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Economic Diplomacy & This Week's Trending Stocks (SBUX, UAA, MSFT)

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  • (1:20) - Howard Schultz Steps Down As Starbucks’ Executive Chairman
  • (6:50) - Under Armour Analyst Upgrade and The Rock's Sold Out Shoes
  • (11:40) - Microsoft To Acquire Github For $7.5 Billion
  • (15:25) - Investor Concerns Over Trade Disputes

On today’s episode of the Zacks Friday Finish Line, Associate Stock Strategist Ryan McQueeney and Editor Maddy Johnson take on this week’s biggest stories, including the departure of longtime Starbucks (SBUX - Free Report) executive Howard Schultz, Under Armour’s (UAA - Free Report) partnership with The Rock, and Microsoft’s (MSFT - Free Report) deal to buy GitHub. The hosts also chat about economic diplomacy between the U.S. and other world leaders.

Make sure to subscribe and leave the show a rating on Apple Podcasts!

This week was packed with trending stories, starting with the news that Howard Schultz is leaving Starbucks to pursue career options in philanthropy and public service. This sparked rumors that the coffee pioneer might be eyeing a run for president in 2020. Maddy and Ryan reflected on his legacy and touched on what his campaign platform might look like.

Next, the hosts discussed Under Armour’s big week, which saw the athletic apparel company’s stock move higher on the back of strong analyst sentiment and great responses to its partnership with The Rock. In today’s episode, Maddy and Ryan discuss what UAA should focus on going forward and what a relationship with someone like The Rock might mean to the company.

The final trending story that the hosts covered was Microsoft’s acquisition of GitHub. The pair chatted about what GitHub does, why Microsoft might have been interested in the firm, and how the tech behemoth chose to finance the deal.

Finally, Maddy and Ryan recapped the latest news in the ongoing economic diplomacy saga taking place throughout the world. Officials from the U.S. made progress in China, with an agreement being reached between American regulators and Chinese telecom giant ZTE. Elsewhere, world leaders are meeting now to talk about global economic growth, and many more topics, at the latest G-7 meeting.

Make sure to check out the show to hear more!

As a reminder, if you feel that we missed something, or if you want us to cover a different story, shoot us an email at podcast@zacks.com. Make sure to check out all of our other audio content at zacks.com/podcasts, and remember to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts.

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