AT&T is speeding up its plan to phase out long-standing services that customers keep canceling as demand for newer alternatives grows.
Several of these alternatives have seen strong customer growth in the third quarter of this year. According to AT&T's latest earnings report, the carrier attracted 379,000 postpaid phone customers during the quarter.
It also added 416,000 AT&T Fiber customers, up 44.4% year over year, and 280,000 new Internet Air (its fixed wireless internet service) customers, a 3.7% increase from the same period in 2025.
On an earnings call on Oct. 21, AT&T CEO John Stankey said that the company has been focused on "removing friction for consumers by constructing plans built around simplicity, transparent value, and convergence."

#customers

Republican efforts to reduce national gas prices in the weeks before Election Day were derailed in the Senate by infighting among GOP lawmakers and members of the administration who could not agree on how to ease consumers’ pain at the pump.
The divisions within the Senate Republican conference over how to lower gas and diesel prices — even if temporarily — were driven primarily by geographic differences.
Senators from oil-refining states shot down proposals from farm-state senators to ban the export of diesel or to loosen restrictions on the sale of E15 gasoline with higher ethanol content.
“You’re talking about regional politics, and it gets bogged down in the politics of energy, and the fiefdoms around it,” said Ron Bonjean, a GOP strategist and former Senate leadership aide.
There were divisions that went beyond geography, too.

#republican

Trillion-dollar conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRKA)(NYSE:BRKB) entered 2026 in uncharted territory for the first time in more than half a century. On Dec. 31, Warren Buffett, the company's longtime CEO, who oversaw a greater-than-6,000,000% outperformance of the benchmark S&P 500 since the mid-1960s, retired as CEO. His successor, Greg Abel, is now in charge of Berkshire's $350 billion investment portfolio.
While the Oracle of Omaha had a knack for spotting amazing deals hiding in plain sight, he wasn't infallible. Decisions made in the years leading up to his retirement with No. 1 holding Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) have cost Berkshire Hathaway up to $112 billion in would-be gains.
Missed AI's "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 14x Bigger. Most investors think they missed the AI boat because they didn't buy Nvidia in 2005. But according to our ******* ysts, we're only at the end of "Act 1"—the R&D phase. "Act 2" is the global rollout. Continue »
Image source: Getty Images.
Warren Buffett began building a position in the "Apple" of his eye in the first quarter of 2016. While artificial intelligence is all the rage today, Buffett was more interested in consumers' draw to the brand when he initially invested. Apple has an exceptionally loyal customer base that's shown a willingness to pay premium prices for its physical products (iPhone, iPad, and Mac).

#warren

The 10-year Treasury yield recently hit its highest level in 24 years at 5.3%. That high yield has income-seeking investors wondering whether to load up on Treasuries while they're at a historically high level.
Here's a look at how much passive income you can generate over the next 10 years on Treasury bonds compared to another popular income-focused investment: the Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (NYSEMKT:SCHD).
Missed AI's "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 14x Bigger. Most investors think they missed the AI boat because they didn't buy Nvidia in 2005. But according to our ***** ysts, we're only at the end of "Act 1"—the R&D phase. "Act 2" is the global rollout. Continue »
Image source: Getty Images.
A 10-year Treasury bond is a fixed-income investment backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. It's a global financial benchmark that influences the rates of almost all consumer and corporate credit, including mortgages.

#treasury #missed #year #investors

In January, then-CEO Tim Cook said that there were more than 2.5 billion active Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) devices around the world. During the most recent fiscal quarter (the third quarter, ended June 27), the business exceeded 1.5 billion paid subscriptions to its family of services. These two data points demonstrate how dominant the consumer tech juggernaut has become.
If you'd invested $10,000 in this "Magnificent Seven" stock 10 years ago, here's how much you'd have today.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Over the past decade, Apple shares have produced a total return of 1,190% (as of Oct. 5). This gain would've turned a starting $10,000 investment into more than $129,000 today.
In October 2016, Apple was the world's most valuable enterprise. While its market capitalization has ballooned to $4.9 trillion, it has given up the top spot to Nvidia.

#flashing #billion

Amcor plc (NYSE:AMCR) isn't a flashy business. Most people probably don't know much about the company, even though they come across its products every day. The company makes the packaging used for food, drinks, healthcare products, beauty products, and plenty of other everyday items.
That gives the company an interesting quality from an investment perspective. Consumers may cut back on certain purchases when the economy gets tougher, but they still need to buy food, medicine, and other basic products. About 60% of Amcor's markets are tied to nutrition, while health, beauty, and wellness make up another 25%. Billionaires are gravitating towards another packaging company, and that has also returned nearly 20% in the past year. Find here.
The company's size is another advantage. Amcor operates across a large global manufacturing network and has relationships with major customers that have been built over many years. It also offers a wide range of packaging formats and materials. For a large multinational customer, being able to deal with one supplier across multiple markets can be a meaningful advantage. The Berry Global acquisition has made Amcor even larger, although it also brought more debt onto the balance sheet.
Amcor plc (NYSE:AMCR) pays $0.65 per share every quarter, giving investors an annual dividend of $2.60. At the October 7 closing price of $41.26, that works out to a yield of about 6.3%. That's a big yield for a company selling products that are tied to everyday consumption. However, a high yield doesn't automatically make a dividend attractive. What matters is whether the business can actually afford to keep paying it. Amcor's latest numbers offer some comfort. Its steady dividend growth is one reason the stock remains popular with income-focused investors.
The company generated $1.303 billion in free cash flow during fiscal 2026, while adjusted diluted EPS came in at $4.02, up 13% from the previous year. Amcor also increased its annual dividend to $2.60. On an adjusted earnings basis, the payout ratio is around 65%. That's not unusual for a mature company and doesn't immediately raise a red flag.

#NYSE

America's older households sit on nearly $140 trillion in wealth, and much of it showed up recently.
Households age 55 and over held around three-quarters of the nation's total net worth in the second quarter of 2026, according to an Oct. 1 report from Bank of America Institute, based on ******* ysis of Federal Reserve data. "With equity markets rising strongly," wrote senior economist David Michael Tinsley, those households have seen "a more than 20% increase in their net worth over the past two years."
That rally has run on AI. The Magnificent Seven accounted for more than half of the S&P 500's gains last year, Fortune reported in April, and Goldman Sachs strategists found technology stocks drove 85% of the index's return through mid-May this year. "AI-driven return has been the single most important structural driver of equity performance," Capgemini's Luca Russignan told Yahoo Finance in June. Boomers own 54% of all U.S. stocks.
That's a lopsided split. Americans 55 and over make up about 31% of the population, according to Census Bureau estimates, but control roughly 75% of its net worth.
The pile gives many older Americans what the institute calls "considerable capacity to spend on travel and other leisure categories." Add their growing share of the population and their extra free time, and they become an increasingly influential market for businesses chasing consumer dollars. The BofA report focused mainly on the economic implications of a growing mass of older consumers, but the generational wealth composition was striking.

#households #institute #according #report

This is one of the best letters that I have read in my lifetime ("We lived within our means: I earned $30,000 as a pastor and still retired comfortably"). I used to be a mortgage-loan officer; I would get a couple that each made six figures, but would have difficulty qualifying them for a loan amount they wanted because of their consumer-debt load.
Conversely, I would have a blue-collar "Joe Sixpack" that made substantially less but saved and saved and saved, and who got the loan he needed for a house. People in the U.S. need to wake up and not be compulsive: Quit buying things you really don't need. It's that way with the federal government as well, and based on that.
'People in the U.S. need to wake up': As a mortgage loan officer, I rejected applications from wealthy couples. Here's why.
Google makes a fresh bet on nuclear power as the AI energy crunch intensifies
We'd better get real quick or we're going to have a financial crisis that makes the Great Recession of 2008 look like a picnic.

