Market Minute: Spotify Announces Layoffs, Feds Seize Millions from FTX Founder & Egg Smuggling
Here is a rundown of Cheddar News' top market stories of the day.
SPOTIFY LAYOFFS
Spotify has announced plans to cut around 6 percent of its workforce, placing the music streaming service among other tech firms that have made layoffs in recent weeks, including Microsoft, Amazon, and Google parent company Alphabet. The number of positions potentially on the chopping block is not yet clear. Many tech firms have cut between 5 and 10 percent.
FED'S FTX SEIZURE
Disgraced crypto executive Sam Bankman-Fried's fortune is rapidly dwindling, as federal regulators seized more than $600 million of his assets this month. The forfeitures are related to the federal government's criminal case against Bankman-Fried, who faces charges of fraud and conspiracy — though he has pleaded not guilty. The most recent seizure was a whopping $95 million from an account held at Silvergate Bank.
CITADEL PROFITS
Hedge fund Citadel reported a record $16 billion in profits for clients in 2021. That is the biggest annual return for a fund manager since John Paulson made $15 billion in 2007 betting against the subprime mortgage market, and perhaps one of the biggest plays in Wall Street's history. The sky-high profits came as hedge funds overall underperformed amid 2022's bear market.
EGG SMUGGLING
Customs and Border Protection officials are reporting a surge in egg smuggling from Mexico — with U.S. egg prices up 60 percent in December from 12 months earlier. Smugglers are risking thousands of dollars in fines just to bring eggs, which cost around $3.40 for a 30-count carton in Mexico, compared to as much as $7.37 for just a dozen in America.
Tom Graff, Chief Investment Officer, Facet, discusses what the latest jobs report says about this ‘pretty good’ labor market and why the market should worry less about the Fed’s next decision.
Universal Music Group, which represents artists including Taylor Swift, Drake, and Ariana Grande, has removed its music from TikTok and accused the app of bullying and intimidation.
The average rate on a 30-year mortgage fell 0.06% last week. Although the rate is much higher than it was two years ago, the decline could relieve buyers already dealing with low inventory and high prices.
As millions of Americans are set to retire, John Carter, President & COO of Nationwide Financial, shares what to expect and how consumers of all ages can better prepare for their golden years.
The heated hearing began with recorded testimony from kids and parents talking about being exploited on social media. Throughout the hours-long event, parents who lost children to suicide silently held up pictures of their dead kids.
Adtalem CEO Steve Beard addresses a report from Safkhet Capital taking the short position on the for-profit education giant, plus why he believes there should be financial recourse for student loan borrowers misled by their institutions.
CEO of Americares Christine Squires shares how the organization is helping provide medical assistance in a time of increasing instability, war, and climate-related disaster.
