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☆ Wall Street is bullish on Amazon earnings despite uncertainty around consumer spending, rising investment costs
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-30 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

CFRA trimmed its Amazon price target to $219 a share on October 21, indicating 13% upside ahead. The firm has a "buy" rating on the stock and a $210 price target, which implies an 8.3% gain from current levels. The firm said investors have toned down margin expectations due to Amazon's spending in new investment areas, such as Project Kuiper. AdvertisementWedbush reiterated its "outperform" rating and $225 price target, implying a 16% gain from current levels. Morgan Stanley has a $210 price target for the stock, representing upside of about 8% from Wednesday's share price.

Persons: —, Arun Sundaram, Sundaram, Justin Post, BofA, Scott Devitt, Wedbush, Morgan Stanley, Bullish, Brian Nowak Organizations: Service, CFRA, Bank of America, Amazon Web Services, 3Q, JPMorgan, Wedbush Securities

☆ Evercore ISI gives Harris/Walz and Trump/Vance stock picks to trade election
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-01 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Though the S & P 500 is up more than 20% in 2024, Evercore ISI sees a patch of volatility ahead as the November presidential election approaches — and the firm has stocks to play either outcome. Evercore ISI thinks that automotive components manufacturer Aptiv could rise in the event of a Harris/Walz win. Evercore ISI called the bank "a flight to quality name," saying it was in a competitive position despite an uncertain backdrop. If Trump wins, Charter Communications is one stock that could benefit from a "potentially benign tax environment" and a pickup in M & A activity, Evercore ISI said. Supermarket operator Kroger could also outperform due to its ability to pass through higher prices to consumers, according to Evercore ISI.

Persons: —, Evercore, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Julian Emanuel, Emanuel, Harris, Walz, APTV, Colin Langan, Brian Meredith, Michael Rollins, Arun Sundaram Organizations: ISI, Democratic, Government, United, Affordable, Medicare, Wells Fargo, Smart, PNC Financial Services, Evercore ISI, PNC, UBS, Trump, Charter Communications, Citi, Kroger Locations: Wells, Regional

Angela Weiss | AFP | Getty ImagesAs she unveiled her most detailed economic plan yet this week, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris pledged to fight price gouging in order to rein in voters' grocery costs. Although Harris released more detail Wednesday as part of her 82-page economic plan, it's still unclear what price hikes her administration would see as illegal "price gouging." Generally, Republicans support fewer economic regulations, although Trump has suggested limiting food imports as a way to lower grocery prices. What is price gouging? Thirty-seven U.S. states already have laws that forbid price gouging in emergencies.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Doug Emhoff, Angela Weiss, Donald Trump, Harris, it's, Walz, Trump, YouGov, Rakeen Mabud, Mabud, Mario Tama, markups, —, Jerome Powell —, Sarah Gallo, Brian Cornell, Jharonne Martis, Brandon Bell, Kroger, Arun Sundaram, Sundaram, JBS, Joe Raedle Organizations: Democratic, AFP, Getty, Trump, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Voters, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas, Consumer Brands Association, Federal Trade, Department of, Kroger, Procter, Gamble, Albertsons, Federal Trade Commission, CFRA Research, Pilgrim's Pride Corporation Locations: Coraopolis , Pennsylvania, Los Angeles , California, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Houston , Texas, Miami , Florida

☆ Walmart is a 'much more diversified' company than Target, says CFRA's Arun Sundaram
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWalmart is a 'much more diversified' company than Target, says CFRA's Arun SundaramArun Sundaram, CFRA analyst, joins 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss Target as the company's stock is trading higher following the fourth-quarter earnings report, the divergence in equity performance between Target and Walmart, and more.

Persons: CFRA's Arun Sundaram Arun Sundaram Organizations: Walmart, Target

Elena Perova | Istock | Getty ImagesJust ahead of the holiday season, Walmart had encouraging news for inflation-weary shoppers: Prices on food and other staples were falling instead of rising. But the retail giant backpedaled this week, saying higher prices on many grocery items and household staples like paper goods have stuck. Food prices climbed 2.6%, fueled by a 5.1% jump in prices for food away from home, a category that includes restaurant meals and vending machine purchases. That gives their makers the ability to keep raising prices to mitigate higher costs, even as their volume drops. Even some of the biggest U.S. brands have signaled that consumers' tolerance of higher prices has worn thin.

