Power Players with Brian Sozzi

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Why Nvidia GTC really isn’t so bearish Mar 19, 2025

Show notes

Nvidia had a little bit of everything for investors at its annual GTC event on Tuesday afternoon. For one, there was great theater such as CEO Jensen Huang donning his trademark black leather jacket while giving out t-shirts from a t-shirt blaster. There were also a lot of large numbers tossed around, especially a prediction of the AI infrastructure buildout reaching $1 trillion by 2028. The company even took the wraps off a host of more powerful chips to hit the market in the next few years in Blackwell Ultra and Rubin. Yet, Nvidia’s stock declined 2% by the close of trading despite what was a reaffirmation of the Nvidia growth story. So what gives here with the world’s most important stock? Yahoo Finance executive editorBrian Sozzi sits down on the Opening Bid podcast with EMJ Capital founder Eric Jackson. Jackson shares his latest thinking on Nvidia and whether the bull run is poised to return…and when.

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid, brings you a high-octane take on the freshest analyst calls, wildest stock moves and shrewdest commentary in the business world. Executive Editor Brian Sozzi puts Wall Street's finest through their paces in this essential conversation for every investor - before the stock market opens.

Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.

Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com.

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid is hosted by Brian Sozzi, and produced by Langston Sessoms

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Is Nvidia and Tesla stock deeply oversold screaming buys? Mar 17, 2025

Show notes

The stock market has broken down this month as investors digest tariff and recession fears. Some of the most popular stocks such as Nvidia, Palantir and Tesla have cratered. Crypto has lost its post Trump election bid. And safe-haven stocks like healthcare have performed well. When stability will return to these top momentum names is unclear. Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi talks with EvercoreISI technical strategist Rich Ross. Ross has more than 30 years experience in studying the deepest areas of the market from a technical perspective. This experience is poised to pay off for Ross as he aims to dissect opportunities for the firm’s clients amidst March’s tariff-driven sell-off. He shares with Sozzi some of his top trading ideas from the rubble and provides good rules of thumb for chart watchers.

Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.

Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com.

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid is hosted by Brian Sozzi, and produced by Langston Sessoms

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Senator Ted Cruz on Trump, Elon Musk, DOGE and tariffs Mar 14, 2025

Show notes

More than two months into the year, one thing is abundantly clear: the Trump administration is going to make things very interesting for investors the next four years. Team Trump has wasted no time slapping additional tariffs on China, and likely new ones soon on Canada and Mexico. Levies on the European Union could be next. The tariff barrage has consumers growing concerned about higher prices for goods and services. Markets are worried about the impact to Corporate America. This as geopolitical risk to stocks is elevated amid an uncertain conclusion to the Ukraine/Russia war. A government shutdown is a real possibility soon, too. Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi sits down on the Opening Bid podcast with one of the most prominent names in government, Republican Senator from Texas Ted Cruz. Cruz sits at the intersection of many of these issues. Texas is a major trader partner with Mexico and Canada. He has led one of the fastest growing states in the country in part because of big tech expansions. Cruz weighs in on the Trump administration’s policies and shares his economic outlook.

Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.

Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com.

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid is hosted by Brian Sozzi, and produced by Langston Sessoms

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Tariff uncertainty offers 1 big reminder to investors: Edward Jones CEO Mar 12, 2025

Show notes

Markets are having a terrible year, there is no other way to hide it. Once hot tech stocks like Tesla (TSLA) have turned into laggards and investors have rotated into defensive names in the healthcare and consumer staples space. Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi talks with Edward Jones CEO Penny Pennington. Pennington joined Edward Jones as a financial advisor in 2000 just before the tech stock meltdown, rising the ranks to lead the financial services giant in 2019. It’s a critical time to be a leader atop a giant wealth manager. For starters, the new Trump administration has injected major volatility into all sorts of markets around the world. Stocks in the US have cratered, especially momentum names such as Nvidia (NVDA) and Palantir (PLTR). At the same time, baby boomers are reaching retirement age each day. That brings with it a host of new challenges from planning for post-work investing to transferring wealth to offspring. Pennington shares her perspective on these huge drivers of the wealth management industry.

Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.

Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com.

