Cross section view of multiple brands of soda in aluminum cans. Brands included in this group are Coca Cola, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, Sprite, Mountain Dew, and Orange Crush.

(Getty Images)

SWEET SPOT

While Pepsi revenue pops, Sprite and Dr Pepper are bubbling up in the soda standings

Coca-Cola is still king, even as it approaches a presidentially endorsed recipe change.

7/18/25 9:35AM

After posting expectation-beating results on Thursday, snacks and beverage giant PepsiCo saw its stock jump more than 6% — suggesting that, following a slew of disappointing sales results in North America, investors might now think that Pepsi is OK.

While cost cutting and a focus on affordable pricing helped the company bring in more than $22 billion in revenue in the second quarter, a bright spot for Pepsi was its soda division, citing the double-digit volume growth of Pepsi Zero Sugar and the acquisition of prebiotic soda brand Poppi.

Soda, so good

It’s not just Pepsi; it seems that soft drinks more broadly are in the midst of a comeback right now.

Soda consumption was reported to be declining in the mid-2010s, hitting a 30-year low in 2015, per industry tracker Beverage Digest. Now, though, it looks like Americans are falling back in love with the drinks: total soft drink sales are growing again, and Coca-Cola and Keurig Dr Pepper, the world’s biggest soda brands besides Pepsi, have also seen soda case sales rise in the past year.

Even as Pepsi enjoys a revenue rebound, the soaring popularity of other household name beverages are undercutting its market dominance. Last year, ambiguously flavored fan favorite Dr Pepper overtook Pepsi as the second-highest-selling soft drink by case sales, securing an 8.7% market share in the US, Beverage Digest found.

Pepsi market share Dr Pepper Sprite — Sherwood News

Not only that, Sprite, Coca-Cola’s citrus-flavored soft drink, just pipped Pepsi to third position with an 8.03% share of the market, compared with Pepsi’s 7.97%, putting the drink in fourth place for the first time in the tracker’s history.

It’s the real thing

Still, there’s no match for Coke, which further cemented its place as the most popular soft drink, taking a 19.2% share of the US market.

However, there’s a chance that the classic soda might become less classic in the future (or more so, if you consider any time before 1984), after President Trump announced Wednesday that American Coke recipe will switch to using “REAL Cane Sugar.” While Coca-Cola has yet to confirm the news, it’s still come as a blow to corn syrup makers like Archer-Daniels-Midland.

Max Knoblauch10/16/25

Uber launches “digital tasks” in the US, paying some drivers to train AI

Beginning later this fall, US Uber drivers will be able to earn money by completing short “digital tasks” like uploading restaurant menus or recording audio samples.

CEO Dara Khosrowshahi teased the new gig income stream back in June at the Bloomberg Tech conference.

At that time, Khosrowshahi said drivers and couriers were “labeling maps, translating language, looking at AI answers, and grading AI answers.” According to Thursday’s announcement, the tasks won’t be so focused on Uber’s business, but instead on connecting workers with “companies that need real people to help improve their technology.”

Per Uber, digital tasks can be done when drivers aren’t on a trip, be it at home or when not driving, and will take only “a few minutes” each.

Uber’s having drivers train its AI while partnering with robotaxi companies that could replace them

Per Uber, digital tasks can be done when drivers aren’t on a trip, be it at home or when not driving, and will take only “a few minutes” each.

Max Knoblauch

10/15/25

United Airlines posts stronger-than-expected profit but weaker sales in its third quarter

United’s full-year profit outlook falls somewhere in between the dual forecasts it issued back in April.

United Airlines Airplanes at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey

Hyunsoo Rim, David Crowther

HEAD OF MACROS

10/15/25

Pop-Tarts, Doritos, and Uncrustables have joined the protein craze taking over America’s snack aisle

Food giants are catching up with the latest diet obsession.

Apple TV dropped the “plus” as streamers keep pulling back on originals

After the spray-and-pray approach led to a wave of cancellations, Hollywood is settling into an era of just making fewer shows.

Hyunsoo Rim10/15/25

Max Knoblauch10/14/25

The average price of a new vehicle in the US passed $50,000 for the first time ever in September

The average price of a new vehicle in the US surpassed $50,000 in September, according to Cox Automotive’s Kelley Blue Book.

At $50,080, that’s the highest industry average ever, reflecting the price hikes faced by new car buyers in recent years amid pandemic supply shortages, tariff-induced increases, and the high cost of EV production. The figure marks a 3.6% jump from the same month last year.

“Tariffs have introduced new cost pressure to the business, but the pricing story in September was mostly driven by the healthy mix of EVs and higher-end vehicles pushing the new-vehicle ATP into uncharted territory,” Cox executive analyst Erin Keating said. Passing the $50,000 mark was inevitable, Keating said, especially considering that the country’s bestseller is a Ford truck that “routinely costs north of $65,000.”

Year over year, new vehicle prices rose nearly 6% for GM, while Ford’s climbed 2.5%. Volkswagen new prices were up 12.5%.

As prices climb, so do delinquencies on loans to borrowers with lower credit scores. Recent data from Fitch Ratings shows the portion of subprime US auto loans 60 days or more overdue reached 6.43% in August.