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☆ CNBC Daily Open: Wall Street surges; Starbucks ousts CEO
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-14 | by ( Abid Ali | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Economic uncertainty Home Depot exceeded quarterly expectations but lowered its full-year sales outlook , citing weak demand due to high interest rates and consumer uncertainty. Get the CNBC Daily Open report in your inbox every morning and keep up to date with the markets wherever you are. The baristas have to be energised, clearly they've had some union problems, clearly they've had a lot of new products that haven't worked," Palmer told CNBC "Squawk on the Street." Chief Financial Officer Richard McPhail told CNBC, "Customers aren't just deferring because of higher financing costs.

Persons: Richard McPhail, Laxman Narasimhan, Brian Niccol, Narasimhan, Mellody Hobson, Narasimhan —, Niccol, David Palmer, they've, haven't, Palmer, Sarat Sethi, CNBC's, Sethi, —, Sarah Min, Amelia Lucas, Brian Evans, Samantha Subin, Jennifer Elias, Jeff Cox, Spencer Kimball Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, CNBC, Jefferies, Google, Apple, Gemini, Evercore ISI, Depot, Douglas, Lane & Associates, McDonald's, Starbucks, Walmart Locations: New York City, China

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Kellanova, Alphabet, Flutter and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-14 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Kellanova — Shares rose more than 6% in the premarket after the foodmaker agreed to be acquired by snackmaker Mars for $83.50 per share in cash. Flutter — The FanDuel parent popped 6.3% after posting better-than-expected revenue in the second quarter and raising its full-year guidance. Brinker International — Shares of the restaurant chain behind Chili's plunged 15% after Brinker International posted fiscal fourth-quarter earnings that disappointed and issued weaker-than-expected full-year earnings guidance. Adjusted earnings of $1.61 per share came in below the FactSet consensus estimate of $1.72 earnings per share. The Ohio-based company also raised its full-year guidance for earnings per share.

Persons: snackmaker Mars, Brinker, Chili's, Health —, Cardinal, StreetAccount, Brian Niccol, Wells Fargo, Cowen, —, Fred Imbert, Michelle Fox, Pia Singh, Sarah Min Organizations: Bloomberg News, Justice, Brinker International, Holdings —, Intel, Health, Deutsche Bank, Stifel Locations: British, Ohio, Wells

☆ What went disastrously wrong in Laxman Narasimhan's 17 months as CEO of Starbucks
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewLaxman Narasimhan is stepping down as CEO of Starbucks, just 17 months after he assumed the role in March 2023, the coffee giant announced on Tuesday. Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol will take over in September, with current CFO Rachel Ruggeri serving as interim CEO until then. Narasimhan's time at the head of the company had been tainted by falling sales, union clashes, and activist investors. Its former CEO keeps attacking the companyHoward Schultz, who led Starbucks for over 23 years, is not afraid to share his views on company management. In Starbucks' press release addressing the leadership change, Schultz didn't acknowledge Narasimhan's time at the company.

Persons: —, Laxman, Chipotle, Brian Niccol, Rachel Ruggeri, Laxman Narasimhan, William Blair, Sharon Zackfia, Narasimhan, Chris O'Cull, Elliott, Paul Singer, Elliott Management, Howard Schultz, Stephen Brashear, Getty Howard Schultz, Schultz, Schultz didn't Organizations: Service, Starbucks, Business, Narasimhan's, Elliott Management, CNBC, Getty, Street, The Workers United, Financial Times, Pride Locations: China, Palestine

☆ Why Wall Street thinks Brian Niccol is the person to revive Starbucks — and end the Howard Schultz era
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In this article SBUXCMG Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTBrian Niccol, CEO of Chipotle Anjali Sundaram | CNBCWall Street believes Brian Niccol is the right choice to turn around Starbucks — and move the chain past the decadeslong Howard Schultz era. Starbucks tapped Niccol as its latest chief executive and chair on Tuesday. Niccol replaces Laxman Narasimhan, who took over the top job in March 2023 after being handpicked by former CEO Schultz. Other analysts wrote glowingly of Niccol, seeing him as the right person to tackle Starbucks' sluggish sales. Some analysts believe that having Niccol, an experienced restaurant CEO, in the driver's seat could mean that Schultz finally moves on.

