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Food prices drove much of the inflation rise in January, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And there's no relief is in sight for consumers struggling with sky-high food expenses, says one strategist.

Part of the problem beyond the cost of raw materials is the packaging materials; 80% is made in mainland China, Strategic Resource Group Managing Director Burt Flickinger said in a recent Yahoo Finance Live segment. And that applies to salt and snacks, cookies and crackers, all the way to sports beverages. So prices [are] high and going higher.

As Flickinger suggested, raw materials and packaging made in China have seen sharp price increases, which have been passed through to consumers. China, like the US, experienced high inflation in 2021, though price pressures appear to be cooling in recent months. Food companies are paying more for packaging and continue to struggle with ongoing labor supply issues and employment shortages.

Cereals and bakery products had the largest increase of any food category at 1.8%, according to BLS January Consumer Price Index report, while dairy was up 1.1%. Produce items experienced similar price hikes, with fruits and vegetables increasing 0.9% while meat, poultry, fish and egg prices went up 0.3%.

A man picks up his food from a vendor in Venice, California on January 28, 2022. - In the final month of 2021, Americans dialed back their spending even as incomes rose thanks to wage increases, while inflation showed signs of moderating, government data released on January 28, 2022 said. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

Most economists see inflationary pressures persisting for at least the next few months. The factors that have driven inflation higher in 2021 are only expected to dissipate gradually and are likely to keep pushing inflation higher through the first half of 2022, chief U.S. economist Kevin Cummins of Natwest Markets told Market Watch last week.

The latest price increases largely reflect rising production costs, not increases in unit sales, Flickinger said. In the retail sales increases, about 50% to 60% of that is inflation, not increased unit sales, he explained. So we're in a supply chain crisis and an inflation crisis, the worst we've seen in 40 years, dating back to 1982. And we'll continue to be bad for the balance of this year.

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Businesses are likely to keep raising their prices, in part, because they know consumers will pay. Companies like Starbucks (SBUX), that serve non-essential food items, have expressed little trepidation in passing higher costs onto consumers in the form of higher prices. CEO Kevin Johnson told analysts during a call earlier this month that the worlds largest coffee chain was planning on continuing price increases in 2022 after several price hikes last year.

Speaking on the recent price increases, "We have not seen any meaningful impact to customer demand," said John Culver, Starbucks chief operating officer. "To the contrary, our customer demand continues to grow."

As grocery costs have gone up, fast-food prices have seen sharp increases, too. A meal at Chipotle on average 10% more than it did a year ago, according to the companys earnings call last week. The fast casual chain earned $2 billion in revenue during Q4 2021, beating expectations, and comparable restaurant sales climbed more than 15%.

Companies like Chipotle (CMG) and the fast food king McDonalds (MCD) have warned the public that relief from high prices is unlikely to come anytime soon. Larger companies can often rely on high brand power and customer loyalty to retain business in the midst of rising inflation. We're pretty fortunate with the pricing power that we have," Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol told CNBC. "Our brand is really strong."

A person works in a Chipotle outlet in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., February 7, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

Similarly, PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said on Feb. 10, We see inflation going up everywhere. We have the brands, and we have again the capabilities to price Were feeling good about how our consumers are staying loyal to our brands in spite of some of our pricing decisions.

With supply chain issues persisting and customers continually willing to buy higher priced items from their favorite brands, consumers are likely to see multiple bouts of price hikes for food at home and away from home this year, Flickinger said.

Typically, there's one price increase every fiscal year, every crop year, he said. Last year, there were two price increases. This year, there will probably be three price increases. So the brand manufacturers know with a short supply of packaging and product, they can raise prices with impunity because they focus on margins. ... So for profitability and increasing the stock prices, the brand manufacturers are raising prices with impunity.

Ihsaan Fanusie is a writer at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter @IFanusie.

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Inflation: Food prices are high and going higher, strategist says - Yahoo Finance

This article first appeared in the Morning Brief. Get the Morning Brief sent directly to your inbox every Monday to Friday by 6:30 a.m. ET. Subscribe

Monday, February 14, 2022

On Super Bowl Sunday, there was Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson getting the Super Bowl started on the right foot as only he could.

Couple things stood out to me while The Great One was speaking:

1) He never trips up over his words on the mic, going back to his days with WWE.

2) Under Armour needs a bigger deal with The Rock (they signed him up for an apparel line in 2016).

3) His arms are huge, just like the valuation on the S&P 500 (yes, this is how I am always thinking).

While the S&P 500's valuation is big and bulky just like the The Rock's biceps, only one deserves to be deflated. Rest assured The Rock's fine arm specimens aren't what need deflating.

