1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:10,840 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news. You're listening to the 2 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:15,000 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Intelligence podcast. Catch us live weekdays at ten am 3 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:17,480 Speaker 1: Eastern on Affo car Playing and broyd Otto with the 4 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:21,320 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Business app. Listen on demand wherever you get your podcasts, 5 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:23,320 Speaker 1: or watch us live on YouTube. 6 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 2: Tough day to be a retailer here at Lululemon, Nike, 7 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 2: some disappointing number of stocks taking a hit here today. 8 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:34,160 Speaker 2: Let's get the analysis and we can do that with Goyle. 9 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 2: She's the senior research channels covering all things on the 10 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 2: retail space for Bloomberg Intelligence. Joining us from Princeton via 11 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 2: zoom here pun them. Let's start with Nike here, stock 12 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:46,880 Speaker 2: off about you know, eight percent here, I guess a 13 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 2: tough first half outlook here in Bloomberg reportings, talking about 14 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:55,200 Speaker 2: some competition from upstarts on and Hoka talk to us 15 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 2: about Nike. What did you take away today? 16 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:00,760 Speaker 3: Sure, the outlook is definitely much weaker than we would anticipated, 17 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 3: but I think they're positioning themselves for longer term growth. 18 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:06,880 Speaker 3: So they talked a lot about innovation in the air 19 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 3: franchise that they have and really expanding that to other sneakers, aloettes, 20 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 3: and we think that will position them for longer term growth. 21 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 3: But definitely there is a softer start to the year. 22 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 3: The first half of fiscal twenty twenty five will be challenging. 23 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:22,880 Speaker 3: The light at the end of the tunnel is that 24 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 3: two h twenty five will be better and will end 25 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 3: the year on a positive note based on their expectations. 26 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:30,959 Speaker 3: And I think the real key here is to focus 27 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:33,399 Speaker 3: on the product innovation that they're going to bring forward 28 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 3: over the coming twelve to eighteen months to really see 29 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:39,959 Speaker 3: if Nike can continue its journey to maintain its brand lead. 30 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:43,120 Speaker 3: It is a fifty billion dollar company owned Paul, So 31 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:45,840 Speaker 3: when you know, folks talk about on in Hoka, when 32 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 3: you look at the size of the two versus what 33 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 3: Nike has, they're still very very very small in comparison, you. 34 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:55,600 Speaker 4: Know, put them. I look at Nike and the one 35 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 4: of the other stocks you're watching Lulu Lemon today really 36 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 4: the big decliners in the S and P five hundred 37 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:05,760 Speaker 4: and I wonder if there's any sort of broader takeaway, 38 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 4: sort of a macro takeaway to be had here about 39 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:11,839 Speaker 4: the health of the consumer, or is this very much 40 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:15,839 Speaker 4: you know, sort of just brand specific issues for these 41 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 4: two or is there sort of a return to office 42 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:21,520 Speaker 4: story still at play with these two brands at all. 43 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 3: I think it's a combination of a multitude of things. 44 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:27,679 Speaker 3: So I think the first is that, yes, there is 45 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:31,240 Speaker 3: a consumer pullback that's happening. We heard that from Adidas 46 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:34,200 Speaker 3: and Puma tou with their softer guidance, So that's not 47 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:37,359 Speaker 3: necessarily a big surprise of the consumers pulling back on 48 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:40,240 Speaker 3: discretionary spend, and we saw that with better numbers at 49 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:43,239 Speaker 3: Walmart and Amazon, where you kind of push for value 50 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:45,799 Speaker 3: a little more. On the other hand, you do have 51 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:48,079 Speaker 3: to worry about the product because the one thing that 52 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:50,959 Speaker 3: Little Lemon said that was interesting is yes, traffic was 53 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 3: down at stores, but conversion was also weaker, and that 54 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 3: means that there's something happening with the product. And they 55 00:02:57,480 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 3: did talk about the need to really up their product 56 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 3: cycle and replenished to have inventory in stock because they 57 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:05,359 Speaker 3: did see some weakness from that. So I think it's 58 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 3: a culmination of a pullback in the consumer the product, 59 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 3: and also that the app leisure market I think is 60 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:14,400 Speaker 3: still strong. I think there's still potential there Globally, I 61 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 3: do think coming off from the pandemic that you will 62 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 3: have some normalization of a wardrobe where it's going to 63 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:22,360 Speaker 3: be more balanced today than it was let's say two 64 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:24,600 Speaker 3: or three years ago. Oh, it was probably eighty percent 65 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:27,680 Speaker 3: at leisure, twenty percent work life. Today it's probably leaning 66 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:28,680 Speaker 3: back to fifty to fifty. 67 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:31,359 Speaker 2: So you'll be relieved to know that I am not 68 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 2: a Lulu Lemon customer. But talk to me about like 69 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 2: fashion is it? I mean, it's all a similar type 70 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 2: of fabric and fit. So is it just colors and 71 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 2: patterns and things like that? How do you change that up? 72 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 2: Because I know getting the fashion right is so important, 73 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 2: you know for the companies that. 74 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 3: You follow, actually fall for Lululemon. Yes, it's about getting 75 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 3: the color and fashion right, but it's also about the 76 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:00,440 Speaker 3: fit and the fabric. They're a ligne pan which are 77 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 3: their best sellers, you know, the biggest sell on that 78 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 3: is the way that they fit you. They make you 79 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 3: look good, and every woman wants to look good. So 80 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:11,520 Speaker 3: that's the differentiator between a Lulu Lemon yoga pant and 81 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 3: let's say, on Nike yoga pant. There is a difference 82 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:16,360 Speaker 3: in the quality of the pant that you're wearing and 83 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:17,039 Speaker 3: the fit. 84 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:17,479 Speaker 5: That it has. 85 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 4: Don't kid anyone. Paul's wearing yoga pants right now. Actually 86 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:24,239 Speaker 4: their dress pants. They have some pretty good blue Lemonas 87 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:25,320 Speaker 4: Rice men's dress pants. 88 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:27,039 Speaker 2: Yeah, I've got a couple of pairs of those. 89 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:31,160 Speaker 4: Ye, put them back to Nike. One headline I saw 90 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:35,039 Speaker 4: that kind of shocked me is that Nike was able 91 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 4: to get the sponsorship of the German national soccer team, 92 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:41,760 Speaker 4: taking it away from us from Audidos. 93 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:45,919 Speaker 2: Yeah, which which is pretty Yeah, it's pretty you. 94 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:48,480 Speaker 4: Know, shocking for a soccer fan. I mean, you grew 95 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 4: up watching Audidos on the shirts of every basically every team. 96 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 4: But how big of a deal is that as far 97 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:58,960 Speaker 4: as that global soccer market for Nike and sort of 98 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 4: this rivalry with Adidas and that sponsorship. 