Bloomberg Businessweek

Stamatis Tsantanis is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corp. He joined the Company in 2012 and led its rise to a world-renowned pure-play Capesize company listed in the US, with cargo carrying capacity exceeding 3.4 million deadweight tons. Stamatis is also the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of United Maritime Corporation, an independent diversified public shipping company that was initially established as a subsidiary of Seanergy. The two companies have a combined fleet of 25 ships sailing around the world, with each measuring roughly the size of two football fields and hauling a variety of dry bulk commodities to various destinations. Stamatis discusses the health of the global shipping industry and how exogenous events such as wars and other geopolitical tensions affect his business. He speaks with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec on Bloomberg Businessweek Daily. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Wall Street traders sent stocks to all-time highs on speculation that solid corporate earnings will keep powering market gains. The dollar slid to an almost four-year low. Gold held above $5,000. Not even a slump in consumer confidence prevented a fifth day of gains for the S&P 500, which approached 7,000. United Parcel Service Inc. gave a bullish outlook. The Nasdaq 100 rose 0.9% before results from megacaps. UnitedHealth Group Inc. led losses in insurers on a disappointing forecast and as the US proposed holding payments to private Medicare plans flat next year. The dollar slid to its lowest since February 2022 as signs of US support to boost the yen reinforced the argument about potential coordinated intervention to guide the greenback lower against key trading partners. On the eve of the Federal Reserve decision, Treasury yields edged up. The central bank is projected to halt its rate-cutting cycle as a steadier jobs market restores a degree of consensus among officials after months of growing division. The expected decision to hold rates is likely to amplify the outrage of President Donald Trump, who wants them slashed. Today's show features: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fastenal Company (Nasdaq: FAST) announced last month that Daniel Florness had communicated to the company's Board of Directors his decision to step down from his role as Chief Executive Officer of Fastenal on July 16, 2026. On December 19, 2025, Fastenal's Board appointed Jeffery M. Watts, Fastenal's current President and Chief Sales Officer, to succeed Mr. Florness as Fastenal's CEO effective as of July 16, 2026. Florness joined Fastenal in 1996 and became CEO back in 2016. He expects to continue to serve as a Strategic Advisor to the firm's incoming CEO until early 2028. Dan joins to discuss the health of the company as he enters his final months at the helm, and how emerging technology has increasingly impacted the manufacturing landscape. Dan speaks with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec on Bloomberg Businessweek Daily. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. President Donald Trump indicated he’ll make changes to his administration’s deportation crackdown in Minnesota after the killing of two US citizens during immigration raids sparked nationwide uproar. The president said he was sending US border czar Tom Homan — who is seen as relatively measured compared to rivals, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem — to Minneapolis in a bid to deescalate tensions. Trump also spoke with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, telling the Democrat who he has derided as “grossly incompetent” that he would consider independent investigations into the shootings and reducing the number of federal agents in his state. Later, the White House suggested it could remove US Customs and Border Protection personnel from Minnesota if state and local law enforcement adopted additional “cooperative measures” to assist in the apprehension of undocumented migrants. Taken together, the comments indicated that Trump might recognize that his maximum pressure deportation campaign has eroded public faith in immigration officials as well as his own political standing. That poses a risk for Republicans heading into November’s midterm elections. The federal government is at risk of a partial government shutdown at the end of the week after Senate Democrats said they could not back a funding bill without new curbs on immigration enforcement. Today's show features: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When French President Emmanuel Macron walked out onto a Davos stage sporting a pair of reflective blue aviator sunglasses, Stefano Fulchir, the CEO of iVision Tech SpA, did a double take. Almost immediately, orders starting pouring in for Macron’s frames, the brand’s Doublé or Laminé aviators that retail for €659. The attention on the sunglasses garnered almost as much commentary as Macron’s speech in which he blasted US trade policy. The French president wore the sunglasses after having what he termed a benign but unsightly issue, about which he joked last week in France. A spokesman for Macron confirmed the glasses were part of Henry Jullien’s brand. Stefano discusses the sudden sales boom for the high-end eyewear, and the family-owned company's growth plans. He speaks with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec on Bloomberg Businessweek Daily. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Featuring some of our favorite conversations of the week from our daily radio show "Bloomberg Businessweek Daily." Hosted by Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec Hear the show live at 2PM ET on WBBR 1130 AM New York, Bloomberg 92.9 FM Boston, WDCH 99.1 FM in Washington D.C. Metro, Sirius/XM channel 121, on the Bloomberg Business App, Radio.com, the iHeartRadio app and at Bloomberg.com/audio. You can also watch Bloomberg Businessweek on YouTube - just search for Bloomberg Global News. Like us at Bloomberg Radio on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @carolmassar @timsteno and @BW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Snow and dangerously bitter cold have begun to spread from the Rocky Mountains to the Great Lakes as a massive storm pushes toward the US Northeast, disrupting travel and threatening power outages for much of the nation. The storm is expected to span nearly 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers), bringing heavy snow, crippling ice and subzero wind chill to some of the biggest US cities. Natural gas prices surged on concern iced-over equipment will choke supplies. Airlines have already canceled more than 3,000 flights and Amtrak has pulled dozens of trips from its schedule. Chicago schools were closed Friday as the third-largest US district braced for wind chills of -30F (-34), while ski resorts in Michigan took the unusual step of shutting slopes because of the extreme cold. “This is a gigantic storm,” former Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Deanne Criswell said during a Bloomberg Television interview. “Close to 200 million people” are in the path of the weather system. Through Monday morning, Nashville and Charlotte could see more than a half-inch (1.3 centimeters) of freezing rain. That’s enough to snap tree branches and power lines, potentially triggering widespread power outages. The punch of polar air sent power prices soaring. Prices for electricity and natural gas — the No. 1 power-plant fuel, as well being widely used for home heating — jumped ahead of the storm and remain elevated. Today's show features: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ARK Invest’s "Big Ideas 2026" marks the 10th annual edition of the firm's flagship research report. ARK says the report is designed to identify and contextualize the technologies reshaping the global economy. The company aims to find key signals and focus on long-term innovation platforms, as exponential technologies are converging, markets are transforming, and new opportunities are emerging. Cathie Wood, the founder, CEO and CIO of ARK Invest, discusses why she believes the AI boom will help drive productivity gains in the future, predicting what would be historic GDP growth that will average more than 7% by the end of the decade. Cathie speaks with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec on Bloomberg Businessweek Daily. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Intel Corp. gave a lackluster forecast for the current quarter because supply shortages are making it harder to meet customer demand, a disappointment for investors who anticipated more of a boost from new products. First-quarter revenue will be $11.7 billion to $12.7 billion, the company said in a statement Thursday. The midpoint of that range fell short of the $12.6 billion estimated by analysts. The company expects to break even in earnings per share, excluding certain items. Wall Street had projected a profit of 8 cents a share. Intel is struggling with its manufacturing yields — the percentage of usable chips coming out of its factories — hampering a comeback bid. The once-dominant semiconductor company has spent years trying to restore its technological edge and recover from market share losses, and this is one more setback. Demand is “quite strong,” and the company is working hard to fix its manufacturing problems, Chief Executive Officer Lip-Bu Tan said in an interview. But Intel used up much of its inventory in the fourth quarter, he said. Today's show features: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charles Schwab Corp. reported a surge in average daily trading volume in the fourth quarter as retail investors sought to take advantage of the end of a strong year for the stock market. Total net new assets for the quarter totaled $158.2 billion, more than the $144 billion projected, and daily average trading volume jumped to 8.27 million, up 31% from a year earlier. Still, net revenue of $6.34 billion missed Wall Street analyst expectations of $6.37 billion for the last three months of the year. Adjusted earnings totaled $1.39 a share, matching analysts’ projections. Rick Wurster, Schwab's President and CEO, discusses his firm's latest results, as well as how the firm is reckoning with the rise of prediction markets. Rick speaks with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec on Bloomberg Businessweek Daily. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. President Donald Trump said he would refrain from imposing tariffs on goods from European nations opposing his effort to take possession of Greenland, citing a “framework of a future deal” he said was reached regarding the island. The decision, which Trump announced Wednesday on social media, marks a stark reversal for a president who has repeatedly attempted to coerce Europe over Greenland. It came after a meeting with North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Mark Rutte at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Still, Trump did not detail the parameters of the so-called “framework” and it was unclear what the agreement entails, especially since Denmark earlier Wednesday ruled out negotiations over ceding the semi-autonomous island to the US. “We have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region,” Trump posted. “This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations. Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st.” US stocks jumped on the news that tariffs wouldn’t be implemented, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 rallying to session highs. Treasuries extended gains, and the Bloomberg Dollar Index rose to a daily high. Today's show features: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Netflix Inc. delivered fourth-quarter results that largely beat Wall Street estimates but issued a cautious forecast for the months ahead, citing higher program spending and the cost of closing its deal with Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. The streaming leader said Tuesday it plans to increase spending on films and TV shows by 10% in 2026 while forging ahead with plans to buy the studio and streaming business of Warner Bros., a deal that would unite two of the world’s largest entertainment companies. Netflix spent about $18 billion on programming last year, with subscribers growing almost 8% to top 325 million For the current quarter, Netflix forecasts earnings of 76 cents a share, below Wall Street estimates of 82 cents. Sales will be $12.2 billion, in line with estimates. Closing the Warner Bros. deal will add $275 million in costs for this year, on top of the $60 million spent through year end. Netflix will pause share buybacks to accumulate cash for the acquisition, according to its quarterly letter to shareholders. Today's show features: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FullSpeed Automotive is among the largest franchisors and operators of automotive aftermarket repair facilities in the United States. It is home to flagship brands such as Grease Monkey, SpeeDee Oil Change & Auto Service, and Kwik Kar. FullSpeed brands offer oil changes, tire sales and rotations, brake services, car washes, and other ancillary services through multiple brand formats that target several desirable segments of the service market. The company's geographic footprint includes more than 900 franchised and company-owned locations. Brian Maciak was announced as the company’s new CEO in November of 2025. He discusses the health of the $500 billion aftermarket services industry and what the broader economic outlook means for his customer base. Brian speaks with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec on Bloomberg Businessweek Daily. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a piece written for Bloomberg Businessweek magazine, Daron Acemoglu, Institute Professor of MIT's Department of Economics, muses on whether there is a way to better understand the mind and methodology of US President Donald Trump. Acemoglu writes that "most of the (Trump) administration’s actions — the questionable crypto dealings, the appointment of unqualified allies to high-level positions, the unconstitutional deportations and National Guard deployments, the ouster of a Latin American head of state — have a logic. They’re all attempts to expand executive power, steps toward a type of imperial presidency." The 2024 winner of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences details his assessment and whether the expansion of Trump's executive powers will ultimately lead to a fundamental change in American politics. Professor Acemoglu speaks with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec on Bloomberg Businessweek Daily. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Featuring some of our favorite conversations of the week from our daily radio show "Bloomberg Businessweek Daily." Hosted by Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec Hear the show live at 2PM ET on WBBR 1130 AM New York, Bloomberg 92.9 FM Boston, WDCH 99.1 FM in Washington D.C. Metro, Sirius/XM channel 121, on the Bloomberg Business App, Radio.com, the iHeartRadio app and at Bloomberg.com/audio. You can also watch Bloomberg Businessweek on YouTube - just search for Bloomberg Global News. Like us at Bloomberg Radio on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @carolmassar @timsteno and @BW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. US President Donald Trump is calling for an emergency wholesale electricity auction that, his administration says, will force technology companies to pay for the new power they need to run massive AI data centers under construction across the country. The truth is Amazon.com Inc., Microsoft Corp., Alphabet Inc., Meta Platforms Inc., OpenAI and all the other major tech firms behind the AI data center boom are more than happy to shell out for more electricity generation. And they have been. Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet and Meta collectively spend hundreds of billions of dollars on capital investments annually, far exceeding the budgets of the entire utility segment. Data center developers have in fact already said they’d like to buy electricity off the nation’s power grids as opposed to signing contracts directly with power generators. That’s because grid rates can be cheaper, grids are equipped with backup resources and such systems can help stabilize supplies during extreme weather events. Hyperscalers have also been signing contracts to help bring back nuclear or build new nuclear. Either way, the reality is tech companies have been trying to secure power from every source they can find — both on and off the grids — with data center power demand set to triple by 2035. Today's show features: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rick Woldenberg runs two educational-toy businesses near Chicago, Learning Resources and hand2mind. The firms are considered to be among the world leaders in the development of over 2,000 experiential, hands-on learning materials, which are sold in more than 100 countries. But their products have been hit especially hard by President Donald Trump’s fluctuating global tariffs. Woldenberg’s companies sued last April to invalidate the tariffs as exceeding the president’s authority. The suit is now before the Supreme Court in one of the most economically important clashes in the country's history. As global corporations await the American high court's ruling on the tariffs' legality, Woldenberg details their impact on his family-run firms, and how he's weathering the storm. Rick speaks with Carol Massar, Tim Stenovec and Bloomberg News Supreme Court Reporter on Bloomberg Businessweek Daily. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Morgan Stanley Chief Executive Officer Ted Pick started summing up his outlook after Wall Street’s banner year for trading with four words: “The setup is ideal.” After Wall Street’s five giant banks reported a record $134 billion of trading revenue from last year and an upswing in dealmaking, Pick and peers agreed it’s poised to continue — albeit with caveats. “As a student of these businesses for decades, I would bet you that 2021 is not the ceiling,” Goldman Sachs Group Inc. CEO David Solomon said, referring to the last record year for lenders’ trading businesses. “The world is set up at the moment to be incredibly constructive in 2026 for M&A and capital markets activity, and I think the likely scenario is it is a very, very good year.” President Donald Trump’s turbulent policy changes and trade talks have kept investors on edge — but for bank traders that has kept paying off as clients rush to reposition their portfolios. At the same time, his administration’s deregulatory efforts and the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate cuts are reviving a moribund environment for mergers and acquisitions — quickly filling dealmakers’ pipelines. As Morgan Stanley and Goldman posted quarterly results Thursday after reports from their largest rivals earlier in the week, the market-centric firms added to predictions for another bumper year for Wall Street operations. That contrasted with other corners of banking, such as credit-card units that have come under threat as Trump demands a cap on interest rates. Industry executives have been fielding questions about how they may respond to that, even as they themselves await information from the White House. Today's show features: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Carolyn Tisch Blodgett is the CEO and founder of Next 3, where she oversees the investment and management of a portfolio of assets in the sports, media and entertainment space. She invests across teams, leagues and technologies including Gotham FC of the National Women's Soccer League, TGL and Los Angeles Golf Club, LOVB, Transmit.Live, Jackpot.com and more. Tisch Blodgett also serves as the governor of the reigning NWSL champions, where she is the lead owner across the business. Under her leadership, the Gotham FC has seen significant growth across fan attendance, revenue and on-field performance and league-record sponsorship deals. The increasingly popular league is facing challenges, however, as top European leagues and other organizations drive up the price tags for top players. Carolyn discusses the financial health of the NWSL as well as the growth surge in women's sports more broadly with Carol Massar, Tim Stenovec and Bloomberg News Sports Reporter Vanessa Perdomo on Bloomberg Businessweek Daily. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Germany will take the lead of European nations sending military personnel to Greenland after Denmark said its meeting with top US officials intent on controlling the world’s biggest island revealed that a “fundamental disagreement” remains. The decision to dispatch reinforcements to the Arctic territory as early as this week highlights the urgency with which European nations seek to respond to US threats over Greenland. A meeting of foreign ministers from Denmark and Greenland with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington failed to dispel the specter of a US takeover. On Thursday, Germany’s “exploration mission” of 13 soldiers will arrive in Nuuk as European nations begin to work out how to ensure security in the region. Their task will be to “explore the framework conditions for possible military contributions to support Denmark in ensuring security in the region, for example, for maritime surveillance capabilities,” according to a statement from the German defense ministry. France will participate in the joint drills in Greenland this week, according to the defense ministry’s press office, which provided no details. In addition, Sweden is sending “several officers,” Norway two persons and the UK one officer. The reconnaissance group is visiting the island ahead of the planned “Arctic Endurance” training exercise, UK Defense Minister John Healey told reporters in Sweden. Denmark on Wednesday said the drill with North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies would become a permanent fixture. Today's show features: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.