Power Players with Brian Sozzi

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The biggest market risk in 2026 is the one no one talks about Jan 07, 2026

Show notes

Deal activity is heating up as 2025 nears a close amid lower interest rates from the Fed and a sense from sellers that valuations are about as full as one could expect. Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi sits down on the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast with Apollo Global Management co-head of equity David Sambur. After being held by Liberation Day market related volatility, the environment for deal-making has picked up. This year is on track to become the second highest in deal activity, up 36% in value to an estimated $4.8 trillion according to Bain & Company. Megadeals greater than $5 billion have represented more than 75% of incremental deal value. Meanwhile, exit activity for private equity companies accelerated meaningfully in the third quarter. Private equity firms have announced exits totaling $470 billion so far this year per data from EY, marking a 40% increase by value compared with the same period last year. Sambur shares his outlook for M&A and exits in 2026, the drivers of that potential activity and what he has learned from making big deals over the course of his career. Disclosure: Yahoo is a portfolio company of funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management.

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Why CrowdStrike's CEO says you need AI to fight AI Jan 05, 2026

Show notes

Opening Bid Unfiltered is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

From the racetrack to the race for cybersecurity spending dollars. Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi sits down on the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast with CrowdStrike (CRWD) founder and CEO George Kurtz. The conversation veered off down a few side streets, so to speak. Kurtz is an accomplished endurance racer, and that led him recently to purchase a 15% minority interest in the Mercedes F1 team. It’s an incredible combination of Kurtz’s public company experience, tech expertise, and passion for racing. At the same time, CrowdStrike is gearing up for a big 2026 in the eyes of Wall Street as more AI agents raise the risk of cybersecurity threats. Kurtz reveals his operating playbook for the road ahead.

Listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch on our website for full episodes of Opening Bid Unfiltered.

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid Unfiltered is produced by Langston Sessoms.

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Why Investors Are Watching SailGP’s Explosive Audience Growth Jan 03, 2026

Show notes

Opening Bid Unfiltered is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

From hyrox to pickleball, this is a great moment to take a crack at starting a new sports venture. Enter SailGP into the often stodgy world of sailing. Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi sits down on the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast with SailGP CEO and storied yachtsman Russell Coutts. Coutts won an Olympic gold medal in 1984 and then went on to secure several America's Cup victories. In 2019, he co-founded SailGP with Oracle founder and billionaire Larry Ellison. Ellison is a longtime sailing fan. What once began as a fledgling sports league, has gained considerable momentum in terms of viewership and attracting new sponsors. The league now has 13 teams and celebrity team owners such as Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reyonds and Anne Hathaway. Team valuations have also continued to skyrocket, and the business is expected to produce $200 million in sales this year. Coutts shares what the 2026 sailing season holds and what it has been like, transitioning from an athlete to a CEO, piloting the future of a sports league.

Listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch on our website for full episodes of Opening Bid Unfiltered.

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid Unfiltered is produced by Langston Sessoms.

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AI cost cutting is eroding company culture and future profits Dec 29, 2025

Show notes

Rest assured that if a leader can cut expenses to boost profits, they will often do so without hesitation. This practice is likely to worsen in the years ahead as leaders are drawn in by the use cases for AI and the subsequent opportunity to cut more jobs to save money. It sucks to say this, but it’s the cold, hard truth. In the process of all this cost-cutting, are leaders losing sight of company culture and how a great culture could unleash significant profits? Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi sits down on the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast with veteran board member and top executive James D. White. White is the co-author, with his daughter Krista, of the new book "Culture Design: How to Build a High-Performing, Resilient Organization with Purpose." White comes from a place of deep experience on the topic, having led a successful turnaround of Jamba Juice as CEO for eight years. He has sat on the boards of Affirm and Panera Bread. He currently sits on the boards of Cava and Jessica Alba’s The Honest Company. White shares why creating a great corporate culture is paramount and how it can be achieved with success.

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid Unfiltered 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 Unfiltered at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.

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

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Circle's CEO explains why the dollar is going digital Dec 22, 2025

Show notes

It has been a very eventful year for stablecoin player Circle (CRCL). The company completed its IPO in June. Then, in July, President Trump signed the GENIUS Act, which is seen as a significant future tailwind to the crypto and stablecoin industries. While Circle’s stock price is well off its highs amid a broader pullback in the crypto space, it’s hard to deny the company’s business progress and how it sets it up for success in the years ahead. At the helm of Circle is CEO and co-founder Jeremy Allaire, who has been winning over industry critics, including those on Wall Street and in government, for years. Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi sits down with Allaire on the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast to discuss what drives him to push Circle to new heights and what he has in store for 2026. If you are a believer in crypto and stablecoins — or not — then this is the conversation you need to hear for the best possible context!

