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PepsiCo has spent decades building some of the world’s most recognizable snack brands. From Lay’s and Doritos to Cheetos and Cracker Jacks, the company has built a portfolio that reaches just about every cranny of the snack aisle.

Now, it’s looking for new ways to put those brands in front of consumers. 

Over the last year, PepsiCo has made a focused effort to bring its food brands beyond the snack aisle, working with restaurants, grocery stores, and convenience retailers to turn familiar bites into meal ingredients.

It’s a strategy designed to keep some of PepsiCo’s biggest food brands relevant as consumers’ tastes and eating habits evolve.

PepsiCo is taking its snacks beyond the aisle

“Across restaurants, franchises, retailers and quick-service menus, PepsiCo foods and flavors, including Flamin’ Hot, Doritos and other portfolio favorites… are being reimagined as enticing menu items built for real meal occasions,” the company said in a press release earlier this year.

These new menu items have shown up in half a dozen places so far, with more drops planned for the end of the year.

In August, Subway confirmed the launch of Doritos Hot Honey Nachos. The limited-time offering starts with a layer of Nacho Cheese-flavored Doritos topped with classic nacho fixings and doused in hot honey sauce.

The menu item is a follow-up to 2025’s Foot-Long Nachos, which, at just $5, were a fan favorite.

Subway isn’t the only fast food chain that’s turned a Pepsi snack into a menu item.

KFC locations in Canada are offering KFC x Doritos Loaded, a limited-edition nacho-style item that’s topped with original breaded chicken tenders, and Osmow’s has The Walking Shawarma, its signature shawarma platter served with Sweet Chili Heat Doritos.

Grocery store chain Kroger and convenience store chain Circle K are also getting in on the menu integrations, offering Flamin’ Hot Boneless Chicken Wings (boneless chicken bites coated in Flamin’ Hot Cheeto breading) to consumers at several thousand locations.

PepsiCo is working with restaurants, grocery stores, and convenience retailers to integrate familiar snack flavors into meals.Bloomberg / Getty Images

PepsiCo wants to keep its biggest brands relevant

While these collaborations feel spontaneous and trendy to consumers, they didn’t just happen on a whim. Rather, they are a direct result of PepsiCo’s long-term growth strategy.

“These collaborations help keep our brands culturally relevant,” Janelle Rowe, senior vice president of foodservice at PepsiCo, told TheStreet. “Food culture evolves quickly, particularly among younger consumers, and menu innovation allows our brands to participate in those conversations in authentic ways.”

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That strategy is particularly important as attitudes around snacking are changing.

As GLP-1 use rises and consumers become more health conscious, many shoppers are cutting back on traditional snack foods such as chips and cookies.

“Consumers ​have moved from snacking on autopilot ⁠to making much more deliberate decisions about what they eat and how often,” Suzy Davidkhanian, vice president and principal analyst at eMarketer, told Reuters in July.

PepsiCo is feeling the effects of that shift.

Sales in the Dorito maker’s food business declined by 2% in the second quarter of the 2026 fiscal year, according to the company’s earnings report. Overall sales volumes in the sector have dropped four times over the last six quarters.

As a result, the company is working to find new ways to make its existing products appeal to customers.

“Many of these [collaborations] start with what we’re already seeing consumers do,” Rowe told me. “People are increasingly incorporating their favorite brands and flavors into meals, recipes and food experiences. We’re working with operators to bring those ideas to life at scale.”

When the collaborations are executed well and really land with diners, the effect is positive for Pepsi, Rowe says.

“[The collaborations] can create a halo effect for our brands,” she told me. “Consumers encounter familiar brands in new settings, which can strengthen awareness, engagement and affinity across our broader portfolio.”

For PepsiCo, the hope is that this increased engagement ultimately translates into stronger demand for its food brands.

But the success of these collaborations doesn’t mean Pepsi sees its food brands fully transitioning from finished products into ingredients.

“We don’t see it as an either-or proposition,” Rowe told me.

“Consumers continue to enjoy our brands in their traditional forms, and we expect that will remain true,” she continued. “At the same time, consumers are increasingly showing us that they want to experience those same flavors in new ways, whether that’s through menu items, recipes, food hacks or broader culinary experiences.

“Ultimately, consumers are showing us how they want to engage with our brands,” she said. “Our role is to listen to those signals and work with customers to bring them to life.”

Related: Kroger has a problem Walmart and Amazon will never have

Two of the organizations that track Social Security benefits most closely just moved their 2027 COLA estimates in opposite directions. One went up. One went down. The one that went up is AARP, reaching 3.6%.

AARP raised its 2027 cost-of-living adjustment estimate from 3.5% to 3.6% after August inflation data came in slightly hotter than economists expected, according to AARP. At 3.6%, a benefit increase would be the largest annual Social Security adjustment since 2023. The official figure will be announced Oct. 14.

What AARP is projecting for the 2027 COLA

The average retired worker received $2,086 a month in Social Security benefits as of July, according to AARP. A 3.6% adjustment would add about $75 to that average monthly payment, bringing it to roughly $2,161 at the start of 2027.

Your specific increase depends on what you currently collect. A $1,500 monthly benefit gains about $54 at 3.6%. A $2,500 benefit gains about $90. The percentage applies equally to everyone. The dollar amount scales with your payment.