#makes

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Communications Commission is considering a request by a conservative group to loosen rules on political robocalls, including those with artificial intelligence-generated voices, before November's midterm elections.
Federal law currently bans most robocalls to cellphones unless the caller gets consent beforehand. The petition calls for a waiver that would allow political groups to use artificial or prerecorded voices in unsolicited wireless calls.
The Republican-led FCC advanced the request for public comment and could rule on it as soon as late October.
Consumer advocacy groups warn the proposed change could trigger a surge of unwanted, partisan and potentially misleading automated calls in the critical final days of the election, which will determine which party controls Congress for the final two years of President Donald Trump's term.
The potential perils became evident two years ago during the presidential primary season when thousands of voters in New Hampshire received a robocall with an AI-generated voice of then-President Joe Biden. The call suggested voters should forgo casting a ballot in the primary and "save" their votes for the general election.

#federal #robocalls #artificial #generated

During the second quarter, Pershing Square Capital Management, the hedge fund firm founded by Bill Ackman, initiated positions in Visa (NYSE: V) and Mastercard (NYSE: MA). While their share prices have appreciated in recent months, these businesses traded at attractive valuations at purchase.
Here are three reasons the billionaire investor is bullish on these two S&P 500 stocks.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Ackman's firm believes these are two of the highest-quality businesses on Earth. There are three notable factors supporting this view.
Visa and Mastercard, which connect consumers, merchants, and banks around the world, have developed robust network effects. This makes their platforms almost impossible to disrupt.

#pershing

If you're bracing for higher health insurance premiums as the end of the year creeps up, keep bracing: The news might be worse than you think.
Health insurance premiums have been skyrocketing, rising by around 20% over the past three years. Now, some consumers could see premium increase by nearly 10% in 2027.
Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake. Here's what it is and 3 simple steps to fix it ASAP
The tax breaks in Trump's 'big beautiful bill' expire after 2028. Here are 4 reasons why retirees can't afford to waste time
Jeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 — 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being one

#bracing #nearly #dave #security

Before we get worried about recessions or market crashes, let's put a 10% drop in context. Going back to 1980, the S&P 500 has fallen 10% or more in roughly half of all calendar years, and a correction of that size has historically shown up about once every 12 to 18 months.
What makes a 10% decline packed into a single month unusual isn't the size of the drop, it's the speed: that kind of compressed move tends to show up during sudden shocks rather than the slower grind most corrections take. Even so, it's happened before, and the market has recovered every time.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
My goal here isn't to predict whether October brings one. It's to point to three consumer businesses whose underlying demand doesn't particularly care what the stock market does that month.
Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) makes Tide, Pampers, Crest, and Gillette. These products are the kind of household basics people buy again almost automatically, recession or not. That steadiness shows up in the numbers. P&G generated more than $87 billion in revenue in its 2026 fiscal year and returned over $15 billion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks.

#market #flashing #every #month

Disney raised prices on many of its theme park offerings today, coinciding with the start of the company’s new fiscal year. But consumers aren’t pushing back the way they did a few years ago.
Disney’s price hikes are an annual October ritual for the company, and it’s always a tricky balancing act between increasing revenue and consumers’ willingness to pay.
Many ticket types, passes and add-ons at Disneyland are not increasing at all this time. But premium products are getting more expensive, like the highest-level, skip-the-line service at Walt Disney World, which could now run just shy of the $500 mark during peak demand.
It’s a reflection of the company’s strategy: Spread the price boosts across different audiences, while leaving bottom-tier prices - like the slowest season, one-day, one-park tickets - unchanged.
Its theme parks strategy, Disney said, has evolved over time. Higher-priced premium products and add-ons, alongside targeted discounts and a refresh of older attractions, allowed the company this summer to generate the strongest parks and cruises revenue in two years.

#disney #company #consumers

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A $2.5 million settlement for a data breach that compromised consumer information on Fidelity Investments' website is just days away from a claim deadline.
Those affected by the August 2024 incident have until July 27, 2026, to submit a claim for payment of up to $5,000.
Here is what happened, who is eligible for a settlement check, and the fastest way to file a claim before the deadline.
Read more: What is identity theft, and how can you prevent it?

#claim #advertiser #july

This is one of the best letters that I have read in my lifetime ("We lived within our means: I earned $30,000 as a pastor and still retired comfortably"). I used to be a mortgage-loan officer; I would get a couple that each made six figures, but would have difficulty qualifying them for a loan amount they wanted because of their consumer-debt load.
Conversely, I would have a blue-collar "Joe Sixpack" that made substantially less but saved and saved and saved, and who got the loan he needed for a house. People in the U.S. need to wake up and not be compulsive: Quit buying things you really don't need. It's that way with the federal government as well, and based on that.
My wife never went back to work after raising our kids. Do I have to share my retirement savings 50/50?
Go ahead and get that poetry degree. Republican law won't prevent people with humanities majors from getting student loans.
We'd better get real quick or we're going to have a financial crisis that makes the Great Recession of 2008 look like a picnic.

#conversely

Buying a stock in the hopes of holding it for 20 years or longer can be a difficult task. Warren Buffett likes to say his favorite holding period is "forever," but his trading history shows he has sold holdings, even after owning them for decades.
Knowing that, investors should look for holdings with the potential to survive and thrive for decades. Fortunately, investors have plenty of options, and these three well-established consumer staples stocks should stand out.
Missed AI's "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 14x Bigger. Most investors think they missed the AI boat because they didn't buy Nvidia in 2005. But according to our ****** ysts, we're only at the end of "Act 1"—the R&D phase. "Act 2" is the global rollout. Continue »
The public knows PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP) best for its flagship cola. Nonetheless, the company owns numerous well-known beverage and food brands, including Gatorade, Mountain Dew, Tostitos, and Quaker.
Its stock had suffered in recent years as the public turned against unhealthy beverages and packaged foods. PepsiCo has since pivoted, emphasizing healthier ingredients in its products and buying brands such as Siete to bolster this reputation.

#investors #holdings

Clark Howard calls Medicare Advantage plans "disadvantage plans," warning the new SCAN Costco HMO prioritizes cost savings over patient care through prior authorization denials.
In a serious illness year, a $0-premium Advantage plan can cost $6,807 more than Original Medicare plus Medigap Plan G, which caps costs at $283 annually.
Choosing Advantage at 65 may permanently lock you out of Medigap coverage if you get sick later, since most states allow insurers to deny or upcharge applicants.
Read More: Learn 7 ways to generate income with a $1,000,000+ portfolio (sponsor)
"Costco. Do you know what you're doing here? You know who you're messing around with?" Consumer advocate Clark Howard, usually one of the warehouse club's biggest fans, said that on his show on October 5.

#clark #plan #plans

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) is recognized as one of the world's most elite businesses. And as a result of its success, investors have profited immensely. The consumer discretionary stock has soared 1,070% in the past decade (as of Oct. 2).
But the company's capital allocation policy also favors investors in another minor way, one that brings in an income stream. Here's how many Apple shares you'd need to make $10,000 in yearly dividends.
Missed AI's "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 14x Bigger. Most investors think they missed the AI boat because they didn't buy Nvidia in 2005. But according to our ****** ysts, we're only at the end of "Act 1"—the R&D phase. "Act 2" is the global rollout. Continue »
Apple currently pays a dividend that totals $1.08 per share on an annual basis. This means that investors would need to own 9,259 shares to generate $10,000 in yearly income. At the current stock price of $331.22, investors must fork over almost $3.1 million to buy enough shares.
Clearly, Apple isn't a compelling dividend stock. Its dividend yield is extremely low at 0.32%. However, the payout has grown by 89% in the past 10 years.

#investors #Stock #income #yearly

A manager at Childline Liverpool has paid tribute to the charity's "wonderful" founder Dame Esther Rantzen.
Dame Esther, who presented BBC One's show That's Life! for 21 years and launched the charity counselling service for young people 40 years ago, died on Wednesday at the age of 86.
Dame Esther hosted and produced the programme from 1973 to 1994 which regularly attracted 20m viewers for its mix of serious consumer investigations and light-hearted items.
Marian Blackburn, a team leader at Childline Liverpool, said the star was "kind, compassionate and formidable" and everyone was "deeply saddened" at the news.
Dame Esther launched Childline in 1986 and in 2013 set up Silver Line to help elderly people suffering from isolation and loneliness.

#dame #esther #people #wednesday

Millions of Americans recently received unwelcome news about their cell phone bills.
In late June, T-Mobile (TMUS) said it was retiring over 1,000 older plans, shifting customers to newer offerings at an added cost of as much as $6 per line per month. And starting in August, AT&T (T) hiked rates on some of its older plans by $10 to $20 and increased a monthly per-line fee by $1.
The changes contributed to a steep 5.9% jump in Americans' wireless bills from July to August alone, according to Consumer Price Index data. It was the largest single-month jump since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the category nearly three decades ago.
In a twist, last month's rising phone bills may have helped convince the Federal Reserve to implement its first interest rate hike in three years. The steep price jump likely contributed about 10 basis points of August's 0.3% month-over-month rise in core consumer prices, according to Wall Street ******* ysts. The hotter-than-expected jump in this category, which strips out price changes in the particularly volatile food and energy sectors, helped cement expectations for the Fed's 25 basis point hike to benchmark rates last Wednesday.
Read more: How the Fed rate decision affects your bank accounts, loans, credit cards, and investments

#august #plans

On September 9, 2026, ****** og Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADI) agreed to acquire privately held Alif Semiconductor for $1.35 billion in cash, with up to $200 million in additional contingent payments. It adds Alif's low-power, AI-native microcontrollers and fusion processors to ADI's portfolio of sensing, signal-processing and power-management technology. ADI CEO Vincent Roche described the deal as advancing "Physical Intelligence," letting systems sense, reason and act locally in real time. The acquisition is expected to close by the end of 2026 pending U.S. antitrust review.
Alif gives ****** og Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADI) a direct foothold in the fast-growing edge-AI market. Alif's AI-native microcontrollers and fusion processors support low-latency inference, sensor fusion, and on-device AI. It allows systems to process information locally rather than relying entirely on the cloud. The acquisition also expands ADI's addressable market across industrial, data-center infrastructure, defense, energy, robotics, digital health and wearable applications.
ADI is acquiring technology that already has commercial traction. Alif's silicon already ships in production and has design wins with leading consumer and industrial customers. It gives ADI an established platform rather than an early-stage technology project. ADI can combine Alif's digital processing capabilities with its own sensing, signal-processing, power, connectivity and software technologies to offer more complete system solutions.
The acquisition fits ADI's push into AI while the core business makes strong cash flow. ADI completed its $1.5 billion Empower Semiconductor acquisition in July to strengthen power delivery for AI computing, while third-quarter revenue reached a record $4.02 billion, up 40% year over year, and trailing 12-month free cash flow reached $4.94 billion. The Alif deal therefore adds edge intelligence to an AI strategy while ADI retains substantial financial capacity to fund acquisitions and shareholder returns.
Analog Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADI) must make enough returns to justify the $1.35 billion upfront price. The firm will pay $1.35 billion in cash at closing and could pay another $200 million in contingent consideration. It takes the potential consideration to $1.55 billion. ADI therefore needs Alif's technology, customer wins, and expanded addressable market to turn into real revenue and earnings growth rather than simply adding another promising technology platform to its portfolio.

#analog #NASDAQ #power #acquisition

On September 9, 2026, Signet Jewelers Limited (NYSE:SIG) reported second-quarter net profit of more than $52 million, reversing a net loss of over $9 million a year earlier, with adjusted earnings per share of $2.19 beating ***** yst estimates of $1.72 by a wide margin. It sent shares up as much as 24% in trading.
The parent of Kay Jewelers, Zales, and Jared also raised its full-year profit guidance for the second time this fiscal year. It also extended its consumer credit partnership with Bread Financial through 2035, a deal it said includes new profit-sharing terms expected to make more than $1 billion in incremental value over time.
Signet Jewelers Limited (NYSE:SIG) is showing demand improvement across its core jewelry brands. Same-store sales increased 2.2% in the second quarter, beating Wall Street's 1.9% expectation. Management reported positive comparable sales across all three months of the quarter. Performance also improved across Kay, Zales, Jared, and Blue Nile. It shows the recovery extends beyond a single brand or temporary sales spike.
Margin expansion is allowing Signet to make substantially stronger earnings despite limited revenue growth. Adjusted operating margin expanded 140 basis points to 7%, while adjusted EPS reached $2.19, well above ***** ysts' $1.74 estimate. Stronger bridal and timepiece sales, tighter inventory management, and operating improvements helped Signet expand profitability. Redesigned Kay and Jared websites provide additional opportunities to back up digital sales.
Signet's higher earnings outlook and shareholder returns solidify the investment case. The company raised full-year adjusted EPS guidance to $10.45-$12.15 versus $9.20-$11.00 and plans a $125 million accelerated share repurchase program. Signet also extended its consumer-credit partnership with Bread Financial through 2035. It added improved technology and data ***** ytics while supporting customer financing and marketing capabilities over the long term.

#adjusted #jewelers #limited

On September 9, 2026, Reuters reported that CEO Brian Niccol's first two years as Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) CEO have succeeded in bringing customers back to the coffee chain. Comparable sales rose 7.9% in the fiscal third quarter for a fourth straight quarter of improvement, but his "Back to Starbucks" restructuring has raised costs and squeezed margins along the way. Global operating margin has fallen to 12.9% from 15.8% two years earlier. Niccol, who marks his second anniversary in the role, now faces pressure to convert the sales recovery into the sustainable profit growth investors are demanding.
Niccol's turnaround strategy has already restored customer momentum at Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX). The "Back to Starbucks" strategy reversed six consecutive quarters of declining comparable sales as the company focused on reducing wait times, simplifying menus, improving store ambiance, and increasing staffing. Starbucks has moved beyond the sales deterioration that preceded Niccol's tenure. It gives investors a stronger foundation for the next phase of the turnaround. If management can sustain traffic gains while improving productivity, the sales recovery could provide a path toward stronger earnings growth.
The China joint venture with Boyu Capital gives Starbucks a more capital-efficient way to participate in China's growth. Starbucks sold control of its China retail operations to Boyu. It retained a 40% stake and continues to own and license its brand and intellectual property. The structure reduces Starbucks' direct capital requirements while allowing it to retain economic exposure to the Chinese market. Reuters cited ****** ysts who said the arrangement leaves Starbucks well positioned to convert stronger organic sales growth into profit growth, which could support returns as the recovery progresses.
Starbucks now has an opportunity to turn its customer investments into margin expansion. The firm committed at least $500 million toward labor as part of the restructuring. Niccol prioritized staffing and store improvements to rebuild the customer experience. That spending helped help the sales recovery. But it also pushed global operating margins down to 12.9% from 15.8% over two years. With sales now improving, management can focus more heavily on productivity, cost control, and operating leverage. It creates an opportunity for stronger earnings if it can improve margins without damaging customer traffic.
Labor tensions could undermine Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX)' recovery and keep costs elevated. Starbucks has yet to reach a first contract with its U.S. barista union. The union called for a consumer boycott in August. Negotiations or labor actions could disrupt store operations, increase labor costs, and create reputational pressure just as Starbucks tries to improve profitability. Therefore, investors face a risk that labor issues could offset some of the productivity gains management needs to expand margins.

