• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

2

'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032

3

Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there

1

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

2

'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032

3

Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
LeadershipCEO Daily

CEO Daily: Monday, October 19

By
John Kell
John Kell
and
Alan Murray
Alan Murray
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
John Kell
John Kell
and
Alan Murray
Alan Murray
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 19, 2015, 7:03 AM ET

Chinese growth officially slowed to a 6.9% pace in the third quarter. Unofficially is another matter. Power output has been virtually flat in China this year and commodity imports are down sharply, signaling a more serious slump in the industrial sector. But consumer spending and services continue to rise.

 

Fortune’s Scott Cendrowski cites one estimate that puts the actual growth rate at 4.5%. The Economist parses the numbers and comes up with a growth rate of 5%. Either way, China’s growth is significantly slower than the official rate, but not in a hard landing.

 

Meanwhile, unicorn hunting season continues, with biotech firm Theranos still taking the most buckshot. Jean-Louis Gassee, a former Apple executive and now a popular tech blogger, writes of his personal experience using Theranos’ blood testing technology and comparing it to standard blood tests. The results raise serious concerns about accuracy

 

Elizabeth Holmes, who founded Theranos and can claim roughly half of its supposed $9 billion valuation, is scheduled to speak Wednesday at a technology conference in Laguna Beach, California, put on by the Wall Street Journal, which eviscerated the company in an investigative piece last week. Watch that space. And don’t expect this to be the last billion-dollar-startup to come under fire.

 

More news below.

 

Alan Murray
@alansmurray
alan.murray@fortune.com

Top News

• United silent on CEO's condition

Oscar Munoz, the chief executive of United Continental, was admitted to the hospital Thursday after he reportedly suffered from a heart attack. As of Sunday night, the airline has declined to provide any updates about the CEO's health. His health problems come barely a month after Munoz took the job to help improve the profitability and reputation of United. Reuters

• The challenge as Netflix goes abroad

Netflix this week is dipping its toes into new European markets including Italy and Spain, but the video-streaming service faces challenges building an international base because of regulatory restrictions and some stiff competition in some of those individual markets. In many nations, well-established rivals have already echoed Netflix's service, while also promoting local content. New York Times (subscription required)

• Wal-Mart probe coming up empty

Back in 2012, Wal-Mart Stores found itself in the middle of some controversy when the New York Times reported top bosses at the retailer's Mexican division sought to hide a bribery scheme from the company's U.S. headquarters. The allegations went all the way back to 2005. But over the weekend, Wall Street Journal reported that a Justice Department probe has failed to find a big smoking gun. As a result, it looks like a much smaller case has emerged than the government initially anticipated. Fortune

• Mega mergers challenge antitrust limits

Data from the University of Southern California has sound that in nearly a third of industries, most U.S. companies compete in markets that would be considered "highly concentrated" under current federal antitrust standards. That's up from about a quarter in 1996. Big deals like the Anheuser-Busch InBev-SABMiller are continuing massive concentration in categories like beverages, household appliances, mobile-phone service and air travel. Mergers like these can preserve jobs in industries that are too weak to survive if fragmented, but generally lead to higher prices. WSJ (subscription required)

Around the Water Cooler

• Ad-free YouTube to debut

Google-owned YouTube is expected to debut an ad-free subscription service for the video website at an event that is being held this week. The price of the service isn't known and the release date has also not yet been reported. YouTube had attempted something similar in the past, but that venture was considered a failure. Fortune

• The sweet spot for auto-parts suppliers

While the Standard & Poor's 500 index has slipped 1.3%, the three largest U.S. suppliers of auto replacement parts have all posted gains of at least 20%. So what's working for O'Reilly, AutoZone and Advance Auto Parts? An aging fleet of cars, partly due to the lingering effects of the recession, has helped. Limited competition from e-commerce websites has also been a factor. The three retailers are also pivoting to focus a lot more on their professional businesses, as more advanced cars that are being sold today could make it tougher for car owners to attempt fixes themselves down the road. Bloomberg

5 things to know this week

Google’s Alphabet reports, Canada’s election, and rugby — 5 things to know this week. Today's story can be found here.

About the Authors
By John KellContributing Writer and author of CIO Intelligence

John Kell is a contributing writer for Fortune and author of Fortune’s CIO Intelligence newsletter.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Alan Murray
By Alan Murray
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

knicks
SuccessNew York
‘Knicks in 6. 2026 NBA Finals’: Why did this New Yorker make a prophecy in his 2020 high school yearbook?
By Philip Marcelo and The Associated PressJune 10, 2026
34 minutes ago
platner
PoliticsElections
Graham Platner easily prevails over attempts to derail progressive Senate candidacy in Maine
By Patrick Whittle, Kimberlee Kruesi and The Associated PressJune 10, 2026
38 minutes ago
Businesswoman working at desk with laptop and documents in office
NewslettersCFO Daily
Finance teams can’t quit Excel. Workday wants to change that with AI
By Sheryl EstradaJune 10, 2026
2 hours ago
Jamie Laing thinks tomorrow’s Fortune 500 will be built by creators. He might be right 
C-Suitecreator economy
Jamie Laing thinks tomorrow’s Fortune 500 will be built by creators. He might be right 
By Sam BirchallJune 10, 2026
3 hours ago
Health care’s AI dividend is real. The fight now is over who reaps the gains
NewslettersCEO Daily
Health care’s AI dividend is real. The fight now is over who reaps the gains
By Diane BradyJune 10, 2026
6 hours ago
Saudi economy redraws ambitions—‘going local’ is the new buzz phrase 
Middle EastSaudi Arabia
Saudi economy redraws ambitions—‘going local’ is the new buzz phrase 
By Melissa HancockJune 10, 2026
6 hours ago

Most Popular

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
Asia
Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
By Kate O'Keeffe and BloombergJune 8, 2026
2 days ago
'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032
Economy
'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032
By Nick LichtenbergJune 9, 2026
22 hours ago
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
Success
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
By Preston ForeJune 8, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 9, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 9, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 9, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, June 9, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, June 9, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 9, 2026
1 day ago
Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
Environment
Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
By Sasha RogelbergJune 8, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.