Nope, it's the stock market's valuation that warrants air being let out. To that end, enter big and brawny Wall Street.

On Monday, Goldman's chief U.S. equity strategist David Kostin slashed his 2022 year-end S&P 500 target to 4,900 from 5,100. This was to be expected after his colleague Jan Hatzius, Goldman's chief economist, raised his expectation for interest rate hikes this year to seven from five last week.

"Uncertainty abounds regarding the path of inflation and Fed policy. We believe two-sided risks exist to our baseline S&P 500 forecast, but with a larger downside tail," Kostin says.

Some of you will say, "Brian, Kostin's new target still assumes 11% upside from current levels." To that I say it doesn't matter in this cautious environment. It's more about the cut itself and what signal it sends to investors Goldman Sachs is less bullish on stocks, and maybe it's time to get a little defensive.

I would expect more downgrade calls like Kostin's ahead of the Fed meeting next month, which could compound the geopolitical pressures now facing markets thanks to the Russia/Ukraine/U.S. situation. Inflation isn't decelerating. Corporate profit margins are under siege. Interest rates could be sharply higher before the summer.

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All of that isn't a risk-on set-up.

"If you have something like seven increases in the Federal funds rate in 2022, price-to-earnings ratios are coming down, upside potential for the stock market is coming down. I don't know if we are talking 4,000 [for the S&P 500], but we are certainly talking lower than we are right now," said veteran market strategist Hugh Johnson on Yahoo Finance Live.

So hit those weights and eat lean.

Happy trading!

Super Bowl ads, fast takeaways: A hat tip to Coinbase for forcing the world to engage with its expensive Super Bowl ad by slapping a dancing QR code on screen. For more on Coinbase, here's what the company's CFO told me about all things crypto. Good to see the E-Trade baby make his return from a retirement he began in 2014. Note the end of the commercial said "E-Trade by Morgan Stanley." For those new to the market, Morgan Stanley closed on its $13 billion acquisition of E-Trade in October 2020. And also returning to the airwaves was 80s McDonald's fast-food icon Grimace. Next up for Micky D's: The return of Ronald McDonald during a World Series commercial? It may be time to welcome Ronald back from exile.

Remaking the NYSE: On Jan. 3, Lynn Martin walked through the door of the New York Stock Exchange as the 68th president of the iconic 226-year-old institution. Martin told me in an interview on the NYSE floor (which she doesn't see going away despite the rise of the computers) her mission is pretty straightforward. That is to harness her extensive tech resume (she is a computer programmer by trade, and her first gig was at IBM) and focus on ESG disclosures to take the NYSE further into the future as it battles with Nasdaq for fees and new listings. Martin also has to keep the new listings flowing in the near-term as the markets deal with heightened bouts of volatility with interest rates rising. The fellow Long Island-native tells me her outlook for IPOs this year, "So I think the first quarter is going be pretty quiet, particularly relative to last first quarter. But I think we're going to end the year strong the pipeline is tremendous." My full interview with Martin will air on Yahoo Finance Live this morning, so tune in.

New NYSE president Lynn Martin is focused on ESG and all things tech as she battles with Nasdaq for new business.

Deal chatter: I have covered Cisco for some time (to that end, myself and Julie Hyman just had a fun chat with Cisco's former long-time CEO John Chambers), and I have learned where there is smoke there is often fire when deal chatter surfaces as it did Friday night with a reported $20 billion bid for software maker Splunk. I don't believe a deal is imminent based on those I have talked with, but it very likely could happen. Cisco is an acquisition machine (a strategy first employed by Chambers), it has north of $22 billion in cash, borrowing costs are still low, and Splunk does useful stuff. Splunk also really doesn't have a CEO right now after the departure of Doug Merritt amid several weak quarters. Sounds like a prime opportunity for Cisco to swoop in.

"While the news is purely speculation at this point, we believe that Cisco is a strategic buyer of Splunk and that the transaction would have a lot of potential synergies. Splunk has over $2.5B in annual revs today and security represents half of the business. Splunk's sizable presence in security would present a significant opportunity for Cisco, who has been lagging other vendors in the security operations space. The other half of Splunk's business in observability would be a natural complement to Cisco's existing monitoring solutions (AppDynamics/ThousandEyes) and could better position Cisco as an end-to-end platform to compete with rising stars such as CrowdStrike, Datadog and others," Jefferies analyst Brent Thill says.

Expect execs to be tight-lipped on this one when Cisco reports earnings on Wednesday. Both companies declined to comment to Yahoo Finance on the report.

IBM's 'dinobabies': Meanwhile, expect the term "dinobabies" to be used a fair amount in coming weeks on social media and who knows, perhaps in a Saturday Night Live skit. The term was reportedly coined by top IBM execs to refer to older workers they wanted to push out of the company, according to in-depth reporting from The New York Times.

