Axios

It was a good year for AI-linked companies in 2024, as they led the stock market with eye-watering returns.

• Execution problems plagued some well-known businesses, though, causing their shares to sink.

Why it matters: Those AI names helped the S&P 500 to its best two-year gain since the dot-com bubble of the late 1990s.

Stocks soared in 2024, despite a rough final week that wiped out the S&P 500's post-election rally.

Why it matters: People with market-representative stock portfolios are still richer now than when the year began.

Several photographers spoke with Axios to reflect on a year full of stunning photos.

Why it matters: News photographers capture key moments and emotions that enhance the storytelling and provide insight into the larger context of an event.

DroneUp, which partnered with Walmart in 2021 for drone deliveries in multiple cities, said its contract with the retailer has ended.

Why it matters: The news comes less than a month after DroneUp received FAA certification to expand its commercial operations.

What they're saying: "We value the lessons learned while working together and will apply those learnings to our operations in the future," the company said in a statement.

• "As of today, our contract and operations together have come to an end."
• Walmart said it's no longer an investor in DroneUp, adding it was "excited about the momentum and positive customer response we've experienced around drone delivery" and would continue tests in the Dallas area.

Catch up quick: Walmart invested in DroneUp in 2021 after running trials with the company on Covid test kit deliveries.

• The companies launched what were billed as large-scale drone deliveries in early 2022.
• In August DroneUp shut down Walmart delivery operations in most markets except Dallas, telling Axios the model wasn't sustainable at the current costs.

What's next: A DroneUp spokesman said the company remains in business with ongoing staff, but declined to comment about layoffs in Dallas.

• Walmart already said earlier this year it was moving forward with drone deliveries with other partners.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with Walmart's statement.

The National Football League's biggest rule change in 2024 was about ownership, not kickoffs, as it allowed private equity into the ranks.

The big picture: NFL clubs have become too valuable for most billionaires to buy on their own.

Major energy companies doubled down on oil and gas in 2024, slowing down — and at times reversing — climate commitments, in a shift they're likely to stick with in 2025.

Why it matters: Big European energy companies that invested heavily in the clean energy transition found their stocks lagging U.S. rivals Exxon and Chevron, which kept their focus on oil and gas, Reuters reports.

Social Security retirement and disability benefits for 2025 will start to roll out for millions of Americans as early as Tuesday and throughout January.

Why it matters: Benefits increase by 2.5% and about $50 a month but it's the lowest benefit increase in recent years.

We know Elon Musk dominated the headlines in 2024, but the scale by which he overshadowed other CEOs is stunning.

Why it matters: It's a self-sustaining cycle — stories about Musk get clicks, and so publishers write more about Musk, who provides plenty of raw material.

Hackers connected to China's government successfully breached several Treasury Department workstations and accessed unclassified documents, according to a letter to Congress on Monday.

Why it matters: The U.S. government is already scrambling to respond to an ongoing China-backed hack of American telecom networks that targeted several high-profile officials.