sanfel/iStock Editorial via Getty ImagesListen below or on the go on Apple Podcasts and SpotifyCombo would be a restaurant megadeal. (0:14) PepsiCo flags North America, beverage concerns. (1:10) Chick-fil-A says no thanks to AI drive-thru. (2:06)This is an abridged transcript of the podcast:Our top story so far, Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) is up after a report that Starbucks (SBUX) has explored a takeover of the chain.Starbucks shares are lower, as is typical for potential acquirers in these reports.Starbucks has worked with advisers in recent months on an offer for Chipotle, according to the Financial Times.The status of the takeover plans and whether Starbucks has submitted a formal offer couldn't be determined.A deal of this size may never materialize, sources told the FT.The news comes after a report earlier this week from Semafor that raised the possibility that the two chains could merge and run operations similar to Yum! Brands (YUM), which operates KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.Last week, Chipotle reportedly enlisted bankers to fend off a potential buyout.My podcast editor tells me that coffee rubs work beautifully with Mexican cuisine, particularly with beef, pork and slow-cooked meats.Coffee's roasted bitterness and earthy depth complement several pillars of Mexican cooking: dried chiles, cumin, garlic, oregano and chocolate.Among other active stocks, PepsiCo (PEP) topped Q3 top- and bottom-line estimates, but business was stronger outside North America, with overall core operating margin contracting 35 basis points.CEO Ramon Laguarta said the company does not feel good about how the beverage business is doing and will be looking to cut costs “to help fund investments that aim to accelerate organic revenue growth and mitigate the impacts of rising input cost inflation.”Goldman Sachs upgraded Palantir (PLTR) to Buy from Neutral with a $230 price target.Analyst Gabriela Borges said that based on industry conversations, the stock is “setting up for another phase of outperformance into 2027.”And JPMorgan says software stocks are likely to extend their recent rally as Q3 earnings are set to provide evidence that AI demand is supporting infrastructure software while easing concerns about disruption to application software.JPMorgan favors Microsoft (MSFT), ServiceNow (NOW), Snowflake (SNOW) and Cloudflare (NET) heading into reporting season.In other news of note, it’s Chick-fil-A, not Chick-fil-AI, buddy.Fast-food chain Chick-fil-A is taking a stand against AI-powered drive-thru order takers, noting human hospitality matters more than automating the conversation.CEO Andrew Cathy made it clear in comments to CNBC that the chain has no plans to replace employees with voice AI.“From our experience, we really want that hospitality to be human to human,” he said.And in the Wall Street Research Corner, UBS is highlighting its basket of companies with higher forward growth, stronger cash-flow profitability and improving earnings momentum, arguing that valuations for some of these stocks do not fully reflect their underlying fundamentals.Stocks in its higher growth and cash flow return on investment at a discount basket include eBay (EBAY), Maplebear (CART), Micron (MU), Microsoft (MSFT) and Uber (UBER).See all the names in the basket in our story.