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NoneEXCLUSIVE: David O. Sacks Productions, Mark Goffman and Getaway Entertainment are teaming to produce a feature-length film about Satoshi Nakamoto, the enigmatic founder of Bitcoin , with Sophia Banks set to direct. The movie, inspired by Andrew O’Hagan’s longform article “The Satoshi Affair,” will delve into the mystery surrounding the elusive creator of the world’s most revolutionary digital currency, blending investigative journalism with captivating storytelling. “This film will be akin to watching The Social Network without knowing who the Mark Zuckerberg character might actually be,” Sacks remarked. “I’m delighted that we have the correct team in place to bring O’Hagan’s investigation, and the events since that period, to life.” Producers David Sacks and Daniel Brunt optioned the article and took it to longtime collaborator Mark Goffman, who is adapting the screenplay and producing with Sacks and Brunt. Producing for Getaway Entertainment are Damiano Tucci, Banks and Arwen Elys Dayton. David Seimer is executive producing. The film will explore the dramatic events that led O’Hagan to investigate the mysterious figure known only as Satoshi Nakamoto, and his pursuit to uncover the true identity of the cryptic inventor behind Bitcoin. O’Hagan’s article was originally published in the London Review of Books as a long read and then published by Faber in the anthology The Secret Life . His first-person search for the truth takes readers on a journey through the technological innovation that has transformed the global financial system, along with the numerous eccentric and mercurial personalities he encountered. “We are so excited to be partnering with David, Daniel and Mark on this upcoming project,” said Tucci. “The story of Bitcoin’s creator is one that has captivated the world for years. We can’t wait to dive into one of the greatest modern-day mysteries and provide a deeper look into the world of cryptocurrency.” Goffman added, “What I love is that it isn’t another story about crypto fraudsters or even greed. This is the story of highly flawed, overlooked outsiders who rebelled against Wall Street in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis that took everything from them and millions of other people. And they’ve created a currency that has revolutionized the global financial industry.” Banks is known for her ability to blend gripping, character-driven narratives with thought-provoking themes. “The challenge of bringing such a complex story to life is one I am eager to take on,” said Banks, whose directing credits include the 2022 action thriller Black Site starring Michelle Monaghan, Jason Clarke and Jai Courtney. “This film will not only explore the question of ‘Who is Satoshi Nakamoto?’ but also the cultural and technological ripple effect that the creation of Bitcoin has had, and continues to have, on our world.” Getaway’s upcoming slate of projects includes the Cary Joji Fukunaga-helmed Blood on Snow starring Tom Hardy and Aaron Taylor-Johnson; Oh, Canada from Paul Schrader starring Richard Gere, Uma Thurman, Jacob Elordi and Michael Imperioli; Hand of Dante from Julian Schnabel with an ensemble cast including Gal Gadot, Oscar Isaac, Gerard Butler, Jason Momoa and Al Pacino; and The Luckiest Man In America starring Paul Walter Hauser, Walton Goggins, Maisie Williams, David Strathairn and Johnny Knoxville.
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Agora, Inc. (NASDAQ: API) (the “Company”), a pioneer and leader in real-time engagement technology, today announced its unaudited financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024. “Recently, we launched our Conversational AI SDK in collaboration with OpenAI’s Realtime API to allow developers to bring voice-driven AI experiences to any app. We believe multimodal AI agents that can interact with human through natural voice will gain widespread adoption across many use cases such as customer support, education and wellness, and Agora is well positioned to become a key infrastructure provider for real-time conversational AI,” said Tony Zhao, founder, chairman and CEO of Agora. “To support this vision, we recently made some structural changes, aligning our organization to fully leverage the accelerating conversational AI opportunities, and operate in a faster, leaner, and more responsive fashion. These changes will help us build the next generation real-time engagement technology for the Generative AI era and strengthen our position as the leader in real-time engagement space.” Third Quarter 2024 Highlights Total revenues for the quarter were $31.6 million, a decrease of 9.8% from $35.0 million in the third quarter of 2023, which included decreased revenue from certain end-of-sale products of $2.4 million. Agora : $15.7 million for the quarter, an increase of 2.6% from $15.3 million in the third quarter of 2023. Shengwang : RMB112.9 million ($15.9 million) for the quarter, a decrease of 20.0% from RMB141.2 million ($19.7 million) in the third quarter of 2023, which included decreased revenue from certain end-of-sale products of RMB17.5 million ($2.4 million). Active Customers Agora : 1,762 as of September 30, 2024, an increase of 5.9% from 1,664 as of September 30, 2023. Shengwang : 3,641 as of September 30, 2024, a decrease of 9.7% from 4,034 as of September 30, 2023. Dollar-Based Net Retention Rate Agora : 94% for the trailing 12-month period ended September 30, 2024. Shengwang : 78% for the trailing 12-month period ended September 30, 2024. Net loss for the quarter was $24.2 million, which included expenses of $11.4 million in relation to the cancellation of certain employees’ equity awards, severance expenses of $4.8 million, and losses from equity in affiliates of $4.2 million, compared to net loss of $22.5 million in the third quarter of 2023. After excluding share-based compensation expenses, acquisition related expenses, amortization expenses of acquired intangible assets and income tax related to acquired intangible assets, non-GAAP net loss for the quarter was $10.4 million, compared to the non-GAAP net loss of $15.6 million in the third quarter of 2023. Total cash, cash equivalents, bank deposits and financial products issued by banks as of September 30, 2024 was $362.6 million. Net cash used in operating activities for the quarter was $4.6 million, compared to $3.0 million in the third quarter of 2023. Free cash flow for the quarter was negative $6.0 million, compared to negative $3.2 million in the third quarter of 2023. Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results Revenues Total revenues were $31.6 million in the third quarter of 2024, a decrease of 9.8% from $35.0 million in the same period last year. Revenues of Agora were $15.7 million in the third quarter of 2024, an increase of 2.6% from $15.3 million in the same period last year, primarily due to our business expansion and usage growth in sectors such as live shopping. Revenues of Shengwang were RMB112.9 million ($15.9 million) in the third quarter of 2024, a decrease of 20.0% from RMB141.2 million ($19.7 million) in the same period last year, primarily due to a decrease in revenues of RMB 17.5 million ($2.4 million) due to the end-of-sale of certain products and reduced usage from customers in certain sectors such as social and entertainment as a result of challenging macroeconomic and regulatory environment. Cost of Revenues Cost of revenues was $10.5 million in the third quarter of 2024, a decrease of 16.4% from $12.6 million in the same period last year, primarily due to the end-of-sale of certain products and the decrease in bandwidth usage and costs, which was offset partially by severance expenses for customer support teams of $0.3 million. Gross Profit and Gross Margin Gross profit was $21.0 million in the third quarter of 2024, a decrease of 6.1% from $22.4 million in the same period last year. Gross margin was 66.7% in the third quarter of 2024, an increase of 2.7% from 64.0% in the same period last year, mainly due to the end-of-sale of certain low-margin products, which was offset partially by higher severance expenses in the third quarter of 2024. Operating Expenses Operating expenses were $45.9 million in the third quarter of 2024, an increase of 24.3% from $36.9 million in the same period last year, primarily due to the increase in restructuring and severance expenses in the third quarter of 2024, which included share-based compensation of $11.4 million as a result of the cancellation of certain employees’ equity awards and immediate recognition of relevant remaining unrecognized compensation expenses, as well as severance expenses of $4.4 million. Research and development expenses were $29.3 million in the third quarter of 2024, an increase of 46.1% from $20.0 million in the same period last year, primarily due to restructuring and severance expenses in the third quarter of 2024, including share-based compensation of $9.0 million due to equity award cancellation and severance expenses of $3.6 million. Sales and marketing expenses were $6.9 million in the third quarter of 2024, a decrease of 11.9% from $7.8 million in the same period last year, primarily due to a decrease in personnel costs as the Company optimized its global workforce, which was offset partially by severance expenses of $0.7 million in the third quarter of 2024. General and administrative expenses were $9.7 million in the third quarter of 2024, an increase of 7.4% from $9.1 million in the same period last year, primarily due to restructuring and severance expenses in the third quarter of 2024, including share-based compensation of $2.4 million as a result of the equity award cancellation, which was offset partially by a decrease in personnel costs as the Company optimized its global workforce. Loss from Operations Loss from operations was $24.7 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $13.9 million in the same period last year. Interest Income Interest income was $3.9 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $4.9 million in the same period last year, primarily due to the decrease in the average balance of cash, cash equivalents, bank deposits and financial products issued by banks and the decrease in average interest rate realized. Losses from equity in affiliates Losses from equity in affiliates were $4.2 million in the third quarter of 2024, primarily due to an impairment loss on an investment in certain private company of $4.1 million. Net Loss Net loss was $24.2 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $22.5 million in the same period last year. Net Loss per American Depositary Share attributable to ordinary shareholders Net loss per American Depositary Share (“ADS”) 1 attributable to ordinary shareholders was $0.26 