Axios

Amazon's Prime Video streaming service introduced ads to movies and television shows Monday and added a new ad-free tier for $2.99 a month.

Why it matters: The move follows recent subscription fee increases from Disney, Netflix, Max and Peacock.

Fidelity marked up the value of its shares in X Holdings by more than 11% during the month of December, according to a new disclosure.

Why it matters: This comes after months of Fidelity markdowns for X, which the mutual fund giant helped Elon Musk buy for $44 billion when it was still known as Twitter.

Walmart will start giving its store managers stock grants this year on top of new pay raises, the retailer announced Monday.

Why it matters: It's the latest move by the nation's largest private employer and retailer to retain and reward managers in a competitive labor market.

Holcim, the world's largest cement maker, said it plans to spin off its North American business via an IPO that could value the unit at over $30 billion.

Why it matters: This reflects confidence in America's appetite for new homes, particularly once rates decline.

Amazon and Roomba maker iRobot on Monday said that they'll terminate their $1.4 billion merger agreement, due to opposition from European antitrust regulators.

Why it matters: This is the first time Amazon has ever been stopped from buying another company.

Americans are taking their cash to the casino at record rates.

Why it matters: It may be another sign that the consumer mood — which has been incredibly sour in the post-pandemic era, is getting much sunnier.

You know the market has officially shaken off its doldrums when dividend recaps are back.

Catch up fast: A dividend recapitalization is what it's called when companies issue debt and use some of the proceeds to pay shareholders a dividend. Sometimes public companies do this — more often, it's those owned by private equity firms.

The Internal Revenue Service kicks off tax season 2024 on Monday — six days later than last year — with a few changes and the rollout of the government's new pilot tax filing service.

Why it matters: The IRS Direct File pilot could reshape how millions of Americans do their taxes and disrupt the multibillion-dollar tax preparation industry.

The New York Times' puzzle and games were played more than 8 billion times last year, the company tells Axios exclusively, led by breakout hit Wordle, with 4.8 billion plays — and a Games app redesign is on the way.

Why it matters: The stats underscore gaming's increasing importance to the paper, which offers a $6/month games-only subscription, as well as costlier packages of games bundled with news and more.

"Your last day is today." These five brutal words, integral to most layoffs, have typically been heard privately. Not anymore.

What's happening: As a spate of layoffs continues in tech and media, workers — especially younger ones — are sharing the intimate details publicly on TikTok, LinkedIn, X, and other platforms.

China's embattled property firm Evergrande was ordered by a Hong Kong court to liquidate on Monday morning local time.

Why it matters: The slow-moving problems of Evergrande, once China's largest developer, underscore the country's deepening economic woes, which have sent the stock market swooning.