Persons: Brian Niccol, Chipotle Anjali Sundaram, Howard Schultz, Niccol, Laxman Narasimhan, Schultz, TD Cowen, Andrew Charles, Piper Sandler, Baird, Oppenheimer, Brian Bittner, Brian, David Palmer, Morgan Stanley, Brian Harbour, Mellody Hobson, Niccol's, Hobson, Gordon, Don Bilson, Chipotle, Steve Ells, Bernstein, Danilo Gargiulo Organizations: CNBC, Starbucks, SBUX, Newport Locations: Denver, Newport Beach

☆ Stock market today: Stocks soar as investors cheer soft PPI and brace for consumer inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

US stocks rallied on cooling inflation data from the producer price index report. Investors are hoping for evidence of further cooling in Wednesday's consumer price index. Starbucks gained 23% on Tuesday on news Chipotle boss Brian Niccol will be the new CEO. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the producer price index rose 0.1% in July, underwhelming estimates of a 0.2% increase. Investors will now watch for further disinflationary signals in Wednesday's consumer price index report.

Persons: Brian Niccol, —, Dow, Jamie Cox Organizations: Investors, Starbucks, Service, Labor Statistics, Nasdaq, Federal Reserve, Fed, Harris Financial Group, Bank of America

☆ Starbucks is betting big that Chipotle's CEO can make it special again. He'll have his work cut out for him.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Laxman Narasimhan, Starbucks' current CEO, will step down effective immediately from his roles as CEO and a member of Starbucks' board of directors, the company said. In his tenure at Chipotle, Niccol made several changes. He also oversaw an expansion of Chipotle's online-ordering options just before delivery and pickup became essential to the restaurant business early in the pandemic. The road ahead at StarbucksAt Starbucks, Niccol will face some challenges similar to those he took on at Chipotle. AdvertisementStarbucks sales have also fallen lately in China, which is home to nearly one-fifth of all the chain's stores.

Persons: —, Brian Niccol, Niccol, Laxman Narasimhan, Elliott, Chipotle, Brian, Melody Hobson, Peter Saleh, Saleh Organizations: Service, Starbucks, Business, Street, Elliott Investment Management, Taco Bell's, Wall Street, Analytical Research Locations: Chipotle, Denver, Orange County , California, China

Activist investor Elliott Management is preparing to launch a proxy fight at Southwest Airlines , and intends to nominate as many as 10 directors to the company's 15-person board, according to a person familiar with the matter. Elliott plans to call a special meeting, rather than waiting for the company's annual shareholder meeting, the person said. Elliott needs to own at least 10% of the company in order to call a special meeting, under Southwest's bylaws, a threshold that it will likely cross soon. Southwest rebuffed those requests, and CEO Jordan since told CNBC that Elliott's engagement with the company had not been meaningful. The activist had already intimated that it would seek to call for a special meeting in its second letter to Southwest's board.

Persons: Elliott, Southwest's, Bob Jordan, Gary Kelly, Jordan, Brian Niccol Organizations: Elliott Management, Southwest Airlines, CNBC, Starbucks, Southwest, Budget, Spirit Airlines, Wall Street Locations: U.S

☆ Social media keeps catching Wall Street off guard
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-11 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

In 2015, he created TickerTags, a social media data aggregator that tracks company mentions, and sold it to Jefferies' M Science. To be fair…Speculating and making decisions based on social media trends is a risky wager. Wall Street doesn't always respond to social media trends that could negatively drive fundamentals because there aren't tools to understand the impacts, McKeown noted. In the event a social media trend is mentioned, it's not factored into their valuation model, Ober added. How social media sentiment plays into a thesis should depend on an investor's time horizon.

Persons: It's, Bud Light's, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, BUD, Kirk McKeown, Chris Camillo, Jefferies, Camillo, Bud, didn't, Paul Johnson, Laxman Narasimhan, misperception, Sara Senatore, I've, Senatore, Chipotle, Keith Lee, dollies, Brian Niccol, Goldman Sachs, They're, Matt Ober, they're, I'd, McKeown, it's, Ober Organizations: Service, Business, Anheuser, Busch, Wall Street, Pew Research Center, Molson, TAP, Starbucks, Nicusa Investment, Columbia Business School, of America Locations: Palestine, Gaza, SBUX

☆ I took the same grocery list to Trader Joe's and Walmart. My money went way further at the bigger chain, and I found cool stuff.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-08 | by ( Amena Ahmed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

I took identical shopping lists to Trader Joe's and Walmart to compare the chains. I shop at Trader Joe's more often, but seeing how much more expensive it is may change that. Go to newsletter preferences Thanks for signing up! AdvertisementWhen I go grocery shopping, my go-to store is Trader Joe's. So, I took the same grocery list to Trader Joe's and Walmart to compare their selections and prices.

