With the help of a successful weekend showing of "Frozen 2," the Walt Disney Company has officially raked in more than $10 billion this year in box office sales, a new record.
Why it matters: Disney’s box office success this year is attributable in part to a years-long strategy to invest in major tentpole franchises, like Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars. Most of its biggest box office hits this year came from those three brands.
Fox News announced Monday that veteran anchor Bill Hemmer will take over for the network's 3pm hour beginning Jan. 20.
Why it matters: Hemmer is taking the reins after longtime Fox News anchor Shep Smith announced in October that he was stepping down from his position as anchor of "Shepard Smith Report." Smith was also Fox News' chief news anchor and managing editor of the network's breaking news unit.
Fox News' Chris Wallace said Monday that the Ukraine-linked allegations against President Trump are "far broader than the Clinton impeachment," calling them "an issue of foreign policy, national security."
The big picture: Wallace was responding to a statement from Ken Starr, who headed the 1998 investigation that led to the impeachment of President Clinton, that House Democrats' inquiry was "narrow" and focused on charges of abuse of power regarding Ukraine and obstruction of Congress. Wallace pushed back on that assertion, calling the inquiry against Trump "a much bigger issue than whether or not Bill Clinton lied about sex."
Institutional Shareholder Servicesrecommended that Hudson's Bay Co.shareholders vote against a C$1.9 billion, or C$10.30 per share, takeover offer led by company chairman Richard Baker.
Why it matters: Hudson's Bay was already drowning in limbo, and this might pull away its life preservers. ISS argues that there's no legitimate reason for shareholders to accept Baker's bid, which also includes Rhone Capital and WeWork Industrial Trust, over an C$11 per share offer from Catalyst Capital Group.
Traders still don't trust the stock market's run and are moving money out of equities at a historic level, despite a 25% year-to-date gain for the S&P 500.
What's happening: Data from the Investment Company Institute shows money has been pulled out of equity mutual funds and ETFs in every month this year except January.
Last week's ADP private payrolls report was a serious head fake for Friday's blockbuster U.S. jobs report from the Labor Department.
Why it matters: The government's numbers deviate significantly from the trend, which likely mean the report is an outlier but it could also signal the start of a new trend.
U.S. manufacturers and small businesses have been hit hard by the trade war, but recent data shows that China is really suffering.
Driving the news: China's total exports fell for the 12th straight month in November, dropping 1.1% from a year ago, and exports to the U.S. have fallen more than 20%, according to China’s customs administration.
Mike Bloomberg will announce a climate week that kicks off on Monday with the campaign's first ad on climate change.
The big picture: It's an online-only spot in California that's called "Smoke and Fire." It calls President Trump "the climate denier," in contrast with Bloomberg's battles with the coal industry.
Tech-based economic growth has become so concentrated in the top 5% of metro areas that experts are proposing a federal push to jump-start new tech hubs in the heartland.
Why it matters: This divergence of economic realities between the top "superstar metros" and almost everywhere else shows how powerful clusters of skilled workers, jobs and investment have compounded the success of booming cities and left widening gaps among regions.