Persons: Elena Perova, John David Rainey, Coke, James Quincey, Gregory Daco, airfares, Tyson, Fernando Fernandez, Arun Sundaram, Kraft Heinz, Chocolate, Hershey, Edward Jones, Brittany Quatrochi, Sundaram, Pringles, Kellanova, Heinz, Stefani Reynolds, Brad Thomas, CFRA's Sundaram, Thomas, Frederic J, Brown, Oscar Mayer, Greg Melich Organizations: Istock, Walmart, CNBC, Federal, Depot, Pew Research Center, Maine Foods, Unilever, Nestle, Bloomberg, Getty, Planters, Target, Kroger, AFP, U.S, PepsiCo, Frito, Evercore ISI Locations: Hershey , Pennsylvania, North America, Washington ,, Rosemead , California

REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 13 (Reuters) - Tyson Foods (TSN.N) on Monday forecast revenue for its next fiscal year below Wall Street estimates after fourth-quarter sales missed expectations due to falling chicken and pork prices and slowing demand for its beef. Tyson is operating more efficiently, however, and demand for protein remains strong, CEO Donnie King told analysts on a call. Chief Financial Officer John R. Tyson said in an interview on Monday that it is "business as usual" in China. Tyson reported operating margins of 1.8% in its chicken business in the quarter ended Sept. 30, after losses during the previous two quarters. Adjusted profits were 37 cents per share versus analysts' expectations for 29 cents.

Persons: Arnd, Tyson, Donnie King, John R, Arun Sundaram, Granth, Tom Polansek, Shailesh Kuber, Jan Harvey, Chizu Nomiyama, Deepa Babington Organizations: Tyson Foods, REUTERS, Wall, Reuters, CFRA Research, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Thomson Locations: Davos, Switzerland, China, U.S, Bengaluru, Chicago

Nov 8 (Reuters) - Instacart (CART.O) on Wednesday forecast fourth-quarter core profit above Wall Street estimates in its first earnings report since going public in September, on higher transaction and advertisement fees, sending its shares up 4% after the bell. The grocery delivery firm, whose stock has lost more than a third of its value since debut, also announced a $500 million share repurchase program. It expects current-quarter adjusted EBITDA, a key measure of profitability, to be between $165 million and $175 million. Instacart's gross transaction value (GTV) - the value of products sold based on prices shown - rose 6% over the year earlier to $7.49 billion in the third quarter. For full year 2023, Instacart anticipates GTV to grow in mid-single digits, versus analysts' estimate of 4.7% growth at $30.18 billion.

Persons: Fidji Simo, Arun Sundaram, Instacart, DoorDash, Granth, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Wall, Reuters, CFRA, GTV, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ As the market enters correction territory, don't blame the American consumer
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Tim Mullaney | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

Amazon.com Inc | ReutersThe initial third-quarter report on gross domestic product showed consumer spending zooming higher by 4% percent a year, after inflation, the best in almost two years. How is this possible with interest rates on everything from credit cards to cars and homes soaring? But they were below expectations at electric-vehicle leader Tesla , which blamed high interest rates, and at Ford . "And as interest rates rise, the proportion of that monthly payment that is interest increases." At American Express , which saw U.S. consumer spending rise 9%, the mild surprise was the company's disclosure that young consumers are adding Amex cards faster than any other group.

Persons: Bill Ackman, CFRA, Sam Stovall, Ryan Marshall, Wells, Jackie Benson, Tesla, Elon Musk, GM, Mary Barra, Paul Jacobson, John Lawler, Musk, Brian Moynihan, Jeremy Barnum, Sachin Mehra, Zers, Guess they're, Stovall, chargeoffs, John Greene, Morgan Stanley, Ravi Shanker, Spirit, Sundaram, Ethan Allen, they've, Marc Bitzer, Arun Sundaram, Amanda Agati, there's Organizations: Amazon.com Inc, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Coldwell, Ford, General Motors, GM, United Auto Workers, UAW, Cox Automotive, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, MasterCard, American Express, Discover Financial Services, JetBlue, Whirlpool, Amazon, PNC, Federal, Asset Management Locations: Shakopee , Minnesota, U.S, Covid, PulteGroup, Vermont

A logo of the Amazon fulfillment is seen outside the Amazon fulfillment center in Kent, Washington, U.S., October 24, 2018. Same-day delivery is now offered in at least 90 cities, free for Prime members while non-members pay $9.99. The retailer invested heavily in 2020 and 2021 in logistics to make same-day delivery, which it introduced in 2015, available in more places. Amazon packs its same-day delivery centers with its top 100,000 products. By comparison, analysts forecast Walmart will show a 1% decline in e-commerce revenue for the third quarter when it reports in November.