Persons: — Organizations: Walmart, Service, Business

☆ 10 fast-food menu items you didn't know were more than 50 years old
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-07 | by ( Erin Mcdowell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Many popular fast-food items were invented decades ago and remain unchanged. Other fast-food chains have similar menu items from when they first opened. Go to newsletter preferences Thanks for signing up! AdvertisementMany chains are experimenting with new menu items, like Taco Bell's lineup of Cheez-It items, as well as expanding upon old favorites — think Burger King's Fiery Bacon Whopper or Wendy's new saucy nuggets. While introducing new and exciting menu items is one way to grab a customer's attention, there's also something to be said for chains keeping their oldest, most popular menu items at the forefront of their businesses.

Persons: —, there's Organizations: Service, Business

☆ Yum Brands reports mixed results as Pizza Hut and KFC same-store sales fall
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-06 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A sign is posted in front of a Taco Bell restaurant on May 01, 2024 in Richmond, California. Yum Brands on Tuesday reported a mixed quarter as both Pizza Hut and KFC reported declining same-store sales. Yum's same-store sales fell 1% in the quarter as both Pizza Hut and KFC reported same-store sales declines of 3%. And although the chicken chain's system sales picked up this quarter in China, its largest market, KFC's overall international same-store sales fell 3%. Pizza Hut's U.S. same-store sales decreased 1%, while its international same-store sales declined 4%.

Persons: Yum, Taco Bell Organizations: Taco Bell, Yum Brands, KFC, LSEG Locations: Richmond , California, U.S, China

☆ Why pharmacy chains like Walgreens and CVS are shuttering locations
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-04 | by ( Devan Burris | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In its fiscal third-quarter earnings report to investors in late June, pharmacy chain Walgreens announced plans to close a "significant" number of its 8,600 U.S. stores. "Pharmacy chains used to really be the heart of communities," said GlobalData retail managing director Neil Saunders. Walgreens leans heavily on its back-of-store pharmacy revenue to make up for weakness in retail, an arena which itself has struggled with shrinking margins. "CVS has sized this at about a billion dollars a year, and CVS and Walgreens have kind of similar-sized pharmacies." Watch the video above to learn more about what is leading U.S. pharmacy chains to close thousands of stores.

Persons: Tim Wentworth, Neil Saunders, they're, Saunders, Raymond James, John Ransom Organizations: Walgreens, Pharmacy, CVS Locations: U.S

☆ Elliott's 'constructive' Starbucks engagement complicated by Howard Schultz's looming presence
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

CEO of Starbucks Howard Schultz back stage with soon to be Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan at Starbucks Headquarters during Investor Day in Seattle, Washington Tuesday September 13, 2022. Looming over the negotiations is Starbucks' former CEO Howard Schultz, who stepped off the board last year but remains one of the company's top shareholders and is forever entitled to attend Starbucks board meetings unless barred by Starbucks' directors. Schultz has privately expressed to some directors his opposition to Elliott's settlement offer, The Financial Times reported earlier. A Starbucks spokesperson declined to comment on whether Schultz, who has a close relationship with Hobson and other Starbucks directors, had attended board meetings where Elliott's settlement offer was discussed. Schultz hasn't said why he opposes Elliott's offer, and his representatives didn't return multiple requests for comment.

Persons: Starbucks Howard Schultz, Laxman Narasimhan, Elliott, Mellody Hobson, hasn't, Howard Schultz, Schultz, Hobson, Narasimhan, Schultz hasn't Organizations: Starbucks, Starbucks Headquarters, Investor, Elliott Management, Financial Times, CNBC Locations: Seattle , Washington, China

☆ McDonald's says its $5 meal deal is just the tip of the iceberg
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Mary Hanbury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Its CEO said in a new interview that its temporary $5 deal is just the start of its refocus on value. Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Kempczinski suggested that this deal is just the start of a renewed push into value for the chain. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: McDonald's, —, CNBC's, Chris Kempczinski, Kempczinski Organizations: Service, Business

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Shake Shack, C.H. Robinson, Mobileye Global and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Sean Conlon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

However, it topped second-quarter revenue estimates and posted a narrower-than-expected loss for the quarter. Teladoc — The telehealth stock moved more than 4% lower after the company posted weaker-than-expected second-quarter revenue. Air Products and Chemicals — The industrial gases company's stock surged more than 10% after beating Wall Street's earnings expectations. MGM Resorts — The stock declined nearly 14% despite the casino operator surpassing second-quarter earnings expectations. Crocs — The stock shares fell about 2% even though the company surpassed second-quarter earnings and revenue expectations.

Persons: Shack, C.H, Robinson, Teladoc, LSEG, Royce —, Royce, Wall, Meta, Carvana, Crocs, Akash Palkhiwala, —, Samantha Subin, Yun Li, Michelle Fox Organizations: LSEG, Moderna, Royce, Air Products, Chemicals, Meta, MGM Resorts, MGM, Arm, Holdings, Qualcomm Locations: LSEG ., U.S

☆ Hundreds of Taco Bell drive-thrus are set to be AI-run by the end of this year
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Taco Bell's parent company is ramping up its implementation of drive-thru AI at the chain. Brands said Wednesday that hundreds of Taco Bells are set to have voice AI by the end of 2024. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementYour next Cheesy Gordita Crunch may come to you via an artificial intelligence drive-thru experience. Hundreds of Taco Bell drive-thrus across the country are set to implement voice AI technology by the end of this year, the chain's parent company said in a Wednesday announcement.

Persons: —, Taco Bell Organizations: Brands, Taco, Service, Business Locations: Bell's

☆ OpenAI's releasing a new AI model soon, and there's a lot at stake
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. In today's big story, what to expect from OpenAI's newest AI model that's in the works. GPT-5, the newest model upgrade for OpenAI's chatbot, is coming soon . AdvertisementOpenAI has a lot riding on its newest model, including its ability to get customers to cough up more cash. That's not ideal for a company that's preparing to take on one of the biggest juggernauts in tech: Google's Search.

Persons: —, Z's, Let's, Nordin Catic, OpenAI, Darius Rafieyan, Darius, ChatGPT, Justin Sullivan, Chelsea Jia Feng, it's, Sam Altman, Ned Davis, David Solomon, Goldman Sachs, David Zalubowski, Chiang Ying, Mark Zuckerberg, Jensen Huang, Alexa von Tobel, Tyler Le, Mark Zuckerberg's, It's, Dan DeFrancesco, Jordan Parker Erb, Hallam Bullock, Annie Smith, Amanda Yen Organizations: Service, Business, Getty, OpenAI, Ned Davis Research, Blackstone, Harvard, Microsoft, Starbucks, Apple, Apple Intelligence, Fed, Meta, Boeing, Kraft Locations: undergrad, New York, China, London

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Tech retreats; Starbucks same-store sales decline for second straight quarter
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Kevin Lim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Nvidia pulled back 7% and Microsoft fell 0.9% during the normal session before reporting earnings after the bell. Still, Microsoft beat estimates as quarterly revenue increased 15% from a year ago to $64.73 billion and net income rose to $22.04 billion. Starbucks missStarbucks' quarterly revenue slid 1% to $9.11 billion, missing forecasts as same-store sales declined for the second straight quarter. Net income fell to $1.05 billion from $1.14 billion a year ago, though it met analysts' expectations.

Persons: Tamas Varga, PVM, Tom Lee Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, CNBC, Big Tech, Nasdaq, megacaps Meta, Apple, Dow Jones, Nvidia, Microsoft, Fed, Microsoft Microsoft, West Texas Intermediate, Brent Locations: New York City, U.S, China

☆ CNBC Daily Open: BOJ ups rate to 0.25%; U.S. stocks fall; Starbucks' same-store sales decline
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Kevin Lim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Nvidia pulled back 7% and Microsoft fell 0.9% during the normal session before reporting earnings after the bell. Still, Microsoft beat estimates as quarterly revenue increased 15% from a year ago to $64.73 billion and net income rose to $22.04 billion. Starbucks missStarbucks' quarterly revenue slid 1% to $9.11 billion, missing forecasts as same-store sales declined for the second straight quarter. The South Korean tech giant said sales of high-end memory chips used in servers will continue to be strong.

