Opening Bid Unfiltered

The fight for restaurant relevance. Within the past year, the sit-down dining industry has seen its fair share of troubles. Hooters filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. Red Lobster managed to emerge from bankruptcy in September 2024. At the heart of the bankruptcies were changing demographics, shifts in how people work and poor decisions on food quality and experience. No sit-down restaurant encompasses this more than TGI Fridays. The company filed for bankruptcy in November 2024 following years of missteps. The company closed dozens of locations as part of the bankruptcy process. What has emerged is a much smaller franchisee led chain that is hoping to find some form of relevance again after a storied history with cocktails and potato skins. Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi sits down on the Opening Bid podcast with the person responsible for that turnaround, TGI Fridays CEO Ray Blanchette. Blanchette started as a manager trainee in 1989, rising the ranks to hold the CEO role for six years. Blanchette left in 2023. Can he save TGI Fridays? The clock is ticking.Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid, brings you a high-octane take on the freshest analyst calls, wildest stock moves and shrewdest commentary in the business world. Executive Editor Brian Sozzi puts Wall Street's finest through their paces in this essential conversation for every investor - before the stock market opens.Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com.Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid is hosted by Brian Sozzi, and produced by Langston Sessoms Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There isn’t much Pat Gelsinger hasn’t done in the tech industry. He created cutting edge technology decades ago at Intel (INTC). Then went off to VMWare to reinvest the tech player. He then returned to Intel several years ago to revive the chip giant. But Gelsinger’s tenure at Intel was rocking as the company fell behind rivals like Nvidia (NVDA) and AMD (AMD)with AI chips. The company also made a big decision to start making its own chips, which came at a material cost to the bottom line. With results and the stock price under pressure, Gelsinger and Intel parted ways in December 2024. Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi talks with Gelsinger now that he has had some to reflect on his Intel tenure. Gelsinger has emerged as an investor in startups, taking his experience at Intel and seeking to help the next generation of tech leaders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The stock market’s tariff-driven convulsions have upended the financial security of many seeking to build their wealth. That includes everyone from those nearing retirement to those in retirement to the wealthy. In effect, investors feel trapped amid the daily market-moving headlines. Financial advisers are also being tested to a degree not seen in years. Popular investing ideas such as Nvidia (NVDA) and Apple (AAPL) have come under pressure on tariff fears. The bond market is sending worrying signals on the economy. Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi talks with the co-heads of Bank of America’s Merrill Wealth Management unit Lindsay Hans and Eric Schimpf. They are on the frontlines of the big changes in wealth happening right now. The pair shares what they are hearing from clients and their financial advisers, and what strategies are being employed to ride out the uncertainty.Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid, brings you a high-octane take on the freshest analyst calls, wildest stock moves and shrewdest commentary in the business world. Executive Editor Brian Sozzi puts Wall Street's finest through their paces in this essential conversation for every investor - before the stock market opens.Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com.Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid is hosted by Brian Sozzi, and produced by Langston Sessoms Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So much for the mini relief rally in one of the world’s most popular stocks. Shares of Nvidia fell as much as 5% in early trading on Wednesday as the company said it would take a $5.5 billion charge as the Trump administration barred it from selling its H20 AI chip in China. The news comes a day after Nvidia tossed the Trump administration a big bone in committing to spend $500 billion over four years to manufacture AI supercomputers in the US. Nvidia’s whopping charge and the subsequent negative reaction in the stock should remind investors of at least two things. One, the US and China remain far apart in a trade deal – and in the meantime, escalations along the lines of the Nvidia chip news should be expected. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested a deal with China hasn't yet taken form in an exclusive interview with Yahoo Finance on Tuesday. Talks between the two haven’t commenced, Bessent suggested. And two as it pertains to Nvidia, in this environment investors should assume bad news isn’t baked into the stock price. The fact Nvidia’s stock price is being hit on news pros say had been expected says a lot about ongoing market uncertainty amid the trade war.Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid, brings you a high-octane take on the freshest analyst calls, wildest stock moves and shrewdest commentary in the business world. Executive Editor Brian Sozzi puts Wall Street's finest through their paces in this essential conversation for every investor - before the stock market opens.Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com.Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid is hosted by Brian Sozzi, and produced by Langston Sessoms Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While a lot of attention has been focused on the volatile stock market, investing pros say it’s time to shift more focus to the bond market. Indeed the market is undergoing its own major convulsions amid Trump tariff concerns, which is rattling many investors around the world. Of note is that as stock prices have sold off, bond prices have sold off too. That despite Treasurys often being viewed as a place of safety during stock market turbulence. The moves in the bond market are sending signals that the US may have trouble paying its future debts and could fall into a recession soon. Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi sits down with bond market expert and founder of The Bear Traps Report Lawrence McDonald to get his thoughts on the high-stakes situation. McDonald says a Lehman Brothers-like moment may be coming to markets. He adds there are other ways to invest in Nvidia (NVDA) besides investing in Nvidia, suggesting metals stocks or the hard assets themselves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this discussion, Grant Cardone, CEO of Cardone Capital and a heavyweight in real estate investing, shares his insights on navigating current market volatility. He reveals why he believes Trump’s tariffs could eventually benefit the U.S. economy. Cardone emphasizes the importance of disciplined investing and the potential rise of a 'renter nation.' He also offers advice on the appeal of real estate amid recession fears, urging investors to consider diversifying their portfolios, even exploring innovative strategies that blend real estate with cryptocurrency.

