Business

Upcoming Earnings: Key Industry Players Set to Make Waves

As the business community prepares for a critical week of earnings reports, the anticipation is high for signals that could shape market perspectives. This week's schedule presents earnings from a diverse set of industries, promising insights from high-tech industry leaders to dynamic retail players:

• Oracle (ORCL): Oracle will be closely scrutinized for signs of profitability and growth within its cloud division, a barometer for the company's strategic direction amidst a competitive tech landscape.

• Miniso (MNSO): Global retail chain Miniso will reveal its financial performance, which may reflect broader consumer spending trends and the company's effectiveness in capturing market share internationally.

• PDD Holdings (PDD): PDD Holdings, a key player in China's e-commerce market, with its performance potentially setting the tempo for the sector's growth trajectory.

• Adobe (ADBE): Adobe's earnings will be evaluated for evidence of sustained momentum in its Creative Cloud offerings, with market analysts watching for continued subscription growth.

• Jabil (JBL): Jabil's results will provide insights into the electronics manufacturing sector's health and may indicate broader supply chain dynamics.

The takeaway:

These upcoming earnings announcements are a crucial indicator of not just individual corporate health but also of broader economic currents. Oracle's earnings will provide indicators of the cloud computing sector's growth. Miniso's report will give clues about the health of global retail and consumer spending. PDD's figures will reflect the vibrancy

Technology

Why All The Layoffs?

Your parents age old advice of “get a good corporate job, it’s safe and you’ll always have a paycheck” Has never been more untrue. In their defense, it was different in their day. Companies didn’t have a limitless talent pool thanks to the internet. They had actual job boards and classified ads. It was actually in their benefit to train and retain talent. Now companies can get online and find candiates anywhere in the work. (Hop off my soapbox)

 As March 8^th, 2024, 192 tech companies have laid off 49,736 workers (layoffs.fyi).

Almost 50,000 people laid off, in this one industry in the first 70 days of the year.

We can chalk this up to a lot of things, the economy slowing, inflation, fear of an oncoming recession. I think it’s a combination of all these, paired with VC money tightening, AI making people more efficient, and the fact that companies tried to scale at crazy rates the past 3 years for the current situation.

Whether people like him or not, Elon showed the tech world how few employees it really takes to run a company like X (Twitter) by slashing their workforce. Facebook and others have taken note and followed suit, eliminating roles across their companies. 

Silver lining, if you’re hiring the talent pool has never been richer. It’s also hard times like these that drive innovation. There were some very smart, talented people let go. That now have a lot of time on their hands. I for one, am excited to see what they come up with.

Sports

Will The Players Championship be a Tune-Up for Tiger before Masters?

If Tiger Woods decides to come back for the Masters next month, it's important for him to play some competitive rounds before that. The Players tournament is a great chance for him to test and improve his game. Plus, being in the Players gives him enough time to recover and prepare for the Masters.

According to Sports Illustrated, Woods gets into the Players because of his 2019 Masters win, which comes with a five-year exemption. Since the tournament was canceled in 2020, he actually gets an extra year. So, the 2025 Players would be his last exemption year from the Masters win unless he qualifies differently.

The talk has always been about the Players Championship next week. This goes back to December when Tiger Woods mentioned at the Hero World Challenge that his surgically repaired right ankle was doing well, making him think he could play in tournaments about once a month this year.

We should get our answer today when the field is released…

NHL Trade Deadline Winners & Losers

The 2024 NHL trade deadline witnessed some teams excelling in their moves while others faced disappointments. Notable winners and losers were identified by The Sporting News.

Winners:

• Vegas Golden Knights: The defending champions made bold moves, acquiring defenseman Noah Hanifin, winger Anthony Mantha, and center Tomas Hertl, strengthening their roster for a potential repeat.

• Colorado Avalanche: While not flashy, GM Chris McFarland improved the team's depth with acquisitions like center Casey Mittelstadt, wingers Yakov Trenin and Brandon Duhaime, and defenseman Sean Walker, enhancing their chances in a competitive Western Conference.

• Carolina Hurricanes: Landing Jake Guentzel, a perfect fit for their needs, and adding Evgeny Kuznetsov demonstrated a commitment to contending for the Stanley Cup.

• Vladimir Tarasenko/Florida Panthers: Tarasenko, with a no-trade clause, chose to join the Panthers, further boosting an already formidable lineup, making them clear favorites in the East.

• Dallas Stars: Despite no trades during the deadline week, earlier moves, including acquiring defenseman Chris Tanev, and the stellar performance of prospect Logan Stankoven, positioned the Stars as winners.

Losers:

• New York Rangers: Falling short in the pursuit of Jake Guentzel and missing out on significant splashes made their deadline less impactful, despite adding depth options.

• Los Angeles Kings: Remaining inactive while division rivals improved left the Kings in a less favorable position, especially considering the competitiveness in the Western Conference.

• Sidney Crosby/Penguins fans: The trade of Guentzel signaled a shift away from a playoff push for the Penguins, leaving fans and Crosby in an unusual position of missing the postseason.

Fans of deadline day: Anticipation for a thrilling deadline day was dampened by fewer prominent names available, resulting in a somewhat lackluster day of trades

Fitness/Health

Unlock Peak Performance: The Ultimate 6-Week HIIT Plan for Busy Executives and Entrepreneurs

For executives and entrepreneurs seeking to maintain peak performance, the Ultimate 6-Week HIIT Workout Plan from Muscle & Fitness offers a targeted approach to fitness that can easily fit into a busy schedule. This program emphasizes short, intense workouts that maximize fat burning and muscle building through high-intensity interval training (HIIT). By progressively decreasing rest periods, it challenges your body and promotes rapid improvements in fitness and body composition. 

To complement your fitness routine, consider integrating mindfulness practices into your daily life. Meditation apps provide accessible guided sessions that can enhance focus, reduce stress, and improve decision-making. Prioritizing sleep is also crucial, with 7-9 hours recommended for optimal health and productivity. A consistent sleep schedule and a pre-sleep routine can significantly impact your overall well-being and performance.

Entertainment

Has Dune Done Enough to Greenlight Dune: Part 3

Dune: Part Two is the highly anticipated sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 film “Dune” has left critics and audiences in awe over the past few weeks, drawing rave reviews. With some comparing Austin Butlers portrayal of Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen to likes of the all-time great cinema villains. Such as Javier Bardems as Anton Yelchin in “No Country for Old Men” and Heath Ledgers  as the Joker in “The Dark Knight”.

With Dune (2021) coming out amidst the Covid Pandemic, people, myself included were very curious about how the sequel would perform. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Dune: Part Two opened better than expected ($182.5 Million Globally), and should cruise past the break even benchmark of roughly $500 Million. 

With the recent resurgence of Dune (2021) on streaming services, over 200 million at the global box office for Part Two with more coming in every day, and the critical and audience acclaim that the film has received I can confidently say Dune: Part Three will be greenlit soon.

New Music

Gary Clark Jr. has released some new music for the first time since his 2019 Album “This Land”. Gary, if you’re unfamiliar with his work is one of the top Blues artists of our day. Not to mention one of the most gifted guitarists on the planet. Do yourself a favor and check out his collection.

When Sir Paul McCartney was asked about the future of guitar playing, he replied: