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If you have yet to see… “Incredibles 2,” “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” “A Quiet Place,” or “Avengers: Infinity War” – what are you doing with your life? These movies contributed to a US box office record high of $3.3 billion in the second quarter of 2018.

The big screen lives on… after an unimpressive summer last year. However, 2018 has been the opposite with revenue up 15.3% from the same time a year ago. These numbers show that people aren’t forgoing the movie experience to sit at home and watch “Sharknado 3” on Netflix among a host of other, erm…options?

What to look for next month… includes “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” “Mission Impossible – Fallout,” and “Christopher Robin.” These movies are coming from brands that have given us nothing if not reliable entertainment over the years. There you have it – not only is the big screen alive and well, but it is calling your name!

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LeBron isn’t the only one switching teams… tennis great Roger Federer also made an interesting change from Nike to Uniqlo ending a 21-year partnership. While the brand still has LeBron James and about fifty other big names, Federer will not be easy to replace.

The brand switch isn’t just a fashion statement… it is critical to both brands. Nike has gone as far as to say “investments in endorsements by high-profile athletes, sports teams and leagues” drove sales up 6%. The fact of the matter is – if it is good enough for Federer, it is good enough for you (so buy it!).

Oh, and about Uniqlo… they are a Japanese company known for their low-cost, no-nonsense casual clothing. Federer will predictably become the face of the brand after signing his endorsement deal. Also, for a reported $300 million over ten years, he better do just that.

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Automakers are not happy… because the Commerce Department is considering slapping tariffs on cars made in foreign plants and on foreign-made auto parts. These tariffs are bad news for car companies because every vehicle sold in America is at least partially imported. In other words, these taxes would raise costs – even for domestic car companies.

The most “American-made” automobiles are… still comprised of at least 25% imported parts. There is no way around this either because American auto parts makers can’t produce all of the necessary components. Additionally, all major automakers build some cars in Mexico and would pay a tariff on those vehicles, as well.

You can run, but you can’t hide… because the cost of tariffs is unavoidable for all car companies. Expect higher car prices, lowered sales and lost jobs, as a result of the proposed taxes. Trade wars are fun, huh?

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Not to be outdone by Uber… Lyft will be acquiring Motivate, the largest bike-share company in North America. Uber has already bought a bike share company of their own with Jump Bikes.

Now you have even more options… for moving about the city. Lyft has added public transportation, carpooling and now, a “biking” option to their arsenal. These new features fit seamlessly with the company’s push to be environmentally friendly and carbon neutral.

Teamwork makes the dream work… and both companies would like to reduce the need for personal car ownership. Lyft is now worth twice what they were last year, sitting at $15.1 billion after a recent funding round. Look out, Uber; Lyft is bringing the heat!

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One step forward, one step back… as crude oil prices were up more than 3% on Tuesday. This jump coming on the heels of the US State Department announcement that companies will be required to cut all oil imports from Iran by November. Interestingly enough, OPEC and other producers agreed to raise output to prevent this exact thing (price increase) from happening.

The United States is committed… to completely isolating Iran. This includes cutting Iranian crude imports. This is significant because Iran is OPEC’s third-largest oil producer, exporting more than two-million barrels per day. Companies, such as Total and Shell, have also committed to avoid Iranian oil. Other oil companies may follow suit in order to maintain relations with the US.

We seriously want gas… to stay under $3 a gallon in the United States. Other big users, such as India and China, would also appreciate some increased oil production to keep prices from rising too high. Saudi Arabia is planning to increase output to record high next month – from 10 million to 10.8 million barrels per day. We may also see more demand for US oil specifically to cover the shortage.

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A company that needs no introduction… unless you live under a rock – it’s Walgreens! Otherwise known as Walgreens Boots Alliance, they are the new kid on the block. If you’re wondering what a ‘Boots Alliance’ is, it is referring to the company’s acquisition of Alliance Boots in 2015. Boots is a drugstore retailer and Alliance a drug wholesale distribution company.

And they are growing… after purchasing more than 1,900 Rite Aid stores last March. Thanks to their recent deals, analysts expect Walgreens’ earnings per share to increase by an average of 12% over the next few years. And while they are the newest, they are not the smallest, coming in as the 23^rd largest company in the Dow based on stock price.

