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☆ Digital ad market is finally on the mend, bouncing back from the 'dark days' of 2022
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Meta , Snap and Google all reported first-quarter results this week, with revenue growth that exceeded analysts estimates and at rates not seen in at least two years. The companies entered earnings season in a favorable position in that their numbers would be comparable to historically weak periods. Meta, which was the first in the group to report results, put some fears to rest on Wednesday, showing a 27% jump in first-quarter revenue to $36.5 billion. "When Meta was in its dark days two years ago, the company knew what they had to do to get back on track," analysts at Bernstein wrote in a note after the earnings report. Meta lost two-thirds of its value in 2022 and was forced to dramatically cut headcount.

Persons: Meta, Bernstein Organizations: Google, Meta, Facebook

Snap shares surged 28% on Friday after the company surprised Wall Street by showing a profit and reported sales and user numbers that exceeded analysts' estimates. The company reported adjusted earnings per share of 3 cents, while analysts were expecting a 5-cent loss. Snap said adjusted EBITDA "exceeded our expectations" and was primarily driven by operating expense discipline, as well as accelerating revenue growth. Snap reported more than 9 million Snapchat+ subscribers for the period. For the second quarter, Snap expects to report revenue between $1.23 billion and $1.26 billion, up from the $1.22 billion expected by analysts, according to StreetAccount.

Persons: Derek Andersen, Evan Spiegel Organizations: Barker, Revenue, Snapchat, Meta Locations: Santa Monica , California

☆ Snap shares soar 25% as company beats on earnings, shows strong revenue growth
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Snap reported first-quarter results on Thursday that beat analysts' estimates and showed a return to double-digit revenue growth. Adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter was $46 million, far surpassing the $68 million loss expected by analysts, according to StreetAccount. For its second quarter, Snap expects to report revenue between $1.23 billion and $1.26 billion, up from the $1.22 billion expected by analysts, according to StreetAccount. Snap said adjusted EBITDA will fall between $15 million and $45 million, compared to Wall Street's expectations of $15.5 million. The company expects to report around 431 million DAUs in its second quarter, up from the 430 million expected by StreetAccount.

Persons: Snap's, Snap Organizations: LSEG Revenue, LSEG, LSEG Global, Revenue, Snapchat, Meta, StreetAccount

☆ Meta to report first-quarter results after the bell
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Meta will report first-quarter results after the bell Wednesday. Revenue: $36.16 billion, according to LSEG. $36.16 billion, according to LSEG. Analysts expect Meta to report a 26% increase in revenue from $28.65 billion a year earlier. Analysts at Baird said in a Monday note that slower spending from China-based advertisers could be a source of concern in the first-quarter results.

Persons: Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Susan Li, Baird Organizations: StreetAccount, Meta, Facebook Locations: LSEG, China

☆ Meta loses $200 billion in value as Zuckerberg focuses earnings call on all the ways company bleeds cash
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on January 31, 2024 in Washington, DC. Mark Zuckerberg started Meta 's earnings call by talking about artificial intelligence. He spent almost the entirety of his opening remarks focused on the many ways Meta loses money. But to the extent Zuckerberg talked about ads, he was looking to the future and the ways the company could potentially turn its current investments into ad dollars. He spent time talking about Meta Llama 3, the company's newest large language model, and the recent rollout of Meta AI, the company's answer to OpenAI's ChatGPT.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, Zuckerberg, OpenAI's ChatGPT Organizations: Dirksen, Meta Locations: Washington , DC

☆ Oracle is moving its world headquarters to Nashville to be closer to health-care industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison said Tuesday that the company is moving its world headquarters to Nashville, Tennessee, to be closer to a major health-care epicenter. He said Nashville is an established health center and a "fabulous place to live," one that Oracle employees are excited about. "It's the center of the industry we're most concerned about, which is the health-care industry," Ellison said. "I shouldn't have said that," Ellison told Frist, a longtime health-care industry veteran who represented Tennessee in the Senate. The pair spoke during a fireside chat at the Oracle Health Summit in Nashville.

Persons: Larry Ellison, Bill Frist, Ellison, Frist Organizations: Oracle, Senate, Oracle Health Summit, Healthcare, HCA Locations: San Francisco, Nashville , Tennessee, U.S, Nashville, Tennessee, Silicon Valley, Austin , Texas

☆ UnitedHealth paid ransom to bad actors, says patient data was compromised in Change Healthcare cyberattack
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

UnitedHealth Group on Monday said it paid ransom to cyberthreat actors to try and protect patient data, following the February cyberattack on its subsidiary Change Healthcare. The company also confirmed that files containing personal information were compromised in the breach. "A ransom was paid as part of the company's commitment to do all it could to protect patient data from disclosure." UnitedHealth said in the release that 22 screenshots, allegedly of the compromised files, have been uploaded to the dark web. The call center will not be able to offer any details about individual data impact given the "ongoing nature and complexity of the data review," UnitedHealth said.

Persons: UnitedHealth, Andrew Organizations: UnitedHealth, Healthcare, CNBC, Change Healthcare Locations: America

☆ Cramer’s week ahead: Earnings from Tesla, Merck and Big Tech
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Cramer said the Federal Reserve prefers to use the PCE index, not the consumer price index, to best evaluate inflation. He warned that even if the market is oversold next week, the PCE index report on Friday will be where the rubber truly meets the road. Companies like GM , GE Aerospace and Spotify report on Tuesday, but Cramer said Tesla is the one to watch that day. On Thursday, Caterpillar , Merck and the tech giants Microsoft and Alphabet will release earnings. It's going to be a busy week, and Cramer said to be wary of the market and to especially watch out for the PCE index report.

Persons: CNBC's Jim Cramer, Cramer, Tesla, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, It's Organizations: Verizon, Meta, Microsoft, Federal Reserve, GM, GE Aerospace, Spotify, Boeing, Caterpillar, Merck, Exxon Mobil, Chevron Locations: Cleveland

☆ Apple pulls Meta's WhatsApp, Threads from China App Store
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Apple on Friday said it pulled several messaging apps like Meta 's WhatsApp and Threads from the App Store in China after the nation's government ordered the removal, citing security concerns. In recent days, Congress has been looking to fast-track legislation to push TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest the social media app. "We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree," Apple said in a statement. "The Cyberspace Administration of China ordered the removal of these apps from the China storefront based on their national security concerns." Other messaging platforms like Signal and Telegram were also removed from China's App Store.

Persons: Tim Cook, Joe Biden, Apple Organizations: Apple, Economic Cooperation, APEC, U.S, Administration of China Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, China

☆ 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki considers taking company private
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Anne Wojcicki, the CEO of 23andMe , is considering a proposal to take the genetic testing company private after its stock price tumbled more than 95% from its 2021 highs. She "wishes to maintain control" of the company and will "not be willing to support any alternative transaction," the filing said. 23andMe went public in 2021 via a merger with a special purpose acquisition company, which valued the company at around $3.5 billion. The company's board of directors formed a "Special Committee" in late March to help explore options that could juice the stock. "The Special Committee is committed to acting in the best interests of 23andMe and its shareholders."

Persons: Anne Wojcicki, Wojcicki, 23andMe, Wells Organizations: Securities and Exchange Commission, Nasdaq, Department Locations: Wells Fargo

☆ Meta's new AI assistant is rolling out across WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Messenger
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks during Meta Connect event at Meta headquarters in Menlo Park, California on September 27, 2023. Meta on Thursday announced its free artificial intelligence assistant, Meta AI, is rolling out across its social media platforms WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Messenger. The assistant can answer questions, create animations and generate images, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a video. Meta AI was built on the company's latest large language model called Meta Llama 3, which was also announced Thursday. "We believe that Meta AI is now the most intelligent AI assistant that you can freely use," Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in the video.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI's ChatGPT Organizations: Meta, Facebook, Google, Microsoft Locations: Menlo Park , California

☆ UnitedHealth beats on revenue despite impact from cyberattack
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

UnitedHealth Group reported better-than-expected revenue in its first-quarter results on Tuesday, though the company is still dealing with the fallout from the cyberattack on its subsidiary Change Healthcare. UnitedHealth reported revenue growth of close to 9% from $91.9 billion in the same period last year. Direct response efforts, like UnitedHealth's effort to restore Change Healthcare platforms, amounted to an impact of 49 cents per share in the quarter. Business disruption costs, like lost Change Healthcare revenue, amounted to 25 cents per share. In 2022, Optum completed a $13 billion merger with Change Healthcare, which offers tools for payment and revenue cycle management.

