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Once a financial genius… Sears CEO Eddie Lampert purchased Sears back in 2005 through a merger with Kmart. However, not many people would use the term ‘financial genius’ for Lampert anymore – except maybe Lampert himself. The man once hailed as the “next Warren Buffett” has run Sears straight into the poor house.

Lampert made basically nothing… for being the CEO of Sears. The Sears CEO took a salary of $1 per year and received the rest of his compensation in entirely worthless company stock. Lampert’s hedge fund also made huge loans to the company, and believe it or not, Sears owes Lampert at least $1.3 billion.

And he didn’t make friends… because Lampert played the ‘absentee CEO’ roll to a T by running the company from South Florida. However, now, Lampert may be able to purchase the Kenmore brand through Sears bankruptcy auction (something he has always wanted). And he’s not done yet – Lampert could still sell Kenmore appliances, rent stores to other retailers (that are still in business) or develop the company’s real estate for alternative use.

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NFL ratings have been down… and the issue is more than the mere money lost by the league and the networks that broadcast the league. The NFL has also become a political issue for Donald Trump and his supporters who argue that the NFL is doomed if players don’t begin standing for the anthem.

But now ratings are up… one month into the 2018 season. That’s right – ratings are up 2% compared to last year. In fact, there has been an average of 15.6 million viewers each week across network partners. And while 2% sounds like nothing, it is actually a big deal for network TV as more and more viewers are switching to streaming services (those damn cord cutters).

How it happened… well, that we can only speculate (and of course, speculate we will). The games have been high scoring with the most points scored through week five in league history. The games have also been close – with 45 games being decided by one score. And lastly, the NFL has, for the most part, stayed out of any controversy this season. Does it get any better?

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Go ahead and scroll up… yup, those are some serious market losses! And to think, a week ago the Dow was prepared to break 27,000. But not so fast – and even Amazon stock fell by 6%. So, why do bad things happen to good people (like yourself)? Well, let us explore the oddity that is the stock market.

Interest rates are rising… and to put it simply – low interest is good for corporate profits. Also, when rates are low, investors have more incentive to buy stocks over bonds because stocks can earn a significantly better return. But now, interest rates are going back up, which is bad for stocks but good for other stuff.

The Fed can’t stop, won’t stop… raising rates. However, it is a good thing because rising interest is a sign of a strong economy – so strong that we can’t let it get too strong!  So now, stocks are getting competition from bonds because bonds are producing returns that are worth a second look. The 10-year Treasury yield is at 3.24%, the highest its been in seven years. So what do you say – bonds anyone?

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If you wanted Tesla to go private… sorry, that ain’t gonna happen. However, if you want a company to go private for the sake of going private – Papa John’s may provide that fix for you (you weirdo). That’s right – shares of the pizza chain were up 8% after the Wall Street Journal reported that Trian Fund Management is considering taking the company private.

But not so fast… because there are no promises (or tweets) that have confirmed this is actually going to happen. Trian contacted Papa John’s to gather information about possibly making a bid. But with all of the controversy surrounding the company, one has to wonder if they won’t seriously consider the offer.

Papa John’s is still feuding… with Papa John Schnatter himself. If you can believe it, Schnatter still owns nearly 30% of the company’s shares. And interestingly enough, whenever news about this guy getting the boot gets reported, shares of the company surge. Maybe this guy should take a hint?

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Don’t forget about the old people… because Best Buy certainly hasn’t. The electronics retailer announced its plan to buy GreatCall for $800 million. Who is GreatCall? They are the company that makes Jitterbug cell phones – you know, the ones with the large buttons and bright screens. GreatCall also makes medical alert devices that detect falls (but don’t confuse them Life Alert).

Here’s why this is a good move… because the health and eldercare markets are bound to explode with all of these soon-to-be geriatrics walking around. In fact, GreatCall has nearly 1 million subscribers and $300 million in annual sales. GreatCall products come with medicine reminders, fitness trackers, health tips, and personal operators to help with daily tasks.

