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Target Corporation on Tuesday reported its all-important fourth-quarter results, which run from the key holiday shopping season in November through January. Unfortunately for the company, its results were, at best, a mixed bag. Yet despite the underwhelming earnings report, shares in the company are currently rising. Here’s what you need to know. Target’s Q4 2025 at a glance Before the opening bell this morning, Target reported its fourth-quarter earnings, which ended on January 31. Out of all the earnings periods Target reports over the year, Q4 is the most important because it covers the holiday shopping season when consumers are traditionally most will…

In a year of tremendous uncertainty, one of the few constants has been the swift uptick in gold and silver prices. Both metals have reached record high after record high as investors turn to safe-haven assets. Yet, as war escalates across the Middle East, the prices of silver and gold are currently falling. Most notably, silver fell over 11% on Tuesday and is down over 7% to about $82.50 per ounce at the time of publication. That’s more than a 5% drop over the last five days and close to 3% down for the past month. Silver’s all-time high price came on January 29, with a whopping $129.64 per ounce. Even with the significant drop from that peak, silver is…

A note to corporations everywhere: Asking politely for the internet to stop making fun of you often has the opposite effect. Microsoft may have just learned that lesson the hard way, after it accidentally helped a not-so-nice nickname go viral. As Microsoft’s AI assistant Copilot is integrated into features across the company’s products—from its controversial Recall feature, to a dedicated AI button on Windows keyboards—it’s catching more and more flak, including a new term coined just to clown on Copilot: “Microslop,” a portmanteau of “Microsoft” and “AI slop.” The word was flying freely on Microsoft’s official Copilot Discord server, until users noticed a new fi…

Airport lounges are getting bigger, flashier, and increasingly crowded. American Express (Amex) believes the next evolution might actually be smaller. On Wednesday, the company opened the doors to Sidecar by The Centurion Lounge, a new 33-seat speakeasy-style lounge concept at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. The space is designed specifically for travelers who have 90 minutes or less before boarding, offering a quick stop for food, drinks, and a moment of calm before heading to the gate. The opening represents the first new format for the Centurion Lounge brand since the network debuted more than a decade ago. According to Audrey Hendley, p…

U.S. figure skating champion Alysa Liu captivated audiences during the 2026 Winter Olympics. Now, the young skater is offering some life advice. The 20-year-old won two gold medals in the recent Milan-Cortina games, charmed crowds with her style, cheered on her competitors, and offered her refreshing take on skating for joy, rather than medals. Liu told Today.com she had some nontraditional advice about pushing kids to continue to play sports, even when they want to quit. To put it simply, the Olympian said: “Don’t.” “It does not work,” she explained. “The kid knows himself pretty well, and it’s just never good to force anything.” While Liu’s advice is s…

We’re only two months in, but 2026 is already shaping up to be the year of agents. The current surge began with Claude Code, which achieved critical mass over the holidays. That led to all kinds of lobster-themed software names (long story), which culminated in OpenClaw, an open-source agent creation and management system. It might also be a stealth marketing campaign for Apple to sell a ton of Mac Minis, but that’s neither here nor there. It’s too early to say what kind of productivity gains the current wave of agents will create, but the push to agents is undeniable. It’s also very exclusive. For all the talk of, “the only coding language you need to know is English…

Inc.com columnist Alison Green answers questions about workplace and management issues—everything from how to deal with a micromanaging boss to how to talk to someone on your team about body odor. A reader asks: Last fall, I left a beloved job and assisted them in hiring two people to replace me. One was an internal hire, the other required an outside interview process. We received over 50 applications, narrowed it down to 13 phone interviews, then seven in-person interviews, and finally made a very satisfying hiring decision. At each step along the way, I sent out polite rejection emails to those who didn’t make the next level. It was very professional, and a…

On the northern outskirts of Beijing, massive holes in the earth bear the scars of what it’s taken to fuel the Chinese capital’s growth into a sprawling megacity that more than 22 million people call home. The site was a quarry that from 1990 to 2015 provided the raw material to help Beijing grow at hyperspeed, supplying everything from skyscrapers to roads to the main stadium built for the 2008 Summer Olympics. Last operated by Beijing Xingfa Cement Co., its closure left behind a negative space that is the inverse of the vertical urbanity of Beijing. Now, after nearly a decade of planning and design, the quarry’s rehabilitation into a striking and surreal 265-acre p…

