• $10,000 invested a year ago in these consumer discretionary shares is now worth…

    Happy young couple doing road trip in tropical city.

    The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) is up a modest 4% in the last year. 

    This sector is heavily influenced by factors like inflation, interest rates, and CPI. 

    But while much of the sector has been relatively flat in the past year, there are two clear standouts that have brought impressive returns. 

    Eagers Automotive Ltd (ASX: APE)

    The company is the largest automotive retailing group in the Australian market.

    The company’s core business involves the ownership and operation of motor vehicle dealerships covering a diversified portfolio of automotive brands. Its range of products and services includes the sale of new and used vehicles, vehicle repair services, and parts, among others.

    The Motley Fool’s Kevin Gandiya covered last month that Eagers Automotive has benefited significantly from the rise of the fast-growing Chinese electric vehicle brand, BYD

    Eagers operates roughly 80% of the Australian dealerships that sell BYD cars.

    12 months ago, Eagers Automotive shares were trading at approximately $10.98 each. 

    Yesterday, these consumer discretionary shares closed at $29.58. 

    That represents a rise of almost 170%. 

    A hypothetical investment of $10,000 this time last year would now be worth almost $27,000. 

    Autosports Group Ltd (ASX: ASG

    Another consumer discretionary stock that has raced ahead of the market in the last 12 months is Autosports Group. 

    While Eagers deals with new and used cars, Autosports Group specialises in luxury and prestige car brands. 

    The company’s core business focuses on the sale of new and used motor vehicles. It also provides finance and insurance products on behalf of retail financiers and automotive insurers. 

    The company has been expanding in the recent months, completing the acquisition of Mercedes-Benz Canberra and securing a prime Southport, Queensland site to develop a new flagship Mercedes-Benz facility.

    12 months ago, Autosports shares were trading for $1.91 each. 

    Yesterday, the share price closed at $4.52, which represents a rise of 142.36%. 

    Based on these figures, a hypothetical investment of $10,000 a year ago would now be worth $23,665. 

    Are either of these consumer discretionary stocks still a buy?

    After rising significantly over the last year, many investors may feel they have missed the time to buy. 

    Earlier this month, the team at Macquarie provided analysis on both stocks. 

    The broker ultimately preferred Eagers Automotive shares due to the scale of its organic and inorganic growth opportunities. 

    The broker had a price target of $29.98 on Eagers stock and $3.63 for Autosports Group.

    This would indicate that Eagers is trading close to fair value, while Autosports Group is slightly overvalued at present. 

    The post $10,000 invested a year ago in these consumer discretionary shares is now worth… appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Eagers Automotive Ltd right now?

    Before you buy Eagers Automotive Ltd shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Eagers Automotive Ltd wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    * Returns as of 18 November 2025

    .custom-cta-button p {
    margin-bottom: 0 !important;
    }

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Aaron Bell has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended BYD Company. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Eagers Automotive Ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • His Fyre Festival failure landed him in prison. Now, Billy McFarland is trying again.

    Fyre Fest organizer Billy McFarland
    Fyre Fest organizer Billy McFarland is trying again with a new festival.

    • Billy McFarland is trying once again to pull off a new festival 8 years after his failed Fyre Festival.
    • McFarland, who served prison time for wire fraud and owes his victims millions, has long talked up a "Fyre Fest 2" comeback.
    • McFarland talked with Business Insider about the event, which he's renamed "PHNX" after selling the rights to the Fyre brand.

    Billy McFarland sits in the back of a pickup truck, a breeze blowing through his slicked-back hair. As the 33-year-old rides along the bumpy roads of the Caribbean island of Utila in Honduras, he holds up his phone and films himself.

    "It's happening, folks," McFarland exclaims, almost shouting into the camera. "French Montana is the headliner of the 2025 Phoenix Festival!"

    400 guests on a Caribbean island, hundreds of thousands watching virtually. An unforgettable exclusive event for wealthy clients, influencers, and music fans. That's Billy McFarland's vision, anyways — and yes, it sounds a lot like his high-profile failure with the Fyre Festival in 2017, which eventually landed him in prison.

    In a phone call, McFarland tells Business Insider that this time is different. But convincing people to plunk down their money on a McFarland venture is likely to be a tough sell.

    McFarland, who grew up in a wealthy New Jersey entrepreneurial family, was released from prison more than two years early in 2022. He's been in Honduras for several weeks, and preparations for his festival, now re-named to "Phoenix," or PHNX, are in full swing. While French Montana's management did not respond to a request to confirm his participation in the festival, the artist recently posted an ad for PHNX on his Instagram page.

    If you're unfamiliar with the Fyre Fest debacle, the short version goes like this: As a result of botched preparations, a lack of money, and several breaches of contract, the festival turned into a viral failure and led to McFarland getting hit with fraud charges. A later released documentary on Netflix shows how hundreds of guests who had traveled to a remote Bahamian island were eventually evacuated and confined in an airport terminal because there was virtually no accommodation or sanitation facilities at the festival site. Concerts did not take place, and the organizing team fled the island.

    It was a festival-goers nightmare, to put it mildly, and in March 2018, the McFarland pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges and was sentenced to six years in prison in the state of Ohio and ordered to pay his victims $26 million.

    The festival, which spawned Hulu and Netflix documentaries, has long since become a running joke on the internet, overshadowing McFarland's second attempt at a "Fyre Fest 2" in Mexico, which fell through even after his insistence that "it will definitely happen."

    Speaking to Business Insider from a hotel room in Honduras on Monday evening, McFarland seemed cheerful and answered questions without hesitation. He says that the plan for a Fyre Fest 2 in Mexico did not work out because he was not allowed to leave the US due to court restrictions and the local government pulled its support after reading some critical reports following his announcement of the event.

    Now, he's trying once again — this time with a new name: PHNX 2025. The festival is scheduled to begin on December 6 in Utila Bay, an island about 30 kilometers off the coast of Honduras. Some divers are regularly drawn there, and the remote island is also popular with fishermen and backpackers. However, the infrastructure for a major event is lacking — as was the case with the 2017 Fyre Festival. Utila has a population of just under 3,000 and can be reached by ferry from the nearest island or via a mini airport, which is little more than a bumpy runway in the middle of the jungle.

    For several weeks now, there has been an unusual amount of hustle and bustle on the island, which covers just 42 square kilometers. McFarland posts videos of the preparations and construction work almost daily. Local workers can be seen building a wooden stage. While festival guests are staying in hotels, as McFarland explains, the concerts are to take place on an even smaller offshore island connected by water taxi.

    Regular tickets to PHNX cost $599; but for an eye-watering $140,000, guests can get a VIP pass, including round-trip flights from Miami.

    In a matter of days, it will become clear whether the festival will actually take place as announced. McFarland now says that all artists have received their advance payments for PHNX and that the contracts have been signed.

    Reflecting on his Fyre failure, McFarland says he's remorseful.

    "I made mistakes back then, and the criticism is justified," he tells Business Insider. "My biggest offense was lying to the investors."

    He also says that he is in the process of paying back his debt to ex business partners and claims that almost all of the money that he owed to contractors in the Bahamas, who built the Fyre Festival site in 2017, has been paid.

    McFarland says there are no major investors for the "Phoenix" festival.

    "There are three pillars," he says. First, ticket sales—the revenue from which is unlikely to be anywhere near enough to pay the artists due to the low number of tickets sold. Secondly, there are pay-per-view tickets, of which the organizers want to sell "hundreds of thousands" (McFarland declined to provide specific figures on actual sales when asked). And third, McFarland says he signed a deal with a production company that is filming a reality show on the island.

    McFarland is no stranger to cameras. During the preparations for the Fyre Festival, he had cameras follow him around constantly, and parts of the footage were later shown in a Netflix documentary. The film, which chronicles the epic failure of the organizing team, reached an audience of millions worldwide. (McFarland himself says he has never seen the documentary.)

    In an interesting twist, a Fyre-branded festival could actually take place in the future, separate to PHNX.

    McFarland recently sold the "Fyre" trademark rights to Lime Wire, the once-popular file-sharing platform that was shut down amid a piracy crackdown, for $245,000. Nevertheless, he says he remains associated with the brand through licensing agreements.

    The new rights holders are also planning a separate, unrelated music festival — and are advertising it with McFarland's failure and the inglorious history of the name.

    "Fyre Festival now belongs to Lime Wire," says the website with a Mexican domain. "Fyre is back — and this time it's really worth being there."

    "Two infamous names, one comeback story," the website says. "What could possibly go wrong?"

    McFarland has proven that the answer can be "quite a lot." But, as his PHNX efforts prove, he's not afraid to try again — and again.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • The list of major companies laying off staff this year includes Verizon, IBM Amazon, Starbucks, American Airlines, and more

    Verizon store
    Verizon is one of the latest companies to cut jobs in 2025.

    • Companies such as Verizon, Starbucks, Meta, Microsoft, and UPS have trimmed staff this year.
    • Amazon joined the fray in October, announcing that it would cut roughly 14,000 staff.
    • See the list of companies letting workers go in 2025.

    The list of companies laying off employees this year is growing.

    Layoffs and other workforce reductions have continued in 2025, following two years of significant job cuts in the tech, media, finance, manufacturing, retail, and energy sectors.

    While the reasons for slimming staff vary, the cost-cutting measures are coming amid technological change. A World Economic Forum survey found that some 41% of companies worldwide expect to reduce their workforces over the next five years because of the rise of artificial intelligence.

    Companies such as Oracle, CNN, Dropbox, and Block have previously announced job cuts related to AI. In October, Amazon joined its tech peers in laying off staff, citing the rapid pace of technological change as it expands its use of generative AI and agents.

    Meanwhile, tech jobs in big data, fintech, and AI are expected to double by 2030, according to the WEF.

    Here are the companies with job cuts planned or already underway in 2025, listed in alphabetical order.

    Adidas plans to cut up to 500 jobs in Germany
    Adidas shoes are seen in the store in Hoofddorp, Netherlands.
    Despite a strong year, Adidas is planning job cuts.

    Adidas said in January that it would reduce the size of its workforce at its headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany, affecting up to 500 jobs, CNBC reported.

    If fully executed, it amounts to a reduction of nearly 9% at the company headquarters, which employs about 5,800 employees, according to the Adidas website.

    The news came shortly after the company announced it had outperformed its profit expectations at the end of 2024, touting "better-than-expected" results in the fourth quarter.

    An Adidas spokesperson said the company had grown "too complex because of our current operating model."

    "To set adidas up for long-term success, we are now starting to look at how we align our operating model with the reality of how we work. This may have an impact on the organizational structure and number of roles based at our HQ in Herzogenaurach."

    The company said it is not a cost-cutting measure and could not confirm concrete numbers.

    Ally is cutting less than 5% of workers
    Hands typing on a laptop with the Ally website on its screen.

    The digital-financial-services company Ally is laying off roughly 500 of its 11,000 employees, a spokesperson confirmed to BI.

    "As we continue to right-size our company, we made the difficult decision to selectively reduce our workforce in some areas, while continuing to hire in our other areas of our business," the spokesperson said.

    The spokesperson also said the company was offering severance, outplacement support, and the opportunity to apply for openings at Ally.

    Ally made a similar level of cuts in October 2023, the Charlotte Observer reported.

    Amazon will cut 14,000 corporate jobs
    Amazon logo on the front of the building in Edison, New Jersey, on October 23, 2023.
    Amazon will lay off 14,000 of its employees.

    Amazon said in late October it plans to eliminate 14,000 corporate roles, one of the biggest layoffs in its history.

    The move is part of CEO Andy Jassy's push to run the company "like the world's largest startup," according to a blog post from Beth Galetti, SVP of People Experience & Technology.

    Galetti said rapid advances in AI are changing how Amazon works and enabling faster innovation, prompting the company to get leaner with fewer management layers.

    The cuts follow years of belt-tightening since the pandemic.

    American Airlines is cutting management and support staff
    An American Airlines plane flies overhead.
    American Airlines is cutting some management and support jobs.

    American Airlines said in November that it is cutting management and support roles to optimize performance and become more efficient.

    "We're making a small reduction to our management and support staff team to right-size for the work we do today," American Airlines said in a statement shared with Business Insider.

    The job cuts mainly affect positions at the airline's headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas. Bloomberg first reported the cuts.

    "We remain focused on continuing to invest in areas that support American's long-term business objectives, and these targeted investments will be made thoughtfully to position our airline for continued success," the statement said.

    Applied Materials says it will cut 4% of its workforce
    An employee walks past an Applied Materials machine in a clean room.
    Applied Materials said it expects to "incur charges of approximately $160 million to $180 million" due to the layoffs.

    Semiconductor company Applied Materials said in an exchange filing on October 23 that it would be cutting 4% of its global workforce.

    Applied Materials has around 36,100 full-time employees, per its earnings release in August, meaning the cuts will affect about 1,444 employees.

    The company said it expects to "incur charges of approximately $160 million to $180 million consisting primarily of severance and other one-time employment termination benefits to be paid in cash, and other non-cash related charges."

    It added that the cuts would help position it "for continued growth as a more competitive and productive organization."

    Automattic, Tumblr's parent, cuts 16% of staff
    Logo of Tumblr.

    Automattic, the parent company of Tumblr and WordPress, said in April it is cutting 16% of its staff globally. The company's website said it has nearly 1,500 employees.

    Automattic's CEO, Matt Mullenweg, said in a note to employees posted online that the company has reached an "important crossroads."

    "While our revenue continues to grow, Automattic operates in a highly competitive market, and technology is evolving at unprecedented levels," the note read.

    The company is restructuring to improve its "productivity, profitability, and capacity to invest," it added.

    The company said it was offering severance and job placement resources to affected employees.

    Best Buy is cutting more Geek Squad staff
    A Geek Squad by Best Buy truck with in California.

    Best Buy is cutting a small number of workers in the customer care and in-home field teams, with affected workers to receive severance, a spokesperson told Bloomberg in September.

    The reductions follow a round of layoffs in the Geek Squad division last year as the company looks to improve efficiency and invest in newer areas of the business.

    BlackRock is cutting 1% of its workforce.
    A black-and-white photo of the BlackRock logo on a building, viewed from below.

    BlackRock told employees it was planning to cut about 200 people of its 21,000-strong workforce, Bloomberg reported in January.

    The reductions were more than offset by some 3,750 workers who were added last year and another 2,000 expected to be added in 2025.

    BlackRock's president, Rob Kapito, and its chief operating officer, Rob Goldstein, said the cuts would help realign the firm's resources with its strategy, Bloomberg reported.

    Block to lay off nearly 1,000 workers
    Smartphone with Square logo is seen in front of displayed Afterpay logo

    Jack Dorsey's fintech company, Block, is laying off nearly 1,000 employees, according to TechCrunch and The Guardian, in its second major workforce reduction in just over a year.

    The company, which operates Square, Afterpay, CashApp, and Tidal, is transitioning nearly 200 managers into non-management roles and closing almost 800 open positions, according to an email obtained by TechCrunch.

    Dorsey, who co-founded Block in 2009 after previously leading Twitter, announced the layoffs in March in an internal email titled "smaller block."

    The restructuring is part of a broader effort to streamline operations, though Block maintains the changes are not driven by financial targets or AI replacements.

    Bloomberg is making cuts in an overhaul of its newsroom
    Bloomberg LP NYC office exterior

    Bloomberg is cutting some editorial staff as the company reorganizes its newsroom, according to a memo viewed by BI. The larger strategy aims to have a larger headcount by the end of this year, however.

    The newsroom currently employs around 2,700 people, and the changes will merge some smaller teams into larger units, the memo said.

    Blue Origin is laying off one-tenth of its workforce
    Blue Origin

    Jeff Bezos's rocket company, Blue Origin, is laying off about 10% of its workforce, a move that could affect more than 1,000 employees.

    In a memo sent to staff in February and obtained by Business Insider, David Limp, the CEO of Blue Origin, said the company's priority going forward was "to scale our manufacturing output and launch cadence with speed, decisiveness and efficiency for our customers."

    Limp specifically identified roles in engineering, research and development, and management as targets.

    "We grew and hired incredibly fast in the last few years, and with that growth came more bureaucracy and less focus than we needed," Limp wrote. "It also became clear that the makeup of our organization must change to ensure our roles are best aligned with executing these priorities."

    The news comes after January's debut launch of the company's partially reusable rocket — New Glenn.

    Boeing cut 400 roles from its moon rocket program
    Boeing Employees Renton Washington

    Boeing announced on February 8 that it plans to cut 400 roles from its moon rocket program amid delays and rising costs related to NASA's Artemis moon exploration missions.

    Artemis 2, a crewed flight to orbit the moon on Boeing's space launch system, has been rescheduled from late 2024 to September 2025. Artemis 3, intended to be the first astronaut moon landing in the program, was delayed from late 2025 and is now planned for September 2026.

    "To align with revisions to the Artemis program and cost expectations, we informed our Space Launch Systems team of the potential for approximately 400 fewer positions by April 2025," a Boeing spokesperson told Business Insider. "We are working with our customer and seeking opportunities to redeploy employees across our company to minimize job losses and retain our talented teammates."

    The company will issue 60-day notices of involuntary layoff to impacted employees "in coming weeks," the spokesperson said.

    Boeing cut 10% of its workforce last year.

    BP slashed 7,700 staff and contractor positions worldwide
    A BP logo on a gas station sign.

    BP told Business Insider in January that it planned to cut 4,700 staff and 3,000 contractors, amounting to about 5% of its global workforce.

    The cuts were part of a program to "simplify and focus" BP that began last year.

    "We are strengthening our competitiveness and building in resilience as we lower our costs, drive performance improvement and play to our distinctive capabilities," the company said.

    Bridgewater cut about 90 staff
    An office in a forested area with a glass bridge connecting buildings.
    Outside Bridgewater Associates' Westport, Connecticut headquarters.

