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Macy’s $575 white sapphire tennis bracelet is on sale for 65% off
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Why we love this deal
An accessory, no matter how little, goes a long way, and while bracelets aren’t always what you think of when you think “statement jewelry”, tennis bracelets always deliver in that department. The standard strand of stones is classic and timeless, a longstanding style that is always on trend and looks good. Right now, shoppers on the search for one that’s affordable will be thrilled to see that the Macy’s Lab-Grown White Sapphire Tennis Bracelet is on sale for 65% off.
During the Macy’s Friends and Family sale, which ends November 3, the $575 tennis bracelet is on sale for $201. Save $374 and get the stunning accessory right now, either for yourself or as a gift to give during the upcoming holiday season.
Macy’s Lab-Grown White Sapphire Tennis, $201 (was $575) at Macy’s
Courtesy of Macy’s
Shop at Macy’s
Why do shoppers love it?
Crafted from sterling silver, or 18K gold-plated sterling silver if you opt for the gold color option, this bracelet starts with a durable base and only gets better. Measuring 7 ¼ inches long, this tennis bracelet features 42 lab-grown white sapphire stones, each set in a four-pronged setting, that wrap all the way around your wrist. Similar in appearance to lab-grown diamonds, white sapphires really only differ in composition, but appearance-wise they look almost identical. With 4-¼ ct. t.w. of white sapphire total, this bracelet is truly decked out to the nines and gives off a noticeable shine when exposed to natural or artificial lighting.
It has a box clasp closure with safety, which means it has a primary and a secondary latch as backup to prevent it from falling off. The box clasp is a two-part mechanism where one “tongue” slides into and hooks onto a box and clicks into place for a secure closure. The extra latch is in case the primary one breaks or comes undone, so you can rest easy knowing such an expensive piece would be hard to lose.
Related: Walmart’s $120 18K white gold-plated initial necklaces are 88% off
Details to know
Material: 4-¼ ct. t.w. lab-grown white sapphire and sterling silver (or 18K gold-plated sterling silver in the gold color option).
Length: Approximately 7 ¼ inches.
Colors: Two.
Clasp: Box clasp closure with safety.
Shoppers gush over this bracelet and are impressed with how well the 42 white sapphire stones glisten and shine. It’s a very impressive bracelet size-wise with so many diamond-like stones. “This white sapphire bracelet did not disappoint,” one shopper said. “The quality of the clasps, the sparkle of the sapphires, and the sterling silver encasing the sapphires was of the highest quality.” It’s very comfortable to wear and isn’t too heavy on the wrist.
Shop more deals
Forever Grown Diamonds Lab-Grown Diamond Bangle, $350 (was $1,000) at Macy’s
Macy’s Diamond Tennis Bracelet, $676 (was $2,400) at Macy’s
Macy’s Lab-Grown Gemstone and Lab-Grown White Sapphire Bracelet, $158 (was $450) at Macy’s
The perfect piece to accessorize with; there’s no better time to pick up the Macy’s Lab-Grown White Sapphire Tennis for yourself or as a gift than right now when it’s 65% off.
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Wendy’s franchisee to close up to 60 locations in bankruptcy
Wendy’s has been closing restaurant locations under its Project Fresh program since 2025 when it shut down 28 locations.
The burger chain has two locations about a 10-minute drive from me, which I hope will remain open for my guilty pleasure of a cup of chili. But there are no guarantees in the competitive and volatile restaurant sector.
Fast-food restaurants seem to disappear often without any notice.
Wendy’s franchisee Meritage Hospitality Group Inc. will close 20 to 60 restaurant locations.jetcityimage / Getty Images
Meritage Hospitality closing more Wendy’s
Major Wendy’s franchisee Meritage Hospitality Group Inc., which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September 2026, has won court approval to reject the leases and franchise agreements of up to 60 more locations to allow it to close the restaurants by Nov. 13, according to court papers.
Meritage Hospitality Group, which operated over 350 Wendy’s restaurants in 15 states before filing for bankruptcy, won approval from Judge James W. Boyd of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Michigan on Oct. 23 to reject the unexpired leases and franchise agreements of at least 20 restaurants but no more than 60 that are EBITDA negative or deemed to have negative value.
Under the order, the debtor would close up to 60 restaurants after obtaining specific orders for the locations on Oct. 30, Nov. 6, or Nov. 13, as required by its lender City National Bank in its cash collateral use order.
Meritage Hospitality allegedly defaulted on a $150 million credit facility held by City National Bank on Sept. 29, 2025, according to a notice of default. The bank claimed Meritage was in default for allegedly failing to maintain liquidity covenants, failing to pay obligations as they become due, and for closing a Georgia location, according to a statement.
The debtor subsequently obtained a forbearance agreement for its credit facility before filing for bankruptcy, according to its website.
Franchisee has closed 93 locations
Meritage has closed about 93 Wendy’s locations, including 60 restaurants before filing its petition and another 33 after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The debtor owed its franchisor, Quality Is Our Recipe LLC, also known as Wendy’s International, over $24.9 million on deferred franchisor fees, according to its petition.
The franchisor also sent Meritage a notice of event of default on Oct. 24, 2025, which the franchisee cured and continued operating its restaurants before filing its petition.
Trian Fund proposes acquisition
The Wendy’s Company on Oct. 28 received an unsolicited, non-binding proposal from an investor group consisting of Trian Fund Management L.P., Flynn Group LP, BlueFive Capital and Sixth Street Capital, to purchase all outstanding shares of the company’s common stock not owned by the investor group for $7.35 per share in cash, which values Wendy’s at $1.4 billion, the company said in a statement.
The Wendy’s Board of Directors had formed a committee of independent directors not affiliated with the investor group to investigate any proposal from Trian Fund after the investor filed an SEC Schedule 13D/A revealing it was seeking an acquisition of the burger chain, according to the statement.
The fast-food chain owner said there was no assurance that it would pursue any transaction with the investor group. The company said it will not comment on further developments on the proposal until further disclosure is appropriate or necessary.
Chain has over 7,000 locations
Wendy’s, which operates 5,573 locations in the U.S. and 460 in Canada according to its website on Oct. 28, closed 28 locations under the Project Fresh program in 2025. The burger chain planned to close 5%-6% of its U.S. restaurant locations, or about 292 to 350 underperforming units, in 2026, according to its fourth quarter earnings call reported by The Motley Fool.
The Columbus, Ohio-based burger chain was founded in 1969 by Dave Thomas and operates over 7,000 locations worldwide, according to its website.
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How much Starbucks stock does CEO Brian Niccol actually own?
Brian Niccol has only been CEO of Starbucks since September 2024, but during that time, he has accomplished a lot.
His turnaround strategy, entitled “Back to Starbucks,” resulted in four consecutive quarters of positive global sales growth, including a 7.9% year-over-year increase in same-store sales in the fiscal third quarter of 2026.
In addition, more than 1,000 Starbucks cafes have been remodeled to restore the warm and welcoming “third place” atmosphere envisioned by longtime CEO Howard Schultz. The company also invested more than $500 million in additional staff and increased employee benefits, including doubling parental leave, which contributed to lower employee turnover.
Niccol has a long history of corporate turnarounds, transforming Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and Chipotle from struggling chains into smart, digitally streamlined success stories.
That track record helped him land a lucrative compensation package at Starbucks.
Here’s a closer look at how many SBUX shares he owns in 2026, how much they’re worth, and how much company ownership they represent.
How much of Starbucks does Brian Niccol own?
According to his September 10, 2026 SEC Form 4 filing, Niccol owns approximately 428,697 shares of Starbucks. That stake represents less than 0.04% of Starbucks’ outstanding shares.
The filing also disclosed that Starbucks had withheld 56,267 shares to cover tax obligations when Niccol’s restricted stock units vested, but those shares were not sold on the open market.
Given SBUX’s October 27 closing price of $103.04, and assuming Niccol’s holdings remain unchanged since this filing, his shares are worth approximately $44.2 million as of this article’s last update.
Is Niccol the largest individual shareholder of Starbucks?
Not by a long shot. Based on publicly reported holdings, the company’s largest individual shareholder is its longtime former CEO, Howard Schultz, who acquired the business in 1987 and transformed the small Seattle coffee chain into the global powerhouse it is today.
According to Starbucks’ 2024 Proxy Statement, Schultz owned 21,795,538 shares — that’s more than 50 times the number of shares Niccol reported owning. Still, that’s only about a 1.9% stake in the company.
Related: How much SBUX stock does Starbucks’ former CEO Howard Schultz own?
How much SBUX stock does Niccol get as part of his compensation package?
Just four months after he became CEO, The Wall Street Journal reported that Niccol had already been awarded $96 million in compensation. That figure included $61,538 in salary, a $5 million bonus, and $90 million in stock awards. The publication noted that those stock awards largely replaced the value of the Chipotle shares he forfeited when he left the burrito chain.
Niccol didn’t even have to move to Seattle to run Starbucks, either. The Journal reported that Niccol resides in California and commutes to Starbucks’ headquarters via the company’s corporate jet. His air travel expenses during the company’s fiscal 2024 amounted to $72,398, and his temporary housing bill totaled $143,567.
By the way, Niccol’s total compensation for fiscal 2024 was 6,666 times that of the median-wage, part-time Starbucks barista.
Related: How much DELL stock does founder & CEO Michael Dell actually own?
Starbucks’ largest institutional shareholders
Starbucks’ biggest shareholders are institutional investors. The Vanguard Group is the largest, with a 10% stake in the company, or 113,888,463 shares, according to the company’s 2026 Proxy Statement.
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Its second-largest institutional shareholder is Capital Research Global Investors, which holds 6.7% of the company, or 76,686,152 shares.
Capital World Investors also owns a 6.6% stake, at 75,625,746 shares.
That’s a lot of Frappuccinos.
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Robots could keep SK Hynix’s memory boom going for years
The pitch for humanoid robots usually centers on what they can do, like folding laundry or packing orders in a warehouse. Elon Musk is focused on what they need inside, which pulls SK Hynix Inc. (SKHY) into the robot story.
On Monday, October 26, 2026, Musk wrote on X that robot memory needs “will exceed everything else on Earth.” Wedbush analyst Matt Bryson said wider physical AI adoption raises the odds of a longer memory shortage, according to Seeking Alpha.
SK Hynix backed that thesis on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. It posted a record third-quarter operating profit of 83.3 trillion won (about $62.8 billion), beating analyst estimates.
Also read: Analyst revamps SK Hynix stock price target after blockbuster earnings
On its earnings call, management said tight supply should last through 2030 and named robotics as a longer-term demand driver.
How SK Hynix earned that money is why the robot argument matters. Higher prices, not bigger shipments, drove the quarter. A pricing boom lasts only as long as buyers run short, and robots would lengthen that line.
SK Hynix earned this quarter on price, not volume
DRAM prices rose by a percentage in the high 20s from the second quarter, CFO Kim Woo-hyun said.
DRAM shipments grew only about 10%, he said. NAND shipments slipped, even as NAND prices climbed by a percentage in the mid 20s.
The operating margin hit 80%, according to the company. In my view, pricing power like that exists only when customers have nowhere else to go.
Customers are already rationing. Some are cutting HBM stack heights to stretch supply across more AI chips, HBM sales chief Kim Ki-tae said. Requests run at more than double what SK Hynix can supply, he added.
SK Hynix posted a record third-quarter operating profit of 83.3 trillion won as DRAM prices rose by a percentage in the high 20s from the prior quarter.Bloomberg / Getty Images
Robots would fight your phone for the same chips
That rationing has already reached robots. Tesla (TSLA) cut memory on its next robot chips, Musk said on Thursday, October 1, 2026. He called it “the only way to get enough volume for Optimus production.”
I find that cut more revealing than Musk’s latest post. The company most eager to build humanoids is designing around the shortage before mass production.
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Meanwhile, Micron Technology (MU) CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said humanoids could need more than 200 gigabytes of memory each. That estimate assumes builders can get the chips, and Tesla’s cut suggests supply may cap memory per robot before demand does.
The type of memory matters as much as the amount. Musk’s post listed the chip’s memory as LP5, Benzinga reported. That is low-power DRAM, the kind inside phones and laptops.
As a result, robot builders would compete with gadget makers. SK Hynix already expects PC and smartphone shipments to fall as memory costs bite, its CFO said.
Why SK Hynix stock jumped and where analysts stand
SK Hynix is the world’s second-largest memory maker and a key HBM supplier to Nvidia (NVDA), Seeking Alpha reported. Its U.S. shares began trading on the Nasdaq on Friday, July 10, 2026, giving American investors direct access.
The shares rose more than 10% on Wednesday, outpacing a 6.25% gain in the Kospi. The profit beat helped, but cash was the bigger catalyst.
SK Hynix plans to return about 100 trillion won ($75 billion) to shareholders in 2026. “We believe our share price today is undervalued, not adequately reflecting our earnings and cash flow,” the CFO said, answering Meritz Securities analyst Sunwoo Kim.
The valuation backs him up. SKHY traded at about 4 times forward earnings before Wednesday’s jump, according to StockAnalysis, a price that treats today’s profits as a peak.
Its 52-week range runs from $124.80 to $199.87. It covers only trading since July.
Wall Street is far more upbeat. The 15 analysts tracked by StockAnalysis rate SKHY a consensus Strong Buy, with an average price target of $243.43. The latest calls all predate Wednesday’s report:
Buy, $200 target: RBC Capital’s Srini Pajjuri, Monday, October 26, 2026.
Buy, $300 target: Barclays’ Simon Coles, Tuesday, October 6, 2026.
Buy, $268 target, up from $250: Bank of America’s Simon Woo, Monday, September 14, 2026.
The memory cycle is turning into a waiting list
Memory booms usually end in a glut once makers overbuild. Woo raised that fear on the call, and the CFO said new clean rooms will open in phases.
Yet the bigger change is contractual. Long-term agreements with 14 customers now cover more than half of SK Hynix’s capacity for 2027 and 2028, the CFO said. CEO Kwak Noh-Jung added that DRAM and HBM volumes are effectively sold out through 2029.
Robots would not create that queue. They would join it, behind cloud giants that locked in supply first. If humanoids scale before new fabs arrive, the real limit on the robot economy may be a memory maker’s allocation list, not motors or software.
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Costco vs. Sam’s Club: Here’s Which Store Has the Best Member Perks
A wholesale club membership can sometimes pay for itself in bulk toilet paper alone — but the real value may be in the perks you get beyond the products on the shelves.
Costco and Sam’s Club offer benefits ranging from cash back rewards to fuel savings and discounted health and travel services, though some require upgrading to a pricier membership tier.
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Here’s how the two clubs compare… and which perks could be worth the annual fee.
How much do Costco and Sam’s Club memberships cost?
Costco and Sam’s Club each offer a basic membership and a higher-priced tier with extra perks. Sam’s Club is slightly cheaper at both levels, but the better value depends on which benefits you’ll use.
Both retailers also include a free household card with each membership, allowing another eligible person in the same household to shop. The basic tiers offer perks beyond warehouse access, including members-only fuel prices. The premium tiers add benefits like delivery perks, early shopping hours and more, which we’ll get into below.
Costco vs. Sam’s Club: Comparing the perks
Cash back and rewards
If you’re willing to pay more for a premium membership, both Costco and Sam’s Club let you earn some of that money back. Costco’s Executive members earn a 2% annual reward on eligible purchases, up to $1,250 per year. Sam’s Club Plus members earn 2% back in Sam’s Cash on qualifying in-club purchases, up to $750 annually.
The math is fairly straightforward. Costco Executive costs $65 more per year than a Gold Star membership, while Sam’s Club Plus costs $60 more than a Club membership. At a 2% reward rate, you’d need to spend at least $3,250 on eligible Costco purchases or $3,000 on qualifying Sam’s Club purchases annually to earn enough rewards to offset the upgrade fee.
If you’re already shopping at either warehouse regularly, the premium tier could make sense. If not, upgrading just for the rewards may not be worth it.
Free shipping and grocery delivery
If you’d rather skip the aisles altogether, Sam’s Club Plus offers free shipping on eligible online orders of $50 or more, along with free delivery on qualifying orders over $50. Club members pay shipping fees on most items and a $12 fee for standard delivery. Plus members can also pay extra for faster delivery.
Costco offers online shopping and same-day grocery delivery, but its benefits work a little differently. Same-day delivery is through Instacart, with a $35 minimum order and item prices that may be higher than in stores. Executive members get a $10 monthly credit toward eligible same-day delivery orders of $150 or more.
For shoppers who regularly order household essentials or groceries online, Sam’s Club Plus may offer more straightforward delivery savings. The Costco Executive monthly credit can help with larger orders, but the $150 minimum means you’ll need to shop accordingly to use it.
Shopping convenience and exclusive access
If you dread the checkout line almost as much as the crowds on a Sunday, Sam’s Club has a perk that might help speed things up. Scan & Go is available with both Club and Plus memberships. The feature lets shoppers scan items with the Sam’s Club app as they shop, pay on their phones and skip the traditional checkout line. Members can also use the app to order items from the cafe and pay for gas.
Sam’s Club Plus members get early shopping hours, with access to participating clubs up to an hour before regular opening time. Costco Executive members can also take advantage of early shopping hours at select warehouses, though availability and terms vary by location.
While it isn’t technically a membership perk, how you pay is another difference worth noting. Costco only accepts Visa credit cards, while Sam’s Club takes Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. That gives Sam’s Club shoppers more flexibility, particularly if they want to earn rewards using a non-Visa credit card.
For shoppers weighing convenience, Sam’s Club has a clear advantage with Scan & Go, which is included even in its lower-priced membership. Plus adds the benefit of early in-person shopping, though it’s worth checking local hours before upgrading specifically for that perk.
Gas savings
Discounted gas is one of the biggest draws of a warehouse club membership. Both Costco and Sam’s Club offer members access to lower fuel prices, which can help offset the annual membership fee for folks who fill up regularly.
Costco’s gas prices averaged 34 cents per gallon below the national average, compared with 26 cents at Sam’s Club, according to the Oil Price Information Service cited by CNN in April.
Costco sells Kirkland Signature gasoline at its fuel stations, while Sam’s Club members can take advantage of member-only prices at participating fuel centers.
There isn’t a clear winner here, as prices vary by location and fluctuate over time. Before choosing a membership for the fuel savings alone, compare prices at nearby gas stations and consider how often you’ll fill up where. A cheaper gallon won’t save you much if getting there requires a costly commute.
Travel and other discounted services
Both wholesale clubs offer travel deals, but Costco has a particularly robust travel service. Costco Travel lets members book vacation packages, hotels, cruises and rental cars, with Executive members eligible for extra perks on select packages and a 2% annual reward on qualifying travel purchases after the trip is completed.
Sam’s Club offers travel discounts, too, including deals on hotels, rental cars, theme parks and entertainment. Its travel portal advertises savings up to 40% on hotels in select cities and up to 25% on rental cars, though actual discounts depend on the booking and availability.
Costco may be especially appealing to travelers who want to book an entire vacation through one service and take advantage of Executive-only extras. Sam’s Club is worth checking for discounts on individual bookings and attractions.
Either way, compare the final price with other booking sites before assuming a members-only deal is the cheapest option.
Pharmacy, optical and other health benefits
Sam’s Club members get access to 10 select generic medications at no additional cost, along with discounts on more than 600 generic drugs available for $10 or less for a 30-day supply. The $0 benefit has restrictions, including state-specific rules: In Arizona, California and Minnesota, those medications cost $2 for a 30-day supply instead. The benefit also can’t be combined with insurance.
Costco members can also access prescription discounts through the Costco Member Prescription Program, which offers reduced prices on eligible medications without an additional enrollment fee. Costco also offers member-priced optical products, discounted immunizations and hearing aid services (including free hearing tests) at its hearing aid centers.
Sam’s Club Plus may have the edge for members who regularly take one of its eligible prescriptions, while Costco’s pharmacy and health services offer savings across a broader range of needs. Keep in mind that you don’t necessarily need a membership at either retailer to fill a prescription, though certain discounts are reserved for members.
Which warehouse club has the better perks?
The best membership really depends on which perks you’ll actually use and how conveniently located each store is to you.
Sam’s Club may be the better fit for shoppers who prioritize convenience, with Scan & Go, free shipping and delivery on eligible orders, and Plus-exclusive pharmacy savings. Its lower annual fee also gives it a slight price advantage.
Costco, however, may appeal more to frequent travelers who can take advantage of Costco Travel or big spenders who want to earn rewards on eligible purchases. Its Executive membership also has a higher annual reward cap than Sam’s Club Plus, which could matter for households with substantial qualifying spending.
Remember: A membership is only as valuable as the savings and benefits you get out of it. Before joining a warehouse club or upgrading to a premium tier, consider whether you’ll use its additional services and how much those perks could realistically save you over a year.
The best deal isn’t necessarily the one with the lower annual fee — it’s the one that best complements your shopping habits.
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