Late last month, frozen food manufacturer Ajinomoto Foods North America announced a recall of roughly 3 million pounds of not-ready-to-eat products after customers reported finding glass in rice. In the U.S., many of the recalled products were sold at Trader Joe’s locations. Now that the recall has been dramatically expanded, with new products being pulled from the shelves. Here’s what you need to know. What’s happened? On March 3, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) posted a recall notice announcing that Ajinomoto Foods North America was expanding its earlier recall to include an additional 33 million pounds of various ready-to-eat and not-re…

The job market is tough right now: AI résumé filters, the rise of ghost jobs, and waves of industry-wide layoffs. Many workers cling tightly to their jobs in this environment, a phenomenon known as “job hugging.” But a surprising number of mid-career millennials aren’t scrambling to avoid redundancy. Instead, they admit they’d prefer an external push out the door because the alternative—voluntarily navigating a chaotic job market—feels far too risky. And experts say it’s a trend that should leave the cohort right below millennials worried. A recent survey of 2,000 Gen Z and millennial workers in the US by online education platform ELVTR found that 37% of mill…

You’ve probably seen compounding making headlines recently, and not for the right reasons. From so-called “personalized” GLP-1s flooding the market to telehealth startups touting hormone “rebalancing” kits, compounding has become a buzzword for companies looking to shortcut regulation. Much of the scrutiny is justified; some companies exploit compounding to bypass evidence standards or chase fast revenue. But when compounding is grounded in rigorous data, fills a real market gap, and meets a clinical need, it can meaningfully accelerate access to therapies that would otherwise take years to reach patients. In women’s health, especially, it can bridge the gap between u…

The Kennedys have long been considered America’s royal family, and for generations, they’ve been brought up in the great state of Massachusetts. That includes Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the current Health and Human Services Secretary—but his latest idea to improve the health of Americans could burn the bridge with his home state for good. At a recent rally in Austin, Texas, Kennedy drew a line in the sand against one of Massachusetts’ most beloved brands: Dunkin’ (formerly Dunkin’ Donuts). Kennedy said he planned to press coffee chains including Dunkin’ for proof that their ingredients were safe for consumption, particularly in terms of sugar content. “We’re going to …

Climate change comes with serious financial risks, and those risks could affect your retirement account. Is it up to your employer, then, to protect your 401(k) from those concerns? That’s the question posed by a first-of-its-kind lawsuit, filed today in the U.S. District Court Western District of Washington. A former employee of Cushman & Wakefield has filed a lawsuit alleging that the real estate company breached its duties under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) by failing to protect its workers’ 401(k) savings from climate-related financial risks. “Though often misrepresented as a purely ethical issue, climate risk is actually a sever…

Last week, Block CEO Jack Dorsey shared that his fintech company would be cutting 40% of its workforce, arguing that AI would allow them to do more with smaller teams. Many observers wondered if the large-scale layoffs reflected the new reality amid rapid AI adoption, and whether it was just a matter of time before other companies followed suit. But not everyone is buying it. In a post on X, Whoop CEO Will Ahmed shared that his company—which makes health and fitness wearables—would be nearly doubling its 800-employee headcount this year, drawing a contrast with employers that have been slashing jobs over the last year. He then weighed in on the growing trend of compa…

Grocery Outlet is joining the ranks of retailers planning to shutter storefronts this year. The discount grocery store chain announced its fourth-quarter and full 2025 fiscal year results on Wednesday, along with a plan to close 36 stores. This move to close stores follows a previous restructuring plan concluded in the second quarter of fiscal 2025, another attempt to “improve long-term profitability” and optimize growth. The company reported an increase in net sales, but an operating loss of $234.8 million and a net loss of $218.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2025. The optimization plan, which is expected to be largely completed during fiscal year 20…

It sounds like an obvious business decision: cut headcount, reduce costs, and signal efficiency to the market. When Block CEO Jack Dorsey eliminated more than 4,000 jobs—nearly half the company’s workforce—citing AI-driven efficiency gains, the company’s stock rose more than 20% within hours. Citigroup is executing CEO Jane Fraser’s plan to cut 20,000 roles by the end of 2026. Morgan Stanley recently reduced its workforce by 2,500 positions across its major business divisions, despite posting record revenues in 2025. The announcements are framed as strategic resets. The market often rewards them. But the real consequences rarely show up in the stock price. They sh…

Shares in Hims & Hers Health (NYSE: HIMS) are soaring this morning after an unconfirmed report that the telehealth company is entering into a deal with Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE: NVO) to sell its popular GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, including Wegovy. The rumored deal is as surprising as Hims & Hers’s surging stock price this morning, especially considering that just last month, Novo was threatening to sue the telehealth provider. Here’s what you need to know. What’s happened? Late on Friday, Bloomberg reported that Hims & Hers has reached an agreement with the Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk to sell Novo’s weight-loss drugs, including the popular GLP-1 pill…

Logitech may be known for keyboards, webcams, and gaming gear, but CEO Hanneke Faber is going beyond AI-first. She explains how she’s leading the hardware brand through an AI shift, approaching it as a leadership challenge, not just a tech one. Faber also shares lessons from competitive diving and navigating ever-shifting global tariffs. This is an abridged transcript of an interview from Rapid Response, hosted by the former editor-in-chief of Fast Company Bob Safian. From the team behind the Masters of Scale podcast, Rapid Response features candid conversations with today’s top business leaders navigating real-time challenges. Subscribe to Rapid Response wherever you…

Any avid reader undoubtedly recognizes him: the sleek, inquisitive bird frozen inside an orange oval that’s become Penguin Random House’s distinctive logo. With its new brand refresh, Penguin Random House UK is setting that iconic penguin free. The brand just unveiled a delightful series of hand-drawn illustrations, named the “Playful Penguins,” which show the penguin jumping, strutting, dancing, and doing a whole lot of reading. The illustrations will show up everywhere across the Penguin Random House’s global markets, from seasonal campaigns to social initiatives and point-of-sale displays—and they’re designed to bring some added joy and movement to the brand as it appr…

The list of Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus store locations set to close continues to grow. On March 6, 2026, parent company Saks Global announced it would close 15 additional retail locations. This is part of a broader restructuring plan following the luxury retailer’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in January. Here’s what you need to know: What’s happening? According to a court document filed last Friday with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, Saks Global will close an additional 15 store locations. The Saks Fifth Avenue on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile is included on the list. Most of the locations are …

The deadline to claim the Super Early rate for Fast Company’s Brands That Matter is this Friday. Rates go up March 13 at 11:59 p.m. ET. This is the sixth year that Fast Company will be honoring brands that have turned their marketing and branding strategies into cultural relevance for their core audience. It will also mark the third year that Brands That Matter will recognize CMOs of the Year—the marketers who are propelling their organizations to new heights through their ambitious, effective leadership, thoughtful and creative executives who are finding effective ways to keep their brands top of mind for consumers. For 2026, there are two exciting new recognit…

Most organisations are no longer made up of one homogenous group of full-time employees. Instead, they’re becoming ecosystems. A mix of permanent employees, fractional leaders, freelancers, contractors, project specialists, and increasingly, technology and AI are doing part of the work too. In fact, the workforce of 2026 is predicted to become “agentic”, whereby AI agents are expected to displace or reshape tasks and roles. This makes collaboration with AI a necessity, not for the future of work, but now. This emerging blended workforce gives organisations access to a wider range of skills, faster. It allows them to scale up and down as demand changes. It creates …

Below, Nedra Glover Tawwab shares five key insights from her new book, The Balancing Act: Creating Healthy Dependency and Connection Without Losing Yourself. Nedra is a licensed therapist and author of the instant New York Times bestseller Set Boundaries, Find Peace. She has practiced relationship therapy for almost 20 years and has over 2.5 million followers across her social media platforms. Nedra has appeared as an expert on multiple news shows, such as the CBS Morning Show, and has had her work highlighted in publications such as the New York Times and Vice. What’s the big idea? Healthy relationships are built on flexibility, not fixed labels or rigid patte…

The hits keep coming for fans of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen. According to a new court filing from a major franchisee, three additional Popeyes restaurants have permanently shut their doors, bringing the total number of store closures associated with the franchisee’s ongoing bankruptcy proceedings to at least 20. The franchisee, Sailormen Inc. of Miami, Florida, sought Chapter 11 protection earlier this year, citing diminished foot traffic and high inflation. In January, it closed 17 Popeyes restaurants in Florida and Georgia as part of the bankruptcy process, Fast Company previously reported. The additional three restaurants disclosed this week are all based…

“At the light, take a sharp left onto Washington Street.” “So the second value prop—” “Turn right onto Third Avenue, then at the next stop sign…” Charles Armstrong, the product manager on Google Maps, is trying to explain how the platform’s turn-by-turn directions are getting their biggest update since the service launched in 2009. Maps is an almost unfathomably impactful platform that reaches around 2 billion people worldwide; it dominates navigation apps by commanding as much as 70% of the global market share. But as Armstrong attempts to walk me through the rich redesign, he keeps getting interrupted by his own demo. And I have to admit…anyone who has e…