Sugar, we're going down: Americans are eating less ice cream, with per-capita consumption shrinking for nearly 50 years. That's why Unilever, the world's largest ice cream manufacturer, is scooping off its frozen treats business. What originally began as a side hustle for the conglomerate, which started selling ice cream to offset its slumping sausage sales in the summer of 1922, became a $8.7 billion empire, home to Magnum, Wall's, and Ben & Jerry's. The S&P 500 closed Friday 10% below its all-time high with a rip-roaring 2.1% gain, its best day since November 6, when investors enthusiastically greeted President Trump's election victory. The Nasdaq 100 and Russell 2000 did even better, closing up 2.5%. That said, it was still the fourth straight negative week for the benchmark US stock index, which hasn't happened since August. Ulta Beauty was Friday's best performer after gorgeous earnings that outshone expectations. ☘️ Enjoy a pint of Quizness: |
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Three directors of Huntington Ingalls Industries, one of America's largest military shipbuilders, hadn't bought a penny's worth of company stock in years. But last month, just ahead of Trump's State of the Union address, which included a surprise promise to "resurrect" the US shipbuilding industry, the three directors decided to place buy orders. Sherwood News Senior Markets Correspondent Matt Phillips investigated the timing of their buys. There are no records of Huntington Ingalls' chairman, retired US Navy Admiral Kirkland H. Donald, a director since 2017, or John K. Welch, a director since 2015, purchasing Huntington stock on the open market in recent history. The last purchase by Thomas C. Schievelbein, a director since 2011, occurred in March 2020 during the sharp sell-off in the market because of COVID-19. Then Schievelbein, Welch, and Donald bought shares of Huntington Ingalls on February 13, February 26, and February 27, respectively. On the evening of March 4, Trump made his shipbuilding proclamation, catalyzing a 12.4% spike in Huntington Ingalls shares the next day. That was the single best day for the company's stock since it went public in 2011. The nearly 3,700 shares the directors bought went up in value by more than $90,000 that day, and as of Friday's trading, they've gained another $10,000 in value. No SEC filings indicate that the board members have sold shares since those purchases. |
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Sherwood spoke to Daniel Taylor, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School who studies trading by corporate insiders. Taylor reviewed SEC records related to the trades and described the transactions as "very unusual." "The timing of these trades in a major shipbuilder, by members of the board of that shipbuilder, less than one week before the president announces a new shipbuilding initiative is highly suspicious," he said. Check out this timeline of their purchases. |
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| Skybound's Billion-Dollar Blitz |
Skybound is a next-gen entertainment company behind top shows on Netflix and Amazon, and now, you can own a piece of it. The Walking Dead exploded from comics to TV to gaming — helping drive billions in revenue and market cap gains. Invincible smashed streaming records, ranking as the #1 revenue driver on Amazon Prime.1 What's Skybound's secret? They prioritize creators, the company attracts top-tier talent and fuels a consistent pipeline of high-impact, revenue-generating content. The results are undeniable: $10B+ in franchise revenues and market cap gains plus strategic relationships with Amazon, Netflix, and NBC Universal. They believe they're mastered the art of monetizing brands across TV, film, gaming, comics, and merchandise — just look how they took The Walking Dead from graphic novel to streaming sensation. With plenty more to come, invest in Skybound as they continue their expansion. Invest in Skybound.2 |
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Stories we're obsessed with |
- Old-Zempic: Remember when every other story seemed to be about which celebrity was (probably!) on Ozempic, a weight-loss cheat code only the rich could access? Fast-forward to now, when about 13% of adults have taken a GLP-1 medication and food corporations have stopped freaking out about it affecting their sales. But you know who's still freaking out? The drug companies, which are racing to develop the next big weight-loss miracle. Here's where their pills and next-gen potions stand.
- Cyber-yuck: America's overall impression of Tesla is more negative than ever, according to data shared with Sherwood by YouGov. Americans' opinions of Tesla started falling after CEO Elon Musk purchased Twitter in 2022, and hit negative territory in the summer of that year. Since then, Musk has aligned himself so firmly with Trump that his position at the Department of Government Efficiency was mentioned as a risk factor in Tesla's latest annual report.
But as our chart shows, Americans' impressions vary wildly based on their politics.
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Just a few years after Covid sparked a mass exodus from metropolitan areas, population growth in US cities is climbing again — largely due to immigration. The Sunbelt remains a hot spot for movers. See the cities people are moving to. |
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The company putting Bitcoin on the map (literally)
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Bitcoin Depot (NASDAQ: BTM) is the world's largest operator of Bitcoin ATMs, with over 8,400+ worldwide. And they are just getting started expanding globally. With the strategic relationships with Circle K and other major national retailers and $2.7B+ in total all-time transaction volume3, Bitcoin Depot has their eyes on growth. Get more investor information on their site!4 |
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- Monday: February retail sales
- Tuesday: February housing starts and building permits and February industrial production
- Wednesday: Earnings expected from General Mills. Fed rate decision
- Thursday: Earnings expected from Nike, Micron, FedEx, Darden Restaurants, and Lennar
- Friday: Earnings expected from NIO and Carnival
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Advertiser's disclosures:
1 Invincible Season 2 was ranked the #1 revenue generating title on Prime Video globally and launched at #1 in 104 countries, with Season 3 out now, and Season 4 announced. 2 Please read the offering circular and related risks at http://invest.skybound.com. This is a paid advertisement for Skybound's Regulation CF Offering. Investing in private company securities is not suitable for all investors because it is highly speculative and involves a high degree of risk. It should only be considered a long-term investment. You must be prepared to withstand a total loss of your investment. Private company securities are also highly illiquid, and there is no guarantee that a market will develop for such securities. DealMaker Securities LLC, a registered broker-dealer, and member of FINRA | SIPC, located at 105 Maxess Road, Suite 124, Melville, NY 11747, is the Intermediary for this offering and is not an affiliate of or connected with the Issuer. Please check our background on FINRA's BrokerCheck. 3 Since inception of Bitcoin Depot in 2016 - Q3 2024 Investor Presentation (link) 4 Stock markets are volatile and can fluctuate significantly in response to company, industry, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments. Investing in stock involves risks, including the loss of principal. This company is operating in a highly speculative industry where the underlying value/exchanges they process can be quite volatile (value-wise). Before investing, carefully assess whether a particular stock aligns with your investment objectives, risk tolerance, and financial situation. |
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Sherwood Media, LLC produces fresh and unique perspectives on topical financial news and is a fully owned subsidiary of Robinhood Markets, Inc., and any views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of any other Robinhood affiliate... See more |
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