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The Street

Amazon is selling a ‘strong and stable’ 5-tier metal wire storage shelf for $50

September 5, 2026 MMN Editor Filed Under: Uncategorized

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

Keeping the house tidy can be a huge undertaking, especially if you have a big family and lots of hobbies! The easiest way to find storage for belongings is a simple shelf big enough to hold everything.

Amazon has this sleek, simple M Mzg 5-tier Metal Storage Wire Shelf on sale for just $50, and it has five large shelves to store tons of items.

M Mzg 5-tier Metal Storage Wire Shelf, $50 at Amazon

Courtesy of Amazon

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Why do shoppers love it?

This shelf is made of powder-coated carbon steel with 19.1 millimeter pipes. This strong material can hold up to 250 pounds per shelf, which gives you tons of options for storage while also giving you peace of mind. Each shelf is adjustable, which allows you to customize the storage potential.

Related: Amazon has a heavy-duty 4-tier wire shelf that can hold up to 800 pounds on sale for only $29

This shelf can maximize storage efficiency in smaller places due to its footprint of just 11.8 inches, which makes it great for laundry rooms or garages. The rack is also quick and easy to set up, which means less hassle and more storage. The feet are adjustable to even out the shelf on uneven floors.

Details to know

Size: This shelf is 11.8 inches deep by 29.5 inches wide and 59.5 inches tall.

Color: Black

Weight: Each shelf can hold 250 pounds.

One reviewer said, “I love this shelving unit. I needed something to hold my printer and paper; it’s a great spot for my purse, too. It’s sturdy and fits into small spaces. It’s light, but the metal is so strong. It works really well for my purpose. It’s definitely a good buy.” Another buyer said, “The shelving unit works well, it’s strong and stable. It’s relatively easy to adjust the height of the individual shelves, making the unit fully customizable to fit the needs of your space. We ended up building it within a closet to create a pseudo-pantry space, and it has been great.”

Shop more deals

Sakugi 5-Tier Shelf Organizer, $45 (was $55) at Amazon

Homdox 5-Tier Steel Wire Shelving Unit, $80 (was $90) at Amazon

The M Mzg 5-tier Metal Storage Wire Shelf is sturdy, sleek, and easy to put together, making it a great option for anyone who needs a bit more storage space!

Macy’s has an ‘elegant’ $200 5-piece comforter set with floral embroidery for 70% off

September 4, 2026 MMN Editor Filed Under: Uncategorized

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

I’m in the midst of DIY home renovations, and while it will be rewarding down the road, it’s a long and challenging process at this point. If you’ve been thinking your bedroom could use a refresh, take it from me, there’s an easier way than repainting the walls and replacing the carpets. All you really need to makeover a bedroom is a stunning new bedspread, which can transform the overall look and feeling of your space. 

Finding the ultimate comforter or quilt isn’t just about its appearance, although that’s a huge factor. Since it’s a piece you’ll be snuggling up to every night, it’s also important for a bedspread to be plush and cozy. The Macy’s Jansy Embroidered 5-Piece Comforter Set with intricate floral stitching is one of the most gorgeous comforter sets we’ve ever seen, and it’s nice and fluffy so you can snooze peacefully when wrapped up in it. Best of all, the $200 bedding bundle is now 70% off at Macy’s, so you can get the comforter, matching pillow shams, and decorative pillows for just $60 with this limited-time deal if you act fast.

Macy’s Jansy Embroidered 5-Piece Comforter Set, $60 (was $200) at Macy’s

Courtesy of Macy’s

Shop at Macy’s

Why do shoppers love it?

The captivating embroidered design of this comforter is what really sets it apart. The base of the comforter is a crisp white, which will brighten up your bedroom, making it feel bigger and airier. The bottom of the bedspread has scattered swirls of embroidered floral vines in various shades of green that flourish toward the top and stop one-third of the way up. It provides the perfect amount of wow-factor without overwhelming the space. The intricate stitching against a clean canvas is elegant in its simplicity, giving the bedding a sense of timeless charm that would look great in a rustic farmhouse, cottagecore, or boho-eclectic bedroom.

Related: Labor Day mattress sales offer up to 65% off top brands like Serta, Sealy, and more

The majority of shoppers have great things to say about this comforter set, rating it a perfect five stars. One reviewer raved, “It adds a nice touch of sophistication,” highlighting that “the fabric is incredibly soft, and the floral embroidery looks so elegant.” The soft material is made from 100% polyester, so the comforter set is machine washable. Despite the elaborate stitching details, you won’t have to take this set to the dry cleaner, so there’s no extra hassle on laundry day. As a bonus, the comforter is stuffed with extra filling, so it’s nice and fluffy, deliver medium-warmth for year-round use.

Details to know 

Pieces in set: The five-piece comforter set includes a comforter, two matching pillow shams, a square decorative pillow, and a rectangular decorative pillow.

Comforter sizes: The comforter set comes in full/queen and king sizes, both of which are on sale for $60.

Material: 100% polyester.

Is it machine-washable?: Yes.

One advantage of this comforter set is that the medium-warmth bedding can be used every season, so you won’t have to switch it out in winter or summer. “The duvet cover is a crisp, pure white with beautiful embroidered floral details,” wrote one shopper, who agreed that “the fabric is soft and right for all seasons.”

Shop more deals

Macy’s Jasmine Floral 3-Piece Comforter Set, $24 (was $80) at Macy’s

Macy’s Jaylyn Embroidered 5-Piece Comforter Set, $60 (was $200) at Macy’s

Macy’s Henly Embroidered 5-Piece Comforter Set, $60 (was $200) at Macy’s

Don’t miss your chance to score the Macy’s Jansy Embroidered 5-Piece Comforter Set for just $60 at Macy’s. This is a Last Chance Sale, so once the bedding sells out, it will be gone for good.

SpaceX is now in your 401(k), and Musk is the risk

September 4, 2026 MMN Editor Filed Under: Uncategorized

SpaceX went public in June 2026 in the largest initial public offering in history, raising about $75 billion at a valuation approaching $1.8 trillion, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 

Add Tesla’s roughly $1.5 trillion market capitalization, and Elon Musk now sits at the center of more than $3 trillion in combined market value, 24/7 Wall St reported.

The mechanics of how SpaceX landed inside those retirement accounts traced back to a Nasdaq rule change earlier this year.

What sits inside those shares now deserves closer attention. The disclosure, buried in the company’s prospectus, has drawn scrutiny from governance experts and pension fund leaders who spoke to CNN.

SpaceX told regulators it may not be able to replace Musk

SpaceX’s IPO prospectus described Musk as essential to the company’s growth, innovation, and operational strategy.

The filing stated that finding a suitable successor with his abilities could be prolonged and uncertain, with no assurance of success, CNN reported.

Musk holds roughly 82% to 84% of SpaceX’s voting power through a super-voting share structure, which effectively prevents the board from removing him without his own consent, Motley Fool reported. 

That concentration of control has drawn scrutiny from Nicolas Owens, an equity analyst for Morningstar, whose initiation note flagged Musk’s dual-class voting control and the related-party nature of the February 2026 xAI merger as governance concerns.

Tim Quigley, a professor of Strategic Leadership & Governance at the International Institute for Management Development, told CNN that investors are likely underestimating SpaceX’s key-person exposure.

I think the market is probably underpricing the risk.

Ross Gerber, CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management, described the exposure in blunter terms, stating that a large portion of SpaceX’s value is tied directly to Musk. 

Gerber told The Information that SpaceX has no succession plan and no future if Musk dies. 

The forced-buying pipeline is already open

SpaceX joined the Nasdaq-100 on July 7, 2026, just 15 trading days after its public debut, in the fastest major index inclusion on record, CNBC reported.

Once a stock enters a major index, every fund tracking that benchmark must purchase shares at the prevailing price, regardless of valuation or fundamentals. 

That mechanical buying pushed millions of retirement savers into a SpaceX position at roughly $160, well above the level the stock has traded at since July 2026, according to 24/7 Wall St.

More SpaceX:

Morgan Stanley says SpaceX investors miss the bigger story

Peter Schiff says SpaceX is a warning for hyped stocks

SpaceX stock defies latest Wall Street forecasts

Buying flowed into the largest Nasdaq-100 trackers, including Invesco’s QQQ and the Invesco Nasdaq-100 ETF (QQQM). It also reached the Fidelity Nasdaq Composite Index Fund (FNCMX) and target-date or index sleeves within employer 401(k) plans that track the benchmark.

The S&P 500, in contrast, has not added SpaceX because the company does not meet the index’s profitability and public float requirements. 

A 401(k) holding only S&P 500 index funds carries no direct SpaceX exposure, which makes the gap between benchmarks meaningful for retirement savers.

SpaceX’s rapid Nasdaq-100 inclusion pushed retirement funds and millions of 401(k) savers into exposure at elevated prices.Jacob Wackerhausen / Getty Images

Morningstar’s numbers underscore SpaceX’s valuation gap

Owens assigns SpaceX a fair value estimate of $62, less than half its current trading price near $140. 

That gap produces a price-to-fair-value ratio of roughly 2.3, making SpaceX one of the most expensive stocks in Morningstar’s coverage universe.

SpaceX posted $18.7 billion in revenue in 2025, alongside a net loss of $4.9 billion, with losses widening in the first quarter of 2026. 

The firm has noted that SpaceX’s lofty valuation implies investors will need to wait decades for earnings to grow into the company’s multiples.

What Apple’s Jobs transition reveals about SpaceX’s blind spot

The closest historical comparison to SpaceX’s key-person exposure is Apple under Steve Jobs, who co-founded the company and led it until his death in 2011. 

A fabricated 2008 post on CNN’s iReport, a user-submitted citizen-journalism platform, claiming Steve Jobs had suffered a major heart attack, sent Apple shares down roughly 10% in minutes, exposing the fragility of founder-dependent valuations, CNNMoney reported.

Tesla has shown similar sensitivity to news about Musk’s availability, focus, and commitment to the company’s core operations and long-term strategy. 

Tesla shares lost roughly half their value between January and April 2025, when Musk shifted his attention to leading the Department of Government Efficiency, according to CNN.

He did not leave the company. He did not fall ill. He simply redirected his focus, and the market repriced Tesla accordingly.

Jobs, however, took steps SpaceX has not, building an internal executive training initiative known as Apple University years before his resignation, which came six weeks before his death. 

By the time Tim Cook formally took over in August 2011, Wall Street viewed him as a credible successor, and Apple stock recovered quickly.