As much as old people resist technology… it could help them live independently for longer. And Best Buy believes this trend is something others have entirely ignored. The company even launched Assured Living, a home monitoring system that allows caregivers to track a person’s day. Cheers to keeping mom and dad out of the nursing home for a little while longer…

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Here’s what it took… it took the company’s board announcing that they would consider selling the bookstore. In fact, the board just appointed a special committee to review offers. Shares of Barnes & Noble were up 20% on the announcement.

This sale proves to be… the latest twist in the long-running bookstore’s tumultuous recent memory. The company is currently looking for a new CEO which marks the fifth one in five years. And if you recall, the latest former CEO is suing his former employer in federal court for defamation and firing without cause. Good times…

As for now… Barnes & Noble still has over 600 stores and 23,000 employees; but sales for the company have been declining for four straight years. Additionally, attempts to win back shoppers have been falling flat, to put it mildly. And to complicate things further, local and independent bookstores (not large chains) are all the rage these days. Yeah, we think it’s time to sell.

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GM and Cruise… have been working diligently on self-driving versions of the Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car and are planning to deploy them for public use in 2019. And now, Honda has decided to join the party. With Honda’s investment of around $2 billion over 12 years, Cruise will build a vehicle we have never seen before!

This car… won’t have any controls – because you won’t need them (you know, until you do need them – then you’ll really need them). However, this vehicle will be “free from constraints of vehicle design and having a driver at the wheel.” There is currently no timeline for when exactly these bad boys will hit the road, but safety is [obviously] imperative.

Honda and GM… go way back. The companies have been working on electric car battery technology and hydrogen fuel cells which can extract energy electricity from hydrogen (whatever that means). GM stock went up 2% on Wednesday with the news.

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Turning around JCPenney… will be no easy task; but who better to do it than Jill Soltau, the company’s new CEO! Actually, it is now her job to do it; but don’t feel bad because she will be making $1.4 million per year with a $6 million signing bonus. And Wall Street is backing the new CEO – shares of JCPenney were up 10% upon the news.

But there is work to do… because JCPenney is down 50% this year and has been trading as low as $1.50 per share. The former CEO, Jeffrey Davis, resigned just 14 months after accepting the position. The company is $4 billion in debt and has posted a profit only twice over the last four years.

Decisions, decisions, decisions… such as what to do with all of the out-of-style clothing stocked up in warehouses and what to do with the company’s 860 stores. However, Soltau has the merchandising experience and can hopefully turn things around; but she certainly has her work cut out for her…

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From a struggling smartphone company… to an up-and-coming cybersecurity company. BlackBerry now generates over 90% of its revenue from software and services. Even better, 81% of its sales a recurring which means they have plenty of cash flowing in. The company reported profits and sales on Friday and killed Wall Street’s expectations. The stock was up 15% following the news.

Oh, and they do other things… and CEO John Chen said the company’s most significant success this quarter stemmed from the connected and autonomous car market. That business unit saw growth of 30%. And BlackBerry is working to gain more ground in the automotive market – even teaming up Chinese search engine Baidu to develop self-driving cars.

In 2016… BlackBerry stopped making phones and outsourced the production of devices with the BlackBerry name still attached. And now, the company is all-in on software. The switch from phones to software has the company’s stock up over 60%. Not bad for a company we all thought had died a long time ago!

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We’ve talked about JCPenney’s… lack of CEO and how that’s a bad thing. However, matters have gotten even worse for the company, with the CFO Jeffrey Davis leaving after just 14 months. It looks like more bad news for a company that has seen its stock drop 45% this year.

On Friday… JCPenney stock dropped another 9% and is now trading at $1.60. The company also has over $4 billion in debt. The once-booming retailer has only posted a quarterly profit twice in the last four years. Most recently, the company posted a loss of $101 million and was forced to sell much of its clothing at a substantial discount.

So, what now… that’s what investors are asking, but haven’t gotten much of an answer. The retailer has closed 141 stores within the last year and will be closing eight more this year. JCPenney switched from older shopper to younger but is now going back toward middle-aged women. The company plans to update everyone on who it wants its customers to be in November when it reports quarterly earnings. We’re looking forward to it…

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