Dollar Struggles as Policy Uncertainty Weighs on Markets Despite Official Support 
Indonesian Stocks Slide After MSCI Flags Investability Risks and Downgrade Threat 
Tesla Q4 Earnings Beat Expectations as Company Accelerates Shift Toward AI and Robotics 
Tesla Loses Ground in Europe as BYD Accelerates EV Market Share in 2025 
Australia Inflation Surprise Fuels Rate Hike Expectations Ahead of RBA Meeting 
First Abu Dhabi Bank Reports 22% Jump in Q4 Profit, Beats Market Expectations 
Meta Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Approval of AI Chatbots Allowing Sexual Interactions With Minors 
RBA Expected to Raise Interest Rates by 25 Basis Points in February, ANZ Forecast Says 
Gold Prices Hit Record High Above $5,500 as Iran Strike Fears Fuel Safe-Haven Demand 
Asian Currencies Slip as Dollar Rebounds Ahead of Fed Rate Decision 
Samsung Electronics Posts Record Q4 2025 Profit as AI Chip Demand Soars 
NVIDIA, Microsoft, and Amazon Eye Massive OpenAI Investment Amid $100B Funding Push 
Asian Stock Markets Rise on AI Optimism Ahead of Fed Decision and U.S. Tech Earnings 
Gold Prices Smash Record Above $5,200 as Haven Demand Surges 
Boeing Posts Fourth-Quarter Profit on Jeppesen Sale Despite Ongoing Unit Losses 
ECB’s Cipollone Backs Digital Euro as Europe Pushes for Payment System Independence 
SoftBank Shares Surge as It Eyes Up to $30 Billion New Investment in OpenAI 
Crocs Inc. revealed this week that it will acquire Hey Dude Shoes for $2.5 billion. Based on the report, the Broomfield, Colorado headquartered foam clogs maker is buying the shoe company as it wants to take advantage of the growing demand for casual shoes.
According to Reuters, many people ditched their dress shoes and went for the more comfortable footwear; thus, clogs and casual shoemakers suddenly received piles of orders. The pandemic pushed people to stay indoors, so the majority now prefer comfortable overalls from clothes to footwear.
As a result, companies like Crocs have steady orders, and the demand remained strong throughout this year. Now, to take advantage of the momentum, Crocs is acquiring Hey Dude to sell comfortable shoes alongside its popular foam clogs.
The company will be investing $2.5 billion and is paying $2.05 billion in cash, and the remaining $450 million will be paid in Crocs shares that will be issued to Alessandro Rosano, founder, and chief executive officer of Hey Dude Shoes.
"With the acquisition of HEY DUDE, we are thrilled to add another high-growth, highly profitable brand to our portfolio. We believe HEY DUDE's casual, comfortable, and lightweight products are aligned to long-term consumer trends and are a perfect fit for Crocs," Crocs CEO, Andrew Rees, said in a press release.
He went on to say, "We intend to leverage our global presence, best-in-class marketing and scale infrastructure to build upon HEY DUDE's strong foundation and create significant shareholder value. We truly admire the business that founder Alessandro Rosano has built and are honored to welcome the HEY DUDE team to Crocs."
Meanwhile, CNBC reported there are investors who are not in favor of Crocs' decision to buy Hey Dude Shoes, but Rees defended the move after the company's shares stumbled.15% in early trade. The chief explained that the purchase could push sales growth, especially in the United States Northeast and urban areas.
Crocs is also looking to expand its portfolio to include more shoes and other products beyond the rubber clogs. The company will adhere to what they are best known for when creating new items, and it is comfort which is also the trend these days.
