Consumer Brands Shake Things Up…With Mergers

2025 has been quite the year for consumer brands, but not in a good way. The industry writ large has underperformed for the past three years and many of the worlds largest consumer brand companies are resorting to mergers & acquisitions, asset sales, and spin offs to rejuvenate their prospects. The team looks at this as well as checking how frothy the AI market looks to the Federal Reserve chairman. Tyler Crowe, Lou Whiteman, and Rachel Warren discuss: - Kimberly-Clark’s deal to acquire Kenvue - The numerous portfolio shakeups in consumer brands - Jerome Powell’s comments on AI bubbles - What AI businesses are thriving vs those spinning their wheels Companies discussed: NVDA, AMXN, MSFT, GOOG, META, KMB, KVUE, JNJ, KHC, UL, NSRGY, PEP, K, DKS, PNG Host: Tyler Crowe Guests: Lou Whiteman, Rachel Warren Engineer: Dan Boyd Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement. We’re committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spotify, Shopify, and Uber were once the poster children for “growth at any cost.” Today, they’re talking cash flow, margins, and discipline. In today’s episode of Motley Fool Money, host Emily Flippen is joined by analysts Jason Hall and Jeff Santoro to dig into what these “reformed Rule Breakers” are getting right - and where the risks still lurk. They discuss third quarter earnings reports for: - Shopify and how its business stacks up against Amazon and agentic shopping in the battle for online commerce. - Spotify’s margin makeover, and how the business has created scale in an industry many were skeptical of - Uber’s transformation from “broken IPO” to cash-flow machine, and how its pricing algorithm has unlocked margin potential Companies discussed: SHOP, SPOT, UBER, GRAB Host: Emily Flippen, Jason Hall, Jeff Santoro Producer: Anand Chokkavelu Engineer: Dan Boyd, Natasha Hall Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement. We’re committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Five of the Big Tech Behemoths reported last week. What did we learn and what should we expect looking ahead? Rick Munarriz, Sanmeet Deo, and Tim Beyers: - Discuss macro takeaways from last week’s Big Tech earnings. - Dig into the details for the unusual news in each report. - Make a few reckless predictions of what’s to come from Big Tech. Don’t wait! Be sure to get to your local bookstore and pick up a copy of David’s Gardner’s new book — Rule Breaker Investing: How to Pick the Best Stocks of the Future and Build Lasting Wealth. It’s on shelves now; get it before it’s gone! Companies discussed: AAPL, AMZN, GOOGL, META, MSFT Host: Tim Beyers Guests: Rick Munarriz, Sanmeet Deo Producer: Anand Chokkavelu Engineer: Dan Boyd Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement. We’re committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should investors take stock in preferred stock? Motley Fool analysts Matt Argersinger and Anthony Schiavone talk with Infrastructure Capital Advisors CEO Jay Hatfield about preferred stocks and why income investors should look beyond index funds. Host: Matt Argersinger, Anthony Schiavone  Producer: Bart Shannon, Mac Greer Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, "TMF") do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement. We’re committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What makes the U.S. consumer and investor unique? Are we biologically programmed to be dissatisfied? Should you want your kids to be poor? Morgan Housel answers those questions and provides insights from his latest book, The Art of Spending. Also in this episode: -International stocks have notched a 30% gain so far this year-The Fed cut rates but dampened expectations for December-The job market is always in flux, as demonstrated by a slew of recent layoffs-The most tax-efficient way to give to charities may be donating appreciated shares of stock Host: Robert BrokampGuest: Morgan HouselEngineer: Bart Shannon  Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement. We’re committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Big tech earnings were the talk of the market this week and we covered a blowout from Alphabet, questions about Meta, and why Amazon has its mojo back. To finish the show, we play “Trick or Treat” and discuss the stocks on our radar. Travis Hoium, Lou Whiteman, and Asit Sharma discuss: - Alphabet’s big cloud quarter - Meta’s AI questions - Amazon and AWS growth - Netflix’s surprising stock split Companies discussed: Nike (NKE), On Holding (ONON), Alphabet (GOOG), Meta (META), Netflix (NFLX), Coinbase (COIN), Microsoft (MSFT), Chipotle (CMG). Host: Travis Hoium Guests: Lou Whiteman, Asit Sharma Engineer: Dan Boyd Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement. We’re committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2025 has been the year of AI capex (so far). Companies have been announcing huge spending increases and signing deals to secure critical supplies like semiconductors for years into the future. So far, the market has responded well to these announcements. Except today when Meta announced the most ambitious AI capital spending plan of the Magnificent 7 companies and the market blinked. Tyler Crowe, Matt Frankel, and Jon Quast discuss: - Meta’s ambitious spending plan sending the stock down -Microsoft’s and Alphabet’s earnings and outlook getting mixed reviews -One year without Brian Niccol at Chipotle -One year with Brian Niccol at Starbucks Companies discussed: META, GOOG, MSFT, CMG, SBUX, AMZN Host: Tyler Crowe Guests: Matt Frankel, Jon Quast Engineer: Dan Boyd Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement. We’re committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Microsoft has agreed to a deal that will allow OpenAI to become a for-profit company, likely paving the way for an IPO. The tech giant’s stake will be worth $135 billion and comes with another $250 billion in cloud computing revenue. We also discuss recent jobs news and the future of AI in transportation and medicine. Travis Hoium, Lou Whitemand, and Rachel Warren discuss: - Microsoft’s $135 billion OpenAI stake - Rolling layoffs in Corporate America - NVIDIA’s deals in robotics, aviation, and medicine Companies discussed: Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon (AMZN), Target (TGT), NVIDIA (NVDA), UPS (UPS). Host: Travis Hoium Guests: Lou Whitemand, Rachel Warren Engineer: Dan Boyd Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement. We’re committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Emily Flippen is joined by Motley Fool analysts Jason Hall and Keith Speights to unpack how a prolonged U.S. government shutdown ripples through markets - from missing economic reports and the Fed’s next move to the on-the-ground impact for contractors, biotechs, and housing. Companies discussed: NOC, PLTR, BAH, ACN, MSFT, LLY, AMTM Host: Emily Flippen, Jason Hall, Keith Speights Producer: Anand Chokkavelu Engineer: Dan Boyd Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement. We’re committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AIs are hungry and growing more insatiable by the day. Will we be able to sustainably generate the power needed to feed the AI beast? Nick Sciple, Seth Jayson, and Tim Beyers: - Discuss the vast sums being invested in power infrastructure, and whether current plans will be enough to meet demand. - Cover the opportunities and complications from filling the void with existing and emerging nuclear technology. - Playing a nuclear-themed game of Faker or Breaker. Don’t wait! Be sure to get to your local bookstore and pick up a copy of David’s Gardner’s new book — Rule Breaker Investing: How to Pick the Best Stocks of the Future and Build Lasting Wealth. It’s on shelves now; get it before it’s gone! Companies discussed: NUE, GEV, OKLO, MSFT, DXCM, NNE, SMR Host: Tim Beyers Guests: Nick Sciple, Seth Jayson Producer: Anand Chokkavelu Engineer: Dan Boyd Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement. We’re committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices