Vanguard Consumer Discretion ETF (ARCA: VCR)

Ultime notizie per Vanguard Consumer Discretion ETF (ARCA:VCR)

Vanguard Consumer Discretion ETF

Vanguard Consumer Discretion ETF - DNQ

Consumer Cyclical

Consumer Defensive

Technology

Communication Services

Industrials

Other

Energy

Healthcare

The fund employs an indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the MSCI US Investable Market Index/Consumer Discretionary 25/50, an index made up of stocks of large, mid-size, and small U.S. companies within the consumer discretionary sector, as classified under the Global Industry Classification Standard. The Advisor attempts to replicate the target index by seeking to invest all, or substantially all, of its assets in the stocks that make up the index, in order to hold each stock in approximately the same proportion as its weighting in the index. It is non-diversified.

Amazon.Com Inc

Tesla, Inc.

Home Depot Inc/The

Mcdonald'S Corp

Booking Holdings, Inc.

Lowes Cos., Inc.

Tjx Cos., Inc.

Nike Inc

Starbucks Corp

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. Class A

Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF

Vanguard Core Bond ETF

VCREDIT HLDGS LTD by VCREDIT HLDGS LTD

Vanguard Tax-Managed Funds Vanguard Core Tax-Exempt Bond ETF

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) has raised the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/09/40912814/amazon-told-its-staff-they-must-come-to-office-five-days-a-week-but-its-primary-healthcare-subsi">pay for hourly workers</a> at its U.S. fulfillment centers and transportation operations, the retail giant announced on Wednesday.
&#8220;Earlier today,&nbsp;I visited one of our sites near Salt Lake City to share some news with our teammates there—that we're making a significant new investment in pay and benefits for the hourly front-line employees across our fulfillment and transportation network,&#8221; Udit Madan, vice president of Amazon Worldwide Operations, wrote in the company&#8217;s newsletter.
He said Amazon&#8217;s front-line team will receive an hourly pay raise of $1.50 starting this month to bring the average base wage to $22 per hour. This will bring average total compensation, which includes benefits, to $29 per hour, he said.
&#8220;This is an increase of $3,000 a year on average for full-time employees who work a 40-hour week,&#8221; he wrote.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/large-cap/24/09/40904271/whats-going-on-with-amazon-stock">What&#8217;s Going On With Amazon Stock?</a>
&#8220;And as one of the largest private employers in the country (we now have more than 800,000 people in these roles across the U.S.), this pay increase equals a total investment of more than $2.2 billion in our team.&#8221;
Amazon&#8217;s benefits include pre-paid college tuition, flexible working hours, a Prime membership, health insurance from the first day on the job and dental coverage.
&#8220;As I told the team this morning, this is just one way to say thank you for all they do,&#8221; Madan wrote.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), Microsoft Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NYSE">MSFT</a>) and Google, which is owned by Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) offer <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/06/32679188/silicon-valleys-salary-showdown-unveiling-how-much-top-talent-at-apple-microsoft-and-google-get-paid-1">six-figure salaries</a> for managers and engineers.
Just over a year ago, the United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UPS#NYSE">UPS</a>) and the Teamsters Union ratified a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/large-cap/23/08/33995076/ups-and-teamsters-seal-the-deal-ensures-170-000-per-year-for-drivers-the-next-5-years">five-year contract</a> that ensures $170,000 per year for drivers over the next five years.
Price Action: Amazon gained 0.1% to $187.11 at the time of publication Wednesday.
Exchange-traded funds that hold the stock also trended upward.
<ul>
<li>ProShares Online Retail ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ONLN#NYSE">ONLN</a>) gained 1.32%.</li>
<li>Fidelity MSCI Consumer Discretionary Index ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FDIS#NYSE">FDIS</a>) rose 0.72%.</li>
<li>Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VCR#NYSE">VCR</a>) went up 0.81%.</li>
<li>Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLY#NYSE">XLY</a>) gained 0.67%.</li>
<li>ProShares Long Online/Short Stores ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CLIX#NYSE">CLIX</a>) ticked up 0.68%.</li>
</ul>
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/top-stories/24/09/40887347/amazon-to-cut-management-layers-end-work-from-home">Amazon To Cut Management Layers, End Work From Home</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

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Select Sector SPDR-Consumer Discretionary

Amazon Joins UPS In Raising Hourly Pay As Worker Compensation Trends Upward

Launched on 10/21/2013, the Fidelity MSCI Consumer Discretionary Index ETF (ARCA:FDIS) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Consumer Discretionary - Broad segment of the equity market.
An increasingly popular option among retail and institutional investors, passively managed ETFs offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; they are also excellent vehicles for long term investors.
Additionally, sector ETFs offer convenient ways to gain low risk and diversified exposure to a broad group of companies in particular sectors. Consumer Discretionary - Broad is one of the 16 broad Zacks sectors within the Zacks Industry classification. It is currently ranked 11, placing it in bottom 31%.
<h2>Index Details</h2>
The fund is sponsored by Fidelity. It has amassed assets over $1.70 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the performance of the Consumer Discretionary - Broad segment of the equity market. FDIS seeks to match the performance of the MSCI USA IMI Consumer Discretionary Index before fees and expenses.
The MSCI USA IMI Consumer Discretionary Index represents the performance of the consumer discretionary sector in the U.S. equity market.
<h2>Costs</h2>
Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts if all other fundamentals are the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.08%, making it the least expensive product in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.58%.
<h2>Sector Exposure and Top Holdings</h2>
ETFs offer a diversified exposure and thus minimize single stock risk but it is still important to delve into a fund&#39;s holdings before investing. Most ETFs are very transparent products and many disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation in the Consumer Discretionary sector--about 100% of the portfolio.
Looking at individual holdings, Amazon.com Inc accounts for about 20.67% of total assets, followed by Tesla Inc and Home Depot Inc (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/hd#NYSE">HD</a>).
The top 10 holdings account for about 55.60% of total assets under management.
<h2>Performance and Risk</h2>
The ETF return is roughly 8.30% so far this year and it&#39;s up approximately 15.69% in the last one year (as of 09/17/2024). In that past 52-week period, it has traded between $64.24 and $86.11.
The ETF has a beta of 1.28 and standard deviation of 25.14% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 275 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
<h2>Alternatives</h2>
Fidelity MSCI Consumer Discretionary Index ETF carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, FDIS is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Consumer Discretionary ETFs area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF (ARCA:VCR) tracks MSCI US Investable Market Consumer Discretionary 25/50 Index and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (ARCA:XLY) tracks Consumer Discretionary Select Sector Index. Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF has $5.67 billion in assets, Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF has $18.49 billion. VCR has an expense ratio of 0.10% and XLY charges 0.09%.
<a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2336918/should-you-invest-in-the-fidelity-msci-consumer-discretionary-index-etf-fdis?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-sector_etf-2336918">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a>

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Should You Invest in the Fidelity MSCI Consumer Discretionary Index ETF?

