CBX Daily 6/25/2025

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Stacker
June 25, 2025

Today, food insecurity is widening the debt zone, but let’s start with how high tariffs are making cocoa prices overblown…

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Soaring Cocoa Prices Have Bitter Tariffs To Blame

CBX Vibe

Soaring prices for raw materials like cocoa aren't the only challenges facing U.S. chocolate manufacturers and brands. They must also navigate new tariffs that add another layer of complexity to today's tense economic climate. Recent trade policies have led to increased import duties that directly affect the majority of cocoa and chocolate products. While these tariffs are intended to promote and protect domestic industries, as well as stemming from broader geopolitical tensions, they're having unintended consequences for many U.S. confectionery companies due to their reliance on imported cocoa. Higher tariffs are often passed down by companies to consumers in the form of higher prices. Yet the industry risks shifting consumer purchasing behavior by raising prices, potentially causing a decline in sales.

Buy Now, Pay Later Grocery Spending Climbs With Food Insecurity

CBX Vibe:

As inflation continues to rise while wages remain largely stagnant, American households are facing unprecedented pressure to meet even their most basic needs. A 2023 study shows that 12.5% people were unable to afford food. Once a convenient way to finance big-ticket purchases, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services are increasingly being used to cover essential expenses like food. This shift in consumer behavior reveals a deeper economic distress that goes beyond temporary hardship. The problem isn’t just individual choices, it’s a sign of widening systemic gaps. And it's happening fast.

How Hip-Hop’s Formula Became The New VC Pitch Deck

CBX Vibe:

For decades, hip-hop artists have turned pain into poetry, struggle into style, and now, lyrics into liquidity. A new generation of rap moguls and artists are flipping the wealth script by investing in technology, transforming their cultural capital into venture capital. This isn’t just a business trend for music icons like Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg and Nas, among others, it’s a power shift, where ownership and innovation are becoming the bars that really matter.

Tune-in Tuesdays!

Chess or Checkers? Trump bombs Iran and ceases fire in 48 hours and suddenly stocks are rising. What's the game plan here?

A. “War Games” by Living Legends – This isn’t strategy; it’s spectacle. A show of force to rattle cages, spike oil prices, and score political points at home
B. “Distraction” by Kehlani – Start a fire, point at the smoke, and sell the hose. The market surge might be less about recovery and more about misdirection
C. “Queen’s Gambit” by DJ Muggs, GZA – Bomb, pause, profit. The board resets, but the pieces haven’t moved far

What are your thoughts on this? Tune in next Tuesday to see which jam captures the prevailing sentiment!

A  |  B  |  C

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Last week’s results are in and it’s a tie between ‘Corporate Greed’ and balancing ‘Privacy’ with the WhatsApp ads introduction

Simple Trading Mistakes That Could Be Destroying Your Portfolio

CBX Vibe:

Stock Ticker symbols can be confusing to the novice investor, especially when there are thousands of companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges. People are making mistakes left and right when buying shares and they are paying for it heavily in transaction fees and embarrassment when they have to undo the trades.

Forget Tradition, Gen Zs Are Changing Luxury One Item At A Time

CBX Vibe:

You'd be surprised, or not if you found out that Gen Zs would rather spend their money on experiences rather than material things. The luxury market shifting was not on anyone's bingo card but neither was the Covid-19 pandemic which caused the total global luxury market to shrink by 20–22% to and losing approximately $1.15 trillion, returning to levels seen in 2015. And while the market is still recovering, the young generation have their priorities set and would rather spend on real estate, luxury cars, private jets and collectibles.

Vibes of the Week

Rising tariffs on cocoa could have chocolate consumers “Outside" as Cardi B tells it in our CBX Vibes!