Axios

Costco's gold bar sales are generating between $100 million to $200 million a month, per a Wells Fargo equity research note out this week. Yes, that's actual precious metal.

Why it matters: The super store — known for its passionate fan base, $1.50 hot dog combo and cheapish apparel — has leaned into a quirky marketing move that appears to be working.

J.M Smucker's $5.6 billion acquisition of Hostess closed in November, setting up the peanut-butter-and-jelly food giant to diversify its business into the snacking category.

Why it matters: Hostess — which makes Twinkies, Ho Hos, Ding Dongs, Zingers and other treats — operates in a space where Jif maker Smucker has historically not had much of a presence.

Federal Reserve officials thought inflation was still receding, though that process was expected to be "somewhat uneven," according to minutes released on Wednesday from the Fed's policy meeting last month.

Why it matters: That characterization came before new data that showed yet another month of hotter-than-expected inflation — a sign that faster price increases in key parts of the economy will take longer than anticipated.

The explosion of legalized gambling has set the stage for a provocative new frontier in the world of risk-taking — betting markets for everyday events, ranging from Taylor Swift streams to hurricanes hitting major U.S. cities.

Why it matters: Americans' growing fixation with gambling has fueled a multibillion-dollar sports betting industry, meme stock mania on Wall Street, record Powerball jackpots and soaring casino spending. Prediction markets could be the next to cash in on the phenomenon.

Floating Point, an early-stage VC firm focused on startups in complex sectors, tells Axios that it's raised $70 million for its second fund.

The big picture: Its thesis is that there is still VC value to be found by supporting capital-intensive startups, but that the trouble came when firms began flooding money into startups that really were capital-light models.

The Consumer Price Index rose 0.4% in March, while a closely-watched measure that strips out food and energy costs rose by just as much—matching the same pace as the prior two months, the government said Tuesday.

Why it matters: The latest data, which also show a pick-up in the annual CPI figure, extends a streak of hotter inflation releases than policymakers would like — a key sign that returning inflation back to 2% might take longer than anticipated.

For proof that markets are inefficient, you don't need to look much further than closed-end funds, and other vehicles that behave like them.

Why it matters: When markets are frothy, you'll sometimes see investors paying dollars for dimes. Markets seem to be frothy right now — as evinced particularly in the share price of a new fund called Destiny.

As humanoid robots storm into the workplace, the company that pioneered them — Boston Dynamics — is taking a wait-and-see approach, though there are hints that could change.

Why it matters: Shippers and manufacturers want human-shaped robots that can lift heavy boxes and handle dangerous tasks, but it's not clear yet if they're going to be the right answer.

The price of postage stamps could increase by 5 cents in July under a new United States Postal Service proposal announced Tuesday.

Why it matters: If approved, the increase would tie the record as the highest stamp hike ever.

For the first time in NCAA history, the women's basketball final garnered more views than the men's championship game, per data from Nielsen.

The big picture: The breakthrough numbers come as Iowa guard Caitlin Clark is driving unprecedented momentum around women's sports, Axios' Sara Fischer and Noah Bressner report.

Crypto investor Avraham Eisenberg put $13 million on the line in his Mango Markets trade, his defense counsel argued today, and his $110 million take was never a sure thing.

Why it matters: To get a conviction in its criminal fraud case, the government will have to show that Eisenberg both had knowledge that he was acting illicitly and that the laws he has been charged under actually apply to decentralized finance (DeFi).

Five major TV news networks are preparing a letter urging President Biden and former President Trump to engage in televised debates, a source told Axios.

Why it matters: The two historically unpopular presumptive nominees are headed for a rematch, and it's still unclear whether a debate between them will actually happen.

Structural problems within Boeing's 787 Dreamliner and 777 jets could cause the aircraft to suddenly fail, the attorneys of a former Boeing engineer alleged on Tuesday.

Why it matters: The allegations, which were first published by the New York Times, heighten the widespread safety crisis at Boeing set off by a mid-flight blowout with one of its 737 MAX 9 jets earlier this year.

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Nylon, the 25-year-old fashion outlet, will release its first physical magazine this month since stopping print editions and becoming a digital-only publication in 2017, executives told Axios.

Why it matters: The move is part of a larger revival of print as a marketing tool and potential advertising opportunity amid an otherwise grim digital ad outlook for publishers.