Below is a Yahoo Finance Plus chart showing the impact of IBM execs spending too much time in meetings (perhaps discussing dinobabies) and generally cushy gigs to the company's stock price. Don't tweet me and ask me to overlay an IBM chart with Apple or Microsoft, I am in a good mood. No need for such negativity. One of the reasons I am feeling cheery is AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su will be back on Yahoo Finance Live this morning as the company's $35 billion deal for Xilinx is expected to close. This is a major deal for AMD, and I am looking forward to hearing Su's take on what it means for the chip giant's future.

IBM's stock price performance the past 10 years.

Kohl's: And last but not least, activist investor Macellum is turning the screws on stumbling and bumbling Kohl's by nominating 10 new board members. "We really see a board that we think is behaving somewhat disingenuously. They seem very self-serving, very entrenched. They seem intent on protecting their jobs over creating shareholder value and exploring ways to create shareholder value," Macellum CEO Jonathan Duskin told me on Yahoo Finance Live.

Dislocation: I get asked a lot: How to find great investing opportunities? After I share my boilerplate disclosure, "I no longer pick stocks for a living," I tend to follow it up with "you want to find dislocations in the market." Given my background in fundamental analysis, dislocations represent a situation where the stock price today for whatever reason doesn't represent the future value of the company.

A potential dislocation has emerged in tire giant Goodyear (note I said potential, go do your own homework on the company start here with their latest earnings release). Shares got crushed on Friday by 27% as the company warned about inflation lasting for "several quarters" and impacting the first quarter "significantly." I get the market's knee-jerk reaction, inflation is elevated and Goodyear's earnings report arrived hours after a 7.5% headline CPI print. But the swift sell-off loses sight of a few factors (1) the significant amount of new cars sold during the pandemic will be needing new tires soon (sometimes analysis is that simple); (2) the push to electric vehicles will usher in new tire technology that Goodyear is leading on; (3) Add Goodyear to the list of manufacturers that has pricing power in an inflationary environment (you aren't going to drive around on three wheels because Goodyear tires cost $30 more versus 2020). Last year, I spent the day at Goodyear's HQ in Ohio and chatted with CEO Rich Kramer I can tell you this company has the mindset to do quite well during inflationary periods and is working on some mind-blowing products.

Charts to watch: In the "well this sucks" category, is the below chart from Jefferies Chief Financial Economist Aneta Markowska showing the impact to GDP growth from rising interest rates. Take note of the impact beginning in the fall, which could mean a pickup in volatility in markets this spring if one lives by the adage stocks price in the future six months in advance.

Higher interest rates, lower economist growth.

Over at LPL Financial, data cruncher Ryan Detrick highlights how the stock market has historically reacted to major geopolitical events such as the one that developed on Friday with Russia that sent stocks tanking. The takeaway: Stocks bounce back from these events.

Stocks tend to bounce back somewhat quickly after major geopolitical events.

Brian Sozzi is an editor-at-large and anchor at Yahoo Finance. Follow Sozzi on Twitter @BrianSozzi and on LinkedIn.

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What The Rock's arms and the S&P 500 all have in common - Yahoo Finance

Rap icon and entrepreneur Master P told Yahoo Finance that Spotify should take a hard look at itself in the mirror right now.

"So the thing is, I feel like they just have to have the right people to represent them and they got to get rid of the wrong people. And I see what's going on, and I just think that everybody, nobody's perfect. So I'm praying that they get it right with the right people and I think that they'll be alright with that," Master P (Percy Miller) said in an interview.

The comments come as Spotify continues to deal with backlash from controversial podcaster Joe Rogan, who has apologized for using racial slurs while also still spinning confusion on COVID-19 vaccines and mask wearing. Such commentary has triggered several artists to pull their music from the platform, including Neil Young.

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said recently he doesn't believe "silencing" Rogan is the answer. The company has since chosen to remove dozens of Rogan's older shows from the platform.

Master P said he hasn't paid too much attention to the uproar, more so watching it from afar.

"I haven't gotten into it yet. I'm really ... hasn't been in the music business in 20 years, so I'm more into the product," the musician added.

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - MAY 03: Percy "Master P" Miller attends the Barnstable Brown Derby Eve Gala on May 03, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Stephen J. Cohen/WireImage)

To that end, the well-know entrepreneur who made a run at buying Reebok from Adidas last year continues to enter into new ventures.

Master P is pushing into grocery aisles with his affordable Rap Snacks product line. He recently also launched a self-serve ice cream machine.

"I think it's important to be able to have some balance in any supermarket," Master P said. "I feel like we are opening up doors in a lot of supermarkets and grocery stores to say you know what? Let's put some of these African American and Latino products onto the shelves."

Brian Sozzi is an editor-at-large and anchor at Yahoo Finance. Follow Sozzi on Twitter @BrianSozzi and on LinkedIn.

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Master P: Spotify has to 'have the right people represent them' - Yahoo Finance

With prices at historic highs, Valentines Day is likely to cost you extra this year. But if youre up for a romantic night in, the bill may not be as bad as you think.

According to data from LPL Financial, despite decades-high inflation levels, the holiday remains relatively affordable, compared to inflation in the broader economy. The firms Valentines Day Index, which tracks the annual prices of four ways to celebrate jewelry, a night in, a night out, and a vacation getaway came in at 7%, near the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation of 7.5%.

But beneath the surface, certain components of the index cost much lower and may be better options this year, to avoid breaking the bank. The cost of a night in (a home-cooked meal, wine, flowers and candy) and a night out (dinner at a restaurant, a sitter, and theater tickets) were up 4.0% and 4.7%, respectively, below the broader inflation indexes.

Thankfully, inflation hasnt hit Valentines Day as hard as the broad economy, Ryan Detrick, LPLs chief market strategist, said in a note.

According to data from LPL Financial, despite decades-high inflation levels, the holiday remains relatively affordable compared to inflation in the broader economy.

While prices for candy, a home-cooked meal, and flowers were mostly in line with headline inflation, a glass of wine has seen next to no price increase at all. LPL Financial emphasized that the Bureau of Labor Statistics does specifically track the price of wine for home consumption.

Menu items for the home-cooked meal portion of a night in could run the bill a bit higher, however, with meat, poultry, fish, and eggs up about 12% in 2021. Fruit and vegetables were up 5% last year, while the increase in prices for dessert was slightly lower at 2%.

Valentine's Day: A heart-shaped decoration and a couple sitting at the table are seen in the restaurant in Krakow, Poland on February 13, 2022. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Celebrating with a vacation getaway may not be the most cost-efficient way to tell a significant other you love them this year. LPL indicated in its data that the component came in at 11.9% on an annualized basis, a notable jump above the broader inflation index. Meanwhile, jewelry saw a price gain in 2020 and 2021 combined, at 4.1% annualized, LPLs data reflected.

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Although certain components of Valentines Day remain lower than headline inflation, each component is still at a 10-year high, Detrick points out. The Labor Departments Consumer Price Index (CPI), which notched a steeper-than-expected 7.5% increase over the year ended January, marked the largest annual jump since 1982.

To add to that, the CPI posted an unexpected 0.6% increase on a month-over-month basis, while economists had anticipated the print to decelerate.

The National Retail Federation estimated that Valentines Day spending is expected to reach $23.9 billion this year, up from $21.8 billion in 2021 and the second-highest year on record, according to its annual survey.

And based on the metrics, that money could be getting a lot less amid elevated inflation.

In the big picture, Valentines Day is the ultimate budget holiday since time spent together is really what its all about, Detrick said. Inflation cant touch that.

Alexandra Semenova is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @alexandraandnyc

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How inflation impacts the cost of Valentine's Day celebrations - Yahoo Finance

As concerns around inflation soar, American consumers outlook on the trajectory of the U.S. economy has deteriorated, worrying some experts that negative attitudes could dampen expenditure and put a dent in economic growth.

The University of Michigans closely-watched consumer sentiment index fell to 61.7 in early February, hitting the lowest level since October 2011. January saw a reading of 67.2.

Recent declines in the measure have been driven by weakening personal financial prospects amid rising inflation, less confidence in the government's economic policies, and the least favorable long-term economic outlook in a decade, the University of Michigan said in its latest report Friday.

The reading follows fresh CPI data out Thursday that showed U.S. inflation accelerated last month in the fastest rise since 1982, with prices across a wide range of goods and services soaring further amid lingering shortages and supply chain disruptions.

Incredibly, the consumer is polling negatively on almost everything when it comes to the economy, and if their confidence doesnt improve, the economy could be headed towards the cliff of recession, FWDBONDS chief economist Christopher S. Rupkey said in a note. We almost have to recheck our figures because the consumer is clearly in a deep funk and if they decide to call it quits then the economic growth we have seen is going to fade fast.

NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 28: An air traveler uses a credit card to pay for items January 28, 2022 at a retail shop in John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. (Photo by Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)

Notably, the February decline was spurred by a decline in households with incomes of $100,000 or more. Among this cohort, their Sentiment Index fell by 16.1% from last month, and 27.5% from last year, the report said, also indicating the Sentiment Index reflects the onset of a sustained downturn in consumer spending.

Typically, increasing consumer sentiment is predictive of increased consumer spending, while if consumers become less certain about their financial prospects, they could be likely to spend less money.

A downbeat consumer in retreat risks sending the economy over the cliff if they dont start spending more at the shops and malls, Rupkey also wrote.

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A measure in the survey of future expectations declined to a read of 57.4, also marking the lowest figure in more than 10 years. To add to the glum, consumers now expect inflation at a rate of 5% over the next year, compared to the 4.9% reported last month.

The big drop in consumer sentiment through February is concerning, Bill Adams, chief economist for Comerica Bank, said in a note, pointing out the indicator is down 26.6 points from its recovery-to-date high in April 2021 through the February preliminary release.

The decline compares to a 21.7 point drop between February and August 2011, a period in which inflation surged and the economy narrowly dodged a double-dip recession, with real GDP contracting in both the first and third quarters of 2011, he said.

All else equal, the recent drop in consumer sentiment could signal serious trouble ahead, but all else is hugely different, thank goodness, Adams added, elaborating that household wealth has surged since the start of the pandemic on stimulus payments, growing savings and rising wages.

Although average hourly earnings are lagging inflation, continued growth of real consumer spending power is expected with aggregate earned income still outpacing inflation due to the combination of rapid job growth and wage gains, according to Adams.

With case counts falling rapidly and household balance sheets much better positioned to absorb inflation than in the dark days of 2011, early 2022s drop in consumer sentiment is unlikely to signal an outright contraction of economic activity, Adams said. Perceptions of the economy will likely improve in coming months as the Omicron wave and supply chain problems fade and inflation begins to moderate.

Morgan Stanley chief economist Seth Carpenter told Yahoo Finance Live that the data shows as long as job gains continue, consumer spending tends to hold up.

Consumer sentiment numbers are a bit of a cautionary tale but fundamentals still look pretty good, said Carpenter.

Alexandra Semenova is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @alexandraandnyc

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US consumers are 'in a deep funk': What that means for the economy - Yahoo Finance

The hottest car in America isnt a car, its a truck.

In its latest sales report, Ford revealed it sold over 8,000 Ford (F) Broncos in January. But try getting your hands on the all-new, full-size Ford Bronco SUV at retail prices its basically impossible.

People are paying huge dealer markups to get their hands on the Bronco, or flipping them on eBay if theyre able to get a good deal for one. Ford CEO Jim Farley even addressed the situation, warning he would crack down on those dealers implementing huge markups.

A lot of this has to do with chip and component shortages hurting supply, along with production problems Ford had with the hard top versions of the Bronco that held up output. But the biggest problem of all could be that the hot new off-road SUV, with oodles of brand cred, is too popular. In fact, Ford stopped taking Bronco reservations when its official tally topped 125,000 back in August.

But thats neither here nor there, or a problem for me at the moment. Ford kindly dropped off a Bronco in its Cyber Orange launch color for Yahoo Finance to review.

Ford Bronco (Credit: Pras Subramanian)

For those unfamiliar with the Bronco, the original truck debuted in 1966 as a compact type of two-door off-road vehicle, that later grew in size to compete with full-size competitors like the Chevy Blazer. Ford discontinued the Bronco in 1996 due to lack of consumer interest in two-door, full-size SUVs.

But as SUV popularity grew, and Jeeps (STLA) Wrangler basically carved out an entire market for itself for the off-road focused, sand-dune set, Ford saw an opportunity. After years of teasing it, Ford finally showed off the Bronco in June of 2020 as a 2021 model.

The sixth-generation Bronco as we have it today is a full size, body-on-frame SUV that comes in two- and four-door models, offers two engines (a turbo I-4 cylinder or a twin-turbo V6), and comes in several trims based on what kind of activities a buyer envisions doing with the truck. It also can come with a manual transmission (!) with the base I-4, and can be optioned with the off-road focused "Sasquatch" package that can be added to any trim level.

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Ford Bronco (Credit: Pras Subramanian)

The two-door Bronco we tested came in Black Diamond trim (a more off-road oriented version), along with the 10-speed automatic transmission and V6 engine. Added to our Bronco was that aforementioned Sasquatch package, which adds a front-locking differential to our Black Diamonds rear-locking differential, 35-inch tires with 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels, a 4.7 final drive ratio, high-clearance suspension, and high-clearance fender flares. In short, this Bronco really looked the part.

Driving the Bronco around the streets of NYC where I live was hair-raising at times and a lot of fun. This truck is wide, with those big 35-inch tires and fender flares, so squeezing though narrow streets and darting through traffic can be challenge. But, you sit high up in the Bronco, and those big tires mean potholes, cracks, and ruts in the road mean nothing. Visibility is good (though blind spots are not great), and the truck's controls and touchscreen interface (Fords tried-and-true SYNC 4.0) are easy to use.

At highway speeds, the Bronco in Black Diamond trim can be a little rough. Theres not as much sound-deadening material and such to keep the sound out, so you hear a lot of wind noise, creaks, and the like. Though the truck itself was a little squirrelly at high speeds, it was surprisingly quiet riding on those big 35-inch off-round tires and raised suspension.

Ford Bronco (Credit: Pras Subramanian)

But it's off-road where the Bronco excels, and it was where I learned to really fall in love with the beast. My friends at Four Wheel Drive New York, led by the adventurous Shmuel Avital took me to some sand dunes by a lake in southern New Jersey. There we took some Wranglers, FJ Cruisers, and a couple Land Rovers through the brush and some deep mud ruts to the sandy dunes.

The Bronco is equipped with G.O.A.T. mode, or Goes Over Any Terrain mode, which gives you preset tailored driving settings like Sand, Slippery, Sport, Eco, and Normal, for whatever terrain you encounter. I selected Sand mode for the dunes, which engages four-wheel drive lock.

Though this was fine, my off-road buddies suggested just putting the Bronco in 4H (4 high) and locking the rear differential. Now we were in action driving at a higher speeds over and through the dunes, with immense traction and speed coming from that locked rear axle. I felt like we were dune racing out in Baja, and it was an incredible amount of fun.

It was wet where we were too, with lots of mud and loose, wet gravel. Here is where the Slippery mode helped a lot, where the terrain is loose, wet, and uneven, the advantage of having a two-speed transfer case with the 4-low setting was necessary.

Pushing the Bronco near its limits gave me an appreciation for the trucks capability and the sheer amount of fun you can have off-roading. It gave me a clearer understanding of why many enthusiasts do enjoy off-roading and why they devote so much time and resources to pursue these adventures. Similar to auto racing and track driving, off-roading gives you a deeper connection with the machine, where you are almost one with the machine. But in this case going slower is where the connection lies.

Ford Bronco (Credit: Pras Subramanian)

At the end of the day, taking the Bronco off-road is really where it shines. Its a shame that most buyers wont take this capable machine off paved roads, but they should.

The Bronco, just like its rival the Jeep Wrangler, is an adventure truck, capable on almost any terrain on Earth. Its raison d'etre is to take you anywhere, and it makes no apologies for its brawny and utilitarian looks as it takes you to your destination. And the buyers waiting months (and even years) to get their own Broncos wouldnt have it any other way.

The Ford Bronco Black Diamond edition starts at $36,845. Our test vehicle with options and delivery came in at $47,990.

Pras Subramanian is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on Twitter and on Instagram.

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Ford Bronco review: Why its the hottest vehicle in America - Yahoo Finance

Philadelphia 76ers fans are going to have to wait a while longer to see James Harden make his Sixers debut.

The team announced Monday that Harden, who was acquired from the Brooklyn Nets in a blockbuster deal at the trade deadline last week, is out through the All-Star break as he rehabs his left hamstring.

As a result, Harden will not play in the 76ers two games this week at home versus the Boston Celtics on Tuesday and at the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday. He will be reevaluated after the break, the team said. That means the earliest Harden can make his debut in a 76ers uniform is Feb. 25 on the road against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Additionally, Harden will not play in the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday. NBA commissioner Adam Silver chose Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen as his replacement, the league announced Monday.

Harden, a 10-time All-Star and former MVP, last played on Feb. 2 before missing the Nets next three games with left hamstring tightness. Just hours ahead of the trade deadline, Harden was traded along with Paul Millsap to Philadelphia in exchange for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round picks.

Harden arrived in Philadelphia on Saturday and took part in his first practice with the team earlier Monday.

He will be introduced at a news conference Tuesday alongside Millsap, director of basketball operations Daryl Morey, head coach Doc Rivers and team owner Josh Harris.

James Harden won't be available to play in Sunday's All-Star Game. (AP Photo/Matt York)

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James Harden out through All-Star break to rehab his hamstring, 76ers say - Yahoo Sports

More than any other major sport, the NFL has its legacies defined by championships. So when a Super Bowl is finished, we immediately shift into the legacy mode. Eventually, well need to discuss what the Los Angeles Rams title means for Sean McVay, or Matthew Stafford, or Aaron Donald.

With due respect to those interesting conversations, theyll wait for another day.

This moment, on my clipboard anyway, belongs to Cooper Kupp.

Kupp was the MVP of Super Bowl LVI, catching the go-ahead touchdown with 1:29 left. His fourth-down rush earlier on the drive saved LAs season. Kupp finished the day with eight catches, 92 yards, two scores and that seven-yard run.

Kupps Super Bowl MVP came a few days after his Offensive Player of the Year Award. And if the leagues MVP trophy was more about Most Outstanding Player instead of a treatise on what the word valuable means, Kupp probably wins that too. Kupp bagged the wide receiver triple crown, throwing an absurd 145-1,947-16 line at the league.

Kupps playoff run matches with the best in history. He had 33 catches in the four playoff games, one better than Larry Fitzgeralds run after the 2008 season. Kupps 478 yards only trail the 546 yards Fitzy posted in 2008. The six receiving touchdowns are also one shy of Fitzgerald.

Fitzgeralds 2008 regular season wasnt quite as dominant as Kupps 2021, though Fitzgerald was the WR1 in fantasy that year. He led the league in touchdown catches, finished fourth in catches, ranked second in yards. Its on the shortlist of the greatest wide receiver seasons ever, along with a handful of Jerry Rice seasons.

I know we want to be careful with recency bias as we analyze anything. And Rice isnt just the best receiver Ive ever seen, hes the best football player Ive ever seen.

But Cooper Kupp just had the best season regular-season and playoff performance both considered of all time.

For fantasy, of course, we need to look forward. To follow the Wayne Gretzky maxim, we skate to where the puck is headed, not where its been. Obviously, Kupp has to be projected for some regression in 2022, perhaps a big chunk of it. Hes also a little older than you might realize he turns 29 in June.

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That said, Stafford is still in LA, and I assume McVay is coming back, and the support pieces should be strong. If you want to pick Kupp first overall in your next draft, I wont tell you its wrong. Jonathan Taylor also merits consideration for that spot. Theres no one else Id consider at the top right now. Of course, we have months to change our minds and debate this thing out.

We watched all year and wondered how Kupp could consistently get so wide open. A lot of it speaks to McVays scheming, a lot of it ties to Kupps chemistry with Stafford. And we also have to nod to Kupps route-running skill, improvisation, understanding of space and leverage. And hes also dynamic after the catch, turning short and intermediate gains into game-breaking plays and end-zone visits on a regular basis.

Cooper Kupp showed off his elite talents in the Super Bowl. (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

If the league had a way to solve Kupp, it would have shown up at some point in the last five months. No one found an answer key. Good luck in 2022, defensive coordinators and defensive backs.

Well go speed round with the rest of my Super Bowl quick-hitters and observations:

It was frustrating to see so much referee interference in the final two minutes of Sundays game, after three hours of appreciated hands-off officiating. Not that the Rams winning feels like an artificial result, of course. And you can argue that Tee Higgins got away with multiple fouls on his second touchdown, the long score that opened the second half.

You have to feel for Odell Beckham Jr., who suffered the dreaded non-contact injury in the middle of the second quarter. He already had a touchdown in the bag and perhaps he was headed for the days MVP (he also was likely to smash all of his primary Super Bowl props). Beckhams injury is feared to be a torn ACL; lousy timing entering free agency. Heres hoping he lands on another fun offense (or stays with the Rams, if thats even possible). This tank is far from empty.

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Cam Akers looked sluggish for most of the playoffs, but merely returning to football was a win for the second-year back, given that he tore his Achilles tendon in the summer. Expectations were probably too high for Akers in the playoff season, but as a result, they might be too low when the 2022 draft session opens. The Rams still view him as a featured back, perhaps a true bell cow.

Maybe I missed an injury to Joe Mixon, but I didnt understand why the Bengals looked to Samaje Perine with so many of their critical touches. Let your best players be your best players.

Joe Burrow absorbed nine sacks in the win at Tennessee, and seven more in the Super Bowl, but youd never know by the expression on his face. Hes as unflappable as it gets. The Bengals have the cap resources to fix their offensive line in the offseason, and thats the only thing this offense is missing. Burrows arrow is clearly pointed up; he finished QB8 in his second season, but Ill rank him higher than that next year.

JaMarr Chase had seven rushing attempts in the regular season, then six more in the playoffs. A few of those, of course, were horizontal passes. Id like to see the Bengals get more creative with Chases touches next year; if he doesnt have at least 125 rushing yards in the regular season, somethings gone wrong. Open up the playbook.

Tee Higgins is probably destined to be Robin to Chases Batman for the foreseeable future, but he likely was Sundays MVP had the Bengals won the game. Higgins is still just 23, celebrating a birthday in January. Its unfair to have this kind of WR talent in your No. 2 chair.