99 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, look, I think it's a big win for Nike 100 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:09,040 Speaker 3: because Adidas is a German brand and has held that 101 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:12,560 Speaker 3: sponsorship for I believe over seventy five years. So to 102 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:15,440 Speaker 3: lose that to Nike is a big deal and it 103 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:19,440 Speaker 3: puts Nike on a stronger foothold across the globe in 104 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:22,080 Speaker 3: the field of soccer. So we do think that this 105 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:24,040 Speaker 3: is a big win for them, But make no mistake 106 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 3: They paid a premium for this, so it wasn't something 107 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 3: that they took away at a steal. They definitely paid. 108 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 6: Up for it. 109 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:33,200 Speaker 2: So I did just watch or recently watch it with 110 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:35,240 Speaker 2: the Jordan, you know, and kind of story about how 111 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:38,360 Speaker 2: he got and the relationship with Nike and kind of 112 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:40,840 Speaker 2: how that all plays out. But now the dollars are 113 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:44,160 Speaker 2: just so much bigger. So you know, so put me 114 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 2: as you look across the Punams, I mean the Nikes 115 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:48,520 Speaker 2: of the world, and the Adidas and the Pumas and 116 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 2: things things like that. Is that still a huge part 117 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 2: of their marketing strategies is to align themselves with teams 118 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 2: with individual players. Is that still as big as it 119 00:05:58,160 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 2: always has been. 120 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 3: It is as big as it's always been, But now 121 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:04,920 Speaker 3: it's harder to come up in that playing field with 122 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:08,000 Speaker 3: some of the major players unless you have deep pockets. 123 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:11,039 Speaker 3: So really only Nike and Adidas can afford to spend 124 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:13,040 Speaker 3: the money that they're spending to win these leagues and 125 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:16,600 Speaker 3: their players. These smaller companies like Puma you mentioned and 126 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:19,840 Speaker 3: under Armour they're making a bet on rookies. So you 127 00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:22,040 Speaker 3: saw the success that under Armour has had with the 128 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 3: Curry franchise, and that bet was made a long time ago. 129 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 3: You're not going to see these smaller brands chase after 130 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:30,920 Speaker 3: the established, bigger players and the bigger teams because they 131 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:33,360 Speaker 3: don't have the pockets for it. And that's where Adidas 132 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:36,160 Speaker 3: and Nike win, and that's what makes them really keep 133 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:38,599 Speaker 3: their number one and number two positions in the global 134 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:39,560 Speaker 3: sportsware industry. 135 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:42,680 Speaker 4: Well put them. How about all the other sort of 136 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:46,160 Speaker 4: also plays out there. Is there any sign of the 137 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:49,120 Speaker 4: dominance of these two companies being threatened at all? You know, 138 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:52,039 Speaker 4: we see a lot of these sort of Instagram brands, 139 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:55,280 Speaker 4: you know, in Amazon brands. Is that a threat to 140 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:57,680 Speaker 4: these these major players in this industry? 141 00:06:57,760 --> 00:06:57,920 Speaker 1: Yet? 142 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 3: I'd say that the industry is broadening, right, So in 143 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:05,960 Speaker 3: the sports where world, traditionally it was all about performance 144 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:09,159 Speaker 3: and being on the field playing. Today it's about walking 145 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:11,080 Speaker 3: the roads and really wearing it in your day to 146 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:14,600 Speaker 3: day life. So competition is growing, and there is also 147 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:17,840 Speaker 3: competition growing on the perform in side with the Hokahs 148 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:21,200 Speaker 3: and the Odds, they're very popular shoes and they've actually 149 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 3: taken share in the running category. So I do think 150 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:26,880 Speaker 3: that both Arida and Nike have to step up their 151 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:30,440 Speaker 3: game to really add more innovation, but they're still small, 152 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 3: so I don't think you know Nike is at risk 153 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:35,720 Speaker 3: of losing its number one position just yet. They win 154 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:38,240 Speaker 3: by a wide margin. But it's something to keep an 155 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:39,160 Speaker 3: eye on over time. 156 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:40,040 Speaker 7: Put them. 157 00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:42,080 Speaker 2: Let's step away from these two stories, share and look 158 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:44,960 Speaker 2: at your overall coverage. You follow a wide range of retail. 159 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 2: You've done that for decades. One of the top retail 160 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 2: analysts on the street, What are some of the stories 161 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 2: that you think are interesting? Now? What are you talking 162 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 2: to your clients about these days? 163 00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 3: I think we're talking about the consumer a lot, right. 164 00:07:56,400 --> 00:07:58,640 Speaker 3: The consumer is clearly pulled back and what does that 165 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:01,560 Speaker 3: mean in an election year? So we think the consumer 166 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 3: is going to remain soft this year. But we think 167 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:07,960 Speaker 3: the consumer is stretching their dollars so they're looking for value. 168 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:10,600 Speaker 3: So value will remain top of mind. But that's that 169 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:13,440 Speaker 3: they're traveling. So it's not that we're going into a 170 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:15,520 Speaker 3: recession by any means. They're not going to fall off 171 00:08:15,520 --> 00:08:18,240 Speaker 3: a cliff, but they're spending money where they feel that 172 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:20,720 Speaker 3: they're getting the most bang for it, and we think 173 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:22,440 Speaker 3: there'll be a trend that we continue. 174 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 2: To see as a er on I mean, is that 175 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:26,880 Speaker 2: a Walmart slash target story or does that steer me 176 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:28,560 Speaker 2: to the maybe the dollar stores. 177 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:32,920 Speaker 3: I'd say, you know, the winners here would probably be 178 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:35,320 Speaker 3: and what we've seen in the past in the fourth 179 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:38,320 Speaker 3: quarter is the Walmarts. Right, the Walmart's where you find 180 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:40,959 Speaker 3: value and you find a broad range of assortment and 181 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:44,160 Speaker 3: where you have a customer that's more broad based versus 182 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:46,760 Speaker 3: the customer of a Dollar General, where there are more 183 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:49,719 Speaker 3: low income and they are too pressured. Walmart attracts a 184 00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:52,120 Speaker 3: broader market and they offer the value that you get. 185 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:55,920 Speaker 2: All right, put them excellent stuff, as always put them. Boil, 186 00:08:56,120 --> 00:08:59,640 Speaker 2: senior analyst. She covers all the retail space for Bloomberg Intelligence. 187 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:04,199 Speaker 2: We were talking about Nike and Lulu Lemons some disappointing numbers. 188 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 2: Nike off about eight percent, but as Michael's reporting earlier, 189 00:09:07,559 --> 00:09:10,439 Speaker 2: Lululemon off about almost eighteen percent years so a big 190 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:14,200 Speaker 2: pullback here for those two retail names. And the question 191 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:15,719 Speaker 2: I think a lot of people might a lot of 192 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:18,079 Speaker 2: investors when they look at their earnings from a Nike 193 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:19,959 Speaker 2: er Lulu Lemma, what does it tell you about the consumer? 194 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 4: That's yeah, And it was interesting to hear put them 195 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:25,679 Speaker 4: talk about that how they you know, it's not just execution, 196 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:28,720 Speaker 4: it's not just market share. Story here, it does seem 197 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:31,199 Speaker 4: like on top of everything else, there is a little 198 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:35,280 Speaker 4: bit of some either spending pullback or at least bargaining hunt. 199 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:36,959 Speaker 2: And then you compare that to what you hear from 200 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:40,400 Speaker 2: like the cruise lines. They're still backing them. Yeah, I mean, 201 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:42,360 Speaker 2: so people are spending money, They're just spending a little 202 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:44,400 Speaker 2: bit differently than maybe a pre pandemic. I don't know, 203 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:48,280 Speaker 2: still on that experiential track, I guess if you will, 204 00:09:48,800 --> 00:09:51,000 Speaker 2: because again you think about some of these the theme 205 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:54,280 Speaker 2: park operators, the cruise directors of the hotels, the casinos 206 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:56,520 Speaker 2: still sing really good traffic. 207 00:09:58,040 --> 00:10:01,920 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Bloomberg and Podcast. Catch us live 208 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:05,520 Speaker 1: weekdays at ten am Eastern on applecar Play and Androyight 209 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:08,680 Speaker 1: Auto with a Bloomberg business. You can also listen live 210 00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:11,959 Speaker 1: on Amazon Alexa from our flagship New York station Just 211 00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:14,679 Speaker 1: say Alexa playing Bloomberg eleven thirty. 