    Bridgewater Associates cut 7% of its staff in January in an effort to stay lean, a person familiar with the matter told Business Insider.

    The layoffs at the world's largest hedge fund bring its head count back to where it was in 2023, the person said.

    The company's founder, Ray Dalio, said in a 2019 interview that about 30% of new employees were leaving the firm within 18 months.

    Bumble said it intends to cut 30% of its workforce.
    whitney wolfe herd bumble ceo founder
    Founder and CEO of Bumble Whitney Wolfe attends Bumble Presents: Empowering Connections at Fair Market on March 9, 2018 in Austin, Texas.

    In a June 23 securities filing, Bumble said it plans to slash 240 roles, about 30% of its workforce. The dating app company said the cuts will result in charges between $13 million and $18 million in its third and fourth quarters.

    "We recently made some difficult decisions to adjust our team structure in order to align with our strategic priorities," a Bumble spokesperson said.

    They told BI that the decision to lay off over 200 employees wasn't "made lightly."

    Burberry says it plans on cutting 1,700 jobs
    Burberry logo and flag

    Burberry announced 1,700 job cuts in May, or about 18% of its global workforce, as part of plans to cut costs by about £100 million ($130 million) by 2027.

    It plans to end night shifts at its Yorkshire raincoat factory due to production over-capacity.

    The British company sunk to an operating loss of £3 million for the year to the end of March, compared with a £418 million profit for the previous 12 months.

    Carter's plans to reduce its office-based workforce by 15%
    Carter's display

    Carter's, a children's retailer, said it will cut about 300 office-based roles, or 15% of those positions, by the end of 2025. The reduction was announced October 27 alongside plans to close 150 stores over the next three years.

    The job cuts are expected to incur a $4 million to $5 million charge in the fourth quarter fiscal year 2025 from severance and outplacement services, the company said in October.

    "We are pursuing several initiatives, including closing low-margin retail stores, right-sizing our organization, and honing product choices," CEO Douglas Palladini said in a press release.

    Chegg says it will cut its workforce by about 45%
    The Chegg logo is displayed on the screen of a tablet.
    Online education company Chegg said on October 27 that it was cutting "388 roles globally," or about 45% of the workforce.

    Online education company Chegg said on October 27 that it would be reducing its workforce by 45%.

    Chegg said it was cutting "388 roles globally" and expects to incur "charges of approximately $15-19 million, representing mostly cash severance payments." Chegg had 1,271 employees as of December 31, 2024, per its annual report.

    "The new realities of AI and reduced traffic from Google to content publishers have led to a significant decline in Chegg's traffic and revenue," the company said, adding that the cuts would save it about $100 to $110 million in adjusted expenses for 2026.

    This is the fourth time Chegg has announced layoffs.

    Chegg said in June 2024 that it was cutting 441 roles, or about 23% of its workforce. Later in November, it said announced cuts for 319 roles, or about 21% of its workforce. Most recently, in May, Chegg said it was letting go of 248 employees, or about 22% of its workforce.

    Chegg's shares are down nearly 11% year to date.

    Chevron is slashing up to 20% of its global head count
    The Chevron logo is displayed at a Chevron gas station.
    The Chevron logo is displayed at a Chevron gas station.

    Oil giant Chevron plans to cull 15% to 20% of its global workforce by the end of 2026, the company said in a statement to Business Insider in February.

    Chevron employed 45,600 people as of December 2023, which means the layoff could cut 9,000 jobs.

    The move aims to reduce costs and simplify the company's business as it completes its acquisition of oil producer Hess, which is held up in legal limbo. It is expected to save the company $2 billion to $3 billion by the end of 2026, the company said.

    "Chevron is taking action to simplify our organizational structure, execute faster and more effectively, and position the company for stronger long-term competitiveness," a Chevron spokesperson said in a statement.

    The cuts follow a series of layoffs at other oil and gas companies, including BP and natural gas producer EQT.

    CNN plans to cut 200 jobs
    CNN's world headquarters in Atlanta.
    CNN is cutting staff in a bid to focus the business on its digital news services.

    Cable news giant CNN cut about 200 television-focused roles as part of a digital pivot. The cuts amounted to about 6% of the company's workforce.

    In a memo sent to staff on January 23, CNN's CEO Mark Thompson said he aimed to "shift CNN's gravity towards the platforms and products where the audience themselves are shifting and, by doing that, to secure CNN's future as one of the world's greatest news organizations."

    ConocoPhillips is cutting up to 25% of its workforce
    FILE PHOTO: The logo for ConocoPhillips is displayed on a screen on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., January 13, 2020. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
    FILE PHOTO: The logo for ConocoPhillips is displayed on a screen on the floor at the NYSE in New York

    The third-largest oil producer in the US, ConocoPhillips plans to cut 20-25% of its global workforce as part of a broad restructuring, a company spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Reuters on September 3.

    The company employed about 11,800 people at the end of 2024, per a regulatory filing, which means up to 2,950 jobs could be cut.

    ConocoPhillips' stock fell 4.4% the same day.

    Other oil giants, including Chevron and BP, have also slashed headcount this year because of falling oil prices.

    Coty is cutting about 700 jobs
    OTY logo is seen displayed on a smartphone and in the background.

    Coty, which sells cosmetics and fragrances under brands such as Kylie Cosmetics, Calvin Klein, and Burberry, is cutting about 700 jobs.

    The company said on April 24 it aimed to cut costs by $130 million a year. Sue Nabi, the CEO, said it aimed to build a "stronger, more resilient Coty that is well-positioned for sustainable growth."

    CrowdStrike is cutting about 500 jobs
    Crowdstrike logo on a phone screen
    The IT outage was triggered by a defect in an update issued by Crowdstrike.

    CrowdStrike, the Texas-headquartered cybersecurity firm, said in May that it would cut about 500 jobs, or 5% of its global workforce, as part of a strategic plan to "yield greater efficiencies."

    It expected the layoffs to cost between $36 million and $53 million.

    CrowdStrike is aiming to generate $10 billion in annual recurring revenue.

    The company reported worse-than-expected annual results in March, signaling that it was yet to fully recover from a widespread tech outage linked to CrowdStrike in July 2024.

    Disney says it's laying off several hundred employees
    Disney logo is seen on the store in Rome, Italy on May 10, 2025. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
    Disney is carrying out its fourth layoff in the past year.

    Disney confirmed to BI on June 2 that it was laying off several hundred employees globally.

    Most of the cuts were to roles in marketing for films and TV under the Disney Entertainment division. Other roles affected included employees in publicity, casting, and development, as well as corporate finance.

    In March, the company also cut around 200 people from its ABC News Group and Disney Entertainment Networks. In 2024, the company also had several rounds of layoffs.

    Shortly after Bob Iger returned to the company as CEO in 2022, he said 7,000 jobs at Disney would be cut as part of a reorganization.

    Estée Lauder will cut as many as 7,000 jobs
    estee lauder
    American multinational skincare, and beauty products brand, Estée Lauder logo seen in Hong Kong.

    Cosmetics giant Estée Lauder said in its second-quarter earnings release on February 4 that it will cut between 5,800 and 7,000 jobs as the company restructures over the next two years.

    The cuts will focus on "rightsizing" certain teams, and it will look to outsource certain services. The company says it expects annual gross benefits of between $0.8 billion and $1.0 billion before tax.

    Exxon is cutting 2,000 jobs globally
    An Exxon Mobil station is seen in Houston
    Exxon Mobil is cutting roughly 3 to 4% of its global workforce.

    Energy giant Exxon Mobil plans to cut 2,000 jobs as part of a global restructuring.

    CEO Darren Woods said in a memo to employees that roughly half of the cuts will occur in Europe. A spokesperson for Exxon confirmed the memo's existence, which was first reported by Bloomberg.

    The cuts represent roughly 3 to 4% of the company's total workforce. Exxon plans to cut roughly 1,200 positions across the European Union and Norway by the end of 2027, of which roughly half will be layoffs.

    "We've seen the value of bringing people together in the same location," the spokesperson said in a statement to Business Insider. "It drives innovation, strengthens execution, enhances career development, and improves teamwork. Our global office network was established decades ago under very different circumstances. To support the collaboration so critical to our success, we are aligning our global footprint with our operating model and bringing our teams together."

    FedEx is cutting over 850 jobs in Texas
    FedEx truck

    FedEx is shuttering a third-party supply chain logistics and electronics operation in Coppell, a suburb of Dallas, Texas. 856 jobs will be cut, according to a legally mandated WARN letter the company sent to the Texas Workforce Commission.

    The facility will be fully closed by the end of April, with the first phase of layoffs beginning in January and impacting 62 workers.

    "All impacted employees will be paid wages and benefits through their last day of employment," the letter stated.

    Fiverr cuts 30% of its workforce
    Micha Kaufman, Fiverr CEO & Founder posing in front of the company's logo.
    Fiverr CEO Micha Kaufman said in a letter to employees on Monday that the company will be cutting roughly 250 jobs across different departments.