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AARP’s projection is based on the CPI-W, the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, which is the specific inflation measure the Social Security Administration uses to set the annual COLA.

The CPI-W rose 3.5% year over year in August 2026. That reading, combined with July data already in the books, is what pushed AARP’s estimate from 3.5% to 3.6%.

Why the two forecasts are moving in different directions

The Senior Citizens League just moved its estimate the other way. After sitting at 3.6% last month, it pulled its 2027 COLA forecast down to 3.5% after reviewing the same August data. AARP went up. TSCL went down. Both are looking at the same numbers and reading them slightly differently.

The gap comes down to how each organization weights and projects the September inflation reading, which has not come out yet. September CPI data lands on Oct. 14, the same morning the Social Security Administration announces the official COLA.

September is the final input in a three-month average of July, August, and September CPI-W readings. One month left, and the two leading advocacy groups are one-tenth of a percentage point apart.

Shannon Benton, executive director of the Senior Citizens League, put the situation plainly. “No matter if the COLA announcement comes in slightly higher or slightly lower than our prediction, seniors will probably end up disappointed in the long run,” she told CBS News.

AARP’s projection is based on the CPI-W, the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers.Thurtell / Getty Images

Why a bigger COLA may still leave seniors behind

The 2026 COLA came in at 2.8%. Inflation has run above that level every month in 2026 except January and February, as TheStreet reported. Seniors who relied on the 2026 adjustment to keep pace with prices have been falling behind for most of the year. A 3.6% COLA in 2027 helps, but it does not erase the gap that built up in 2026.

The COLA is also calculated using CPI-W, which tracks spending patterns for workers, not retirees. Older Americans spend more on healthcare, housing, utilities, and prescription drugs than the average wage earner.

Because those categories often rise faster than the overall index, even a COLA that matches general inflation may fall short of what retirees actually need to maintain their purchasing power.

Energy prices add another complication. August inflation data does not yet reflect the recent surge in diesel and gasoline prices.

Diesel topped $6 per gallon this week, a record high. Higher diesel costs raise expenses for trucking, farming, and distribution, which businesses tend to pass on to consumers. If those costs work through the economy before September’s CPI data is collected, the final COLA reading could shift again.

What to watch before Oct. 14

The September CPI-W report is the last piece of the puzzle. It covers price changes in September 2026 compared to September 2025 and is the third and final month that feeds into the COLA formula.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases September data on Oct. 14. The Social Security Administration announces the official 2027 COLA the same day.

Watch energy prices between now and the end of September. Gasoline and diesel are the most volatile inputs left in the calculation. A spike before month-end could push the final COLA above AARP’s 3.6% estimate. A pullback could bring it back toward 3.5%.

Also watch for the Medicare Part B premium announcement, which typically comes in November. Part B premiums are automatically deducted from Social Security checks for most beneficiaries.

If the premium rises in 2027, some of your COLA will be absorbed before it shows up in your bank account. The Trustees’ most recent estimate projects Part B rising by $6.60 a month to $209.50 in 2027. The final number could be higher.

Do not budget around 3.6% until Oct. 14. The September data could move it either way, and AARP and TSCL are already a step apart on where it lands.

Related: Dave Ramsey has blunt warning on Social Security, 401(k)s

Last week, I wrote about the Anthropic researcher who resigned, warning that his own employer was gambling with humanity’s future, and the colleague who publicly agreed with him.

This week, the men who run that industry are asking the public to trust them to slow themselves down. Michael Burry is not buying it.

3 rival AI company CEOs found rare common ground

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published an essay titled “We Must Pace the Frontier” on his personal website on Saturday, Sept. 12. He argued that the industry must slow down as models grow more capable.

Two things convinced him: AI systems that increasingly help build their own successors, and a swarm of OpenAI agents that attacked Hugging Face, unprompted.

Related: Anthropic researcher resigns and his reason is a warning to us all

That marks a reversal. For two years Amodei argued Anthropic could move fast and stay safe at the same time, treating caution itself as a selling point.

Sam Altman agreed within a day. He wrote on X (the former Twitter) that he agreed with Amodei, pledging that OpenAI would give outside evaluators the same access Anthropic had promised.

Elon Musk needed only three words in reply: “Dario is right.” Rivals rarely align this fast on anything that could slow their own roadmaps.

Google DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis and Microsoft’s Satya Nadella backed the direction, too, according to CNBC. Hassabis called it “the right path forward.” Nadella pushed a narrower point, arguing that deliberate pacing should not let a handful of labs set the rules for everyone else, according to Stocktwits.

The alignment is notable mainly because these companies compete directly for compute, talent, and now, IPO investors.

Burry calls the “slow down AI” push self-serving

In a post on X, investor Michael Burry dismissed the united front as “self-serving” and laid out four numbered objections. He argued that large language models are not artificial general intelligence, so there is nothing meaningful left to slow down.

Fast competition benefits incumbents, he said, and danger warnings work as hype ahead of IPOs. The whole exercise, he added, could mask growth that is already slowing as those IPOs get pushed back.

Michael Burry called AI leaders’ slowdown pledges “self-serving” hours after Dario Amodei’s essay won backing from Altman, Musk, and Hassabis.Kenneth Cheung / Getty Images

The White House and the market are not convinced

President Donald Trump rejected the idea outright. He told reporters “whoever wins AI, wins” and blamed “negative forces” for the warnings, according to Yahoo News.