So why Walgreens… and not CVS? A spokesman for S&P Dow Jones Indices went with the classic “no comment” response to that very question. However, there is an argument for CVS, which has generated more revenue, is worth more, and has about the same weighting compared to Walgreens. Not to mention that CVS may be acquiring insurer Aetna in the near future for $67 billion. Actually, maybe it should be CVS – but that’s none of our business.

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GE wants you to know… that they are an aviation, power and renewable energy company now. GE Healthcare will be spun-off (it will be independent of GE, in other words) and they will exit their stake in oil services in the next two to three years. The company’s famed quarterly dividend will be maintained until the health-care unit is effectively separated. At that point, the dividend will likely be lowered.

It’s not all gloom and doom… as GE shares rose 7.76% on Tuesday – their best day in over three years. For the record, they’re still way down over the past year, at -54%. But hey, they are making strides and actually improving their situation instead of wallowing in a pile of burnt-out lightbulbs.

And that’s all folks… as the CEO stated that the company is finished making restructuring moves. The company plans to reduce their mountain of debt by $25 billion by 2020. However, they are sitting atop the Mount Everest of debt mountains, and that is only a fraction of their $70+ billion debt-load.

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It’s the business form of “rope-a-dope” … as made famous by the late Muhammed Ali. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is ready to go on the offensive against their fatigued, but still very formattable opponent, Starbucks. John Fuller, the CEO of The Coffee Bean believes that people may be growing tired of Starbucks and would welcome an alternative option.

Who are the guys, anyway?… The Coffee Bean is a company that serves high-quality coffee in a cozy atmosphere. They offer “third wave coffee” which likens high-quality coffee to fine wine, rather than simply a commodity. If you haven’t heard of ‘em, we’re right there with ya. The company has just 311 stores in the United States, mostly in the SoCal area.

Just like Fort Minor… you will remember the name. In five to ten years, the coffee company hopes to turn their 311 stores into 1,000. A far cry from Starbucks’ 15,000 stores, but you have to start somewhere, right? So, if you happen upon the ambitious coffee-maker, give them a try – and be sure to let us know if they’re legit or if we should just stick to Starbucks.

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If you haven’t heard… the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is the who’s who of the advertising and marketing industries. But lately, tech companies have been showing up in full force. The most successful companies seem to sponsor the most impressive things at the festival, including actual beaches on the coastline of Cannes, France.

Not just keeping up with the Joneses… because they are the Joneses. Google, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Spotify all sponsored the most prominent beaches at the festival. Facebook and Pinterest splurged on their own piers and Google had way more moving boats than the Wall Street Journal. While advertising agencies were in attendance, it became clear that these companies have been cutting back.

Spotify was a huge beach… to the competition. In addition to their beach, they brought in Miguel, The Killers, Travis Scott (yes, Kylie was there, too) and Chvrches to perform. It is safe to say Spotify was the life of the party and made other companies feel a little left out. It is probably also worth noting that Snapchat (SNAP) cut back on their beach-sponsoring ways as a means to save money. This caused some executives to question the state of the company. If you think this all seems a little petty – I am right there with you.

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Without breaking a sweat… AmazonBasics killed it in the battery market. Now, they are selling around 100 private label brands, including: kids clothing, men’s underwear, dog food, and home furnishings. So yes, Amazon will be making and selling their own stuff to compete against everyone else’s stuff. Analysts believe nearly half of all online shopping in the US will be on Amazon in the coming years – creating the perfect storm for massive sales of the company’s private label offerings.

Home-field advantage… is exactly what Amazon has because they have the ability to lead shoppers toward their brands and away from competitors. If you type the word “batteries” into Amazon’s search bar you will get a screen filled with AmazonBasics batteries. Energizer actually pays [a fortune] for ‘sponsored’ advertising on the site to be listed above AmazonBasics on the Amazon website.

Or is it an unfair advantage… because Amazon could eventually be looking at antitrust charges. Although, we have yet to experience the market power of a tech giant like Amazon which makes for some unchartered territory. If there is a case for antitrust, there has to be proof that Amazon is harming the consumer with either higher prices or lower quality. However, as you or I can probably attest – Amazon is cheap and usually freakin’ awesome.

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