    Micha Kaufman, the CEO and founder of the freelancing platform Fiverr, said on September 15 that the company was cutting about 30% of its workforce.

    Kaufman said in a letter to employees that the cuts would affect around 250 team members across different departments. Fiverr had 762 full-time employees as of 2024, per its SEC filing in February.

    He added that the cuts were needed to help turn Fiverr into a leaner and faster "AI-first company."

    Kaufman said in a staff memo in April that AI was "coming for your jobs" and was a "wake-up call." In May, he told Business Insider that Fiverr would only hire people who know how to use AI.

    "If you don't ensure that you sharpen your knives, you're going to be left behind. It's that simple," Kaufman said.

    Geico has axed tens of thousands of workers
    geico

    Berkshire Hathaway Vice Chair of Insurance Operations Ajit Jain says Geico has reduced its workforce from about 50,000 to about 20,000. Jain revealed the reductions during Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting on May 3 but did not detail over what time frame they took place. Berkshire Hathaway is one of Geico's parent companies.

    Warren Buffett's company reported its 2025 first-quarter earnings on during the May 3 meeting, saying Geico earned nearly $2.2 billion in pre-tax underwriting.

    GrubHub announced 500 job cuts
    A Grubhub delivery person rides in Manhattan.
    GrubHub said it is focusing on aligning its business with Wonder after the takeover was completed last month.

    Grubhub CEO Howard Migdal announced 500 job cuts on February 28 after selling the company to Wonder Group for $650 million.

    With more than 2,200 full time employees, the number of cuts will affect more than 20% of Grubhub's previous workforce.

    According to Reuters, Just Eat Takeaway, an Amsterdam-listed company, sold Grubhub at a steep loss compared to the billions it paid a few years prior after grappling with slowing growth and high taxes.

    HPE is laying off 2,500 employees
    A man with grey hair wears a blue collared shirt and dark blue shirt. He gestures as he speaks while sitting on a stage in front of a large blue screen.
    US company Hewlett Packard Enterprise President and Chief Officer Executive Antonio Neri gives a conference at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the telecom industry's biggest annual gathering, in Barcelona on February 27, 2024.

    Hewlett Packard Enterprise is cutting 2,500 jobs, or 5% of its employee base, CEO Antonio Neri said on an earnings call on March 6. The cuts are expected take to take place over the next 12 to 18 months.

    "Doing so will better align our cost structure to our business mix and long-term strategy," Neri said. The company expects to save $350 million by 2027 because of the reduction.

    HPE plummeted about 20% after hours on March 6 after it said business would be affected by recent tariffs, slow server and cloud sales, and "execution issues."

    IBM said it will cut thousands of jobs in the fourth quarter
    IBM logo

    IBM said in November that it would be reducing its global workforce by "a low single-digit percentage," an IBM spokesperson told Business Insider.

    "We routinely review our workforce through this lens and at times rebalance accordingly," the spokesperson said. "In the past, when we have had rebalancing, we have still met our headcount goals, and we expect to do so again in 2025."

    Intel to cut at least 15% of its factory workers
    The Intel headquarters in Santa Clara, California
    The Intel headquarters in Santa Clara, California

    Chipmaker Intel is laying off more than 5,000 employees across four US states, according to a July 16 government filing.

    Most of the cuts are happening in California and Oregon, while others are in Texas and Arizona, per updated Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, filings.

    Intel began laying off employees in July as part of planned job cuts, the company said in a regulatory filing.

    The company told staff on June 14 to expect 15% to 20% of employees in its Foundry division to be laid off this summer, according to a memo reported by The Oregonian. Intel confirmed the authenticity of the memo to BI but declined to comment on its contents.

    As of December 2024, Intel employed about 108,900 people. In its annual report, the company told investors that it would reduce its "core Intel workforce" by about 15% in early 2025.

    "Removing organizational complexity and empowering our engineers will enable us to better serve the needs of our customers and strengthen our execution," an Intel spokesperson told BI.

    Johns Hopkins University
    Johns Hopkins Hospital
    Johns Hopkins Hospital.

    Johns Hopkins University will cut over 2,000 jobs after losing $800 million in funding from USAID.

    "This is a difficult day for our entire community," a spokesperson told BI. "The termination of more than $800 million in USAID funding is now forcing us to wind down critical work here in Baltimore and internationally."

    The news comes after the Trump administration slashed USAID personnel down from over 10,000 to around 300. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently confirmed that 83% of the agency's programs are now dead.

    "We can confirm that the elimination of foreign aid funding has led to the loss of 1,975 positions in 44 countries internationally and 247 in the United States in the affected programs," the Johns Hopkins spokesperson said. "An additional 29 international and 78 domestic employees will be furloughed with a reduced schedule."

    The layoffs at Johns Hopkins represent the "largest" in the university's history, CNN reported. They'll primarily affect the schools of medicine and public health, along with the Center for Communication Programs and Jhpiego, a nonprofit with a focus on preventing diseases and bolstering women's health, according to the report.

    Kohl's is reducing about 10% of its roles
    A Kohl's department store in Miami.
    A Kohl's department store in Miami.

    Department store Kohl's announced on January 28 that it reduced about 10% of its corporate roles to "increase efficiencies" and "improve profitability for the long-term health and benefit of the business," a spokesperson told BI.

    "Kohl's reduced approximately 10 percent of the roles that report into its corporate offices," the spokesperson said. "More than half of the total reduction will come from closing open positions while the remainder of the positions were currently held by our associates."

    Less than 200 existing employees of the company would be impacted, she added.

    This follows the company's announcement on January 9 that it would shutter 27 underperforming stores across 15 states by April.

    The retailer has been struggling with declining sales, reporting an 8.8% decline in net sales in the third quarter of 2024.

    Its previous CEO, Tom Kingsbury, stepped down on January 15. The company's board appointed Ashley Buchanan, a retail veteran who had held top jobs in The Michaels Companies, Macy's, and Walmart, as the new CEO.

    Kroger is cutting 1,000 corporate workers
    Illustration shows Kroger logo

    Kroger Co. is cutting nearly 1,000 corporate jobs as part of a cost-trimming effort following the collapse of its proposed merger with Albertsons, a spokesperson told BI.

    In an internal memo viewed by Business Insider, interim CEO Ron Sargent told employees on August 26 that "thoughtful, yet difficult, choices are necessary" for the organization to continue to succeed.

    The grocer also plans to reinvest savings into lowering prices, opening new stores, and creating jobs at the store level.

    The shake-up comes as Kroger navigates leadership changes after former CEO Rodney McMullen resigned earlier this year amid a board investigation into his conduct.

    As of February, Kroger employed more than 409,000 people, mostly in retail roles. The layoff would not affect workers in stores, manufacturing facilities, or distribution centers.

    Microsoft has made several rounds of cuts this year
    the Microsoft logo on a building.

    Microsoft cut an unspecified number of jobs in January based on employees' performance.

    Workers were told that they wouldn't receive severance and that their benefits, such as medical insurance, would stop immediately, BI reported.

    The company also laid off some employees in January at divisions including gaming and sales. A Microsoft spokesperson declined to say how many jobs were cut on the affected teams.

    In May, the company announced layoffs affecting about 6,000 workers.

    Another round of layoffs in July will affect less than 4% of its total workforce, or roughly 9,000 employees, based on its head count of around 220,000.

    Meta has had several rounds of layoffs
    Meta sign
    Meta slashed its DEI team in January.

    Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg told staff he "decided to raise the bar on performance management" and will act quickly to "move out low-performers," according to an internal memo seen by BI in January.

    Those cuts started in February, according to records obtained by BI. Teams overseeing Facebook, the Horizon virtual reality platform, as well as logistics, were among the hardest hit.

    In April, Meta also laid off an undisclosed number of employees on the Reality Labs virtual reality division.

    In October, the company said it was laying off more than 600 employees in its Meta Superintelligence Labs, its AI division.

    "By reducing the size of our team, fewer conversations will be required to make a decision, and each person will be more load-bearing and have more scope and impact," Meta's chief AI officer, Alexandr Wang, wrote in a memo.

    Previously, the company had laid off more than 21,000 workers since 2022.

    Microchip Technology is slashing 2,000 jobs
    Semiconductor manufacturing.
    Nvidia semiconductor manufacturing.

    Microchip Technology is cutting its head count across the company by around 2,000 employees, the semiconductor company said on March 3.

    The company estimated that it would incur between $30 million and $40 million in costs, including severance, severance benefits, and other restructuring costs.

    The cuts would be communicated to employees in the March quarter and fully implemented by the end of the June quarter.

    Last year, Microchip announced it was closing its Tempe, Arizona, facility because of slower-than-anticipated orders. The closure begins in May 2025 and is expected to affect 500 jobs.

    Microchip's stock had fallen over 33% in the past year.

    Morgan Stanley plans cuts for the end of March
    Morgan Stanley

    Morgan Stanley is set to initiate a round of layoffs beginning at the end of March. The firm is eyeing cuts to about 2% to 3% of its global workforce, which would equate to between 1,600 to 2,400 jobs, according to a person familiar with the matter who confirmed the reductions to BI.

    The firm's cuts are driven by several imperatives, the person said, pointing to considerations like operational efficiency, evolving business priorities, and individual employees' performance. The person said the cuts are not related to broader market conditions, such as the recent slowdown in mergers and acquisitions that's arrested momentum on Wall Street.

    Some MS staffers will be excluded from the cuts, however — namely, the bank's battalion of financial advisors — though some who assist them, such as administrative personnel in its wealth-management unit, could be affected by the layoffs, the person added.

    Nestlé is axing 16,000 jobs
    The branding of Nestlé

    Nestlé, the Swiss parent company of KitKat and Nespresso, said on October 16 that it will cut 16,000 jobs over the next two years.

    The world's largest food and drink company announced that 12,000 white-collar positions across various functions and locations will be eliminated, along with 4,000 roles in manufacturing and supply. This is 6% of its global workforce.

    Its new CEO, Philipp Navratil, said the company would be "prioritizing the opportunities and businesses with the highest potential returns" and that it "needs to change faster."

    Nestlé estimates the job cuts will save it around 1 billion Swiss francs, or $1.26 billion, by the end of 2027.

    Nextdoor is slashing 12% of its staff
    Nextdoor app

    Neighborhood social networking company Nextdoor is cutting 12% of its staff, or 67 jobs, it said on August 7 in its second-quarter earnings report. The move is part of CEO Nirav Tolia's plan to achieve profitability and reorganize the struggling company.

    The layoffs are expected to reduce operating expenses by about $30 million, it said in the earnings report.

    The company reported a net loss of $15 million, compared to $43 million year-over-year.

    Nike is planning to lay off less than 1% of its corporate employees.
    Nike logo storefront

    Nike's turnaround plan is in full swing. It's reducing its corporate staff by 1% as part of its efforts, the company confirmed to Business Insider on August 28.

    It's unclear how many jobs will be affected, but CNBC reported that Nike sent employees a memo about the change in August.

    "As we shared in Q4 earnings, Nike, Inc. is in the midst of a realignment," the company said in a statement. "The moves we're making are about setting ourselves up to win and create the next great chapter for Nike."

    Nike said in June, when it reported fiscal fourth-quarter earnings, that it would "evaluate corporate cost reduction as appropriate."

    CEO Elliott Hill also told analysts at the time that the company would realign its teams as it shifts away from a men's, women's, and kids' structure.

    Nike also cut jobs in 2024 amid broader cost cutting.

    Nissan says it will cut 20,000 jobs by 2027
    Nissan

    Japanese car giant Nissan is cutting 20,000 jobs by 2027 and reducing the number of factories it operates from 17 to 10 as it struggles with a dire financial situation.

    The job losses include the 9,000 layoffs announced late last year, and come as the automaker faces headwinds from US tariffs on imported vehicles and collapsing sales in China.

    Nissan reported a net loss of 671 billion yen ($4.5 billion) for the 2024 financial year, and said it would not issue an operating profit forecast for 2025 because of tariff uncertainty.

    Novo Nordisk reduces workforce by 11%
    FILE PHOTO: A Novo Nordisk employee controls a machine at an insulin production line in a plant in Kalundborg, Denmark November 4, 2013. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer//File Photo
    FILE PHOTO: A Novo Nordisk employee controls a machine at an insulin production line in a plant in Kalundborg

    Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk said in a statement on September 10 that it was cutting 9,000 jobs, or about 11%, of its workforce. It added that around 5,000 of the cuts would take place in Denmark.

    Novo Nordisk's president and CEO, Mike Doustdar, said the cuts were needed because the market for obesity drugs was becoming "more competitive and consumer-driven." Novo Nordisk is the producer of the hit weight loss drugs, Ozempic and Wegovy.

    "Our company must evolve as well. This means instilling an increased performance-based culture, deploying our resources ever more effectively, and prioritising investment where it will have the most impact — behind our leading therapy areas," he added.

    Oracle is reportedly cutting jobs from its cloud division.
    Oracle office in Santa Monica, California
    Oracle office in Santa Monica, California

    Oracle is cutting jobs in its cloud unit, Bloomberg reported. The cuts come as the company works to curb costs amid spending on AI infrastructure.

    Sources familiar with the cuts told Bloomberg that some of the cuts were related to performance issues.

    Oracle did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

    Panasonic is cutting 10,000 jobs
    panasonic
    A man looks at television sets by Japanese firm Panasonic at an electronics retailer in Tokyo June 10, 2015.

    Panasonic, the Japanese-headquartered multinational electronics manufacturer, plans to cut 10,000 jobs this financial year, which ends in March 2026. The cuts will affect 5,000 roles in Japan and 5,000 overseas.

    In a statement on May 9, the company said it planned to "thoroughly review operational efficiency … mainly in sales and indirect departments, and reevaluate the numbers of organisations and personnel actually needed."

    "Through these measures, the company will optimize our personnel on a global scale," the statement added.

    Paramount is cutting 3.5% of its US workforce
    Paramount on building

    Paramount told employees it would be laying off 3.5% of US-based staff based in the US, per a memo reported by CNBC on June 10, citing industry-wide declines and a challenging macroeconomic environment.

    The move comes after the media company cut 15% of jobs last year to cut costs. Paramount had 18,600 employees at the end of 2024.

    It is awaiting regulatory approval of its merger with Skydance Media.

    Peloton is looking for $100 million in run-rate savings by next year
    FILE PHOTO: A Peloton exercise bike is seen after the ringing of the opening bell for the company's IPO at the Nasdaq Market site in New York City, New York, U.S., September 26, 2019. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
    A Peloton exercise bike is seen after the ringing of the opening bell for the company's IPO at the Nasdaq Market site in New York City

    Peloton said in its August earnings report that it would cut its global headcount as part of an effort to find $100 million in run-rate cost savings by the end of the next fiscal year.

    "As of today, we will have actioned about roughly half of the run rate savings through the reductions in our workforce and we expect to achieve the remainder throughout the balance of the year," CFO Elizabeth Coddington told investors on the earnings call.

    The company employed about 2,900 people last year, and approximately 6% of the workforce will be affected by the reductions, Reuters reported.

    Porsche is cutting 3,900 jobs over the next few years
    The Porsche logo on the front trunk lid of a gold 2025 Porsche Taycan GTS EV sedan.
    The Porsche logo on the front of a 2025 Porsche Taycan GTS EV.

    Porsche said on March 12 that it plans to cut 3,900 jobs in the coming years.

    About 2,000 of the reductions will come with the expiration of fixed-term contractor positions, the German automaker said. The company will make the other 1,900 reductions by 2029 through natural attrition and limiting hiring, it said.

    Porsche said it also plans to discuss more potential changes with labor leaders in the second half of the year. "This will also make Porsche even more efficient in the medium and long term," the company said.

    PwC is laying off approximately 2% of its US workforce
    PwC's logo on a window.
    PwC office in Washington D.C. in the United States of America, on July 11th, 2024. (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

    The Big Four accounting firm said it's cutting roughly 1,500 jobs in the US because its low attrition rates mean not enough people are leaving by choice.

    PwC's layoffs began on May 5 and mostly affect the firm's audit and tax lines, a person familiar with the matter told Business Insider.

    "This was a difficult decision, and we made it with care, thoughtfulness, and a deep awareness of its impact on our people, appreciating that historically low levels of attrition over consecutive years have made it necessary to take this step," a PwC spokesperson said.

    Rivian is laying off 600
    Rivian sign

    Rivian said in October it was laying off more than 600 employees, or around 4.5% of its workforce.

    "With the changing operating backdrop, we had to rethink how we are scaling our go-to-market functions," CEO RJ Scaringe said in a memo to employees, adding, "These changes are being made to ensure we can deliver on our potential by scaling efficiently towards building a healthy and profitable business."

    The electric-vehicle maker has conducted several rounds of layoffs over the past three years.

    Salesforce is cutting more than 1,000 jobs
    The outside of Salesforce Tower with the Salesforce logo, which is shaped like a cloud.

    Bloomberg reported in February that Salesforce, a cloud-based customer management software company, will slash more than 1,000 jobs from its nearly 73,000-strong workforce.

    Affected employees will be eligible to apply to open internal roles, the outlet reported. The company is hiring salespeople focused on the company's new AI-powered products.

    The cuts come despite Salesforce reporting a strong financial performance during its third-quarter earnings in December.

    Salesforce did not respond to a request for comment.

    Scale AI is cutting 14% of its workforce
    Scale AI office
    Scale AI is laying off 14% of its full time staff and hundreds of contractors.

    On July 16, Scale AI laid off about 200 full-time employees and 500 contractors, according to the company.

    The 200 full-time cuts make up 14% of the data labeling startup's 1,400-person workforce.

    The company is restructuring its generative AI group, according to an email from Scale's interim CEO, Jason Droege, obtained by Business Insider.

    The cuts follow Meta's $14 billion investment in Scale AI in June as part of a blockbuster deal. The deal included the hiring of Scale's ex-CEO, Alexandr Wang, and the purchase of equity in almost half of the startup.