in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $0.23 in the same period last year. _____________ 1 One ADS represents four Class A ordinary shares. Share Repurchase Program During the three months ended September 30, 2024, the Company repurchased approximately 6.8 million of its Class A ordinary shares (equivalent to approximately 1.7 million ADSs) for approximately US$3.9 million under its share repurchase program, representing 1.9% of its US$200 million share repurchase program. As of September 30, 2024, the Company had repurchased approximately 129.4 million of its Class A ordinary shares (equivalent to approximately 32.3 million ADSs) for approximately US$113.7 million under its share repurchase program, representing 57% of its US$200 million share repurchase program. As of September 30, 2024, the Company had 368.3 million ordinary shares (equivalent to approximately 92.1 million ADSs) outstanding, compared to 449.8 million ordinary shares (equivalent to approximately 112.5 million ADSs) outstanding as of January 31, 2022 before the share repurchase program commenced. The current share repurchase program will expire at the end of February 2025. Executive Leadership Update Today the Company announced that Chief Security Officer Roger Hale will be leaving the Company, effective immediately. Mr. Hale has served in this role for the past 2.5 years, during which he made significant contributions to enhancing the Company’s security, compliance, and data protection protocols. Mr. Hale will work closely with senior leadership to ensure a smooth transition of his responsibilities. Moving forward, Patrick Ferriter and Robbin Liu will assume responsibility for security and compliance, reflecting the Company’s commitment to maintaining a strong and effective security framework. Mr. Hale will continue to provide strategic advice as an advisor to the Company. “We are grateful for Roger’s dedication and expertise over the past two and a half years. His leadership has been invaluable in strengthening our security & compliance foundation,” said Tony Zhao, founder, chairman and CEO of Agora. “Security and compliance remain top priorities for Agora, and we will continue to uphold the highest standards to protect our customers and stakeholders.” Financial Outlook Based on currently available information, the Company expects total revenues for the fourth quarter of 2024 to be between $34 million and $36 million, compared to $31.6 million in the third quarter of 2024, and $33.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 if revenues from certain end-of-sale low-margin products were excluded. The Company also expects significant improvement in net income / (loss) in the fourth quarter. This outlook reflects the Company's current and preliminary views on the market and operational conditions, which are subject to change. Earnings Call The Company will host a conference call to discuss the financial results at 5 p.m. Pacific Time / 8 p.m. Eastern Time on November 25, 2024. Details for the conference call are as follows: Event title: Agora, Inc. 3Q 2024 Financial Results The call will be available at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/wie28zvr Investors who want to hear the call should log on at least 15 minutes prior to the broadcast. Participants may register for the call with the link below. https://register.vevent.com/register/BIf58a0b6f500c4362b1a8c64f9fa4cea8 Please visit the Company’s investor relations website at https://investor.agora.io on November 25, 2024 to view the earnings release and accompanying slides prior to the conference call. Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures The Company has provided in this press release financial information that has not been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”). The Company uses these non-GAAP financial measures internally in analyzing its financial results and believe that the use of these non-GAAP financial measures is useful to investors as an additional tool to evaluate ongoing operating results and trends and in comparing its financial results with other companies in its industry, many of which present similar non-GAAP financial measures. Besides free cash flow (as defined below), each of these non-GAAP financial measures represents the corresponding GAAP financial measure before share-based compensation expenses, acquisition related expenses, amortization expenses of acquired intangible assets, income tax related to acquired intangible assets and impairment of goodwill. The Company believes that such non-GAAP financial measures help identify underlying trends in its business that could otherwise be distorted by the effects of such share-based compensation expenses, acquisition related expenses, amortization expenses of acquired intangible assets, income tax related to acquired intangible assets and impairment of goodwill that it includes in its cost of revenues, total operating expenses and net income (loss). The Company believes that all such non-GAAP financial measures also provide useful information about its operating results, enhance the overall understanding of its past performance and future prospects and allow for greater visibility with respect to key metrics used by its management in its financial and operational decision-making. Non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for comparable GAAP financial measures and should be read only in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation of its historical non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures has been provided in the tables captioned “Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures” included at the end of this press release, and investors are encouraged to review the reconciliation. Definitions of the Company’s non-GAAP financial measures included in this press release are presented below. Non-GAAP Net Income (Loss) Non-GAAP net income (loss) is defined as net income (loss) adjusted to exclude share-based compensation expenses, acquisition related expenses, amortization expenses of acquired intangible assets, income tax related to acquired intangible assets and impairment of goodwill. Free Cash Flow Free cash flow is defined as net cash provided by operating activities less purchases of property and equipment (excluding the acquisition of land use right and the payment for the headquarters project). The Company considers free cash flow to be a liquidity measure that provides useful information to management and investors regarding net cash provided by operating activities and cash used for investments in property and equipment required to maintain and grow the business. Operating Metrics The Company also uses other operating metrics included in this press release and defined below to assess the performance of its business. Active Customers An active customer at the end of any period is defined as an organization or individual developer from which the Company generated more than $100 of revenue during the preceding 12 months. Customers are counted based on unique customer account identifiers. Generally, one software application uses the same customer account identifier throughout its life cycle while one account may be used for multiple applications. Dollar-Based Net Retention Rate Dollar-Based Net Retention Rate is calculated for a trailing 12-month period by first identifying all customers in the prior 12-month period, and then calculating the quotient from dividing the revenue generated from such customers in the trailing 12-month period by the revenue generated from the same group of customers in the prior 12-month period. As the vast majority of revenue generated from Agora’s customers is denominated in U.S. dollars, while the vast majority of revenue generated from Shengwang’s customers is denominated in Renminbi, Dollar-Based Net Retention Rate is calculated in U.S. dollars for Agora and in Renminbi for Shengwang, which has substantially removed the impact of foreign currency translations. Shengwang excluded the revenues from certain end-of-sale products, Easemob’s CEC business and K12 academic tutoring sector. The Company believes Dollar-Based Net Retention Rate facilitates operating performance comparisons on a period-to-period basis. Safe Harbor Statements This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical or current fact included in this press release are forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements regarding the Company’s financial outlook, beliefs and expectations. Forward-looking statements include statements containing words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “project,” “will” and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. Among other things, the Financial Outlook in this announcement contain forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties. The Company’s actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of these risks and uncertainties, which include, without limitation, risks related to the growth of the RTE-PaaS market; the Company’s ability to manage its growth and expand its operations; the continued impact of COVID-19 on global markets and the Company’s business, operations and customers; the Company’s ability to attract new developers and convert them into customers; the Company’s ability to retain existing customers and expand their usage of its platform and products; the Company’s ability to drive popularity of existing use cases and enable new use cases, including through quality enhancements and introduction of new products, features and functionalities; the Company’s fluctuating operating results; competition; the effect of broader technological and market trends on the Company’s business and prospects; general economic conditions and their impact on customer and end-user demand; and other risks and uncertainties included elsewhere in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including, without limitation, the final prospectus related to the IPO filed with the SEC on June 26, 2020. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and the Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. About Agora, Inc. Agora, Inc. is the Cayman Islands holding company of two independent divisions, under Agora brand and Shengwang brand, respectively, whose businesses are conducted through separate entities. Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, Agora is a pioneer and global leader in Real-Time Engagement Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), providing developers with simple, flexible, and powerful application programming interfaces, or APIs, to embed real-time voice, video, interactive live-streaming, chat, whiteboard, and artificial intelligence capabilities into their applications. Headquartered in Shanghai, China, Shengwang is a pioneer and leading Real-Time Engagement PaaS provider in the China market. For more information on Agora, please visit: www.agora.io For more information on Shengwang, please visit: www.shengwang.cn Agora, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited, in US$ thousands) Agora, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss (Unaudited, in US$ thousands, except share and per ADS amounts) Agora, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited, in US$ thousands) Agora, Inc. Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures (Unaudited, in US$ thousands, except share and per ADS amounts)