Persons: Lindsey Wasson, Arun Sundaram, Sarah Mathew, Mathew said, Mari Shor, Sundaram, Scott Devitt, Group's, Devitt, Arriana McLymore, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: REUTERS, Amazon, Reuters, Columbia Threadneedle, Walmart, Thomson Locations: Kent , Washington , U.S, Temu, New York

☆ Pepsi says people are skipping meals — and it's great for business
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

PepsiCo says the impact of weight-loss drugs on its sales has so far been "negligible." Analysts say companies will have plenty of time to prepare for the impact of weight-loss drugs. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementAdvertisement"This is not going to have a material impact on the food industry in the next six months to one year," CFRA analyst Arun Sundaram told Insider. "The food industry overall will continue to evolve and innovate," he added.

Persons: —, Ramon Laguarta, Sabra hummus, Laguarta, Arun Sundaram Organizations: PepsiCo, Analysts, Service, Nordisk, North Locations: AlphaSense

☆ Ozempic isn't the existential threat food companies think it is — yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Food companies fear soaring Ozempic sales could hurt their bottom lines. AdvertisementAdvertisementExecutives at America's biggest food companies can't stop talking about Ozempic . And early data suggests that Ozempic sales will have some impact on the food industry. AdvertisementAdvertisementFor example, if consumers begin to prefer smaller portions, food companies have time to adjust their package sizes, and restaurants have time to modify their menus. "This is not an existential threat to the food industry," he said.

Persons: —, Doug McMillon, Arun Sundaram, Morgan Stanley, Walmart's John Furner, Steve Cahillane, Rice Krispies, Jefferies, Sundaram, David M, Gordon, Ozempic Organizations: Service, America's, Nordisk, North, Walmart, Bloomberg, Wall, Cheesecake

☆ Record chicken prices squeeze US shoppers, benefit Tyson Foods
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Tom Polansek | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Higher chicken prices should improve earnings at top producers Tyson (TSN.N) and Pilgrim's Pride (PPC.O), but will pinch consumers' pockets as they try to save money by turning away from higher-end proteins. Arkansas-based Tyson, which sells all three types of meat, had to deal with a glut of chicken after earning massive profits when meat prices soared during the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. government last month trimmed its estimate for 2023 chicken production from August due in part to expectations for lower chick placements. "We've seen some recovery in chicken prices and we've seen some consumer prices start to level off," Tyson CFO John R. Tyson told investors last month. Further increases in chicken prices could threaten demand, said Adam Speck, senior commodity analyst for Gro Intelligence.

Persons: Lucas Jackson, Tyson, Bob Brown, Brown, Donnie King, Arun Sundaram, Sundaram, We've, John R, Adam Speck, Bill Densmore, Tom Polansek, Caroline Stauffer, David Gregorio Our Organizations: New York U.S, REUTERS, Rights, Tyson Foods, U.S . Department of Agriculture, Rabobank, Producers, CFRA Research, Gro Intelligence, Fitch, Thomson Locations: Brooklyn, New, Arkansas, U.S, freezers ., Wilkesboro , North Carolina, Great

Kellogg's cold cereal products are pictured in a market after Kellogg Company announced it would split. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Shares of Kellanova (K.N) fell more than 7% on Monday after the packaged food giant, previously known as Kellogg Company, completed the spinoff of its North American cereal business into a new standalone entity called WK Kellogg Company (KLG.N). Under the separation agreement, Kellanova shareholders received one share of WK Kellogg common stock for every four shares of Kellanova stock held as of September 21, a statement said. Kellanova shares fell to as low as $51.83, down 7.2%, after opening at $55.70, while WK Kellogg Company dropped by more than 11% and was last at $13.79. Kellanova will retain its place on the benchmark S&P 500 (.SPX) index, while WK Kellogg shares will join the S&P SmallCap 600 index (.SPCY) on Tuesday, before market open.

Persons: Mike Segar, WK Kellogg, Kellanova, Michael Ashley Schulman, Rice, Piper Sandler, Research's Arun Sundaram, Chibuike Oguh, Lance Tupper, Christina Fincher Organizations: Kellogg Company, REUTERS, WK Kellogg Company, WK Kellogg, New York Stock Exchange, Running, Capital Advisors, MorningStar, Jefferies, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Kellanova, California, American, Bengaluru

☆ U.S. food companies go deal hunting as pandemic growth fades
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Deborah Mary Sophia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Last month, Campbell Soup (CPB.N) struck a $2.7 billion deal for Rao's sauce maker Sovos Brands (SOVO.O). Reuters GraphicsReuters Graphics Reuters Graphics"Large food companies need to add more new concepts, new flavor profiles and new food items because their old brands - though still growing - are not growing at a meaningful rate," Milani said. Packaged food companies "are now faced with some difficult comparisons on organic (sales) and are seeking some strategic, category-specific M&A targets that will propel them through the next few years," Henry said. "Most of the large cap packaged food companies have ... diligently reduced their debt and improved their balance sheet (through the pandemic)...so they have the risk capacity and risk appetite to pursue large-scale acquisitions," CFRA Research analyst Arun Sundaram said. "These packaged food companies need to continue finding ways to stay relevant ... And so one of the easiest ways to do that is through M&A."

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Campbell, There's, Michael Milani, Baker Tilly, Milani, Kraft Heinz, Sarah Henry, Henry, Mills, Luca Zaramella, Hershey, J.P, Morgan, Arun Sundaram, Deborah Sophia, Arun Koyyur Organizations: Campbell Soup, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Sovos, Unilever, Mars, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Reuters, Logan Capital Management, PepsiCo, Mondelez, Barclays, Hostess Brands, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, North America, dealmaking, Bengaluru

☆ The earnings and economic data shows the consumer is still in control of the economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Tim Mullaney | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Moody's says that consumer savings rates are rising after bottoming out in June 2022. "We still see it as a normalization, not a deterioration story when we talk about consumer credit.'' But consumer loan delinquency rates are at 2019 levels, and below any level ever seen before 2014, according to Federal Reserve data. At JPMorgan, mortgage credit quality is so solid that the bank reported no net chargeoffs in the second quarter. Overall, the Bureau of Economic Analysis says consumer spending on new vehicles rose $40 billion to $642.4 billion in the first half of the year, with most gains coming in the second quarter.

Persons: Brandon Bell, Arun Sundaram, haven't, Alastair Borthwick, Moody's, Scott Hoyt, Jeremy Barnum, it's, Barnum, David Fieldhouse, Hoyt, Sundaram, Horton, Goldman Sachs, Goldman Organizations: Chevrolet, Knapp, Getty, Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, Bank of America, CFRA, Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank, JPMorgan Chase, Federal Reserve, JPMorgan, Federal, Wall, General Motors, GM, Ford, U.S, Toll, Pride Locations: Houston , Texas

☆ Weight loss drugs boost sales at retail pharmacies, but they may not help profits much
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

George Frey | ReutersDrugmakers aren't the only ones feeling the impact of the weight loss industry gold rush. Retailers with pharmacy businesses, such as Walmart , Kroger and Rite Aid , said increased demand for prescription weight loss drugs helped boost sales for the second quarter. Are weight loss drugs profitable? A selection of injector pens for the Saxenda weight loss drug are shown in this photo illustration in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., March 31, 2023. For one, branded drugs don't directly compete with other medications because they have patent protections.

Persons: George Frey, Reuters Drugmakers, Arun Sundaram, it's, Elon Musk, Eli Lilly, Doug McMillon, Matthew Schroeder, Schroeder, Rodney McMullen, CFRA Research's Sundaram, Michael Lasser, Jim Vondruska, USC's Schaeffer Organizations: KR NOVO.B, Novo Nordisk, Pharmacy, Reuters, Walmart, Kroger, Rite, CFRA Research, CNBC, Nordisk, Elon, Pfizer, UBS, USC's, USC's Schaeffer Center for Health, Association Locations: Provo , Utah, U.S, GLP, Chicago , Illinois

NEW YORK/LONDON, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Lean times faced by many U.S. and European companies may last longer than expected as they try to sell off their bulging inventories in an economic climate where demand is stalling. Full-to-bursting warehouses means fewer orders for manufacturers, which translates into lower levels of business activity and, ultimately, weaker growth. Now, global demand is falling as borrowing costs have risen, so companies have started running down stocks. Maersk controls about one-sixth of global container trade, transporting goods for a host of major retailers and consumer goods companies. Refinitiv I/B/E/S data shows U.S. and European companies are expected to report their worst quarterly results in years.

