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Jassy is in, Bezos is out: A yawn is the greatest compliment to both

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Jeff Bezos is stepping into a more holistic role as executive chairman, meaning that Amazon is set to have a new CEO for the first time in its almost 27-year history. That person is Andy Jassy, who first joined Amazon in 1997. In the context of Amazon's business, Jassy's credentials couldn't be stronger. Back in 2006 he led the team that set up Amazon Web Services (AWS), and he has been involved in running the division under various titles ever since — most recently as CEO. Although most consumers know Amazon for its global e-commerce prowess, it is actually AWS that is still the profit center at the company. Amazon's most recent numbers revealed 2020 revenue of $386B. AWS made up only 12% of that revenue number, but its sky high profit margins mean it makes up almost 60% of Amazon's total operating profit. Under Jassy's leadership AWS has grown into a market leader, with almost one-third of the cloud computing market. With that track record Jassy was always goi...
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Bezos is out: A yawn is the greatest compliment

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Lots of news from Amazon yesterday. They did a record-smashing $125.6B in sales in the last quarter, up from $87.4B in the same quarter of 2019. That's even more than Apple (the most valuable company on Earth) did in sales last quarter. They unveiled the design for their new HQ which you can judge for yourself . And finally, the bombshell. Bezos is stepping aside (kind of).  AWS CEO Andy Jassy will be taking Bezos' place as Amazon's leader. Bezos will become exec chairman, focusing on “new products and early initiatives" — like his space baby Blue Origin and The Washington Post. So, how did market react to this bombshell?  Investors yawned at Bezos leaving, with the stock barely budging after-hours. It's a vote of confidence that the empire he built is strong enough to stand without him front-and-center. Bezos revolutionized the way we shop, made convenience a standard. He will be remembered for many things that 20 years ago, we couldn't have imagined them bein...
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Microsoft vs. Sony: The console battle and the gaming war

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Last week, Sony launched PlayStation 5 (PS5) on the same day that Microsoft dropped its Xbox Series X and S. So much for not stealing each others' thunder ;) As far as the actual hardware specs go, they are pretty on-par with each other. However, the two warring companies are approaching the growing gaming industry very differently, and competition between them will be one of the most interesting stories to watch over the coming few years. Here's a run down of where the two companies are and the very different directions that they are taking: Sony Sony is following the traditional razor and blades model that has long characterized consoles: try and not lose too much money on the consoles, and make up the difference in game licenses, its online service, and in-game purchases. It’s a model that gamers are familiar with, even if it ends up being a pricey one. In short, Sony is treating the PS5 like a console, and gamers like gamers, just as they did last generation. So, when it la...
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Why the stock market is beating expectations

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  In the early stages of the pandemic, the S&P 500 index dropped a third of its value. Since then it has roared back, soaring more than 50 percent from its low in late March and setting an all-time high last week. This seems very implausible when set against the current state of the economy and the ongoing devastation caused by the pandemic. So why is the stock market rallying in the face of a pandemic and bad economic news? Several explanations are plausible. The stock market is not the economy: The stock market represents publicly traded companies only; it’s not the whole market. Most importantly, it’s always forward looking; i.e. it’s an indicator of the future earnings of those companies and how they would fare in the future. A rising stock market indicates that investors think these companies will do better in the future. On the other hand, a falling stock indicates that investors are pessimistic about the future earnings of companies. Continued income support for the ec...
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Airtags: The ultimate brand power move

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Last week, Apple hosted its first event of the year and unveiled a slate of deliciously colorful products. But the star of the show was ... what we've been hearing rumors about for a very long time. Apple finally unveiled AirTags, little Bluetooth buttons you stick on things like wallets and keys to locate them (yep, just like Tile). They start at $29 each and will be available on April 30. AirTags use Apple's U1 chip — the same one used in iPhone 12. The chip will make AirTags trackers more accurate than those from Tile, Samsung, and Sony. Also AirTags use the "Find My" network, the same one used for Find My iPhone, Friends, etc. "Find My" is a crowdsourced network of hundreds of millions of Apple devices that can help users locate their missing tech through Bluetooth connection.  Bottom line: Apple’s powerful brand is a statement – that's currently limited to Apple devices. But with AirTags, people can slap expensive Apple labels on non-Apple products....
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