Friday Fast Five - 1/9/2026
by Hodges Investment Team, on January 9, 2026
Five interesting things that Hodges Capital research analysts discovered this week...
#1 Happy New Year: In 1972, Dick Clark debuted New Year’s Rockin’ Eve as an alternative to Guy Lombardo’s long-running New Year’s Eve specials. The broadcast initially aired on NBC and was hosted by Three Dog Night and George Carlin, with Clark anchoring coverage from Times Square. Beginning in 2008, the show became known as New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest, hosted by Ryan Seacrest.
#2 Touchdown: Amazon said its streamed broadcasts of Thursday Night Football games this season averaged an impressive 15.33 million viewers across the 15-game slate. The company said that figure makes it the “most-watched season to date across the 20-year history of the NFL’s Thursday Night Football package.”
#3 A Big Hole in the Donut: Sprinkles, known for its cupcake ATMs and Beverly Hills roots, shuttered all of its locations, according to the company’s founder and former owner, Candace Nelson.
#4 Healthcare Hieroglyphics: More than 40 million people worldwide use ChatGPT daily for health information, reflecting growing reliance on AI to navigate the complex U.S. health care system, Axios reporter Megan Morrone writes. Users increasingly view ChatGPT as an ally for decoding medical bills, challenging insurance denials, and managing care when access to doctors is limited, according to a report OpenAI shared exclusively with Axios.
#5 Churchill Was Right: “Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy; its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.” The overthrow of President Nicolás Maduro could pave the way for Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips to recover assets that were illegally seized by Venezuela during a 2007 nationalization. Production has dropped drastically—from nearly 2.5 million barrels per day in 2007 to between 0.84 and 1.14 million bpd today. Chevron, the only U.S. oil major currently operating in Venezuela, is likely best positioned to reinvest and grow production if there is an orderly transition of power, analysts say.
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