Just like that, hope for the economy tied to the Trump administration's pro-business policies, such as tax codes, have gone up in smoke. In its place is an almost baseline scenario on Wall Street that the US economy will slip into a recession amid bruising new tariffs, while some sources we have talked to suggest the US economy is already in a mild recession and others have voiced concerns about a depression.Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has acknowledged the challenges the US economy may face this year as tariffs ripple through global supply chains. He also has hinted the Fed’s hands may be tied with respect to an economic slowdown response. Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi sits down with veteran economist and Independent Institute senior fellow Judy Shelton to get her perspective on the state of the economy as it has been shocked by the Trump administration. Shelton is a long-time critic of Fed policy, and she weighs in on what Powell & co. may do next.Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid, brings you a high-octane take on the freshest analyst calls, wildest stock moves and shrewdest commentary in the business world. Executive Editor Brian Sozzi puts Wall Street's finest through their paces in this essential conversation for every investor - before the stock market opens.Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com.Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid is hosted by Brian Sozzi, and produced by Langston Sessoms Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Trump tariff headlines ripping through markets and economic data, recession calls or predictions for a sharp economic slowdown are coming into the light. The most direct one comes out of BCA Research’s veteran strategist Peter Berezin. Berezin said he sees a 75% chance of a recession within the next three months. In his second quarter outlook for clients, Berezin warned about a “buckling” US consumer and weakening labor market. Berezin has gained attention of late for being the lone bear on Wall Street coming into 2025. He has a year-end target on the S&P 500 of 4,450. The S&P 500 (^GSPC) opened the year at 5,903. Berezin has been an economist for more than 30 years, with stints at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Goldman Sachs, and now BCA Research. Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi sits down on the Opening Bid podcast with Berezin about his big calls and why investors need to listen up.Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid, brings you a high-octane take on the freshest analyst calls, wildest stock moves and shrewdest commentary in the business world. Executive Editor Brian Sozzi puts Wall Street's finest through their paces in this essential conversation for every investor - before the stock market opens.Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com.Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid is hosted by Brian Sozzi, and produced by Langston Sessoms Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Believe it or not, there are other things going on in the world of business and tech than tariffs and sell-offs in the "Magnificent 7." Take blockchain, crypto and Web3 – three areas that continue to see their fair share of startups seeking to make their names. Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi sits down with Mysten Labs co-founder and CEO Evan Cheng. Cheng has spent good chunks of time in tech leadership roles at Apple (AAPL) and Meta (META). Since 2021, he has been building the Web3 platform Mylen Labs. The timing looks to have been spot on, as the crypto space has notched several wins under the Trump administration. With President Trump leaning into making the US the bitcoin (BTC-USD) capital of the world, what does it mean for Web3 early entrants such as Mylen Labs? Cheng weighs in,and shares how leadership lessons learned at Apple and Meta are paying dividends at his startup.Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid, brings you a high-octane take on the freshest analyst calls, wildest stock moves and shrewdest commentary in the business world. Executive Editor Brian Sozzi puts Wall Street's finest through their paces in this essential conversation for every investor - before the stock market opens.Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com.Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid is hosted by Brian Sozzi, and produced by Langston Sessoms Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Retailers are getting swept into the black vortex that are tariff headlines from the Trump administration. Big names such as Walmart (WMT), Target (TGT), Gap (GAP), and Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) have warned about the impact of tariffs this year on profits. In the meantime, shoppers are growing concerned about what they will be paying for spring and summer apparel once tariffs kick in. The reality is that consumers may resist the higher prices, sending retailers off to offer profit-busting discounts and earnings warnings. Luxury goods companies are by no means immune to the challenges as their results have been powered by international shoppers and a wealthy class feasting on strong stock market gains (until now). Is there any reason to be optimistic about the sector? Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi sits down on the Opening Bid podcast with noted fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff for her perspective on the state of retail. Minkoff created her company from the ground floor in the mid-2000s and has seen some of the highest of the highs and lowest of the lows in retail. Minkoff is also the author of the new book Fearless: The New Rules for Unlocking Creativity, Courage, and Success, where she aims to impart leadership wisdom to the next generation of female entrepreneurs.Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid, brings you a high-octane take on the freshest analyst calls, wildest stock moves and shrewdest commentary in the business world. Executive Editor Brian Sozzi puts Wall Street's finest through their paces in this essential conversation for every investor - before the stock market opens.Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com.Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid is hosted by Brian Sozzi, and produced by Langston Sessoms Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices