its Disney+ streaming service to 42 more countries and territories spanning Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. The launch is planned for this summer, and the larger goal is to double the number [...]
Economic Data The January Chicago PMI is due today. This barometer helps determine the health of the economy in the Chicago region, especially as it relates to manufacturing. Any reading greater than 50 indicates the manufacturing sector is expanding. A reading below 50 means the sector is contracting. In December, [...]
Federal student loans are in the news. Whether it’s the extension of the repayment pause (again) or lawmaker efforts to reform federal student lending programs, there are plenty of headlines for benefit pros to keep up with when it comes to student loans. More than 43 million people have federal [...]
FTX US Announces $400 Million Initial Funding Round Crypto-trading giant FTX is announcing the results of its first fundraising round for its Chicago-based subsidiary FTX US. The cryptocurrency exchange is now valued at $8 billion after receiving $400 million in funding. This marks one of the burgeoning industry’s largest-ever Series [...]