    Sonos cuts about 200 jobs
    Sonos

    Sonos, a California-based audio equipment company, said in a February 5 release that it's cutting about 200 roles.

    The announcement came nearly a month after Sonos CEO Patrick Spence stepped down following a disastrous app rollout. Interim CEO Tom Conrad said in the statement that the layoffs were part of an effort to create a "simpler organization."

    Starbucks is laying off 2,000 corporate staff
    Starbucks company headquarters in Seattle, a red-brick building with a clocktower featuring the coffee chain's Siren mascot and the US flag flying above it, is seen on a cloudy day
    Starbucks headquarters in Seattle

    Starbucks said it would lay off 900 non-retail employees in September and close about 1% of company-operated stores in North America.

    The cuts come after the company notified 1,100 corporate employees that they had been laid off in February.

    CEO Brian Niccol said in a February memo that the layoffs would make Starbucks "operate more efficiently, increase accountability, reduce complexity and drive better integration."

    The company is trying to improve results after sales slid last year.

    Southwest Airlines
    Southwest Airlines Boeing plane at an airport.
    A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737.

    Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan announced in February that the company is laying off 15% of its corporate staff, or about 1,750 employees.

    He said affected workers will keep their pay, benefits, and bonuses through late April, when the separations will take effect.

    The company told investors the cuts would save about $210 million this year and $300 million in 2026.

    The move comes as Southwest tries to cut costs amid profitability problems. Jordan said this is the first significant layoff the company has had in its 53-year history.

    An activist hedge fund took a stake in Southwest in June and has since helped restructure its board and change its business model to keep up with a changing industry. For example, it plans to end its long-standing open-seating policy to generate more seating revenue.

    In recent months, the company has also reduced flight crew positions in Atlanta to cut costs.

    Stripe laid off 300 employees
    The logo for Stripe.
    Stripe.

    Payments platform Stripe laid off 300 employees, primarily in product, engineering, and operations, according to a January 20 memo obtained by BI.

    Chief people officer Rob McIntosh said in the memo that the company still planned on growing its head count to about 10,000 employees by the end of the year.

    Target cut 1,800 corporate roles
    Target store front
    Target said it was laying off around 1,000 corporate employees.

    Target said in October it was cutting 1,800 corporate jobs, including about 1,000 employees and 800 open roles.

    The company said the cuts accounted for 8% of the team at its global headquarters, and that leadership roles were affected at three times the rate of individual contributors.

    "The truth is, the complexity we've created over time has been holding us back," Michael Fiddelke, Target COO and incoming CEO, said in a memo to staff. "Too many layers and overlapping work have slowed decisions, making it harder to bring ideas to life."

    UPS is cutting 20,000 jobs
    A UPS Delivery Driver

    UPS announced on April 29 that it plans to cut 20,000 jobs this year — about 4% of its global workforce — as part of a shift toward automation and a strategic reduction in business with Amazon.

    "With our action, we will emerge as an even stronger, more nimble UPS," the company's CEO, Carol Tomé, said in a statement.

    The move follows a sharp 16% drop in Amazon package volume in Q4 and is part of a plan to halve its Amazon business by mid-2026. UPS will also close 73 US buildings by June and automate 400 facilities to reduce labor dependency.

    The Teamsters union have said they would fight any layoffs affecting its members.

    Verizon says it will lay off 13,000 employees
    Verizon store

    The telecommunications giant said on November 20 that it plans to lay off 13,000 employees in order to make Verizon "faster and more focused," new CEO Dan Schulman said in a message to employees. Verizon had about 100,000 employees at the beginning of 2025.

    The Washington Post cut 4% of its non-newsroom workforce
    The Washington Post building

    The Washington Post eliminated fewer than 100 employees in an effort to cut costs, Reuters reported in January.

    A spokesperson told the news agency that the cuts wouldn't affect the newsroom: "The Washington Post is continuing its transformation to meet the needs of the industry, build a more sustainable future and reach audiences where they are."

    Wayfair laid off 340 tech employees
    Wayfair logo on building
    Wayfair laid off about 340 tech employees.

    Wayfair announced in an SEC filing on March 7 that it would eliminate its Austin Technology Development Center and lay off around 340 tech workers.

    The reorg comes as the technology team has accomplished "significant modernization and replatforming milestones," the company said in the filing. Wayfair said it plans to refocus resources and streamline operations to promote its "next phase of growth."

    "With the foundation of this transformation now in place, our technology needs have shifted," the company said.

    Wayfair expects to take on $33 to $38 million in costs as a result of the reorganization, consisting of severance, cash employee-related costs, benefits, and transitional costs.

    Workday cut more than 8% of its workforce
    Workday logo
    Workday said it's cutting 8.5% of its workforce and focusing on AI.

    Workday, the human-resources software company, said in February that it is cutting 8.5% of its workforce, or around 1,750 employees. The layoffs came as the company focuses more on artificial intelligence.

    In a note to employees, CEO Carl Eschenbach said that Workday will focus on hiring in areas related to artificial intelligence and work to expand its global presence.

    "The environment we're operating in today demands a new approach, particularly given our size and scale," Eschenbach wrote. He said that affected employees will get at least 12 weeks of pay.

    Is your company conducting layoffs? Got a tip?
    A close-up of a person's hands holding and typing on a phone

    Have a tip? Contact Dominick Reuter via email or text/call/Signal at 646.768.4750. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • Wilsons Advisory says target these 9 international stocks

    Woman walking in London.

    Many Aussie investors will already have exposure in their portfolio to international stocks from the US. 

    But a new report from Wilsons Advisory has reinforced the case for targeting stocks outside the Australian and US markets. 

    Tony Brennan, Chief Investment Strategist, said until this year, being concentrated in US equities within international portfolios produced better returns.

    But this year, the US has underperformed the rest of the world, illustrating the benefits of being more diversified.

    US stocks have provided prolonged success

    In the report from Wilsons Advisory yesterday, the firm reinforced the success investors have had by targeting US stocks, particularly technology shares.

    Brennan said this has been supported by a generally solid economy and boosted by a large corporate tax cut during the first Trump Administration. 

    In the last decade, Europe had to contend with fiscal restraint after its sovereign debt crisis in 2012, the rupture of Brexit in 2016, and the war in Ukraine since 2022. 

    Changing tides

    Although the US and the rest of the world have faced different challenges over the past decade, this year both sides were hit by the same shock: the new US tariffs and resulting trade war.

    Despite initial fears, after nine months it’s clear that economic damage from tariffs has been less severe than anticipated. Additionally, growth across major economies has held up better than expected.

    The report also indicated that a key change this year is that the gap between US economic growth and growth in other major regions has narrowed.

    International stock picks from Wilsons Advisory 

    The report highlighted 9 international stocks that the firm believes offer exposure to similar structural growth themes as US peers, while providing valuation alternatives. 

    After their remarkable success, many of the large US companies, particularly the large US tech stocks, are quite well known and well held by investors. So, in this report we highlight some major companies in other markets that could provide desired diversification for Australian investors.

    The 9 international stocks are: 

    • HSBC Holdings PLC (UK)
    • Airbus SE (France)
    • ASML Holding NV (Netherlands)
    • L’Oreal SA (France)
    • Roche Holding AG Genussscheine (Switzerland) 
    • SAP SE (Germany)
    • Siemens AG (Germany)
    • Sony Group Corp (Japan)
    • Tencent Holdings Ltd (Hong Kong). 

    The report said Airbus, ASML, SAP, and Siemens deliver access to industrial automation, semiconductor infrastructure, and aerospace duopolies with strong pricing power. 

    L’Oréal and Roche represent defensive quality with global market leadership in beauty and healthcare, delivering stable earnings with reduced cyclicality. 

    Sony and Tencent provide exposure to Asian technology platforms at more attractive valuations than US counterparts.

    HSBC offers global banking exposure at modest valuations relative to US and Australian banking peers.

    How to gain exposure 

    Investors looking to gain exposure to these international stocks can target each one individually. 

    However, there are also ASX ETFs that include many of these companies. 

    For example, the Vanguard FTSE Europe Shares ETF (ASX: VEQ) includes 7 of these companies that are based in Europe/UK.

    This is the same for the iShares Europe ETF (ASX: IEU). 

    Both funds are up 20% or more in 2025. 

    The post Wilsons Advisory says target these 9 international stocks appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Vanguard Ftse Europe Shares ETF right now?

    Before you buy Vanguard Ftse Europe Shares ETF shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Vanguard Ftse Europe Shares ETF wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    * Returns as of 18 November 2025

    .custom-cta-button p {
    margin-bottom: 0 !important;
    }

    More reading

    HSBC Holdings is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Motley Fool contributor Aaron Bell has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended ASML and Tencent. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended HSBC Holdings, Roche Holding AG, and SAP. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended ASML. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • The fundamentals behind quality investing according to experts

    tick, approval, business person with device and tick of approval in background

    There are plenty of investment strategies. From income/dividend investing, investing for value, growth, passive and quality investing. 

    Some investors look purely for stocks that are undervalued, others for steady income.

    However the team at Betashares has given a clear roadmap of the principles behind quality investing. 

    What is quality investing?

    Quality investing is an investment strategy that focuses on buying shares of financially strong, well-managed companies with durable competitive advantages. 

    According to Betashares, there are three key fundamentals to consider when targeting quality companies.

    The first is high return on equity (ROE). 

    Essentially, the ROE indicates how efficiently a company uses its equity financing to generate income. 

    Having a high return on equity means a company is capable of effectively using shareholder equity to generate profits, has the potential to fund expansion without incurring excessive debt and possesses an efficient business model.

    The second metric to assess is a company’s level of leverage. 

    Leverage is when a company borrows funds (takes on debt) to invest. The goal is for the debt to be invested successfully, generating returns that exceed the cost of servicing the debt. 

    You can measure this by looking at the debt-to-equity ratio (D/E). 

    A high D/E ratio is a warning that the company is at risk of financial problems. However, a low D/E ratio is also not ideal. You want to see that a company is using debt responsibly, rather than avoiding it altogether. 

    The final metric to consider in quality investing is earnings stability. 

    While the previous two metrics measure profitability and financial strength, earnings stability shows whether a company can provide this over a long period of time. 

    According to Betashares, earnings stability measures the consistency with which earnings have been generated over time. 

    It can be measured by looking at how much a company’s return on equity (ROE) has deviated from its average level over the past five years. 

    The more that yearly ROE figures deviate from the average, the less stable the company’s earnings are considered to be.

    In simple terms, quality investing targets companies with a high return on equity, low levels of debt (and leverage) and stable earnings. 

    When does it work best?

    Research from Polen Capital indicates that quality companies tend to outperform, particularly during late-cycle and recessionary periods. 

    In contrast, quality investments typically underperform when low interest rates and accommodative economic policy are dominant macroeconomic features. 

    According to Betashares, quality companies are typically more resilient in a downturn. 

    Belief in a quality investing style is embedded in the logic that companies with a high return on equity, low levels of debt (and leverage) and stable earnings are, by their very nature, traditionally more resilient in a downturn and provide strong returns over most of the cycle. Their strong balance sheets and consistent cash generation can provide a buffer when market conditions deteriorate.

    Quality investing-focused ETFs

    If this strategy aligns with your investment goals, you can apply it to individual companies and target those that are outperforming their peers. 

    Another option for investors who may want to take the work out of finding individual companies to invest in are ETFs that group these companies, such as the following:

    • Betashares Australian Quality ETF (ASX: AQLT) – It reweights the largest Australian companies by quality metrics – high return on equity, earnings stability, and low levels of leverage, rather than market capitalisation.
    • Betashares Global Quality Leaders ETF (ASX: QLTY) – Comprises 150 of the highest quality global companies.
    • Betashares Global Quality Leaders ETF – Currency Hedged (ASX: HQLT) – Currency hedged version that may attract investors seeking to reduce exchange rate volatility.

    The post The fundamentals behind quality investing according to experts appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in BetaShares Australian Quality ETF right now?

    Before you buy BetaShares Australian Quality ETF shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and BetaShares Australian Quality ETF wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    * Returns as of 18 November 2025

    .custom-cta-button p {
    margin-bottom: 0 !important;
    }

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Aaron Bell has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • Buy alert! Bell Potter says this ASX 200 stock is ‘unmatched’

    A cool young man walking in a laneway holding a takeaway coffee in one hand and his phone in the other reacts with surprise as he reads the latest news on his mobile phone

    Now could be the time to pounce on Nick Scali Limited (ASX: NCK) shares.

    That’s the view of analysts at Bell Potter, which believe the ASX 200 stock is good value despite rising by almost 60% this year.

    What is the broker saying about this ASX 200 stock?

    Bell Potter is feeling positive about the furniture retailer due largely to its industry leading margins and global expansion. It believes this means the ASX 200 stock deserves its premium valuation and has decribed it as an “unmatched furniture retailer.” The broker said:

    NCK is one of Australia’s largest furniture retailers competing within the middle to upper end of the Australian furniture market and growing its global presence via the UK entry. NCK is currently trading on ~26x FY26e P/E (BPe) which we think is justified given industry leading EBIT margins within the global peer group of high-quality retailers/vertically integrated brands in the broader category that we consider. NCK provided a strong 1H26e guidance of 7-9% revenue growth for its ANZ business, while for the overall group NPAT of $33-35m and we sit towards the mid-point of the range.

    Its analysts also highlight that Nick Scali has a significant opportunity to grow its store network in the lucrative UK market. It has been busy sizing up the market and sees scope for the company to increase its store footprint threefold. It adds:

    We size NCK’s UK market opportunity based on the market fragmentation and the average size of close peers. We see a long-term potential of ~60 stores for the brand in the UK which is a ~3x opportunity (vs current footprint) offering the highest growth for the business.

    As NCK UK revenues grow over the next 7+ years, we expect continuing earnings leverage over its cost base which should see a stronger uplift in earnings over the longer term. Early success of the Nick Scali product sees the offering appearing to be unique in the market and resonating well supported by the quality and value offered at relevant price points vs peer offerings.

    Initiate with buy rating

    According to the note, the broker has initiated coverage on Nick Scali’s shares with a buy rating and $27.00 price target. Based on its current share price of $23.38, this implies potential upside of 15.5% for investors over the next 12 months.

    In addition, Bell Potter expects a 2.7% dividend yield in FY 2026, which lifts the total potential return to offer 18%. It concludes:

    We initiate coverage of Nick Scali with a Buy rating and PT of $27.00 based on a blend of P/E (23x target multiple on a FY27e basis) and DCF (WACC ~9%, TGR 3.5%) methodologies. We see steady market share in the core Nick Scali brand somewhat offsetting a less conducive macro environment, while further growth via the Plush brand over time in Australia and a larger opportunity in the UK offering sufficient growth levers to the company.

    We see this backed up by the high-quality earnings model where NCK leads in its global peer group of household goods retailers, in addition to being the most attractive goods retailers within the ASX200 (on a growth adjusted basis). We see catalysts for 1H earnings driven by supportive 2Q26 comps.

    The post Buy alert! Bell Potter says this ASX 200 stock is ‘unmatched’ appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Nick Scali Limited right now?

    Before you buy Nick Scali Limited shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Nick Scali Limited wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    * Returns as of 18 November 2025

    .custom-cta-button p {
    margin-bottom: 0 !important;
    }

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Nick Scali. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • Why did this small-cap energy stock just jump 10% higher?

    A young female ASX investor sits at her desk with her fists raised in excitement as she reads about rising ASX share prices on her laptop.

    Small-cap stock Matrix Composites & Engineering Ltd (ASX: MCE) is in focus after its share price soared 9.5% higher on Thursday. 

    The company provides subsea umbilicals, risers and flowlines (SURF) buoyancy and corrosion protection solutions to offshore oil and gas projects.

    Based on an updated price target from Bell Potter, it still has significant upside.

    Why did shares rise on Thursday?

    Markets reacted positively to the company’s 2025 AGM, which included a positive FY26 outlook. 

    The company announced $70m of FY26 secured revenue (including YTD sales), comprising $65m of contracted Subsea work. 

    It reiterated a strong quotation pipeline for drilling and SURF markets, with opportunities currently under negotiation likely to add to the FY26 orderbook upon conversion.

    The team at Bell Potter stated that, in addition, revenue, EBITDA, and profitability will be weighted towards 2H FY26, with EBITDA expected to be positive in FY26. 

    Why does this matter?

    For a small-cap stock, guidance that EBITDA will be positive in 2026 is a big deal because it signals a fundamental shift in the company’s financial health and risk profile.

    Essentially, it marks a transition from “cash-burn” to “self-funding.”

    Many small-caps – especially in tech, biotech, clean energy, and early-stage industries – operate with negative EBITDA, meaning their core operations are unprofitable.

    A move to sustained positive EBITDA in 2026 is significant because, although the company has hovered around breakeven and even turned positive before, long-term projections from Bell Potter show a durable and expanding profitability trend. 

    This shift signals that the business model is stabilising and scaling, reducing future funding risk and increasing investor confidence in lasting growth.

    Is this small-cap stock a buy, hold or sell?

    While the guidance of a positive EBITDA is good news, Bell Potter remains cautious about this small-cap stock. 

    In a report from the broker yesterday, it maintained its hold recommendation, but lowered its target price to $0.26 (previously $0.28). 

    Bell Potter said phasing of major work has driven a worse-than-expected impact on revenue, EBITDA and profitability in 1H FY26, driving a downgrade to our 1H FY26 EBITDA estimate from $1.8m to -$0.6m. 

    On a positive note, it said a strong skew to 2H FY26 EBITDA and profitability should drive positive FY26 EBITDA (BPe $6.2m, +25% YoY). 

    Matrix Composites & Engineering Ltd has flagged further pipeline opportunities that could support FY26 project deliveries upon conversion, potentially representing upside to our forecasts.

