For: May 28, 2025

 

>>Ahead Of The Bell 

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning after stocks finished the day sharply higher on Tuesday.  The rally came after President Trump said over the weekend that he's delaying 50-percent tariffs against the European Union until July 9th.  Meanwhile, National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett said he expects to see a few more trade deals this week.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 740 points to 42-343.  The S&P 500 rose by 118 points to 59-21.  The Nasdaq gained 461 points to 19-199.

 

>>Consumer Confidence Levels Improved More Than Expected Last Month

(Undated)  --  Consumer confidence rose more than expected last month.  The last reading of consumer sentiment ended five consecutive months of decline.  The consumer confidence rebound was seen at all ages and income demographics.  It comes as the gauge was at its lowest level since the pandemic before this reading.

 

>>Nike To Raise Shoe, Apparel Prices

(Beaverton, OR)  --  Nike will raise prices on shoes, apparel and equipment next month.  Shoes that cost between 100-and-150-dollars will reportedly see a price hike of five-dollars while shoes above 150-dollars will see a jump of up to ten-bucks.  Meanwhile, prices for apparel and equipment will see increases between two-and-ten-dollars.  In a statement Nike said, "We regularly evaluate our business and make pricing adjustments as part of our seasonal planning."  Some products will be excluded from the price hikes including the company's popular Air Force 1 shoes.

 

>>Southwest Airlines Ending "Bags Fly Free" 

(Dallas, TX)  --  Consider this the final boarding call for free checked bags on Southwest Airlines.  The low-cost carrier's popular "two bags fly free" perk ends today.  Southwest says the move is being made to "drive revenue growth."  It's an about face for Southwest CEO Bob Jordan, who said back in September that having no bag fees was a "huge consumer advantage."  Southwest is also set to end "open seating" in the first half of 2026.

 

>>Tesla Sales Plummet In Europe

(Austin, TX)  --  Tesla sales are plummeting in Europe and analysts say it's in part because of CEO Elon Musk's rhetoric and political activities.  Sales across the continent fell nearly 50 percent in April compared with last year.  That's while overall electric vehicle sales were up more than 30-percent.  

 

>>VP Vance To Deliver Keynote Address At Bitcoin Conference

(Las Vegas, NV)  --  Vice President JD Vance will speak at the Bitcoin Conference today in Las Vegas.  It's billed as the world's largest Bitcoin gathering with tens of thousands expected to attend his keynote address.  The former venture capitalist is a vocal advocate for cryptocurrency.  Financial disclosures show his personal Bitcoin holdings are valued between 250-thousand to 500-thousand dollars.  This marks Vance's first appearance in Las Vegas since the 2024 election.

 

>>Walmart Fined For Shipping Toy Guns 

(New York, NY)  --  Walmart is being forced to pay 14-thousand dollars in fines to New York State for shipping realistic toy guns under a settlement deal.   New York law prohibits retailers from selling or shipping toy guns that are black, dark blue, silver and look like a real gun.  New York Attorney General Letitia James says her office investigated and found third-party sellers on Walmart's online store are responsible for selling nine realistic guns to addresses in New York. 

 

>>Return To Work

(Houston, TX)  --  The "return to the office" movement is tapering off with some tech firms moving towards a hybrid approach.  Experts say that allows workers to stay in their pajamas a few days a week, but forces them back to their desks the rest of the time.  Lone Star College economics professor Hank Lewis points to surveys showing that at least some time in the office reduces stress and feelings of loneliness.  Google is the latest to hop on the "hybrid" train.  Remote workers are being told to live within 50 miles of an office and show up three days a week.

 

>>Salesforce To Buy Informatica For $8B

(San Francisco, CA)  --  Salesforce says it's acquiring cloud data company Informatica for eight-billion dollars.  The software company said it's buying Informatica to support its push into artificial intelligence.  Under the terms of the deal,  holders of Informatica stock will receive 25 dollars in cash per share.  Shares of Salesforce closed over one-percent higher after Tuesday's announcement.  Informatica stock rose six percent.