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) CEO Andy Jassy&nbsp;is <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/amazon-ceo-andy-jassy-says-213018283.html?fr=yhssrp_catchall">slashing management layers </a>and making employees to return to the office five days a week beginning in January at the world's largest online retailer and cloud-computing company founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos.
The changes, sent in a memo to employees on Monday, would address what company veterans see as unnecessary meetings and layers of approvals just to get things done, Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-09-16/amazon-ceo-wants-workers-in-five-days-a-week-leaner-management?srnd=homepage-americas&amp;sref=TBDibEcD">reported</a>.
Each major entity within Amazon must increase the ratio of individual contributors to managers by 15% by the end of March 2025, Jassy said. Changes also include a bureaucracy tipline for employees to raise concerns about unnecessary processes.
Since the pandemic ended, Amazon had required workers to badge in at least three days a week, depending on their team needs. Amazon's new return to office policy will make exceptions for extenuating circumstances or previously approved remote jobs, Jassy said.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40877089/jeff-bezos-and-elon-musk-set-to-battle-for-dominance-in-the-sky-amazon-gears-up-to-launch-over-3-000">Jeff Bezos And Elon Musk Set To Battle For Dominance In The Sky: Amazon Gears Up To Launch Over 3,000 Low-Earth Orbit Satellites</a>
Most of Amazon's roughly 1.5 million employees worldwide are hourly employees who retrieve items and ship packages, people for whom remote work was never an option, but the company employs hundreds of thousands of office workers.
The changes may boost downtown foot traffic in cities where Amazon operates, such as Seattle; Bellevue, Washington; Arlington, Virginia; San Francisco; Austin, Texas; Boston; and Nashville, Tennessee.
The company has already tried to get workers back in the office, an effort that workers resisted by arguing the company was inflexible and failed to show data that working in person created better outcomes.
Exchange-traded funds that hold the stock also went down.
<ul>
<li>ProShares Online Retail ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ONLN#NYSE">ONLN</a>) declined 0.24%.</li>
<li>Fidelity MSCI Consumer Discretionary Index ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FDIS#NYSE">FDIS</a>) fell 1.33%.</li>
<li>Vanguard Consumer Discretionary Index Fund ETF Shares (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VCR#NYSE">VCR</a>) slipped 0.16%.</li>
</ul>
Price Action: Amazon slipped 0.86% to close at $184.89 on Monday.
Read Now:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/01/36488214/jeff-bezos-encouraged-his-brother-and-sister-to-invest-10-000-in-amazon-their-stake-grew-10-249-900">Jeff Bezos Encouraged His Brother And Sister To Invest $10,000 In Amazon — Their Stake Grew 10,249,900% And Now Potentially Is Worth Over $1 Billion</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

Amazon To Cut Management Layers, End Work From Home

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) may be regarded by consumers primarily as <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40751108/whats-going-on-with-amazon-stock-friday">an e-commerce company</a>, given its blue delivery trucks are constantly dropping off packages at people&#8217;s doorsteps, but an analyst begs to differ.
&#8220;Our view is that eCommerce does NOT drive AMZN&#8217;s share price,&#8221; Needham analyst Laura Martin wrote in a note Thursday.
 &#8220;We believe AMZN is a Services company (ie, Advertising, Cloud, Prime Video, etc), NOT a products company, and eCommerce is all about products. Every quarter, we calculate a sum-of-the-parts valuation, and in most quarters we conclude that investors are paying almost nothing for AMZN&#8217;s eCommerce.&#8221;
She noted Amazon&#8217;s net revenue for this year&#8217;s second quarter grew 15% year-over-year to $86.4 billion, accounting for 58% of the company&#8217;s revenue of $148 billion in a three-month period and growing four timers faster than product sales revenue.
She said that quarterly product sales have stagnated at around $61 billion for every quarter since the first quarter of 2021, excluding the fourth quarter of every year.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/real-estate/24/09/40814473/seller-of-79m-mansion-to-jeff-bezos-says-he-was-deceived-files-lawsuit-over-lost-millions-against-re">Seller Of $79M Mansion To Jeff Bezos Says He Was Deceived, Files Lawsuit Over Lost Millions Against Real Estate Firm That Brokered The Deal</a>
&#8220;AMZN&#8217;s services revs have been higher than its product sales for the past 11 quarters, and the gap is widening,&#8221; Martin wrote.
&#8220;We believe that eCommerce is where AMZN came from, but high margin businesses such as Advertising, Cloud, GenAI and other Services are where AMZN is going,&#8221; she added.
Martin pointed out that Amazon&#8217;s eCommerce business is very adaptable to meeting customer needs and is committed to constantly shortening delivery speeds with its &#8220;enormous&#8221; logistics network, but the company realizes significant costs in maintaining same-day delivery.
She attributed the higher costs to fewer items getting sent in a single box, running empty delivery trucks and requiring more gas and trips to pull off the same-day delivery.
&#8220;We believe the financials support the view that AMZN uses its eCommerce business as a loss-leader,&#8221; she said.
&#8220;This notion was supported by several experts who mentioned that AMZN&#8217;s retail strategy has historically centered around maintaining low margins for both 1P and 3P eCommerce business, and then adding higher-margin revenue streams such as Prime subscriptions and advertising, in order to improve profit margins.&#8221;
AMZN Price Action: Amazon gained 0.18% to $184.86 Thursday at publication.
Exchange traded funds that hold the stock mostly trended upwards on Thursday.
<ul>
<li>ProShares Online Retail ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ONLN#NYSE">ONLN</a>) rose 0.12%</li>
<li>Fidelity MSCI Consumer Discretionary Index ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FDIS#NYSE">FDIS</a>) went up 0.16%</li>
<li>Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VCR#NYSE">VCR</a>) gained 0.28%</li>
<li>Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLY#NYSE">XLY</a>) edged up 0.24%</li>
<li>ProShares Long Online/Short Stores ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CLIX#NYSE">CLIX</a>) slipped 0.38%</li>
</ul>
Read Now:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/01/36488214/jeff-bezos-encouraged-his-brother-and-sister-to-invest-10-000-in-amazon-their-stake-grew-10-249-900">Jeff Bezos Encouraged His Brother And Sister To Invest $10,000 In Amazon — Their Stake Grew 10,249,900% And Now Potentially Is Worth Over $1 Billion</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

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Retail Sales

Amazon E-Commerce Is A 'Loss-Leader' … Its Real Money Is In 'Services,' Says Analyst

Launched on 06/12/2000, the iShares U.S. Consumer Discretionary ETF (ARCA:IYC) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Consumer Discretionary - Broad segment of the equity market.
Passively managed ETFs are becoming increasingly popular with institutional as well as retail investors due to their low cost, transparency, flexibility and tax efficiency. They are excellent vehicles for long term investors.
Additionally, sector ETFs offer convenient ways to gain low risk and diversified exposure to a broad group of companies in particular sectors. Consumer Discretionary - Broad is one of the 16 broad Zacks sectors within the Zacks Industry classification. It is currently ranked 11, placing it in bottom 31%.
<h2>Index Details</h2>
The fund is sponsored by Blackrock (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/blk#NYSE">BLK</a>). It has amassed assets over $1.06 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the performance of the Consumer Discretionary - Broad segment of the equity market. IYC seeks to match the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Consumer Services Index before fees and expenses.
The Russell 1000 Consumer Disc 40 Act 15/22.5 Daily Capped Index measures the performance of the consumer services sector of the U.S. equity market.
<h2>Costs</h2>
Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts if all other fundamentals are the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.40%, making it one of the cheaper products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.62%.
<h2>Sector Exposure and Top Holdings</h2>
It is important to delve into an ETF&#39;s holdings before investing despite the many upsides to these kinds of funds like diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation in the Consumer Discretionary sector--about 68.90% of the portfolio. Telecom and Consumer Staples round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Amazon Com Inc accounts for about 13.24% of total assets, followed by Tesla Inc and Home Depot Inc.
The top 10 holdings account for about 50.07% of total assets under management.
<h2>Performance and Risk</h2>
So far this year, IYC has gained about 9.43%, and was up about 20.46% in the last one year (as of 08/29/2024). During this past 52-week period, the fund has traded between $63.10 and $84.94.
The ETF has a beta of 1.16 and standard deviation of 22.22% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 182 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
<h2>Alternatives</h2>
IShares U.S. Consumer Discretionary ETF carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, IYC is a reasonable option for those seeking exposure to the Consumer Discretionary ETFs area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF (ARCA:VCR) tracks MSCI US Investable Market Consumer Discretionary 25/50 Index and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (ARCA:XLY) tracks Consumer Discretionary Select Sector Index. Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF has $5.55 billion in assets, Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF has $18.51 billion. VCR has an expense ratio of 0.10% and XLY charges 0.09%.
<a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2328673/should-you-invest-in-the-ishares-u-s-consumer-discretionary-etf-iyc?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-sector_etf-2328673">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a>

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iShares Trust Dow Jones USnsumer Services Sector Index Fund

Should You Invest in the iShares U.S. Consumer Discretionary ETF?

