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Good morning investors! Markets took a break yesterday as indexes fell and Bitcoin remained under pressure.

Today we cover:

• The impact of Taylor Swift (yes, it affects the economy and stocks)

• A bit about China

• Earnings(Oracle and Comcast)

Just in: The U.S. national average price of gasoline has fallen below $3 per gallon for the first time in more than three and a half years.

📊 Economy and News 

Eras concert was a global phenomenon

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour has proven to be a global economic powerhouse, affecting economies.

North American Impact

In Vancouver, where Swift concluded her tour, $97 million in direct spending on hospitality, food, and transportation was generated, alongside $27 million in tax revenue for the government. Similarly, her six-night Los Angeles run contributed $320 million to the local economy, boosted hotel employment by 3,300 jobs, and spurred $20 million in sales and hotel taxes. The impact was so huge that some governments even said the tour could affect job reports.

Pittsburgh reported its highest post-pandemic hotel occupancy during two shows, with an average room rate of $309, resulting in $46 million in direct spending. In New Orleans, 80-90% of concertgoers were visitors, and the city saw an economic boost of $200 million from ticket sales and related tourism expenses.

Global Financial Influence

Swift's international stops added substantial value to their respective regions. Her Australian leg generated more than $300 million in economic activity across seven shows in Melbourne and Sydney. In the UK, her eight London performances drew 700,000 fans, injecting approximately $380 million into the local economy.

In Asia, her six Singapore dates generated between $260 million and $375 million in tourism revenue, as fans from neighboring countries flocked to attend. Japan also experienced significant gains, with her Tokyo shows contributing $228 million to the economy, of which $163 million benefited the capital city.

Events like these can impact a variety of industries (and stocks), including travel brands like Airbnb and Delta and even social media platforms like Snapchat.

We know that Swift’s tour reignited post-pandemic urban economies. Cities experienced surges in hotel occupancy, ride-hailing demand, and restaurant traffic. The tour’s ripple effect demonstrates the broader potential of large-scale cultural events to drive sustained economic growth.

Global hits:

• Trump says he has no plans to remove Powell as Fed chair.

• UK business confidence falls to lowest level in almost two years after Labour budget.

• India's largest lender and RBI unite in sending warning signals.

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📈 Stocks

S&P 500 6,052.85 (-0.61%)
DJIA 44,401.93 (-0.54%)
NASDAQ 19,736.69 (-0.62%)
BRENT CRUDE 71.90 (+1.10%)
* Prices as of Dec 10th, 12:20 AM UTC

Comcast and Oracle announce earnings

Comcast CEO Dave Watson has warned investors of an expected loss exceeding 100,000 broadband subscribers in the fourth quarter, citing intensified competition and a housing market slowdown. His remarks at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference led to an 8% drop in Comcast shares.

The cable broadband sector continues to struggle, with rising competition from wireless providers like Verizon and T-Mobile. While losses have been consistent—approximately 100,000 subscribers per quarter earlier this year—the company’s higher-end internet packages remain stable.

In the third quarter, Comcast reported domestic broadband losses of 87,000. Adjusting for the end of the government’s Affordable Connectivity Program, Comcast estimated a net gain of 9,000 customers. As of September 30, the company had nearly 32 million domestic broadband customers.

Oracle's shares dropped -7% in extended trading after the company reported fiscal second-quarter results that narrowly missed analysts’ forecasts. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $1.47, just shy of the $1.48 expected, while revenue totaled $14.06 billion compared to the anticipated $14.1 billion.

Despite the miss, Oracle's revenue grew 9% year-over-year, with net income rising 26% to $3.15 billion. Cloud services revenue, comprising 77% of total sales, increased 12% to $10.81 billion.

The company’s cloud infrastructure segment, a key growth driver competing with Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, surged 52% to $2.4 billion. Oracle attributed this boom to rising demand for AI-related computing power and announced a new partnership with Meta, enabling the social media giant to leverage Oracle's infrastructure for AI projects involving its Llama language models.

Good to know: Google says it has cracked a quantum computing challenge with new chip. On the other hand, Amazon is bringing Intuit QuickBooks software to its millions of third-party sellers. Furthermore, OpenAI has released Sora, its buzzy AI video-generation too.

💵 Personal Finance

Ways to make money with stocks - II

Let’s continue yesterday’s issue and have a look at some more ways to use stocks to make money:

• You can get money by getting a loan against your shares. Some brokers have tie-ups with banks or NBFCs who can issue loans. However, there is a downside because the rate is usually higher. Also, this might not be the smartest move as it may give you access to money but it isn’t the same as ‘making’ money. Also, when you take these loans, you will have to hypothecate the shares to your lender. This means you will have to part ways with your stocks if you fail to make payments.

• Lastly, you can lend your stocks to make money. The stock lending happens through the exchange mechanism and hence it is entirely risk-free. Also, since the shares are not sold, there are no capital gains implications in this case. Candidates for stock lending typically include people who wish to short shares due to a bearish view but they don’t own those shares. Since rolling settlements only permit intraday short selling, they can borrow shares and sell them. Secondly, there are people who could have sold shares without delivery and now need a way out to avoid auction losses.

TLDR: The best way to make money through stocks is to buy and hold stocks. When you invest in stocks, i.e.: when you buy stocks, you will enjoy benefits such as dividends (if it’s a dividend paying stock) and capital gains.

Still, even this method is not completely risk free, but has the best long-term track record and is most suitable for nearly everyone.

Here’s a little guide for new investors who want to trade stocks:

💰 Be a Better Investor

Resources:

• Calculators

• Retirement Resources

• Dividends

• Make Money in Retirement

• Side Hustle Ideas

• Stock Deep Dives

• Investing 101 videos

👩🏽‍⚖️ Legal Stuff
Nothing in this newsletter is financial advice. Always do your own research and think for yourself.

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