212 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:20,000 Speaker 2: Let's get right to it. Lee Glasgow in the house, 213 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:22,880 Speaker 2: darkening the door. Whenever we see them walking around, we 214 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:25,040 Speaker 2: just grab them, you know, because it's a long walk 215 00:10:25,040 --> 00:10:28,120 Speaker 2: for me down to Princeton. So anyway, Lee, you've been 216 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:31,240 Speaker 2: covering FedEx forever. You've been covering all these logistic companies, 217 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:33,679 Speaker 2: the rails, the trucks, all the shippers, you know, this 218 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:36,959 Speaker 2: stuff end to end. FedEx seems to me to be 219 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:41,600 Speaker 2: a core core story within that global logistics. What went 220 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:43,959 Speaker 2: wrong and then what have they been doing to fix it? 221 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:47,240 Speaker 5: Yeah, so FedEx is a is a great story, and 222 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:50,640 Speaker 5: it's an improving story. And the reality is that over 223 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:53,599 Speaker 5: the years it got too big for itself and it 224 00:10:53,720 --> 00:10:58,880 Speaker 5: got too fat, and there was a lot of hesitation 225 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:01,679 Speaker 5: to combine its network. So as an air network and 226 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:05,319 Speaker 5: a ground network. Its ground network is mostly independent contractors 227 00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:08,199 Speaker 5: and its air network are employees, so they're you know, 228 00:11:08,320 --> 00:11:11,760 Speaker 5: there's it's not easy to integrate those networks, and a 229 00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:14,000 Speaker 5: lot of analysts have always said we should integrate them, 230 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:16,160 Speaker 5: we should integrate them, and management say, you guys don't 231 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:19,360 Speaker 5: understand our business. We can't do that. Well, fast forward, 232 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:23,960 Speaker 5: they're doing it. And that's their Tricolor strategy where they're 233 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:29,080 Speaker 5: you know, which is re re redesigning their air freight 234 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:32,599 Speaker 5: network and they're also combining their express and ground and 235 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:34,480 Speaker 5: services business into one. 236 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:36,160 Speaker 1: Segment. 237 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:38,520 Speaker 5: If you will. It's pretty much everything. But they're less 238 00:11:38,559 --> 00:11:41,320 Speaker 5: than truckload business, so they're doing a lot on. 239 00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:44,280 Speaker 2: This sounds like a good old fashion we got to 240 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:45,240 Speaker 2: restructure our business. 241 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:47,600 Speaker 5: Yeah, and they're gonna they're gonna emerge is a lot 242 00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:50,520 Speaker 5: more efficient. They're gonna emerge is a lot more profitable, 243 00:11:50,559 --> 00:11:53,680 Speaker 5: and that's the hope. You know, their express network has 244 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:57,800 Speaker 5: really poor margins. I mean, their margins were two point 245 00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:01,520 Speaker 5: three percent in the quarter, and that was a real 246 00:12:01,679 --> 00:12:04,640 Speaker 5: good outperformance and what the street was expecting by one 247 00:12:04,679 --> 00:12:05,839 Speaker 5: hundred and ten basis points. 248 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:08,600 Speaker 2: Oh function, Yeah, I'm just seeing that very good. Okay, 249 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:11,960 Speaker 2: the numbers are the numbers are good. Yeah, okay, all right, 250 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:13,240 Speaker 2: So what's next steps for them? 251 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:17,040 Speaker 5: So, as you heard earlier, they announced a five billion 252 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:20,520 Speaker 5: dollar stock buy back plan. I think that gives people 253 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:24,760 Speaker 5: confidence in management's ability to execute execution. Risk is really 254 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:26,880 Speaker 5: the number one concern I think the street might have. 255 00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:29,559 Speaker 5: As you probably saw in the Bloomberg terminal today, everyone's 256 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:32,840 Speaker 5: raising their price targets and their estimates for physical twenty 257 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:36,520 Speaker 5: twenty five and beyond, and that's really driven by you know, 258 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:38,800 Speaker 5: they're they're cutting about one point eight billion and cost 259 00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:41,439 Speaker 5: this physical year, and they're going to do about two 260 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:43,839 Speaker 5: point two billion next And if you think about it, 261 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:47,079 Speaker 5: one point eight billion is about five dollars and fifty 262 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:49,599 Speaker 5: five dollars and seventy five cents per share. And this 263 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:52,600 Speaker 5: is a stock that you know was generating fifteen dollars 264 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 5: in EPs. So these are sizable increases in the overall 265 00:12:56,760 --> 00:13:01,400 Speaker 5: profitability company. You know, management, they've stumbled here and there, 266 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:04,760 Speaker 5: but it really seems this last quarter that they're executing 267 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:08,480 Speaker 5: and they're focused, uh, and they're building confidence and sentiment 268 00:13:08,559 --> 00:13:11,600 Speaker 5: is so important when it comes to FedEx, which has 269 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:13,360 Speaker 5: struggled in the past. 270 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:17,640 Speaker 4: You know, Lee, when you talk about saving cutting costs 271 00:13:17,679 --> 00:13:20,120 Speaker 4: by that degree, I mean, I assume that's that's mostly 272 00:13:20,240 --> 00:13:25,280 Speaker 4: headcount to some degree. Where are they cutting jobs? Is 273 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:29,640 Speaker 4: it just redundancy between the separate units now that they're combined, 274 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:30,480 Speaker 4: you know, a. 275 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:31,559 Speaker 2: Coupany like fed X. 276 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:35,040 Speaker 4: It seems like it'd be tough to cut those union jobs, 277 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:37,440 Speaker 4: the drivers and that sort of thing. Is it middle 278 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:39,320 Speaker 4: managers that are that are getting. 279 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:42,640 Speaker 5: The FedEx is a non union show except for its pilots. 280 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:46,240 Speaker 5: Their drivers are not UNI drivers. Most of their drivers 281 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:48,719 Speaker 5: that come to your house or actually they don't work 282 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:51,600 Speaker 5: for FedEx in the US drivers are union right correct 283 00:13:51,640 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 5: with the team stairs. So where they where are they 284 00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 5: cutting heads? Well, it's they're not really cutting that deep. 285 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:01,080 Speaker 5: What they're doing is they're getting rid of middle management. 286 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:03,240 Speaker 5: Like I said in the beginning, they've gotten a little fat, 287 00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:05,720 Speaker 5: so they're getting rid of some middle management. A lot 288 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:08,079 Speaker 5: of that is through attrition, some natural attrition. 289 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:08,720 Speaker 4: Uh. 290 00:14:08,920 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 5: It's it's not like what was the guy's named Jack, 291 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:15,440 Speaker 5: the chainsaw guy coming in with, you know, destroying companies. 292 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:17,839 Speaker 5: I think it's going to be more of a gradual shift. 293 00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:20,680 Speaker 5: And as they combine networks, they're going to figure out 294 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:23,600 Speaker 5: what where the redundancies lie. Uh, and they're going to 295 00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:27,400 Speaker 5: benefit from, you know, reducing those redundancies. And that's through 296 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:29,840 Speaker 5: their their drive initiative and their network two point zero 297 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:31,200 Speaker 5: initiatives that they have out. 298 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:35,200 Speaker 2: There as FedEx or UPS or any other global shippers 299 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:39,440 Speaker 2: that they talked about problems getting planes like from because 300 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:41,360 Speaker 2: we Bowing's in the news every day. Unfortunately, we have 301 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 2: to talk to George Ferguson every day because Bowing's always 302 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:46,440 Speaker 2: in the news. As any of these companies have ever said, 303 00:14:46,880 --> 00:14:48,920 Speaker 2: we're not getting the planes we need to far flow. 304 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:51,240 Speaker 5: No, that's that's not a problem because what they're doing 305 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:54,000 Speaker 5: is they're actually, you know, FedEx is trying to downsize 306 00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:58,720 Speaker 5: its fleet because with with this whole redesign of their 307 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:02,960 Speaker 5: air fleet, they're going to need probably less planes over time, 308 00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 5: and those planes that they're going to be operating are 309 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:09,880 Speaker 5: going to be operating much more efficient. They're going to 310 00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 5: have a more density. When you talk about freight and 311 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:15,920 Speaker 5: transportation networks, it's all about density. How much stuff do 312 00:15:15,960 --> 00:15:18,520 Speaker 5: you have in whether your truck or your train or 313 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:21,000 Speaker 5: your plane. Uh, And so that's going to be key 314 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:23,640 Speaker 5: for them to drive those margins higher in the express business. 315 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:27,560 Speaker 4: You know, Leah, I've read that there's a lot of 316 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:31,040 Speaker 4: sort of R and D looking at the automation of 317 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:32,200 Speaker 4: package delivery. 318 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:34,040 Speaker 2: You know, is there a. 319 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:36,880 Speaker 4: Chance in our lifetime that we'll see you know, sort 320 00:15:36,920 --> 00:15:40,280 Speaker 4: of driverless vehicles dropping our packages off that sort of thing. 