Persons: Vincent Clerc, Hugo Boss, Moller, Stanley Black, Decker, destocking, Levi Strauss, Rajiv Sharma, Arun Sundaram, Guillermo Novo, Cyrus de la Rubia, Siddharth Cavale, David Gaffen, Josephine Mason, Mark John, Jonathan Cable, Helen Reid, Jane Merriman Organizations: U.S, Maersk, Heineken, 3M, . Bureau of Labor Statistics, CFRA Research, Retailers, BASF, London, Rutgers University, Hamburg Commercial Bank, doesn't, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, U.S, United States, Ashland, Hamburg, New York, London

☆ Campbell to buy Rao's premium sauces maker Sovos for $2.33 bln
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File PhotoAug 7 (Reuters) - U.S. packaged food maker Campbell Soup (CPB.N) will buy Michael Angelo's and Rao's owner Sovos Brands (SOVO.O) for $2.33 billion in cash, the company said on Monday, beefing up its meals and beverages business with the maker of premium Italian sauces. Campbell will pay $23 per share for Sovos, a nearly 28% premium to the stock's last close. Sovos' shares were trading at $22.48 while Campbell slipped 1.2% to $44.58 in early trade. Last month, Unilever (ULVR.L) said it would buy frozen yogurt brand Yasso in North America while Mars Inc agreed to buy Kevin's Natural Foods. In May, Campbell Soup sold Emerald Nuts to Flagstone Foods for an undisclosed amount.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Campbell, Michael Angelo's, beefing, Sovos, Campbell Soup, Arun Sundaram, Savyata Mishra, Savio D'Souza, Shweta Agarwal, Sriraj Organizations: REUTERS, Sovos Brands, Unilever, Mars Inc, Flagstone Foods, CFRA, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, North America, Canada, Bengaluru

REUTERS/Patrick T. Fallon/File PhotoAug 7 (Reuters) - Beyond Meat (BYND.O) cut annual revenue forecast and missed second-quarter net sales estimates, as slowing demand for its pricier plant-based meat products shows no signs of recovery, sending shares down 8% in extended trading on Monday. Bogged down by inflationary pressures, customers are opting for lower-priced animal protein over alternatives such as plant-based products. The ambiguity around the health benefits of plant-based meat is also weighing on growth, said CEO Ethan Brown in a post-earnings call. The company forecast 2023 revenue between $360 million and $380 million, compared with its prior expectation of $375 million to $415 million. Beyond Meat's quarterly net revenue fell nearly 31% to $102.1 million, missing analysts' average estimate of $108.4 million, according to Refinitiv data.

Persons: Patrick T, Ethan Brown, Arun Sundaram, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Kroger, REUTERS, CFRA, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Bengaluru

For the second quarter, Amazon's revenue grew 11% to $134.4 billion, beating estimates of $131.5 billion from analysts polled by Refinitiv. In recent months, Amazon Web Services (AWS) saw its sales growth slow as wary businesses scrutinized their cloud bills. The unit beat estimates of around $21.7 billion in second-quarter cloud sales, increasing them 12% to $22.1 billion. Its rivals posted bigger jumps off smaller bases: 28% growth in Alphabet's June-quarter cloud revenue and a 26% quarterly increase for Microsoft's Azure. Longer-term, Amazon aims to turn one unit, its $35 billion in yearly gross business-to-business e-commerce sales, into $100 billion, Jassy told analysts.

Persons: Pascal Rossignol, Brian Olsavsky, Olsavsky, Andy Jassy, Arun Sundaram, Sundaram, Jassy, Thomas Monteiro, Investing.com, Monteiro, Refinitiv, Chavi Mehta, Jeffrey Dastin, Noel Randewich, Arun Koyyur, Aurora Ellis, Chris Reese Organizations: REUTERS, Amazon.com Inc, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Refinitiv, Amazon Web Services, CFRA Research, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Lauwin, France, Alphabet's, Bengaluru, Jeffrey Dastin San Francisco