#

On September 9, 2026, Reuters reported that AI music startup Suno launched a new suite of models, including its flagship v6 and exploratory v6-Wild, built in partnership with Warner Music Group Corp. (NASDAQ:WMG) and BMG. It lets users make new music inspired by licensed recordings from participating artists. The launch follows Warner Music's copyright lawsuit settlement with Suno in November 2025, under which artists and songwriters can opt in to have their names, voices, and compositions used in AI-generated music in exchange for compensation.
Warner Music Group Corp. (NASDAQ:WMG) can turn the Suno litigation dispute into a new licensing revenue opportunity. Suno has now launched its v6 models in partnership with Warner Music and BMG. It allows users to make music inspired by licensed works from participating artists. Warner previously sued Suno over copyright issues before reaching a licensing agreement. This gives the label a direct path to monetize AI-generated music rather than relying solely on litigation. The deal could create a new revenue stream as consumers increasingly adopt AI music tools.
Warner enters the AI-music market from a position of financial strength. The firm reported fiscal third-quarter revenue of $5.44 billion, up 9% year over year. Adjusted OIBDA increased 16% to $433 million, and its adjusted OIBDA margin expanded to 23.2%. Warner also said it had met or exceeded its financial targets for five consecutive quarters. That basic growth gives the company greater flexibility to invest in AI initiatives while using licensing agreements to add another potential growth driver to its existing streaming and publishing businesses.
Warner could help establish a more sustainable commercial model for AI-generated music. Suno said future products will include opt-in experiences that allow individual artists to participate and receive payment when users generate music around them. So Warner has an opportunity to help shape licensing and compensation practices as Spotify and other platforms develop their own AI-music products. If the industry increasingly adopts licensed models, Warner's large catalog and relationships with artists could solidify its negotiating position and create recurring AI-related revenue.
Suno's new licensing model does not eliminate the overall legal risks surrounding AI music. Warner Music Group Corp. (NASDAQ:WMG) has reached an agreement with Suno, but other copyright owners are challenging the firm's technology. Independent publisher Round Hill sued Suno in August, alleging that the company used copyrighted songs to train its AI system. Suno also faces separate litigation from Universal Music Group and Sony Music. Hence, lawsuits could increase legal costs and create uncertainty over the licensing framework that Warner hopes to monetize.

#music #licensing #corp #revenue

For months, economists and retailers have warned about the financial strain facing lower- and middle-income consumers. Higher earners, on the other hand, have largely been sheltered from the effects of the rising costs of living.
But that may be changing.
A growing number of CEOs and industry insiders, from retailers as varied as Walmart and ThredUp, have said they're seeing shifts in the behavior of consumers earning $100,000 a year or more.
Dollar General's CEO Todd Vasos is the latest to join that growing chorus.
Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Global Consumer and Retail conference, Vasos said it's no longer the chain's core consumer base (low- and middle-earners) who are feeling the financial strain.

#Consumer #strain #higher

Millions of Americans recently received unwelcome news about their cell phone bills.
In late June, T-Mobile (TMUS) said it was retiring over 1,000 older plans, shifting customers to newer offerings at an added cost of as much as $6 per line per month. And starting in August, AT&T (T) hiked rates on some of its older plans by $10 to $20 and increased a monthly per-line fee by $1.
The changes contributed to a steep 5.9% jump in Americans' wireless bills from July to August alone, according to Consumer Price Index data. It was the largest single-month jump since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the category nearly three decades ago.
In a twist, last month's rising phone bills may have helped convince the Federal Reserve to implement its first interest rate hike in three years. The steep price jump likely contributed about 10 basis points of August's 0.3% month-over-month rise in core consumer prices, according to Wall Street ******* ysts. The hotter-than-expected jump in this category, which strips out price changes in the particularly volatile food and energy sectors, helped cement expectations for the Fed's 25 basis point hike to benchmark rates last Wednesday.
Read more: How the Fed rate decision affects your bank accounts, loans, credit cards, and investments

#Consumer

Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) new iPhones are here, and this could be just the ticket to get the consumer tech ******* an back on top of the market cap throne. It doesn't have far to go to get there.
The stock's recent gains now place it within 2% of hitting a market cap of $5 trillion. Perhaps even more intriguingly, Apple is now less than 10% away from overtaking Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) to become the market's most valuable company by market capitalization.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Apple's business isn't growing as quickly as Nvidia's these days, but it is closing the gap in market cap. Nvidia investors can't feel too bad, with the stock up 26% over the past year. It's just that Apple stock has soared by more than 40% in that time. Momentum is on its side, and that's before a bar-raising device hits the market.
For more than a dozen years, Apple has fallen into a predictable pattern. It delivers double-digit revenue growth in a fiscal year in which it rolls out a revolutionary iPhone model. Then it follows that with two -- and lately more than two -- years of single-digit or negative top-line growth, settling for merely evolutionary smartphone updates.

#NASDAQ

GOOG trades at a P/E of 14 versus META's 24, with Cloud revenue surging 82% while META's operating margins collapsed from 43% to 31%.
META's Reality Labs bleeds roughly $4B per quarter, 2026 capex is projected between $130B and $145B, and active litigation makes it a volatile aggressive-growth bet rather than a retirement hold.
Just released. Our ******* ysts combed the entire stock market and named the ten best stocks to buy right now, and Google didn't make the cut. Enter your email to see the names that beat GOOG. The report is free. Enter your email and see if any of your stocks made the cut.
Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) and Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) just unleashed rival consumer AI agents (Google's family-focused CC, a shared agent supporting up to six family members, and Meta's single-user Muse, aiming for higher autonomy across a user's digital life, including commerce), and the retirement-focused investor writing one check today needs a clear answer: which mega-cap deserves the slot?
Both stocks are pouring tens of billions into AI infrastructure. Both consumer AI agents (not just chatbots) are designed to take real actions on a user's behalf rather than only answering questions. However, CC is a family-oriented productivity and logistics agent tightly tied to the Google ecosystem. Muse is a more general-purpose personal agent aiming for higher autonomy across a user's digital life, including commerce. They compete in the emerging "AI agent that actually does things" category, but target different use cases and user models.

#stocks #family

Helfstein estimates META needs 115 million paying Muse subscribers at $20/month to unlock $28 billion in AI revenue, but doubts it happens.
META's Q2 operating margin collapsed from 43% to 31%, while full-year capex guidance soared to a range of $130 billion to $145 billion.
Just released. Our ******* ysts combed the entire stock market and named the ten best stocks to buy right now, and Meta didn't make the cut. Enter your email to see the names that beat METAPLATFORMS. The report is free. Enter your email and see if any of your stocks made the cut.
Jason Helfstein, Oppenheimer's Managing Director and Senior ******* yst covering the Internet sector, laid out a striking scenario in a September 2026 note: Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) would need roughly 115 million paying Muse subscribers at a $20/month price point to generate about $27.5 to $28 billion in annual AI agent revenue. His conclusion, however, was skeptical. For long-term investors, the math frames just how high the bar is for Meta stock to earn a consumer-AI premium on top of its advertising engine.
Ticker

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JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM) is the largest bank in the U.S., by far. It's a financial giant with robust consumer and commercial segments, and it's reliable in driving growth under pressure. It also pays a growing dividend that yields 1.7% at the current price, and it's a fantastic value addition to any investor's diversified portfolio.
While it's likely to become the first bank stock with a $1 trillion valuation in the near future (it currently sports a $927.5 billion market capitalization), there are smaller digital banks that are likely to grow much faster in the next two years, and probably a lot longer. SoFi Technologies (NASDAQ: SOFI) and Nu Holdings (NYSE: NU) are two of them.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
SoFi is a young digital bank that's growing at the rate of a tech start-up, which makes sense, since it's a combination of both -- a classic fintech company.
What started as a loan cooperative for college students has expanded into a comprehensive financial app for anyone seeking an easy-to-use digital platform. It's attracting new members at a fast pace, and its strategy of bringing customers into the ecosystem and getting them to adopt more products is working.

#sofi #bank