Becker Private Equity & Business Podcast
14 Business News Stories We Are Following Today 1-24-25
Fri, 24 Jan 2025
In this episode, Scott Becker shares a market update.
Chapter 1: What stories are driving the market today?
This is Scott Becker with the Becker Private Equity and Business Podcast. We're going to quickly take you through 14 stories that we're following today. And thank you for listening to the Becker Private Equity and Business Podcast. Ranked this week number two and number one on the Apple Business News Podcast rankings. It's been a great week and we're thankful to our listeners.
Chapter 2: What are the latest updates on Electronic Arts?
First, Electronic Arts took it on the chin yesterday, as did some other stocks. They dropped nearly 17% on lower revenues than anticipated. So that was Electronic Arts just got tanked. Second, American Airlines also dropped almost 9% on weaker demand, missed revenue estimates, and higher fuel costs. Third, Boeing reports a massive cash flow loss of $3.5 billion and nearly a 10% revenue miss.
Chapter 3: How did American Airlines perform recently?
Not good news there. Fourth, Intuitive Surgical saw revenues rise 25%. It met its estimates, but didn't have quite the growth the market was hoping for. Fifth, JPMorgan Chase, the bank ran by Jamie Dimon, rose to a record high in 2024 as its deal makers and its traders went to windfall and had a very busy year. Reuters reports there. Sixth, two of the things that we're watching this year.
Chapter 4: What is the situation with Boeing's cash flow?
First, the big three market cap companies, Nvidia's again taking the lead over Apple and Microsoft. So Nvidia's number one, Apple's number two, Mercosur's number three. Second, a key part of my own watch list right now, I'm always looking at stocks investing, although I do much better investing in index funds, is Apple, Nvidia, and Amex. Apple's down 11% year-to-date. Nvidia's up 7%, 8%.
Chapter 5: What are the results for Intuitive Surgical?
And Amex is also up 8% year-to-date. I've not pulled the trigger on any of them. And, of course, wish I did on the two that are up. Seventh, I was having a conversation with somebody yesterday that's been back and forth trying to get in touch. And at some point, the person I was talking to was just fantastic, said to me, you know, I've been trying to reach you and connect with you. You're so busy.
Chapter 6: How has JPMorgan Chase fared in 2024?
And I think when I am so busy, it's not a good sign. What it really means is I'm doing a poor job of prioritizing and a bad job of saying no to things and probably trying to please too many people and not being very effective. There's a great Jamie Dimon discussion in this. We talked about Jamie Dimon a moment ago as the JPMorgan Chase CEO and just magnificently
Chapter 7: Which companies are currently leading the market cap?
He talks about people that are frenetic and saying, oh, the situation's frenetic. And the reality is it's usually not the situation. It's usually me that has to calm down and get myself clear. And that's really what I take out of that conversation when somebody says, you've been so hard to reach or you're so busy because I'm doing a poor job organizing myself.
Chapter 8: How can prioritizing tasks improve productivity?
Eighth, we had near record advertising revenues last month on the Becker Private Equity Business Podcast. Just a terrific month. We specialize in business-to-business webinars and podcasts. A lot of discussions recently about tariffs. Tariffs may be the right thing for various reasons. It may help our workforce in some ways by reducing competition from overseas manufacturers.
But make no mistake, they're generally not a good thing in the long run and ultimately can really cause trouble for fighting inflation and cause other problems as well. So I want to get that excited about the tariff bandwagon. Tenth, some people are the most thankful and appreciative people I ever get to work with, and I so love and appreciate those folks who are built like that and like that.
Eleventh, five of the healthcare companies we're watching this year, Abridge, founded by Dr. Shivdan Rao, ACASA, Hippocratic AI, founded by Munjal Shah and funded by Andreessen Horwitz and General Catalyst, Nimble Solutions, where I serve on the board, and Midstream Health, founded by Venkit Mukherjee and a co-founder. We also continue to watch the success of Intuitive, Surgical, and of Lintas.
Had a chance to work with both of them through Becker's Healthcare. Brilliant, brilliant companies. 12th, we talk about earnings coming in, estimates coming in, and so forth. Our family Amex bill, for the first time, came in 20% lower than I anticipated this last cycle. I never see that, but I will say that we made up for it through other spending.
13th, very excited to have record attendance for a healthcare PE deal trends webinar coming up. That features a couple of partners from McGuire Woods, the founder of Caber Hill Advisors, and Matt Wolf from RSM. That's February 6th. Registration is now closed. If you still want to join, of course, we'll find a way to let you join.
14th, if you're ever interested in being featured on a podcast, a business-to-business podcast or webinar, please reach Scott Becker. Pricing, rational. Let us help you reach your audience. Finally, P.S., a big congratulations to Rick Smith, also to our colleague David Copeland. And if you get a chance, listen to our other podcast.
It's not the driver stupid, which is a metaphor for constantly trying to find the quick fix rather than just working on my golf game instead of just buying a new driver, buying a new driver, and buying a new driver, which I'm a constant sucker for. Thank you for listening to the Becker Private Equity and Business Podcast. And thank you to Grace Lynn Keller, who I get to record with today.
I don't get to do it often. God bless you, Grace. And thank you very, very much.
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