Becker Business Podcast: "5 Quick Stories We Are Following Today 10-22-25"

Host: Scott Becker
Date: October 22, 2025

Episode Overview

In this fast-paced episode, Scott Becker delivers concise updates on five crucial business stories making waves in the markets today. The stories span dynamic performances in surgical technology, legacy automotive, streaming entertainment, electric vehicles, and the unpredictable world of meme stocks. Becker provides market context, CEO highlights, and his candid takes on what these trends mean for investors and industry watchers.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Intuitive (Surgical Robotics) Surges

• Performance: Stock up over 17% today, despite being down 11% for the year.
• Growth: Reported 23% year-over-year revenue growth this past quarter, with a 20% jump in Da Vinci robotic surgeries.
• Leadership: David Rosa highlighted as an effective CEO.
• Market Cap: $165 billion.
• Quote:

  "It's having an incredible year. It's an incredibly well managed company."
  — Scott Becker [00:25]

2. General Motors (GM) Hits Record Sales

• Stock Movement: Shares rose nearly 9% yesterday.
• Sales Achievement: Set a record quarter for crossovers and SUVs.
• Scale: Approximately 6 million cars sold annually worldwide.
• Leadership: Mary Beer commended for strong week as CEO.
• Market Cap: $64 billion; stock up 25% year-to-date.
• Quote:

  "Mary Beer is the CEO and she's having a good week."
  — Scott Becker [00:55]

3. Netflix Earnings Disappoint

• Pre-market Drop: Shares down about 7% due to missing both revenue and earnings targets (albeit slightly on revenue).
• Content Note: Becker enjoyed watching "House of Guinness" on Netflix.
• Year-to-date: Stock still up 40%, with market cap nearing $530 billion.
• Leadership: Co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters.
• Quote:

  "The miss on revenues was slight but still enough to cause the stock to go down."
  — Scott Becker [01:20]

4. Tesla Anticipates Earnings

• Stock Performance: Up nearly 10% for the year.
• Production: Sells about 1.8 million cars annually versus GM’s six million.
• Upcoming News: All eyes on earnings report.
• Quote:

  "Tesla says about a million eight cars a year. That's compared to GM that sells about 6 million cars a year worldwide."
  — Scott Becker [01:50]

5. Beyond Meat’s Meme Stock Rollercoaster

• Stock Movement: Explosive 600% increase this week, driven by meme trading and speculation.
• Market Cap: Plunged from peak of $14 billion to $1.4 billion.
• Uncertainty: Becker expresses skepticism regarding Beyond Meat’s real estate business and long-term prospects.
• Quote:

  "It's become as much a meme driven stock as a gambling stock... not really sure what's going on with the real estate business here that seems to be struggling, but we'll see how it goes."
  — Scott Becker [02:20]

Notable Quotes

• "It's having an incredible year. It's an incredibly well managed company." (Scott Becker on Intuitive, [00:25])
• "Mary Beer is the CEO and she's having a good week." (Scott Becker on GM, [00:55])
• "The miss on revenues was slight but still enough to cause the stock to go down." (Scott Becker on Netflix, [01:20])
• "It's become as much a meme driven stock as a gambling stock." (Scott Becker on Beyond Meat, [02:20])
• "Not really sure what's going on with the real estate business here that seems to be struggling, but we'll see how it goes." (Scott Becker on Beyond Meat, [02:24])

Key Timestamps

• 00:10 – Intuitive headlines: revenue and procedure growth, stock surge
• 00:50 – General Motors: stock performance, sales records, leadership
• 01:15 – Netflix: earnings miss, content mention, stock context
• 01:45 – Tesla: production comparisons, anticipation for earnings
• 02:15 – Beyond Meat: meme stock frenzy, market cap collapse, open questions

Episode Tone & Takeaways

Scott Becker’s delivery blends rapid-fire market updates with personal observations and direct assessments. His straightforward tone is geared toward business-minded listeners who want the most significant stories efficiently, with just enough analysis to add context. A recurring theme is the outsized influence of leadership and momentum, as well as the unpredictability of stocks caught up in meme culture.

This episode is an engaging, essential listen for anyone seeking a quick, insightful roundup of today’s critical business headlines and market movers.