Chapter 1: What caused the recent spike in oil prices?
Welcome to Seeking Alpha's Wall Street Breakfast, where we cover the top news for investors every morning. It's good to be with you on this final day of the trading week. Today is Thursday, the 2nd of April. I'm Julie Morgan. Oil prices are up again after President Trump said the country will strike Iran extremely hard over the next two to three weeks.
Oil prices had been down for the last two days as hopes of a potential de-escalation rose after President Trump hinted at ending the conflict soon. As of the time of this recording, crude futures are up 7% to 107%, and Brent crude futures are up 7.3% to 108 a barrel. In a rare primetime address on Wednesday, Trump portrayed the Iran war as nearing success, saying U.S.
forces had largely achieved their objectives, including crippling Iran's missile capabilities and degrading its air force, Navy, and industrial base. He said the campaign would weaken Tehran's proxies and block its path to nuclear weapons. Trump also signaled a potential escalation in military action, saying the U.S.
could intensify strikes over the next two to three weeks and warning Iran would be pushed back to the Stone Ages. At the same time, he left the door open to diplomacy, saying talks are ongoing.
Chapter 2: Why is Sleep Number seeking rescue financing?
Sleep Number is down 21% in pre-market action. The company is seeking rescue financing to prevent bankruptcy. In its annual report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission last month, the company warned that it had substantial doubt it could continue as a going concern. due to high debt, weak sales, and expected financial covenant breaches.
In its most recent quarterly results, the mattress manufacturer reported an 8% decline in fourth quarter sales and a $32 million drop in gross profit due to a $9.6 million inventory obsolescence charge. Over just the past month, shares have lost more than 71% of their value.
Sam's Club announced on Wednesday that it will raise its annual membership fee by $10 to $60 for basic membership and $120 for its higher tier option. The price hike will be the first from the retailer since it raised annual fees in October of 2022. The new price will go into effect on the 1st of May.
In a statement, Sam's Club noted that it adjusted membership pricing to support the things members love, pointing to the wide assortment, expanded hours, and better curbside pickup and delivery options. The new fee structure is still less than Costco but matches BJ's Wholesale Club. Now for a look at a few other articles that are trending. Intel is reportedly boosting its stake in Samba Nova.
Trump is reportedly readying new tariffs on select drug makers.
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Chapter 3: How are Sam's Club membership fees changing?
And we have a list of the stocks hedge funds love to short. A couple of items on our Catalyst watch for the day. Booking Holdings will begin trading on a split-adjusted basis following its 25-for-1 stock split. And shareholders with Black Hills and Northwestern Energy will vote on the planned merger between the companies. On Wall Street, Dow, S&P and Nasdaq futures are in the red.
Bitcoin is down 2.4% at $66,000. Gold is down 3.5% at $46.17. The FTSE 100 is little changed and the DAX is down 1.5%. Stitch Fix is on our list of the biggest movers of the day pre-market. SFIX is up 3% after the company resumed share repurchases under its existing $150 million program. And on today's economic calendar at 8.30am, jobless claims.
And don't forget, tomorrow is a stock market holiday, so we'll be back here bright and early on Monday. I'll see you then. That's it for today's Wall Street Breakfast.
Chapter 4: What significant corporate moves are being reported today?
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Chapter 5: What economic events should investors watch for?
I'm your host, Julie Morgan. Go out and make it a great day.