    Matrix Composites & Engineering shares closed yesterday at $0.23 after the 9.5% jump. 

    Based on the updated price target of $0.26, there is an estimated upside of approximately 13% for this ASX small-cap stock. 

    The post Why did this small-cap energy stock just jump 10% higher? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Matrix Composites & Engineering Ltd right now?

    Before you buy Matrix Composites & Engineering Ltd shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Matrix Composites & Engineering Ltd wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    * Returns as of 18 November 2025

    .custom-cta-button p {
    margin-bottom: 0 !important;
    }

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Aaron Bell has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • Dividend investors: Top Australian energy stocks to buy in December

    A woman holds her finger to the side of her lips in contemplation as she looks upwards to an array of graphic images of light bulbs above her head, one of which is on and glowing.

    Australian energy stocks can be seen as some of the most appealing ASX defensive shares for dividend investors because of their ability to make fairly consistent profits and pay passive income.

    There are a variety of types of investments in that space, including energy generators, retailers, and commodity producers.

    The two businesses I’ll talk about are two of the largest energy generators and retailers in Australia: AGL Energy Ltd (ASX: AGL) and Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG).

    Let’s start by looking at the passive income potential of both businesses in FY26.

    Australian energy stock dividend potential

    Both businesses do not trade on a high price-earnings (P/E) ratio, which means they are more likely to deliver a pleasing dividend yield for shareholders.

    The projection on CMC Markets suggests both businesses are capable of delivering a high dividend yield for investors in the 2026 financial year.

    Origin Energy is forecast to pay an annual dividend per share of 60 cents in FY26. This translates into a potential grossed-up dividend yield of 7.4%, including franking credits.

    AGL is forecast to pay an annual dividend per share of 46 cents in FY26. That prediction equates to a possible grossed-up dividend yield of 7.3%, including franking credits.

    There are not many ASX blue-chip shares forecast to pay a dividend yield of more than 7% in FY26 because of a combination of higher valuations (pushing down on yields) and the iron ore price not being particularly strong.

    Why both ASX shares could be solid longer-term buys

    Australia always needs energy – Origin and AGL can both produce it and sell it.

    Energy demand may grow significantly in the coming years if the number of data centres in the country continues to grow. They are very energy hungry because of the growing usage of AI. More electric vehicles on the road may also lead to higher electricity demand.

    I like that the Australian energy stocks are investing in renewable/storage areas like batteries and hydro because that can help them generate earnings during times when it’s most needed (and most valued), such as during evening/night hours and peak times.

    Origin also has a compelling investment in a business called Octopus Energy, which is growing strongly in the northern hemisphere.

    In the three months to September 2025, the Octopus Energy retail business added approximately 560,000 customers, with 230,000 in the UK and 330,000 outside of the UK. It now has 1 million customers in Germany, with 100% growth in the last 12 months.

    Out of the two, I think Origin is more appealing because of its exposure to Octopus Energy, which continues to grow rapidly and could drive the value of Origin shares higher in the coming years. On the dividend side of things, their yields are very similar.

    The post Dividend investors: Top Australian energy stocks to buy in December appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Origin Energy Limited right now?

    Before you buy Origin Energy Limited shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Origin Energy Limited wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    * Returns as of 18 November 2025

    .custom-cta-button p {
    margin-bottom: 0 !important;
    }

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • Forget Droneshield shares, I’d buy this ASX defence stock instead

    Military soldier standing with army land vehicle as helicopters fly overhead.

    Droneshield Ltd (ASX: DRO) shares closed 7.83% lower on Thursday afternoon, at $2.00 a piece. That means the stock has crashed nearly 70% since hitting an all-time peak in early October. The shares are now 166.67% higher for the year-to-date.

    Recently, Droneshield shares have been under considerable pressure. From its US CEO resignation to employee share sell-offs and even an accidental ASX release, Droneshield shares have attracted a lot of not-so-positive attention. 

    Sure, the 166.67% annual gain is still impressive, but I have my eye on another AI-centred defence stock which I’d buy instead.

    Another ASX defence stock tipped to boom

    Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd (ASX: EOS) is an Australian company that develops and produces advanced electro-optic technologies. The company’s products are used in space information and intelligence services, as well as in optical, microwave, and on-the-move satellite products, optical sensor units, and remote weapons systems for land, sea, and air applications.

    The group’s reportable segments are communication, defence, and space, but the company generates the highest portion of its revenue from its defence business. Like Droneshield, Electro Optic’s defence segment is involved in developing, manufacturing, and marketing advanced fire control, surveillance, and weapon systems to approved military customers. 

    I believe any investor seeking exposure to the rapidly expanding market should consider Electro Optic shares as an alternative to Droneshield. As ongoing geopolitical uncertainty continues to put pressure on countries worldwide, and governments step up their spending on defence systems, Electro Optic Systems is well-positioned to snap up a good portion of the demand.

    Is there any upside ahead for the defence stock?

    Tradingview data shows that out of three analysts with a rating on the shares, all of them consider Electro Optic Systems a strong buy. The maximum target price for the shares is as high as $11.18 per share. This implies a potential upside as high as 149.55% over the next 12 months, at the time of writing. 

    Bell Potter is slightly more conservative, with a buy rating and a $8.10 price target on Electro Optic shares. The broker stated that a potential peace deal between Ukraine and Russia could impact its share price in the near term. But it doesn’t feel a deal will affect its growth forecasts. As a result, it is urging investors to pick up Electro Optic Systems shares now. The Bell Potter team also noted that the company recently completed the acquisition of the MARSS Group’s drone interceptor business, which it said is a good move by management given recent defence trends.

    The post Forget Droneshield shares, I’d buy this ASX defence stock instead appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Electro Optic Systems Holdings Limited right now?

    Before you buy Electro Optic Systems Holdings Limited shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Electro Optic Systems Holdings Limited wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    * Returns as of 18 November 2025

    .custom-cta-button p {
    margin-bottom: 0 !important;
    }

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Samantha Menzies has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended DroneShield and Electro Optic Systems. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • Is the S&P 500 set for a crash? Here’s my plan for the US stock market

    Concept image of man holding up a falling arrow with a shield.

    Talk of an S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX) (and ASX ) stock market crash has been persistent over 2025 to date. Not that this sentiment is uncommon. Whenever markets have an uncommonly good year, as they have in both 2024 and 2025, investors start to get nervous.

    To be fair, there have arguably been more reasons for investors to be fearful this year than there have been for a while. Many of them can be attributed to the erratic trade and economic policies coming out of the United States of America.

    President Donald Trump has openly mused about undermining the US Federal Reserve by sacking board members, and the governor Jerome Powell, for one. Then there was the shambolic ‘Liberation Day’ tariff announcements, which caused a dramatic stock market dip until they were wound back a week or so later.

    Investors have also had an uncertain interest rate and inflation environment to navigate. Interest rate sentiment has seemingly swung from ‘the next move will be down’ to ‘rates might rise’ and back again.

    Amid all this uncertainty, the S&P 500 (particularly any stocks associated with the ‘AI boom’), the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), gold, and Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) have all hit new record highs, with plenty of bumps in between.

    Over just the past month, the S&P 500 has both fallen more than 5% and rebounded by 4.2%.

    No one seems quite sure what’s around the corner.

    And, the truth be told, no one is. None, not Warren Buffett, Jerome Powell, Donald Trump, your neighbour Joe, or this writer, can predict what the markets will do next. The next market correction or crash is always inevitable. We just don’t know when it will occur.

    All we can do is prepare.

    How to prepare for an S&P 500 market crash

    I think the best way to prepare for a market crash is by auditing your own investments. The whole point of investing is aligning our financial interests with companies that will be larger in the future than they are today. If you don’t believe a company is set for future prosperity, it shouldn’t be in your portfolio. If you do think a company is setting itself up for future success, it should be. Regardless of what the S&P 500, the price of gold, or any other metric is doing.

    For example, I own companies that I would be comfortable, and more than happy to hold during a market crash. Names such as Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co Ltd (ASX: SOL), Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES), Mastercard Inc (NYSE: MA), and Procter & Gamble Inc (NYSE: PG) have strong balance sheets and fantastic, resilient business models. They will do just fine in any economic conditions. In my view, anyway. No matter what happens in the next year, I have literally put money on them being larger and more successful in the years and decades to come.

    There are two things we do know about the stock market, both the S&P 500 and the ASX. The first is that it goes up far more often than it goes down. The second is that it has never failed to exceed a previous all-time high.

    I think all investors would be better off if they kept those facts in mind and worried less about when the next market crash will be.

    The post Is the S&P 500 set for a crash? Here’s my plan for the US stock market appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the ‘five best ASX stocks’ for investors to buy right now. We believe these stocks are trading at attractive prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now…

    * Returns as of 18 November 2025

    .custom-cta-button p {
    margin-bottom: 0 !important;
    }

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Bitcoin, Mastercard, Procter & Gamble, Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited, and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Bitcoin, Mastercard, Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited, and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Bitcoin and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Mastercard and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.