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Hertz's Tesla Deal Was a Dud
Google is cutting 100s of engineering jobs, large PE backers want their money back, Hertz is selling 1/3 of its EV fleet, JPM saw a record $30B of private debt change hands, Pixar is cutting jobs, inflation numbers came in hot in December, and Airbus jet order demand soared after Boeing’s latest incident.
The EU Is Probing Microsoft
Analysts aren’t bullish about Morgan Stanley and Citi’s stock, Finra calls AI an ‘emerging risk,’ Australia’s UBC is looking beyond IPOs after a slow 2023, Ackman is backing a bid by dissidents for Harvard board seats, Apple’s Saori Casey was named Sonos’ finance chief, and the EU is launching a competition probe into Microsoft’s OpenAI investment.
More Problems for Boeing
Bill Gross thinks treasuries are overvalued, BlackRock is bullish on equities in 2024, Nvidia rallied to a record high on news of new AI-related components, Wall Street is trying to time the Fed’s QT taper, United and Alaska Airlines found loose parts on some Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets, and Michigan won the college football national championship.
Bill Ackman vs The World
Bill Ackman is going all-in on investigating Ivy League plagiarism after his wife was accused, Boeing can’t catch a break after their latest 737 MAX mishap, the nation’s economists are short-term happy, long-term gloomy, and JPMorgan sees the treasury rally resuming.
OpenAI Wants Licensed Content
Regulators denied Apple, Disney bids to skip votes on AI, Morgan Stanley dropped its bullish dollar bet, OpenAI is working with publishers about licensing content, Google is killing cookies, NYC’s mayor sued Texas, and Peloton shares surged on news of deal with TikTok.
Tough Start for Tech Stocks
Several high-profile individuals were named in new Epstein documents, Fed minutes suggest rate hikes are over, Apple’s stock decline led a tech rout, Zuck has sold half a billion in Meta stock in the last two months, TikTok has big plans for its shopping business, and GM’s 2023 US vehicle sales were its best since 2019.
President Gay Is Out at Harvard
President Gay is out at Harvard, stocks and bonds dropped for a tough start to 2024’s markets, Apple shares fell on a Barclays downgrade, India proposed tighter rules for dividend payouts, Manhattan home prices rose, and Trump asked Maine to reserve his state ballot ban.
Bitcoin Had a Big 2023
Bitcoin closed the year with a 164% gain, Fidelity once again wrote down the value of Musk’s stake in X, the PGA Tour and LIV Golf are working to extend their merger deadline, big tech is bracing for a wave of antitrust rulings, and Disney lost copyright protection of the original Mickey Mouse.
Decade-Low Dealmaking in 2023
US mortgage rates hit their lowest rate since May, global dealmaking hit a decade-low in 2023, Google settled a $5B consumer privacy lawsuit, Argentina’s top unions are calling for a strike against Milei’s reforms, and Biden is struggling to push trade deals with allies as election approaches.
New York Times v OpenAI
The New York Times is suing OpenAI and Microsoft, GM sued San Francisco, Goldman and Morgan Stanley expect China’s housing slump to worsen, the UK economy is set to dodge a hard landing, bus stations around the US are closing, and Apple can restart watch sales.