Becker Business Summary

Host: Scott Becker
Episode: Saks, Amazon, Porsche, + More 1-19-26
Date: January 19, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode of Becker Business, Scott Becker delivers a rapid-fire roundup of recent and notable business news stories. With his signature blend of wit, insight, and personal anecdotes, Scott covers major developments involving Saks and Amazon, Porsche's changing sales, Beyond Meat's strategy shift, and quick takes on heavyweight companies like Meta, Apple, Walmart, and DraftKings. He also closes with a mention of organizations and firms close to his heart.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Saks and Amazon’s Broken Partnership

• Saks filed for bankruptcy despite a $475 million investment from Amazon intended to fuel its acquisition of Neiman Marcus.
  • Amazon’s intent: Leverage Saks to grow its luxury goods segment.
  • Outcome: "That's gone very poorly."
• Impact on Amazon:
  • Amazon now considers the investment "worthless" and asserts that "Saks breached its commitment."
  • Quote [01:05]:
    “Amazon had tried to use and leverage Saks to get more luxury goods selling through Amazon. That’s gone very poorly.”

2. Porsche’s Sales Slump and Best Seller Shift

• Sales declined by almost 10%: from 310,000 to 280,000 vehicles/year.
• Surprising Best Seller:
  • Porsche’s small SUV, the Macan, outsells its iconic sports car, the 911.
  • Personal anecdote: Scott drives a Macan, quips about it being a “soccer mom car.”
  • Quote [02:01]:
    “The founder somewhere must be rolling in their grave.”

3. Beyond Meat’s Desperate Pivot

• Strategic shift: Moving into protein drinks amid serious business challenges.
  • Telling sign: "When you hear a company say they're making a big pivot, it almost always means they're doing extremely poorly currently."
  • Performance: Shares down 80% in 12 months.
  • Quote [03:01]:
    “That is the case with Beyond Meat. They're down 80% over the last 12 months.”

4. Golf Anecdote – Mixing Business and Leisure

• Personal story about participating in a two-man golf tournament.
  • Humorous comparison:
    “My partner went to go take a lesson. I went to the PGA store. No other data is needed. We did horribly. Golf is a stupid game.” [04:18]

5. Meta Platforms (Facebook) Trends

• Company is down 6% YTD but Scott cautions:
  • “Don’t bet against Mark Zuckerberg.” [04:38]

6. Apple’s China Rebound

• Apple also down 6% YTD, yet recent China sales have surged.
  • Scott speculates: Will this turnaround “lift Apple back up”?

7. “Cash Machines” to Watch – Motley Fool Picks

• Highlighted Stocks: Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia.
  • “Motley Fool points to these three stocks as cash machines that you should invest in. I thought that was interesting.” [05:32]

8. Walmart’s Strong Performance

• Up nearly 7.5% YTD
  • “Walmart keeps on kicking.” [05:50]

9. DraftKings’ Volatility

• Dropped 8–9% on Thursday; recovery uncertain.

10. Shout-Outs to Firms and Charities

• Personal appreciation for:
  • Becker’s Healthcare, McGuire Woods, Nimble Solutions, Shore Capital Partners, Andreessen Horowitz (A16Z), and National Medical Fellowships.
    • Special praise for National Medical Fellowships and its mission to help underrepresented groups access medical education.
    • Quote [07:12]:
      “A fantastic organization… helps people of color and minorities and people of need pay for and get to medical school.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Saks and Amazon:
  “Amazon had tried to use and leverage Saks to get more luxury goods selling through Amazon. That’s gone very poorly.” [01:05]
• On Porsche’s demographic shift:
  “The founder somewhere must be rolling in their grave.” [02:01]
• On Beyond Meat’s pivot:
  “When you hear a company say they're making a big pivot, it almost always means they're doing extremely poorly currently.” [02:43]
• Golf Humor:
  “My partner went to go take a lesson. I went to the PGA store. No other data is needed. We did horribly. Golf is a stupid game.” [04:18]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:00] Episode introduction and main topics overview
• [00:33] Saks and Amazon breakup, bankruptcy story
• [01:35] Porsche sales decline and Macan’s rise
• [02:36] Beyond Meat pivots to protein drinks
• [04:02] Golf tournament anecdote
• [04:38] Meta and Apple year-to-date trends
• [05:10] Motley Fool’s “cash machines”: Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia
• [05:50] Walmart’s strong performance
• [06:00] DraftKings’ stock drop
• [06:20] Shout-outs to favored firms and National Medical Fellowships

Episode Tone and Final Thoughts

Scott’s tone is conversational, knowledgeable, and occasionally self-deprecating—especially in his personal anecdotes. He combines headline business news with quick insights and light-hearted reflections, making the episode both informative and entertaining for listeners at all knowledge levels.

Producer shout-out:
Scott closes by thanking Chanel Bunger, the producer, for her work on the show.

Summary prepared for listeners and readers who want a high-impact, fast-paced update on recent business stories, key stock trends, and a dash of humor from Scott Becker.