Amazon.com, Inc.&#8216;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) Amazon Web Services (AWS) plans to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/24/08/b40497938/aws-launches-infrastructure-region-in-malaysia">invest</a> $6.2 billion (about MYR 29.2 billion) in <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/malaysia">Malaysia through 2038</a>.
The new AWS Region in Malaysia is expected to contribute around $12.1 billion (MYR 57.3 billion) to the country&#8217;s GDP and support over 3,500 full-time equivalent jobs annually through 2038.
Notable AWS customers in Malaysia include Bursa Malaysia, CelcomDigi, GX Bank Berhad, PayNet, Petroliam Nasional Berhad, the Department of Broadcasting Malaysia and Tenaga Nasional Berhad.
Also Read:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/05/38783794/amazon-pours-1-3b-investment-into-french-operations-report" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amazon Pours ~$1.3B Investment Into French Operations: Report</a>
&#8220;The new AWS Region in Malaysia enables organizations across Asia Pacific to unlock the full potential of the world&#8217;s most extensive and reliable cloud, helping customers deploy advanced applications with a broad set of AWS technologies like AI and ML,&#8221; Prasad Kalyanaraman, vice president of Infrastructure Services at AWS, said. 
Tengku Zafrul, Malaysia&#8217;s Minister of Investment Trade &amp; Industry (MITI), called it &#8220;a significant step&#8221; toward building a sustainable economy and ensuring Malaysia &#8220;remains competitive on the global stage.&#8221;
Bursa Malaysia, the country&#8217;s national exchange, has launched the Centralized Sustainability Intelligence (CSI) platform on AWS to aid Malaysia&#8217;s shift towards a lower carbon economy.
Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift, CEO at Bursa Malaysia, said the collaboration with AWS gives Malaysian companies and their suppliers &#8220;an impetus to standardize ESG reporting and decarbonize their supply chain.&#8221; 
This year, AWS has been on an expansion spree. In May, AWS planned to invest billions in both the AWS European Sovereign <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/05/38843214/amazon-aws-to-pump-7-8b-into-german-cloud-expansion-details" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cloud in Germany through 2040</a> and <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/asia/24/06/39284404/amazon-to-invest-billions-in-taiwan-cloud-infrastructure-expanding-aws-presence-in-asia" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in Taiwan over the next 15 years</a>.
AWS had earlier disclosed plan to spend $9 billion on expanding its cloud services in Singapore and a $15 billion investment in Japan to build cloud capacity.
Investors can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;ProShares Online Retail ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ONLN#NYSE">ONLN</a>) and Vanguard Consumer Discretion ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VCR#NYSE">VCR</a>).
Price Action: AMZN shares are up 0.39% at $180.82 premarket at the last check Wednesday.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/m-a/24/08/40495264/jeff-bezos-has-no-plans-to-buy-nbas-boston-celtics-could-nfl-team-ownership-still-be-in-the-cards" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jeff Bezos &#8216;Has No Plans&#8217; To Buy NBA&#8217;s Boston Celtics, Could NFL Team Ownership Still Be In The Cards?</a></li>
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Equities

Amazon Web Services Commits Over $6B To Malaysia With New Cloud Region

As the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/earnings">earnings season</a> unfolds, more businesses are sharing perspectives on consumer trends. 
According to a Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2024-07-16/us-consumer-health-is-fine-shoppers-are-just-getting-pickier?sref=TBDibEcD">analysis</a>, retailers are frustrated over the lack of spending on the part of shoppers. And yet, retail sales soared by 1%<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/24/08/40393687/retail-sales-soar-in-july-weekly-jobless-claims-undercut-expectations-traders-lea"> month-over-month in July</a>.
The sharp rebound from stagnation in June surprised economists who expected an uptick of just 0.3%. The data also threw off analysts who expected consumers to pull back on spending <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/inflation">due to stubborn inflation</a>.
Turns out, consumers are spending &#8212; they&#8217;re just picky <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/retail">about where they shop</a>. 
For example, spending intentions for leisure and housing are on the rise, according <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/economy/consumer-pulse/state-of-the-us-consumer.html">to</a> Deloitte. Sectors like clothing, however, are experiencing low intention levels compared to 2021.
"Consumer spending has been muted this year due to volatile goods spending, with overall spending going up by only 0.3% since year-end 2023," said the report.
The University of Michigan&#8217;s monthly consumer sentiment index proclaimed <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/07/39750466/us-consumer-morale-dips-more-than-expected-in-july-sentiment-remains-stubbornly-subdued">July as the worst month</a> for consumers since November 2023. However,<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/econ-s/24/08/40419637/us-consumer-confidence-rebounds-in-august-expectations-are-subject-to-change-as-presidential-campaig"> sentiment picked up in August</a>.

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What Companies Are Saying </h2>
Home Depot Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HD#NYSE">HD</a>) felt the sting of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/08/40381559/home-depot-ceo-says-inflation-keeps-eating-away-at-disposable-income-are-home-repairs-being-put-off">homeowners holding off on renovations until interest rates come down</a>. The company&#8217;s second-quarter comparable sales decreased 3.3%, with U.S. comparable sales down 3.6%, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/08/40334855/home-depot-q2-earnings-customer-transactions-decline-cites-weaker-home-improvement-spending-but-rai">reflecting weaker consumer demand</a>.
Macy&#8217;s Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/M#NYSE">M</a>) also saw consumers turning away from more expensive items. Second-quarter sales hovered at around $4.94 billion — down 3.8% year over year.
Macy&#8217;s CEO Tony Spring <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/21/macys-m-q2-2024-earnings.html">told</a> CNBC that "a softness, a carefulness, a delay in the conversion of purchasing&#8221; are to blame.
&#8220;Even the affluent consumer is not spending like they were a year ago,&#8221; he added.
Macy&#8217;s released mixed second-quarter results that <a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/40484046">missed analyst consensus and forced it to lower its guidance</a>. 
Other retailers had better luck. 
TJX Companies Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TJX#NYSE">TJX</a>) shares jumped by over 6% on Wednesday. The company, which owns TJ Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods and Sierra, among other brands, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/08/40484279/tjx-companies-q2-earnings-strong-sales-higher-margins-invests-in-dubais-brands-for-less">posted a 4% increase in store sales</a>. 
The jump in sales was driven entirely by a net rise in customer transactions, said the company, which was surprised by the results and raised its guidance for next year. 
A sales uptick for TJX might mean consumers are choosing to direct their discretionary spending toward discount prices found in stores like TJ Maxx and Marshalls.
An earnings report from Ross Stores Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ROST#NASDAQ">ROST</a>), scheduled for Thursday, might confirm the trend. Analysts from Zachs expect the company to post revenues of $5.25 billion, representing a year-over-year increase of 6.3%.
Strong quarterly results from Walmart Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WMT#NYSE">WMT</a>) took shares 9% higher after the company's <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/08/40391777/walmart-q2-earnings-e-commerce-and-advertising-businesses-fuel-revenue-and-profit-beat-hikes-annual">earnings results were posted Thursday</a>. 
Sales for the quarter totaled $169.34 billion, up 4.8% year-over-year, beating expectations and pushing the company to raise its guidance.
"So far, we aren&#8217;t experiencing a weaker consumer overall," said CEO C. Douglas McMillon. The retail exec also reported a deflationary trend in its U.S. store prices. Walmart shares <a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/40486532">rose on Wednesday</a> in response to positive results from 
Walmart CFO John David Rainey said: &#8220;Everyone is looking for some piece of information that maybe indicates further weakness with our members and our customers, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/40446780">we&#8217;re not seeing it</a>.&#8221; 
Rainey said his company is not immune to the volatility of the day, especially when considering the geopolitical backdrop. &#8220;Other economic data out there, as well as the state of affairs globally, would suggest that it&#8217;s prudent to remain appropriately cautious,&#8221; he said. 
Target Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TGT#NYSE">TGT</a>) sales <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/08/40482203/target-q2-earnings-revenue-and-profit-beat-digital-sales-boost-annual-profit-outlook-hiked">were up by 2.7% and also beat market expectations</a>. CEO Brian Cornell noted improving trends across discretionary categories, most notably in apparel and beauty products.
Consumers have shown remarkable resilience in the face of multiple challenges over the last several years, and they remain resilient today, he said, adding:&nbsp;"Given the significant headwinds they faced with inflation over the last few years, consumers continue to focus on value as they work hard to manage their household budgets.&#8221;
Chief Commercial Officer Rick Gomez said that while economic data remains mixed, American families continue to deal with a lot but are still "willing and able to spend."&nbsp;
"Yes, they&#8217;re still being choiceful. Yes, they&#8217;re budget conscious. And yes, they&#8217;re hunting for deals and everyday value. But they&#8217;re also willing to shop when they find that right combination of fashion and newness at the right price. This was on full display in our second quarter results," said Gomez.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">ETFs To Watch </h2>
<ul>
<li>Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLY#NYSE">XLY</a>), an ETF that follows the performance of major companies in industries such as retail, automobiles, consumer durables, apparel, hotels and restaurants, is up by 1.1% on Wednesday and down 1.3% in the last month.</li>
<li>Vanguard Consumer Discretionary Index Fund ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VCR#NYSE">VCR</a>) presents a similar performance, up 1.3% on Wednesday and down 0.5% in the last month.</li>
</ul>
Now read:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/40492530">Fed Minutes Reveal &#8216;Plausible Case&#8217; For Interest Rate Cut As Policymakers Cheer Inflation Progress</a></li>
</ul>
Shutterstock image.

General

ROST

Is The Consumer OK? What We Know From Retailers About Spending In 2024

Americans are feeling optimistic about the economy given stabilizing inflation and shifting election sentiments. This is especially true as consumer sentiment rose in early August for the first time in five months. Rising consumer sentiment bodes well for household spending in the coming months. It is expected to have a positive impact on the consumer discretionary sector, which attracts a major portion of consumer spending.
Investors can tap the encouraging trend in the basket form through consumer discretionary ETFs like Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (ARCA:XLY), Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF (ARCA:VCR), Fidelity MSCI Consumer Discretionary Index ETF (ARCA:FDIS), First Trust Consumer Discretionary AlphaDEX Fund (ARCA:FXD) and iShares U.S. Consumer Services ETF (ARCA:IYC). These funds have a Zacks ETF Rank #3 (Hold).
The latest University of Michigan consumer sentiment index climbed from 66.4 in July to 67.8, marking the highest reading of consumer sentiment since June. This has sparked strong optimism surrounding the economy and the stock market, which eased concerns about a cooling labor market in early August.
According to the survey, inflation expectations remained stable at 2.9% over the next year and 3% over the next five to 10 years. Consumers&#39; expectations of inflation over the next year remain at their lowest level since December 2020.
Most of the rise in confidence came from presidential election developments. Sentiment for Democrats rose 6% as Vice President Kamala Harris gained ground in public polling while sentiment for Republicans fell 5%. The survey showed that 41% of consumers believe Harris is the better candidate for the economy, while 38% said Trump is better.
Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund
Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund offers exposure to the broad consumer discretionary space and tracks the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector Index. It holds 52 securities in its basket, with key holdings in specialty retail, hotels, restaurants and leisure, broadline retail, and automobiles with a double-digit allocation each.
Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund is the largest and most popular product in this space, with AUM of $18.6 billion and an average daily volume of around 3 million shares. It charges 0.09% in expense ratio.
Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF
Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF follows the MSCI U.S. Investable Market Consumer Discretionary 25/50 Index and holds 302 stocks in its basket. In terms of industrial exposure, broadline retail, automobile manufacturers and restaurants occupy the top three spots.
Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF is the low-cost choice in the space, charging investors only 10 bps in annual fees while volume is good at nearly 61,000 shares a day. The fund has managed $5.4 billion in its asset base so far.
Fidelity MSCI Consumer Discretionary Index ETF
Fidelity MSCI Consumer Discretionary Index ETF tracks the MSCI USA IMI Consumer Discretionary Index, holding 274 stocks in its basket. It has key holdings in broadline retail, specialty retail, hotels, restaurants and leisure, and automobiles.
Fidelity MSCI Consumer Discretionary Index ETF has amassed $1.6 billion in its asset base while trading in a good volume of around 137,000 shares a day on average. It charges 8 bps in annual fees from investors.
First Trust Consumer Discretionary AlphaDEX Fund
First Trust Consumer Discretionary AlphaDEX Fund follows an AlphaDEX methodology and ranks stocks in the space by various growth and value factors, eliminating the bottom-ranked 25% of the stocks. This approach results in a basket of 120 stocks with retailers, travel and leisure, media&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; and personal goods taking double-digit exposure each.
First Trust Consumer Discretionary AlphaDEX has an AUM of $1.5 billion and trades in a volume of 47,000 shares per day on average. It charges a higher 61 bps in annual fees.
iShares U.S. Consumer Services ETF
iShares U.S. Consumer Discretionary ETF offers exposure to U.S. companies that distribute food, drugs, general retail items and media by tracking the Russell 1000 Consumer Disc 40 Act 15/22.5 Daily Capped Index. It holds 176 stocks in its basket, with key holdings in consumer discretionary, consumer services, media &amp; entertainment, consumer staples distribution &amp; retail, and autos &amp; components.
iShares U.S. Consumer Discretionary ETF has amassed $1 billion in its asset base and trades in a moderate volume of 123,000 shares a day on average. It charges 40 bps in annual fees from investors.
<a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2324514/etfs-to-tap-as-consumer-sentiment-improves?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-etf_news_and_commentary-2324514">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a>

First Trustnsumer Discretionary AlphaDEX Fund

ETFs to Tap as Consumer Sentiment Improves

Editor&#8217;s Note: The story has been updated to correct the error that job promises were pushed to 2038. As per Amazon, the original Memorandum Of Understanding stated 2038 as the commitment year/deadline
Amazon.Com Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) has encountered delays in expanding its workforce at its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/23/04/31803239/amazon-seeks-first-incentives-for-virginia-headquarters-report" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Northern Virginia headquarters</a>, a project initially presented as a significant economic boost. 
The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/10/35125190/is-amazons-new-hq-too-fancy-for-its-own-good" rel="noreferrer noopener">22-story towers</a>&nbsp;at HQ2, equipped with luxurious amenities, house 8,000 employees, departing from the frugality that defined Amazon under Jeff Bezos.&nbsp;
Elegant designs, team suites, and a visitor center at HQ2 depict an Amazon moving away from its origins of makeshift desks and self-service coffee.
Despite a commitment to adding 25,000 new jobs by the end of the decade, Amazon&#8217;s workforce in Arlington experienced a reduction last year, attributed to company-wide layoffs and a hiring slowdown.&nbsp;
Holly Sullivan, Amazon&#8217;s vice president of worldwide economic development, cited global hiring reductions as impacting the company&#8217;s growth projections for HQ2 but reassured that Amazon remains committed to its 25,000-job target by 2038 as per the Memorandum Of Understanding, the Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/04/16/amazon-hq2-jobs-arlington-virginia/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reports</a>.
Amazon, which required employees to return to the office three days a week, opened two office towers in Crystal City with capacity for twice the current staff but has paused further construction.&nbsp;
Despite these challenges, Amazon continues to pursue its headquarters project as a long-term investment, with 1,000 positions currently open.&nbsp;
However, the reduction in job creation could decrease the financial incentives Amazon receives from Virginia based on the company&#8217;s fulfillment of its employment commitments.&nbsp;
State officials, who had offered up to $750 million in subsidies for the project, designed the incentives to require Amazon to maintain new jobs for at least five years.&nbsp;
Amazon&#8217;s recent hiring report suggests a smaller payout from Virginia than initially expected, reflecting the unforeseen challenges and adjustments facing the company and its HQ2 project.
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/01/30517576/amazons-cloud-division-earmarks-35b-towards-virginia" rel="noreferrer noopener">Prior reports indicated</a>&nbsp;Amazon Web Services (AWS) plans to commit another $35 billion by 2040 to expanding data centers in Virginia, which would create 1,000 jobs.
Amazon stock gained over 78% in the last 12 months. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;SPDR Select Sector Fund &#8211; Consumer Discretionary&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLY#NYSE">XLY</a>) and&nbsp;Vanguard Consumer Discretion ETF&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VCR#NYSE">VCR</a>).
Also Read:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/04/38200796/amazon-phases-out-developer-incentives-embraces-ai-to-revitalize-alexas-competitive-edge" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amazon Phases Out Developer Incentives, Embraces AI to Revitalize Alexa&#8217;s Competitive Edge (Updated)</a>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo by Sundry Photography on Shutterstock

