Chip Cutter

In today's DealBook: Are investors getting tired of the high cost of A.I.? Meta reported its best-ever first quarter results but its shares tumbled, wiping $200 billion of its market capitalization — and serving as a warning to other Big Tech groups that are spending big on A.I. Elsewhere: I look at a mining megadeal that's all about the green transition; and Lauren Hirsch on how companies are thinking about getting round a ban on noncompete agreements. https://lnkd.in/gUCJxsyV

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SPECIAL SERIES PODCAST ALERT: Today we kicked off our series of #podcasts conversations with the newest members of the #ProcessAutomation Hall of Fame. First up: the winding river traversed by Joe Weiss PE CISM CRISC ISA Fellow on his was from working in nuclear energy to #processcontrol #cybersecurity. What he learned along the way. It's quite an interesting journey. Listen to our conversation ⬇ #controlglobal #controlamplified https://lnkd.in/eSGv5HwV

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While there is fear of job displacement due to advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), the 2024 Work Trend Index Annual Report from Microsoft and LinkedIn highlights that AI is not replacing jobs but transforming them. The catch, however, is that many people’s next job might be a role that doesn’t yet exist.

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Americans give Donald Trump the edge over Joe Biden on the economy in poll after poll. So we decided to compile a simple, easy-to-understand data portrait of how the US economy performed under each president and the kitchen-table realities behind Americans' judgment. It starts with Americans' spending power. Read on: A joint effort between reporter Mark Niquette, graphic artist Phil Kuntz and Bloomberg economist Stuart Paul. Edited by me. #economy #election2024 #business #markets

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I wrote a piece for Politico on major trends buffeting the media including artificial intelligence, deepfakes, and fighting disinformation in an age of dwindling resources. The conclusion is that founders, CEOs, politicians and others in the public eye now face an exponentially increasing threat of reputational damage. In today’s media landscape, a single negative review can quickly go viral, a poorly phrased statement can trigger a global backlash and an ill-judged joke can wreck careers. While the media world’s pace of change is dizzying, the words written by businessman Warren Buffett almost a decade ago have never been more relevant: “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.” Article here: https://lnkd.in/dtTNY4PU

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If you're hoping that Donald Trump will win the 2024 presidential election, the Financial Times is interested to know why. You can share your thoughts via the short survey here.

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Life often moves at a frenetic pace. The last thing our readers want or need from us is a story that tells only a piece of a jumbled picture. I’ve long been a proponent of enterprise reporting: deeper stories about why things happen the way they do. During a Quad-City Times/Dispatch-Argus newsroom vision meeting last week, I identified different approaches to reporting that may help us better serve readers: 1. A higher percentage of enterprise stories 2. Swarming high-interest stories with follow ups 3.  Providing clarity stories 4. Creating takeaways from dense reporting. Of these four, clarity stories are the least comfortable for many of us in the newsroom. We report each new development in an ongoing issue, so we don’t see the need to retell the larger story from those already-reported parts. There’s a misguided assumption that readers should be up to speed on our previous reporting.  That’s where the “clarity” comes in. Sometimes we need to step back with fresh eyes and tell the whole story in a concise or narrative format, with the result being readers who understand what happened and why.

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A deep dive into where #cleantech manufacturing #jobs are being created. And a compelling question: will Republican lawmakers, given the chance, vote away #green #investments and jobs?

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Whatever happened to the price you see being the one you pay? In my latest for The Wall Street Journal, I wrote about how surprise fees are sneaking onto the bottom of bills for everything from concert tickets to dinners out, leaving consumers feeling duped. Instead of charging one flat price, retail analysts told me, more companies are unbundling the cost for their goods and services, tacking on 3% for swiping a credit card or adding a little extra for gas. Business owners who say they need to raise prices to account for inflation argue checkout fees do a better job breaking down where customers’ additional money is going. But some economists and advocates like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau say secondary fees diminish people’s ability to shop around and, data shows, lead them to pay more overall than they do when businesses raise prices wholesale. “People don’t shop based on fees. They shop based on the price of the product,” the CFPB told me. Congress recently introduced a bill to “limit and eliminate excessive, hidden, and unnecessary fees imposed on consumers,” while similar measures have passed the New York and Illinois state senates. California, too, added restaurants to the list of industries covered under its existing hidden-fee ban. So far, these efforts haven’t stopped the fees’ spread.  Noelle Weaver and Bradley Walker told me they now base their hotel and rental-car selections upon whichever companies will give them one flat, upfront price. “I just want to know what it’s going to cost instead of feeling the bitterness of getting upcharged at every turn,” Walker said. Read more (without a paywall): https://lnkd.in/gwfK9jUg

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My latest exclusive: For the first time in years, sentiment toward the top 100 asset management brands is getting worse. I spoke to Peregrine Communications co-CEO Josh Cole about why and what firms are doing about it. More in Institutional Investor: https://lnkd.in/edUBvH_Q #assetmanagement #marketing #alternativeinvestments

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Demand for consumer electronics has been weak for the better part of the past two years. Many households bought new gadgets during the pandemic and haven’t needed to replace them yet. And with interest rates still high—pushing up borrowing costs—consumers are postponing more expensive purchases. That's partially why #BestBuy’s sales fell again this quarter. But management sees signs that demand is stabilizing. More from me at: https://lnkd.in/emuivH7d

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For this podcast, the Confident Retirement, there's a twist: I was the one interviewed, not the one asking the questions. (I like it better the other way - but that was fun - thanks for inviting me on, Kristopher Flammang CRPC®AIF®BFA®) Oh - and I'm not retiring :) Some of the things we talked about: * My early journalism career change to being a juvenile probation office for three years; • Why and how the Business Observer has made a transtions to #digitalfirst — and why we keep the focus on that; and • The lessons I've learned from interviewing hundreds of entrepreneurs ands business owners Take a listen!

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Thrilled to unveil Edelman Smithfield's investor pulse research on "Investor Expectations for a U.S. IPO Market Recovery.” Ninety one percent of investors surveyed they are about the same or more likely to invest in future IPOs compared with the IPO boom of 2020-21, painting a clear picture of expectations for a U.S. IPO market that is poised for recovery. The survey also illuminates notable parameters that investors are using to evaluate high-quality investments. Download the full report: https://lnkd.in/gnVsqBB5

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This year's election may be a Biden vs Trump rematch, but it's not the same electorate as four years ago. In a new Bloomberg News / Bloomberg Businessweek story out today (see gift link below), we estimate that at least 10% of most states' 2020 eligible voter population is gone and has been replaced with new potential voters. In some states that number is closer to 15%, including in key swing states like Arizona and Nevada. That level of churn easily dwarfs the 2020 presidential margin of victory in the seven battleground states we're watching. This analysis brings together a lot of government and private datasets to understand not only the impact of the Great American Migration of the last few years, but also the number of deaths (including from the Covid pandemic), those who've turned 18 since 2020, and newly naturalized US citizens. Many factors will likely shape the 2024 presidential result, but knowing how the electorate has changed and what that means for key demographic shifts will be crucial for any serious election watcher. As always, it takes a village: with graphics magic from Elena Mejía, reporting help from Gregory Korte and the work of editor trio Laura Bliss, gregory white and Chloe Whiteaker.

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