If healthy, I could see C.J. Uzomah stepping into the top 12 at tight end next year. Hes got enough receiving and YAC chops to threaten a 680-yard, seven-touchdown kind of season. And Burrow loves throwing quickly and between the numbers on plays when the pass blocking falls apart quickly.

Yes, Id keep kickers in fantasy football. Because its really fun when you stumble onto an Adam Vinatieri, or a Justin Tucker, or an Evan McPherson. Some guys have range out to the parking lot.

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Super Bowl Debrief: The year belonged to Cooper Kupp - Yahoo Sports

Kyler Murray raised more than a few eyebrows last week when he scrubbed all mention of the Arizona Cardinals, the team he quarterbacks, from his social media accounts.

On Monday, five days after he removed the Cards from his social media, he posted a statement.

I play this game for the love of it, my teammates, everyone who has helped me get to this position that believed in me & to win championships," the statement says. "All of this nonsense is not what Im about, never has been, never will be. Anyone who has ever stepped between those lines with me knows how hard I go.

Love me or hate me but Im going to continue to grow and get better.

Like a stone thrown into a pond, Murray's scrubbing of the Cardinals from his social media created ripples. Most consequentially, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported that the relationship between Murray and the franchise is strained and both parties are "at odds" with each other following the Cardinals' disappointing 34-11 wild-card loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

According to Mortensen, Murray was "embarrassed" by the loss to the Rams and believes he's been made the "scapegoat." The Cardinals also reportedly have issues with Murray.

Via ESPN:

The Cardinals have their own concerns about Murray, with sources describing the 2019 No. 1 overall pick as self-centered, immature and someone who points fingers.

Arizona coach Kliff Kingsbury is said to be self-scouting where he can provide better alternatives to help Murray, according to sources. Meanwhile, select veterans on the team hope to reach out to Murray on how the 24-year-old can better handle adversity, sources said.

Kyler Murray released a statement on Monday, five days after scrubbing the Arizona Cardinals from his social media accounts. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Yikes. While the Cardinals reportedly believe Murray will be their "quarterback of the present and future," these reports are definitely concerning, especially since they're about the team's franchise quarterback. The Cards subsequently released a statement about Murray.

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Nothing has changed regarding our opinion and high regard for Kyler Murray, the statement said via Pro Football Talk. We as a team and Kyler individually have improved each year hes been in the league. We are excited to continue that improvement in 2022 and are excited that Kyler Murray is the quarterback leading us.

Of course, if you trace "all this nonsense" back to its source, you'll find Murray. He's who started all this by scrubbing any mention of the team from his social media. That action fueled a lot of speculation, and spurred Mortensen's report of discord between the two parties.

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Cardinals QB Kyler Murray breaks silence: 'All of this nonsense is not what I'm about' - Yahoo Sports

The Green Bay Packers are hoping to avoid drama this offseason. The team is reportedly willing to go all in to retain All-Pro quarterback Aaron Rodgers on a long-term deal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The Packers are reportedly considering a contract situation similar to what the New Orleans Saints did with Drew Brees at the end of his career.

The Saints would continue to extend Brees at high amounts, but add void years to his contract in order to spread Brees' signing bonus among multiple years of their salary cap. The move allowed Brees to make a ton of money while preventing the Saints from being in an awful cap situation.

Rodgers restructured his deal last offseason to ensure he becomes a free agent in 2022 if he can't work out a long-term deal with the Packers. The deal also gave Rodgers a massive $46 million cap hit in 2022, putting the Packers in a situation where the team needs to restructure his deal again or trade him.

Rodgers restructured that deal amid rumors he was frustrated with the franchise and looking for a way out. Cooler heads prevailed, and Rodgers had yet another spectacular season with the Packers. He threw for 4,115 yards and 37 touchdowns, winning his fourth MVP award.

Striking now could be the right decision. Rodgers said there's been growth between him and the Packers while receiving his MVP award. He said he's had "good conversations" with the team, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

The Packers are sending all the right messages now, but it's up to Rodgers to decide whether he wants to come back. Rodgers can force the team's hand by demanding a trade. Considering his cap situation, Rodgers might actually get his wish. Rodgers could also retire, an idea he's flirted with in the past.

If Rodgers returns, it would be a huge boost for Green Bay. The relationship between Rodgers and the team was in shambles last offseason, and it looked likely 2021 would be his final year in Green Bay.

Getting Rodgers back would keep the team's Super Bowl window open for at least another season. Depending on how generous Rodgers is feeling, a new deal could also give Green Bay an opportunity to surround Rodgers with better talent in an attempt to make one final run at another championship.

Aaron Rodgers is a priority for the Packers this offseason. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

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Packers reportedly want to go all in on keeping Aaron Rodgers - Yahoo Sports