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid is hosted by Brian Sozzi, and produced by Langston Sessoms

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Why Trump tariffs are bad for business: Rubbermaid CEO Mar 10, 2025

Show notes

Tariffs stand to hammer the profits of many consumer products companies in 2025. Execs at these companies are actively moving production out of China and into other Asian regions to contain costs. But the hit to profits from tariffs will be felt no matter what for companies that already have slim profit margins.Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi chats with Newell Brands CEO Chris Peterson. Peterson has been hard at work since taking over as CEO in 2023 restructuring the consumer products giant, which makes everything from Rubbermaid food containers to Graco baby carriages. A lot of the work by Peterson is coming under the spotlight as president Trump aims to slap Mexico, Canada and China with tariffs. Newell Brands has been moving production back to the US from China. It has one of the largest US manufacturing footprints amongst its competitors. Still, tariffs are likely to weigh on the company’s profit margins as it continues to do a chunk of business in China and Mexico. This as the lower income consumer that buys a lot of its products are being more cautious in their spending after years of inflation.

Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.

Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com.

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Transformers versus Trump's tariffs: Hasbro CEO battles on Mar 07, 2025

Show notes

The 2025 Toy Fair has come and gone from New York City. The annual event where toymakers show off their latest innovations for the year ahead saw several fun releases: Lego dropped a new Bluey set, Mattel (MAT) has gone all in on Masters of the Universe, and Hasbro (HAS) has released new interchangeable Nerf blasters. The event is set against the backdrop of tariffs from President Trump on China, which could hammer toymaker profits this year. So, how bad a hit are investors looking at here? Brian Sozzi sits down on the Opening Bid podcast with Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks. The Street gave Hasbro high marks recently for aggressive cost-cutting, which has more room to go — the company aims to slash $1 billion in costs by 2027. Its previous goal was $750 million. But Trump's tariffs could reduce American consumers' spending power by $46 billion to $78 billion every year they are in place, estimates the National Retail Federation (NRF). Nearly 80% of US toys are manufactured in China, according to industry trade group the Toy Association. Cocks shares how Hasbro plans to navigate tariffs and a growing cautiousness among consumers.

Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.

Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com.

00:00-Chris Cocks on Opening Bid

01:20-Peppa Pig is pregnant

02:00-What makes a good toy?

06:30-Brands that grow with adults

12:30-A magical business (with Magic: The Gathering)

15:30-Tariffs & toys

21:40-HOT TAKE

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid is hosted by Brian Sozzi, and produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky.

Chris Cocks is Chief Executive Officer of Hasbro and serves on its Board of Directors. Prior to being named Hasbro’s CEO, Chris was President of Hasbro’s Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming segment.

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Okta CEO on Q4 earnings beat and what's driving business: EXCLUSIVE Mar 03, 2025

Show notes

Cybersecurity player Okta (OKTA) is ending its reporting year on a high note. Fourth-quarter sales rose 13% from the prior year amid healthy demand for cybersecurity services. Adjusted earnings beat analyst estimates by four cents per share. For 2025, the company targets double-digit percentage profit growth despite economic pressures on small to medium-sized businesses. Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi chats with Okta co-founder and CEO Todd McKinnon about the quarter and road ahead. McKinnon co-founded Okta in 2009 alongside Frederic Kerrest. Today, the company’s market cap stands at more than $15 billion. The company has ambitious innovation goals in identity management, a key plank in corporate tech stacks as AI agents begin to run amok. McKinnon reveals his plans to keep companies safe in the age of AI, and a host of leadership lessons some 16 years into his CEO journey.

Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.

Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com.

00:00-Todd McKinnon on Opening Bid

02:30-Why AI might create problems in cyber security

07:00-Diving into earnings

9:45-First quarter outlook

14:50-Building Okta's culture

17:30-Going to battle: talking competitors

20:00-HOT TAKE

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid is hosted by Brian Sozzi, and produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky.

Todd McKinnon is the Co-founder and CEO of cloud security company Okta, previously serving as a vice president at Salesforce.

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Inside the big money-making business of music catalogs like Joni Mitchell & John Denver Mar 03, 2025

Show notes

Music catalogs remain hot assets for acquisition by those financial powerhouses with the money to purchase them. Look no further than the sale of Bruce Springsteen’s catalog to Sony in 2021 for a reported $500 million. Brian Sozzi sits down on the Opening Bid podcast with Reservoir Media (RSVR) founder and CEO Golnar Khosrowshahi. Khosrowshahi is a veteran in the music industry, spending more than 17 years building up Reservoir through the acquisition of music catalogs and publishing outfits. Today, the company sits at the interaction of music and streaming media with an eye toward continuing to purchase catalog assets and earn royalties. Though risks to the business exist in the form of rising values for catalogs for legendary performers and the shift to AI generated music. Khosrowshahi shares her outlook for the music industry, and also her leadership journey growing up in Iran to running a major company today.

Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.

Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com.

00:00-Golnar Khosrowshahi on Opening Bid

2:30-What do Joni Mitchell, John Denver, and voice of Lion King have in common?

6:15-Future of Streaming

11:40-Thoughts on Chappel Roan Grammy's speech demanding artists making a living wage

13:30-AI impact on making music

17:50-Future of good music

20:30-HOT TAKE

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid is hosted by Brian Sozzi, and produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky.

Golnar Khosrowshahi is the Founder and CEO of Reservoir, a global, independent music company, with operations across music publishing, recorded music, and management. It is the first female founded and led publicly traded independent music company in the U.S. In addition to her role as Founder and CEO of Reservoir, Golnar serves on the boards of National Music Publishers’ Association, NMPA’s S.O.N.G.S. Foundation, Silkroad, and the New York Philharmonic.

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Why this AI player is aggressively buying back its stock Feb 28, 2025

Show notes

ZoomInfo (ZI) was bootstrapped in 2007 by founder and CEO Henry Schuck with $25,000 in credit card debt. The data intelligence play started its life by focusing on small to medium-size businesses looking for ways to connect with key contacts at larger companies and better understand customers. Today, the company has entered the AI age and is fresh off posting more than $1.2 billion in annual sales. The company could eclipse that level in 2025, according to new guidance shared this week on its earnings release. So, what’s next for this under-the-radar tech player? Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi chats with Zoominfo founder and CEO Henry Schuck to discuss just that. Schuck shares lessons on how he has grown ZoomInfo, from mistakes to best lessons learned. He also dives into how ZoomInfo will be playing in the AI space against some of its biggest competitors.

Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.

Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com.

00:00-Henry Schuck on Opening Bid

00:45-Preparing for an earnings call

06:31-How a business innovates with AI

11:27-Stock repurchase plan

15:00-Shaping a strong business

19:30-HOT TAKE

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid is hosted by Brian Sozzi, and produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky.

Henry Schuck has served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of ZoomInfo (formerly DiscoverOrg) since founding it in 2007. Henry led ZoomInfo as it became the first tech company to go public during the COVID-19 pandemic. Including the company’s acquisition of Zoom Information in 2019, he has overseen 13 acquisitions in total. Prior to founding ZoomInfo, Henry was VP of Research & Marketing at iProfile, a sales intelligence firm focused on the IT market.

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Should you go all in on Nvidia stock?: NVIDIA EARNINGS SPECIAL Feb 27, 2025

Show notes

Nvidia mania has returned to markets.Shares of the $3.2 trillion market cap chipmaker reversed losses and were up nearly 3% in early trading on Thursday as investors digested a host of Nvidia earnings headlines. In its earnings release on Wednesday evening, Nvidia said it expects gross profit margins of 70.6% to 71% in the first quarter as it contends with the production ramp-up of its new Blackwell chip. That initially drove concern in the markets about peak AI demand, and perhaps peak Nvidia hype. Nvidia execs sought to push back on the bears on its earnings call. "We're going to have to continue to scale as demand is quite high, and customers are anxious and impatient to get their Blackwell systems," Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang said. Huang teased several new powerful chips set to be unveiled at the company's March 17 GTC conference. In a special Nvidia themed episode of Opening Bid, Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi sits with EMJ Capital founder Eric Jackson and a16z general Partner Anjney Midha to dive into multiple areas of Nvidia. Jackson shares his views on Nvidia as a trade, while Midha unveiled a powerful force likely to drive Nvidia’s business for the next decade.

Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.

Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com.

00:00-Nvidia special on Opening Bid

00:15-Dan Howley on key takeaways

04:00-Eric Jackson with Nvidia outlook

13:00-Anjney Midha shares state of AI infrastructure

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid is hosted by Brian Sozzi, and produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky.

Daniel Howley is the Eddie & Ozzie award-winning tech editor at Yahoo Finance, reporting on a broad range of topics related to the business of Big Tech including the chip wars, artificial intelligence, antitrust matters, and more.

EMJ Capital Founder & President, Eric Jackson, is a tech and media investor with a non-traditional background for a hedge fund manager.

Anjney Midha is a General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz where he invests in AI, infrastructure, and open source technology.

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