Business
business

Everyone expected Boeing’s Q4 earnings to be bad — they were even worse

Yesterday, Boeing dropped the headlines of its Q4 earnings a little early. Not expected until January 28, Boeing reported preliminary revenue of $15.5 billion, far below Wall Street’s forecast of $16.5 billion. The bottom line didn’t fare much better, with a per-share loss of $5.46, nearly triple the $1.55 analysts had anticipated, according to Barrons.

A clear sign of just how much pain is already priced into Boeing’s stock, the company’s shares are only 1.6% lower in premarket trading, despite the preannouncement and large losses.

The muted reaction may be because the disappointing results largely stem from a well-publicized seven-week labor strike that ended in November, which halted production, delayed deliveries, and resulted in a new labor agreement raising wages by 38%, contributing to $1.1 billion in charges.

With 2024 now officially another year in the red, Boeing hasn’t turned an annual profit in six years, after the fatal crashes of its bestselling 737 Max in 2018 and 2019 set off years of struggles. The challenges continued last year, starting with a midair door plug failure in January that reignited safety concerns. The company ended up delivering roughly half the number of planes that analysts had expected at the start of 2024, per Barrons.

A clear sign of just how much pain is already priced into Boeing’s stock, the company’s shares are only 1.6% lower in premarket trading, despite the preannouncement and large losses.

The muted reaction may be because the disappointing results largely stem from a well-publicized seven-week labor strike that ended in November, which halted production, delayed deliveries, and resulted in a new labor agreement raising wages by 38%, contributing to $1.1 billion in charges.

With 2024 now officially another year in the red, Boeing hasn’t turned an annual profit in six years, after the fatal crashes of its bestselling 737 Max in 2018 and 2019 set off years of struggles. The challenges continued last year, starting with a midair door plug failure in January that reignited safety concerns. The company ended up delivering roughly half the number of planes that analysts had expected at the start of 2024, per Barrons.

More Business

See all Business
business

Reddit bounces on report that it’s in talks with Google, OpenAI on fresh data-sharing deal

Reddit shares were down 5% in Wednesday trading before news that the company is in early talks to make its next AI content-sharing deals with Google and OpenAI sent them back up to roughly flat.

According to reporting by Bloomberg, Reddit is seeking a new data deal structure that includes dynamic pricing and would encourage the companies’ AI users to contribute to Reddit.

Reddit reportedly struck deals of $60 million per year with Google and OpenAI last year. The company scored $35 million in “other” revenue — which includes content licensing agreements — in its most recent quarter. That accounted for about 7% of the company’s overall revenue in the period.

“One of the things that we’ve learned, particularly through the data licensing deals is... how essential Reddit is to AI or LLMs as we know them and the next generation of search,” Reddit CEO Steve Huffman said on the company’s July earnings call. “And so I think a lot has changed over the last couple of years. Every variable has changed since we signed those first deals.”

Reddit reportedly struck deals of $60 million per year with Google and OpenAI last year. The company scored $35 million in “other” revenue — which includes content licensing agreements — in its most recent quarter. That accounted for about 7% of the company’s overall revenue in the period.

“One of the things that we’ve learned, particularly through the data licensing deals is... how essential Reddit is to AI or LLMs as we know them and the next generation of search,” Reddit CEO Steve Huffman said on the company’s July earnings call. “And so I think a lot has changed over the last couple of years. Every variable has changed since we signed those first deals.”

$100B

Alphabet’s YouTube said it’s paid out over $100 billion to creators, artists, and media companies over the past four years — cementing its place as one of the internet’s biggest talent magnets. The Google-owned platform, which turned 20 this year, credited connected TVs as a major driver of growth.

YouTube said the number of channels earning over $100,000 from TV screens has surged over 45% in the past year alone. Meanwhile, ad revenue for YouTube grew double digits in Q2 to $9.8 billion, topping the Street’s estimates.

business

Webtoon surges after Disney plans to invest and partner in digital push for brands like Marvel and “Star Wars”

Webtoon Entertainment shares jumped 36% in premarket trading Tuesday after Disney said it’s buying a 2% stake in the digital comics platform. The investment is part of a deal to bring Marvel, “Star Wars,” Pixar, and 20th Century Studios titles into a new streaming-style app run by Webtoon. The offering will launch in Q4 across the US and nine other countries.

“With a new platform that will combine our product and technical expertise with Disney’s full comic catalog, we’re giving new and longtime fans all over the world a new way to discover these legendary characters and stories,” said Junkoo Kim, founder and CEO of Webtoon Entertainment.

The platform is expected to host more than 35,000 titles, mixing archived comics with Webtoon originals. Disney+ perks could also be on the table, giving the service a natural tie-in to Disney’s broader streaming play.

The arrangement isn’t final yet: Disney’s stake and the platform details are still under negotiation. But with Webtoon’s ~155 million monthly active users, the partnership gives Disney a mobile-friendly channel for its comics while Webtoon gains the ultimate IP access.

Latest Stories

Sherwood Media, LLC produces fresh and unique perspectives on topical financial news and is a fully owned subsidiary of Robinhood Markets, Inc., and any views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of any other Robinhood affiliate, including Robinhood Markets, Inc., Robinhood Financial LLC, Robinhood Securities, LLC, Robinhood Crypto, LLC, or Robinhood Money, LLC.