By SA Editor Mike Taylor, CFA :
Martin Shkreli

(This is from a time Martin Shkreli testified in 2016. )
(This is from a time Martin Shkreli testified in 2016. Wikipedia )
If my defense attorney calls me "weird" and "strange," emphasizing my "flaws" and "dysfunctional personality," I'm not sure how much better I'll feel if he also says I'm "brilliant beyond words." Not just as a matter of my personal self-esteem but also as a matter of my defense. If jurors turn out to have soft spots for unusual and maladjusted geniuses, it'll come as a surprise to me.
It'll also come as a surprise to some prospective jurors, like this guy :
Blurring the lines between fraud and capitalism may or may not land you in jail, but if you want a leg up in your race for freedom, dissing the Wu Tang Clan in New York City is not the way to go.
Retail Watch

(Nike's New York HQ. )
(Nike's New York HQ. Dezeen )
Seeking Alpha's Breaking News team has previewed Nike's earnings report ( NKE ), which takes place after the bell and/or just as I file this. I was visiting Nike's hometown of Portland last week, and the subject of the Nike layoffs came up more than once. So did culture and morale. People seemed nervous about the uncertainty around the company. I'm hoping for their sake that recent action creates some clarity.
On the plus side, here's an article about a new New York office. The design looks great. I've heard, though, that "open-plan" and "freestyle" spaces can be more distressing to employees in practice than they are on the design page.
From the investment point of view, I'll be interested to read about Nike's plans to sell directly via Amazon ( AMZN ).
Tech Squibs
- Uber (UBER) hits 5B rides : I contributed some of the high-four-billion rides this past week, I'm proud to say.
- Micron Technology ( MU ) beats by $0.11, beats on revenue : Up only modestly after market, it looks like.
- S&P, Nasdaq down on new tech pullback; semiconductors take hit : Hard to make a ton out of one day's action.
- Blue Apron ( APRN ) opens level with IPO pricing : But not level with where they were hoping to price.
FinTwit Corner
- Jawad Mian (@jsmian) says the rotation from growth to value has room to run .
- SconnieTrader (@SconnieTrader) arranges some words together .
- Dat BTFD Boi (@scheplick) throws an Anchorman gif at the tech price action .
- Conor Sen (@conorsen) reviews Baby Driver .
See also Can Amazon Take Down Google, Facebook, Microsoft Ad Businesses? on seekingalpha.com
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.