Media

Amazon's Northern Virginia Dream Fades On Hiring Slowdown, Company Commits To 2038 Deadline (CORRECTED)

McDonald&#8217;s Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MCD#NYSE">MCD</a>) reportedly plans to extend its $5 meal deal across most U.S. locations to attract cost-conscious diners.
Launched on June 25, this initiative aims to entice customers who have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/06/39439346/why-are-mcdonald-shares-trading-higher-friday" rel="noreferrer noopener">cut back on fast food due to inflation.</a>
Approximately 93% of McDonald&#8217;s restaurants have committed to offering the bundle beyond the initial four-week window, with some locations planning to continue through August, reported <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-07-22/mcdonald-s-to-extend-5-meal-deal-citing-customer-traffic?srnd=phx-industries&amp;sref=TBDibEcD" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bloomberg</a>.
Early results show the meal deal is successfully drawing customers back to the restaurants, per the report.
McDonald&#8217;s Chief Marketing Officer Tariq Hassan and National Field President Myra Doria noted in a memo that increasing guest counts is crucial for sustained growth.
The company is also considering extending the meal deal further and extending hours of operation to meet demand during off-peak times.
The company aims to enhance its affordability strategies for the rest of the year, addressing consumer spending limitations due to shrinking disposable incomes.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/06/39524167/mcdonalds-customers-prefer-chicken-over-plant-based-options-report" rel="noreferrer noopener">McDonald&#8217;s Customers Prefer Chicken Over Plant-Based Options: Report</a>
The company&#8217;s $5 meal deal includes a McDouble cheeseburger, small fries, four-piece chicken nuggets, and a small soft drink. The fast-food chain&#8217;s menu has seen historic price hikes of more than <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/06/39428015/mcdonalds-announces-5-value-meal-as-it-looks-to-win-back-customers-were-committed-to-winning-the-val" rel="noreferrer noopener">200% in some cases in the past decade.</a>
McDonald&#8217;s is set to announce its second-quarter <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/earnings" rel="noreferrer noopener">earnings on July 29. </a>The extended meal deal and other affordability measures are part of the company&#8217;s efforts to maintain customer traffic amid economic pressures.
In April, the company reported first-quarter FY24 sales growth of 4.6% year-on-year to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/04/38520891/mcdonalds-bottomline-faces-the-heat-of-consumer-spending-cut-in-q1-shares-slide" rel="noreferrer noopener">$6.17 billion and an adjusted EPS of $2.70</a>.
McDonald&#8217;s stock has lost more than 12% in the last 12 months. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLY#NYSE">XLY</a>) and Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VCR#NYSE">VCR</a>).
Price Action: MCD shares are trading higher by 0.33% at $258.13 at last check Monday.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo by nlinnlin on Shutterstock

Movers

What's Going On With Fast-Food Giant McDonald's Shares Today?

The online e-commerce behemoth Amazon&nbsp;kicked off its most-anticipated two-day Prime Day event. Prime Day sales rose almost 12% year over year in the first seven hours, per data from Momentum Commerce.
According to Numerator, the average household spent about $100 on Prime Day purchases as of noon New York time on Jul 16. The top-selling items included protein shakes, the Amazon Fire TV stick streaming device, sunscreen and Amazon&#39;s Happy Belly brand grocery items.
Investors can tap the opportune moment with the ETFs having a double-digit allocation to this online behemoth. These include ProShares Online Retail ETF (ARCA:ONLN), Fidelity MSCI Consumer Discretionary Index ETF (ARCA:FDIS), Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF (ARCA:VCR), Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (ARCA:XLY) and VanEck Vectors Retail ETF (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/rth#NASDAQ">RTH</a>).
According to Adobe data, the 48-hour event is expected to rake in $14 billion in online sales, up 10.5% from the last year. Shoppers are expected to spend $7.1 billion on Amazon on Tuesday alone, up 11.3% from last year. Day 2 is expected to bring $6.9 billion in online sales, up 9.2% year over year. The biggest discount is expected on electronics at 22%, followed by 20% on clothing, 17% on home goods and furniture and 11% on sporting goods.
<h3>ETFs in Focus</h3>
ProShares Online Retail ETF
ProShares Online Retail ETF offers exposure to companies that principally sell online or through other non-store channels and then zeros in on the companies that reshape the retail space. It tracks the ProShares Online Retail Index, holding 18 stocks in its basket. Amazon is the top firm, accounting for 23.4% of the portfolio. ProShares Online Retail ETF has amassed $101.8 million in its asset base and charges 58 bps in annual fees from investors.
Fidelity MSCI Consumer Discretionary Index ETF
Fidelity MSCI Consumer Discretionary Index ETF tracks the MSCI USA IMI Consumer Discretionary Index, holding 274 stocks in its basket. Of these, Amazon takes the top spot with a 23.3% share. Fidelity MSCI Consumer Discretionary Index ETF has amassed $1.5 billion in its asset base and charges 8 bps in annual fees from investors. It has a Zacks ETF Rank #3 (Hold) with a Medium risk outlook.
Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF
Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF currently follows the MSCI US Investable Market Consumer Discretionary 25/50 Index and holds 304 stocks in its basket. Of these, Amazon occupies the top position, with a 23.4% allocation. Broadline Retail takes the largest share at 25.5%, while automobile manufacturers, restaurants and home improvement retail round off the next three spots. VCR charges investors 10 bps in annual fees. The product has managed $5.7 billion in its asset base and carries a Zacks ETF Rank #3 with a Medium risk outlook.
Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund
Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund offers exposure to the broad consumer discretionary space by tracking the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector Index. It is the largest and the most popular product in this space, with AUM of nearly $20 billion and an average daily volume of 2.7 million shares. Holding 52 securities in its basket, Amazon takes the top spot with 22.5% of assets. Broadline retail, specialty retail, hotels, restaurants &amp; leisure, and automobiles are the top four sectors with double-digit exposure each. Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund charges 0.09% in expense ratio and has a Zacks ETF Rank #3 with a Medium risk outlook.
VanEck Vectors Retail ETF
VanEck Vectors Retail ETF provides exposure to the 26 largest retail firms by tracking the MVIS US Listed Retail 25 Index, which measures the performance of the companies involved in retail distribution, wholesalers, online, direct mail and TV retailers, multi-line retailers, specialty retailers and food and other staples retailers. Amazon takes the top position in the basket with a 20.4% share. VanEck Vectors Retail ETF has amassed $213 million in its asset base and charges 35 bps in annual fees. It trades in trading volume of 5,000 shares per day on average and has a Zacks ETF Rank #2 (Buy) with a Medium risk outlook.
<a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2303589/5-etfs-to-profit-from-amazon-s-prime-day-event?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-etf_news_and_commentary-2303589">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a>

Events

Merrill Lynch Retail HOLDRS Trust due 12/31/41

5 ETFs to Profit From Amazon's Prime Day Event

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) is under scrutiny by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for its recent hiring of top executives and researchers from AI startup Adept.
The FTC&#8217;s request for more details reflects concerns about how <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/artificial-intelligence" rel="noreferrer noopener">AI-related deals</a> are structured and follows a broader review of partnerships between major tech companies and AI startups.
The informal inquiry, which has not previously been reported, focuses on Amazon&#8217;s announcement that Adept CEO David Luan and others will join Amazon, which will also license some of Adept&#8217;s technology, according to Reuters reports.
These inquiries do not necessarily lead to formal investigations or enforcement actions.
Amazon is working to catch up with rivals Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) and Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) in developing advanced language models capable of responding to complex prompts.
David Luan now leads Amazon&#8217;s &#8220;AGI Autonomy&#8221; team, composed of many former Adept employees, and reports to Rohit Prasad, head of the AGI team, according to Reuters.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/top-stories/24/07/39776938/amazon-set-to-top-last-years-prime-day-results-due-to-early-deals-analysts-say" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amazon Set To Top Last Year&#8217;s Prime Day Results Due To Early Deals, Analysts Say</a>
Adept, founded in 2022, had raised over $400 million to train language models for enterprise clients but struggled to launch successful commercial products.
The FTC is also examining a similar move by Microsoft, which hired several leaders from another AI startup, Inflection AI, and agreed to pay a $650 million licensing fee.
The FTC&#8217;s broader investigation includes looking into investments and partnerships in the AI space, such as Amazon&#8217;s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/03/37974682/amazon-pours-4b-into-ai-startup-challenging-google-and-openai-with-its-largest-external-investment-i" rel="noreferrer noopener">$4 billion investment</a> in AI startup Anthropic.
The regulator seeks to understand how these partnerships affect strategy, pricing, product access, and personnel decisions.
U.S. antitrust enforcers are concerned that Big Tech could leverage their advantages in AI to suppress smaller competitors.
The FTC and the Justice Department are prepared to investigate potential anti-competitive behavior involving major tech firms and AI companies, such as Microsoft, OpenAI, and Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), Reuters writes.
Amazon stock has gained more than 47% in the last 12 months. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;Consumer&nbsp;Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLY#NYSE">XLY</a>) and Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VCR#NYSE">VCR</a>).
Also Read:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39755563/amazon-expands-ai-shopping-assistant-rufus-to-all-us-customers-as-prime-day-approaches" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amazon Expands AI Shopping Assistant Rufus to All US Customers As Prime Day Approaches</a></li>
</ul>
Price Action: AMZN shares are trading higher by 0.81% at $194.29 at the last check on Tuesday.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo via Shutterstock

NVDA

Amazon Faces FTC Inquiry Over AI Talent Acquisition From Adept

Shares of Nike Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NKE#NYSE">NKE</a>) are trading slightly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/premarket" rel="noreferrer noopener">higher premarket today</a>. The sneaker giant has brought back a retired senior executive to manage its retail partnerships after experiencing strained relationships with sneaker sellers and a decline in sales.
Tom Peddie, who spent 30 years at Nike before retiring in 2020, has returned as vice president of marketplace partners, according to an internal memo obtained by Bloomberg.
Under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer John Donahoe, Nike has been working to restore its connections with retailers like Foot Locker Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FL#NYSE">FL</a>).
This move follows Nike&#8217;s strategy shift towards its own stores, e-commerce, and apps, which led to severed ties with many retail partners. Consequently, Nike&#8217;s stock has plummeted by 31% this year.
&#8220;As we continue to focus and improve capabilities in our wholesale business, I am confident that Tom will bring both vision and bold leadership to accelerate the Marketplace strategy,&#8221; said Craig William, Nike&#8217;s president of geographies and marketplace, in the memo.
Peddie held various senior management roles during his tenure at Nike. His last position was vice president and general manager of North America. His return to Nike was set for June 24.
Recently, the company said it expects first-quarter revenue to be down approximately 10% and a high single-digit decline in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39579541/whats-going-on-with-nikes-stock" rel="noreferrer noopener">sales for the first half of the year.</a>
The decline in the guidance revenue is driven by aggressive management of classic footwear lines, ongoing challenges in digital sales, subdued wholesale orders, a softer outlook in Greater China and several timing-related factors.
Nike reported fourth-quarter revenue of $12.6 billion, down 2% year-over-year, missing the analyst <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/06/39536852/nike-q4-earnings-highlights-revenue-miss-eps-beat-taking-our-near-term-challenges-head-on" rel="noreferrer noopener">consensus estimate of $12.91 billion.</a>
Nike stock has lost more than 30% in the last 12 months. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VCR#NYSE">VCR</a>) and Fidelity MSCI Consumer Discretionary Index ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FDIS#NYSE">FDIS</a>).
Price Action: NKE shares are trading higher by 0.48% at $73.40 in premarket at last check Tuesday.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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Management

What's Going On With Sneaker Giant Nike's Shares Today?

Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) is reportedly preparing to launch a new section on its shopping site, targeting overseas consumers with affordable items shipped directly from warehouses in China.
This strategic move is aimed to compete with bargain sites like Temu and Shein, reported Reuters.
The upcoming marketplace will feature unbranded fashion, home goods, and daily necessities, promising delivery times of 9 to 11 days.
In a recent closed-door meeting, Amazon informed Chinese sellers that it would start signing up merchants this summer and begin accepting inventory in the fall, per the report, which cited the Information.
Sellers on this new platform can select their product offerings, set their own prices, and produce in small batches to test market demand.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/06/39516038/amazon-cloud-conference-disrupted-protestors-demand-company-end-1-2b-contract-with-israel-shared-by" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amazon Cloud Conference Disrupted, Protestors Demand Company End $1.2B Contract With Israel Shared By AWS Parent And Google</a>
&#8220;We are always exploring new ways to work with our selling partners to delight our customers with more selection, lower prices, and greater convenience,&#8221; an Amazon spokesperson said, per the report.
It remains unclear if Amazon will utilize a U.S. trade provision that exempts individual packages valued at less than $800 from customs duties.
Both Shein, which is expanding ahead of a public offering, and Temu, owned by PDD Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PDD#NASDAQ">PDD</a>), benefit from this expedited clearance process for direct-to-consumer shipments.
Amazon stock has gained 50% in the last 12 months. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;Consumer&nbsp;Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLY#NYSE">XLY</a>) and Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VCR#NYSE">VCR</a>).
Price Action: AMZN shares closed higher by 3.90% at $193.61 on Wednesday.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/06/39470396/amazon-set-to-challenge-chatgpt-parent-openai-with-new-ai-service-metis-report" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amazon Set To Challenge ChatGPT-Parent OpenAI With New AI Service &#8216;Metis&#8217;: Report</a>
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Citigourp Global Markets 2% Protected Notes Linked To The Djia

Amazon To Challenge Shein And Temu With New Bargain Site: Report

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) reportedly plans a major overhaul of its Alexa service, integrating <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/artificial-intelligence" rel="noreferrer noopener">conversational generative AI</a>.
The project, known internally as &#8220;Banyan,&#8221; will introduce a two-tier system with a premium version potentially costing around $5 monthly, marking the first major update to the voice assistant since its 2014 launch, reported Reuters.
Amazon has set an August deadline for the latest version of Alexa, with CEO Andy Jassy showing a strong interest in revitalizing the service, the report added.
The revamped Alexa, named &#8220;Remarkable Alexa,&#8221; aims to enhance user interaction with more intelligent and capable features. However, the final pricing and release details remain subject to change based on the progress of Project Banyan.
The updated Alexa is designed to keep pace with advancements from competitors like Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) Google, Microsoft (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), and OpenAI.
These companies have gained <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/04/38137032/google-to-integrate-gemini-ai-chatbot-in-android-offering-an-alternative-to-dedicated-app-report" rel="noreferrer noopener">attention for their chatbots</a>, prompting Amazon to push for AI integration in over half a billion Alexa-enabled devices. Amazon aims to boost Alexa&#8217;s usability by providing more proactive, personalized assistance, per the report.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/06/39430066/banco-santander-nears-deal-to-provide-consumer-loans-for-amazon-shoppers-in-europe-report" rel="noreferrer noopener">Banco Santander Nears Deal To Provide Consumer Loans For Amazon Shoppers In Europe: Report</a>
The report cited Amazon employees who have described Project Banyan as a critical effort to prove Alexa&#8217;s viability in generating meaningful sales.
The service&#8217;s current uses include setting timers, checking the weather, and controlling smart home devices. With AI enhancements, Amazon hopes Alexa will offer advanced features such as composing emails and making detailed shopping recommendations.
Also, Amazon plans to enhance home automation capabilities through Alexa. Future iterations could enable devices to learn user habits, such as turning on lights or brewing coffee based on daily routines.
In November last year, Amazon reportedly planned to layoff several hundred employees in its Alexa division to focus <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/11/35860986/amazons-alexa-division-to-slash-jobs-as-company-pivots-to-generative-ai" rel="noreferrer noopener">towards the development of generative AI</a>.
Amazon stock has gained about 49% in the last 12 months. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;Consumer&nbsp;Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLY#NYSE">XLY</a>) and Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VCR#NYSE">VCR</a>).
Price Action: AMZN shares are trading higher by 0.21% at $186.50 at last check Friday.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/06/39382137/amazon-expands-rxpass-to-medicare-members-a-closer-look-at-savings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amazon Expands RxPass To Medicare Members: A Closer Look At Savings</a>
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Amazon Plans Major Alexa Overhaul With AI-Powered Features: Report

Amazon.com Inc&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) Prime RxPass subscription service has now expanded to over 50 million Medicare beneficiaries, enhancing affordable access to <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/amazon-pharmacy-rxpass-affordable-medication-medicare">medications for a broader audience</a>. 
This rollout promises significant savings and convenience, emphasizing the program&#8217;s alignment with customer-centric healthcare solutions.
Launched on Tuesday, RxPass now offers its services to a vast demographic of Medicare recipients, aiming to streamline the purchasing of medicines and support better health management.
Medicare beneficiaries utilizing RxPass for their medication needs could save an average of $70 annually for those on a single medication, with greater savings for those requiring multiple prescriptions. 
Overall, this could lead to a nearly $2 billion reduction in Medicare spending if all eligible beneficiaries switch to RxPass.
&#8220;Programs like RxPass help reduce cost, while increasing convenience for caregivers, and customers of all ages, which is shown to improve medication adherence and support better health outcomes,&#8221; stated John Love, Vice President of Amazon Pharmacy.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/06/39378783/amazon-labor-union-partners-with-teamsters-to-boost-bargaining-power-report">Amazon Labor Union Partners With Teamsters To Boost Bargaining Power: Report</a>
Amazon Pharmacy, acting as a digital pharmacy, offers transparent pricing and round-the-clock access to pharmacists. The Prime-associated savings plan, RxPass, provides an alternative to traditional insurance coverage, offering significant discounts on medications.
With a substantial portion of Americans facing challenges like &#8220;pharmacy deserts,&#8221; mobility issues, or high medication costs, RxPass aims to alleviate these barriers, potentially improving long-term health outcomes for millions.
Since its inception in 2020, Amazon Pharmacy has been actively working to divert customers from established competitors like CVS Health Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVS#NYSE">CVS</a>) and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WBA#NASDAQ">WBA</a>), reported Reuters.
The RxPass program, priced at $5 per month, includes 60 generic medications, round-the-clock pharmacist access, and free delivery, making it an attractive alternative to traditional pharmacy offerings.
Amazon stock has gained more than 46% in the last 12 months. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;Consumer&nbsp;Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLY#NYSE">XLY</a>) and Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VCR#NYSE">VCR</a>).
Price Action: AMZN shares are trading lower by 0.38% at $183.36 at last check Tuesday.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/05/39093895/amazons-drone-program-to-expand-with-new-faa-clearance-whats-on-the-move">Amazon&#8217;s Drone Program To Expand With New FAA Clearance &#8211; What&#8217;s On The Move?</a>
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Health Care

Amazon Expands RxPass To Medicare Members: A Closer Look At Savings

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) workers, through their union, the Amazon Labor Union (ALU), reportedly voted to align with one of the nation&#8217;s largest labor organizations, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
This alliance aims to amplify their influence in future negotiations with the e-commerce giant.
Approximately 98% of ALU members supported the partnership, which seeks to enhance their bargaining power in securing better employment conditions for Amazon workers, reported <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-06-18/amazon-union-allies-with-teamsters-in-big-labor-advance?srnd=technology-vp&amp;sref=TBDibEcD" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bloomberg</a>.
The ALU previously achieved a significant organization win in 2022 at an Amazon facility on Staten Island, but faced setbacks with losses in two subsequent union elections and internal disputes.
Efforts to engage Amazon in official negotiations have stalled, further complicating their campaign.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/05/39068922/amazon-partners-with-orange-to-launch-cloud-services-in-morocco-and-senegal-report" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amazon Partners With Orange To Launch Cloud Services In Morocco And Senegal: Report</a>
Chris Smalls, a prominent leader within the ALU, along with 15 other union officials, recently finalized an agreement in Washington, D.C. with Teamsters President Sean O'Brien to strengthen their collaboration, per the report.
O&#8217;Brien&#8217;s organization represents approximately 1.3 million workers, enhancing the potential impact of this union alliance.
In April, Amazon reported first-quarter net sales of $143.3 billion, up 13% year-over-year. Earnings per share of 98 cents in the first quarter beat a Street consensus <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/04/38534302/amazon-q1-earnings-highlights-revenue-beat-eps-beat-aws-hits-100-billion-annual-run-rate-and-more" rel="noreferrer noopener">estimate of 82 cents per share</a>.
Amazon stock has gained more than 46% in the last 12 months. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;Consumer&nbsp;Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLY#NYSE">XLY</a>) and Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VCR#NYSE">VCR</a>).
Price Action: AMZN shares are trading lower by 0.16% at $183.77 in premarket at last check Tuesday.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/05/39093895/amazons-drone-program-to-expand-with-new-faa-clearance-whats-on-the-move" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amazon&#8217;s Drone Program To Expand With New FAA Clearance &#8211; What&#8217;s On The Move?</a>
Photo via Shutterstock

