Today we are watching…
1. Juventus FC (#juve)
Football teams are in the services business, but they can’t guarantee customer satisfaction every time. Italian giants Juventus are publically traded, and make their money from selling merchandise and stadium tickets. However, some of that revenue is under threat. The coronavirus has hit Italy hard, with hundreds of cases already reported. Juve is now considering playing its games behind closed doors to prevent the spread of the virus. The club’s museum is already closed, and shares have fallen 14% in two days amid fears of empty stadiums. If the team drops out of the lucrative Champion’s League as well, as it’s currently positioned to do, expect it to fall even lower.
2. Ford Motor (#ford)
Ford’s stock price is down at ten-year lows, and the company’s new chief operating officer says he can see the same anguish on employees’ faces as he saw during the financial crisis. The automotive world-beater lost $15 billion back then, but luckily avoided bail-outs of bankruptcy like many Detroit carmakers. However, the new man, Jim Farley, has got more to say to investors. “When I see Ford at its best was in ’08, coronavirus, Thai floods, earthquake in Japan. When there was a threat, the team comes together, decisions get made quickly at the right level. It’s very natural.”