Puck has acquired Artelligence, a Substack newsletter about the global art market authored by veteran art director and journalist Marion Maneker, Puck editor-in-chief Jon Kelly tells Axios.

Why it matters: It's the first time Puck has acquired an existing newsletter instead of hiring an author to build a new one.

Media veteran Campbell Brown is joining TollBit as a senior adviser, Brown told Axios. The startup is building a marketplace between AI companies and media outlets.

Why it matters: Brown was highly sought after following her exit from Meta last year, given her experience brokering news partnerships.

Retail trading giant Robinhood on Tuesday officially launched a website for its new media outlet, Sherwood News. The launch also includes a rebrand of its popular financial newsletter Snacks.

Why it matters: Sherwood News wants to be a revenue-driving business for Robinhood, not just a customer acquisition tool, says Joshua Topolsky, editor-in-chief and president of Sherwood News.

Alethea Group, an AI-powered social media monitoring platform, has secured a $20 million Series B round led by Google Ventures, the startup first tells Axios.

Why it matters: Alethea is one of the few cybersecurity companies able to raise money during an ongoing investment drought.

Kimberly-Clark, the Texas-based maker of Kleenex and Huggies, has agreed to sell its personal protective equipment business to Australia's Ansell for $640 million in cash.

Why it matters: It wasn't too long ago that America was wringing its ungloved hands over how much PPE manufacturing had moved overseas.

The Environmental Protection Agency issued new rules Tuesday to force hundreds of chemical plants across the U.S. to reduce cancer-linked toxic chemicals they emit into the air.

Why it matters: The rules come as a win for environmental advocates and advance the Biden administration's push for environmental justice.

Paramount Global faces growing opposition from investors angry about deal talks with Skydance Media that they say will leave shareholders in the cold.

Why it matters: Shareholder resistance, if it builds further and spreads, could impact the exclusive merger talks between Skydance and Paramount and force Shari Redstone to entertain Apollo Management's all-cash offer.

The dust is still settling on Tesla's wild and confusing Friday, so here's a little more chatter rolling in while everyone waits for more clarity.

Why it matters: Tesla is still the world's leading EV seller, albeit one that's facing multiple challenges.

Truth Social is a meme stock, but its investors don't have diamond hands.

By the numbers: Shares of parent company Trump Media & Technology Group fell another 8.4% on Monday, closing at $37.17.

A trial kicked off Monday in federal court for a crypto trader and a strategy he employed that prosecutors allege was a $110 million theft.

Why it matters: The defense team for Avraham Eisenberg is being touchy about how the suggestion of market manipulation might come up in his trial, and shows every sign of arguing that, on blockchains — what's allowed by the software that runs a marketplace is, in fact, allowed.

Rail operator Norfolk Southern said Tuesday that it had reached a $600 million class-action settlement over the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment in February 2023.

Why it matters: The disaster sparked concerns about hazardous chemicals injuring residents on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border and called attention to Norfolk Southern's safety record.

The International Monetary Fund has quietly been assessing enormous surcharges on its largest borrowers for years, to build up its capital base. Now that its funds are set to reach their target level, a group of U.S. lawmakers is introducing a bill seeking to effectively abolish the surcharges altogether, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The IMF, as a so-called super-senior creditor, always gets repaid — and therefore takes much less credit risk than other lenders. All the same, it now charges its largest borrowers — Argentina, Ukraine, and some 20 other countries — as much as 8.6% in their first year, declining only a little to 8.1% in year four.

For the first time since the pandemic, more workers prefer hybrid work arrangements than fully remote setups, according to a new report.

Why it matters: Hybrid work is emerging as the clear winner in the post-pandemic work world, a surprise from a few years ago when it seemed like a fully at-home revolution was underway.

Dude Perfect, a group of sports and comedy show hosts that started on YouTube 15 years ago, has raised more than $100 million from private investment firm Highmount Capital.

Why it matters: The money will help drive Dude Perfect's expansion into a larger media company, building out more opportunities beyond YouTube.

Tesla settled a lawsuit concerning the 2018 crash death of an Apple engineer in Northern California, court documents showed Monday.

The big picture: The case that was set to go to trial this week would have brought scrutiny to Tesla's Autopilot that CEO Elon Musk sees as a key part of the electric vehicle company's EV charging standard, and he's offered to license the driver assistance system to other car companies.