Amazon Labor Union Partners With Teamsters To Boost Bargaining Power: Report

Former President Donald Trump has changed the Republican Party&#8217;s economic policy in recent years, opting for <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/02/37297217/you-screw-us-we-screw-you-trump-vows-to-impose-retaliatory-tariffs-against-china-or-any-other-countr">protectionism and tariffs</a> in a historic departure from conservative norms. Trump floated a new policy idea to CEOs and lawmakers in a meeting ahead of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/2024-election">the 2024 election</a>.
What Happened: Citing anonymous sources, CNBC reporter Emily Wilkins <a href="https://x.com/emrwilkins/status/1801259034734985607">wrote</a> Trump floated the idea of eliminating income taxes in favor of an &#8220;all tariff policy&#8221; to lawmakers and CEOs on Thursday.
<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/05/donald-trump-attends-private-ceo-meeting.html">According</a> to CNBC, Trump is joined at a Business Roundtable meeting by influential business leaders, including Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, Carlyle Group CEO Harvey Schwartz and AT&amp;T CEO John Stankey, among others.
While the roundtable historically approved of Trump&#8217;s tax policies, it has turned a less favorable eye to his protectionist tariffs. Trump&#8217;s tariffs have historically <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/04/38136283/donald-trumps-china-tariff-push-could-slow-down-economy-and-fuel-inflation-goldman-sachs-cautions">targeted Chinese goods</a>, intending to help domestic manufacturing and workers.
Why it Matters: Trump&#8217;s policy would likely act as <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/personal-finance/24/06/39235281/wealthy-households-looking-to-benefit-most-from-trumps-proposed-10-12-trillion-tax-cuts">a highly regressive tax</a>, benefitting the wealthy while straining lower-income Americans&#8217; pocketbooks. About 40% of Americans, those typically in low-income households, <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/242138/percentages-of-us-households-that-pay-no-income-tax-by-income-level/#:~:text=In%20total%2C%20about%2059.9%20percent,paid%20no%20individual%20income%20taxes.">pay</a> no income tax; instead, they would be burdened by higher prices for goods. Low-income individuals&#8217; spending on goods accounts for a higher percentage of their total net worth than high-income individuals.
Trump&#8217;s tariff policy, enacted when he was in office, raised only $63 billion in 2019, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/08/07/749163931/trumps-tariff-bounty-how-much-the-u-s-has-brought-in-and-where-the-money-is-goin">according</a> to NPR. The federal government <a href="https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/americas-finance-guide/government-revenue/">raised</a> $1.7 trillion through income taxes in 2024. A rebalancing of federal tax income would either require an extreme increase in tariffs, a reduction in government spending (likely on Social Security or Medicaid), or both.
In a <a href="https://x.com/paulkrugman/status/1801296665451593868">post</a> on X, economist Paul Krugman estimated that Trump would need to implement an average tariff rate of 133 percent to sustain the policy.
Markets Implication: Trump&#8217;s &#8220;all tariff policy&#8221; would likely be bad news for sectors heavily reliant on imports. 
Companies in the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLY#NYSE">XLY</a>) and Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VCR#NYSE">VCR</a>) may face much higher import costs for goods. Many technology companies rely on global supply chains and may be subject to increased costs due to tariffs on imported components. ETFs like the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLK#NYSE">XLK</a>) and Vanguard Information Technology ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VGT#NYSE">VGT</a>) could be affected.
In contrast, ETFs reliant on domestic manufacturing could stand to benefit. An example is the First Trust RBA Amer Industrial Renaissance ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AIRR#NASDAQ">AIRR</a>). 
If Trump specifically targets Chinese goods, it could be good news for other international manufacturers. The iShares MSCI Japan ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EWJ#NYSE">EWJ</a>) and iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EWY#NYSE">EWY</a>) are examples of international funds that could export more goods to the U.S. in China&#8217;s absence.
Some Trump critics, including ex-Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, have warned that Trump&#8217;s economic plan would lead to a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/06/39131503/ex-treasury-secretary-larry-summers-warns-trumps-re-election-may-push-mortgage-rate">rapid increase in inflation </a>and mortgage rates; such a result would affect the entire economy negatively.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/05/38791491/biden-vs-trump-incumbent-fails-to-win-voter-confidence-to-steer-economy-as-new-poll-identifies-infla">Biden Vs. Trump: Incumbent Fails To Win Voter Confidence To Steer Economy As New Poll Identifies Inflation As Major Pushback</a>
Photo: <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/devonyu">Feng Yu</a> via Shutterstock

Government

Politics

Global

Economics

AIRR

No Income Tax, Yes To High Import Tariffs? Trump Floats Idea To CEOs, GOP Lawmakers

Nike Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NKE#NYSE">NKE</a>) encountered a significant legal hurdle in its ongoing efforts to trademark the term &#8220;footware&#8221; for tech-related products, following a ruling by the General Court of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/european-union">the European Union.</a>
This decision came after a challenge from German competitor Puma SE (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PMMAF#OTC">PMMAF</a>).
The EU court, the bloc&#8217;s second-highest judicial authority, not only rejected Nike&#8217;s trademark application but also mandated that the U.S. sportswear giant cover the legal expenses incurred by Puma. 
The court&#8217;s judgment is based on concerns that the term &#8220;footware&#8221; might be confused with &#8220;footwear,&#8221; a generic term that cannot be trademarked, The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/retail/nike-loses-to-puma-in-eu-trademark-dispute-0789b3cc?mod=retail_news_article_pos5">reported</a>.
Nike&#8217;s intent with the &#8220;footware&#8221; trademark was to bridge concepts of &#8220;foot&#8221; with &#8220;software&#8221; or &#8220;hardware,&#8221; aiming to label a range of tech-integrated products. 
However, the court sided with Puma&#8217;s argument that the term could easily be misinterpreted as &#8220;footwear&#8221; by consumers, thereby categorizing it as merely descriptive rather than distinctive.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/06/39183169/nikes-multiyear-cost-cutting-strategy-leads-to-layoffs-in-europe-report">Nike&#8217;s Multiyear Cost-Cutting Strategy Leads To Layoffs In Europe: Report</a>
This ruling follows various legal challenges against Nike&#8217;s trademark attempts in multiple jurisdictions. 
While Nike previously succeeded in securing the trademark in the U.K. following a 2021 ruling, its efforts faced a setback in the U.S. earlier this year when the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board sided with San Antonio Shoemakers, who argued against the trademark on similar grounds.
Nike has the option to escalate the case to the European Court of Justice, the EU's highest court, should it choose to continue pursuing the trademark. 
Nike stock has lost more than 12% in the last 12 months. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VCR#NYSE">VCR</a>) and Fidelity MSCI Consumer Discretionary Index ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FDIS#NYSE">FDIS</a>).
Price Action: NKE shares are trading higher by 0.53% at $94.18 in premarket at last check Thursday.
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/05/39045408/nike-wins-partial-victory-in-three-stripe-trademark-battle-with-adidas">Nike Wins Partial Victory in Three-Stripe Trademark Battle with Adidas</a>
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Eurozone

PMMAF

Nike's Bid To Trademark 'Footware' Thwarted By EU Court

About 15,800&nbsp;Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) Flex drivers reportedly initiated arbitration claims against the tech giant, alleging misclassification as independent contractors rather than employees, highlighting ongoing disputes over worker rights and classification in the gig economy.
The drivers, represented by their legal counsel, have lodged these claims with the American Arbitration Association, seeking recompense for unpaid wages and work-related expenses including mileage and cellphone usage, reported Reuters.
The claims also address specific grievances regarding the lack of mandated breaks for shifts longer than 3.5 hours, and the absence of 30-minute meal breaks for those working more than five hours a day.
These conditions have raised significant concerns about the treatment of Flex drivers under current labor laws.
Furthermore, the arbitration claims include allegations that Amazon has failed to provide detailed wage statements as required by California law, the report noted.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/entertainment/24/06/39204229/amazon-strengthens-india-presence-with-mx-player-asset-acquisition-report" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amazon Strengthens India Presence With MX Player Asset Acquisition: Report</a>
In response to these claims, an Amazon spokesperson told Reuters, &#8220;The Amazon Flex program gives individuals the opportunity to set their own schedule and be their own boss, while earning competitive pay.&#8221;
Amazon Flex operates similarly to other gig economy services like Uber Technologies Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UBER#NYSE">UBER</a>), providing rapid delivery of household items through Amazon Prime Now and Amazon Fresh.
Amazon stock has gained more than 48% in the last 12 months. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;Consumer&nbsp;Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLY#NYSE">XLY</a>) and Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VCR#NYSE">VCR</a>).
Price Action: AMZN shares are trading higher by 0.09% at $187.23 at the last check Wednesday.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/05/38967609/amazon-pours-17b-into-cloud-infrastructure-in-spain-report" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amazon Inks &#8216;Largest Technology Investment&#8217; In Spain, Pours $17B Into Cloud Infrastructure</a>
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