David Sacks, who leads the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, took a narrower line. Labs should slow down only if their unreleased models are genuinely dangerous, he argued, not seek special treatment for saying so, Wired reported.

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Markets reacted anyway. SoftBank, one of the world’s largest tech investors and a backer of OpenAI, closed nearly 11% lower in Tokyo on Monday, Sept. 14, according to CNN.

Memory chipmakers SK Hynix and Kioxia, which supply the chips that power AI data centers, each fell more than 6%, while South Korea’s Kospi index dropped 3.3%.

Those declines show investors are already pricing in weaker chip demand, even though no lab has actually cut spending.

4 more signals worth tracking

Congress already has a bipartisan bill, the AI Kill Switch Act, moving that would let lawmakers shut off AI models found to threaten the public, CBS News reported.

House Speaker Mike Johnson downplayed the urgency, saying “we don’t need everybody to panic right now,” according to a CNBC report.

SoftBank has separately locked in an upsized $11.87 billion loan just to fund its OpenAI stake, a sign that at least one major backer has not actually pulled back capital.

Amodei called China the “toughest dilemma” in his own plan, since coordinating a slowdown requires cooperation from a government Washington does not trust, CNBC noted.

The real test is Anthropic’s IPO price, not Amodei’s essay

My own read is that Burry’s cynicism has a real data point behind it. Anthropic is reportedly targeting an October listing near $2 trillion, according to Fortune, while Benzinga forecasts gross margins above 80%.

That is a company selling strength to investors and danger to regulators in the same month. It’s a neat trick if it works.

It doesn’t make the underlying alignment concern manufactured, however. Anthropic’s own alignment lead put his extinction estimate above 10% before this week’s coordinated messaging even began, the same estimate I covered last week.

Incentives and genuine worry can live inside the same company at once.

Burry is not alone in his skepticism. Former Meta AI chief Yann LeCun has called the danger warnings outright fake, according to reporting picked up by Tech Startups.

Unlike the open letter that circulated in 2023, this week’s call comes from insiders whose own companies would be bound by it, so regulators are treating it differently now.

The number worth watching is not Burry’s rebuttal or Amodei’s essay. It is where Anthropic actually prices when it lists.

If investors treat pacing as a real constraint on growth, a $2 trillion valuation gets harder to defend. If they treat it as marketing, Burry’s read holds, and this week’s essay becomes one more chapter in the long argument over who decides what winning the AI race even means.

Related: Anthropic CEO sounds the alarm on AI risks

Every large home project comes down to a question you answer before you ever call a contractor. Not what it costs. 

When you already know the arithmetic of waiting. Prices drift up, your kitchen gets another year older, and the quote you were quietly hoping would improve never does.

So you wait anyway, because waiting feels free and deciding does not.

Most of the time, that instinct is defensible. Home improvement spending is discretionary by design, and a project you postpone is money that stays in your account doing something else.

The dishwasher still runs. The cabinet doors still close, mostly. There is always a better quarter coming, and no particular reason this one has to be it.

Deferral works right up until a date gets attached to the decision. Then the free option stops being free, because somebody else has started the clock for you.

That is where kitchen and bath projects sit this fall.

Imported kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities entering the United States currently carry a 25% tariff under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. On Jan. 1, 2027, that rate is scheduled to double to 50%.

Upholstered wooden furniture rises from 25% to 30% on the same day, according to Barnes Richardson.

Almost everything you read between now and January will treat this as a price story. Cabinets cost more; you adjust your budget and move on.

That framing skips the part that decides what you actually pay. The stated purpose of the tariff is to move cabinet production back into American factories.

Whether that works depends on something almost nobody outside the industry looks at: whether domestic manufacturers can absorb the volume in the time remaining.

I went looking for that answer, and the numbers are not reassuring.

What the January cabinet tariff actually changes

The duty applies worldwide rather than country by country, and there is no exemption for Canadian or Mexican goods.

It also stacks on top of existing antidumping and countervailing duties, which is why cabinets of Chinese origin can land at effective rates well above the headline number, according to Barnes Richardson.

One detail matters more than the rate itself. This increase has already been postponed once.

It was scheduled for Jan. 1, 2026, and President Donald Trump signed a New Year’s Eve proclamation delaying it a full year while trade talks continued, the Associated Press reported.

So treat January as scheduled, not settled. That distinction should shape how much you are willing to spend to get ahead of it.

U.S. cabinet tariffs are set to double from 25% to 50% on Jan. 1, 2027, raising project costs.lisegagne / Getty Images

Why domestic cabinet capacity is shrinking instead of growing

Here is the part that changed my read on this story.

MasterBrand (MBC) closed a $3.6 billion all-stock merger with American Woodmark on May 28, 2026, creating the largest cabinet maker in North America, the company said.

On its Aug. 11 second-quarter call, management laid out a second-half outlook built on the assumption that the Section 232 rate stays at 25%. A move to 50% in January would stretch the company’s debt reduction timeline, executives said on the call.

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Read that again. The biggest player in the industry is not planning around the tariff. It is planning around the tariff not happening.

The operating picture underneath the guidance is worse. Management described a repair-and-remodel market down mid- to high-single digits as homeowners defer discretionary work.

