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☆ OpenAI doesn't plan to offer Microsoft or other outside investors a board seat: reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

OpenAI doesn't plan to give board seats to investors like Microsoft, per Reuters and The Information. AdvertisementSome of OpenAI's biggest backers are unlikely to gain board seats even after the company's management shakeup, Reuters and The Information reported on Tuesday. OpenAI's new board is not planning to offer board seats to outside investors, such as Microsoft, Thrive Capital, and Khosla Ventures, Reuters reported, citing a source familiar with the matter. AdvertisementOpenAI cofounder and CEO Sam Altman was fired by his company's board on November 17, before staging a dramatic comeback five days later. OpenAI, Microsoft, Thrive Capital, and Khosla Ventures did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider, sent outside regular business hours.

Persons: OpenAI, Satya Nadella, —, shakeup, Thomas Hayes, Sam Altman, Altman's, Larry Summers, Bret Taylor, Adam D'Angelo, Altman, Nadella, Kara Swisher, Swisher Organizations: Microsoft, Reuters, Service, OpenAI's, The, Khosla Ventures, Hill Capital, Business Locations: OpenAI

☆ Jezebel to Be Resurrected by Paste Magazine
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Katie Robertson | More About Katie Robertson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Jezebel, the famed feminist website, is set to return less than a month after it was shuttered. Paste Magazine, a music and culture outlet, acquired Jezebel on Tuesday and planned to start publishing on the site again as soon as Wednesday, said Josh Jackson, a co-founder and the editor in chief of Paste. “The idea of there not being a Jezebel right now just didn’t seem to make sense,” Mr. Jackson said. Jezebel, once part of the Gawker universe of websites, brought a brash new kind of internet writing to feminist issues when it was introduced in 2007, paving the way for a generation of like-minded outlets. In 2019, the private equity firm Great Hill Partners bought Jezebel as part of what is now called G/O Media, a portfolio of digital news outlets that includes Gizmodo, Deadspin and The Root.

Persons: Josh Jackson, Mr, Jackson, O, Jim Spanfeller, ” Organizations: Paste Magazine, Gawker, Great Hill Partners

☆ Berkshire Hathaway vice chairman Charlie Munger dies at 99
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +12 min

Nov 28 (Reuters) - Charlie Munger, the longtime vice chairman and second-in-command to Warren Buffett at Berkshire Hathaway (BRKa.N), died on Tuesday morning at a California hospital. For stock-pickers like us to lose Charlie Munger, would be like if you’re a basketball fan and you lose Bill Russell. "I wouldn't think Berkshire will look much different, apart from Buffett no longer being able to share ideas with Munger. CATHERINE SEIFERT, VICE-PRESIDENT, CFRA RESEARCH, NEW YORK“Berkshire Hathaway shareholders are not going to be directly or negatively impacted from the passing of Charlie Munger. Therewass already a transition plan in place and there's a transition plan in place when Warren Buffett passes away.

Persons: Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett, Charlie, WHITNEY TILSON, BRIAN MOYNIHAN, Charlie Mungerwass, ” BURNS MCKINNEY, Bill Russell, ”, Berkshire Hathaway, ” PHIL ORLANDO, FEDERATED HERMES, BILL, Buffett, Munger, PHILLIP, —, STEVE SOSNICK, “, ” WIN MURRAY, DIAMOND, MARY JO, BILL SMEAD, Warren, ” “ Buffett, Todd Combs, Ted Weschler, ” PAUL LOUNTZIS, Greg Abel, I've, you'll, STEPHEN DODSON, hewass, ” PAUL NOLTE, FOR MURPHY, Warren Buffet, they've, QUINCY KROSBY, RICK MECKLER, CHERRY, NEW VERNON, Hewass, obviouslywass, DOUG KASS, ” THOMAS RUSSO, GARDNER RUSSO, QUINN, CATHERINE SEIFERT, he's, ” ANTHONY SAGLIMBENE, THOMAS HAYES Organizations: Berkshire Hathaway, COOK, APPLE, WHO, KASE, OF, FEDERATED, Berkshire, ” WIN, THE BRETTON, SAN, SYLVEST, NEW, Buffett, GREAT, Global Finance, Markets, Thomson Locations: California, Munger, Berkshire, American, DALLAS , TEXAS, GLENVIEW, CALIFORNIA, CONNECTICUT, DIAMOND HILL, COLUMBUS , OHIO, PHOENIX, ” “ Berkshire, , PENNSYLVANIA, ELMHURST, IL, CHARLOTTE, NC, CHERRY LANE, NEW JERSEY, LANCASTER , PENNSYLVANIA, Munger . Berkshire, TROY , MICHIGAN, GREAT HILL

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration//File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 28 (Reuters) - ChatGPT owner OpenAI is not expected to offer Microsoft (MSFT.O) and other investors including Khosla Ventures and Thrive Capital seats on its new board, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday. In a few tumultuous days last week, OpenAI ousted its CEO and founder Sam Altman without any detailed cause, setting off alarm bells among investors and employees. Microsoft, which has invested more than $10 billion in OpenAI, is one of the biggest backers of OpenAI that operates ChatGPT, its viral generative AI chatbot. In response to a question on the OpenAI board, a Microsoft spokesperson said, "We will wait until the board officially says something." OpenAI and Thrive did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while Khosla declined to comment.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, OpenAI, Sam Altman, Thomas Hayes, Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, Adam D'Angelo, D'Angelo, Altman, Satya Nadella, Khosla, Zaheer Kachwala, Mary Varghese, Kenneth Li, Arun Koyyur Organizations: REUTERS, Microsoft, Khosla Ventures, Reuters, CNBC, Thomson Locations: OpenAI, Bengaluru

While the S&P 500 index (.SPX) ended little changed, the Amplify Online Retail ETF climbed 0.4% and the broader SPDR S&P Retail ETF gained about 0.7%. The SPDR S&P Retail ETF, which has net assets of $396.6 million, recorded weekly outflows of $115.6 in the week ended on Wednesday, according to data from Lipper. Still, the bulk of 2023 returns for investors in U.S. retail ETFs have come in recent weeks. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH.O) has generated half of its 12.8% year-to-date gains in the last two months. But Thomas Hayes, chair at Great Hill Capital LLC in New York, anticipates better-than-expected gains in retail stocks this holiday season.

Persons: Vincent Alban Acquire, Michael Ashley Schulman, Schulman, Thomas Hayes, Suzanne McGee, Lananh Nguyen, Josie Kao Organizations: Woodbury, REUTERS, Exchange, P Retail, Retailers, National Retail Federation, Walmart, United Auto Workers, Hollywood SAG, Running, Retail, Great, Capital, Thomson Locations: Central Valley , New York, U.S, New York

"In the more recent macro environment, consumer demand has been even more uneven and difficult to predict," Best Buy CEO Corie Barry said. U.S. holiday sales are expected to rise at its slowest pace in five years, according to data from the National Retail Federation, as Americans are likely to pull back on holiday shopping. REUTERS/Bing Guan/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLast week, industry bellwether Walmart (WMT.N) warned of cautious consumer spending as the holiday shopping season gets underway. Retail executives said higher interest rates, inflation and a resumption in student loan repayments will keep consumer wallets under pressure. Still, some investors expect holiday sales starting Black Friday to hold "some positive surprises."

Persons: Corie Barry, Bing Guan, Fitch, David Silverman, Marvin Ellison, Thomas Hayes, Rachel Wolff, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Savyata Mishra, Granth Vanaik, Juby Babu, Shounak Dasgupta Organizations: National Retail Federation, REUTERS, Walmart, Retail, Apparel, Abercrombie, Fitch, American Eagle Outfitters, Insider Intelligence, Thomson Locations: United States, SoHo, New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

Nov 17 (Reuters) - The board of the company behind ChatGPT late on Friday fired OpenAI CEO Sam Altman - to many, the human face of generative AI - sending shock waves across the tech industry. Backed by billions of dollars from Microsoft (MSFT.O), OpenAI kicked off the generative AI craze last November by releasing its ChatGPT chatbot, which became one of the world's fastest-growing software applications. He was the face of OpenAI and the wildly popular generative AI technology as he toured the world this year. Altman posted on X shortly after OpenAI published its blog: "i loved my time at openai. "That said, we believe Microsoft and Nadella will exert more control at OpenAI going forward with Altman gone."

