🌏 Costco's Walmart strategy
Plus: Hims & Hers faces off-brand worry
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The Fed opted to keep interest rates steady, but raised concerns about the economy. The Central Bank adjusted economic forecasts in response to the impact of Donald Trump’s policy changes.
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… Meanwhile, a study warns that Trump’s policies could trigger a deep recession and stagflation. The UCLA Anderson Forecast points to tariffs, immigration, and DOGE policies as key growth killers if fully implemented.
Trump steps in to shield Tesla. Amid ongoing protests, the Trump administration has taken action to protect Tesla from growing anti-Elon Musk sentiment.
Nvidia impressed at GTC once again, but Wall Street wasn’t convinced. Despite CEO Jensen Huang’s keynote at the annual developers conference, the AI chipmaker’s stock took a hit.
Speaking of chips, chipmaker Taco Bell is joining forces with Nvidia. Yum! Brands has tapped the AI giant as it looks to reshape fast food through AI technology.
Costco joins Walmart in demanding price cuts amid looming tariffs. The retail giants are pushing suppliers as trade tensions and import costs increase.
Hims & Hers has an off-brand worry
Hims & Hers stock took a nearly 9% hit after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about “unapproved” weight loss drugs.
The company’s compounded semaglutide, a cheaper alternative to Ozempic, is under scrutiny as the FDA cracks down on unapproved GLP-1 drugs. Hims & Hers, which had benefitted from drug shortages, must now stop selling these “essential copies” as the shortage ends.
Despite significant overall sales growth, analysts are concerned about the company’s heavy reliance on GLP-1 medications, which now account for nearly half of its revenue.
Will Hims & Hers stock rebound after the FDA cracks down on its weight-loss drugs? Quartz’s Bruce Gil has the details.
Tesla vs BYD
BYD, Tesla’s biggest rival in China, has unveiled a breakthrough in EV charging technology, claiming to have the fastest chargers on the market.
The company’s new “Super e-Platform” can provide 292 miles of range in just five minutes, a major leap compared to Tesla’s 170 miles in 15 minutes. As BYD plans to set up 4,000 charging stations globally, this new tech could disrupt the market, while addressing one of the biggest hurdles for EV adoption: range anxiety.
Could BYD’s new ultra-fast charging tech spell trouble for Tesla’s dominance in the EV market? Quartz’s William Gavin breaks this down.
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Our best wishes on a safe start to the day. Send any news, comments, Taco Bell chips or free EV chargers to [email protected]. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Francisco Velasquez and Audrey McNamara.