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

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

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

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How AI is quietly reshaping industrial stocks like C.H. Robinson Dec 17, 2025

Show notes

The market loves putting money to work on AI stocks; that much has been made clear in the past two years. The appetite to own AI plays is broadening to more under-the-radar names, including companies that are using the technology aggressively in the industrial sector. Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi sits down on the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast with C.H. Robinson (CHRW) CEO Dave Bozeman. Bozeman has led the 120-year-old logistics player for more than two years, following considerable stints in transportation operations at Amazon, Harley-Davidson, and Caterpillar. Since his arrival, C.H. Robinson has leaned hard into AI to drive improved operating profits. The company has delivered in a big way, sending the stock price up 55% in 2025. Bozeman shares what’s next in the company’s tech-driven overhaul, what the future of freight looks like, and whether the trade war stands to send the US economy into a ditch ultimately.

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

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

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why OpenAI dominated the AI trade in 2025 Dec 15, 2025

Show notes

There has been one company at the very center of the AI trade this year. That is none other than OpenAI (OPAI.PVT)! OpenAI has won Yahoo Finance’s 11th annual Company of the Year award. Here is why. First, it undeniably led the market narrative for investors in 2025. When it announced big deals, stocks popped. When it issued a cautionary statement, stocks took a hit. Second, OpenAI secured scores of new, transformational deals with large public companies, including Nvidia (NVDA), AMD (AMD), and Oracle (ORCL). And three, its year of dealmaking will likely see the company end the year as the world’s most valuable private business — with an estimated valuation of $500 billion, according to Yahoo Finance data. Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi talked exclusively with OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar about the company’s path forward — from eventually turning profitable to a potential push into hardware.

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

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

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oura vs Big Tech: The ring taking on Apple, Google & OpenAI Dec 08, 2025

Show notes

The battle to analyze your health data has arguably never been fiercer. The Apple (AAPL) Watch has sold tens of millions of units, all of which are collecting health data. Whoop is eyeing an IPO. Not to mention, there are an array of other major players in the wearables space, such as Samsung (005930.KS) and Garmin (GRMN). Does there need to be one winner, though, as the longevity industry continues to grow in size? Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi sits down on the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast with Oura Health CEO Tom Hale. Oura — the maker of the popular health tracking ring — is fresh off raising $900 million from a series of investors. The proceeds are being earmarked for international expansion, and perhaps a foray into payments. Hale shares his ultimate vision for Oura Health, what he has learned about leadership three years into being CEO, and the dos and don'ts of health tracking.

Megaphone Podcast Copy TemplateYahoo Finance's Opening Bid Unfiltered 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 Unfiltered at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/. Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Please email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com. Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid Unfiltered is hosted by Brian Sozzi and produced by Langston Sessoms.
Summarize this data Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid Unfiltered 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 Unfiltered at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/. Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Please email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com. Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid Unfiltered is hosted by Brian Sozzi and produced by Langston Sessoms.
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Driverless 18-wheelers may reach your street sooner than you think Dec 06, 2025

Show notes

The driverless car race is well underway. While Waymo is seen as having a leadership position, Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk is aiming for robotaxi debuts likely in 2026. Thus far, the race to bring autonomous trucks to life to address driver shortages is a bit more open. Aurora Innovation (AUR) is seen as the leader at this juncture and is backed by Uber (UBER), boasting key partnerships with Paccar (PCAR), Nvidia (NVDA), and Volvo (VOLCAR-B.ST). The company has successfully debuted driverless commercial trucks on select routes in Texas, with plans to expand to more routes in 2026. Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi talks on the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast with Aurora Innovation co-founder and Chris Urmson. Urmson led Google's (GOOG) driverless technology unit for several years, which ultimately became Waymo. He shares his vision for Aurora Innovation, the 2026 product roadmap, and why autonomous technology is needed for commercial trucks.

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

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

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why consumers are paying more for lower-quality goods Dec 01, 2025

Show notes

The apparel retail industry has experienced its share of ups and downs this year. A focus by the Trump administration on tariffs has raised supply chain costs for most apparel manufacturers. In turn, those manufacturers have passed on price increases to shoppers. Consumers have responded by delaying purchases for deals or forgoing them altogether. The more positive end of the spectrum remains the high-end luxury space. The sector is selling higher-priced goods to consumers, allowing them to sit on another year of wealth gains through the stock market. Still, not everyone is winning. Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi talks on the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast with Mackage CEO Tanya Golesic. Mackage was founded in Montreal, Canada, in 1999 by Eran Elfassy. Today, the luxury brand is led by former executives from Jimmy Choo and Ralph Lauren, including Tanya Golesic. Golesic has expanded distribution while staying true to the brand’s luxury athletic DNA. She shares what has defined the brand’s year, her career, and what’s on tap for 2026.

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