321 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:43,800 Speaker 5: I'm a a whole huge bull on like autonomous trucks 322 00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:46,920 Speaker 5: or delivery. But you know what they will be doing 323 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:50,320 Speaker 5: is we'll be leveraging technology and AI to make sure 324 00:15:51,040 --> 00:15:53,960 Speaker 5: a package gets into the right network and gets and 325 00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:57,400 Speaker 5: it has that delivery promise that they have whether it's 326 00:15:57,440 --> 00:16:00,200 Speaker 5: overnight or deferred. You know, what they're really and do 327 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:04,360 Speaker 5: be doing is using technology to make sure that package 328 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:05,480 Speaker 5: gets into the right network. 329 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:07,720 Speaker 4: Yeah, but you don't think the technology is going to 330 00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:10,040 Speaker 4: be there to actually have a driverless type of. 331 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:11,480 Speaker 2: Do not not anytime soon. 332 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:14,840 Speaker 5: Maybe you know, little little niche markets they might have 333 00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:17,800 Speaker 5: and kind of just highlighting you know, those little robots 334 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:21,240 Speaker 5: that grows that go around towns and you see pictures 335 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:25,200 Speaker 5: of people beating up the poor little robots, right knocking 336 00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:27,000 Speaker 5: them over exactly. 337 00:16:27,120 --> 00:16:31,120 Speaker 2: So during the pandemic, Lee became, for better or worse, 338 00:16:31,200 --> 00:16:33,840 Speaker 2: kind of our supply chain grew, discovers all the companies, 339 00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:35,960 Speaker 2: like the shipping companies that get this stuff to our shore, 340 00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:38,480 Speaker 2: then the rails that take them into like you know, 341 00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:40,920 Speaker 2: Middle of America, and then the trucking companies that deliver 342 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:43,080 Speaker 2: them to everywhere and all the all that kind of stuff. 343 00:16:43,400 --> 00:16:46,120 Speaker 2: So let's start with the rails here. I'm looking at 344 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:48,960 Speaker 2: the trailing twelve months, these stocks have done pretty well. 345 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:51,080 Speaker 2: I mean, you know, they're all up mid thirties percent 346 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:55,120 Speaker 2: in NORFK, Southern CSX, Union Pacific, pretty good performance. What's 347 00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:55,840 Speaker 2: the story for the rails? 348 00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:57,960 Speaker 5: These stations Yeah, there's really not a homogeneous story with 349 00:16:58,040 --> 00:17:01,840 Speaker 5: the rails. Interestingly enough, it's really company specific. Norfolk Southern. 350 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:07,280 Speaker 5: It's all about activists investors. You know, they're dealing with Anquora, 351 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:09,280 Speaker 5: which is trying to kick out management and put their 352 00:17:09,320 --> 00:17:13,000 Speaker 5: own precision scheduling railroad management team in. Norfolk Southern has 353 00:17:13,080 --> 00:17:15,320 Speaker 5: come back and said, we have our own guy that 354 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:18,480 Speaker 5: we want to put in from PSR. Some investors might be, well, 355 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:19,800 Speaker 5: it's a little too late. You should have done that 356 00:17:19,840 --> 00:17:22,680 Speaker 5: a couple of years ago. So no matter who wins 357 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:26,040 Speaker 5: the battle, Norfolk Southern will emerge as a much more 358 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:29,479 Speaker 5: profitable company. And then Union Pacific another story. They had 359 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:33,720 Speaker 5: a change in CEO Jim Venna as a PSR Persition 360 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:36,800 Speaker 5: Scheduling railroad and guy. And for those out there, PSR 361 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:39,200 Speaker 5: is really just six stigma for the railroads. It's just 362 00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:43,359 Speaker 5: operating really efficient networks, sweating assets, that sort of stuff. 363 00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:46,040 Speaker 5: And he's coming in and he's got, you know, his 364 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:49,960 Speaker 5: own vision of how that railroad should operate. And then 365 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:55,720 Speaker 5: the littlest one, even after a merger Canadian Pacific Kansas City, 366 00:17:56,640 --> 00:17:58,800 Speaker 5: you know, they have their own growth story because now 367 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:02,360 Speaker 5: they are the only road that goes from Canada into Mexico. 368 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:03,080 Speaker 2: It's a great story. 369 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:06,200 Speaker 5: And so they are the only railroad that is probably 370 00:18:06,280 --> 00:18:09,640 Speaker 5: going to grow earnings in the in this last quarter, 371 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:10,359 Speaker 5: the first quarter. 372 00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:15,360 Speaker 2: How about the truckers. I'm looking and I put up JBHT. 373 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:18,560 Speaker 2: That's the ticker I always remember. You hit the BEQ function. 374 00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:20,920 Speaker 2: It gives you the relative valuation relative to the what's peers? 375 00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:25,199 Speaker 2: Truckers not doing as well. I'm looking at JBHD over 376 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:27,639 Speaker 2: the trailing twelve months, it's up eighteen percent, but some 377 00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:29,480 Speaker 2: of the others are down. What's the word on the 378 00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:30,320 Speaker 2: trucking biz? 379 00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:33,440 Speaker 5: So, trucking has been not great, and that's really there's 380 00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:37,119 Speaker 5: just too much supply out there, and that excess supply 381 00:18:37,280 --> 00:18:40,320 Speaker 5: is killing the truckloads spot market, which is down, you know, 382 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:44,119 Speaker 5: mid teens from last year, and that is weighing on 383 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:47,800 Speaker 5: contractual rates and that's where most publicly traded trucking companies play. 384 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:51,600 Speaker 5: Some peer play truckload carriers are like Heartland expressed. Night 385 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:55,119 Speaker 5: Swift is a major truckload carrier, so as Werner, But 386 00:18:55,280 --> 00:18:56,960 Speaker 5: you know a lot of them don't play in that 387 00:18:57,119 --> 00:19:01,360 Speaker 5: really volatile spot market business. But it does impact their 388 00:19:01,520 --> 00:19:05,520 Speaker 5: overall earnings ability, and a lot of them have been 389 00:19:05,560 --> 00:19:10,440 Speaker 5: diversifying into less volatile Businesses Warner, for instance, it's a 390 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:13,680 Speaker 5: big dedicated carrier, so it's more like we're going to 391 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:16,159 Speaker 5: they'll go to Walmart and say we're going to haul 392 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:19,159 Speaker 5: stuff for you between Chicago and New York. We'll do 393 00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:23,119 Speaker 5: ten trucks a week or between dcs and retail stores. 394 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:25,439 Speaker 5: And they even sometimes even you know, load the shelves 395 00:19:25,480 --> 00:19:29,960 Speaker 5: at CBS. Them dedicated services. So that's one area. Freight brokerage, 396 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:34,240 Speaker 5: which is obviously non asset and higher ROIC, which is 397 00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:36,360 Speaker 5: attractive to a lot of them. And you know when 398 00:19:36,359 --> 00:19:39,920 Speaker 5: you started with JB Hunt, JBI Hunt, their trucking company 399 00:19:40,040 --> 00:19:42,560 Speaker 5: is one of the the trucking company business is probably 400 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:45,200 Speaker 5: one of their smallest segments. It's really an intermodal provider 401 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:48,800 Speaker 5: and a brokerage provider and a dedicated provider. 402 00:19:49,119 --> 00:19:49,280 Speaker 3: You know. 403 00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:49,480 Speaker 2: Lee. 404 00:19:49,560 --> 00:19:52,480 Speaker 4: The other getting back to FedEx, the other big headline 405 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:55,800 Speaker 4: was this five billion dollar share buy back. Is that 406 00:19:55,960 --> 00:19:58,400 Speaker 4: what you think has investors excited or is it more 407 00:19:58,520 --> 00:20:01,000 Speaker 4: the actual execute should end their performance? 408 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:03,239 Speaker 5: I think is actually both. I think I think they 409 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:06,960 Speaker 5: wouldn't have said five billion if management isn't confident on 410 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:10,560 Speaker 5: their ability to execute. Like I said, execution risk is 411 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:13,119 Speaker 5: high because things happen at you know, a lot of 412 00:20:13,359 --> 00:20:16,240 Speaker 5: transportation companies like to say their businesses are outside sports, 413 00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:19,080 Speaker 5: you have weather to deal with, you know. And that 414 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:22,560 Speaker 5: was something that was really interesting during the quarter. FedEx 415 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:25,080 Speaker 5: their express business and their Memphis hub, which is their 416 00:20:25,080 --> 00:20:27,520 Speaker 5: biggest hub, dealt with a lot of bad weather and 417 00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:30,240 Speaker 5: they were able to it really didn't impact it that much. 418 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:32,720 Speaker 5: And a lot of people were expecting low margins on 419 00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:36,000 Speaker 5: that express business of around one percent because of the weather. 420 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:39,119 Speaker 5: And again they see that expectation by around one hundred 421 00:20:39,119 --> 00:20:39,960 Speaker 5: and ten basis points. 422 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:42,520 Speaker 2: All right, so that'll step back, we'll put it all together. 423 00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:46,560 Speaker 2: Supply chain, are we getting is it fixed? Are we 424 00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:48,800 Speaker 2: back to new normal? Are we back to a new normal? 