Hala,
🚀 The four-day workweek is taking over! 200 UK companies have made it permanent — with no pay cuts.(1) More free time, happier workers, and higher productivity… sounds like a win-win! Now, if only Fridays off were mandatory for everyone. 🤔😂
amana’s Take
- The Fed is widely expected to hold rates steady this week, opting for a wait-and-see approach as inflation and policy shifts shake up the economic outlook. After three straight cuts since September, bringing rates to 4.25%-4.5%, some officials are signaling that the easy-money party might not go on much longer.
- While inflation remains sticky and growth resilient, uncertainty around trade, taxation, and regulatory shifts has the Fed treading carefully.
- A few hawkish voices suggest the central bank could even reverse course if price pressures flare up — though markets aren’t buying it just yet.
Stock Market Update
📈🤖 Wall Street shook off its DeepSeek-induced AI panic, bouncing back on Tuesday. The S&P 500 rose 0.92% to 6,067.70, powered by a tech rebound led by Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK). The Nasdaq 100 roared back 1.59% to 21,463.04, while the Dow added 0.31% to 44,850.35.(2) Talk about Wall Street getting its groove back. 💃💰
↗️↘️ Here in the Gulf, stocks took a mixed route as President Donald Trump’s tariff chatter loomed. Abu Dhabi stayed chill at 9,550, while Dubai eased 0.3% to 5,177.(3) 📊📉
🎶☕ Starbucks Stirring the Pot (and It’s Spilling)!
Starbucks is juggling hot cups of opportunity, but it seems the coffee giant is stumbling over the counter as it tries to keep customers coming through the door. Despite surpassing Wall Street’s earnings expectations, the company’s same-store sales have fallen for four straight quarters.(4) It’s like they’re brewing up a storm, but forgetting the most important ingredient — customers. CEO Brian Niccol’s “Back to Starbucks” strategy is in full swing, but can it fix what’s slowly brewing into a bigger issue? ☕💥
☕ The Perks and Pains:
- Earnings per share: 69 cents vs. 67 cents expected 📈
- Revenue: $9.4 billion vs. $9.31 billion expected 💵
- Net Income: from $1.02 billion to $780.8 million. 📈
- Same-store sales: Down 4%, with a 6% drop in visits 🚶♂️💨
- U.S. sales: Fell 8%, and China wasn’t much better 🇨🇳😬
💡☕ Brewing a Plan But Is It Hot Enough?
Niccol’s trying to fix the leaks by removing extra charges for non-dairy milk, focusing on coffee, and slashing 30% of its menu by 2025, among other moves. But these tweaks are like reheating a cup of coffee — does it ever really taste the same? The real question: will this “Back to Starbucks” plan get customers to come back, or is the company about to run out of steam? 🍵🔧
Closer to Home
- 📱 Saudi Telecom Company’s STC Bank is dialing into Saudi’s digital future! With SAMA’s green light, it is now a full-fledged digital bank.(5) The kingdom’s banking just got an upgrade! 💳
- 🏦 Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank’s (ADIB) profits jumped 16% YoY to AED 6.1B ($1.6B) in 2024, beating forecasts. Investors? They’re cashing in with an AED 83 fils per share payout.(6) Banking just got a little more rewarding!💰
- 💸 Emirates NBD, Dubai’s biggest bank by assets, saw its Q4 profit flat at AED 4B ($1.09B) as growth investments ate into higher income and lower impairment charges.(7) Guess future growth doesn’t come cheap. 😅
What Else Is Trending
- 🪙 Crypto exchange Coinbase just got the official nod in Argentina, unlocking local payment methods and services in Argentine pesos!(8) Seems like crypto just found its local groove. 🎶
- 🤖 AI darling Nvidia staged an 8.8% comeback on Tuesday after Monday’s historic $595B nosedive. Retail investors? They bought the dip like it was on sale!(9) Even Wall Street can’t resist a good dip buy! 🛒
- 📱 Meanwhile, X (formerly Twitter) is teaming up with Visa to soon bring real-time payments on the social media platform.(10) Looks like Elon Musk’s “everything app” dream is hitting fast-forward! 🚀
💬Quote of the Day
“While we have room for improvement, we’re making progress as planned, and have confidence we’re on the right track.” — Brian Niccol, Starbucks CEO
Build your plan: https://amana.app/campaigns/amanainvest
Sources:(1) The Independent, (2) (4) (9) CNBC, (3) (5) (6) (7) Zawya, (8) Cointelegraph, (10) Yahoo! Finance
