New marketing play: "AI phones" (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) |
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Hey Snackers, After turning a $45 steel tumbler into a TikTok phenom, Stanley's thirsty for more growth. The brand said it's releasing a line of giant cups aimed at the fellas — manly cups, if you will. Stocks climbed yesterday as investors got hyped for Nvidia's new chips. Now all eyes are on the Fed, which is expected to hold rates steady today. FYI: traders' bets on June rate cuts have fallen to about 50% as inflation remains sticky. |
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GeminiPhone... Apple's said to be in talks to license Google's Gemini AI model to power upcoming iPhone features. Apple's also said to have chatted with OpenAI. A deal could give Google a major advantage by exposing billions of iPhone users to its AI model, and its stock popped on Monday. It would also provide a much-needed PR boost: Gemini's rep was tarnished after a controversy where the engine spewed out historically inaccurate images (picture: people of color as Nazi soldiers). Google's CEO called it "unacceptable." |
- Familiar bedfellows: Apple and Google already have a serious relationship. Google pays Apple billions each year to make its search engine the default in Apple's Safari.
- Geminside: Gemini has already been incorporated into Google's Pixel 8 devices and Samsung's Galaxy S24 smartphones.
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Incoming: "AI phones"... Companies have been racing to bring AI tech to smartphones — or at least, to market it. After years of camera upgrades and new emojis, AI could be the next smartphone upselling point. Samsung showed off new "powered by Galaxy AI" S24 phones in January. Smartphones have used AI for years, but the difference now appears to be generative AI tools and AI functions that are pre-downloaded (think: ChatGPT-like features, offline). |
- Erase my ex from pic: Samsung's S24 phones offer features like generative photo editing, genAI wallpapers, and live translation of calls and texts in other languages.
- iAI: Apple has been working on its own AI model, but insiders told Bloomberg that its tech is still inferior to rival models like Gemini and GPT-4 — hence the licensing talks.
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 THE TAKEAWAY |
When in doubt, source it out… Companies have been sinking billions into AI, with no way of knowing when (or if) it'll pay off. By outsourcing AI to Google, Apple can stay focused on the thing that's kept it one of the world's most valuable companies: hardware. It's also outsourcing through acquisitions: Apple's the top buyer of AI and machine-learning startups. |
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Uncover this "nepo-billionaire" wealth secret |
For the first time in history, one source of income recently surpassed entrepreneurship as the biggest money maker for billionaires. Any guesses? If you thought "inheritance" then you've got it. Welcome to the world of nepo-billionaires! How do they do it? Well for the richest families in the world, there's an unexpected vehicle for transferring and growing wealth that most of us haven't had access to… their art collections. However, thanks to Masterworks, everyday investors can invest in this potentially lucrative asset class – generational wealth not required. So far Masterworks investors have realized median returns of 17.6%, 17.8%, and 21.5%* (respectively) among assets held for longer than one year. As a trusted partner, Snacks readers can skip the waitlist to join with this exclusive link. |
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Uncover this "nepo-billionaire" wealth secret |
For the first time in history, one source of income recently surpassed entrepreneurship as the biggest money maker for billionaires. Any guesses? If you thought "inheritance" then you've got it. Welcome to the world of nepo-billionaires! How do they do it? Well for the richest families in the world, there's an unexpected vehicle for transferring and growing wealth that most of us haven't had access to… their art collections. However, thanks to Masterworks, everyday investors can invest in this potentially lucrative asset class – generational wealth not required. So far Masterworks investors have realized median returns of 17.6%, 17.8%, and 21.5%* (respectively) among assets held for longer than one year. As a trusted partner, Snacks readers can skip the waitlist to join with this exclusive link. |
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Slow healing process… UnitedHealth said it's making progress on restoring systems that were knocked out by a massive cyberattack last month on Change Healthcare. The UnitedHealth-owned tech co offers software that lets medical providers like pharmacies and hospitals process insurance claims and payments. Since the cyberattack disrupted Change's systems, billions in payments have been stuck in backlogs and patients have struggled to fill their prescriptions. |
- Body scan: Change Healthcare says it processes 15B transactions a year for a total of $1.5T in health claims. The American Hospital Association called the hack "the most significant and consequential incident of its kind against the US health care system in history."
- Prognosis: It's not clear when all systems will return to normal, and some providers are struggling to keep their doors open the longer they go without getting paid.
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Cybercrime's infection is spreading… Change Healthcare said a group called Alphv (aka Blackcat) is behind the attack. That's the same group that perpetrated a ransomware attack last year against MGM Resorts that cost the hotel chain $100M. The FBI reported nearly 250 cybercrime incidents last year in the healthcare industry, which has been criticized for having notoriously weak cybersecurity. Overall, victims sent a record $1B in ransomware payments to cybercriminals last year. |
- Pay up: While UnitedHealth hasn't said whether or not it paid Alphv/Blackcat to end the damage, a crypto wallet said to be controlled by the group reportedly received $22M in bitcoin this month.
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THE TAKEAWAY |
Side effects can be the most severe… As the US's largest health insurer, UnitedHealth can likely survive messes like this cyberattack. The same isn't necessarily true for many of the smaller healthcare providers and pharmacies that have seen their cash flow disrupted by the hack. UnitedHealth doled out $2B to affected businesses and the federal gov't has sent advances on Medicare claims to try to stanch the bleeding. |
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- Split: Unilever is spinning off its huge 100-year-old ice cream biz, which includes Ben & Jerry's, Klondike, Breyers, and Magnum. The division has struggled with melting sales as shoppers switch to cheaper brands.
- Frankly: Costco's famous $1.50 hot dog combo is going behind a paywall. The grocer will soon start enforcing its members-only rule for food court purchases, joining other retailers putting more perks behind memberships.
- Ctrl: Perrigo's Opill, the first daily birth control pill cleared for over-the-counter purchase in the US, is now for sale. The FDA approved the $20/month pill for OTC use last summer, and says it's 93% effective.
- Chipstock: Investor AI frenzy boiled over at Nvidia's conference (aka "AI Woodstock") held in an 11K-seat sports arena. The semiconductor star shared deets about its next-gen chips that could cost up to $50K.
- Halfsies: Meta offered to slash its subscription fee for ad-free Facebook and Instagram as EU regulators crack down on data tracking. For now, users must consent to ad tracking to Insta-scroll for free.
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"Dune: Part Two" ticket sales hit $500M in fewer than 20 days, already outgrossing 2021's "Dune" |
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- US Fed interest-rate decision
- NCAA women's March Madness tournament starts
- Earnings expected from Chewy, General Mills, KB Home, Micron Technology, Pinduoduo, and Signet Jewelers
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Authors of this Snacks own bitcoin and shares of: Alphabet, Apple, and Nvidia
*Advertiser's disclosures: The content is not intended to provide legal, tax, or investment advice. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. Investing involves risk. "Net Annualized Return" refers to the annualized internal rate of return, or IRR, net of all fees and costs, to holders of Class A shares from the primary offering, calculated from the final closing date of such offering to the date the sale is consummated. A more detailed breakdown of the Net Annualized Return calculation for each issuer can be found in the respective Form 1-U for each exit. The three numbers above represent the ones closest to the median of the 12 exits with holding periods over 1 year. See important Reg A disclosures and aggregate advisory performance masterworks.com/cd. |
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