425 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:51,520 Speaker 2: If I order something, or for more importantly retail or 426 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:53,679 Speaker 2: order something, they expect to get it by a certain date. 427 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:54,920 Speaker 2: Are they going to get it by that date? 428 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:55,360 Speaker 8: Yeah? 429 00:20:55,480 --> 00:20:57,960 Speaker 5: And like the biggest risks looking forward is that the 430 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:00,879 Speaker 5: East Coast ports are negotiating with their late that's in 431 00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:04,200 Speaker 5: September that that contract comes due, and so what you 432 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:07,440 Speaker 5: could see is some work stoppages. You know, God forbid 433 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:11,840 Speaker 5: a strike, and that's putting a lot of retailers and 434 00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:15,080 Speaker 5: shippers unnoticed. They might be moving freight to the West coast. 435 00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:18,280 Speaker 5: They might start ordering for peak season a little earlier, 436 00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:21,320 Speaker 5: so peak could be a little lumpier if you will 437 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:24,119 Speaker 5: start a little earlier. So I think that that's the 438 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:27,399 Speaker 5: biggest like risk I guess down the road. Obviously, the 439 00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:30,280 Speaker 5: geopolitical stuff we can we can never guess when when 440 00:21:30,440 --> 00:21:31,479 Speaker 5: when that's going to hit the fan. 441 00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:34,280 Speaker 2: You know, during during the pandemic, we had Gene Soroka, 442 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:36,919 Speaker 2: who runs the Port of la He was on our 443 00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:39,359 Speaker 2: show a lot. He's really helpful in understanding kind of 444 00:21:39,440 --> 00:21:41,560 Speaker 2: where these ships are from China, you know, where they 445 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:42,919 Speaker 2: go on. How long did they have to sit out 446 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:46,160 Speaker 2: there and import and during their work issues. I guess 447 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:48,000 Speaker 2: I'm not sure if they actually had a strike, I 448 00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:51,560 Speaker 2: can't recall, but they lost some business to the East coast, right, 449 00:21:52,080 --> 00:21:54,840 Speaker 2: and you know he's been coming back here and kind 450 00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:57,440 Speaker 2: of trying to get that business back for ye So 451 00:21:57,560 --> 00:22:01,359 Speaker 2: it is competitive between ports. But now well I can't 452 00:22:01,359 --> 00:22:03,520 Speaker 2: even get through the Panama Canal easily right because I 453 00:22:03,560 --> 00:22:04,520 Speaker 2: got a water problem there. 454 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:06,760 Speaker 5: You gotta we got low water go fix that. 455 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:08,720 Speaker 2: You got to get you down there to fix that. 456 00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:10,480 Speaker 2: I mean, what do you do with a low water 457 00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:13,960 Speaker 2: in the Panama Canal? Start digging? I guess rain dance maybe, 458 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:17,000 Speaker 2: But that's a real issue, right, Yes, it is. 459 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:20,320 Speaker 5: And what happens is that the ships that normally transverse 460 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:24,320 Speaker 5: across traverse across the Panama Canal can do so, but 461 00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:26,320 Speaker 5: they can do so with less freight in it, So 462 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:31,399 Speaker 5: it weighs it down because it's it's the canal is 463 00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:35,040 Speaker 5: more shallow, so there are ships going through, but those 464 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:37,840 Speaker 5: ships are carrying less freight, and so therefore the cost 465 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:41,000 Speaker 5: per ton of whatever you're shipping increases. 466 00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:41,920 Speaker 1: You know. 467 00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:44,280 Speaker 5: The Sue West Canal is probably more of an issue 468 00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:45,520 Speaker 5: of what's going on there with. 469 00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:47,760 Speaker 2: The anything going through there these days. 470 00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:51,040 Speaker 5: If you're a Chinese ship or an Iranian ship. 471 00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:52,560 Speaker 2: Really don't let you go through. 472 00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:53,640 Speaker 5: They'll let you go through. 473 00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:56,000 Speaker 4: Yeah, they came out and said yesterday they won't touch them. 474 00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:56,400 Speaker 2: Yeah. 475 00:22:56,560 --> 00:22:59,159 Speaker 5: Yeah. And obviously you know, the Hoothies are aligned with 476 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:01,879 Speaker 5: the Iranians and their Indians are partners with the Chinese 477 00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:05,080 Speaker 5: and the Russians, so I know they're able to traverse 478 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:05,560 Speaker 5: through there. 479 00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:10,040 Speaker 2: See, I'm telling you logistics supply chain. It's fascinating to me. 480 00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:12,959 Speaker 2: And you know what, I totally during business school when 481 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:15,080 Speaker 2: we had that class, I skipped it probably half the 482 00:23:15,119 --> 00:23:16,920 Speaker 2: time to go across and play the do golf course. 483 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:19,240 Speaker 4: Was one of those things that no one really worried 484 00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:21,840 Speaker 4: about until you had until it was crisis time, right 485 00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:24,320 Speaker 4: And I mean Lee obviously worried about it. But Lee, 486 00:23:24,359 --> 00:23:27,480 Speaker 4: how do you think sort of you know, now that 487 00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:30,720 Speaker 4: we're on the other side of the pandemic, it was 488 00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:33,439 Speaker 4: such a crisis with logistics and supply chains. 489 00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:35,520 Speaker 2: Is there a legacy? 490 00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:37,960 Speaker 4: You know, no company wants to sort of fight the 491 00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:41,280 Speaker 4: last war, but are there sort of permanent changes that 492 00:23:41,880 --> 00:23:45,280 Speaker 4: you can look at and say, these companies have been 493 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:48,760 Speaker 4: able to eke out some efficiencies or something about their 494 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:51,840 Speaker 4: business that they learned a lesson from these supply chain 495 00:23:51,880 --> 00:23:53,000 Speaker 4: issues that they'll carry forward. 496 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:53,199 Speaker 7: Right. 497 00:23:53,240 --> 00:23:55,399 Speaker 5: Well, the changes that we're seeing as an increase in 498 00:23:55,560 --> 00:23:58,920 Speaker 5: near shoring and you know, de risking, and the reality 499 00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:00,880 Speaker 5: is that this is not going to happen overnight. It's 500 00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:04,399 Speaker 5: going to be you know, like watching grass grow. You know, 501 00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:06,240 Speaker 5: it takes a long time to put a new facility 502 00:24:06,320 --> 00:24:09,440 Speaker 5: up in Mexico or even the United States for that matter. 503 00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:11,640 Speaker 5: So I think you're going to see more and more 504 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:14,000 Speaker 5: of that, and that's a that's a net positive for 505 00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:17,240 Speaker 5: the domestic transportation companies. It's a net positive for like 506 00:24:17,359 --> 00:24:21,480 Speaker 5: I mentioned earlier, Canadian Pacific, who has operations in Mexico, Werner, 507 00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:24,360 Speaker 5: who does a lot of cross border business across Mexico. 508 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:27,639 Speaker 5: So these are companies that will definitely benefit from that 509 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:31,720 Speaker 5: from that movement, and it's a long term, slow secular 510 00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:33,720 Speaker 5: growth story for transportation a. 511 00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:35,960 Speaker 2: Right, Lee great Stuff is always always appreciate getting your time, 512 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:38,919 Speaker 2: Lee Classical. He's senior Transport Logistics and Shipping on us 513 00:24:38,960 --> 00:24:40,959 Speaker 2: for Bloomberg Intelligence, Joining us life here in our Bloomberg 514 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:42,320 Speaker 2: Interactive Brokers studio. 515 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:47,600 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Bloomberg Intelligence podcast. Catch us live 516 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:51,040 Speaker 1: weekdays at ten am Eastern on focarplaying then broun Otto 517 00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:54,000 Speaker 1: with the Bloomberg Business app. Listen on demand wherever you 518 00:24:54,119 --> 00:24:57,080 Speaker 1: get your podcasts, or watch us live on YouTube. 519 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:02,440 Speaker 2: Story out of Tesla Tesla trim's car output in China 520 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:06,480 Speaker 2: as EV sales growth slows, and that is probably the 521 00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:09,440 Speaker 2: number one issue I would think for the stock, even 522 00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:11,000 Speaker 2: for the industry A little bit is kind of what 523 00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:15,120 Speaker 2: is the ultimate demand for electric vehicles here in near term, 524 00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:18,399 Speaker 2: but then even also going forward, Tesla stock obviously is 525 00:25:18,520 --> 00:25:20,560 Speaker 2: taking it on the chin. It's not about two percent today, 526 00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:22,720 Speaker 2: but here to date it's off about thirty two percent. 527 00:25:22,760 --> 00:25:25,720 Speaker 2: So there's real some concern out there about demands. Let's 528 00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:28,639 Speaker 2: get right to it. Steve Man, he's our global autos 529 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:31,520 Speaker 2: research analyst for Bloomberg Intelligence. He's based out of Princeton, 530 00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:34,160 Speaker 2: New Jersey, joining us via zoom here. So Steve talked 531 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:37,560 Speaker 2: to us about this news from Tesla trimming its output 532 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:39,960 Speaker 2: in China. What's driving that? 533 00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:44,119 Speaker 7: Yeah, Paul, I mean the stock's down about one and 534 00:25:44,119 --> 00:25:47,600 Speaker 7: a half percent. Like you said, I think the consensus 535 00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:52,760 Speaker 7: have pretty much factored in the potential cuts in production 536 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:56,800 Speaker 7: given the demand. I think demand I think in in 537 00:25:57,359 --> 00:26:00,639 Speaker 7: China it is slowing down. There's a lot of price cutting, 538 00:26:01,119 --> 00:26:04,520 Speaker 7: not just from Tesla but from by D and GLY. 539 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:09,119 Speaker 7: It's a never ending price cutting cycle over there. In 540 00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:11,879 Speaker 7: the US, we're actually forecasting to be up nine percent, 541 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:16,240 Speaker 7: definitely single digit, down from double digit growth in the 542 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:20,800 Speaker 7: past couple of years. So you know, I think the 543 00:26:21,240 --> 00:26:25,240 Speaker 7: production cuts are probably mainly driven by the US and 544 00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:28,040 Speaker 7: the China market. European to a lesser extent. 