Finimize - 🤖 Meet Robo-Walmart

Hi Reader, here's what you need to know for April 6th in 3:05 minutes.

🤓 Venture capitalists have unrivalled Rolodexes, impressive resumés, and the most suave turtlenecks in town. But join Sweater’s Jesse Randall for How To Invest Like A Venture Capitalist on April 17th, and find out how to beat them at their own game – no expensive, minimalist wardrobe required. Get your free ticket

Today's big stories

Walmart’s betting on automation to finesse its profit
Here's what OPEC+’s surprise oil supply cut means for markets and your portfolio – Read Now
Germany just might sidestep a recession

Wall-E-Mart

What’s Going On Here?

Walmart’s counting on automation to give it a competitive edge.

What Does This Mean?

Walmart's same old financial outlook might not have lit up investors' eyes this week, but the retail giant's got a long-term ace up its sleeve: automation. See, Walmart's US operating income has been stuck in a rut for the past ten years – partly due to the rise of e-commerce, which often costs more to manage than in-store sales. And now Walmart thinks it’s found a solution, getting a little robotic aid to help cut costs and revitalize its supply chain.

Think self-driving forklifts that do the heavy lifting, lightning-fast customer demand response, and snazzy, efficient storage solutions. And that’s not some distant reality: it’s already happening. Automated distribution centers will cater to a third of Walmart's stores by the end of the year – and within three years, the company thinks automation could slash the cost of moving goods by 20%.

Why Should I Care?

The bigger picture: The patience of Job(s).
Walmart's robo-revolution isn't just about wowing Wall Street: it's poised to shake up the job market too. The world's top retailer has been trimming jobs in fulfillment centers – and while some supply chain roles may grow as sales volumes do, the net effect is still going to be job loss. So watch this space: if other retailers end up following suit, it just might change the jobs market as we know it.

Zooming out: Don’t go full Luddite yet.
We’ve said it before: these developments aren’t guaranteed to be for the worse. The rise of automation could also spawn entirely new jobs, and it could make our lives easier too. One Nobel Prize-winning labor economist has suggested that the AI revolution could supercharge productivity, leading to more leisure time and maybe even a four-day work week. Here’s hoping.

You might also like: Here’s how you can invest in AI.

Copy to share story: https://go.finimize.com/wp/news/wall-e-mart/

🙋 Ask a question

Analyst Take

OPEC+’s Slashed Supply Of Oil: Here’s How To Navigate Markets’ Ripple Effects

Stéphane Renevier, Analyst

OPEC+, the group of oil-producing nations, recently announced an unexpected output cut of 1.66 million barrels per day.

And while the group cited its need to “support the stability of the oil market” as motivation, the move came during a period of decent market fundamentals and relatively high oil prices.

Several factors could be driving the cartel’s decision, but the end result is the same: the decision has – and will continue to – send shockwaves through global markets.

And because your portfolio could get caught up in the fallout, you’ll want to know what’s likely to happen in the months ahead – and how you can manage your portfolio during it all.

So that’s today’s Insight: why OPEC+ might’ve slashed oil supply, and what it means for your portfolio.

Read or listen to the Insight here

Start speaking a new language in three weeks

You could move to another country in a bid to learn a new language, or you could just download Babbel.

See, the Babbel method – built based on the teachings of over 150 expert linguists and teachers — focuses on learning through speaking, with an emphasis on the phrases you’ll actually use.

No matter where you’re starting from, you’ll be able to tailor your experience to include topics that matter to you – like sports, travel, festivals, or even tongue twisters.

Just 15 minutes a day and a few live online classes later, et voilà.

And because you’re a Finimize reader, you can choose from 14 languages and get 60% off a Babbel subscription for a limited time.*

Get 60% Off