Organizations: CNBC, New York Stock Exchange, New York City . Bank of Japan, U.S . Federal, Bank of, Nasdaq, megacaps Meta, Apple, Dow Jones, Nvidia, Microsoft, Fed, Microsoft Microsoft, Bank of Japan, Nikkei, Seng, Samsung, Samsung Electronics, Revenue, South, Reading, Fed Stock, Federal Reserve Locations: New York City, Bank of Japan, U.S, China, Shanghai

☆ My partner and I went to Hard Rock Cafe for the first time. The decor is cool, but our $80 meal wasn't worth it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Amena Ahmed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

My partner and I dined at Hard Rock Cafe for the first time in Philadelphia. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementMy partner and I are always looking for new chain restaurants to try, and Hard Rock Cafe has been at the top of our list for a while. Luckily, Hard Rock International is a multibillion-dollar company with over 50 restaurant locations in the US alone, so it's not hard to find one. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: —, Taylor Swift Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Philadelphia

☆ We visited a Rite Aid store. The empty shelves made us wonder about the chain's future.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-29 | by ( Jordan Hart | Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Business Insider visited a Rite Aid store in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, over nearly three months. It was difficult to find hair care and hygiene products at this Brooklyn Rite Aid location. The empty shelves at Rite Aid look like they've remained that way weeks after our first visits. Rite Aid is one of several store chains closing locations this year, alongside Family Dollar and Conn's. Do you work at Rite Aid and have a story idea or details on your store to share?

Persons: —, Jordan Hart, Coke, they've, There's, Walgreen, abitter@businessinsider.com Organizations: Service, Business, Rite Aid, Brooklyn Rite, Brooklyn Rite Aid, BI Locations: Crown, Brooklyn , New York, Brooklyn

☆ I tried the signature burgers from McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King. I found the Big Mac underwhelming.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-28 | by ( Erin Mcdowell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

I tried the signature burgers from three fast-food chains: McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King. I liked the smoky flavor of Burger King's Whopper, even though it was the priciest burger. AdvertisementAs a fast-food reporter, I've tried and tested many fast-food burgers over the years. USA Today reported in 2013 that McDonald's sold roughly 75 burgers every second, or 4,500 burgers every minute. Among those burgers, many of them are Big Macs — the chain's signature burger and arguably its most famous menu item.

Persons: Burger King, Mac, —, I've, McDonald's Organizations: Service, USA, Business Locations: America

☆ Here's what it's like to eat at Cava, the salad chain plotting rapid expansion across the US
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-27 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Cava is plotting an ambitious expansion across the US. I visited the Mediterranean salad chain's first Chicago restaurant and had to wait for an hour to order. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementCava, the Mediterranean build-your-own-bowl chain, is plotting an ambitious expansion across the US. It opened 72 net new restaurants in fiscal 2023 and expects to open at least 50 in 2024.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Chicago, Cava

☆ Here's what Cracker Barrel's CEO is doing to help the chain become 'relevant' again
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Cracker Barrel is considering changes to its old-timey restaurants. The chain is testing new menu items and restaurant remodels, CEO Julie Masino has said. Cracker Barrel has struggled with lower foot traffic and sales over the last few quarters. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . CEO Julie Masino, who is in her first year as the chain's top executive, said fewer people visited Cracker Barrel's stores during the quarter.

Persons: Julie Masino, — Organizations: Service, Cracker, Business

The American Express® Gold Card increased its annual fee to $325, up from $250. The American Express® Gold Card is a popular credit card that earns points on groceries and at U.S. supermarkets, among other bonus categories. To sweeten the sting, Amex is adding a couple hundred dollars' worth of bonus credits for American Express® Gold Card cardholders. New cardholders: Get a limited-edition white-gold cardNew cardholders of the American Express® Gold Card or the business-focused American Express® Business Gold Card can choose a limited-edition white gold card. If you're on the fence about the American Express® Gold Card, consider whether the benefits are worth the higher cost to you.

Persons: —, cardholders, Amex, You'll, Dunkin, you'll Organizations: American, Service, American Express, Express, Hilton Honors American Express, Card

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