545 00:26:29,119 --> 00:26:32,200 Speaker 4: You know, Steve, as you mentioned, BYD the big competitor 546 00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:36,639 Speaker 4: to Tesla in China. I always hear how fierce that 547 00:26:36,760 --> 00:26:39,520 Speaker 4: competition is. But I wonder how the vehicle stack up 548 00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:44,600 Speaker 4: is BYD actually making a car that is as high 549 00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:48,080 Speaker 4: performance as has all the bells and whistles of a Tesla. 550 00:26:48,359 --> 00:26:49,480 Speaker 2: Were they a little bit behind? 551 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:53,640 Speaker 7: I think I think, you know, by D and other 552 00:26:54,119 --> 00:26:57,399 Speaker 7: local Chinese automd makers, because they're so focused in the 553 00:26:57,520 --> 00:27:00,639 Speaker 7: Chinese market. I mean, now they're starting to get you know, 554 00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:04,760 Speaker 7: kind of extend beyond the China market. You know, they 555 00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:08,160 Speaker 7: they're pretty nimble in addressing some of the needs from 556 00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:14,360 Speaker 7: the consumer consumer side, especially on the connectivity and all 557 00:27:14,359 --> 00:27:17,719 Speaker 7: the infultainment system that they have. So they are are 558 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:20,920 Speaker 7: you know, pretty much catered to the Chinese market. They're 559 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:25,120 Speaker 7: there a pretty good job on that. In terms of quality, 560 00:27:25,240 --> 00:27:29,480 Speaker 7: they've come up to curve quite quite quite a bit. 561 00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:32,840 Speaker 7: I think I remember covering I remember visiting the Boid 562 00:27:33,040 --> 00:27:36,520 Speaker 7: plant probably around eight nine years ago. You know, I 563 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:41,560 Speaker 7: still see like hammers, people using hammers to punch vendors together. 564 00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:44,879 Speaker 7: But now they're you know, they've moved well beyond that, 565 00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:49,840 Speaker 7: I think, you know, not really nationalism, but you know, 566 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:53,399 Speaker 7: with their cheaper cars with lower cost of production, the 567 00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:56,920 Speaker 7: Chinese have been very competitive and been taken market share 568 00:27:56,960 --> 00:27:57,800 Speaker 7: from foreign brands. 569 00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:01,840 Speaker 2: All right, So just what's your view kind of over 570 00:28:01,960 --> 00:28:06,639 Speaker 2: the overall demand for electric vehicles globally. The concern is 571 00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:08,080 Speaker 2: I think with a lot of investors that it is 572 00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:11,040 Speaker 2: materially slowing down. A. Do you agree with that? And B? 573 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:13,000 Speaker 2: Why do you think that is? 574 00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:18,200 Speaker 7: It's about affordability. If you look at a lot of 575 00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:23,280 Speaker 7: the vehicles out there in the US and Europe, EV's 576 00:28:23,320 --> 00:28:27,280 Speaker 7: out there, they're really expensive. You know, they're above fifty 577 00:28:27,359 --> 00:28:30,760 Speaker 7: thousand dollars. There are a few that are below fifty. 578 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:35,080 Speaker 7: There's not that many that are below thirty. So it's 579 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:37,960 Speaker 7: really an affordability issues. A lot of the people that 580 00:28:38,560 --> 00:28:41,640 Speaker 7: can afford EV have, you know, and like an EV 581 00:28:41,840 --> 00:28:46,000 Speaker 7: have purchased one. But what's really exciting, I think in 582 00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:49,600 Speaker 7: the next couple of years, and I think we'll see 583 00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:54,440 Speaker 7: a potential psychicyclical improvement in evs is actually in twenty 584 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:57,760 Speaker 7: five and twenty twenty six, when there's a whole bunch 585 00:28:57,840 --> 00:29:02,440 Speaker 7: of kind of sub thirty thousand EV's come to the marketplace, 586 00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:04,480 Speaker 7: especially in the US. 587 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:08,760 Speaker 4: In Europe, you know, Steve, some days, anyone who is 588 00:29:08,840 --> 00:29:13,040 Speaker 4: on the X social platform might actually forget that Elon 589 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:17,520 Speaker 4: Musk is head of Tesla and he's so focused and 590 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:21,200 Speaker 4: active on X in these sort of culture war issues. 591 00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:24,480 Speaker 4: Is there any sign of that in the numbers yet? 592 00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:28,200 Speaker 4: As far as affecting demand, is his you know, or 593 00:29:28,320 --> 00:29:32,880 Speaker 4: his political stances moving the needle at all, turning any 594 00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:34,280 Speaker 4: potential customers off? 595 00:29:34,320 --> 00:29:34,680 Speaker 8: Do you think? 596 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:36,160 Speaker 2: I mean? 597 00:29:36,360 --> 00:29:40,160 Speaker 7: I think yeah, I think you know, people who buy 598 00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:43,960 Speaker 7: EV's and are looking to buy a car, I think 599 00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:47,520 Speaker 7: they are disconnected for some of the rhetoric that comes 600 00:29:47,560 --> 00:29:52,400 Speaker 7: out from Elon Musk. You know, their performance in terms 601 00:29:52,440 --> 00:29:55,400 Speaker 7: of sales is actually no different than what everybody else 602 00:29:55,520 --> 00:29:58,800 Speaker 7: is seeing. So I really don't think there's a huge 603 00:29:58,880 --> 00:30:02,960 Speaker 7: impact on sales, you know, based on what he writes 604 00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:06,760 Speaker 7: on aslor, he said, what he says on interviews, not 605 00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:07,480 Speaker 7: at all talk to. 606 00:30:07,560 --> 00:30:11,520 Speaker 2: Us about the profitability of the EV car manufacturing right now. 607 00:30:11,680 --> 00:30:17,000 Speaker 2: If prices are being cut the unit profitability, what's going 608 00:30:17,040 --> 00:30:20,600 Speaker 2: on there? Because they had achieved I believe some time 609 00:30:20,640 --> 00:30:22,960 Speaker 2: ago positive unit profitability. 610 00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:27,200 Speaker 7: They have and they still are. And look, you know, 611 00:30:27,360 --> 00:30:30,440 Speaker 7: the one of the issues that was facing the industry 612 00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:34,240 Speaker 7: in the past eighteen months is price cutting, and I'm 613 00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:37,320 Speaker 7: hoping that, you know, we're right at the tail end 614 00:30:37,360 --> 00:30:42,320 Speaker 7: of it, because Tesla actually has announced price increases in 615 00:30:42,520 --> 00:30:46,560 Speaker 7: China starting April first. It's about a five percent five 616 00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:50,160 Speaker 7: to eight percent increase if you also strip out some 617 00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:53,280 Speaker 7: of the other incentives that are out there. And they're 618 00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:57,640 Speaker 7: also planning those price increases in Europe as well as 619 00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:00,000 Speaker 7: the US. And I think part of that is because 620 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:03,640 Speaker 7: the material costs for batteries are actually have ticked up 621 00:31:03,640 --> 00:31:07,200 Speaker 7: a little bit, so, you know, the material costs for 622 00:31:07,280 --> 00:31:12,000 Speaker 7: battery increasing could be a catalyst for an end to 623 00:31:12,120 --> 00:31:14,840 Speaker 7: this seems like a never ending price cutting. 624 00:31:15,840 --> 00:31:18,760 Speaker 4: How's the cyber truck doing, Steve? Is it is it 625 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:20,640 Speaker 4: meeting expectations. 626 00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:25,000 Speaker 7: Cyber trucks? I think it's it is meeting expectation. They're 627 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:28,920 Speaker 7: still ramping that up. Uh, you know, sales have been 628 00:31:29,080 --> 00:31:31,840 Speaker 7: there's you know, they're trying to fill the million unit 629 00:31:31,960 --> 00:31:35,080 Speaker 7: back order. And according to you know what we're hearing 630 00:31:35,160 --> 00:31:39,200 Speaker 7: in the marketplace, the used vehicles, uh, while used vehicles 631 00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:42,840 Speaker 7: meaning a few weeks, few months old they're actually selling 632 00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:47,680 Speaker 7: at you know, two times the amount that they they 633 00:31:48,040 --> 00:31:50,080 Speaker 7: that they're selling with the new vehicles. 634 00:31:50,120 --> 00:31:50,360 Speaker 1: Wow. 635 00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:52,240 Speaker 2: Really so yeah, so I. 636 00:31:52,280 --> 00:31:55,960 Speaker 7: Think there is demand for it, but again it's not 637 00:31:56,120 --> 00:31:59,080 Speaker 7: going to be at the same volume as the Model three, 638 00:31:59,120 --> 00:32:02,320 Speaker 7: in the Model Why, where they're selling over a million units, 639 00:32:02,880 --> 00:32:05,560 Speaker 7: close to two million units. This is still going to 640 00:32:05,560 --> 00:32:10,000 Speaker 7: be relegated to the to ane market, to a smaller 641 00:32:10,040 --> 00:32:11,080 Speaker 7: group of consumers. 642 00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:13,400 Speaker 2: All right, good stuff, Steve Man, Thank you so much 643 00:32:13,440 --> 00:32:15,920 Speaker 2: for joining us. I always appreciate getting your thought. Steve Man, 644 00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:18,560 Speaker 2: Global autos analysts for Bloomberg Intelligence. 645 00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:24,920 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Bloomberg Intelligence Podcast. Catch us live 646 00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:27,960 Speaker 1: weekdays at ten am Eastern on Apple car Play and 647 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:31,320 Speaker 1: Android Auto with the Bloomberg Business. You can also listen 648 00:32:31,480 --> 00:32:34,560 Speaker 1: live on Amazon Alexa from our flagship New York station 649 00:32:34,960 --> 00:32:37,680 Speaker 1: just say Alexa playing Bloomberg eleven thirty. 