Hey Snackers,
While anyone who only scanned the litany of headlines on the subject could be forgiven for thinking that itâs just âhumanoid robotsâ from China that are being banned, the actual list â as confirmed to The Verge by an FCC rep earlier this week â extends far beyond the automatons you see falling over and malfunctioning in viral clips.
Indeed, per the definition that the FCC set out in its National Security Determination on the subject, China-made Roomba-style vacuum cleaners, robot lawnmowers, and the weirdly anthropomorphized delivery bots that stalk US sidewalks would also be subject to the ban.
What a day yesterday was. The S&P 500 rose about 1.7% while the Nasdaq 100 surged almost 3.4% thanks to a massive snapback in semi stocks that saw chipmakers have their best day since last April. And Microsoft rocketed higher, gaining 15.6%, adding $450 billion to its value, the biggest single-day market cap bump in history. All the while, a previously red-hot AI-focused hedge fund was melting down (more on that below).
Starbucks just strung four growth quarters together for the first time in around three years
When Brian Niccol first outlined his âBack to Starbucksâ turnaround plan for the coffee giant in September 2024, much of the detail â from the decision to buy 200,000 Sharpies to get your name wrong with, to referring to the ~$120 billion behemoth as âthe community coffeehouseâ â was dissected and derided. Now, less than two years later, the initiative looks like it might turn out to be a masterstroke.Â
Earlier this week, Starbucks raised its outlook for the full fiscal year and announced fiscal Q3 results that beat expectations, in what Niccol described as âthe quarter our momentum became truly measurable.â Investors knocked back the double shot of good news with pleasure.Â
Alongside profit margins expanding for the second quarter in a row, the chain also managed to serve up something that it hasnât since before the ex-Chipotle chief arrived at the company: a fourth consecutive quarter where same-store sales have risen, as turnaround efforts truly begin to take hold.
Comparable store sales were up on Starbucksâ home soil as well as further afield, rising 8.1% in North America, 5.7% internationally, and some 7.9% globally. For context, thatâs the highest growth rate that the company has posted since the last quarter of 2023, a short while before the company went on a six-quarter streak of slumping sales.Â
The Takeaway
Although some of the smaller-seeming âcommunity coffeehouseâ steps that Starbucks has taken have grabbed headlines along the way, some of the bigger moves the company has made, like shutting struggling locations, cutting jobs, and selling off a large chunk of its notoriously ailing China business, have really started to make a difference of late.Â
Earlier this week, Niccol said his initial plan âwas built on the simple belief that an exceptional cup of coffee⊠human connection⊠and a great customer experience win the day, every day.â With each quarter that passes, it gets a little harder to pour scorn on the coffee bossâs premise.Â
â Thomas Jones
Big number:
Thatâs the share of US adults who now support the idea of banning mobile phones not just in the classroom, but for the full school day, per a survey from Pew Research Center. Thatâs up from 36% who said the same just two years ago, and also marks the first point at which more Americans have supported the idea than opposed it.
What else weâre Snackinâ
Â
Netflix will pay AMC Networks $500 million for streaming rights to âThe Walking Deadâ (and the six spin-offs that make up the extended universe) for another five years, having been the exclusive US streaming home for the series since 2011.
Yum! Brands posted solid results for the quarter just gone, though execs conceded that Taco Bell sales have now slipped 2% in the wake of the cyclospora outbreak.
Situational Awareness, a hedge fund set up by an ex-OpenAI researcher that quickly attracted attention for strong AI-driven returns, is looking to raise fresh capital after taking heavy losses, the Financial Times first reported. The fund exited all of its public stock positions, worth about $16 billion, CNBC reported, and Citadel, the $65+ billion AUM hedge fund and market maker, bought a large portion of those holdings, The Wall Street Journal reported.Â
Off the charts
Ferrari just announced that its first fully-electric vehicle has already reached the companyâs 2026 sales target just two months on from its launch.
Can you remember the name of the model, which costs $640K and wasnât exactly an immediate hit with investors, former execs, and internet pundits when it was unveiled in May?
