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THE HEADLINES
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YES NETFLIX, WE’RE STILL WATCHING
Netflix had themselves a hell of a Q4, seeing subscribers climb by 8.3M, compared to the 6.3M that they’d initially projected. This increase in binge watchers came despite a rise in Netflix prices, announced at the beginning of Q4.
Investors will be pleased to learn that news of Netflix’s growth sent the company’s stock price up 9%. Netflix shares are up 21% over the last 6 months. All this with every member of your extended family using the same login.
Two can play that game
Neflix isn’t the only option for those pesky, cord-cutting millennials to disrupt the cable industry as we know it. In the live-TV-streaming game, Hulu announced that it now reaches 450K subscribers while YouTube TV is close behind at 300K. But Sling and Direct TV Now still reign supreme with 1M and 2M subscribers, respectively.
Water Cooler Talking Point: “While Netflix lacks in live TV streaming, they’ve more than made up for by being synonymous with casual couch hook ups. “Direct TV and make out” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.”
I DO IT FOR THE DRUGS
Sanofi and Celgene are subscribing to the age-old prescription drug adage: “Never get by on your own supply” (note: this is completely made up). Both biotech giants plan to diversify their offerings by making major acquisitions, spending a collective $20B.
Sanofi
The French drug maker is bracing for a major blow to its bottom line as generic manufacturers will begin to sell Lantus insulin equivalents as its patent expires. Sanofi plans to stop the bleeding with the $11.5B purchase of hemophilia drugmaker, Bioverativ.
Celgene
Celgene will pay $9B for Juno Therapeutics. The nefarious sounding pill peddler looks to get its hands on Juno’s JCAR017, which sounds a lot more like an ingredient in a nuclear warhead than a lymphoma treatment. And this is just the latest purchase in a month long spending spree that began with the $1.1B purchase of Impact Biomedics.
Water Cooler Talking Point: “Nothing more uplifting than a bunch of institutional investor and hedge fund shareholders getting filthy rich from the sale of blood cancer drugs.”
YO SOY FIESTA
Family owned rum-maker Bacardi is buying the outstanding 70% stake it doesn’t own in the self-proclaimed ultra premium tequila brand, Patron. The deal values Patron at $5.1B. Mmm, tastes like Spring Break ’09. The high-end rum runners have been expanding their brand offering to be inclusive of all young party goers seeking bad decisions.
Bacardi has been on a mission to become a major player in the premium spirits space since new CEO, Mahesh Madhavan, took over in October. The Cuban based company now owns its own Bacardi Rum line, Grey Goose Vodka, Patron Tequila and Bombay Sapphire Gin. Seems like they are really trying to corner the Long Island Iced Tea market.
Get the salt and lime
Alcohol sales were down 1.3% in 2016 but the tequila market grew by 5.2%. Coincidentally Applebee’s served up $1 margs over the same period.
Bacardi needed to make a splash to stay relevant in the blue agave industry as Diageo recently made headlines by purchasing George Clooney’s tequila brand “Casamigos” for $1B. As if he needed the money.
Water Cooler Talking Point: “My mom brought her own bottle of Patron to my birthday party. Just in case I only had shitty beer and wine. How do moms always know?!”
IN OTHER NEWS
- Congress passes a 3-week spending bill, ending the government shut down. Just when I was starting to get used to all of the politically charged rhetoric on Facebook.
- AIG will pay $5.6B for the Bermuda-based insurer, Validus Holdings. Too soon for a too big to fail joke?
- Rocket Lab launches a rocket into orbit, taking a major step towards low-cost access to the great beyond.
- Compagnie Financière Richemont will spend $3.3B to buy the outstanding shares of Yoox Net-a-Porter. If this means nothing to you, you probably shop at TJ Maxx.
- Arthur Martinez plans to step down as executive chairman of Abercrombie & Fitch. I could have sworn Abercrombie & Fitch went out of business when they claimed they only cater to good-looking, cool kids back in ‘06.
- US indices were up yesterday:
- DOW: +0.55%
- S&P 500: +0.81%
- NASDAQ: +0.98%
TALKING SHOP
Professional motivation, tips, tricks, hacks & resources carefully-curated by yours truly. Something you’d like to see featured? Shoot me an email at team@thewatercoolest.com
TALK SH*T
Why? Because science, of course. According to researchers (where do I apply for this job?), swearing can help remedy a whole clusterf*ck of ills. It can help relieve social pain (for when a good cry just won’t do), strengthen social bonds … and even allow you to withstand being submerged in cold water for longer periods of time. If only Jack had dropped a few f-bombs at the end of Titanic.
And it can be particularly useful in the workplace. As the cunning linguists immersed in the world of totally-not-made-up-curse-word-science point out, in moderation an occasional inflammatory word can send a message, whether it’s “stop f*cking up, or we’ll have to fire you” or “quit passing this sh*t off as client ready, you imbecile.”
Plus, these words are often used as an escalation signal to warn that it’s time to back the f*ck off before a difference of opinions turns into full-fledged workplace violence. So, there’s that.