650 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:40,960 Speaker 2: All right, so we've had I'm gonna call it a 651 00:32:41,280 --> 00:32:44,360 Speaker 2: really really good week for the IPO market. A lab 652 00:32:44,440 --> 00:32:46,640 Speaker 2: which is a great particular I love that alab four 653 00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:51,960 Speaker 2: astra that stucks up again. Ipude started trading wednesday. Reddit 654 00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:55,040 Speaker 2: started trading yesterday, was up a gajillion percent. It's down 655 00:32:55,600 --> 00:32:57,720 Speaker 2: nine percent to they given a little bit back. No 656 00:32:57,800 --> 00:32:59,400 Speaker 2: big deal there, But I'm going to get into the 657 00:32:59,440 --> 00:33:02,240 Speaker 2: story here because it seemed like very well received Reddit 658 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:07,320 Speaker 2: by the market yesterday. The IPO market. Mandy Singh Joints 659 00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:09,960 Speaker 2: is here. He pitched me hard yesterday to go in 660 00:33:10,440 --> 00:33:12,480 Speaker 2: size on this IPO. So I put a ten percent 661 00:33:12,600 --> 00:33:14,000 Speaker 2: order and I'm not sure if I got anything but 662 00:33:14,680 --> 00:33:16,920 Speaker 2: with the underwriters. But Mandy Singing joins us back here 663 00:33:16,960 --> 00:33:21,000 Speaker 2: in our Bloomberg Interactive Broker studio. So I guess Reddit 664 00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:23,160 Speaker 2: is a social media platform. You get a big audience, 665 00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:26,440 Speaker 2: you sell advertising. We've seen that game before big cap 666 00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:29,600 Speaker 2: ones or the facebooks, the Googles. The smaller caps are 667 00:33:29,640 --> 00:33:32,040 Speaker 2: the snaps and all that kind of stuff. This fits 668 00:33:32,080 --> 00:33:35,680 Speaker 2: into the smaller cap thing. Why can't they make money 669 00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:36,240 Speaker 2: on that business? 670 00:33:37,160 --> 00:33:41,680 Speaker 6: Well, one, if you compare the user base, it's still 671 00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:44,640 Speaker 6: off the size of you know, Snap in Pinterest. But 672 00:33:44,800 --> 00:33:47,680 Speaker 6: remember Snap and Pinterests are three to four times bigger 673 00:33:47,720 --> 00:33:52,480 Speaker 6: in terms of revenue. So this platform is vastly under monetized. 674 00:33:52,560 --> 00:33:53,240 Speaker 2: Why is that the thing? 675 00:33:53,560 --> 00:33:56,560 Speaker 6: Well, they never had an app platform to begin with, 676 00:33:57,000 --> 00:34:01,200 Speaker 6: and they started developing ad texts solutions over the last 677 00:34:01,240 --> 00:34:05,120 Speaker 6: five years. The most exciting thing at the roadshow was 678 00:34:05,320 --> 00:34:09,600 Speaker 6: really the data licensing business. That's what at least everyone 679 00:34:09,760 --> 00:34:12,960 Speaker 6: thinks has a lot of potential. They're not going to 680 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:16,839 Speaker 6: take digital ads share from Meta or from Google. It's 681 00:34:16,960 --> 00:34:19,879 Speaker 6: more about what can they do in this unique data 682 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:25,440 Speaker 6: licensing business, which if you believe in the GENAI story, 683 00:34:25,760 --> 00:34:28,759 Speaker 6: then I think there will be a time when things 684 00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:32,440 Speaker 6: investors will start looking beyond the pitent shovel semi plays, 685 00:34:32,920 --> 00:34:36,399 Speaker 6: and that's where companies that have unique user generated data 686 00:34:37,120 --> 00:34:40,879 Speaker 6: they will get a lot of attention. And we think 687 00:34:41,360 --> 00:34:44,920 Speaker 6: Reddit is uniquely positioned, so it's it's sort of refreshing 688 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:48,800 Speaker 6: to see an IPO that goes beyond the semi plays 689 00:34:48,920 --> 00:34:52,640 Speaker 6: and the hyperscaler the max seven that is getting all 690 00:34:52,680 --> 00:34:55,040 Speaker 6: the attention, and I think that's part of the reason 691 00:34:55,120 --> 00:34:57,640 Speaker 6: why you're seeing the IPO do so well well. 692 00:34:57,719 --> 00:34:59,040 Speaker 2: Bettie, I wanted to ask you about that. 693 00:34:59,080 --> 00:35:02,360 Speaker 4: I mean, I guess the no is that a generative 694 00:35:02,520 --> 00:35:06,400 Speaker 4: AI company will license access to all the posts on 695 00:35:06,600 --> 00:35:10,200 Speaker 4: Reddit to help AI sort of learn to speak like 696 00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:12,160 Speaker 4: a human. Although I got to say from some of 697 00:35:12,200 --> 00:35:14,279 Speaker 4: the posts I've read on Reddit, I don't know how 698 00:35:14,880 --> 00:35:16,600 Speaker 4: good of an idea that is with the Wall Street 699 00:35:16,640 --> 00:35:19,440 Speaker 4: bets type of posts. But how big of a potential 700 00:35:19,760 --> 00:35:23,040 Speaker 4: sort of source of revenue for that is that for Reddit? 701 00:35:23,120 --> 00:35:25,440 Speaker 4: I mean, there's a lot of hype around AI. I'm 702 00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:27,359 Speaker 4: wondering if you can help us sort of really cut 703 00:35:27,440 --> 00:35:29,400 Speaker 4: through that and figure out how big of a business 704 00:35:29,480 --> 00:35:30,360 Speaker 4: could that be for Reddit. 705 00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:34,040 Speaker 6: Yeah, so the Google license we know is about sixty 706 00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:37,680 Speaker 6: five million dollars per year. So if you think at 707 00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:40,560 Speaker 6: least there would be eight or ten large angrige model 708 00:35:40,680 --> 00:35:43,759 Speaker 6: companies that will license the data that adds to you know, 709 00:35:43,840 --> 00:35:47,080 Speaker 6: six hundred million, it's not exclusive at all. To at 710 00:35:47,200 --> 00:35:50,239 Speaker 6: least we haven't read anything to suggest it's exclusive. So 711 00:35:50,680 --> 00:35:52,759 Speaker 6: that just goes to show that there is a lot 712 00:35:52,800 --> 00:35:55,440 Speaker 6: of potential in data licensing. And remember this is like 713 00:35:55,560 --> 00:35:58,520 Speaker 6: a ninety five percent gross margin business. They don't have 714 00:35:58,680 --> 00:36:01,120 Speaker 6: to spend any money in terms of rolling that out 715 00:36:01,200 --> 00:36:05,000 Speaker 6: as a product. So that's one. And to your earlier 716 00:36:05,080 --> 00:36:07,400 Speaker 6: point about you know, the quality of the posts and 717 00:36:07,520 --> 00:36:11,000 Speaker 6: the data that's used for training, I think one of 718 00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:14,200 Speaker 6: the things with large anguid models is not only do 719 00:36:14,280 --> 00:36:17,799 Speaker 6: you need good quality data, you actually need bad data 720 00:36:17,920 --> 00:36:22,040 Speaker 6: to put the guardrails. So it's it's and it's something 721 00:36:22,120 --> 00:36:26,719 Speaker 6: that every LLLM company is doing is iterating to their models, 722 00:36:27,160 --> 00:36:30,880 Speaker 6: making sure they're putting the right guardrails and with redded 723 00:36:30,960 --> 00:36:34,920 Speaker 6: the unique advantages. This is human curated data. This is 724 00:36:35,200 --> 00:36:39,719 Speaker 6: actual user data, not generated by machines. And obviously with 725 00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:43,240 Speaker 6: the one billion posts they get every year, this keeps, 726 00:36:43,360 --> 00:36:46,880 Speaker 6: you know, getting updated. So as an LM company, you 727 00:36:47,080 --> 00:36:49,279 Speaker 6: want to make sure you have the most up to 728 00:36:49,440 --> 00:36:53,400 Speaker 6: date user generated data to be able to design the 729 00:36:53,560 --> 00:36:56,000 Speaker 6: chat pot functionality on top of it. Whether it's good 730 00:36:56,080 --> 00:36:59,040 Speaker 6: data or bad data, you actually need both, I would argue, 731 00:36:59,320 --> 00:37:02,040 Speaker 6: because that's how you put the guardrails in. And remember 732 00:37:02,120 --> 00:37:05,320 Speaker 6: Reddit is only texts, so they don't plan the images 733 00:37:05,480 --> 00:37:08,920 Speaker 6: or videos. That's more for you know, the YouTube and 734 00:37:09,040 --> 00:37:11,520 Speaker 6: the tiktoks of the world. So this is a text 735 00:37:11,640 --> 00:37:14,400 Speaker 6: focused LLLM play and I think that's where they are 736 00:37:14,480 --> 00:37:15,400 Speaker 6: uniquely positioned. 737 00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:18,480 Speaker 2: And just on that other IPO again, ASTERI labs a 738 00:37:18,760 --> 00:37:21,840 Speaker 2: lab up about nine percent today, third day in a 739 00:37:21,920 --> 00:37:25,200 Speaker 2: row that it's been higher, so that continues to be 740 00:37:25,320 --> 00:37:28,399 Speaker 2: a really good story. So two good IPO stories this week. 741 00:37:28,400 --> 00:37:30,919 Speaker 2: Hopefully that can get some of these equity capital market 742 00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:33,320 Speaker 2: bankers off their fannies and can have to do some 743 00:37:33,400 --> 00:37:36,520 Speaker 2: more deals. I mean, that's what I'm thinking. All right, 744 00:37:36,600 --> 00:37:40,200 Speaker 2: let's switch gears Apple. I guess the question for a 745 00:37:40,239 --> 00:37:44,200 Speaker 2: lot of people is how significant is this latest round 746 00:37:44,480 --> 00:37:48,600 Speaker 2: of regulatory scrutiny, various suits by various regular regulators around 747 00:37:48,600 --> 00:37:52,760 Speaker 2: the world. How material is this to the short, intermediate, 748 00:37:52,800 --> 00:37:56,760 Speaker 2: long term investment story for Apple? Is this a nineteen 749 00:37:56,880 --> 00:37:59,880 Speaker 2: nineties Microsoft overhang which is not good for the stock 750 00:38:00,520 --> 00:38:03,560 Speaker 2: or is it something that the stock can power through. 751 00:38:04,000 --> 00:38:08,200 Speaker 6: I mean, judging by the stock reaction it did, you know, 752 00:38:08,560 --> 00:38:12,120 Speaker 6: suggest that this doesn't vote very well for Apple in 753 00:38:12,200 --> 00:38:14,680 Speaker 6: the near term, given all the attention they're getting, both 754 00:38:14,719 --> 00:38:17,800 Speaker 6: in the EU and now in the US. And I 755 00:38:17,880 --> 00:38:20,279 Speaker 6: think one of the things that happens when you come 756 00:38:20,360 --> 00:38:23,839 Speaker 6: into this kind of scrutiny is you can't make any 757 00:38:23,960 --> 00:38:27,000 Speaker 6: product changes. You can't do even tuck in deals. I mean, 758 00:38:27,239 --> 00:38:32,160 Speaker 6: I can't imagine Apple or Google buying any company. Microsoft 759 00:38:32,280 --> 00:38:35,320 Speaker 6: sort of is circumventing that by breaking a company apart 760 00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:37,680 Speaker 6: and you know, poaching all the employees as they did 761 00:38:37,760 --> 00:38:40,839 Speaker 6: with Inflection. But it just goes to show that once 762 00:38:40,920 --> 00:38:44,040 Speaker 6: you are in the cross heres like this it's very 763 00:38:44,320 --> 00:38:48,480 Speaker 6: hard to you know, roll out a new product without 764 00:38:48,560 --> 00:38:52,640 Speaker 6: getting more attention. And in this case, the monopoly argument 765 00:38:52,760 --> 00:38:55,120 Speaker 6: is really geared towards their app store. 766 00:38:55,320 --> 00:38:58,040 Speaker 2: So we all know that Epic. 767 00:38:57,800 --> 00:39:00,919 Speaker 6: Systems trial has been going on for you know, three 768 00:39:01,040 --> 00:39:04,360 Speaker 6: years almost, and even though Apple have one verdict in 769 00:39:04,440 --> 00:39:07,680 Speaker 6: their favor, it looks more and more that Apple has 770 00:39:07,800 --> 00:39:10,520 Speaker 6: to make changes to open up the platform, whether it's 771 00:39:10,600 --> 00:39:14,520 Speaker 6: third party billing or other type of changes, and to me, 772 00:39:14,760 --> 00:39:18,000 Speaker 6: that doesn't vote very well for the services line. Ultimately, 773 00:39:18,280 --> 00:39:20,920 Speaker 6: that is the high margin business, and if they have 774 00:39:21,040 --> 00:39:23,640 Speaker 6: to lower their take rates or open up the platform 775 00:39:23,680 --> 00:39:26,600 Speaker 6: to third party billings, that's going to hurt their high 776 00:39:26,680 --> 00:39:28,080 Speaker 6: margin services revenue. 777 00:39:28,640 --> 00:39:30,360 Speaker 2: What do you think a resolution would look like. 778 00:39:30,480 --> 00:39:33,279 Speaker 4: I mean, could we imagine them actually spinning off the 779 00:39:33,320 --> 00:39:35,080 Speaker 4: app store as a separate business. 