In this episode, Scott Becker breaks down eight key business stories, including anticipation around NVIDIA’s earnings, Nissan’s credit downgrade, shifts in the oil industry, and market movements.
Chapter 1: What are the key stories Scott is following today?
This is Scott Becker with the Becker Private Equity and Business Podcast. These are eight stories that we're following today. First, is waiting for NVIDIA's earnings to be released today. By the time you hear this, they may already be released. We'll try and get this out early. But due to its size, it's the second largest market cap stock at about $3.1 trillion.
Chapter 2: What is the significance of NVIDIA's upcoming earnings?
And being a bellwether for technology stocks, the market's really eagerly awaiting to see what happened here. The stock is up a couple percent pre-market. It's either a helpful sign or irrelevant. We will see. We'll know more later today. Second, Nissan Motor Company has been cut to junk bond credit status by Fitch & Moody's. When I was growing up, Nissan was a highly relevant brand.
Chapter 3: Why was Nissan downgraded to junk bond status?
There's so many lessons here for business. And I will tell you as an aside, one time early on in my career, drove a Nissan Pulsar, which is really the height of embarrassment. And I don't like to admit that lightly or in front of people, but yes, one time I had one.
Chapter 4: What lessons can businesses learn from Nissan's situation?
Nissan is a great reminder to companies, and we'll have a separate podcast on this, that you better be constantly obsessed with both your core and with greatness and getting better. If you don't, it reminds me of Intel and Andy Grove, only the parents survive. You better keep getting better.
Chapter 5: Why are oil companies shifting back to traditional energy sources?
Third, oil companies are returning en masse to gas and oil from all the green ventures and everything else. British Petroleum is the latest. They're calling it Reset BP. They're going back to oil and gas and away from green ventures. Basically, they must be watching Landman and Billy Bob Thornton. And one great scene, he does remind us why we still need fossil fuels.
Fourth, the market points up early this morning. Let's hope that that holds. God, we could use a good day in the markets. Fifth, Smith & Nephew had a terrific fourth quarter, and its stock rose nearly 7% yesterday. Seems like it's been a while since healthcare stock has really gone in the right direction. Sixth, Apple's market cap is up at 3.7 trillion.
It's, again, the undisputed king, so the Muhammad Ali of market cap stocks. It's at 3.7 trillion. Nvidia's second. Microsoft's third. Barely holding on. Microsoft at 3 trillion. We have a free download long weekend for the book, The Entrepreneur's Edge. Throw away the Valium. Throw away the Ambien. Throw out your edibles. If you need to get to sleep early, read this book.
In all seriousness, if you buy the book, How to Build, Grow, and Manage Your Business, The Entrepreneur's Edge, leave a review on Amazon. I will send you a hard copy. Thanks for following today. Ukraine and the U.S. are said to be close to reaching a deal that would help smooth the way for improving relationships, and we hope getting closer to an end to the war, the Russia-Ukraine war.
Now, people may take offense at this, and I don't mean it offensively. I just mean it as an observer. But Zelensky and Trump... are supposed to meet next week. The two of them must have gone to the same negotiation school because they go wild saying different things about the other and then seem to come together on deals. I find it to be literally fascinating.
I bet when they're in private, they have a blast and they do a lot of this for show, but we will see. I may be totally wrong, but I do think the two of them went to the same school of ultimately negotiation. Thank you for listening to the Becker Private Equity and Business Podcast. We're back with you tomorrow with a few more episodes. Thank you very, very much.
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