Best Buy announced Wednesday it is the exclusive national retailer for RGB LED TVs, putting the electronics chain at the center of a rollout the company calls the biggest change in TV technology in more than a decade.
Why it matters: The move gives Best Buy a rare edge in the competitive TV market and positions the retailer at the forefront of the next generation of displays.
Why it matters: Trump has been angling for Congress to pass the voting bill for months, and previously threatened to withhold his signature on any other legislation until lawmakers passed it.
In a speech in New York on Tuesday night, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that a long-running bet on cheaper goods and deeper economic integration making America richer and safer had failed.
Why it matters: The speech set a framework for President Trump's economic policies since his second term, including tariffs and calls for reshoring.
But it also suggests that those policies may be part of a broader rethinking of globalization that extends well beyond one administration.
If that's right, investors betting on a return to the old globalization playbook may be waiting a long time.
Slate Auto, the electric vehicle startup backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, says it has more than 180,000 "reservations" for its stripped-down, bare-bones electric pickup truck, with a starting price tag of $24,950.
Why it matters: Slate is betting that automakers can profit from affordable EVs by selling customization instead of packing every feature into the vehicle upfront.
When Iran shutthe Strait of Hormuz in early March, cutting back the global oil supply, it was easy to imagine domestic economic damage along the lines of 1970s oil shocks.
The big picture: It hasn't happened, and that reflects a central shift in how the U.S. fits into global energy markets. Turns out, when you produce your own energy, an oil shock doesn't hurt the way it used to.
That, in a nutshell, is the takeaway of new Dallas Federal Reserve Bank research that quantifies how small the GDP hit has been and how much more severe the pain would have been in decades past.
New car payment shock is real, but it's not the car — it's the cost of financing that hurts so much.
Why it matters: Everyone complains about vehicle affordability, but car prices, adjusted for inflation, haven't changed much in a decade, according to experts at Cox Automotive.
When your high-tech car gets in a crash, the repair bill could easily top $5,000, in part because electronic sensors often need replacement or recalibration.
Why it matters: As vehicles become more software-driven, sensor accuracy is increasingly critical to safety — and it's driving up the costs and wait times of repairs.
Chamath Palihapitiya knows what you think of his brief reign as the "SPAC King." And he agrees with you.
Palihapitiya, the longtime VC and podcast host who's now running an AI startup called 8090, sat down with Axios for the next episode of "The Axios Show."
Memory chip and data storage stocks plunged Tuesday, even though few see explosive, AI-driven demand for such products abating any time soon.
Why it matters: Memory stocks have been key market beneficiaries of the AI boom. But their recent swoon reflects a micro-crisis of confidence in the AI trade.
Driving the news: U.S. memory chipmaker Micron Technology — one of the biggest gainers in the S&P 500 this year — reports results for its fiscal third quarter after the market close Wednesday, following a decline of 13.2% on Tuesday.
It was the second-worst performer in the S&P 500, behind Sandisk (-13.6%), another high-flying data storage stock riding the AI boom.
Stunning stat: Micron shares are up over 250% so far this year, and more than 750% over the last 12 months.
Analysts largely say that remarkable surge is justified by the soaring prices of chips Micron sells, which have supercharged profit margins.
What they're saying: "We expect Micron to report a beat-and-raise as continued pricing increases, broadening AI demand and constrained supply extend the memory upcycle," wrote Kevin Cassidy, an analyst at Rosenblatt Securities. "We believe demand remains strong enough to absorb higher pricing without meaningful demand destruction."
Yes, but: Those expectations of profit didn't prevent the recent tumble.
The drop seems to reflect shifting investor psychology — South Korean memory chip stocks also tumbled during Monday's overnight session — rather than to any changing views on Micron's financial fundamentals.
What we're watching: How Micron trades after the numbers hit the tape Wednesday afternoon after the close of trading.
A selloff after strong results could signal a more significant shift in sentiment among the AI bulls that investors should pay attention to.
The AI job apocalypse may make for an "incredible headline," AI investor and "All-In" podcast co-host Chamath Palihapitiya said on "The Axios Show" — but he says it ignores history.
Why it matters: The AI boom has turned the future of work into a political fight, an investor thesis and a sales pitch. Palihapitiya's counter: New technology changes what humans do, but it doesn't make them irrelevant.
Investors seem to be hitting pause on the AI run-up. Chip stocks in particular are slumping from their record highs.
Why it matters: We're in a bit of a reality-check moment in the AI buildout — both for the businesses blowing their budgets on compute and for the investors bidding up stock prices for any company engaged in the new technology.
With rare bipartisan support, the House passed a housing bill Tuesday evening that aims to address the shortage of affordable homes in the U.S.
Why it matters: The bill, the Road to Housing Act, shows that the housing crisis is something both parties actually agree needs to be addressed, even as it is unlikely to bring much short-term relief for homebuyers.
