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☆ AI Davids ride coattails of industry Goliaths
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

New York, Dec 5 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Artificial intelligence Goliaths like OpenAI continue to open the door for what might become the industry’s Davids. With a low-cost approach and data privacy focus, it may be able to eventually carve out a solid European business. Mistral has whiffs of what OpenAI, eyeing a mooted $86 billion valuation and eight years old, once was, but with tweaks. Mistral has also focused on “open sourcing” its models, which means they can be downloaded and used for free. As a Paris-based company, Mistral could build out its business with a specific focus on complying with AI rules being finalized by the European Union.

Persons: industry’s Davids, eyeing, Anita Ramaswamy, Neiman Marcus, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Reuters, Mistral, Bloomberg, European Union, X, Saks, Thomson Locations: York, Paris, Kuwait, Hong Kong

☆ Airline investors have reason to grab the barf bag
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Jonathan Guilford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, Dec 4 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Lately, when airlines suggest a thrilling deal, investors are left feeling queasy. Look at Alaska Air (ALK.N), whose shares cratered 15% on Monday after announcing the acquisition of struggling Hawaiian (HA.O). As happened when first Frontier (ULCC.O) and JetBlue Airways (JBLU.O) bid for Spirit Airlines (SAVE.N) in 2022, though, the buyer’s shareholders are balking. But it suggests that, by tying up, smaller airlines risk combining their woes. The deal comes as a lawsuit by the Department of Justice looking to block the merger of Spirit Airlines and JetBlue Airways heads to closing arguments on Dec. 5.

Persons: they’ll, trustbusters, nix, Pete Buttigieg doesn’t, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Reuters, Alaska Air, JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, Department of Transportation, of Justice, Department of Justice, Thomson Locations: Lahaina, Maui, Alaska, Hawaii

☆ Amazon’s space dreams deserve to be grounded
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Robert Cyran | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Founder, Chairman, CEO and President of Amazon Jeff Bezos unveils his space company Blue Origin's space exploration lunar lander rocket called Blue Moon during an unveiling event in Washington, U.S., May 9, 2019. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne - RC153E11B8F0 Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Oct 16 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Amazon.com’s (AMZN.O) Project Kuiper is a misguided technological marvel. A recent U.S. government report warned that space junk from currently planned networks could start regularly falling back to Earth by 2035. Facing an uncertain payoff and the possibility that its efforts will burn up on reentry, Amazon’s best move is bowing out of a futile space race. The $1.3 trillion technology company plans to eventually launch over 3,200 satellites into low-earth orbit to provide high-speed internet globally.

Persons: Amazon Jeff Bezos, Clodagh, Jeff Bezos, SpaceX’s, Andy Jassy, Bill Gates, SpaceX honcho Elon Musk, OneWeb, Jonathan Guilford, Sharon Lam, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Amazon, REUTERS, Reuters, SpaceX, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Kuiper, Eutelsat Communications, Origin, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Bezos, China

☆ Saks and Neiman Marcus are better together
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The signage outside the Neiman Marcus store is seen during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in New York City, U.S., April 19, 2020. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Dec 1 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus might be headed down the aisle. The two luxury retailers are in talks to merge, according to the Wall Street Journal on Friday. By joining forces, Saks and Neiman would have more power negotiating with vendors and ability to control costs. Saks and Neiman are destined to match up.

Persons: Marcus, Neiman Marcus, Neiman, Jennifer Saba, Robert Cyran, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Saks Fifth, Wall, Saks, HBC, Dallas, Ares Management, Plan Investment Board, Bain, Neiman, X, Barclays, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Canada

As technology titans jockey to back hot new startups, they are extracting explicit or implicit promises of revenue in return. loadingMicrosoft’s injection of $10 billion into OpenAI in January helped kick off the craze. As part of their deal, the ChatGPT operator agreed to exclusively use its new investor’s cloud computing services. Much of the invested capital should be returned relatively quickly as AI firms buy back-end services. Nvidia (NVDA.O) has at least 80% and as much as 95% of the AI market, according to estimates by analysts.