Persons: UnitedHealth, Optum, Andrew, UnitedHealthcare Organizations: UnitedHealth Group, Healthcare, LSEG, Change, U.S Locations: LSEG, Brazil

☆ Particle Health says data dispute with Epic Systems not affecting most customers
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Particle Health said on Monday that the "vast majority" of its customers are still receiving records from medical software giant Epic Systems despite an ongoing dispute between the two companies over data-sharing practices. Epic's software supports more than 300 million patient records, and Particle acts like a middleman that helps health-care organizations access the data they need. Particle said in a release Monday that while Epic "indiscriminately stopped responding" to data requests from some of its customers because of the dispute, most clients were not affected. "While there is an ongoing dispute between Epic and Particle Health, related to three specific customers, the significant majority of Particle Health customers impacted by Epic's actions were not in any way related to this dispute," the company said in the release. Particle CEO Jason Prestinario said in the statement that the company will address the dispute with Epic through official procedural channels.

Persons: it's, Jason Prestinario Organizations: Systems, Particle Health

☆ Health records giant Epic cracks down on startup for unauthorized sharing of patient data
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Epic Systems, the largest provider of software for managing medical records, says a venture-backed startup called Particle Health is using patient data in unauthorized and unethical ways that have nothing to do with treatment. Epic told customers in a notice on Thursday that it cut off its connection to Particle, hindering the company's ability to tap a system with more than 300 million patient records. Particle is one of several companies that acts as a sort of middleman between Epic and the organizations — typically hospitals and clinics — that need the data. Patient data is inherently sensitive and valuable, and it's protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, a federal law that requires a patient's consent or knowledge for third-party access. To join the network, organizations are vetted and have to agree to abide by clear "Permitted Purposes" for the exchange of patient data.

Persons: Carequality Organizations: Systems, Health, CNBC, KLAS Research, Oracle Locations: Wisconsin, U.S

☆ Apple doubles India iPhone production to $14 billion as it shifts from China: Report
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Apple produced $14 billion worth of iPhones in India over the last fiscal year, a sign of the company's continued effort to manufacture more devices outside of China, a report from Bloomberg said Wednesday. As relations between the U.S. and China have soured, Apple has worked to diversify its supply chain by expanding production in countries like Vietnam and India. Apple now makes around 1 in 7, or 14%, of its iPhones in India, twice the amount it produced there last year, the report said. In June 2023, Apple CEO Tim Cook and other tech executives met with India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, at the White House. A Counterpoint Research report from March found that iPhone sales in China dropped 24% in the first six weeks of 2024.

Persons: Tim Cook, Donald Trump, Pegatron, Foxconn, Wistron, Narendra Modi, Cook Organizations: Apple, American Workforce Policy, White, Washington , D.C, Bloomberg, U.S, CNBC, Huawei Locations: Washington ,, iPhones, India, China, Vietnam

☆ Google partners with Bayer on new AI product for radiologists
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

"That whole process flow is designed to help radiologists get through their task with assistance more quickly," Kurian said in an interview. Google Cloud and Bayer are not the only companies exploring AI applications for medical imaging. Google Cloud has been working with Bayer on the radiology platform for around five years. The foundation was built using existing Google Cloud solutions like Vertex AI, Healthcare API and BigQuery, and Kurian said the platform's data is encrypted. Google Cloud and Bayer are exploring a number of different pricing models for the platform, he said.