780 00:39:35,600 --> 00:39:38,600 Speaker 6: Very unlikely. I mean, it's so hard to decouple app 781 00:39:38,680 --> 00:39:42,200 Speaker 6: store from how Apple's operating system is set up and 782 00:39:42,520 --> 00:39:46,920 Speaker 6: how you know, all the devices can interoperate, whether it's 783 00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:50,720 Speaker 6: your iPhone, your iPad, or MacBook. So I can't imagine 784 00:39:50,760 --> 00:39:53,640 Speaker 6: them decoupling their app store. At the same time, what 785 00:39:53,760 --> 00:39:58,160 Speaker 6: they have to do to convince their regulators is basically 786 00:39:58,239 --> 00:40:00,560 Speaker 6: a level playing field when it comes to heart party 787 00:40:00,600 --> 00:40:02,840 Speaker 6: app store. So right now, there are a number of 788 00:40:02,960 --> 00:40:08,759 Speaker 6: companies that sign up outside their apps, like namely Netflix Spotify. 789 00:40:09,200 --> 00:40:12,560 Speaker 6: Because Apple takes a thirty percent cut for every subscription 790 00:40:12,960 --> 00:40:15,920 Speaker 6: that goes through their app store. So that's where you 791 00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:19,319 Speaker 6: know they have to show to the regulators that even 792 00:40:19,400 --> 00:40:21,920 Speaker 6: if companies want to deploy their own app store with 793 00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:25,080 Speaker 6: their own building systems, Apple is open to that. And 794 00:40:25,960 --> 00:40:28,160 Speaker 6: you can move out of the Apple ecosystem to go 795 00:40:28,280 --> 00:40:31,640 Speaker 6: to Android or any other operating system. So all these 796 00:40:31,719 --> 00:40:33,920 Speaker 6: changes are what I think will happen over time. 797 00:40:34,080 --> 00:40:36,080 Speaker 2: And and you've seen great stuff. As always, he never 798 00:40:36,120 --> 00:40:38,480 Speaker 2: mails it in. He's in our Bloomberg in directive Broker Studios. 799 00:40:38,480 --> 00:40:41,880 Speaker 2: He's the senior technology channels for a Bloomberg Intelligence. Appreciate 800 00:40:41,880 --> 00:40:42,880 Speaker 2: getting some of his thoughts Here. 801 00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:48,239 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Bloomberg Intelligence Podcast. Catch us live 802 00:40:48,360 --> 00:40:51,880 Speaker 1: weekdays at ten am Eastern on applecar Play and Android 803 00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:54,680 Speaker 1: Auto with the Bloomberg Business app. You can also listen 804 00:40:54,800 --> 00:40:57,879 Speaker 1: live on Amazon Alexa from our flagship New York station, 805 00:40:58,280 --> 00:41:01,040 Speaker 1: just say Alexa playing bloom eleven thirty. 806 00:41:02,280 --> 00:41:04,120 Speaker 2: All right, there, you have a crossing the Bloomberg terminal. 807 00:41:04,280 --> 00:41:07,719 Speaker 2: House passes bill to fully fund the government and they're 808 00:41:07,719 --> 00:41:09,920 Speaker 2: sending it on to the Senate to get more on this. 809 00:41:10,040 --> 00:41:13,719 Speaker 2: Re Joined by Jenny Sheene Zeno, Professor, a Bloomberg Politics 810 00:41:13,800 --> 00:41:18,759 Speaker 2: contributor and author of American Democracy in Crisis. Jenny thinks, 811 00:41:18,800 --> 00:41:22,360 Speaker 2: so much for joining us here. I think, do we 812 00:41:22,440 --> 00:41:24,319 Speaker 2: have her yet or are we still kind of working? Okay, 813 00:41:24,360 --> 00:41:26,080 Speaker 2: we got it awesome, So what do we make of this? 814 00:41:26,200 --> 00:41:29,480 Speaker 2: I mean, thank goodness they passed this here? But anything 815 00:41:29,560 --> 00:41:31,759 Speaker 2: unusual going on here in DC? Or is this kind 816 00:41:31,800 --> 00:41:33,440 Speaker 2: of more of the same let's get it done at 817 00:41:33,440 --> 00:41:34,000 Speaker 2: the last minute. 818 00:41:35,560 --> 00:41:37,640 Speaker 8: It is more of the same. Although I have to 819 00:41:37,760 --> 00:41:40,359 Speaker 8: say this is highly unusual. We are, you know, six 820 00:41:40,560 --> 00:41:43,800 Speaker 8: months late on this bill. But since this is a 821 00:41:43,880 --> 00:41:45,920 Speaker 8: positive day, I'm going to try to be positive. They 822 00:41:46,000 --> 00:41:49,880 Speaker 8: did pass at one point two trillion dollar government funding 823 00:41:49,960 --> 00:41:52,760 Speaker 8: bill and they now are moving it to the Senate. 824 00:41:52,920 --> 00:41:55,560 Speaker 8: And of course, you know, only half of the crisis 825 00:41:55,680 --> 00:41:58,920 Speaker 8: is averted so far, because of course the Senate is 826 00:41:59,239 --> 00:42:01,720 Speaker 8: you know, they're effected to take it up pretty quickly. 827 00:42:02,160 --> 00:42:05,200 Speaker 8: But as the Senate works, any one senator can slow 828 00:42:05,320 --> 00:42:07,160 Speaker 8: this thing down. And we know there are about a 829 00:42:07,320 --> 00:42:10,480 Speaker 8: dozen amendments on the table. So you know, on the 830 00:42:10,560 --> 00:42:13,320 Speaker 8: plus side, the senators all want to leave town so 831 00:42:13,440 --> 00:42:15,319 Speaker 8: they can get their two week recess, so that may 832 00:42:15,400 --> 00:42:18,000 Speaker 8: help them push it to the finish line quicker. But 833 00:42:18,480 --> 00:42:20,600 Speaker 8: you know, we still aren't over the hunt yet, but 834 00:42:20,719 --> 00:42:22,400 Speaker 8: we are on our way, so to speak. 835 00:42:23,080 --> 00:42:26,080 Speaker 4: You know, Jen, one of the new pieces of news 836 00:42:26,160 --> 00:42:28,919 Speaker 4: that's emerged over the last few minutes is punch Bowl 837 00:42:29,040 --> 00:42:34,400 Speaker 4: is reporting that Representative Marjorie Taylor Green has filed a 838 00:42:34,520 --> 00:42:40,319 Speaker 4: motion to vacate the speakership. Does that have any risk 839 00:42:40,440 --> 00:42:42,279 Speaker 4: to this bill? I mean, I would guess not since 840 00:42:42,320 --> 00:42:44,920 Speaker 4: it's passed. But how does that fit into all of this? 841 00:42:46,280 --> 00:42:49,040 Speaker 8: Yeah? I mean we always expected this would happen, and 842 00:42:49,200 --> 00:42:52,000 Speaker 8: this has been the way that the conservatives in the 843 00:42:52,080 --> 00:42:55,759 Speaker 8: House have operated. You know, what's quite startling about this 844 00:42:56,080 --> 00:42:59,680 Speaker 8: is that this bill is probably more you know, a 845 00:42:59,719 --> 00:43:03,959 Speaker 8: little a little bit more liberal or progressive or pro democratic, 846 00:43:04,040 --> 00:43:07,439 Speaker 8: if you will, pro White House then the bill which 847 00:43:07,600 --> 00:43:11,000 Speaker 8: caused them to get rid of Kevin McCarthy. And so 848 00:43:11,440 --> 00:43:13,719 Speaker 8: you know, it is not a surprise that one or 849 00:43:13,800 --> 00:43:16,600 Speaker 8: more member of the Freedom Caucus House Freedom Caucus in 850 00:43:16,680 --> 00:43:19,600 Speaker 8: this case, Marjorie Tayler Green has filed, but you know, 851 00:43:19,760 --> 00:43:22,759 Speaker 8: at this point it won't impact this particular bill. And 852 00:43:22,960 --> 00:43:26,040 Speaker 8: Mike Johnson always knew that this was going to be 853 00:43:26,239 --> 00:43:29,960 Speaker 8: the result of him working across the aisle and of 854 00:43:30,040 --> 00:43:32,520 Speaker 8: course waving the seventy two hour rule. There was a 855 00:43:32,600 --> 00:43:35,840 Speaker 8: lot that happened in the last few days that conservatives 856 00:43:35,960 --> 00:43:39,280 Speaker 8: and Republicans who are you know, not Freedom Caucus members 857 00:43:39,600 --> 00:43:42,520 Speaker 8: didn't want, but you know, to avert a government shutdown, 858 00:43:42,880 --> 00:43:44,000 Speaker 8: this is what they had to do. 859 00:43:44,280 --> 00:43:46,279 Speaker 2: Okay, So for us amateurs who don't really know how 860 00:43:46,320 --> 00:43:48,880 Speaker 2: this plays out, is this from Marjorie Tayler Green. Is 861 00:43:48,880 --> 00:43:51,600 Speaker 2: this something that mister Johnson needs to be concerned about 862 00:43:51,719 --> 00:43:51,920 Speaker 2: or no. 863 00:43:53,280 --> 00:43:55,319 Speaker 8: You know, I don't think so at this point, if 864 00:43:55,440 --> 00:43:59,080 Speaker 8: only because who would they replace him with? So you 865 00:43:59,200 --> 00:44:02,000 Speaker 8: know this nobody wants to be Speaker of the House 866 00:44:02,040 --> 00:44:04,799 Speaker 8: at this point, So yes, it's you know, it's one 867 00:44:04,840 --> 00:44:07,640 Speaker 8: of those jobs nobody wants. So yes, you know he 868 00:44:07,760 --> 00:44:10,600 Speaker 8: has to be concerned that you know a member is 869 00:44:10,760 --> 00:44:13,640 Speaker 8: doing this, but not surprised. But the reality here is 870 00:44:13,760 --> 00:44:18,600 Speaker 8: this rule needs to change. This rule that one disgruntled member, 871 00:44:18,680 --> 00:44:21,000 Speaker 8: whether it's Matt Gates in the case of Kevin McCarthy 872 00:44:21,080 --> 00:44:23,560 Speaker 8: or Marjorie Taylor Green now or anybody else in the 873 00:44:23,640 --> 00:44:28,000 Speaker 8: future can hold up the entire House caucus in terms 874 00:44:28,000 --> 00:44:31,160 Speaker 8: of the Republican Caucus and quite frankly, in some cases, 875 00:44:31,360 --> 00:44:33,680 Speaker 8: the government. So I don't think there's much of an 876 00:44:33,680 --> 00:44:36,440 Speaker 8: appetite for this at this point. We are, you know, 877 00:44:36,800 --> 00:44:39,960 Speaker 8: so close in the midst of an election period. All 878 00:44:40,120 --> 00:44:42,760 Speaker 8: these House members have to be back in their districts 879 00:44:43,160 --> 00:44:45,719 Speaker 8: and they have to be running for reelection. So I 880 00:44:45,800 --> 00:44:49,239 Speaker 8: don't think there's an appetite. But I think next term 881 00:44:49,640 --> 00:44:52,239 Speaker 8: they really do need to change this rule that one 882 00:44:52,320 --> 00:44:55,160 Speaker 8: member can do this, because it has really made this 883 00:44:56,040 --> 00:44:57,799 Speaker 8: caucus ungovernable at this point. 884 00:44:58,960 --> 00:45:00,879 Speaker 4: And you don't you mentioned that this is a more 885 00:45:01,040 --> 00:45:05,360 Speaker 4: of a progressive leaning bill than what cost Kevin McCarthy 886 00:45:05,440 --> 00:45:08,840 Speaker 4: the speakership. What did did the Republicans give up a 887 00:45:08,960 --> 00:45:10,960 Speaker 4: lot of priorities in this bill? 888 00:45:12,440 --> 00:45:15,560 Speaker 8: You know, they did a lot of that was procedural. 889 00:45:15,800 --> 00:45:18,840 Speaker 8: For instance, having an omnibus or in this case, a 890 00:45:18,960 --> 00:45:22,880 Speaker 8: minibus bill at all was something they didn't want. Waving 891 00:45:23,000 --> 00:45:26,560 Speaker 8: the seventy two hours to review the bill something they 892 00:45:26,640 --> 00:45:30,879 Speaker 8: didn't want. Allowing people to put all of these amendments 893 00:45:31,040 --> 00:45:34,239 Speaker 8: in they didn't want, and we have seen that, so 894 00:45:34,680 --> 00:45:37,239 Speaker 8: there's a lot here, of course, you know, just looking 895 00:45:37,280 --> 00:45:40,719 Speaker 8: at one example, on something as important as immigration and 896 00:45:40,840 --> 00:45:45,320 Speaker 8: homeland security, they wanted HR two, they didn't get it. 897 00:45:45,600 --> 00:45:49,560 Speaker 8: This bill, you know, is, you know, has emboldened to 898 00:45:49,640 --> 00:45:53,880 Speaker 8: a certain extent our ability for border patrol agents and 899 00:45:53,960 --> 00:45:56,560 Speaker 8: others at the border, but it doesn't go nearly as 900 00:45:56,640 --> 00:45:59,479 Speaker 8: par in terms of securing the border as the Republicans wanted. 901 00:45:59,560 --> 00:46:02,319 Speaker 8: So they did get some up, but of course negotiation 902 00:46:02,520 --> 00:46:04,080 Speaker 8: is what you gotta do if you're in a Vice 903 00:46:04,200 --> 00:46:05,080 Speaker 8: vertise in Washington. 904 00:46:05,520 --> 00:46:07,120 Speaker 2: All right, Gene, thank you so much for joining us. 905 00:46:07,160 --> 00:46:10,560 Speaker 2: Genny Sheene Zeno, Professor, Bloomberg Politics, contributor and author of 906 00:46:10,800 --> 00:46:13,040 Speaker 2: American Democracy in Crisis. 907 00:46:13,440 --> 00:46:17,960 Speaker 1: This is the Bloomberg Intelligence Podcast, available on Apples, Spotify, 908 00:46:18,160 --> 00:46:21,319 Speaker 1: and anywhere else you'll get your podcasts. Listen live each 909 00:46:21,400 --> 00:46:24,560 Speaker 1: weekday ten am to noon Eastern on Bloomberg dot com, 910 00:46:24,880 --> 00:46:28,239 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, tune In, and the Bloomberg Business app. 911 00:46:28,400 --> 00:46:31,360 Speaker 1: You can also watch us live every weekday on YouTube 912 00:46:31,600 --> 00:46:33,400 Speaker 1: and always on the Bloomberg terminal