1. Nvidia’s Mixed Q4 Earnings Report；
2. Nissan Fires CEO Makoto Uchida；
3. YouTube’s Biggest Star MrBeast Raising $200 Million；
4. Ben & Jerry’s Founders Considering Buying Back the Brand；
5. U.S. 401(k) Millionaires Surge 27%；
6. Google Cloud Lays Off Nearly 100 Employees；
7. Sun Hung Kai Profits Rise 17% Despite Market Challenges。
1. Nvidia’s Mixed Q4 Earnings Report
On Wednesday after market close, Nvidia released its highly anticipated earnings report. With U.S. stocks experiencing sharp declines in recent days, investors had hoped Nvidia’s traditionally strong earnings would provide relief. However, the latest report was a mixed bag.
In Q4 last year, Nvidia posted revenue of $39.3 billion, in line with expectations and exceeding its entire annual revenue from two years ago—highlighting the company’s rapid growth. The revenue from Nvidia’s Blackwell chip reached $11 billion, with the CEO stating that demand for Blackwell remains strong.
For Q1 2024, Nvidia expects revenue to reach $43 billion, slightly above the consensus estimate of $42.3 billion. However, the company warned that margins for the new Blackwell chip could be compressed and that U.S. tariff policies could have a negative impact.
CEO Jensen Huang assured investors that Nvidia would continue to grow healthily in 2025.
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2. Nissan Fires CEO Makoto Uchida
Sources reveal that Nissan has decided to fire CEO Makoto Uchida after six years, citing poor financial performance over multiple quarters and the failed merger with Honda. Nissan’s management is now searching for a successor.
Earlier this month, the 58-year-old Uchida told reporters he intended to step down only after stabilizing the company’s operations. Nissan reported an ¥80 billion loss for fiscal year 2024 (ending in March), a stark contrast to the ¥380 billion profit forecast he made nine months ago.
All three major credit rating agencies have downgraded Nissan to “junk” status, with two additional downgrades issued last week. Next year, the company faces its largest-ever debt repayment.
Uchida acknowledged that for Nissan to survive, it must pursue strategic partnerships with other companies.
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3. YouTube’s Biggest Star MrBeast Raising $200 Million
Sources report that YouTube’s biggest content creator, MrBeast (real name Jimmy Donaldson), is in talks with multiple financial institutions to raise $200 million at a $5 billion valuation for his company.
MrBeast is seeking funds to expand his holdings, which include the Feastables chocolate brand, Lunchly snacks, and his video production business.
Last year, his parent company generated $400 million in revenue and was profitable.
MrBeast rose to fame by hosting large-scale challenge videos and competitions, often awarding million-dollar prizes to winners.
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4. Ben & Jerry’s Founders Considering Buying Back the Brand
Sources indicate that Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, co-founders of the iconic ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s, are exploring forming a consortium with investors to buy back the brand from Unilever.
Ben & Jerry’s valuation is expected to be in the billions, meaning the founders will need deep-pocketed financial backers.
Unilever has been considering spinning off its ice cream division in recent years to cut costs. The U.S. remains Unilever’s largest ice cream market, with brands like Breyers and Magnum under its portfolio.
In 2000, Ben & Jerry’s was sold to Unilever for $326 million.
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5. U.S. 401(k) Millionaires Surge 27%
According to Fidelity, the number of 401(k) accounts with over $1 million surged 27% year-over-year to 537,000 in 2024, benefiting from record-breaking gains in the U.S. stock market.
In 2024, the S&P 500 rose 25%, following a 23% increase in 2023. Such back-to-back 20%+ gains have occurred only ten times since 1871.
At the end of 2024, the average Fidelity 401(k) balance was $131,700, with 60% of accounts holding less than $1 million.
Despite the surge in retirement savings, surveys indicate that many Americans remain concerned about whether they can retire comfortably.
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6. Google Cloud Lays Off Nearly 100 Employees
Sources reveal that Alphabet, Google’s parent company, laid off fewer than 100 sales and operations employees from its cloud division on Wednesday, aiming to optimize resources and invest more in artificial intelligence (AI).
Earlier this month, Alphabet provided revenue guidance that fell short of analyst expectations and indicated that its 2025 capital expenditures could be significantly higher than anticipated.
Other tech giants like Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, and Salesforce have also announced job cuts, mainly targeting low-productivity employees or shifting jobs overseas to lower-cost locations.
Despite these layoffs, Google’s CEO stated that the company’s AI and cloud divisions would continue expanding their overall workforce in 2025.
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7. Sun Hung Kai Profits Rise 17% Despite Market Challenges
Sun Hung Kai, Hong Kong’s largest commercial real estate developer, reported a 17% year-over-year profit increase to HK$10.5 billion for the six months ending December 31, excluding property revaluations.
Real estate revenue quadrupled to HK$16.4 billion, driven by improved sales performance in Hong Kong property projects.
However, Sun Hung Kai still faces significant challenges, including an oversupply of real estate and sluggish demand. Since its 2021 peak, Hong Kong home prices have declined 27%, nearing their lowest level since 2016.
At the end of last year, Hong Kong’s office vacancy rate reached 16.8%, the highest level since 2006.
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This report contains information sourced from Financial Times, Bloomberg, The Real Deal, and other financial news media.