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoAug 2 (Reuters) - Bunge Ltd (BG.N) raised its full-year earnings outlook on Wednesday after improved processing margins helped the agri-trader post a second-quarter profit above Wall Street estimates, sending shares up sharply. "Shares are up due to a strong quarter and raised guidance. ADM reported a drop in second-quarter profit last month but raised full-year guidance, citing improving market conditions in the second half of 2023. Bunge said second-quarter adjusted earnings in Agribusiness, its largest segment in terms of sales and volumes, jumped 75% as a record-large Brazilian soybean crop boosted processing operations. Bunge's adjusted profit was $3.72 per share for the three months ended June 30, compared with analysts' estimate of $2.69 per share.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Bunge, Arun Sundaram, Archer, Cargill, Louis Dreyfus, Shilpi Majumdar, Nick Zieminski, Marguerita Choy, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Bunge, REUTERS, Bunge Ltd, Wall, CFRA Research, Daniels, Midland, ADM, Specialty, Saikeerthi, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Bengaluru

Amazon previously said it is seeing a decrease in growth in AWS as business clients reallocated their spending to reduce costs. Investors are also looking to see how Amazon's advertising business intersects with more language models and generative AI. The company's advertising business was seeing "robust growth" due to its machine learning investment, Chief Executive Andy Jassy said in the first-quarter earnings call. Net sales of Amazon's advertising business in the first quarter were $9.51 billion. Amazon's first-quarter operating income was $4.77 billion a 74.4%% increase from $2.74 billion in the fourth-quarter and a 30.1% increase from last year.

Persons: Tom Forte, Forte, Brian Olsavsky, Andy Jassy, Arun Sundaram, China's Temu, Sundaram, Amazon's, Arriana McLymore, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Investors, Web Services, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Davidson Companies, YouTube, Thomson Locations: NY, Refinitiv, Singapore, United States, New York City

July 11 (Reuters) - Amazon.com (AMZN.O) hopes to tempt U.S. shoppers on Tuesday to open inflation-thinned wallets by offering deeper discounts on a wide range of goods and services during this year's "Prime Day" 48-hour shopping event, including its first-ever travel discounts. A year of inflation has lifted mortgage rates, rents and food prices for consumers ahead of Prime Day, which falls on July 11-12 this year. CFRA Research analyst Arun Sundaram said Amazon's U.S. Prime Day discounts this year are mostly deeper than in previous years. Amazon Prime members can also save up to 40% on items such as Sherpani bags and ZOA Energy drinks, by checking out using "Buy with Prime," directly from Amazon's third-party merchants. Amazon plans yet another Prime sales event this year, according to screenshots of its seller notification platform seen by Reuters.

Persons: Arun Sundaram, Michael Ashley Schulman, Schulman, Brian Gleason, Sundaram, Granth Vanaik, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Arriana McLymore, David Gregorio Our Organizations: CFRA, Sony, Bank of America, Amazon, Energy, Amazon's, Adobe, Running, Capital Advisors, Exchange, Priceline's, Express, Walmart, Reuters, Thomson Locations: United States, Bengaluru, New York City

☆ Costco is taking a page out of Netflix's playbook and cracking down on shared membership cards. Wall Street is thrilled.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Costco is cracking down on shoppers that borrow a friend of family's membership card at checkout. Netflix stock has jumped more than 20% since its password sharing crackdown began in the US in late-May. "Our membership policy states that our membership cards are not transferable and since expanding our self-service checkout, we've noticed that non-member shoppers have been using membership cards that do not belong to them," Costco said in a statement. This strategic move allows Costco to increase its membership revenue without necessarily raising its annual membership fee," Sundaram said. So far, Wall Street is receptive of Costco's recent crackdown, with the stock up about 2% since the policy crackdown was revealed on Tuesday.

Persons: —, Costco, Arun Sundaram, Sundaram Organizations: Costco, Netflix, Service, Research

Shares of the retailer, which had consistently raised its outlook over the past two years, fell 4.5% to $45.07 after the dull forecast. Last month, rival Walmart raised its annual forecasts as more Americans shopped for its lower-priced groceries and other essentials. However, Kroger's gross margins rose 21 basis points, compared to a fall a year earlier, benefiting from lower supply chain costs as well as its efforts to source some products closer to its distribution centers. It also profited from shoppers - including higher-income consumers looking for more economical options amid persistent inflation - preferring its store-label brands to pricier national brands. Reporting by Granth Vanaik in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini GanguliOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joseph Feldman, Kroger, Rodney McMullen, Kroger's McMullen, Arun Sundaram, Granth, Shinjini Organizations: Kroger, Investors, Walmart, Albertsons, CFRA, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

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