GM’s Billion-Dollar Disaster ๐Ÿ’ธ ๐Ÿ’ธ

General Motors is expanding a recall of one of its first EVs over concerns that the car could catch on fire. The risk supposedly stems from “defective battery modules in the vehicles.”

The expanded recall involves a total of 73,000 Chevrolet Bolt EVs and EUVs from the 2019-2022 model years. GM claims it will replace the defective battery modules. Unfortunately, the whole ordeal will cost over $1.8 billion. According to InsideEVs, that comes out to about $11,000 per vehicle. Oof.

The company was quick to assign blame to its battery provider, LG Energy Solutions, for manufacturing defects. GM expects to pursue “reimbursement commitments” from LG. In other words, GM wants its money back and wants LG to fix the problem. LG Energy Solutions, which is owned by LG Chem, also provides batteries to for EVs built by Tesla and Renault.ย 

$GM stock fell over 10% this week. LG Chem rose 1.8%.

March Madness Continues At NYCB

When regular people talk about March Madness, they’re referring to college basketball. But when traders and investors talk about March Madness, they’re referring to a regional bank stock imploding.

We’re about a year out from three regional banks failing and/or being rescued, and now the sharks are circling New York Community Bancorp. The long story short, until today, is that the regional lender has too much commercial real estate exposure, weak internal controls over financial reporting, and a new CEO trying to right the ship. ๐Ÿ—ž๏ธ

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Apple Drains EV Resources For AI

After ten years of research and development, Tim Apple is finally pulling the plug on Apple’s electric vehicle (EV) project. Because as we all know, EVs have lost their luster and given way to the business world’s new savior…artificial intelligence (AI). ๐Ÿ˜‡

Bloomberg broke the news today, saying the tech giant disclosed the strategy shift internally and surprised the nearly 2,000 employees working on the project. Executives told staffers the project would begin winding down and that many of the car team’s employees would be shifted to its artificial intelligence division, focused on generative AI.ย 

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Investors Are Losing Trust

It’s been a rough eighteen months or so for real estate investment trusts (REITs), with higher interest rates giving investors alternative sources of yield and pressuring commercial real estate’s asset values. Unfortunately for Medical Properties Trust (MPT), that pain continuesย today, with its shares falling back to their Great-Financial-Crisis lows. ๐Ÿ˜ฌ

The medical-related real estate property operator revealed to investors that one of its tenants, Steward Health Care System, is roughly $50 million behind in rent payments. As a result, MPT will take a $225 million noncash charge to write off rent receivables and other items.ย 

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JetBlue Jumps As Icahn Accumulates

It’s been a rough few months for JetBlue shareholders after the airline’s merger with Spirit Airlines was blocked by U.S. regulators. However, the stock is popping after hours on news that a billionaire hedge fund manager is dumpster diving and sees value in the stock. ๐Ÿ’ธ

Activist investor Carl Icahn reported a nearly 10% stake, which he’s accumulated on the belief that the stock is undervalued following its recent selloff. He’s already had discussions with the company regarding possibly attaining board representation.

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