Brian Sozzi

    Executive Editor

    Brian Sozzi is Yahoo Finance’s Executive Editor. He hosts executive interviews on Yahoo Finance Live, Yahoo Finance's 'Lead This Way' digital series and at major conferences such as the World Economic Forum in Davos and the Milken conference. He is also the host for the Opening Bid podcast and leads direction for Yahoo Finance's annual 'Invest' conference. Sozzi was previously the Executive Editor of publicly traded financial media company TheStreet. He led editorial direction for multimedia publications TheStreet, The Deal, several subscription news and data services, video and the company's conference business. He was a member of TheStreet's executive management team and reported directly to the founder, CEO and chairman. Sozzi began his career on Wall Street as a sell-side stock analyst covering retailers, banks and numerous other sectors. He won the 2011 FT | StarMine Analyst Award for No. 3 Earnings Estimator in the Textiles Apparel and Luxury Goods Industry.

  • Whirlpool to be 'biggest beneficiary' of housing recovery: CEO

    Whirlpool Corporation Chairman and CEO Marc Bitzer joins Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi to discuss the appliance company's valuation amid reports that Bosch was considering making an offer. Bitzer did not have a comment on the report, explaining, "We had rumors and speculation before, and we will also have in the future, but we just don't comment on speculation and rumors. I mean, we respect Bosch as a company and their appliances. We've been a competitor for many years, but that's all I can say." As for Whirlpool's valuation, Bitzer says, "as a CEO, you would expect me to always say we're undervalued, but I also honestly admit the market is always right." He adds, "We're doing everything which is in our control from cost take-out to pricing actions, to new product introduction. And I would say, even Q2 confirms we're doing that fairly well. We are penalized for still being in this negative macro cycle." While the macro picture will change down the line, he argues, "because of our US exposure and our strength in the housing market and the building side, we're — by a long shot — the biggest beneficiary of a housing recovery." For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Market Domination Overtime. This post was written by Melanie Riehl

  • With high tariffs, Whirlpool can compete and is 'ready to fight'

    As the 2024 presidential election heats up, many investors have their eye on how former President Donald Trump's tariff agenda would impact the overall US economy if reelected. Whirlpool Corporation (WHR) Chairman and CEO Marc Bitzer joins Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi to discuss how higher tariffs may affect the appliance company. "We're heavily US exposed — just the nature of our business — and we are, by a long shot, the biggest manufacturer of appliances in the US. So right now, what we look at is just a fair level playing field. To give you one example, with steel, I'm buying — and this is nothing against our US steel producers — twice the price of China steel. If a China producer takes the same steel, puts it in an appliance, brings it to the US, they don't pay any tariffs on this today. So all we look is a fair, competitive-level playing field because we know we can compete and we're ready to fight," Bitzer explains. He adds that higher tariffs would create some headwinds for Whirlpool's competitors. However, since 81% of Whirlpool appliances sold in the US are produced domestically, the company wouldn't be significantly impacted: "We are a US producer, and a little bit also a Mexico producer, but we're kind of very, very strongly focused in the US. So if tariffs come, it would not dramatically change our cost base." For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Market Domination Overtime. This post was written by Melanie Riehl

  • Whirlpool is 'anxiously waiting' interest rate cuts: CEO

    Whirlpool's (WHR) second quarter earnings came in line with Wall Street estimates as the company reported adjusted earnings of $2.39 per share and revenue of $3.99 billion. Whirlpool Corporation Chairman and CEO Marc Bitzer joins Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi to discuss the earnings and some of the headwinds the company is facing in North America. "If we zoom in on the North America business, we actually have been pleased that we had a solid sequential margin improvement from Q1. So we feel good about the improvement. We're not yet at the levels where we want to be, but in our guidance, we basically say Q3 and Q4, we will see further improvement," Bitzer says. He explains that the company is still navigating an overall negative macro cycle, especially when it comes to the housing sector in North America. However, he notes, "it is not a lack of demand. The demographics are strong. Household formations were reported 2 million. The demand is there, there is just no supply because people don't want to sell their existing homes because that basically, in most cases, means giving up a very favorable mortgage rate. So that is still the overhang over the industry." He adds that interest rates "don't change demographic trends or the age of the housing stock," and argues that one cut won't unfreeze the market. He believes that several cuts from the Federal Reserve will be needed for the housing market to see momentum, and that Whirlpool is "anxiously waiting." As affordability and cost of living remain key issues for homeowners, many are choosing to hold on to outdated appliances and put renovation projects on the back burner. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Market Domination Overtime. This post was written by Melanie Riehl

  • Whirlpool cuts full-year earnings guidance

    Whirlpool (WHR) posted second quarter adjusted earnings of $2.39 per share, which was in line with estimates. Revenue was also in line, $3.99 billion versus the $3.96 billion estimate.  However, the company trimmed its full-year adjusted earnings per share guidance to $12, it had been $13 to $15 previously. Whirlpool also reaffirmed its full-year revenue guidance. Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi breaks down the results in the video above.  For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Market Domination Overtime. This post was written by Stephanie Mikulich.

  • IBM beats Q2 earnings estimates, lifted higher by AI

    IBM (IBM) beat forecasts for its second quarter, posting adjusted earnings of $2.43 per share ($2.20 expected) and revenue of $15.77 billion ($15.61 billion expected). Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi comes on Market Domination Overtime to explain the compute and semiconductor company's earnings figures. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Market Domination Overtime. This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.

  • Otis CEO sees potential in China amid property downturn

    Elevator and escalator operator Otis Worldwide (OTIS) released its second quarter results, revealing earnings of $1.06 per share beating estimates of $1.03. Revenue was down 3.2% year-over-year to $3.6 billion against an expected $3.73 billion. Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi joins Catalysts to speak with Otis CEO Judy Marks, who provides executive insight into the company's performance the Chinese market's impact on the company's business. Marks blames challenging times in China for some of the slowdown seen in the report. "It was our highest margin quarter since we became independent [in 2020] at 17%, with 110 basis points of margin expansion," Marks explains. "What we've seen, though, is some challenges, some challenging economic times in China, specifically in our new equipment segment where volumes are down because consumer sentiment is not driving the property market to return or or really stabilize to a level where people are now continuing to buy real estate. " Marks elaborates on the potential of the Chinese market as the government still encourages property investments: "There are still over 400 million Chinese living in rural areas that the Chinese government wants to raise from poverty and bring them to urbanized areas. So while the market we're seeing this year will only be between 425,000 and 450,000 elevator and escalator units available in the new equipment market, it's still the largest market in the world." For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Catalysts. This post was written by Nicholas Jacobino

  • The hot AI trade is entering a danger zone: Morgan Stanley chief investment officer

    No stocks go up forever, and that includes hot AI names.

  • Ignore the election, fear the short-term AI trade: Mike Wilson

    US Equities (^GSPC, ^DJI, ^IXIC) are still trading at record heights despite uncertainty from geopolitical conflicts and the presidential election between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Tech giants like Nvidia (NVDA) and Amazon (AMZN) continue to lead while small-cap stocks have also been on a tear as investors position for a potential interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve later this year. But are we near peak excitement for stocks as numerous risks mount? Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi is joined by Morgan Stanley chief investment officer Mike Wilson for Opening Bid to discuss the potential pullback in stocks as nervousness grows around the presidential election. They both give insight into the trading season for the summer and what investors can expect heading into the fall. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here

  • How to play the stock market during election theatrics

    When big historical events like a sitting president withdrawing from the race, one's instinct might be to move investments around the news. But as tastylive Founder & CEO Tom Sosnoff expressed to Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi, playing politics as an investor isn't the smartest move. He suggests focusing on the most liquid stocks.  For full episodes of Opening Bid, watch on our website or listen on your favorite podcast platform.

  • GM CFO on EVs: We try to rise above politics, focus on consumer

    The election season continues to heat up, with Vice President Kamala Harris likely clinching the Democratic nomination. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump continues to campaign across the country, promoting his potential future policies, one of which is rolling back many of the Biden administration's EV policies. General Motors CFO Paul Jacobson (GM) sits down with Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi to give insight into the current political landscape and how either candidate may impact the auto sector if they win in November. On the $7500 tax credit and some of the other EV initiatives potentially being wiped away by Trump, Jacobson comments: "I think we've obviously benefited from some of the jobs incentives and industry creation, but we've created thousands of jobs at our battery cell plants, module assembly, etc. And these are good, strong union jobs by American workers. So we're going to continue to invest. We're in this for the long term because, as we see it, it's about consumer choice." He adds, "We've seen a slowdown in some of the demand growth across the board. And we get a lot of inquiries in the $7,500 tax credit. And we think it's an important tool for some consumers today. But there are others who don't qualify for it or otherwise don't get it. And they're buying electric vehicles as well. So we've always been focused on what the long term is. And the long term is we need to reduce our costs." For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Morning Brief. This post was written by Nicholas Jacobino

  • US EV sales up, but slow to pick back up in China: GM CFO

    General Motors (GM) released its second quarter results, which saw rising domestic EV sales, signaling that EV sales may be on the rebound in the US. GM posted adjusted earnings per share of $3.06 (beating expected $2.70 per share) and revenue of $47.97 billion ($45.51 billion expected), a 7.2% jump from last year's revenue. General Motors CFO Paul Jacobson sits down with Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi to give insight into the company's recent performance, the auto sector at large, and GM's plans for future EV battery plants. "When you look at our EV sales today, at about 54% of EV sales this year are from customers that are new to General Motors, which is great. We want to continue to attract more people with the choice that we're offering in our portfolio," Jacobson sales on US vehicle sales. "Whether it's full size truck, SUV, or it's small, compact SUVs on the ICE side [internal combustion engine], or the incredible growing EV portfolio. So our sales were up 40% in the second quarter against the industry. [which] was up 11%." GM is "trying to rise above politics," Jacobson says on the role electrification policies are playing in the 2024 US election. Jacobson calls sales in China "a little bit challenged right now," at a time when even electric vehicle competitor Tesla (TSLA) is participating in price wars with domestic automakers in the Chinese market. "As we highlighted in the first quarter, we expected a loss in Q1 as we worked through some inventory challenges and responded to demand out there as well. What we didn't expect was that was going to continue on in the second quarter," Jacobson says on General Motors's presence in the region. "We're continuing to see share erosion. We know we need to produce to where demand is. We need to get some of the structural costs out to increase our competitiveness and help stabilize and ultimately grow our share again." For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Morning Brief. This post was written by Nicholas Jacobino

  • GM CFO on politicization of EVs: We try to rise above politics

    GM is still powering toward an electric future even if EVs have become a presidential race issue, its CFO Paul Jacobson told Yahoo Finance.

  • General Motors tops Q2 earnings, lifts full-year guidance

    General Motors (GM) topped its second quarter earnings expectations and lifted its full-year adjusted profit outlook for the second time in 2024. GM posted adjusted earnings per share of $3.06 (beating expected $2.70 per share) and revenue of $47.97 billion ($45.51 billion expected), a 7.2% jump from last year's revenue. At the time of this video's posting, GM stock is down by over 6% Tuesday morning. Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi joins Morning Brief to recap his conversation with GM CFO Paul Jacobson and break down the automaker's future in China. Read more about GM's second quarter earnings here. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Morning Brief. This post was written by Melanie Riehl

  • Biden drops out, backs Kamala Harris: 6 hot takes for investors

    President Biden stunned the world by announcing he will not seek re-election. He also announced that he will be supporting Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement on the Democratic ticket. But not everyone in the Democratic party has anointed Harris as the torchbearer, with former President Obama staying on the sidelines with his endorsement. As if presidential election season wasn’t already chaos for investors, so begins a leap into the great unknown in terms of trading and long-term wealth building. Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi and Washington correspondent Ben Werschkul serve up some of the top takeaways for investors now that the presidential election landscape has been totally upended. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here.

  • The 'Godfather of Trading' reveals how to trade Trump vs. Harris

    The trading landscape may be poised to change once more as President Biden stunned the world by saying he won’t seek re-election. The shift may cause Wall Street to reassess its view over the upcoming election as the chances for a potential second term from former President Donald Trump may be reduced against other candidates. So what’s a novice or experienced trader to do amidst such election season uncertainty? Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi has a lively discussion with tastylive Founder & CEO Tom Sosnoff for. Sosnoff is viewed by many traders as the "Godfather of Trading," having co-founded popular platforms Thinkorswim and tastytrade. With decades of trading experience under his belt, Sosnoff shares how one should think through trading a potential volatility boom around the presidential election in November. Is the Trump Trade safe? How do you play a potential President Kamala Harris? For more Opening Bid, click hereFor more expert insight and the latest market action, click here

  • Why Trump and Biden should take a few minutes to read Big Food earnings call transcripts: Morning Brief

    The earnings calls of Big Food makers sound the alarm bell on the state of the consumer.

  • Elon Musk's Tesla AI robots are not as advanced as you might think

    Fears are high of AI robots taking over everything from education to art to laundry...well most of us wouldn't mind losing laundry from our chore list. Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi spoke with Sizzle AI's Founder and CEO Jerome Pesenti on Opening Bid about the future of robots, with him saying that the technology is still quite limited: "we're at least a decade away." Pesenti -- the former of VP of AI at Meta (META) -- also downplayed the potential for Elon Musk's humanoid robots being developed by Tesla (TSLA). For full episodes of Opening Bid, watch on our website or listen on your favorite podcast platform.

  • Here’s how AI will not upend your child’s learning

    As AI capabilities advance exponentially, questions arise around it's role in many sectors, including education. On Opening Bid, Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi spoke with Sizzle AI's Founder and CEO Jerome Pesenti, who is also the former VP of AI at Meta. His new company focuses on using AI in EdTech in ways that alleviates the tedious aspects like grading, allowing teachers to "focus on a classroom where you have people; and that can not be replaced," Pesenti said. For full episodes of Opening Bid, watch on our website or listen on your favorite podcast platform.

  • The reason why Fifth Third Bank holds so much liquidity: CEO

    Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) recently posted its second quarter earnings, revealing total revenue of $2.08 billion, just below estimates of $2.12 billion. Net income available to common shareholders was $561 million, a 17% increase compared to the previous quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp CEO Tim Spence joins Catalysts to sit down with Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi to discuss the regional bank's performance as well as how it is preparing for uncertainty related to the Federal Reserve's interest rate environment and the 2024 election. When asked about why the bank is holding a certain level of liquidity, Spence comments: "We are not a company that's focused on achieving the highest levels of growth when times are good. We're focused on delivering the most consistent earnings profit, and in particular, a port in the storm when things are challenging, and that obviously worked well for us last year... I there is more discounting going on. I think the labor market has stabilized. So there is evidence that we're going to continue to see a decline in inflation." Spence finds "the other side of the equation," such as geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East and rate uncertainty, coinciding with "historically large deficits here in the US, which historically have been difficult to maintain." Spence affirms that the "right thing for a bank that wants to deliver a more consistent earnings profile is to make sure that we're prepared for anything that comes. And the byproduct of that is we are carrying elevated liquidity." Spence also comments on Senator JD Vance's (R-Oh.) formal nomination as former President Trump's running mate and weighs in on financial conditions for the regional bank's customer base. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Catalysts. This post was written by Nicholas Jacobino

  • American Express earnings: Top takeaways

    American Express (AXP) increased its full-year outlook after posting second quarter earnings that were well above Street expectations but revenue that fell short. The credit card company also raised its full-year earnings guidance. Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi spoke with American Express CEO Stephen Squeri about the back half of the fiscal year. Squeri told Sozzi that it will be business as usual for Amex, including several new product updates.  Sozzi notes, however, American Express is spending a lot, some $800 million, on marketing, with the company targeting millennial customers. Furthermore, when asked about changes to consumer spending, Sozzi notes that while customers of Visa (V) and Mastercard (MA) may see a reduction in spending, American Express customers, especially millennials, are more willing to spend as a direct result of the various perks the card offers, not to mention the yearly fee attached to the card. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Morning Brief. This post was written by John Lesinski