On today’s episode of the Zacks Friday Finish Line podcast, Content Writer Ryan McQueeney and Editor Maddy Johnson take on this week’s biggest news from the investment and financial world.

The hosts started the show with a brief mention of the rather absurd volatility we’ve seen throughout the market this week. September has a reputation for being a tough month for stocks, and that it is really looking to hold true this year.

The first story that Maddy and Ryan covered this week came from Amazon (AMZN) and General Electric (GE). Building on the Finish Line’s love for the Internet of Things, the hosts chatted about GE’s updated smart appliances that are now compatible with Amazon’s Echo speaker. Could home automation really be the future?

For more on that story, go here: Amazon's Echo Just Got Even Cooler Thanks to GE

After that, the hosts moved on a rather unfortunate story, at least for American autoworkers. Domestic car giant Ford (F) announced at its investor day this week that it will begin moving all of its small-car manufacturing from the U.S. to Mexico.

For more on Ford’s move, check out our story: Ford to Shift Small Car Production to Mexico to Cut Costs

Finally, this week’s biggest story was Bayer’s (BAYRY) $66 billion buyout of Monsanto (MON). The German drug and crop chemicals maker has transformed itself into an agricultural behemoth with its purchase of the world’s largest seeds firm. While this sounds like a good bit of business, Maddy and Ryan look at what it actually means for consumers and smaller companies around the world.

Find out the details on the buyout here: Monsanto and Bayer Agree on $66 Billion All-Cash Deal

As always, thanks for checking out this week’s episode of the Zacks Friday Finish Line, and make sure to check back next week for even more news from the investment and financial world!

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >>