In short
Squawk Pod: Episode Summary - 5 Things to Know Before the Opening Bell (9/26/2025)
Episode Overview In this episode of Squawk Pod, co-host Becky Quick outlines the top five things investors need to know before the stock market opens. The discussion focuses on significant economic announcements, corporate updates, and regulatory developments affecting major companies and the overall market landscape.
Key Topics Discussed
- President Trump's Tariff Announcements
- Pharmaceutical Tariffs:
- President Trump threatens a 100% tariff on pharmaceuticals unless companies begin manufacturing in the U.S.
- Heavy Trucks Tariff:
- A 25% tariff on imported heavy trucks is set to begin on October 1st.
- Support for Farmers:
- Trump suggests using tariff revenue to assist U.S. farmers who have been adversely affected by previous tariffs.
- Impact on American Agriculture
- Reduction in Demand:
- Tariffs have led to decreased foreign demand for American crops due to higher prices abroad.
- Costco's Business Performance
- Quarterly Results:
- Costco reports quarterly profit and revenue that exceed market expectations.
- Response to Tariffs:
- The company is introducing new items under its Kirkland private label brand to help mitigate the impact of tariff-related cost increases.
- Meta's New Ad-Free Options
- Pricing Announcement:
- Meta unveils pricing for ad-free versions of Facebook and Instagram in the UK, costing around $5/month for mobile and slightly less for web.
- Regulatory Compliance:
- This initiative aligns with previous ad-free options rolled out in the EU to meet regulatory demands.
- Amazon's Settlement with the FTC
- Settlement Details:
- Amazon agrees to pay up to $2.5 billion to settle an FTC complaint regarding misleading Prime membership practices.
- This includes $1 billion in civil penalties, with $1 to $1.5 billion allocated for customer refunds.
- Reason for Settlement:
- Amazon opts for settlement to avoid the risk of higher costs associated with a trial, settling without admitting to or denying wrongdoing.
Conclusion The episode wraps up with a reminder for listeners to tune in to the daily podcast for further insights and analysis from the Squawk Box team. The discussions shed light on how current events and corporate strategies are poised to influence market activities.
Host Information
- Co-hosts: Joe Kernen, Becky Quick, Andrew Ross Sorkin
- Senior Producer: Katie Kramer
Stay connected with Squawk Pod for daily updates and expert analysis on market trends.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:01Hi, I'm Becky Quick, co-host of Squawk Box, and this is five things you need to know before today's opening bell. President Trump threatening the pharmaceutical industry with 100 percent tariffs unless drug companies manufacture or at least start to build manufacturing plants in the United States. The president also saying that he plans to slap a 25 percent tariff on imported heavy trucks starting October 1st. Separately, President Trump said yesterday he hopes to take some of the money raised by his tariffs and give it to U.S. farmers. Retaliation to President Trump's tariffs have reduced foreign demand for American crops by making them more expensive abroad.
0:39Costco's quarterly profit and revenue both beating the streets' expectations. The company's CFO saying that they are working hard to offset higher tariff costs, in some cases introducing new items from its Kirkland private label brand as alternatives to goods that have been hit by tariffs. and new this morning. Meta announcing pricing for ad free versions of Facebook and Instagram in the UK. It will cost a little more than five dollars a month on mobile platforms and slightly less for web browser versions. It matches an ad free option that Meta rolled out to the EU in 2023 to comply with regulators demands.
1:16And Amazon is going to be paying two and a half billion dollars or up to two and a half billion to settle an FTC complaint accusing the company of duping customers into signing up for its prime service and making it hard to cancel that service. The surprise settlement comes as Amazon and the FTC were just three days into a trial in a Seattle federal court. A billion dollars of it is civil penalties that will go to the government. One to one and a half billion dollars will be going back to customers who they feel were duped by this. I think customers can get up to $51 if they qualify for it. But this is obviously a calculated risk by Amazon saying, forget it, it's not worth going to trial where you could face much higher costs eventually for this.
1:59They settled without admitting or denying wrongdoing before the holiday season. We'll be back later today with Squawk Pod, our daily podcast featuring the best of Squawk Box. Stay tuned to your feed wherever you get your podcasts and listen anytime.
2:19Thank you.
From the publisher
The 5 things you need to know before the stock market opens today: President Trump has announced new tariffs on pharmaceuticals and trucks, and he’s suggested sharing that revenue with American farmers hit by other tariffs already in place. Costco is working to offset costs of tariffs, Meta has announced pricing for ad-free options for its platforms in the UK, and Amazon is settling with the FTC after the regulator brought the tech giant to court over Amazon Prime membership cancellation complaints.
Squawk Box is hosted by Joe Kernen, Becky Quick and Andrew Ross Sorkin. Follow Squawk Pod for the best moments, interviews and analysis from our TV show in an audio-first format.
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