Persons: Sam Altman, Satya Nadella, OpenAI, Optimists, cynics, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam, Aditya Sriwatsav, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, Microsoft, Financial Times, Apple, Nasdaq, Big Tech, OpenAI, Wall Street, Google, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Cisco Systems, Lucent Technologies, Nortel Technologies, Company, Global, Telecom, Nortel, Network, Nvidia, Thomson Locations: OpenAI, Silicon Valley

☆ EU watchdogs muck up Amazon’s messy iRobot cleanup
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Jonathan Guilford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The concerns speak to ongoing worries over Amazon’s market clout – but if the deal collapses, it’s iRobot shareholders who will suffer more downward suction. The Commission, which is reviewing the deal alongside British and American merger cops, on Monday published its objections. If Amazon is thwarted, investors expect iRobot shares to fall to between $5 and $15. CONTEXT NEWSThe European Commission on Nov. 27 issued a statement of objections regarding Amazon.com’s proposed $1.4 billion acquisition of robot vacuum maker iRobot. iRobot shares fell more than 18% to close at $34.35 on Nov. 27.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, it’s, Carlyle, Amazon.com’s, Peter Thal Larsen, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, iRobot, European Commission, British, EU, Amazon, Investors, Commission, Thomson Locations: Staten Island , New York City, U.S, American, Europe, United States, Seattle, iRobot

☆ White House needs to talk turkey about inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Lauren Silva Laughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, Nov 22 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Hey, White House. The release noted that lower inflation was among the things that Americans should be thankful for. Gasoline prices, for example, are down a quarter from their high in June 2022, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The price of the average Thanksgiving meal has dropped from last year, too. Meantime food prices in the average U.S. city are up a fifth since December 2020, according to the St. Louis Federal Reserve.

Persons: they’ll, paychecks, Joe Biden, Biden, ”, he’s, Jonathan Guilford, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Reuters, U.S . Energy Information Administration, Louis Federal Reserve, American Farm Bureau Federation, Associated Press, NORC, for Public Affairs Research, White, Thomson Locations: U.S

☆ Ransomware targets will pay one way or another
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Anita Ramaswamy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The White House has even considered an outright ban on firms making ransom payments. If companies can’t pay ransom, there’s no point in asking for it. ICBC’s self-identified attacker, a gang of digital extortionists called Lockbit, says ICBC paid up. Follow @AnitaRamaswamy on XCONTEXT NEWSThe Industrial and Commercial Bank of China’s U.S. arm was hit by a ransomware attack that disrupted some trades in the U.S. Treasury market on Nov. 9. A senior White House official said on Oct. 31 that the U.S. government planned to lead an alliance of 40 countries in a pledge to never pay ransom to cybercriminals.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, cybercriminals, it’s, there’s, ICBC, –, reckons, John Foley, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Reuters, Industrial, Commercial Bank of China, SS, Treasuries, Companies, Caesars Entertainment, Commercial Bank of China’s, U.S . Treasury, White House, ., Thomson Locations: U.S, United States, Commercial Bank of China’s U.S

☆ Gap's closet cleanup begins to pay off
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Acquire Licensing RightsTORONTO, Nov 17 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Gap’s (GPS.N) new CEO is embarking on a closet cleanup. Shares in the U.S. apparel company leapt over 30% on Friday morning, a day after it unveiled third-quarter results. That reaction looks overdone, considering how overall net sales of $3.8 billion are still down 7% compared to last year, and earnings fell year-on-year. Same-store sales at sub-brand Old Navy for the quarter were up 1% year-on-year, the first quarterly increase in over two years. The company might even use that tailwind to revive its scrapped plans to separate Old Navy into a stand-alone company.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, That’s, Richard Dickson, Barbie, Sharon Lam, John Foley, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: REUTERS, Rights TORONTO, Reuters, Navy, Mattel, Banana Republic, X, Walmart, Thomson Locations: midtown Manhattan, New York, U.S, China

☆ American CEOs serve China’s Xi a too-rich dessert
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Lauren Silva Laughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Nov 16 (Reuters Breakingviews) - America’s corporate chieftains were thrilled to see China’s President Xi Jinping at Wednesday’s gala dinner in San Francisco. So thrilled that they gave him a standing ovation, according to Reuters. He has defended China’s stance on Taiwan, equating the self-governing island’s relationship with the People’s Republic to Hawaii’s position vis-à-vis the United States. The standing ovation is just a new, cringeworthy way to follow the money. Xi received a standing ovation as he entered the room and before and after he took the stage, the report said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Kevin Lamarque, Xi, Tim Cook, Larry Fink, Steve Schwarzman, Ray Dalio, Bridgewater, Tesla, Elon Musk, Apple’s Cook, Ding Xuexiang, Howard Schultz, Biden, “, John Foley, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Reuters, Apple, Blackstone, ”, China, Xi, Thomson Locations: Filoli, Asia, Woodside , California, U.S, San Francisco, BlackRock, China, United States, Taiwan, Republic, Schwarzman, Beijing

