1) The poor showings of two major movies this last weekend shows the risk Hollywood faces with new movie productions. The final installment of Star Wars, The Rise of Skywalker and Cats both have fallen short of predicted first week ticket sales, highlighting the risk associated with cinema productions. The theatrical market is dominated by a few blockbuster movies at the expense of almost everything else, leaving theater owners struggling for productions to draw needed customers.
2) Holiday shopping set records over the weekend with Super Saturday sales reaching $34.4 billion dollars making it the biggest single day in U.S. retail history. Super Saturday topped Black Friday’s $31.2 billion dollars by 10%. This is despite foot traffic in the malls being down, indicating people are spending more. Next question is – will this stellar momentum lead to sustained economic growth in 2020.
3) The internet music downloading site Spotify is expanding into the podcasts market. The company is spending big to lock down exclusive shows and introduce several new features for users. Already a success now making a profit with music, Spotify is determined to be a power player in the world of podcasts, considering podcast to be a great complementary product. Spotify has announced it has acquired Gimlet Media and Anchor production companies to strengthen its podcast abilities.
4) Stock market closings for – 23 DEC 19:
Dow 28,551.53 up 96.44
Nasdaq 8,945.65 up 20.69
S&P 500 3,224.01 up 2.79
10 Year Yield: up at 1.94%
Oil: up at $60.58