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Pizza chain Papa John’s said it plans to close hundreds of underperforming restaurants in North America by the end of next year.

“We have identified approximately 300 underperforming restaurants across North America that are not meeting brand expectations or lack a clear path to sustainable financial improvement, as well as locations where we can effectively transfer sales to a nearby restaurant,” Papa John’s Chief Financial Officer Ravi Thanawala said last week during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call.

Thanawala described the locations as being primarily franchise-owned, more than a decade old and generating less than $600,000 in annual sales (AUVs). He said the majority of the restaurants will shutter by the end of 2027, with about 200 closures happening this year.

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The locations expected to close are mostly franchise-owned and more than a decade old. (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“We believe these closures will further strengthen the system, increasing AUVs by at least 3% and improve franchisee health by allowing franchisees to reallocate resources towards operational excellence in their remaining restaurants and open units in priority markets,” Thanawala said.

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He also said that the majority of the company’s restaurants worldwide have “performed well over the years and delivered strong returns for both corporate and franchise owners,” and that the strategic closure of underperforming restaurants are “among the most impactful actions we can take to improve restaurant profitability and fleet health.”

Papa John’s operated more than 3,500 restaurants in North America as of the fourth quarter of 2025. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

The company reported a 5.4% decline in same-store sales in the fourth quarter, which CEO Todd Penegor said “reflected a weak consumer backdrop and elevated promotional environment.”

THIS FAST-GROWING CHAIN SAYS ‘NO DISCOUNTS’ – AND IT’S PAYING OFF

Papa John’s operated 3,523 restaurants in North America as of the fourth quarter of 2025. It opened 96 new locations in its latest fiscal year.

Rival pizza chain Pizza Hut also recently announced that it will close 250 locations in the U.S. through June.

The closures will affect “underperforming” Pizza Hut restaurants. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Ranjith Roy, the chief financial officer of Pizza Hut’s corporate parent Yum! Brands, said during an earnings call that the closures will primarily target weaker-performing Pizza Hut restaurants as part of a broader effort to modernize the chain.

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Bulls and bears battle as oil, dollar rally. (0:15) Paramount debt cut to junk. (2:39) Amazon buys George Washington University satellite campus. (2:52)

This is an abridged transcript of the podcast:

Our top story so far, the dip-buyers and the froth-fighters are trading blows on Wall Street today.

Stocks sank at the opening bell on a global tech selloff sparked by a 7% plunge in South Korea’s Kospi — driven by double-digit declines in Samsung and SK Hynix.

The selloff deepened, and the Dow Jones (DJI) shed 1,200 points — on pace for its worst drop since Liberation Day — while the S&P 500 (SP500) hit its lowest level of 2026.

Treasury yields shot higher, with the 10-year (US10) topping 4.1%. The VIX (VIX) — the fear gauge — hit a three-month high. And gold (GLD) and silver (SLV) sank.

That move in metals looked counterintuitive — gold usually gets a safe-haven bid.

But former J.P. Morgan strategist Marko Kolanovic has pointed out that the silver ETF (SLV), along with the South Korea equity ETF (EWY), has been acting more like a meme stock lately.

But the bears couldn’t keep up the momentum. Stocks caught a bid about an hour into trading.

At the time of recording, the major averages are down less than 1.5% at their highs of the day.

A couple of assets, though, are trading with more conviction.

The greenback keeps catching a bid — hitting its highest level since mid-January and on pace for its strongest two-day rally in about a year. The dollar index (DXY) moved back above its 200-day moving average.

And oil prices are going parabolic — with Brent (CO1:COM) and WTI (CL1:COM) up another 7%.

Iraq has cut production by nearly 1.5M barrels per day, and that could rise to 3M if disruptions at the Strait of Hormuz continue.

Robert Brooks, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, says there’s “a weird tendency in markets to downplay unexpected shocks when they happen.

People don’t like to look like they didn’t see it coming, so they downplay the shock and the impact, he said.

What’s happening now in oil “is absolutely massive.”

Among active stocks, Cigna (CI) slipped after the company said CEO David Cordani is retiring. He’ll be replaced by President and COO Brian Evanko on July 1.

Evanko currently oversees Cigna’s Evernorth Health Services unit, which includes its pharmacy benefit manager, Express Scripts.

Best Buy (BBY) is up after boosting profit despite soft sales.

“Moving forward to FY27, we are excited about the momentum in our business,” CFO Matt Bilunas said. “We also expect to continue to navigate a mixed macro environment.”

Credo Technology (CRDO) is getting slammed after its Q3 beat wasn’t enough to satisfy investors given valuation.

Needham came to the company’s defense, with analyst N. Quinn Bolton — who really does sound like a Sherlock Holmes character — saying revenue growth is being driven by Active Electrical Cable proliferation and customer diversification.

And Fitch Ratings cut Paramount Skydance’s (PSKY) corporate and long-term debt ratings to junk after the company agreed to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).

The deal is expected to leave the combined entity with roughly $79B in net debt.

In other news of notes, tired: educating humans. Wired (quite literally): powering AI bots.

Amazon (AMZN) has struck a deal to acquire George Washington University’s Virginia Science and Technology Campus in Ashburn, Va., for about $427M.

The deal was executed through Amazon Data Services, and the price comes out to roughly $3.5M an acre for the 120-acre site.

It’s in Loudoun County — a major U.S. data center hub — and the deed allows Amazon to develop the property into a data or IT center to support its expanding cloud and AI infrastructure.

GW has the option to keep programs and services at the site for up to five years.

And in the Wall Street Research Corner, on Monday, we told you about the Jefferies AI Risk Basket.

On the flip side, Jefferies has now updated its AI Beneficiaries Basket.

The quant team says the bullish AI basket is broadly flat this year — with trading shifting toward risks from AI disintermediation. That’s analyst speak for cutting out the middleman.

They built the basket by using AI to identify about 30 stocks with market caps above $20B that are “direct beneficiaries of the AI boom.”

You know the big names. So here are a few that may not be on your radar: Digital Realty Trust (DLR), Monolithic Power Systems (MPWR), CoreWeave (CRWV), Microchip Technology (MCHP) and Iron Mountain (IRM).

Check out the full list here.

Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) shares closed at $306.36 on March 2, 2026, down 1.63% or $5.07 from the prior session, reflecting broader market pressure from escalating Middle East conflict and investor caution over the company’s aggressive capital expenditure plans for artificial intelligence infrastructure.

The Class C shares opened at $302.96, ranged from a low of $301.06 to a high of $308.14, and traded on volume of about 21.8 million shares. Pre-market activity on March 3 indicated further softness, with quotes dipping toward $298-$305 amid risk-off sentiment tied to oil price surges and regional instability. Alphabet’s market capitalization hovered near $3.7 trillion, underscoring its position as one of the world’s most valuable companies despite the recent pullback.

The decline followed a volatile February, when shares peaked near $345-$350 early in the month before retreating. Year-to-date performance has been modest, with GOOG down roughly 2-3% in 2026 after strong gains in late 2025. Over the trailing 12 months, however, the stock remains up significantly, reflecting sustained momentum in search, cloud and AI-driven segments.

The latest session’s weakness aligned with broader tech sector headwinds. Escalating U.S.-Israeli military actions against Iran over the weekend triggered fears of prolonged energy disruptions, pushing Brent crude higher and compressing valuations for growth-oriented names like Alphabet. Analysts noted that while Alphabet’s core advertising business shows resilience, higher energy costs and macroeconomic uncertainty could indirectly pressure digital ad spending.

Alphabet’s fourth-quarter 2025 earnings, released Feb. 4, 2026, provided a strong backdrop. The company reported consolidated revenues of $113.8 billion, up 18% year-over-year (17% in constant currency), surpassing expectations. Google Services revenues climbed 14% to $95.9 billion, led by 17% growth in Search & other, 17% in subscriptions, platforms and devices, and 9% in YouTube ads. Full-year YouTube revenue across ads and subscriptions exceeded $60 billion, while paid subscriptions topped 325 million.

Google Cloud delivered standout performance, with revenues surging 48% to $17.7 billion, driven by demand for AI infrastructure, enterprise solutions and core GCP products. The segment’s operating income reached $5.3 billion, reflecting improved margins amid scaling efficiencies.

Consolidated operating income rose 16% to $35.9 billion, with a 31.6% margin (including a $2.1 billion Waymo compensation charge). Net income jumped 30% to $34.5 billion, and diluted EPS climbed 31% to $2.82, beating estimates. CEO Sundar Pichai highlighted Gemini 3’s launch as a milestone, with first-party models processing over 10 billion tokens per minute via API and the Gemini App reaching 750 million monthly active users.

For 2026, management guided capital expenditures of $175 billion to $185 billion — a substantial increase — to meet surging AI demand and expand infrastructure. The outlook has sparked debate: bulls view it as essential for maintaining leadership in AI and cloud, while some warn of near-term free cash flow pressure and depreciation impacts on margins.

Analysts remain largely constructive. Consensus 12-month price targets cluster in the $340-$350 range, implying 10-15% upside from current levels. Recent commentary emphasizes Alphabet’s AI moat, with Search seeing record usage and Gemini adoption accelerating. Google Cloud’s run rate now exceeds $70 billion annually, positioning it as a key growth engine.

Challenges include competitive pressures in digital advertising, regulatory scrutiny (including ongoing antitrust cases) and the high cost of AI investments. Depreciation rose sharply in 2025, and further acceleration is expected in 2026, potentially weighing on short-term profitability.

Technical levels show support near $300-$305, with resistance around $320-$330. The stock trades at a forward P/E of about 27-29 based on 2026 estimates, reasonable given projected revenue growth of 12-15% and operating margin expansion.

Investors eye the next earnings report, expected around April 23, 2026, for updates on Q1 performance, AI monetization (including potential Gemini ads) and capex execution. Amid geopolitical uncertainty, Alphabet’s diversified revenue streams — from resilient Search to high-growth Cloud — offer defensive qualities within tech.

As shares consolidate after earlier highs, Alphabet balances near-term macro risks with long-term AI and cloud tailwinds, keeping it a core holding for growth-oriented portfolios.

Stanley Black & Decker said it will eliminate roughly 300 positions in New Britain, Connecticut, and close a manufacturing facility that produces single-sided tape measures as part of its ongoing restructuring efforts.

The move is tied to what the company described as a sustained decline in demand for the product category. The New Britain site primarily manufactures single-sided tape measures, which the company said are becoming obsolete in certain markets.

“As a result of a structural decline in demand for single-sided tape measures, we have decided to close our facility in New Britain that predominantly makes these products,” Debora Raymond, vice president of external communications for Stanley Black & Decker, said in a statement to WFSB. “These products are quickly becoming obsolete in the markets we serve.”

EBAY CUTS 800 JOBS ACROSS COMPANY OPERATIONS JUST DAYS AFTER DROPPING $1.2B ON TRENDY GEN Z FASHION APP

The move is tied to what the company described as a sustained decline in demand for the product category. (Alex Flynn/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Raymond said the company is focused on assisting affected workers through the transition, including exploring opportunities at other locations as well as providing severance and job placement support for both salaried and hourly employees.

The reduction affects approximately half of the company’s roughly 600 employees in New Britain as of 2024. Stanley Black & Decker said its world headquarters in the city will remain open. The company has not disclosed a timeline for the facility’s closure.

DeWalt power tools are displayed at a Home Depot store. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

The decision comes as Stanley Black & Decker continues executing a multiyear cost-reduction and operational simplification plan. Since late 2023, the company has reduced its global workforce by about 7,000 employees and completed a $2 billion savings program that included facility consolidations and supply chain adjustments.

Stanley Black & Decker has been headquartered in New Britain since the 19th century, and its longstanding presence contributed to the city’s “Hardware City” identity.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont acknowledged the impact on workers and families, saying workforce transitions are difficult but expressed hope that affected employees will find new opportunities.

Stanley Black and Decker is assisting affected workers through the transition, said Debora Raymond, vice president of external communications. (Getty Images)

“Although Stanley has made the decision to discontinue operations for manufacturing outdated products, a change in workforce opportunities is difficult for employees, their families, and any community,” Lamont said in a statement to WFSB. “However, I am hopeful that these skilled workers will be repurposed with the help of Stanley Black & Decker, a company that will still proudly be headquartered here in Connecticut. My administration is working closely with local and state leaders to support affected workers and to reimagine the factory site so it can continue to create opportunity and strengthen New Britain’s economic future.”

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The company has not indicated whether additional workforce actions are planned at other locations.

FOX Business reached out to Stanley Black & Decker for comment.

Oscar-winning actor Christian Bale has cautioned his admirers against meeting him in person, insisting the encounter would lead to “terrible disappointment” as his real-life persona falls short of the intense, charismatic characters he portrays on screen.

The 52-year-old star, best known for roles in “The Dark Knight” trilogy, “American Psycho” and “The Fighter,” made the self-deprecating remarks during a red-carpet interview with Entertainment Tonight at the London premiere of his latest film, “The Bride!,” on Feb. 26, 2026. The comments quickly went viral, amassing millions of views across social media platforms and sparking a mix of amusement, admiration and defense from fans.

“I’m never cool,” Bale told the outlet. “Not in those instances. I don’t want to meet people that I see in films, I don’t want to meet my heroes.” He explained that he has observed fans’ reactions firsthand: “I see it in people’s eyes when they’ve watched my movies and loved them, and then they meet me and I see their eyes, that terrible disappointment about who I really am. And it’s true, what a disappointment. That’s me at my best in the movie.”

Bale advised following the adage “never meet your heroes,” applying it to himself with a humorous twist. “Definitely don’t meet me,” he said, emphasizing that the idealized versions of actors exist primarily on screen. The clip, shared widely on Instagram, YouTube Shorts and X, drew reactions ranging from “He’s the most humble actor” to “This is why we love him — brutal self-awareness.”

The interview resurfaced discussions about the gap between celebrity personas and reality, a theme Bale has touched on before. Known for his method acting and extreme physical transformations — including losing over 60 pounds for “The Machinist” and gaining muscle for Batman — Bale often embodies larger-than-life figures. Fans project those intensities onto him, only to find a more reserved, private individual off-screen.

Social media erupted with memes and commentary. On Instagram reels from accounts like Viral Pop and Entertainment Tonight, users posted captions such as “Christian Bale warns fans they don’t want to meet him, they’ll just be disappointed 😭” and “The disappointment we need.” Reddit threads in r/popculturechat praised his humility, with one top comment noting his real-life philanthropy, including support for children’s causes that keep siblings together in foster care.

Some outlets tied the remarks to Bale’s past controversies, including his infamous 2008 on-set rant captured on audio, which he later apologized for. The Daily Mail highlighted the 17-year-old incident in coverage, suggesting Bale’s self-criticism stems from awareness of his public image.

Bale’s latest project, “The Bride!,” directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, features him in a supporting role alongside Jesse Buckley and Penélope Cruz. The film, a reimagining of Frankenstein themes with a focus on the bride character, premiered to positive early buzz at festivals before its wider release push in 2026. Bale’s appearance at the London event marked one of his rare promotional outings, as he maintains a low public profile compared to many Hollywood peers.

Fans and commentators largely embraced the honesty. BuzzFeed called it “brutal self-awareness” that made people love him more, while Yahoo Entertainment and AsiaOne echoed the “terrible disappointment” line in headlines. Korean media, including Chosun, framed it as concern over the “gap between on-screen persona and real-life persona,” resonating with global audiences.

Bale has long avoided the spotlight outside work. He rarely engages in social media and has spoken about protecting his family’s privacy. In past interviews, he expressed discomfort with fame’s trappings, preferring roles that challenge him over celebrity status.

The viral moment underscores a recurring celebrity theme: the burden of fan expectations. Similar sentiments from stars like Keanu Reeves — often cited alongside Bale for humility — highlight how actors navigate pedestal placement. Bale’s warning, delivered with dry humor, served as both deflection and genuine reflection.

As “The Bride!” builds anticipation, Bale’s comments have paradoxically boosted goodwill. Online reactions leaned positive, with many calling him “real as f*ck” and appreciating the candor. One Instagram commenter summed it up: “Saying he’s not ‘cool’ automatically makes him the coolest actor.”

For now, Bale seems content letting his performances speak louder than personal encounters. His message to fans remains clear: admire from afar — the screen version might be the best he’ll ever be.