Every now and then we find a consumer trend that really tells us something about the state of the world. And lately, that trend has been snacking. Snacks whereby our dentists as well as nutritionists can shame us. (But honestly, look at the headlines on any given day in 2020 and then tell me that pint of Super Fudge Chunk is incomplete.)
We humans understand in direct proportion to our collective anxiety. Take a look:
Oh yes, too: Gyms stay tight in many places and stretchy leggings are officially business attire.
So be kind to yourself, readers. We are all together in this.
SPLIT
What is a stock split?
Fine as it sounds: A split divides shares into smaller steps. If you previously owned 10 shares of Tesla, you will soon have 50, but the price per share drops, and the total value remains the same.
Why split?
As Wall Street enthusiasm shares soared, they became less accessible to day-to-day investors. Think of the hordes of Robinhood users who are often new to investing and the trend of charging on cheaper securities.
Just look at Tesla and Apple. Tesla’s stock is on a roll this year. Shares have risen more than 200% since January, to about $ 1,500. Apple is up more than 45% this year, to about $ 450 per share. Not exactly cheap.
Why the abstinence?
Well, it’s Wall Street, so there’s an honest little ego involved. And because splits are mostly cosmetic, there is not a ton of incentives to reverse the trend.
A $ 1,400 NON-IPHONE?
Microsoft is about to roll out its first Android phone. And it’s … very expensive.
But the price makes sense for a few reasons:
- First, it is a dual-screen device. Essentially a fold-in tablet.
- Second, Microsoft is probably counting on the Duo to be a showcase piece. It’s more about what’s possible instead of convincing millions of customers to leave their iPhones.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Black women’s hair choices can be very consistent. Hair is not just hair.”
A Duke University study found that Black women with natural hairstyles, including curly hair, twists or braids, were less likely to get interviews than women with straight hair.
WHAT ELSE IS ON?
- Meat prices are finally falling – except hot dogs. Food prices fell a seasonally adjusted 0.4% in July, the first decline since April of last year.
- The UK economy shrinks by more than 20% in the second quarter, the worst drop on record and the biggest drop of any major global economy.
- Discount Merchant Stein Mart became the last chain for bankruptcy. It has plans to close most of its nearly 300 stores.
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