Persons: Thomas Kurian, radiologists, Kurian, Keith Kirkpatrick, there's, Kirkpatrick, Bayer, Guido Mathews, Mathews Organizations: Google, Bayer, Tuesday, CNBC, Radiological Society of North, American College of Radiology's, Google Cloud, Philips, Amazon Web Services, GE HealthCare Locations: U.S, Radiological Society of North America, Netherlands

But J&J's drug is walking away with a notable edge over its rival. They add more options to a growing arsenal of treatments that have helped improve outcomes for people with multiple myeloma. But the new approvals also give J&J's therapy, which was developed with Legend Biotech, a clear advantage over Bristol Myers's drug. J&J's drug has gradually gained ground over Abecma in the CAR-T market for multiple myeloma, even though it first entered the market a year later. With the new approval on Friday, Jefferies' Shi expects J&J's drug to win the majority of that market share.

Persons: Jonathan Raa, Johnson, Myers's, Bristol Myers, Jefferies, Kelly Shi, Shi, Carvykti, Cantor Fitzgerald, Rick Bienkowski, Kelsey Goodwin, Annika, annikakim.constantino@nbcuni.com Organizations: Nurphoto, Bristol Myers Squibb, Johnson, Food and Drug Administration, FDA, Legend Biotech, Bristol, New York Stock Exchange, NYSE, Reuters, Mount Sinai Hospital, Getty Locations: Bristol, U.S, EU, Japan, Mount Sinai, New York City

☆ Teladoc CEO departs the company after stock's 95% fall from 2021 highs
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Teladoc Health on Friday announced the sudden departure of CEO Jason Gorevic, who is leaving his role as head of the company effective immediately, according to a release . "We thank Jason for his many achievements and contributions during the 15 years he led Teladoc Health. We wish him success in his future endeavors," David Snow Jr., Teladoc board chair, said in the release. Teladoc is a virtual health care company that offers telehealth appointments with doctors, therapists and specialists. Teladoc's board reaffirmed that the company is on track to meet its guidance for the first quarter and full year.

Persons: Mala Murthy, Jason Gorevic, Jason, Teladoc, David Snow Jr, Gorevic, Murthy, she's, Teladoc's Organizations: Teladoc, CNBC, American Express, PepsiCo

☆ Meta shares hit intraday record after analyst says company 'has too many advantages to count'
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks during the Meta Connect event at Meta headquarters in Menlo Park, California, on Sept. 27, 2023. Meta shares jumped to an intraday record on Thursday after analysts at two firms raised their price targets on the stock, citing optimism over the company's growing market share in digital advertising. Analysts at Jefferies lifted their price target on Meta to $585 from $550 and said the company's gain in the ad market will increase this year. Among the roughly 50 price targets tracked by FactSet, RBC's estimate is tied for the highest along with that of both Wells Fargo and First Shanghai. The decision to invest $27 billion in capital expenditures last year "has helped the company develop several strategic advantages over its peers."

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Wells, Zuckerberg, Meta, they've Organizations: Meta, Nasdaq, Federal Reserve, Jefferies, RBC Capital Markets, Amazon, Google, RBC Locations: Menlo Park , California, First Shanghai, TikTok, U.S

☆ Elon Musk's X begins rewarding 'influential' users with blue checks, free subscriptions to platform
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Elon Musk's social media site X began rolling out free premium features, including verification badges known as "blue checks," to select users late Wednesday in an effort to reward what it calls "influential" people on the platform. For most users, X Premium is a paid subscription service that can be opted into. By subscribing, users get access to exclusive features, like the option to display a blue checkmark on their profile. X CEO Linda Yaccarino shared Musk's post late Wednesday as the features began rolling out. It is not clear how long users will have access to free premium features, or if it will be possible for them to opt out of the service.

Persons: Elon, Musk, Linda Yaccarino Organizations: X Help, CNBC, Twitter, Disney, Apple Locations: U.S

☆ Despite gen AI hype, venture capitalists are still largely on the sidelines
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The dearth of dealmaking shows that, despite a rebound in tech stocks last year and continuing hype around generative AI, venture capitalists are still largely on the sidelines. The Federal Reserve has indicated that cuts to its benchmark interest rate are likely coming in 2024, but for the moment they remain steady. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said Wednesday it will take a while for policymakers to evaluate the current state of inflation, keeping the timing of potential interest rate cuts uncertain. There were 2,882 venture deals in the first quarter, the lowest since the third quarter of 2017, according to PitchBook. According to PitchBook, Reddit and Astera made up 73.4% of the total exit value in the U.S. in the first quarter.

Persons: Jerome Powell, PitchBook, Astera, Gary Tann Organizations: PitchBook, Federal, Astera Labs Locations: U.S, Rubrik

☆ FDA authorizes Prenosis software as first AI tool that can diagnose sepsis
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Prenosis' tool, called Sepsis ImmunoScore, uses 22 different parameters like temperature, heart rate and cell counts to help clinicians assess a patient's risk of sepsis, the company told CNBC. While Prenosis is the first company to receive FDA approval for its AI diagnostic tool for sepsis, several organizations have built and released similar solutions. Epic's sepsis model is used in hundreds of hospitals across the U.S., according to a 2021 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Even so, Epic reportedly overhauled its sepsis model the following year in an attempt to improve its performance, according to Stat News. Prenosis said it worked to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of Sepsis ImmunoScore to the FDA for around 18 months.

Persons: ImmunoScore, Prenosis Organizations: U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Wednesday, Centers for Disease Control, CNBC, Johns Hopkins University, Nature Medicine, Systems, Stat News, FDA Locations: U.S, White Oak , Maryland, Chicago

☆ Jon Stewart says Apple asked him not to interview FTC Chair Lina Khan
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Comedian Jon Stewart said Apple asked him not to interview Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan on a podcast while he was hosting his Apple TV+ show "The Problem With Jon Stewart." "I gotta tell you, I wanted to have you on a podcast, and Apple asked us not to do it, to have you," Stewart told Khan during an episode of "The Daily Show" on Monday. Stewart asked Khan why the company might be "afraid" to have certain conversations out in public. Stewart's comments came nearly two weeks after the Department of Justice sued Apple in a landmark antitrust case. The FTC under Khan has taken similar action against other major tech companies.

Persons: Jon Stewart, Apple, Lina Khan, Stewart, Khan Organizations: Federal Trade, Apple, Department of Justice, DOJ, Apple Watch, FTC, Google, Amazon, Meta, The New York Times Locations: China

☆ UnitedHealth Group has paid more than $3 billion to providers following cyberattack
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

UnitedHealth Group has paid out an additional $1 billion to providers that have been impacted by the Change Healthcare cyberattack since last week, bringing the total amount of funds advanced to more than $3.3 billion, the company said on Wednesday. UnitedHealth, which owns Change Healthcare, discovered in February that a cyber threat actor had breached part of the unit's information technology network. The interruptions left many health-care providers temporarily unable to fill prescriptions or get reimbursed for their services by insurers. Many health-care providers rely on reimbursement cash flow to operate, so the fallout has been substantial. Federal agencies like the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have introduced additional options to ensure that states and other stakeholders can make interim payments to providers, according to a release.

Persons: UnitedHealth, it's, Mandiant, Jamie Raskin, Andrew, Raskin, Biden Organizations: UnitedHealth, Healthcare, SEC, CNBC, American Hospital Association, Medicare, Medicaid Services, U.S . Department of Justice, of State, Wednesday, United Health, Palo Alto Networks, Change Healthcare Locations: Palo

☆ Neuralink shares video of patient playing chess using signals from brain implant
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-20 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Elon Musk's startup Neuralink streamed a live video on Wednesday that showed a patient using the company's brain implant to move a mouse and play chess on a computer. A BCI is a system that deciphers brain signals and translates them into commands for external technologies. Dr. Nader Pouratian, chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center, said researchers have been developing and studying BCI technology for years. It is not clear how many patients are participating in Neuralink's trial, or what the trial is trying to demonstrate. There is reason to be hopeful about Neuralink's technology, said Dr. Marco Baptista, chief scientific officer of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, which provides resources to people who have become paralyzed.

Persons: Elon, Noland Arbaugh, Musk, Arbaugh, there's, Neuralink, Nader Pouratian, we've, Pouratian, Marco Baptista, Christopher, Dana Reeve, " Baptista Organizations: BCI, Blackrock, Neuroscience, SpaceX, Department of Neurological, UT Southwestern Medical Center, CNBC, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Dana Reeve Foundation, PubMed Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Synchron, U.S, Neuralink

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