☆ Walmart can overcome its dulling inflationary edge
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The company’s top line grew 5.2% in the third quarter from a year earlier while the bottom line swung to a profit. Revenue growth may now slow while costs, including wages, could take longer to come down and squeeze profit margins. Operating expenses ticked up nearly a percentage point, to 21% of net sales, from the previous three quarters. Even if the price of eggs is getting cheaper, there’s no clear reason Walmart’s stock should do the same. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Walmart Doug McMillon, Donald Trump, Eisenhower, Joshua Roberts, Doug McMillon, McMillon isn’t, Jennifer Saba, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Walmart, REUTERS, Reuters, X, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, China

☆ Goodyear tune-up may go beyond rotating the tires
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aug 20, 2023; Watkins Glen, New York, USA; A detailed view of Goodyear Eagle racing tires prior to the Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Nov 15 (Reuters Breakingviews) - A century is a long time to accumulate bad habits. Goodyear Tire & Rubber (GT.O) on Wednesday said it would try to shed some, by selling $2 billion of assets, streamlining its business and paying down debt. As the $4 billion company tidies itself, it could turn out to be worth more in pieces. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Watkins, Matthew O'Haren, Richard Kramer, Elliott, Goodyear, Jonathan Guilford, taints, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Aditya Sriwatsav, Sharon Lam Organizations: Goodyear Eagle, Watkins Glen International, Reuters, Goodyear Tire &, Elliott Investment Management, Electric, United States Steel, Goodyear, X, Alstom, Thomson Locations: , New York, USA

☆ Palantir’s mythology is far too precious
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Robert Cyran | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Yet Palantir’s top line is only expected to grow 16% this year, according to forecasts gathered by LSEG. There’s also a risk that Palantir’s ability to secure government contracts, which account for more than half its top line, will be restrained by its politics. For example, Palantir bought about $50 million of gold bars in 2021 to prepare for unpredictable “black swan” events. Also sitting on Palantir’s balance sheet are stakes in targets of special purpose acquisition companies, which it bought in exchange for purchase orders. It doesn’t take a wizard to see that in the eyes of investors Palantir is far too precious.

Persons: Peter Thiel, Alex Karp, “ Palantir, Palantir, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Reuters, Palantir Technologies, LSEG, Microsoft, Rubicon Technologies, Technologies, Thomson Locations: Snowflake, Israel, Health

☆ Biden’s economic scorecard touts fragile advantage
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Ben Winck | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

And if the political strategist James Carville was right that “it’s the economy, stupid,” the next several months could make or break Joe Biden’s economic record. As things stand, the current ruler of the free world touts a fragile advantage. Households’ disposable income after adjusting for inflation hit a record $20 trillion in the month that Biden’s measure was approved, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. STUDENT LOANSForgiving swaths of student debt was another of Biden’s campaign promises, but his efforts have so far failed. And with higher interest rates making debt service more expensive, Biden’s spending could come back to bite him on election day.

Persons: Joe Biden, Ken Cedeno, James Carville, Joe Biden’s, “, aren’t, Breakingviews, it’s, Biden, Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, ”, Realtor.com, Congressional Republicans haven’t, haven’t, WALL, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Edmond's Catholic, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, House, Republican, AMERICAN, ACT, Brookings Institution, Analysis, Walmart, Nordstrom, Deere, Caterpillar, Republicans, Commerce Department, Micron, Bank of America, Gallup, Federal Reserve, United Auto Workers, RSM, Congressional Republicans, Biden, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Conservative, Thomson Locations: St, Rehoboth Beach , Delaware, U.S, New York, Arizona, West Virginia

☆ Amazon’s health push is a too-costly prescription
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Robert Cyran | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Snag is, primary care tends to be a recipe for burning cash. Drugstore chains have been buying up primary care companies in the hope of steering patients to their stores. Prime members can add up to five additional memberships to the same plan at $6 a person. The primary care provider had 836,000 members at the end of last year, with practices in two dozen metropolitan areas. It had over 200 million members worldwide as of April 2021.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Jonathan Guilford, Sharon Lam, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Amazon, Amazon Web Services, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Telecom, AT, Time Warner, Thomson

☆ SEC may have to let crypto foxes into the henhouse
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has cracked down on crypto exchanges without defining most tokens, stoking criticism that it has fostered a regulatory grey area and depressed prices. But now the agency is struggling to hire the experts it needs to keep policing the sector, partly because crypto lovers don’t want to sell their coins at depressed prices. Hiring such specialists is “critical” to probing new problems in crypto markets, the inspector general wrote. Yet supporters of bitcoin and the like have long criticized the SEC for regulating through enforcement instead of setting clear guidelines. For the SEC to do its job as best it can, it might need to replace its bad-cop routine with some good-cop action.

Persons: Ben Winck, Aston Martin, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Reuters, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, bitcoin, SEC, X, Paramount, Macquarie, Thomson

☆ Starbucks pays little mind to unions’ pay push
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

People gather outside a Starbucks location while singer Billy Bragg performs for striking Starbucks Workers United Union members in Buffalo, New York, U.S., October 12, 2022. Under Starbucks’ new wage plan announced Monday morning, only baristas with more than five years of experience will win 5% raises. All other employees will come in below the 4.1% jump in average hourly pay over the last 12 months, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Part-time workers at United Parcel Service (UPS.N) won a 48% average pay hike over five years, akin to a 10% annual increase. While U.S. baristas continue to organize, contracts approved at two Canadian Starbucks stores suggests employees’ bargaining power is fizzling.

Persons: Billy Bragg, Lindsay DeDario, Ben Winck, Aston Martin, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Starbucks Workers United Union, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Starbucks, Bureau of Labor Statistics, United Auto Workers, General Motors, United Parcel Service, X, Paramount, Macquarie, Pfizer, Thomson Locations: Buffalo , New York, U.S

☆ Paramount summits a precarious streaming peak
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Toy figures of people are seen in front of the displayed Paramount + logo, in this illustration taken January 20, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Nov 3 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Paramount Global (PARA.O) says it’s reached the peak of its pain from investing in costly streaming. Crucially, boss Bob Bakish indicated that investment in streaming has topped out ahead of schedule, helping to send shares up 10%. Turning around streaming losses is existential for old-guard media empires navigating the slow dwindling of cable and broadcast. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, it’s, Bob Bakish, Bakish, Walt Disney, Disney’s, Nielsen, Bakish’s, Jennifer Saba, Aston Martin, Jonathan Guilford, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Paramount, Yellowstone, Netflix, YouTube, Disney’s Hulu, Macquarie, Pfizer, Thomson

☆ Pfizer can recover from its post-Covid fatigue
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Pfizer reported plummeting demand for its Covid vaccines and treatments, with an overall revenue decline of over 40% compared to last year, and a $2.4 billion loss that included a $5.6 billion charge for Covid inventory write-offs. Pfizer now thinks 2023 revenue from shots and pills for the disease will total about $12.5 billion, over a 75% decrease from last year. Peers trade at around 5 times sales, and if Pfizer did too its enterprise value would be about $235 billion. Instead it’s almost 20% less, and the stock is worth one-fifth less than it was at the end of 2019. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Ivan Alvarado, It’s, Peers, it’s, What’s, Robert Cyran, John Foley, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Pfizer, REUTERS, Reuters, Covid, X, Vodafone, Thomson Locations: Santiago , Chile, Spain

☆ McDonald’s menu stocks up on global variations
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TORONTO, Oct 30 (Reuters Breakingviews) - McDonald’s (MCD.N) status as the world’s go-to meal means it’s competing with an uneven global economy as much as any rivals. The ubiquitous $190 billion fast-food purveyor on Monday touted a 9% year-over-year increase in worldwide same-store sales for the third quarter. In places like the U.S., that was helped by menu price increases. But the Big Mac seller also talked up the release of smaller, more affordable meals in markets facing worse economic fortunes, like China and Germany. In the latter, its McSmart menu of smaller meals helped drive the 10th quarter of double-digit sales growth.

Persons: Christopher Kempczinski, outpacing, Kempczinski, Sharon Lam, Jonathan Guilford, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: TORONTO, Reuters, Bureau of Labor Statistics, X, Vodafone, Thomson Locations: U.S, China, Germany, Europe, Spain

☆ Ford’s electric drive is going the wrong way
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Rebecca Cook Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Oct 26 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Ford Motor (F.N) may have dealt with its labor problem. While the ebb and flow of fossil-fueled fortunes is nothing new, Ford’s electric-car pivot is printing more red ink than ever. But Ford is trying to scale to profitable sales and right now, things are going the wrong way. The company’s electric division recorded a nearly $37,000 operating loss per battery-powered ride sold this quarter, 51% worse than last year. With once sky-high electric prices now free-falling, Ford faces the brass-tacks problem of simply grinding down costs.

Persons: Jim Farley, Rebecca Cook, can’t, nix, Ford, Jonathan Guilford, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Ford Motor, North American, REUTERS, Reuters, Ford, General Motors, Cox, X, Unilever, Thomson Locations: Detroit , Michigan, U.S, Detroit

☆ If Amazon, why not Walmart?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Shopping habits vary widely, however, and the company’s pricing strategies are commonly used, including at Walmart (WMT.N). According to the complaint, if Amazon finds a cheaper product elsewhere, it punishes the seller by removing merchandise from the “buy box,” effectively tanking sales. Thus, the argument goes, Amazon prevents rivals from competing on price. Walmart, which bought Jet.com in 2016 for $3 billion, is also just as discerning when it comes to online pricing. The agency accuses Amazon of stifling competition on price, product selection and quality, and preventing rivals from attracting a critical mass of shoppers and sellers.

Persons: Lina Khan, Andy Jassy, Walton, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Reuters, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Walmart, Amazon, FTC, eBay, Amazon.com, Thomson Locations: United States

☆ Roche's $7 bln deal is pricey and partial cure
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Roche tablets are seen positioned in front of a displayed Roche logo in this photo illustration shot January 22, 2016. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Oct 23 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Roche (ROG.S) has taken a small step towards curing its drug pipeline problem. JPMorgan analysts estimate that the drug’s U.S. sales could peak at 2.4 billion Swiss francs ($2.7 billion), but will take until 2037 to get there, assuming a 2028 launch. Analysts expect Roche’s pharmaceutical division to generate revenue of almost 45 billion Swiss francs this year, according to estimates compiled by LSEG. With expected free cash flow of around 16 billion Swiss francs this year and next, Roche can afford to buy a little more diversification.

Persons: Roche, Dado Ruvic, Thomas Schinecker, Peter Thal Larsen, Jean, Pierre Mustier, Atos, Jonathan Guilford, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Pfizer, U.S, New, JPMorgan, Merck, Prometheus Biosciences, Analysts, LSEG, X, News Corp, Thomson Locations: Swiss, U.S

☆ Chevron’s $53 billion deal is risky Exxon copycat
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Robert Cyran | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The $318 billion oil giant said Monday it would buy New York-based Hess (HES.N) for $53 billion in an all-stock deal. The main appeal for Chevron is Hess’s 30% stake in a consortium producing oil offshore in Guyana. Importantly, Chevron is catching up to Exxon, which runs and owns 45% of the same Guyana consortium. Higher production in Guyana after 2024 will increase Chevron’s returns, assuming the price of oil remains favorable. Hess owns a 30% share in a consortium in Guyana alongside Exxon, which owns a 45% interest, and Chinese oil company CNOOC, which owns the remaining 25%.

Persons: Hess, It’s, Mike Wirth, Scott Sheffield, John Hess, Hess’s, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Reuters, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, New York Stock Exchange, Natural Resources, drillers, Brent, Exxon, Pioneer, Exxon Mobil’s, Thomson Locations: New York, Texas, Guyana, Gulf of Mexico

☆ Merck’s cancer rush may spawn lower returns
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The American drug company said on Thursday it signed a giant deal with Daiichi Sankyo (4568.T) for the rights to sell three potential drugs outside Japan. Merck will pay $4 billion upfront, up to another $1.5 billion over the next two years, and as much as $16.5 billion if the drugs pass certain sales milestones. Merck’s Keytruda accounts for about 40% of the company’s revenue, and that cancer drug might face cut-price competition before the end of the decade. The potential is giant, as these targeted therapies might eventually account for a quarter of the current oncology market. With over 100 of these drugs in clinical trials, the stampede might lead to lower-than-expected returns.

Persons: Jeff Zelevansky, Robert Cyran, Jean, Pierre Mustier, Atos, Jennifer Saba, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Merck & Co, REUTERS, Reuters, Merck, Pfizer, X, News Corp, Thomson Locations: Linden , New Jersey, American, Japan

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