I'M A Celebrity viewers were absolutely furious as one the stars deliberately wound up Tulisa. The former X Factor judge was camp leader, but then viewers voted for two new stars to take over. McFly 's Danny Jones and former boxer Barry McGuigan were then placed in the special areas of camp with beds. As such, Tulisa , 36, was relegated to a normal bed closer to the main camp on I'm A Celebrity. She initially declared how she did not want to be awoken by singing, especially the musical theatre stylings of Radio 1 star Dean McCullough , 32. However, as she was trying to rest her eyelids, he decided to completely ignore her orders. READ MORE ON I'M A CELEB Not just that, in the bush telegraph, he declared it was his "mission" to sing, even if Tulisa didn't want it. To give her a proper waking up, he chose to lower himself to be in close proximity to his campmate as she was trying to sleep . He went onto perform Gene Kelly's Singing In The Rain classic, 'Good Morning' as Maura joked that she said a prayer when she heard him. A bleary-eyed Tulisa took it in good faith as she still woke up smiling in the bush telegraph. Most read in I’m A Celebrity 2024 But viewers were left utterly enraged by Dean's behaviour as they took to social media in droves. Writing on X - formerly known as Twitter - one fan fumed: "Dean yesterday was kicking off about how he got woke up but decided to sing directly into Tulisa's face after she specifically asked him to be quiet....what a p****." Another raged: "actually disgusting how Dean got in Allan's face when he got woke up nice and gently then he goes and dances and sings literally inches away from tulisa's face? Such a t***." "So dean acts like a child when he gets woken up but he can sing off key in tulisa’s ear to wake her up." stated a third As a fourth suggested: "Can’t Dean just respect anyone’s wishes please like just don’t sing while Tulisa is asleep?" And a fifth angrily asked: "Tulisa's request to not sing at 6am was so valid, why was dean not respecting it". i'm A Celebrity is back for its 24th series, with a batch of famous faces living in the Aussie jungle. The Sun's Jake Penkethman takes a look at the stars on the show this year.. Coleen Rooney - Arguably the most famous name in the camp, the leading WAG, known for her marriage to Wayne Rooney , has made a grand return to TV as she looks to put the Wagatha Christie scandal behind her. The Sun revealed the mum-of-four had bagged an eye-watering deal worth over £1.5million to be on the show this year making her the highest-paid contestant ever. Tulisa - The popstar and former X Factor judge has made her triumphant TV comeback by signing up to this year's I'm A Celeb after shunning TV shows for many years. Known for being a member of the trio, N-Dubz , Tulisa became a household name back in 2011 when she signed on to replace Cheryl on ITV show The X Factor in a multi-million pound deal. Alan Halsall - The actor, known for playing the long-running role of Tyrone Dobbs on ITV soap opera Coronation Street , was originally signed up to head Down Under last year but an operation threw his scheduled appearance off-course. Now he has become the latest Corrie star to win over both the viewers and his fellow celebrities. Melvin Odoom - The Radio DJ has become a regular face on TV screens after rising to fame with presenting roles on Kiss FM, BBC Radio 1 and 4Music. Melvin has already been for a spin on the Strictly dancefloor and co-hosted The Xtra Factor with Rochelle Humes in 2015 but now he is facing up to his biggest challenge yet - the Aussie jungle . GK Barry - The UK's biggest social media personality, GK, whose real name is Grace Keeling, has transformed her TikTok stardom into a lucrative career. Aside from her popular social media channels, she hosts the weekly podcast, Saving Grace, and regularly appears on ITV talk show, Loose Women . She has even gone on to endorse popular brands such as PrettyLittleThing, KFC and Ann Summers. Dean McCullough - A rising star amongst this year's bunch of celebs , Dean first achieved notability through his radio appearances on Gaydio and BBC Radio 1. He was chosen to join the BBC station permanently in 2021 and has featured prominently ever since. He has enjoyed a crossover to ITV over the past year thanks to his guest slots on Big Brother spin-off show, Late & Live. Oti Mabuse - The pro dancer has signed up to her latest TV show after making her way through the biggest programmes on the box. She originally found fame on Strictly Come Dancing but has since branched out into the world of TV judging with appearances on former BBC show The Greatest Dancer as well as her current role on ITV's Dancing On Ice . Danny Jones - The McFly star was drafted into the programme last minute as a replacement for Tommy Fury. Danny is the second member of McFly to enter the jungle , after Dougie Poynter won the show in 2011. He is also considered a rising star on ITV as he's now one of the mentors on their Saturday night talent show, The Voice , along with bandmate Tom Fletcher . Jane Moore - The Loose Women star and The Sun columnist is braving the creepy crawlies this year. The star is ready for a new challenge - having recently split from her husband . It will be Jane's first foray into reality TV with the telly favourite having always said no to reality shows in the past. Barry McGuigan - Former pro boxer Barry is the latest fighting champ to head Down Under following in the footsteps of Tony Bellew and Amir Khan . It comes after a tough few years for Irish star Barry, who lost his daughter Danika to bowel cancer . He told The Late Late Show in 2021: "She was such an intrinsic part of the family that every day we ache." Maura Higgins - The Irish TV beauty first found fame on Love Island where she found a brief connection with dancer Curtis Pritchard . Since then, she has competed on Dancing On Ice as well as hosting the Irish version of the beauty contest, Glow Up. Since last year, she has been working on building up her career in the US by being the social media correspondent and host of Aftersun to accompany Love Island USA. She even guest hosted an episode of the spin-off, Love Island Games, in place of Maya Jama last year. Rev. Richard Coles - Former BBC radio host the Rev Richard Coles is a late arrival on I’m A Celebrity , and he's ready to spill the beans on his former employer. The former Communards and Strictly star , said the BBC did not know its a**e from its elbow last year. An insider said: "Rev Coles will have a variety of tales to tell from his wild days as a pop star in the Eighties, through to performing on Strictly and his later life as a man of the cloth." I'm A Celebrity continues on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX .Tyrese Hunter tossed in a game-high 26 points to lead Memphis to a 99-97 upset victory over No. 2 UConn on Monday in the first round of the Maui Invitational in Lahaina, Hawaii. Hunter, who played at Iowa State and Texas before transferring to Memphis, made eight field goals with 7-of-10 3-point shooting. The Tigers (5-0) connected on 12 of their 22 3-point attempts in the win. UConn's Hassan Diarra made a free throw to cut the Memphis lead to 99-97 with 2.2 seconds left. He intentionally missed the second free throw and collected the loose ball, but his desperation shot was off the mark. It was 92-92 when UConn's Liam McNeeley was called for an offensive foul with 40.3 seconds left. UConn coach Dan Hurley received a technical for arguing the foul call, and PJ Carter made all four free throws to give the Tigers a four-point lead. Memphis, which squandered a 13-point lead with four minutes to play in regulation, received 22 points from PJ Haggerty, 19 from Colby Rogers and 14 from Dain Dainja. Memphis will play the winner of Monday night's game between Colorado and Michigan State in Tuesday's semifinals. UConn will face the loser of that contest. Tarris Reed Jr. had a team-high 22 points and a game-high 11 rebounds for UConn (4-1) before he fouled out with 3:18 to play. He made 10 of his 13 field goal attempts. Alex Karaban added 19 points for the Huskies. Jaylin Stewart scored a career-high 16 points, Diarra had 12 and McNeeley added 10. UConn trailed 82-79 after Diarra made two free throws with 24.2 seconds to play in regulation. The Huskies then forced a turnover and tied the game on a 3-pointer by Solo Ball with 1.2 on the clock. Although Memphis shot 56.5 percent from the field (13 for 23) and 50 percent from 3-point territory (5 for 10) in the first half, the game was tied 40-40 after 20 minutes. Neither team led by more than six points in the half. UConn received 29 points from its bench in the first half. Reed scored 15 of those points and Stewart supplied the other 14. --Field Level MediaThe battle to get here was certainly an uphill one, but people are generally feeling better about the economy and their finances than they once did. On top of that, the economy has been easing into an ideal, Goldilocks-like position — not running too hot or cooling too quickly. Throughout 2024, consumer sentiment data showed people were fairly positive about the economy and their own finances, even if there’s remaining frustration over elevated prices compared to four years ago. Looking ahead, households are feeling more optimistic about their personal finances in the next year, as the share of those expecting to be in a better financial situation a year from now hit its highest level since February 2020. Combine positive personal vibes with a strong economic picture and it looks like 2024 wasn’t so bad for consumers, after all. But that doesn’t mean there weren’t bumps in the road or potential roadblocks ahead. To cap off the year, NerdWallet writers reflect on the top trends in personal finance and the economy this year — and what they think might be ahead in 2025. In 2024, U.S. consumers have proven resilient following a period of high inflation and ongoing high interest rates. Wage growth has been strong, owing in part to rising productivity. This has driven robust spending throughout the year, which has kept the economy growing at a healthy pace. The labor market has remained steady, though cooler than 2023, and price growth continues to moderate towards the Federal Reserve’s 2% inflation goal. Related Articles Barring significant changes to economic policy and significant shocks, the U.S. economy is expected to grow at a moderate rate in the coming year. Inflation will continue to moderate and the labor market will remain relatively healthy, all due in part to continued slow and deliberate rate cuts from the Fed. However, there are risks to this path. Higher tariffs and tighter immigration policies are likely, but the extent of these changes are yet unclear. The potential policy scenarios are many, and the economic outcomes complex. Increased tariffs are generally inflationary, and stricter immigration policies could impact the labor supply and economic growth. Consumers and small business owners with their eyes to the new year should focus on the things within their control. High-yield savings accounts and certificates of deposit offered elevated rates in 2024, rewarding savers with strong returns. Following the Federal Reserve rate cuts in the second half of the year, high-yield accounts had modest rate decreases, but they continued to outperform traditional savings accounts and CDs. We’re watching for further Federal Reserve rate cuts, which could lead to more decreases in savings rates. Credit card debt levels hit record highs, with consumers turning to credit cards to pay for necessities. While the economy is doing well, many individuals have struggled to make ends meet, as incomes haven’t kept up with certain costs. We may see some policy and regulation changes with the incoming administration that could affect folks when it comes to credit cards, debt and consumer protections. : New businesses continued to blossom in 2024 as business applications remained well above pre-pandemic levels. Confidence in the future state of the U.S. economy also spiked after the presidential election, but that optimism was tempered by concerns over rising costs and labor quality. All eyes are on the incoming administration as small-business owners brace for turbulence resulting from potential tariffs, tax policy changes and dismantled government regulations. We’re also watching the possibility of interest rate cuts in 2025 and small-business owners’ growing reliance on new technologies, such as AI. Home buyers struggled with elevated mortgage rates, rising house prices and a shortage of homes for sale. On top of that, a new rule required buyers to negotiate their agents’ commissions. The Federal Reserve is expected to cut short-term interest rates, but mortgage rates might not necessarily fall by a similar amount. Buyers will probably have more properties to choose from, and the greater supply should keep prices from rising a lot. Interest rates on home equity loans and lines of credit should fall, making it less expensive to borrow to fix up homes — either to sell, or to make the home more comfortable and efficient. The stock market had a great year. The S&P 500 is up more than 25% due to falling interest rates, fading recession fears, AI hype, and the possibility of lighter taxes and regulations under the new administration. Cryptocurrency also saw big gains in 2024; the price of Bitcoin crossed the $100,000 mark for the first time in December. A lot depends on how fast the Fed reduces rates in 2025. Another key unknown is Trump’s second term. Regulatory rollbacks, such as those he has proposed for the banking industry, could juice stock prices — but they also could create systemic risks in the economy. His proposed tariffs could also hurt economic growth (and therefore stock prices). Finally, it remains to be seen whether trendy AI stocks, such as NVIDIA, can continue their momentum into next year. It’s the same story with crypto: How long will this bull market last? Many people saw their home and auto insurance premiums skyrocket in 2024. In some states, homeowners are finding it harder to even find policies in the first place. Meanwhile, have started to decrease post-pandemic. We also saw more insurers offering online-only policies that don’t require a medical exam. Auto and will likely continue to rise, although auto premiums may not rise as dramatically as they have over the past few years. And if you’re in the market for life insurance, expect to see competitive life insurance quotes and more customizable policies. Borrowers received historic student loan relief, but lawsuits derailed an income-driven repayment plan used by 8 million whose payments are indefinitely paused. Uncertainty will carry into 2025 as a result of the presidential administration change. Trump has pledged to overhaul higher education and rein in student loan relief. The fate of the SAVE repayment plan, student loan forgiveness options, FAFSA processing and more remain in the balance. People are willing to pay more for big and small luxuries while traveling, and airlines and hotels are taking note. Many airlines raised checked bag fees early in 2024, credit card issuers and airlines invested in renovated airport lounges, and major hotel companies continued to add luxury properties and brands to their loyalty programs. Southwest will say goodbye to its open seating policy and introduce new extra-legroom seats, a major departure for the airline. Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines will unveil a unified loyalty program in 2025. Spirit Airlines may attempt to merge with another airline again after its 2024 bankruptcy filing and two failed mergers under President Biden’s administration. Travelers will find that they’ll have to pay a premium to enjoy most of the upgrades airlines and hotels are making. This year, expanded beyond concerts and travel to online retailers and even fast-food restaurants. This practice of prices changing based on real-time supply and demand received plenty of backlash from consumers and prompted the Federal Trade Commission to investigate how companies use consumers’ data to set prices. Beyond an expansion of dynamic pricing — perhaps with added oversight — expect subscription models to become more prevalent and demand for sustainable products to grow. New-car prices held steady in 2024 but remained high after a few years of sharp increases — the average new car now sells for about $48,000, and for the first time ever the price gap between new and used cars surpassed $20,000 (average used-car prices are now slightly more than $25,000). Overall, the car market returned to being in the buyer’s favor, as new-car inventories reached pre-pandemic levels, manufacturer incentives began making a comeback and auto loan interest rates started to decline. The future of the car market is uncertain and depends on policies implemented by the incoming administration. Questions surround the impact of possible tariffs on car prices, whether auto loan rates will continue to drop, and if federal tax credits will still be available for electric vehicle buyers. Buy now, pay later continued to be a popular payment choice for U.S. shoppers, even while facing headwinds, like an interpretive ruling from the CFPB (which determined BNPL should be regulated the same as credit cards) and Apple’s discontinuation of its popular Apple Pay Later product. Large players like Affirm, Klarna and Afterpay continued to offer interest-free, pay-in-four plans at most major retailers, along with long-term plans for larger purchases. Though more regulation had been widely anticipated in 2025, the change in administration suggests the CFPB will play a less active role in regulating BNPL products. For this reason, and its continued strength in the market, BNPL will likely keep growing. Easing inflation was a bright spot in 2024. In June, the fell below 3% for the first time in three years. Consumers saw prices level off or decline for many goods, including for groceries, and new and used vehicles. But prices haven’t fallen far enough or broadly enough to relieve the pinch many households feel. The new and higher proposed by the Trump administration could reignite inflation on a wide range of goods. Rent prices remain high, but annual rent inflation slowed significantly compared to recent years, staying around 3.5% for much of 2024, according to Zillow, a real estate website that tracks rents. A wave of newly constructed rental units on the market seems to be helping ease competition among renters and forcing landlords to offer better incentives for signing a lease. If it continues, a softening rental market could work in renters’ favor. But construction is one of several industries that could see a shortage of workers if the Trump administration follows through on its promise to deport undocumented immigrants. A shortage of workers would mean fewer houses and apartments could be built. After a contentious presidential campaign, former President Donald Trump declared victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. While on the campaign trail, Trump promised to lower inflation, cut taxes, enact tariffs, weaken the power of the Federal Reserve, deport undocumented immigrants and more. Many economists have said Trump’s proposals, if enacted, would likely be inflationary. In Congress, Republicans earned enough seats to control both houses. It’s unclear which campaign promises Trump will fulfill on his own and with the support of the new Congress. He has promised a slew of “day one” actions that could lead to higher prices, including across-the-board tariffs and mass deportations. Most recently, Trump pledged to enact 20% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, as well as an additional 10% tariff on China. He has also promised to extend or make permanent the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act; many of its provisions expire by the end of 2025. Fiscal year 2023-2024’s funding saga finally came to an end in March, then six months later, the battle to fund the fiscal year 2024-2025 began. The Biden Administration waged its own war against . Antitrust enforcers pushed back against tech giants like Amazon, Apple, Google, and Meta; prevented the Kroger-Albertsons merger; nixed the Jet Blue-Spirit Airlines merger; and moved to ban noncompete agreements. The Supreme Court rejected a of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, as well as a challenge to access. SCOTUS also overruled its landmark case, which means every federal regulatory agency’s power to set and enforce its own rules are now weaker. The election’s red sweep means the GOP will control the executive and legislative branches of government. They’ll face the threat of at least one more potential government shutdown; a debt ceiling drama comeback; and the beginning of the debate over extending or making permanent provisions of the expiring 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.