Opening Bid Unfiltered

Bausch + Lomb said this month it had explored taking the company private with a third-party buyer. No deal was reached as a consortium of private equity firms TPG and Blackstone reportedly backed out. Bausch + Lomb (BLCO) said it would not pursue a transaction at this time. But it reiterated a view that a full separation from Bausch Health Companies (BHC) is still the goal. Bausch Health Companies owns 88.4% of Bausch + Lomb. So what’s next for the the healthcare icon? Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi chats with Bausch + Lomb chairman and CEO Brent Saunders. Saunders is known as one of the biggest dealmakers in the pharmaceutical industry of the past 15 years. Saunders returned to Bausch + Lomb as CEO in March 2023. In May 2013, he was also the CEO of Bausch + Lomb, responsible for its $8.7 billion sale to Valeant Pharmaceuticals. He then took over as the CEO of Forest Laboratories. By February 2014, Saunders orchestrated a sale of the company to Actavis for $25 billion. He assumed the CEO position. From there in November 2014, he pulled off a $70 billion acquisition of Allergan and became its CEO. It's there where Saunders' star quickly rose in media circles, overseeing the commercial success of botox and doing battle with feared activist investor Carl Icahn. Saunders then sold Allergan to Abbvie (ABBV) for $63 billion in a deal that closed in May 2020. He says no deal is imminent for Bausch + Lomb.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.00:00-Brent Saunders on Opening Bid03:00-A vast career leading on route to CEO06:30-Future of eye care industry09:30-Consequences of our activities on our eye health12:15-State of company: Bausch + Lomb17:50-Health care industry outlook20:40-HOT TAKEYahoo Finance's Opening Bid is hosted by Brian Sozzi, and produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky.Brent Saunders is an American biopharma executive and entrepreneur who is the chairman and CEO of the health company Bausch + Lomb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Super Bowl is in the books, with the Philadelphia Eagles delivering a commanding win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Companies paid a steep $8 million for a 30-second TV spot, up from $7 million in 2024. Now, sports and media watchers can return to their regularly scheduled programming. That programming is of high intrigue. For one, rights deals for Formula 1 and the UFC are on the table in 2025. The UFC alone could command a $1 billion a year deal, more than double the one it currently has with Disney-owned ESPN. Media watchers will be looking out for whether both sports end up on streaming channels amid the struggles at legacy media giants.In the meantime, the NFL can opt out of its rights deal with all media partners except for Disney after the 2028-2029 season. If they do opt out and head to a Netflix that is not hiding its appetite for live sports, it could alter the TV business forever. Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi chats with longtime media executive David Levy about these tectonic shifts in the industry, especially on the sports front. Levy spent 32 years running Turner, leading its sports portfolio and even the Cartoon Network. Today, Levy is the founder and co-CEO of Horizon Sports & Experiences—which is making a bold bet on pickleball.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.00:00-David Levy on Opening Bid02:30-What Superbowl numbers say about streaming05:09-Changing times for established media like Turner, ESPN, ABC08:50-Podcasters making money has nothing to do with TV10:45-The rise of pickleball13:30-Opportunities in women's sports16:10-Reinvention of sports for programming like fantasy football21:30-HOT TAKEYahoo Finance's Opening Bid is hosted by Brian Sozzi, and produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky.Long regarded as one of the media industry’s most influential executives, David Levy currently serves as the co-CEO and founder of Horizon Sports & Experiences – HS&E. HS&E has a core focus on IP creation, and monetization, strategic advisory and consulting media rights, sponsorships, sales and experiential. Prior to HS&E, Levy served as President of Turner, offering content and advertising solutions to some of the most valuable brands in the world to audiences in sports, entertainment, news and children’s programming. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amazon is one of the Magnificent 7 components managing to cling to gains this year, eclipsed only by Meta. The rest of the closely followed trading acronym is down, led by a plunge in Tesla. The gains on Amazon are interesting given how much it plans to spend on capex this year. Similar to Microsoft and Meta this earnings season, Amazon recently uncorked a whopper of a capital spending guide. It sees $104 billion in capital expenditures this year, well above analyst forecasts of $80 billion to $85 billion going into its earnings reports. The Street has opted to stay bullish on Amazon after its results and surprising guidance for two reasons. Most analysts have pointed to a sales reacceleration in the key Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud business later this year, amid the company's aggressive spending. And two, the company is driving a good bit of efficiency out of its bread and butter retail network. But can the bullishness on Amazon be sustained? Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi sits down on the Opening Bid podcast with Morgan Stanley managing director Brian Nowak. Nowak has an Overweight rating on Amazon’s stock. Part of Nowak’s call reflects what Amazon is working on in terms of robots, an element to the investment thesis not often discussed.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.00:00-Brian Nowak on Opening Bid01:40-Evaluating Amazon stock post-earnings04:50-Alexa & AI08:40-Is Meta's future looking bleak?14:15-Deep dive into Amazon's robots18:20-Competitive advantage20:50-HOT TAKEYahoo Finance's Opening Bid is hosted by Brian Sozzi, and produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky.By bringing together strategic insights on how consumer Internet companies and leading platforms are changing and monetizing consumer behavior, and incorporating big picture themes into detailed models Brian Nowak leads the Morgan Stanley Internet research team in crafting actionable insights for clients.Brian Nowak disclosures for companies mentioned in episode:Amazon.com Inc: Investment relationship: Yes | Individual owns: No | Family owns: No | Company owns: YesMeta Platforms Inc: Investment relationship: Yes | Individual owns: No | Family owns: No | Company owns: Yes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On paper, the US economy continues to chug along three weeks into the Trump presidency. The January jobs report showed a solid 143,000 jobs created. Inflation is stable. And big cap tech companies such as Amazon and Meta continue to invest aggressively to build out AI infrastructure. While these are positive reads on the economy, it’s certainly not too hard to see the dark clouds forming on the horizon. President Trump has thrust the US into trade wars with China, Mexico and Canada. That stands to reignite inflation and possibly bring rate hikes from the Fed back on the table. Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi chats with Apollo Global Management chief economist Torsten Sløk to get his read on the tariff situation. Do tariffs tip the economy into a short-term recession and the markets into a fresh tailspin? Slok also serves up his economic predictions for the rest of 2025.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.00:00-Torsten Sløk on Opening Bid03:30-Impact of tariffs on GDP06:30-The trade war s**t show12:45-An inflationary call that stands out16:45-Why do things look more expense?Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid is hosted by Brian Sozzi, and produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky.Torsten Sløk joined Apollo in August 2020 as Chief Economist and he leads Apollo's macroeconomic and market analysis across the platform. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Travis Kelce brand continues to hit "New Heights." And it’s not just because he is dating pop icon Taylor Swift! Kelce will go down as one of the best tight ends in NFL history. With that title, Kelce continues to rake in commercial dollars from big brands wanting to hitch their names to his success and personal brand. Kelce’s return to the Super Bowl this year against the Philadelphia Eagles will only strengthen his hand with partners who want to work with him.But none of this would have been possible without the men beyond the curtain since day one, Kelce's talent and portfolio managers Andre and Aaron Eanes, co-founders of A&A Management Group. Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi sits down with both of them to hear how they manage the brand that is Travis Kelce, as well as his growing financial empire. The brothers also have their own fascinating story and company that could inspire up-and-coming 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.00:00-Andre and Aaron Eanes on Opening Bid03:00-Evaluating the business in sports04:50-Investing like Travis Kelce11:00-Rise of athletes as investors21:30-The importance of brand valueYahoo Finance's Opening Bid is hosted by Brian Sozzi, and produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky.Andre and Aaron Eanes are brothers from Cleveland, Ohio who established their full service sports and entertainment management company A&A Management in 2012, working with stars liike Travis Kelca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The retail sector felt somewhat well, having had a successful 2024 holiday shopping season. Many of the players in the space were looking forward to unemployment staying low and the Federal Reserve pausing rate hikes as key tailwinds to consumer spending in 2025. Then came the start of a trade war by returning President Donald Trump.The implementation of China tariffs stands to rattle retail supply chains and raise costs, which could hammer profit margins. Bottom lines could also be hurt if price increases related to tariffs get rejected by shoppers. Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi chats with BMO Capital Markets analyst Simeon Siegel about which retailers are most exposed to tariffs. Should investors stay away from these names? The two also discussed the turnaround taking shape at Nike (NKE) under the new CEO, Elliott Hill. Key to the turnaround for Nike will be a better product to take on the likes of Decker’s Outdoor (DECK) and ON Running (ONON).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.00:00-Simeon Siegel on Opening Bid1:25-We're focusing too much on tariffs3:55-Defining inflation6:10-We're in a trade-war, how should Nike and Lululemon respond?10:07-Sell us on Nike's comeback14:00-HOT TAKEYahoo Finance's Opening Bid is hosted by Brian Sozzi, and produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky.Simeon Siegel is BMO Capital Markets' Managing Director & Senior Analyst, specializing in Retail and E-commerce. Simeon started his career at Goldman Sachs and his since worked on the #1 ranked Retail franchise at JPMorgan and Nomura | Instinet.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Few companies have had the same impact on society as tech giant Microsoft (MSFT). Co-founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company fundamentally changed how work was done with the invention of Windows. Decades later, the company is back shaking up the world order again amid the AI boom. Microsoft has a lucrative stake in ChatGPT developer OpenAI. It’s powering businesses with the release of Microsoft Co-Pilot. The company has swallowed up a giant acquisition in video publisher Activision Blizzard with relative ease, while also leveraging insights from a LinkedIn business purchased several years ago.While Gates is no longer involved with the company day-to-day, he remains its spiritual adviser, so to speak. He also remains tremendously active in next-generation technology and trying to cure diseases via the Gates Foundation (formerly the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation). But what is the story behind Gates, who is viewed as one of the most transformational leaders of the past fifty years alongside Apple co-founder Steve Jobs? In Gates' new book titled “Source Code," he aims to pull back the curtain on his childhood and rocketship rise to fame during his Microsoft years. Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi sits down with Gates to drill into the book, as well as get Gates’ views on the future of AI, quantum computing, and healthcare.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.00:00-Bill Gates on Opening Bid00:30-Reflecting on new book "Source Code"06:30-Early days with Intel and Microsoft09:30-Learning to code12:00-Leadership at Microsoft15:30-Drugs with Paul Allen16:00-The beginning of Silicon Valley21:00-Nvidia, AI, and quantum computing26:00-Public health outlookYahoo Finance's Opening Bid is hosted by Brian Sozzi, and produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky.Bill Gates needs little introduction; but here's the legend anyway. Bill Gates is a technologist, business leader, and philanthropist. In 1975, he co-founded Microsoft with his childhood friend Paul Allen and today he is chair of the Gates Foundation. Bill is the founder of Breakthrough Energy, an effort to commercialize c lean energy and other climate-related technologies, and TerraPower, a company investing in developing groundbreaking nuclear technologies.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin Hochman, the dynamic CEO of Brinker International, shares insights on revitalizing Chili's Grill & Bar. He discusses elevating menu quality and the innovative strategies behind beloved dishes like ribs and fajitas. Hochman emphasizes the importance of adapting to mobile ordering trends and enhancing customer experiences. With a focus on marketing and operational efficiency, he reveals how the company is thriving in a competitive landscape. Get ready to learn about the future of casual dining!

Sridhar Ramaswamy, the CEO of Snowflake Inc., dives into the fast-paced world of AI innovation. He discusses the disruptive arrival of DeepSeek, a China-based competitor shaking up the AI landscape and fostering concerns about the U.S. catching up. Ramaswamy emphasizes how Snowflake's technology is critical for large language models and refutes claims that they're lagging in the race. The conversation touches on the need for transparency in AI advancements and explores how businesses must swiftly adapt to remain competitive.

Markets have had a case of whiplash in January. Rising bond yields weighed on stocks earlier in the month. Then optimism spread in markets as Donald Trump officially returned to the White House. And now, the likes of JP Morgan CEO and billionaire investor Ray Dalio are warning that stock valuations have gotten too inflated. Not to mention DeepSake fears hammering markets and AI darling Nvidia. Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi chats with Carlyle Group head of research Jason Thomas as markets eye February. Thomas has been vocal that the Federal Reserve should be less restrictive in its policy after a series of rate hikes. Whether the Fed gets that message at its closely watched meeting this week is to be determined. Thomas is calling out concentration risk in the markets as Nvidia, Meta, Amazon and Microsoft continue to dominate the weighting in the S&P 500. Is it time to head to the hills on these stocks this earnings season as each look to ramp up spending on AI projects? Thomas reveals his team’s latest thinking. Find Thomas' full Carlyle report here: https://www.carlyle.com/sites/default/files/2025-01/5_questions_for_2025.pdfYahoo 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.00:00-Jason Thomas on Opening Bid00:30-Stock of the day: Nvidia03:00-What's next in AI?07:00-Toss Nvidia in the trash?12:30-Tariff impact on markets19:30-Global stocks to watch21:00-HOT TAKEYahoo Finance's Opening Bid is hosted by Brian Sozzi, and produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky.Jason Thomas is Head of Global Research & Investment Strategy at Carlyle. Mr. Thomas helps to formulate firmwide investment strategies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices