Highlights:

Cool Water…

The world of bubbly water is about to get a bit more crowded. Coca-Cola North America announced it will debut AHA in March. The sparkling water brand will mix flavors like strawberry and cucumber and even a little caffeine in two of the line’s flavor combinations. AHA beverages will not contain sodium or have calories. But its citrus and green tea, and black cherry and coffee flavor combinations will contain 30 mg of caffeine. Flavors will include orange and grapefruit, blueberry and pomegranate, and peach and honey. The flavored seltzer’s will be available in packs of 12-ounce cans, or in single cans of 16 ounces. AHA is Coca-Cola North America’s first significant brand debut since its Gold Peak tea launched in 2006.

Gone…

Gap Inc. shares tumbled in extended trading Thursday after the company announced CEO Art Peck will be stepping down immediately, and be replaced by the founders’ son temporarily. Gap, which has been struggling to revive its sales, also slashed its forecast for the year, citing a “challenging quarter.”
Robert Fisher, currently the company’s non-executive chairman, will serve as CEO on an interim basis. He previously served as interim CEO in 2007. Peck had served as CEO since 2015 and worked at Gap for almost 15 years. In February, Peck announced plans to split the retailer into two publicly traded companies in 2020. The clothing retailer said third-quarter company-wide same-store sales fell 4%, compared with flat growth a year ago. Sales at the Gap brand were down 7% during the latest quarter, they dropped 3% at Banana Republic and declined 4% at Old Navy.

Markets:

Asia: Stocks in Asia were mostly lower on Friday as investors digested recent developments on the U.S.-China trade front.
Europe: European shares traded higher Thursday after China said the world’s two largest economies had agreed to cancel additional tariffs imposed in their months-long trade war.
U.S: U.S. markets closed higher on Thursday after reports indicated the U.S and China might rollback tariffs. DJIA: +182.24 27,674.80 NASDAQ: +23.89 8,434.52 S&P: +8.40 3,065.18

Word Of The Day:

Correction

A negative reverse moment of at least 10% in a stock, bond, commodity or index to adjust for overvaluation. Corrections are generally temporary price declines which interrupt an uptrend in the market or an asset. The duration of a correction is shorter than a bear market or recession however, they can be precursor to either.

Dinner or Drink:
Apple Cider Float

1/2-part Sour Apple Schnapps
1 part Bourbon
2 parts Apple Cider
Dashes of Cinnamon, Ground
1 scoop Vanilla Ice Cream
Cinnamon Stick
Add ice cream to a glass. Combine other ingredients in an ice filled shaker. Shake and strain into glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and a dried apple slice.

Have a safe and wonderful weekend, Ya’ll!

Highlights:

Happy Anniversary…

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the popular Happy Meal, McDonalds will bringing back some of the most popular Happy Meal toys. A special limited-edition Surprise Happy Meal will be available Nov. 7-11 in more than 90 countries around the globe while supplies last. Fifteen toys will be available globally with two extra Disney exclusives for the U.S. The first McDonald’s kids’ meals were introduced in the U.S. in June 1979 as the Circus Wagon Happy Meal.

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas…

On Thursday, Starbuck’s will switch gears from all things pumpkin spice to focus on peppermint mochas, eggnog lattes and the decorative red cups. Four different red cup designs will be available this year, featuring red, white and green patterns that look like holiday wrapping paper. The official names of the four cups are Polka Dots, Merry Dance, Merry Stripes and Candy Cane Stripes. According to the company, this year’s cup designs were created to “evoke mini moments of joy. To encourage reuse, Starbucks is giving away free reusable red cups on Thursday until supplies run out. Customers who bring in their cup and order a holiday drink after 2 p.m. daily get 50 cents off their check through Jan. 7. The limited-edition reusable red cup features block letters spelling Merry Coffee on the signature red background. This year’s holiday drink flavors are Peppermint Mocha, Toasted White Chocolate Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte, Chestnut Praline Latte and Eggnog Latte. The flavors are available hot, iced or as a blended Frappuccino. Only hot beverages come in red cups.

Markets:
Asia: Asian stocks closed higher amid reports of a potential delay in the signing of a U.S.-China trade deal.
Europe: European stocks closed higher on Wednesday as investors awaited new developments from U.S.-China trade talks.
U.S: U.S. markets closed flat after reports indicated a possible delay in the signing of the phase I trade deal. DJIA: -0.07 27,492.56 Nasdaq: -24.05 8,410.63 S&P: +2.16 3,076.78

Word Of The Day:

Bubble

An economic cycle characterized by a rapid growth of asset prices followed by a contraction.

Dinner or Drink:
Royal Turkey

1 oz. bourbon whiskey
1 oz. sloe gin
1 oz apricot brandy
2 oz pineapple juice
3 oz 7-Up® soda

Shake all ingredients (except 7-up) and strain into an ice-filled Pina Colada glass. Add 7-up, garnish with fruit slices, add straws and serve.