Craig Crossland, John V. Roach Dean of Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University, told CNN the central question is whether Musk’s vision has been institutionalized. 

When asked if that transfer of leadership capability had occurred, Crossland said, “I don’t think we’ve had the opportunity to see that.”

What SpaceX’s succession gap means for your retirement savings

The weak spot is not hidden. It is named in the SpaceX prospectus, visible in the January-to-April 2025 Tesla chart, and locked in place by supermajority voting control that outside shareholders cannot dilute.

The key-person risk disclosed in SpaceX’s prospectus, as CNN reported, reaches anyone holding Nasdaq-100 exposure in a retirement account. 

Dan Ives, partner and senior managing director at Yorkville Ives & Co., told CNN that investors treat the key-person risk as a background factor rather than an active threat. 

But it remains embedded in every share, and SpaceX will eventually have to address succession publicly.

Morningstar’s fair value estimate leaves passive investors carrying a valuation premium that the company’s own admissions do not underwrite.

That exposure is present even when SpaceX does not appear in a fund’s top-line name, and fund-level holdings reports are the only place it surfaces at the plan-participant level.

Related: Elon Musk drops stunning SpaceX forecast

An American Airlines plane now has one-fifth of its seats lie flat

September 4, 2026 MMN Editor Filed Under: Uncategorized

As part of the carrier’s efforts to reach more high-fare travelers with its new Flagship Suite business class, American Airlines is retrofitting 67 Boeing 777 planes to feature more lie-flat and other premium seating.

Twenty of the Boeing 777-300ER widebody jetliners in the carrier’s fleet are in the process of being equipped with the new Flagship Suites, while 47 of American’s older Boeing 777-200ER are also being retrofitted to include more of the regular lie-flat business class and premium economy seats.

With the retrofitting of all 20 Boeing 777-300ER planes expected to be finished by mid-2027, American Airlines debuted its first glowed-up plane with 114 premium seats on a Sept. 2 flight between its hub at Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and JFK.

American Airlines debuts 1st retrofitted Boeing 777 with 70 Flagship Suite business seats

The Flagship Suites, which the airline debuted in June 2025, are placed within the aircraft in a one-two-one configuration and feature a sliding door and lie-flat bed with a width of 22 inches. The Boeing 777-300ER that returned to service after a monthslong renovation has, out of the 330 total seats, 70 in Flagship and 44 in Premium Economy.

Out of the plane’s 216 Main Cabin economy seats, 30 have been equipped with extra legroom. The Premium Economy seats are placed in a two-four-two configuration and feature privacy headrest wings and adjustable calf and footrests while each Main Cabin seat comes with a personal seatback entertainment seat and personal power outlet and USB ports.

Related: What does it mean to fly business on a vacation airline

Prior to the retrofit, the Boeing 777-300ER used by American was configured to have eight Flagship First, 52 Flagship Business, 28 Premium Economy, 28 Main Cabin Extra, and 188 Main Cabin seats.

After the celebratory charter flight to mark the plane’s return into service, the first commercial flight on the retrofitted Boeing 777-300ER flew from New York (JFK) to Buenos Aires (EZE) later on the same day on Sept. 2.

As more retrofitted seats reenter service, the airline’s older Flagship First most premium travel offering will officially be retired at the end of November.

The 330-seat plane also features 44 Premium Economy seats.American Airlines

What are the new American Airlines Flagship Suites seats like?

The biggest difference between Flagship Suites and Flagship First comes down to offering travelers more privacy from both their neighbor and the aisle through the slide door as well as.

This is in addition to tech upgrades, including larger 4K 17-inch touchscreens and Bluetooth connectivity, a configuration and angling that gives travelers more space to spread out away from the aisle.

More Travel News:

Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.

There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas

Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026

Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka

The new fare class could previously be experienced only on select Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and Airbus A321XLRs planes that the airline ordered new from the maker.

This Boeing 777-300ER will be used by American on long-haul routes to cities such as Buenos Aires, London, Tokyo, São Paulo and Sydney. On some of the longer flights, a passenger in Flagship Suites would pay as much as $10,000 for a return flight so the plane is allocated to routes calculated to be most likely to bring in the largest number of high-spending travelers looking to fly in style.

Related: What to do if you’re in Frankfurt for a short or long layover

Walmart’s farmhouse kitchen pantry cabinet is just $74 ahead of Labor Day

September 4, 2026 MMN Editor Filed Under: Uncategorized

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

Trying to get a kitchen organized can feel impossible without enough storage. With little counter space or cabinets, it can get cluttered quickly. And it’s even harder to get your kitchen in order when you have a lot of snacks and pantry essentials. Freestanding pantry cabinets can help, as they provide additional storage for almost all of your kitchen needs.

The Asofer Pantry Storage Cabinet at Walmart is on sale for just $74 ahead of Labor Day, and it’s quite the steal. With four cabinets and a lot of shelving, it provides just the right amount of storage without taking up too much space, making it a great fit for small kitchens.

Asofer Pantry Storage Cabinet, $74 (was $160) at Walmart

Courtesy of Walmart

Shop at Walmart

Why do shoppers love it?

Some compact cabinets have limited storage, but at just 24 inches long, this Walmart find has a lot to offer. The top two doors have three compartments to store everything from food containers to baking necessities. But behind the two doors, there are additional open-shelf racks for items like cans, beverages, and more. The two bottom doors open up to reveal a compartment that you can use to house more pantry essentials or small kitchen appliances. It’s a great area to store a microwave if you have limited countertop space or want to hide it away for a more minimalist kitchen look.

In a crisp white color, you get the most timeless farmhouse design. The vertical slats on the door panel give it just the right amount of visual interest without taking away from its ability to blend into any space. Not only is the white colorway neutral, but it’s also the most affordable, with a sale price of $74. There are black and dark brown options available, too, but the prices vary.

Related: Walmart is selling a 3-drawer mini dresser for only $50

Details to know

Storage: Four compartments and shelving on doors.

Colors: White, dark brown, and black.

Material: Wood composite and medium-density fiberboard.

According to Walmart shoppers, this pantry storage cabinet “fits beautifully” in a kitchen, even if it’s a small space. One reviewer said it offers “lots of storage space,” adding that it’s just what they needed, since they have few cupboards in their home. “It is well made, the materials are nice and sturdy, [and it’s] not wobbly at all. Very easy to assemble, [and the] instructions are easy to follow,” they added.

In addition to being used as a kitchen pantry, some shoppers made the most of the extra storage space and used it for art supplies. It can also be used in a dining room to store extra dinnerware or in a bathroom for cleaning supplies, toiletries, and more.

Shop more deals

Lofka Pantry Cabinet, $86 (was $110) at Walmart

Noelse Food Pantry Cabinet with Drawers, $50 (was $100) at Walmart

Behost Kitchen Pantry Cabinet, $99 (was $190) at Walmart

The Asofer Pantry Storage Cabinet is on sale for only $74, which is a great deal for the storage you’re getting.

U.S. just secured control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves

September 4, 2026 MMN Editor Filed Under: Uncategorized

Every few years, someone promises Americans a fix for the number on the corner gas station sign.

Right now, that number reads $4.12 for a gallon of regular, according to AAA. In January, it read $2.81. That gap is one of the more expensive things to happen to American households this year, and almost none of it traces back to anything a household did.

It traces to a war. U.S. strikes on Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz have pushed Brent crude to roughly $95 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate to about $91, according to Trading Economics.

Crude is close to half of what you pay at the pump, so every dollar of that shows up in your tank within a couple of weeks. It’s why a fix involving the largest proven oil reserves on the planet gets everyone’s attention.

One arrived this week. I read the actual terms rather than the announcement, and my analysis says the relief most people are picturing is somewhere between one and 10 years away.

Venezuela’s National Assembly voted Sept. 1 to hand Washington preferential access to 17 oil fields holding about 65 billion barrels, roughly a fifth of the country’s reserves. Energy Secretary Chris Wright landed in Caracas that night. The deal was signed Wednesday, Sept. 2.

Then Chevron (CVX) put more than $7 billion behind it.

Why Venezuela’s oil reserves went dark for two decades

Venezuela sits on more than 303 billion barrels of proven crude, the largest stockpile on earth, according to OPEC. It is also, by any honest reading of the last 20 years, the worst-run oil patch on earth.

Production peaked above 3 million barrels a day in the late 1990s. Hugo Chávez completed nationalization of the industry in 2007, pushing ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips out of the country. Both are still pursuing compensation nearly two decades later.

What followed was underinvestment, collapsing pipeline and power infrastructure, and sanctions. Output fell to roughly 1.1 million barrels a day by mid-2026, according to Reuters. Chevron stayed the whole time. It has operated in Venezuela since 1923.

That history matters because it sets the realistic clock on any recovery. Barrels in the ground are not barrels in a tanker.

Venezuela approved Washington access to 17 oil fields, while Chevron pledged more than $7 billion in investment.Bloomberg / Getty Images

What Washington actually got in the Venezuela oil deal

The structure is the part almost nobody is talking about, and it is genuinely without precedent in modern American energy policy.

The 17 fields carry 100-year rights held by North American Blue Energy Partners, Venezuela’s second-largest private oil company. A new entity is being created around them.

The U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of Strategic Capital takes a 35% equity stake in it, and the State Department is entitled to buy 20% of output at production cost, according to Euronews.

Related: Is Trump’s big, splashy Venezuela oil deal real?

U.S. citizens must form a majority of the board. Washington holds a veto over who sits on it.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the arrangement as an agreement with the U.S. government itself, specifically the Defense Department, “which holds a special account allowing it to take possession” of a share of the assets, according to Euronews.

Read that again. The Pentagon is now an equity holder in an oil company.

Here is the deal by the numbers:

65 billion barrels across 17 fields, on 100-year rights, Euronews noted

35% U.S. government equity stake in the new venture, according to Euronews

$7 billion Chevron investment through 2031, Reuters noted

600,000 barrels a day Chevron target, up from about 280,000, Reuters reported

303 billion barrels in total Venezuelan proven reserves, OPEC confirmed

The administration’s case is that U.S. control ends the corruption that hollowed out PDVSA, counters Russian and Chinese positions in the hemisphere, and lowers prices for American drivers. “Today is a transformative day,” Wright said in Caracas, according to NBC News.

The objections are on the record, too. Opposition lawmakers in Caracas abstained from the vote, saying they had not been shown the written terms.

NABEP is owned by Alejandro Betancourt, who has faced money-laundering investigations in Spain and Switzerland without charges being filed and has been accused of involvement in a PDVSA corruption scheme. A U.S. official called him a “proven operator,” the New York Post reported, although the official conceded that geopolitics sometimes means dealing with imperfect figures.

Why cheaper gas is not the near-term payoff here

Chevron’s commitment is the most concrete thing in this story. The company will invest more than $7 billion through 2031 to lift its Venezuelan output to roughly 600,000 barrels a day from about 280,000 now, with new acreage in the Orinoco Belt.

The number that actually matters is buried in the company’s own guidance. Total production costs are expected to run under $20 a barrel.

Chevron CEO Mike Wirth said the existing roads, water, and power make the economics unlike a greenfield project, noting that “our ability to grow at low cost is quite different,” according to Reuters.

More Energy:

Tesla stock investors stand to gain from U.S. power grid

Is Trump’s big, splashy Venezuela oil deal real?

Chevron stock turns heads as company strikes fresh oil

Sub-$20 barrels in a $90 world is a margin story, not a pump story.

Because on the pump side, the timing does not work. Analysts put the wait for meaningful new barrels at anywhere from one to 10 years. Washington is putting no money into the venture, arguing its backing alone will draw private capital. Wright projects Venezuelan output of 2 million barrels a day by the end of the decade.

The end of the decade is four years out. Your next fill-up might be tomorrow.

Exxon is not buying it, either. A spokesman recently said that nothing has changed at the company, according to the Associated Press, and Exxon’s CEO called Venezuela “uninvestable” earlier this year, as Politico reported.

President Donald Trump has said Exxon is going into Venezuela, Reuters noted. Exxon says otherwise.

What the Venezuela oil deal means for your money

If you own energy exposure, this is a cost-curve event, and you should treat it as one. A supermajor adding 320,000 barrels a day at less than $20 of cost while crude trades near $90 shows up in free cash flow long before it shows up at a gas station. That is the trade, and it is a slow one.

If you do not own energy exposure, the honest read is that nothing about your November heating bill or your commute changed on Sept. 2. What moves your pump price between now and the midterms is Hormuz, not Caracas.

The part worth filing away is the precedent. The U.S. government did not buy oil. It bought equity, board control, and a call on output at cost. If that structure works, it will not stay in Venezuela.

Watch the barrel count, not the announcements. Venezuela has produced ambitious oil plans for 20 years. What it has not produced is oil.

Related: $90 oil makes a sudden, unwelcome comeback

Amazon’s $130 military-style smartwatch is 75% off during its Labor Day sale

September 4, 2026 MMN Editor Filed Under: Uncategorized

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

Smartwatches are popular wearable devices that you can find on the wrists of people all over the country. They’ve become extensions of our smartphones, keeping us connected with notifications, but also serve as fitness trackers to keep an eye on overall health. While some brands are incredibly pricey, there are plenty that are budget-friendly, despite having so many features.

The Soudorv S50 Military Smartwatch is on sale for only $33 during Amazon’s big Labor Day sale. It was originally $130, but thanks to a limited-time deal, you can get the device for 75% off. With a rugged look, it has a unique appearance compared to traditional smartwatches on the market.

Soudorv S50 Military Smartwatch, $33 (was $130) at Amazon

Courtesy of Amazon

Shop at Amazon

Why do shoppers love it?

This isn’t your average smartwatch. With a military-style design, it has a rugged look with a durable design. It’s passed 12 military-grade tests and has the ability to withstand everything from dust to mud. Its IP68 waterproof rating means it can also hold up against water, whether you’re washing your hands or get caught in the rain. With a built-in LED flashlight, it can light the way in dark areas up to 5 meters ahead. 

With wellness tracking, it can monitor your heart rate, stress levels, and sleep patterns. It has more than 110 exercise modes to choose from, including hiking, yoga, and running. And it’s not just your health that it keeps you up to date on. Its Bluetooth connectivity syncs with your phone, giving you the ability to make and answer calls directly from your wrist. You can also get notifications from apps like Facebook, Instagram, and more.

Its long battery life is also worth noting. It can last up to 18 days with daily use, but on standby, it can stretch for up to 50 days. When you need to recharge, it only takes 2 hours to fully power back up.

Related: Amazon’s $156 luxury Seiko automatic watch uses the same tech as high-end Swiss timepieces

Details to know

Screen size: 1.53 inches.

Battery life: Up to 50 days.

Waterproof rating: IP68.

Amazon shoppers say this smartwatch has “many useful features, ” from fitness tracking to heart rate monitoring, that are easy to use. “I loved this smartwatch; it is versatile and suitable for both men and women. It is comfortable to wear, lightweight, and waterproof, and it measures and monitors your physical activity,” a reviewer said. 

Another customer praised the smartwatch as a great alternative to more expensive brands. “I wanted to move on from my Fitbit Versa3 and couldn’t bring myself to buy a high-dollar Apple Watch,” they said. “The face size is great, the band is plenty big, and [it has] a tremendous battery life.” They added that it’s also comfortable for all-day wear.

Shop more deals

Lvhop Military Smartwatch, $48 (was $80) at Amazon

Atheewon Military Smartwatch, $20 (was $80) at Amazon

Jugeman Military Smartwatch, $70 (was $140) at Amazon

The Soudorv S50 Military Smartwatch is on sale for only $33 during Amazon’s Labor Day sale, and it’s a small price to pay for such a useful device.

Walmart, Target, and Kroger face growing retail crime issue

September 4, 2026 MMN Editor Filed Under: Uncategorized

When people talk about shoplifting and organized retail crime (ORC), they tend to focus on the bottom-line impact on businesses. That makes sense because the numbers aren’t small, according to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) The Impact of Theft & Violence 2026 report.

“The 2026 report demonstrates a concerning shift as criminals move beyond traditional shoplifting to more sophisticated external theft schemes, with retailers reporting higher rates of repeat offenders (50%), ORC-related incidents (40%), and walkout or pushout theft (37%). Fraud is also rising, with phone scams (69%), loyalty fraud (51%) and gift card theft or fraud (42%) increasing,” the data showed.

The NRF, however, does not focus on how theft and thieves impact frontline retail workers.

A new report from HALOS, a bodycam company used by Walmart, Target, Kroger, TJ Maxx, H&M, and Aldi, shows that it does, and that the impact is quite severe.

Here’s why frontline retail workers might quit

“Two-thirds of frontline workers have experienced customer aggression acutely enough that they’ve considered leaving their job,” according to HALOS’ study of 2,500 frontline employees.

The report found that nearly two in five of the surveyed workers said customer abuse is treated as “just part of the job” where they work. And nearly 40% say customer aggression has increased over the past 12 months.

In addition, the study found that 57% of frontline workers experienced customer abuse or know a colleague who had during a typical four-week period.

Other key findings included:

Nearly 30% of survey respondents said they did not report the last serious customer aggression incident they experienced.

Of those, 32% said they did not believe the incident was serious enough, 28% believed nothing would happen if they reported it, and 13% worried about potential repercussions.

When incidents were reported, only 43% said action was ultimately taken.

“The research also found weaknesses in reporting processes themselves. Nearly one-third of respondents said reporting takes too much time during an active shift, and only 55% believe reporting leads to meaningful action,” according to HALOS.

Technology can help prevent aggression against workers.Shutterstock

Management has to play an active role in worker safety

Back when I ran a large toy store in Manchester, Conn., I occasionally had to deal with aggressive customers. Usually, it was older male shoppers making inappropriate comments to younger, female workers.

In one case, an older man became quite abusive and told multiple workers they were “stupid” because we did not sell the items he was looking for.

As the manager, I stepped in, spoke to the customer, and told him that if he spoke to my employees that way, he would be asked to leave the store. He calmed down for that visit, but then on a future trip repeated his abusive comments and was escorted out of the store.

Dick’s Sporting Goods, in 2024, changed how it handled aggressive customers. Under the past policy, every effort was made to appease the customer.

In the past, Dick’s managers would respond to customer conflicts by apologizing to the customer “whether or not we did anything wrong,” Dick’s Chief People Officer Julie Lodge-Jarrett told HRM Executive Network’s People + Strategy Podcast.

“Step two would be to remove the front-line employee from the situation and do anything possible to please the customer,” she added.

That was not a popular policy with workers, and the company now uses a new script.

“Sir, I can tell you’re unhappy, and I would like to do everything I can to help you get what you came in here for today. But I want to start by saying that at Dick’s Sporting Goods, we don’t tolerate a lack of respect, and we expect that everyone’s treated with the dignity that they deserve. And how you’re treating my teammate is unacceptable. So we’ve got two choices. You can choose to be civil, and if you do, I’d love to help you get what you came here for. Or if you don’t think you can do that, I’d politely ask you to leave.”

That’s a change from apologizing to the customer “whether or not we did anything wrong,” Lodge-Jarrett said, and the move helped improve worker satisfaction.

Losing workers is expensive

A study conducted by The Josh Bersin Company and UKG showed that while 80% of all jobs are frontline workers, 75% of the people in those positions felt “burned out,” and 51% felt “like a number, not a person.”

That’s an opportunity companies are missing out on because even small improvements have a big impact on the bottom line.

“For example, the report reveals that even a 1% improvement in retention can yield up to 100X savings in cost, training, and performance — a powerful case for investing in a truly frontline-first technology platform that delivers a seamless, positive worker experience,” the data showed.

UKG showed two key ways companies can cut down on frontline worker churn.

Leading companies recognize the importance of this workforce segment. They offer above-average wages, high degrees of flexibility, safe and productive workplaces, and career development opportunities.

Invest in frontline management. Top companies prioritize developing new leaders and equipping them with the tools to lead effectively. This includes workforce planning, work scheduling, recruiting, development, engagement, and lots of peer support so managers can learn from one another. They also establish carefully defined management principles that everyone can follow.

Protecting workers from aggressive customers goes a long way toward worker retention, according to HALOS CEO Alan Ring.

“Customer aggression is no longer simply a security issue. It’s affecting whether frontline employees feel safe, supported, and willing to remain in their jobs. Employers need to make incidents easier to report, respond consistently, and give staff clear evidence that their concerns lead to action,” he said.

Walmart, Target, Kroger, TJ Maxx, H&M, and Aldi did not confirm that they use HALOS or any other bodycam technology. None of the chains contributed to this article.

ALSO READ: Costco shuts down member service with no notice

Morgan Stanley makes a buy call on tumbling retail giant stock

September 4, 2026 MMN Editor Filed Under: Uncategorized

Anyone who shops at TJ Maxx or Marshalls knows the routine. You walk in without a list, dig through the racks, and leave with something you did not plan to buy.

That treasure-hunt habit has powered The TJX Companies (TJX) for decades.

So when the company’s flagship Marmaxx division posted its softest sales growth in years, shoppers and shareholders both noticed.

The stock has slid, down about 16% over the past month as of Sept. 3.

Yet one major bank is telling clients to look past the dip.

Why Morgan Stanley still rates TJX stock a buy

In a Morgan Stanley research note shared with me, analyst Alex Straton reiterated an Overweight rating and a $178 price target on TJX.

Straton, who leads Morgan Stanley’s softlines and off-price retail coverage and rates rivals Ross Stores (ROST) and Burlington (BURL), frames TJX as a “consumer compounder.” 

It refers to a business that keeps growing profits steadily through good times and bad.

Overweight is Morgan Stanley’s version of a buy call. It means the bank expects the stock to outperform its retail peers over the next 12 to 18 months.

The $178 target sits roughly 35% above where TJX traded in early September, near $131.

TJX beat overall expectations, even as its Marmaxx division posted its weakest comparable sales in years.SOPA Images / Getty Images

What actually went wrong inside Marmaxx stores

Marmaxx is TJX’s largest segment, combining TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and the smaller Sierra chain, whose sales are folded into Marmaxx’s results.

Comparable sales there rose just 1% in the second quarter, according to TJX‘s earnings report, well below the 6% to 7% growth logged at HomeGoods, TJX Canada, and TJX International.

Morgan Stanley points to three fixable problems rather than a broken business.

1. Empty racks despite full backrooms

Understaffed teams and messy storage rooms meant inventory sat hidden in the back instead of moving onto the sales floor. That left shoppers staring at gaps on the shelves, even when the product existed in the building.

2. Missed calls on basics and back-to-school

Rivals leaned harder into everyday apparel basics and moved earlier on back-to-school goods, so Marmaxx was caught with the wrong mix at the wrong time.

3. Beauty complaints and pricing pressure

According to Reddit discussions tracked by the bank, shoppers noticed damaged packaging in the beauty aisle, threatening what is normally a highly profitable section.

Straton also questions whether Marmaxx’s reputation for low prices is shrinking as other retailers cut prices more aggressively.

CEO Ernie Herrman was blunt on the earnings call, calling the shortfall “self-inflicted and within our control,” Investing.com reported.

How the rest of TJX covered the shortfall

Even with its biggest division stalling, TJX still beat expectations across the board.

Overall comparable sales rose 4%, adjusted earnings per share climbed 11% to $1.22, ahead of the $1.19 analysts expected, and the company’s management raised its full-year profit outlook.

HomeGoods did the heavy lifting, with comparable sales up 7% and net sales jumping 10% to $2.5 billion.

Three signs the wider portfolio held up:

HomeGoods, Canada, and International each grew comparable sales 6% to 7%.

Adjusted pre-tax margin widened to 11.9%, up 50 basis points from a year earlier.

Management lifted its long-term store target by 500 locations, to 7,500 stores.

That variety of brands is the whole argument. When one engine slows, the others keep the profits growing.

What Morgan Stanley’s price target really assumes

The $178 target is not a single guess. It sits at the midpoint of two scenarios the bank models.

Bull case, $197: TJX fixes Marmaxx quickly and holds mid-single-digit comparable sales across every banner.

Base case, $158: Execution problems drag on, and medium-term comparable sales fall below the roughly 4% the bank expects.

Even Morgan Stanley’s more cautious $158 outcome would still put TJX above its early-September price, and its optimistic case implies a much larger gain.

TJX stock vs. the broader market

Here is how TJX has traded against the S&P 500.

PeriodTJXS&P 500Past 5 daysDown about 3%Roughly flatPast monthDown about 16%Modest gainYear to dateDown about 14%Up about 13%

The company still generates steady free cash flow and pays a dividend yielding about 1.4%, with a quarterly payout of $0.48 a share.

What still needs to happen before the recovery sticks

Management says Marmaxx improved in August and expects comparable sales there to climb back toward 2% to 3% by the fourth quarter.

Getting there is not free. The company will likely spend more on store labor, marketing, and sharper pricing to win shoppers back.

More Retail Stocks:

Ross Stores customers will soon feel a notable change in stores

Major mall retailer closes more stores in 2026

Target takes big step to be more like Costco

There are also near-term costs to watch. 

TJX flagged higher fuel and freight expenses in the back half, and inventory grew 7% heading into the holidays, so that merchandise needs to sell.

That matters because American shoppers are working with tight budgets. Discount chains usually see more business when money is tight, and competitors are experiencing this directly. 

What TJX investors should watch next

Morgan Stanley’s message is that one weak quarter at Marmaxx does not undo the case for TJX.

The company beat expectations, widened margins, and raised guidance even while its largest division stumbled, which is exactly what the bank wants a diversified retailer to do under pressure.

The risk is real. If Marmaxx’s sales remain slow through the holiday season and higher operating costs reduce profits, the base case target of $158 becomes the most likely result. 

If that happens, long-term investors may have to wait longer to see a return. 

For now, the buy call rests on one question. Can TJX get the right products back on the floor before the crowds arrive? 

The company’s management says the solution is already underway, and Morgan Stanley is betting it works.

Related: Costco makes key move to expand membership base

Jim Cramer flagged one stock quietly concentrating portfolios

September 4, 2026 MMN Editor Filed Under: Uncategorized

On the August 27, 2026 episode of Mad Money, a longtime viewer named Jeff from San Francisco listed his top five holdings for Jim Cramer’s diversification game.

The five names, Alphabet, NVIDIA, Apple, Caterpillar, and Eli Lilly, span four sectors and would appear well-balanced under standard sector classification, 247 Wall St. reported.

Cramer’s response flagged a structural shift in revenue that most investors in industrial stocks have yet to absorb.  

With Caterpillar reclassified as a data center stock, four of Jeff’s five positions, Alphabet, NVIDIA, Apple, and Caterpillar, all draw revenue from AI infrastructure spending. 

The portfolio spans four sectors on paper but is increasingly a concentrated AI bet in practice.

Caterpillar’s second quarter revealed a company in transformation

Caterpillar reported its first $20 billion quarter in Q2 2026, with revenue reaching $20.5 billion for a 24% gain over the prior year. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $8.17, as Caterpillar disclosed in its August 4, 2026, earnings release.

Within the Power and Energy segment, power generation revenue climbed 29% due to demand for reciprocating engines and turbines used in data center applications.

Retail sales to power generation customers surged 72% year over year, and the company’s backlog expanded to a record $72 billion, Utility Dive reported.

Some customers are placing equipment orders as far out as 2030, reflecting the depth of demand for data center construction, Joe Creed, Chairman of the board and CEO at Caterpillar, noted on the earnings call. 

That growth profile prompted Cramer to pull Caterpillar out of Jeff’s portfolio entirely.

The market has priced in the shift, with Caterpillar shares up roughly 36% year to date and about 86% over the trailing 12 months through September 2, 2026, Yahoo Finance reported. 

The stock trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 23.94, as of September 2, 2026, a multiple more typical of technology names than of industrial peers, Guru Focus confirmed.

Record S&P 500 concentration amplifies the hidden overlap

Caterpillar’s transformation fits a broader pattern, changing what diversification means for investors who hold index funds or build their own stock portfolios.

The ten largest S&P 500 stocks now control nearly 41% of the index’s total market capitalization at the end of 2025, eclipsing the dot-com bubble’s peak of about 27%.

RBC Wealth Management data show the top-10 weighting hovered between roughly 18% and 23% from 1990 through 2015. It has nearly doubled over the past decade, driven largely by AI-linked gains in a small group of mega-cap names.

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Nearly 50 cents of every dollar invested in the S&P 500 now flows into AI-linked stocks, the Kobeissi Letter estimated in a May 2026 analysis.

That means even investors who never bought a single Caterpillar share may have the same hidden AI tilt through a standard index fund. 

John Patrick Lee, Product Manager at VanEck, called it an unintentional active sector bet via ETF Trends, while direct holdings like Jeff’s only compound the overlap.

“Investors don’t have to think there’s an AI bubble to be concerned about the concentration risk that AI has wrought,” Morningstar Indexes strategist Dan Lefkovitz warned.

S&P 500 concentration means index investors may hold more AI exposure than they realize, making diversification harder despite owning hundreds of stocks.SOPA Images / Getty Images

How Cramer proposed to rebalance the portfolio

That concentration profile is exactly what Cramer set out to fix in Jeff’s portfolio. After reclassifying Caterpillar, Cramer needed replacement stocks whose revenue doesn’t rise and fall with data center capital expenditure cycles.

His first pick was TJX Companies, the off-price retailer that posted second-quarter fiscal year 2027 adjusted earnings of $1.22 per share. 

Comparable-store sales rose 4%, and TJX raised its full-year adjusted earnings guidance to a range between $5.15 and $5.20 per share.

TJX shares were down roughly 13% year-to-date at the time of the segment, a setup Cramer viewed as an opportunity while management still executes, Yahoo Finance reported.

Christine Benz, director of personal finance and retirement planning at Morningstar, said in an interview that investors who overweight mega-cap growth and technology should consider repositioning toward small-cap value.

Small-cap value has kind of persistently underperformed the large-cap growth stocks, and I think that arguably there’s a pretty good value there, so investors might do a little bit of repositioning so they’re not so heavily tilted toward those mega-cap growth and technology stocks,

Cramer’s second pick was Wells Fargo, which reported second-quarter 2026 earnings of $2 per share on $22.6 billion in revenue, the earnings release showed. 

Net interest income rose 5% year over year, while the bank returned $3.0 billion to shareholders through buybacks. The stock serves as a financial-sector anchor, with earnings tied to loan demand and interest rate spreads.

What Caterpillar’s shift means for your next portfolio review

Caterpillar’s shift illustrates a gap between how companies are classified by sector and where their revenue growth originates, one that standard labels alone cannot close.

Lefkovitz noted in his Morningstar analysis that sector classifications can obscure how closely mega-cap holdings are linked. AI concentration cuts across stocks, sectors and themes, making traditional diversification metrics less reliable.

Investors can spot hidden AI overlap by checking each company’s latest 10-Q for revenue details and comparing its forward P/E to that of similar companies. 

When multiple positions depend on the same spending cycle, Benz recommended shifting toward non-AI sectors such as off-price retail or regional banking.

Related: Jim Cramer reveals his 20% rule for winning stocks

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