Highlights:

Grab n’ Go…

According to reports, Amazon is considering opening 3,000 of its cashier-less stores by 2021. Currently, the e-commerce giant has three locations, known as Amazon Go, in Seattle and Chicago. The automated grocery stores provide customers with no lines, no checkouts, and no registers. Customers simply scan their Amazon Go apps as they walk through the the roughly 2,000 square feet stores and then walk out. The stores primarily sell grab-and-go food items such as prepared sandwiches, salads, yogurt, and granola bars. If Amazon is successful in opening its 3,000 stores it would be a distributor to convenience stores and fast foot chains across the nation. Shares of Walgreens, Walmart, Target, and Kroger moved sharply lower following the release of the report.

Mo’ Money…

Delta Air Lines announced it will increase its charge for a first checked bag to $30. The move comes less than a month after a similar move by JetBlue and United Continental. The hike leaves American as the only major airline to leave its checked bag fee at $25. A second bag will set you back $40 on Delta, United, and Jet Blue. Travelers who take part in airline loyalty programs can avoid the fees. Southwest remains the only airline to offer free checked bags to their customers.

Markets:
Asia: Asia markets closed mixed on Thursday as investors reacted to continued trade tensions.
Europe: European shares end their Wednesday session on a good note as investors shook off trade worries.
U.S: U.S markets closed in the green on Wednesday as investors continue to monitor the latest trade drama. DJIA: +158.80 26405.76 NASDAQ: -6.07 7950.04 S&P: +3.64 2907.95

Word of the Day:
Seasonal Adjustment

A statistical technique used to even out periodic swings in statistics or movements in supply and demand related to changing seasons.

Dinner or Drink:
Limoncello Citrus Sangria

1 Orange
1 Pink Grapefruit
2 lemons
750 ml bottle chilled white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc)
1½ cups Limoncello
3 cups sparkling water or sparkling wine

Clean the orange, grapefruit and lemons thoroughly then cut into ¼ inch thick slices.

In a large pitcher combine white wine, sliced citrus and limoncello. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, stir in the sparking sparkling water (or sparkling wine). Pour into individual glasses. If desired, garnish glasses with sliced fruit from the pitcher.

Highlights:

Toys…

Amazon will double down on its Alexa-powered devices, with plans to release at least 8 new gadgets by the end of the year. The devices will include a microwave oven, an amplifier, a receiver, a subwoofer, and something for your car. All devices will be Alexa enabled so they can easily connect to the voice assistant. The company is expected to reveal some of the new devices at an event later this month. The new toys mark Amazon’s first move into the home appliance space, placing it in direct completion with Sonia and GE. It also reflects Amazon’s ambition to make Alexa available where people spend most of their time- at home or in the car.

Sold…

Nestle announced Monday it has agreed to sell Gerber Life Insurance unit to Western & Southern Financial Group for $1.55 billion in cash. The New York State based Gerber Life is known for its children’s life insurance policies, but also sells an array of adult policies. The deal allows Western & Southern to capitalize on Gerber Life’s name and famous marketing.

Markets:
Asia: Asian shares closed higher on Tuesday despite a new round of tariffs.
Europe: European markets closed slightly positive amid reports the U.S plans new 10 percent tariffs on Chinese imports.
U.S: U.S. stocks closed lower on Monday as investors waited anxiously for an announcement of additional tariff on Chinese goods after the bell. DJIA: -92.55 26,062.12 NASDAQ: -114.25 7,895.79 S&P: -16.18 2,888.80

Word of The Day:

Passive Management

A style of management associates with mutual funds and exchange traded funds, where the fund’s portfolio mirrors a particular market index like the S&P 500.

Dinner or Drink:

Devil in The Morning

Splash of Grenadine
1 part Orange Liqueur
2 parts Jim Beam® Devil’s Cut®
3 parts Orange Juice
Garnish with Maraschino Cherries
Garnish with Orange Wheel
Build in order over ice in a tall glass, letting the grenadine slowly settle through the cocktail. Garnish with a half-moon orange slice and/or a cherry.

Highlights:

Sold…

Nearly eight months after Meredith Corp. purchased Time Inc., the publisher had agreed to sell Time magazine for $190 million to Marc Benioff, co-founder of Salesforce.com and his wife Lynne Benioff. The Couple is buying the magazine as individual and is unrelated to Salesforce.com. The Benioff are optimistic about Time’s large audience and growing video business. Still the road will not be rosy for the Benioff, as the magazine has been hammered by declines in advertising and newsstand sales. Magazines across the board have struggled to transition into the world of digital as traditional sources of revenue have eroded. The Benioffs will not have a role on the day-to-day operations of the magazine or journalistic decisions.
Say It Ain’t So…..

Specialty retailer, Henri Bendel, know for its signature brown and white bags, is shutting its door after more than a century. L Brands, parent company of Henri Bendel, Bath and Body Works, and Victoria Secret, announced it will close all 23 stores including Bender’s iconic Fifth Avenue store. The company plans to focus on its largest business including Victoria Secret. Henri Bendel opened his first shop in Greenwich Village in 1895. He sold apparel, fragrances, cosmetics, and handbags. The brand was a pioneer in the retail industry, holding the first semiannual sales, the first luxury retailer with an upper Fifth Avenue address, and the first to stage a fashion show. In the 1960’s the chain hired an in-house illustrator named Andy Warhol. All stores will be open through the holiday season and will close in January.

Markets:
Asia: Asian markets closed negative on Monday, amid reports over the weekend the U.S will impose new tariff on China.
Europe: European stocks ended the week in the green, as strong performance by overseas markets lifted investor sentiment.
U.S: U. S stocks closed flat on Friday, as concern for U.S.- China trade continue. DJIA: +8.68 26,154.67 NASDAQ: -3.67 8010.04 S&P: +0.80 2,904.98

Word of The Day:
Unicorn

A Unicorn, in the world of business, is usually a start-up with no established performance record and a stock market valuation or estimated valuation of more than $1 billion.

Dinner or Drink:
Sidecar

2 tablespoons superfine sugar
1 lemon wedge
Ice cubes
2 ounces domestic brandy
1 ounce Cointreau
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
3-inch-long strip of lemon zest

Place sugar in a shallow dish or saucer. Run the lemon wedge around the rim of a martini glass and discard. Dip rim in sugar to coat. Fill glass with ice and set aside to chill.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add brandy, Cointreau, and lemon juice; shake vigorously.
Remove ice from glass and discard. Twist lemon peel over glass; strain cocktail into glass. Serve immediately.