S&P 500 companies are talking about the presidential election a lot

Big companies like Apple, Meta, and Google are just like us: worrying about how the election will impact them. And it appears they’re more worried than last time. The number of S&P 500 companies talking about the election on earnings calls during third-quarter earnings jumped from 102 in 2020 to 116 this year, according to FactSet data. This year, that represents 36% of the companies that held earnings calls from September 15 to October 31. Election mentions were most concentrated in the industrial and financial sectors, and centered on tariffs, housing, regulations, and energy policy.

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Tesla Will Open Up Its Chargers To Other Brands, In Order To Receive Federal Subsidies

After a big pullback for EVs, climbing gas prices are causing drivers to eye them again

Still, the market is much different than it was the last time oil prices were this high.

Max Knoblauch3/13/26

Hyunsoo Rim

burgernomics

3/13/26

McDonald’s plans $3 menu items as fast food loses its price edge

Americans are spending more of their dining-out dollars at full-service restaurants again.

Fast food value meals for Trending feature in Food

Rani Molla3/12/26

How Tesla quietly wound up owning a small piece of SpaceX

Tesla is converting its recent $2 billion investment in Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, into a small ownership stake in SpaceX — just months before the rocket maker’s highly anticipated IPO.

Here’s what happened: Tesla announced its xAI investment in late January, after a shareholder proposal to invest fell short last year. Several days later, xAI merged with SpaceX. All three companies are headed by Musk.

Now, regulatory filings with the Federal Trade Commission show Tesla converting that investment into a small stake in SpaceX, formalizing the financial link between the companies ahead of the rocket maker’s IPO. SpaceX is expected to go public this year at a valuation some speculate could top $1.75 trillion, potentially making it the biggest company to ever go public. (The current record holder, Saudi Aramco, went public at a more than $1.7 trillion valuation in 2020.)

While the size of Tesla’s stake wasn’t available, Bloomberg reports that the investment would equate to ownership of less than 1%.

While SpaceX and Tesla have engaged in related-party transactions over the years, Tesla had not previously disclosed an equity investment in SpaceX.

Tesla Converts xAI Investment Into SpaceX Stake Ahead of IPO

While the size of Tesla’s stake wasn’t available, Bloomberg reports that the investment would equate to ownership of less than 1%.

While SpaceX and Tesla have engaged in related-party transactions over the years, Tesla had not previously disclosed an equity investment in SpaceX.

Tom Jones

big red

3/10/26

Just how huge is YouTube, anyway?

Google’s video platform is now the world’s largest media company, per new MoffettNathanson research.

Presentation of the YouTube Podcast Awards

Southwest Airlines At San Diego International Airport

Southwest stopped fuel hedging a year ago. Whoops.

It’s been a year since Southwest said it would end its fuel-hedging program. Oil’s moves this year make that decision look like a mistake.

Max Knoblauch3/9/26

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