We break down the biggest gainers and droppers in the Cheddar 50 index this year, plus one Japanese stock that's made a big splash in the U.S. in 2017.
On the plus side, shares of Square have risen about 160 percent this year as the digital payment company has expanded into new markets. And video game maker Take-Two Interactive has also more than doubled in 2017, as investors and fans both await the release of Red Dead Redemption 2 this spring.
But they weren't all winners. Pandora shares were down more than 60 percent as the music streaming service struggled to grow paying subscribers. And Blue Apron stock has dropped as much as 70 percent since its IPO in late June, losing its CEO and cutting jobs.
Plus, what about Japan's SoftBank? The tech holding company launched its $100 billion Vision Fund, which has made investments in Nvidia, WeWork and Flipkart. And we're still waiting for what could be a $10 billion investment in Uber.
Some small grocery stores and neighborhood convenience stores are eager for the U.S. government shutdown to end and for their customers to start receiving federal food aid again. Late last month, the Trump administration froze funding for the SNAP benefits that about 42 million Americans use to buy groceries. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says about 74% of the assistance was spent last year at superstores like Walmart and supermarkets like Kroger. Around 14% went to smaller stores that are more accessible to SNAP beneficiaries. A former director of the United Nations World Food Program says SNAP is not only a social safety net for families but a local economic engine that supports neighborhood businesses.
Andy Baehr, Head of Product at CoinDesk Indices, breaks down crypto’s Black Friday crash, Bitcoin dipping under $100K, and what’s driving the market rout.
Billionaire Warren Buffett warned shareholders Monday that many companies will fare better than his Berkshire Hathaway in the decades ahead as Father Time catches up