It also described a trade-down pattern in which buyers strip features out of made-to-order cabinets to reach a price. American Woodmark came in below expectations on excess fixed capacity, and two plant closures are already underway.

The wider supply chain tells the same story. Consider what the reshoring math is actually working with:

U.S. sawmill production fell for a second consecutive quarter in the first quarter of 2026, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

Full production capacity at U.S. sawmills dropped 6% over the year, based on NAHB analysis of Federal Reserve and Census Bureau data.

Utilization rose to 71.8% from 71.2%, a gain NAHB attributes to shrinking capacity rather than rising output.

Sawmill and wood preservation employment fell to roughly 82,800 workers, a 12th straight quarterly decline and the lowest level since 2010, according to Eye on Housing.

Capacity is not being built ahead of January. It is being retired.

The bottleneck sits between your cabinet order and the factory floor

Physical capacity is only half of it. The other half is what happens between a customer order and a production-ready cut list, and that is where a custom cabinet order quietly eats a shop’s throughput.

Lernik Mirzakhanyan, chief product officer at BeeGraphy, a cloud-based computational design platform that works with furniture manufacturers, frames it as two separate ceilings.

A manufacturer has physical capacity, meaning people, materials, equipment, and floor space. But it also has information capacity, meaning the ability to turn a custom order into a verified production assignment.

“Actual output is limited by the weaker link,” Mirzakhanyan explained.

Related: Zillow predicts big mortgage rate, housing market change

The weaker link is often the order-preparation process itself. Design software, resource planning systems, and the machines themselves often “operate as separate islands,” he said, leaving manual data transfer, repeated checks, and version control in between.

Change one dimension, and the cascade runs longer than you would guess. Move a cabinet width from 24 inches to 26, and the carcass, shelves, doors, connections, clearances, hardware, and drilling can all shift, along with the cost, cut layouts, and machine data.

The cost of materials, production cost, and selling price may then need to be recalculated, along with the parts specification, edge-banding data, drawings, cut layouts, production files, and the order version.

According to Mirzakhanyan, such a change requires repeated calculations, approvals, and replanning, regardless of whether production has started.  

The work can take several person-hours. If materials have already been ordered or parts have already been manufactured, there can also be additional purchases, delays, and material write-offs.

There is a detail here that should interest anyone shopping down a tier. Buyers trading down replace hardware and finishes with cheaper ones to lower the final price. The material cost does indeed decrease, but the manufacturer has to discuss the order again, recalculate it, and redo the production documentation.  

It does not lower the engineering work. “A simpler product does not always mean a simpler order,” Mirzakhanyan said, describing orders where price and margin fall while processing cost can increase. 

The costs of this additional work can be higher than the savings on the hardware. As a result, the buyer pays less, while the manufacturer’s actual cost of processing the order increases and its margin decreases.

What 4 months of preparation can realistically fix

Ask what a U.S. cabinet manufacturer could accomplish between now and January, and the honest answer is narrow.  Over this period, a manufacturer can analyze the entire order journey and begin gradually changing how it works with the product lines that require the most repetitive manual preparation, Mirzakhanyan said.

That gap is the whole story for your budget. The tariff arrives on a fixed date, while the final price and order fulfillment time will depend on how quickly the manufacturer can adapt. 

Mirzakhanyan’s comments align with what I would tell a friend. I would not make a decision based solely on price forecasts.

If your project is ready and your manufacturer has locked in the price, deadlines, and tariff risk in writing, order this fall. If it is not ready, rushing into mistakes could cost you more than a possible price increase in the coming months.

How to decide on your kitchen renovation timing this fall

Run your own version of this, because the answer is not the same for everyone.

The case for moving now is a scheduled cost increase against a contracting supply base, plus a housing stock that keeps generating deferred projects. The median age of American homes has reached 44 years, the oldest on record, according to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.

That is the same pressure already showing up in rising homeownership costs.

The case for waiting is that January has slipped once and could slip again, and that a rushed project carries costs of its own.

Mirzakhanyan’s advice tracks with what I would tell a friend. If your project is ready and your manufacturer has locked price, deadlines, and tariff risk in writing, order this fall.

If it is not ready, rushing into mistakes will cost you more than the tariff will.

The word doing the work there is “locked.” A quote is not a lock.

Ask your dealer, in writing, which side of Jan. 1 your duty rate gets assessed on, and who absorbs the difference if the date holds. That single question is worth more to your budget than any forecast, including mine.

Related: Fannie Mae predicts where home prices are headed next

J.P. Morgan Chase is close to becoming the first bank in history worth $1 trillion.

The largest lender in the United States was trading at roughly $970 billion in market capitalization in mid-August 2026, making a $1 trillion valuation a single strong trading week away, Fortune reported.

A record second-quarter 2026 profit and a 30% surge in investment banking fees at J.P. Morgan, detailed in the bank’s Q2 2026 earnings release, came alongside a 21% rally in the stock over the past three months.

The rally, however, has one name attached to it: Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jamie Dimon, who, at 70, has led J.P. Morgan since 2006 and steered it through every major stress cycle over the past two decades.

J.P. Morgan’s record profit widens the valuation gap over rivals

J.P. Morgan Chase (JPM) posted net income of $21.2 billion for the second quarter of 2026, the highest quarterly profit any United States bank has ever recorded. 

Earnings per share (EPS) landed at $7.70, up from $5.24 in the same period a year earlier, representing a 41% jump driven largely by surging trading activity, according to the company’s earnings release.

Equities trading revenue rose 86% year over year to $6 billion, while investment banking fees climbed 30% to $3.3 billion, their highest level since 2021. 

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J.P. Morgan now trades at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of about 15, compared with the banking sector’s average of 12, and a price-to-book (P/B) ratio of 2.7, against the sector’s 1.66, Motley Fool reported. 

Wells Fargo Securities bank analyst Mike Mayo, a managing director and head of U.S. large-cap bank research, put roughly two-thirds of J.P. Morgan’s six-year rise in market value down to earnings per share (EPS) doubling in an Aug. 13, 2026, note, Fortune reported.

Because that EPS growth was generated under Dimon’s operational framework, Mayo’s breakdown implies his imprint on the stock extends beyond the direct 10% to 15% premium to the earnings power the market is now pricing in.

The Jamie premium faces its biggest test since the financial crisis

The valuation gap between J.P. Morgan and its peers has persisted long enough for Wall Street to give it a formal name, the “Jamie premium,” and to attribute it to Dimon’s track record of navigating crises and expanding the bank’s footprint by acquiring weaker competitors at discounted prices.

Dimon has led J.P. Morgan through every stress cycle the market has thrown at the bank in that span, and no successor will inherit that record.

In the same note, Mayo flagged that the bank is trading near its peak forward earnings multiple since the 2008 financial crisis, Fortune reported leaving less cushion for a leadership stumble than at almost any point in nearly two decades.

Mayo has signaled that the leadership question will dominate investor conversations about J.P. Morgan through the transition window.

“CEO succession will likely remain a front-and-center topic,” Mayo wrote in the August note, according to Fortune.

J.P. Morgan’s valuation premium faces its toughest test as Jamie Dimon’s eventual succession raises questions about whether investors will keep paying for his track record.Bloomberg / Getty Images

J.P. Morgan’s succession pipeline narrows to Petno and Rohrbaugh

J.P. Morgan moved to narrow its leadership pipeline on June 25, 2026, naming Doug Petno and Troy Rohrbaugh as co-presidents of the company. 

Petno became CEO of the commercial and investment bank, while Rohrbaugh took over as CEO of consumer and community banking, Reuters reported.

The same June 25, 2026, announcement disclosed the retirement of Marianne Lake, who had been considered a leading candidate for the top job after more than 25 years at the bank.

Jamie Dimon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of J.P. Morgan Chase, addressed the succession question directly on the bank’s second-quarter 2026 earnings call in July, laying out a list of traits he considers non-negotiable for whoever eventually takes the corner office.

“You want to be good at management, you want to be good at people, you want to be analytical, you want to be detailed,” Dimon said at the earnings call. “You want to be a culture carrier. You want to be curious. You want to have heart. You want to have grit. You want to have soul.”

J.P. Morgan awarded Petno and Rohrbaugh retention bonuses of $30 million each, with vesting tied to a three-year minimum tenure and a return on tangible common equity (ROTCE) target of at least 12% for 2026-2028, CNBC reported. 

Dimon currently plans to stay as CEO for about three more years, though people familiar with his thinking told CNBC that the timeline could shift depending on circumstances.

J.P. Morgan’s Fed disclosure sits apart from the CEO story 

Both Mayo’s $2 trillion projection within seven to eight years and Morningstar’s wide-moat rating rest on the assumption that J.P. Morgan’s culture survives Dimon’s exit. 

Beyond those analyst frameworks, J.P. Morgan’s Federal Reserve-mandated stress capital buffer offers a separate supervisory-side benchmark. 

As a Category I firm under the Fed’s tailoring framework, J.P. Morgan has the highest capital buffer requirements among United States lenders. Material changes in that buffer can signal shifts in supervisory confidence before they appear in quarterly earnings. 

The annual disclosure runs on its own calendar, independent of earnings season and analyst modeling, and gives investors a data point tied to institutional health rather than management personality.

Related: J.P. Morgan says IPO wealth demands one first move

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Why we love this deal

Stud earrings are one of the most comfortable jewelry designs you can wear. They don’t dangle or get in the way, like some long earring options, and they tend to be very versatile. These types of earrings can be worn casually, for formal occasions, or on the days you want to get dressed up. There’s a lot of variety with the designs, too, making them all the more appealing to jewelry lovers.

The Swarovski Ariana Grande Heart Earrings are stud earrings with extra flair, and they’re on sale for only $64 at Amazon. They typically retail for $139, but thanks to a major discount, the price is marked down by 54%. It’s one of the best deals on these earrings you can buy right now, as they’re currently available at their regular price at stores like Nordstrom and Macy’s. And with more than 500 pairs of these earrings sold in just the last month, they’re worth grabbing for yourself or as a gift ahead of the holiday season.

Swarovski Ariana Grande Heart Earrings, $64 (was $139) at Amazon

Courtesy of Amazon

Shop at Amazon

Why do shoppers love it?

These earrings have an eye-catching heart-shaped design that’s a step up from simple, single-stone earrings. Measuring ⅜ inches long by ⅜ inches high, they sit nicely on the earlobes and add a ton of sparkle to any outfit. Each earring features a larger heart-shaped crystal in the center that’s surrounded by smaller accent stones. With a halo-like look and multiple stones, there are more opportunities for the light to catch it perfectly.

The heart-shaped stud earrings are crafted from rhodium-plated brass and come in a striking silver hue. Rhodium is known for being durable and corrosion-resistant, so you can wear these earrings daily without worrying about wear and tear.

As part of Swarovski’s Ariana Grande collection, there’s a lot more to love than just these earrings. The heart-shaped necklace is Amazon’s bestselling pendant necklace, and it’s 62% off. The heart-shaped bracelet and dangle heart necklace with stones and pearls are also customer favorites.

Related: Walmart’s bestselling Swarovski birthstone earrings are now 50% off

Details to know

Dimensions: ⅜ inches long by 3/8 inches high.

Style: Stud.

Material: Rhodium-plated brass and Swarovski crystals.

According to Amazon shoppers, these earrings are the “perfect gift,” especially for fans of the pop star and actress. One reviewer said they look “very elegant.” Another customer who bought them as a gift called them “any-occasion earrings,” adding that they shine beautifully. 

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Swarovski Attract Crystal Earrings, $40 (was $49) at Amazon

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Bestyle Birthstone Stud Earrings, $24 (was $29) at Amazon

The Swarovski Ariana Grande Heart Earrings make an incredible gift for yourself or for a loved one. They’re perfect for anyone who appreciates the finer things in life, but don’t necessarily need a price tag to prove it. On sale for only $64, with 54% off, it’s a deal you’re going to want to grab before it’s gone.

Samsung’s Fan Edition phones were predicated on a simple promise: Give consumers much of the flagship Galaxy experience without paying blockbuster costs.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE is testing that notion.

Samsung’s base model costs $699.99, $50 more than last year’s Galaxy S25 FE. Exynos 2500 processor is the biggest hardware upgrade, but the phone still has a 6.7-inch display, 4,900-mAh battery, and 50-megapixel-led triple-camera setup.

WIRED awarded the phone a 6/10 for that trade-off, saying the extra price is difficult to explain given the modest upgrades year after year. The report also mentioned a decrease on USB-C, from USB 3.2 to USB 2.0, meaning no wired DeX or DisplayPort Alt Mode compatibility.

The pricing decision looks more interesting when you consider Samsung’s financial results.

Its smartphone business is still growing sales, but higher component costs are putting profitability under pressure.

The price choice becomes more fascinating when you look at Samsung’s financial performance.

Its smartphone industry is still seeing sales growth, but increased component prices are hurting profits.

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE asks buyers to pay more for familiar hardware

The Galaxy S26 FE is packed with a host of compelling features.

It also has a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, a 4,900 mAh battery with 45-watt wired charging, and cameras that include a 50-megapixel primary sensor and 3x optical telephoto lens.

It comes with Android 17 and One UI 9, and Samsung guarantees seven generations of operating-system upgrades and seven years of security patches.

But the value proposition is being stretched on both ends.

The base model Samsung Galaxy S26 begins at $899.99 for 256GB of storage, while the S26 FE starts at $699.99 for 128GB. That means consumers are $200 short of Samsung’s entire flagship lineup before any incentives or trade-ins are applied.

At the other end, Samsung’s Galaxy A37 starts at $449.99, $250 below the S26 FE.

Samsung’s mobile business is facing a profitability squeeze

The $50 rise comes amid an unfavorable financial background for Samsung’s smartphone unit.

Samsung Electronics generated record companywide sales of 171.5 trillion Korean won in the second quarter, while its Mobile eXperience and Networks divisions reported revenue of 33.2 trillion won and an operating loss of 700 billion won.

Samsung said mobile revenue nonetheless rose year-over-year, driven by strong Galaxy S26 sales and progress in the Galaxy A series, but earnings fell due to industrywide component cost increases.

It wasn’t all that fresh a pressure, though. Samsung said its Device eXperience segment profited from the introduction of new flagship devices in the first quarter, but the increased expenses still impacted its profits.

Those findings don’t indicate that Samsung boosted the S26 FE pricing expressly to safeguard profits.

But they do illustrate why selling more costly phones is important as hardware prices climb.

Samsung’s $700 S26 FE faces cheaper Android rivals.Bloomberg / Getty Images

Samsung faces a crowded fight for the $700 smartphone buyer

The bigger difficulty is that there are many choices for customers.

Google’s (GOOGL) Pixel 11 begins at $899, making Google’s latest flagship $200 more than the S26 FE.

However, most genuine Android rivals are far below Samsung’s $700 asking price. The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro costs $499 for 128 GB of storage, which is around $200 cheaper than the S26 FE.

Motorola’s Moto G Stylus 2026 joins the party with a 6.7-inch 120-Hz AMOLED display, 8 GB of RAM, a 5,200-mAh battery, and 68-watt cable charging, adding to the competition for consumers who don’t require a flagship.

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Samsung still provides major benefits, like extensive software support, a telescopic camera, and tight interaction with the greater Galaxy ecosystem.

But the S26 FE poses a tougher difficulty for the corporation.

As its Fan Edition cost comes closer to flagship level, the more consumers may wonder why they shouldn’t just wait for a Galaxy S26 deal and acquire the stronger phone instead. Meanwhile, value-driven customers may save hundreds of dollars by going farther down Samsung’s own portfolio or picking a competition.

That makes the Galaxy S26 FE more than an incremental smartphone launch.

It is a test of how much pricing power Samsung really has in the middle of the market.

The phone itself may be perfectly capable. At $700, capability may no longer be enough.

Related: Samsung is shutting down two apps it once bragged about

After decades of being able to fly into cities like London and Edinburgh with nothing but a plane ticket and a valid passport, both North Americans and Europeans who traveled to the United Kingdom since 2025 learned that they now need to apply for an online electronic travel authorisation (ETA) prior to their first trip.

The process is relatively easy: Most will, after applying online on the British government portal and paying £20, be approved within minutes for multiple entries over two years. But those who do not remember to do this and do not have an ETA attached to their passport can be refused boarding by the airline or entry by the border guard upon arrival.

With the ETA requirement now in place for more than a year, the “transitionary period” in which a tourist can pass it off to not being aware has mostly come to an end. Last week, the U.S. State Department updated its travel advisory for the UK to reflect the British government’s message of “no permission, no travel.”

‘All U.S. citizens traveling to the United Kingdom must have an ETA before travel:’ U.S. State Department

“All U.S. citizens traveling to the United Kingdom for tourism, family visits, business meetings, conferences, or short-term study for six months or less must have an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before travel,” the State Department now states in the “Travel Requirements” section of its travel advisory page for the UK.

An added section says that the U.S. government “cannot help with your UK visa application and also “cannot press for your admission into the UK” if one is denied entry.

Related: Country reintroduces travel restrictions for Americans and Brits

The ETA is meant to vet low-risk travelers and automate the entry process once one arrives to a British airport. Most travelers without a history of past overstay or criminal offenses get approved within a few minutes and, once they have the authorization digitally attached to their passport, can then use the same e-gates as British citizens.

If those do not open automatically, one gets redirected to a customs agent for additional questioning.

Travelers are being warned of scammers who try to capitalize on confusion around ETA requirements.Shutterstock

As UK requires travel authorisation, ETA scams are on the rise

The United States has had a similar Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) requirement for UK and European travelers since 2008.

Amid widespread confusion around the ETA and how to apply for one, countless scammers have been operating websites that seize upon Google search optimization to deceive travelers into paying for unnecessary application help.

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The most common scheme is an application website that either impersonates the British government website or promises to “fast-track” an application without any ability to do so. The website is optimized to be one of the first things a traveler sees when they type things like “apply for travel authorization to UK” into a search engine.In each case, the company will charge a fee substantially higher than the £20 that the ETA would cost for the traveler to apply through the government app independently. Meanwhile, any promised “application help” they provide cannot go beyond entering one’s personal passport details into an online application portal already accessible to all.

Travelers without a history of criminal conviction or past visa overstay are already usually automatically approved within minutes, while those who got flagged will go through a government vetting process over which a private company would have no control.

Related: The latest tourist tax could soon come to all of England

TheStreet aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.

Why we love this deal

Bedrooms of all sizes can benefit from multifunctional furniture. Rather than buying a bed frame, side tables, and a lamp separately, there are options that combine them all effortlessly. And even though that sounds expensive, that’s not always the case. Luckily, places like Walmart are stocked with multifunctional bed frames that provide storage and so much more.

The Satifur Storage Bed Frame and Headboard is currently on sale at Walmart. Thanks to a limited-time Flash deal, the queen-size option is now $133, which is 43% off its regular price of $234. It offers comfort and convenience, all for under $150.

Satifur Storage Bed Frame and Headboard, $133 (was $234) at Walmart

Courtesy of Walmart

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Why do shoppers love it?

This bed frame is more than just a place to put your mattress. With extra features, it provides additional storage, as well as added bonuses that make it possibly one of the most convenient pieces of bedroom furniture you can buy. For starters, it has under-bed storage. At the foot of the bed, there are two pull-out drawers that measure 29.1 inches long by 11.8 inches high each, which offer ample storage for clothing or extra bedding. They have upholstered panels that look like they’re part of the bed frame, making them concealed and stylish. There’s also ample under-bed space to hide away other items or add extra storage bins. 

With this bed frame, you don’t have to go out and buy a headboard either. It comes with its own headboard that gives you a ton of bang for your buck. The bottom half of the headboard has a tufted channel design that’s padded for comfort, but on top, there’s extra storage and more. The built-in shelving system has four compartments and a long top shelf where you can store everything from books to small pieces of decor. There are built-in multicolor light strips that provide ambient lighting that you can control with an app or a remote. Then, there’s a charging station that includes two AC outlets, a USB port, and a USB Type-C port that allows you to charge your devices from the comfort of your bed.

Related: Macy’s has a $80 3-piece comforter set with a 2-in-1 reversible design for 70% off 

Details to know

Sizes: Full, queen, and king.

Storage: Headboard shelves and two under-bed drawers.

Features: RGB LED lights and charging station with AC outlets and USB ports.

Walmart shoppers raved about this bed frame, highlighting everything from its storage to its lighting. One reviewer said they like how it’s set up, saying it’s “perfect” for their small room, thanks to its many compartments. Shoppers say they love the lights on the headboard, adding that they “work well.”

