SUCCESS

The bank is considering to get rid of roughly 10% of its total workforce, as the bank is focused on “staff-related inflation.”

The company reported a $233.7 million digital asset impairment for 2025, reflecting the gap between purchase prices and lower market values.

Apple has hired thousands of people each year over the last decade or so as its businesses have continued to grow. From research and development to meeting customers at its retail stores, Apple’s employees are in demand. Apple also rewards its employees well, and some are compensated with stock awards that can exceed their base salary. Here’s how much Apple pays and who gets paid the most.Who are Apple’s highest-paid executives?Apple rewards its top executives handsomely for meeting the company’s internal targets, in the form of both cash and stock awards.Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO since 2011, is the company’s highest-paid executive. His annual base salary is $3 million, unchanged since 2016, but his total compensation is much higher. His 2025 target cash incentive plan — aimed to reward executives for delivering strong performance on annual financial goals — was set at 200% of his base salary, and that translated to $6 million. He had a target equity award value set at $50 million. Total compensation for the year was $74 million, according to Apple’s proxy statement. Kevan Parekh, Apple’s CFO and a senior vice president, had a 2025 salary of $891,519, but his total compensation was $22 million. Other senior vice presidents, Kate Adams (general counsel and secretary), Sabih Khan (chief operating officer), and Deirdre O’Brien (head of retail and people), had salaries of $1 million but received $27 million in total compensation. Related: How many employees does Apple have? A deeper look at the tech giant’s workforceWhat is Apple’s median compensation & CEO pay ratio?Apple uses a CEO pay ratio that compares its CEO’s compensation to that of the median among employees. In 2025, Cook’s total compensation was $74.29 million, compared to the median compensation of $139,483 for permanent full-time and part-time employees who didn’t work the full year. (Apple had more than 166,000 employees globally, according to its fiscal year 2025 annual report.) That put Apple’s CEO pay ratio at 533 to 1. By comparison, Nvidia’s ratio was smaller, at 166 to 1.Still, Apple’s median compensation is above the U.S. average annual salary of $62,608, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. How much do Apple’s engineers make?Apple’s engineers make up a significant portion of the company’s employees. Common positions include data engineer and software engineer, and many of these employees are based out of the company’s U.S. hubs in Austin, Texas, and Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. Apple’s career page listed the base salary for an engineer with a few years’ experience at around $141,000 to $258,000. Still, pay depends on skills, qualifications, experience, and location. And incentives, such as meeting internal targets, could boost compensation beyond base salary.More on Apple:Where is Apple’s headquarters? A spaceship-like office with thousands of treesDoes Apple pay dividends? A history of rewarding shareholdersApple’s stock split history: Everything you need to knowHow much does an Apple retail employee earn?Apple operates 275 stores across the U.S., and that requires employing hundreds, if not thousands, of employees. Their front-facing work involves greeting customers and providing technical assistance. Apple doesn’t provide salary details for retail positions on its career website. Community specialists make about $64,000 to $116,000, while technical specialists are paid a bit more, at $56,000 to $123,000, according to jobs listing provider Glassdoor. Does Apple promote from within?If Apple’s executives are any guide, the company often promotes staff to higher positions, and that can lead to higher salaries and total compensation. Cook joined Apple in 1998 as executive vice president of worldwide sales and operations and received several promotions before becoming chief operating officer in 2005. After Steve Jobs’ death in 2011, Cook became CEO.Sabih Khan joined Apple in 1995 and held various roles before becoming chief operating officer in July 2025.Related: Who owns Apple? Institutional holdings & executives’ shares

All three of the albums Harry Styles released before Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally — Harry Styles, Fine Line, Harry’s House — return to the U.K. charts.

Belmont Hires Duke Assistant As New Coach

The Citrini selloff wasn’t panic — it was an X-ray. The ‘smart money’ is quietly exiting tech sectors AI is disrupting.

A strategist at State Street Bank said he was surprised that the market doesn’t expect the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates — and is still predicting three cuts this year.

These days, consumers don’t exactly have unlimited budgets. And it’s easy to see why.In February, the Consumer Price Index rose 2.4% on an annual basis. And households across a range of incomes are feeling the pain of persistent inflation.A recent Harris Poll data published by the Journal of Accountancy found that 50% of Americans fear living costs increases will be an obstacle to meeting financial goals this year. They’re probably not wrong.In response to inflation, American consumers are changing their ways. A good 59% are planning to cut back on small daily purchases in 2026, reports MarketWatch.That means retailers have to fight harder than usual to capture consumers’ dollars. But Costco has a huge advantage in that battle.The price war is squeezing retail marginsIt’s not unusual for competing retailers to try to best each other on price. But in recent years, the price war has intensified as inflation, tariffs, and general economic uncertainty have come to a head.Granted, inflation has cooled nicely after peaking in the post-pandemic years. But while annual inflation may be lower these days, much of the damage has already been done. Related: Costco members hit with surprising added membership chargeMany consumers are stuck in a cycle where a good number of their expenses are perpetually elevated. And the only way to compensate is to cut back on discretionary spending. That pullback in spending, though, is coming at a time when retailers are facing higher costs due to inflation and tariffs. And while larger retailers may be better equipped to cope with that pressure, even giants like Walmart and Costco are by no means immune. Costco, however, has a few key advantages over its competitors that allow the company to lower prices without battering margins.

Retailers must fight hard to capture consumers’ dollars, but Costco has a huge advantage.Shutterstock

Costco’s leaning into value, and it’s paying offCostco has long emphasized offering members value. “Our focus is really on running the business for the long term and making sure we are delivering value for members,” CFO Gary Millerchip said during the company’s most recent earnings call. During that same earnings call, Costco said it continues to focus on price reductions wherever possible. And it has two advantages that make that possible.First, unlike traditional retailers, Costco gets a lot of its revenue from membership fees. That’s money the company takes in without having to sell a single product. Costco is then able to use membership fee income — which amounted to $1.36 billion during its most recent quarter — to offset the cost of procuring inventory, allowing for more price reductions.Secondly, Costco can lean on its Kirkland Signature brand to reduce prices on essential products. The brand not only helps Costco maintain its reputation as a leader in product quality, but also helps the company undercut competitors.More Retail:Costco sees major shift in member behaviorRetail chain shuts all locations as legal changes hit industryCostco makes major investment in online shopping for membersT-Mobile launches free offer for customers after major lossOf course, Costco, like other retailers, faces challenges in the coming quarter. Global economic uncertainty, shifting consumer habits, and potential tariff volatility could all put the pressure on.But for now, Costco is in a strong position to lower prices and retain members without compromising on quality or risking its bottom line. Not every retailer today can say the same.Maurie Backman owns shares of Costco.Related: Sam’s Club fixes problem that’s a major pain point at Costco

The proposed rules could ban yield on stablecoins like USDC, though analysts say the exchange may adapt.

Bitcoin’s biggest limitation is being challenged as OpNet brings native, yield-generating DeFi directly to the Bitcoin mainnet.