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Blue Chip

Comcast just paid $40B for the ‘Sky’

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The bids are in… and Comcast is FINALLY the winner. The cable giant put up a winning bid of $40 billion for Sky in an uncommon, three round action held by the UK’s Takeover Panel. Both companies were bidding for 61% control of Sky. 21st Century Fox already owns 39% of the company. But it’s not over yet, because Sky shareholders have until October 1st to accept the offer.

 

Here is the rationale… for Comcast paying so much frickin’ money for 61% of another company. Sky has 23 million subscribers, primarily in Europe. Sky sells broadband and mobile services and owns top original shows and premium sports content. To sum it up, Comcast wants more European customers and better offerings to compete with Amazon and Netflix.

 

It’s finally over… assuming the deal is accepted. Comcast CEO Brian Roberts has defeated bitter rival Bob Iger, the CEO of Disney. And the two CEOs have been feuding for over ten years, dating back to when Comcast attempted a hostile takeover of Disney. Disney and Iger may accept total defeat and sell their 39% to Comcast, but we’ll have to wait and see if that happens.

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Blue Chip

Amazon: Screw your $60 Alexa microwave

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Amazon doesn’t care if they make money… off Alexa, at least. In fact, the $60 the company gets from you for your “Alexa microwave” is entirely beside the point. Sounds weird, right? But it’s Amazon – what do you expect? There is a much bigger purpose for the Alexa voice assistant.

 

Amazon will cash in… when Alexa users buy things off their website, use Amazon Prime content, and use Amazon Web Services. The data that Amazon gets from Alexa is also invaluable to the company. For Alexa to do her job correctly, she needs to know the dirty details about your life. For example, the Alexa microwave can report back to its boss (Amazon) what you eat and when you eat.

 

And lastly… Amazon wants Alexa to take over your LIFE. Soon Alexa will be used in home and out-of-home. On Thursday, the company announced Echo Auto, which allows Alexa to come along on your daily commute. It is 2018 after all and about time we have robots that can answer all of our questions and keep us company, right?

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Mid caps

It’s Papa Johns now, not Papa John’s

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Here’s the latest… Papa John’s is looking to change their logo. In August, the company filed a trademark with the US Patent and Trademark Office for the updated look. The new look comes on the heels of two ad campaigns centered around winning back customers that are currently leaving in droves.

 

The new logo is said to be… “more streamlined, more contemporary” according to a professor of marketing at NYU. And we agree – the old logo looks boring and outdated. The new logo reads “Papa” and “Johns” in two rectangular boxes and is notably missing the company’s “Better ingredients. Better pizza” slogan. Oh, and they dropped the apostrophe…so you know it’s not John Schnatter’s pizza anymore (is that petty?).

 

So, why don’t they change the name… well, although it is tainted, the Papa John’s name still resonates with pizza lovers everywhere. John Schnatter would probably have to do something truly vulgar to make the company drop the name entirely. Until then, it looks like dropping the apostrophe will do the trick?

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Hustlin'

Marijuana CEO: The US needs to relax, man

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This guy isn’t just some pothead… he’s the head of a publicly traded cannabis company, as well as a pothead. The CEO of Canopy Growth, Bruce Linton, thinks laws prohibiting marijuana could loosen up soon (for the record, we don’t know if he smokes weed, but hopefully he does). Linton cited the fact that Republicans have had a history of supporting state rights. And what do ya know? Several states have legalized marijuana.

 

California and Massachusetts… could be given the “green” light by federal regulators to sell and possess marijuana in small amounts. However, pot being illegal hasn’t stopped American companies from joining the fun. Constellation Brands, the owner of Corona, recently spent $4 billion to own part of Canopy Growth.

 

Canopy has been killing it… but they aren’t the only ones. Cannabis companies Tilray and Cronos are both up this year as investors anticipate significant sales as the marijuana legalization in Canada comes closer. And it’s not just cannabis companies – beverage makers and pharmaceutical companies are looking to get in, too. But for now, the United States largely remains grounded from what otherwise could be spectacular highs.

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