When it comes to assembly, some reviewers say it was quick while others say it took them longer. A reviewer noted that while it took them “most of the day” to put together, they shared that “it wouldn’t take long for two people.”

Shop more deals

Satifur Bed Frame with Upholstered Storage Headboard, $115 (was $173) at Walmart

Lifezone Bed Frame with 2-Tier Storage Headboard, $140 (was $225) at Walmart

Blotout Storage Bed Frame with LED Light and Charging Station, $140 (was $230) at Walmart

The queen-size Satifur Storage Bed Frame and Headboard is on sale for only $133. Since it’s a Flash deal, it’ll be gone by the end of the week, making it one discount you don’t want to sleep on.

TheStreet aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.

Few things have gotten more press coverage in recent weeks than the discussions of AI and its potential impacts on our society. It’s a technology that’s been floating around in our collective imagination for decades, but has only recently become a tangible reality. While much of the discussion as of late has been focused on its potential negative impacts for humans, there are also a whole host of benefits that this development brings along with it. From helping create your shopping list to developing a business plan, AI is becoming connected to our daily lives in ways we never imagined.

We’ve all seen the reports lately of politicians and activists clamoring for more oversight and regulation when it comes to artificial intelligence development. At the same time, a number of major companies are shifting their focus to AI, and some are even making it the centerpiece of their investment strategy. Whether that’s a wise decision or not remains to be seen, but it’s definitely a forward-thinking attempt to stay relevant in an industry that continues to change by the minute. It also continues to gain steam as a long-term investment strategy for major firms around the world.

On a smaller scale, you can also invest in this paradigm shift in a few different ways. Of course, there are an increasing number of companies that you can invest in on the shareholder level. However, if you prefer to keep things on an even smaller scale, you can take advantage of one of the most personal impacts that AI is having on consumers. New tablets and laptops are being equipped with a number of AI tools to make your work and play easier and more enjoyable. We found one 2-in-1 laptop and tablet at Amazon that makes AI a central part of its operations, and it also happens to be on sale.

Suicoey AI-Enhanced 2-In-1 Laptop and Tablet

Courtesy of Amazon

Check price at Amazon

The Suicoey AI-Enhanced 2-in-1 Laptop and Tablet is a great option for anyone looking to incorporate AI into their daily life in a helpful and accessible way. This 10-inch laptop and tablet combination device is the ideal machine for both work and entertainment. It has a 2-terabyte (TB)  memory capacity when you utilize the MicroSD memory expansion port, as well as a high-speed processor and dual cameras. However, the most intriguing feature of this machine is how it integrates AI into almost every aspect of its operation.

The tablet is pre-loaded with the Android 16 operating system. This OS utilizes the most advanced AI systems you can get right now on a personal computing device at this price point. It includes AI-integrated theft protection, AI-powered notification summaries, and a number of AI-enabled photo and video tools. The most impressive AI function of all, though, is the Gemini AI personal assistant that’s included with the tablet. It can literally do almost any task you need. All you have to do is say the word, and Gemini can make it happen. It’s one of the most revolutionary tools ever put into a computer at any price point, and it makes this machine a masterpiece. 

Benefits of AI-enabled laptops and tablets

There are lots of advantages to a personal computer of any type with extended AI features. The first of these is increased productivity. Whether it’s the AI-summarized notifications, the operating system’s ability to explain lengthy articles in just a few sentences, or predictive application availability based on your previous behaviors, artificial intelligence can make work feel like a breeze. If the tablet in question also has an AI personal assistant, then there’s literally no limit to what you can accomplish in a single workday.

Additionally, AI laptops and tablets have what’s called smart resource allocation. This is a way for the operating system’s artificial intelligence to manage the applications and operations of the computer in a way that maximizes battery life. Because these devices are meant to be portable, it’s extremely important that you get the most out of every charge. AI-enabled machines like the one above use AI to minimize the processing power used by background operations, thereby extending the battery life when not plugged in.

Seamless software integration is another benefit of AI-enhanced devices. Android 16 uses its AI functionality to track your software usage patterns. It then dynamically predicts and pre-loads the apps that it thinks you’re most likely to use. For those who regularly focus on two or three primary programs or applications in their daily work, this is a huge advantage. It means you don’t have to constantly open and ready each app from scratch every time you start the machine. It’s loaded and ready to go the second you are.

More AI-enhanced laptops and tablets

If the Suicoey AI-Enhanced 2-in-1 Laptop and Tablet doesn’t pique your interest, no worries. There are lots of other similar AI-enhanced computing devices available at Amazon. Below is a list of some of our favorites. We’re confident you’ll find at least one to your liking. Just don’t wait too long to buy, as most of these are currently for sale at relatively low prices, which means they’re likely to sell out fast.

Relndoo 10-Inch AI-Enabled Tablet

Courtesy of Amazon

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Yobanse Gemini AI-Enhanced Tablet

Courtesy of Amazon

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Yleebg Android 16 AI Features Tablet

Courtesy of Amazon

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Ecopad Android 15 AI-Enabled Tablet

Courtesy of Amazon

Check price at Amazon

TheStreet Shopping is your guide for shopping insights and advice. We look beyond the price tag to find the best value in home, tech, and wellness gear based on product features and real-world use. Read more about our Editorial Standards and How We Choose Our Shopping Deals.