Things To Do In SW Florida

By STAN CHOE, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Big Tech stocks carried Wall Street Friday to the close of a winning, roller-coaster week, one that saw markets swing from fear to relief and back to caution because of President Donald Trump’s trade war.

The S&P 500 rose 0.7% to add some more to a big three-day rally, and it’s back within 10.1% of its record set earlier this year. Spurts for Nvidia and other influential tech stocks sent the Nasdaq composite up a market-leading 1.3%.

But they masked a mixed day of trading on Wall Street, where more stocks fell within the S&P 500 than rose, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average added only a modest 20 points, or 0.1%.

Alphabet climbed 1.7% in its first trading after Google’s parent company reported late Thursday that its profit soared 50% in the beginning of 2025 from a year earlier, more than analysts expected.

Alphabet is one of the biggest companies on Wall Street in terms of size, and that gives its stock’s movements extra influence on the S&P 500 and other indexes. Another market heavyweight, Nvidia, was also a major force pushing the S&P 500 index upward after the chip company rose 4.3%. read more

SeaWorld Orlando has pushed back the debut of its Arctic-based flying theater ride by about a week. Expedition Odyssey will make its public debut on May 9, instead of May 1 as originally announced.

Previews for annual passholders, originally set to begin this Saturday have been rescheduled to dates beginning May 1, according to email sent from the theme park to its passholders.

The new big-screen attraction, which is taking over the former Wild Arctic simulator space, will have an attached animal exhibit that will open to the general public on May 1, according to the email to passholders.

Expedition Odyssey will virtually transport visitors through glaciers, over the tundra and into the depths of the Arctic Ocean. The footage, which will be seen on on a curved screen 50 feet in diameter, includes looks at orcas, beluga whales, polar bears, seals and walruses. The scenes were filmed in three separate two-week excursions.  The new attraction will have a 39-inch height requirement for passengers. read more

Retail investors interested in the turbulent world of airline stocks will soon have a familiar name to trade again as Spirit Airlines will be listed on the NYSE American exchange starting April 29, the company announced Thursday.

“Listing our common stock on the NYSE American is an important next step in Spirit’s continued transformation as we remain focused on returning to profitability and positioning our airline for long-term success,” said Chief Executive Officer Dave Davis in a statement. The veteran industry executive recently joined the carrier from Sun Country Airlines.

Spirit’s shares will appear under the symbol FLYY. Prior to the company’s filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last November, it traded under the symbol SAVE while on the New York Stock Exchange, and then SAVEQ after being demoted to trading over-the-counter.

NYSE American is designed for growing companies, according to the New York Stock Exchange website, “and offers investors greater choice in how they trade.” The listing can raise the stock’s visibility and attract more investors. read more

A fired Disney World employee must spend three years in federal prison and pay almost $700,000 after he hacked into software used by Disney restaurants to falsely show certain food items didn’t contain peanuts and other allergens.

Michael Scheuer, 40, of Winter Garden, was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida after pleading guilty in January to one count of computer fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft as part of his deal with prosecutors, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release announcing the sentencing Thursday. He must also forfeit the computer he used in the offenses and pay $687,776 in restitution to victims.

He was a menu production manager for Disney before he was terminated for misconduct in June, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court. Disney no longer uses the Menu Creator software he hacked.

False information on food allergies could have deadly consequences, but it’s believed all of the altered menus were found before being shipped to restaurants. read more

Boards of directors

Suzi Brady, director of transition and training, Naples Hotel Group, was appointed president of the Skal International Orlando 2025 board of directors.

Norah White, director of sales and marketing, I-Drive District/I-Ride Trolley, was appointed vice president of the Skal International Orlando 2025 board of directors.

Frank Dolley, general manager, CoCo Key Hotel & Water Resort, was appointed secretary of the Skal International Orlando 2025 board of directors.

Jeff Calvert, president, HomeWatchCFL, was appointed treasurer of the Skal International Orlando 2025 board of directors.

Ross Burke, property manager, 4acre Property Services, was appointed executive treasurer of the Skal International Orlando 2025 board of directors.

Jesse Martinez, vice president business growth and operations, Clean Tec Outsourcing, was appointed Skal USA Representative for 2025 and immediate past president of the Skal International Orlando 2025 board of directors..

Submit professional appointments, management-level promotions and significant awards for individuals, along with photos as .jpg attachments, to peopleonmove@orlandosentinel.com. read more