Persons: Sam Altman, Mira Murati, OpenAI, Altman, what’s, Murati, Tesla, Satya Nadella, Mira, Nadella, Eric Schmidt, Daniel Ives, Thomas Hayes, Davidson, Gil Luria, Samrhitha, Jeffrey Dastin, Anna Tong, Krystal Hu, Shounak Dasgupta, Kenneth Li, Richard Chang Organizations: Microsoft, Union, U.S, Reuters, OpenAI, Wedbush Securities, Economic Cooperation, Thomson Locations: openai, Asia, San Francisco, Oakland , California, Bengaluru, New York

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., November 15, 2023. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq rose for the third straight session on Thursday as Treasury yields fell after higher-than-expected weekly jobless claims underscored market expectations that interest rates have peaked. The communication services index (.SPLRCL) led declines among the 11 major S&P 500 sectors, while energy shares (.SPNY) rose 1.1% as oil prices gained. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 2.72-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and by a 1.88-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. Reporting by Shristi Achar A and Amruta Khandekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju SamuelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Michael Barr, Mary Daly, Daly, Thomas Hayes, Russell, Rick Wilmer, Shristi Achar, Maju Samuel Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Nasdaq, Federal Reserve, Treasury, Microsoft, Materials, San Francisco Fed, Great, Capital, Dow, Dow Jones, Old Navy, ChargePoint Holdings, NYSE, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

"Investors had hoped to receive separate shares of the cloud business in hopes the segment could achieve a higher multiple in the public markets due to its growth potential." The company then appointed Eddie Wu, one of Alibaba Group's co-founders and long-time lieutenant of former chief Jack Ma, as both CEO of Alibaba and the cloud business. Instead the group would focus on growing the cloud business and providing investment for its AI drivers, he said. [1/2]3D printed clouds and figurines are seen in front of the Alibaba Cloud service logo in this illustration taken February 8, 2022. Alibaba International Digital Commerce, a business that includes platforms such as Lazada and AliExpress, however reported a 53% rise in revenues, with retail revenue up 73% year-on-year.

Persons: Cainiao, Thomas Hayes, Alibaba's, Daniel Zhang, Eddie Wu, Alibaba Group's, Jack Ma, Zhang, Joseph Tsai, Tsai, Wu, Dado Ruvic, Alibaba, Akash Sriram, Brenda Goh, Sam Holmes, Arun Koyyur, Jane Merriman Organizations: Alibaba, HK, Tencent Holdings, Alibaba's, Investors, Analysts, Cloud Intelligence Group, REUTERS, Alibaba Group Holdings, PDD Holdings, Digital Commerce, Casey Hall, Thomson Locations: U.S, China, Hong Kong, Alibaba's U.S, Bengaluru, Shanghai

[1/5] A trader reacts as a screen displays the Fed rate announcement on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Nov 14 (Reuters) - A benign U.S. inflation report is bolstering hopes that the Federal Reserve can bring down consumer prices without hurting the economy, a so-called Goldilocks environment that investors believe will benefit stocks and bonds. This does feel like a Goldilocks moment for the entire market.”The data fueled a powerful rally in stocks and bonds. The S&P 500 (.SPX) was up about 2% on the day, on track for its biggest one-day rise since January. Still, some investors believed it was too early to call a victory in the fight against inflation.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Eric Kuby, bearish, “, Daniel Kirsch, Piper Sandler, Thomas Hayes, ”, Brian Rose, Jamie Cox, Lewis Krauskopf, Saqib Iqbal Ahmed, Davide Barbuscia, Ankika Biswas, Ira Iosebashvili, Nick Zieminski Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Federal Reserve, North Star Investment Management Corp, Thomson Reuters, BofA's Global, Fed, Fund, UBS Global Wealth Management, Harris Financial, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Thomson Reuters United States, New York, Bengaluru

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 27, 2023. "This is what the Fed was looking for, slowing inflation, slowing labor market and the economy's holding up at the same time." Following the data, traders erased bets the Fed will raise borrowing costs any further and piled into bets on rate cuts starting by May. U.S. Treasury yields dropped, with the two-year yield , which best reflects short-term interest rate expectations, sliding to two-week lows. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 13.89-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and by a 5.44-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Thomas Hayes, Russell, Jerome Powell, Michael Barr, Loretta Mester, Austan Goolsbee, Mike Johnson, Sruthi Shankar, Amruta, Ankika Biswas, Shinjini Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Companies, Dow, Nasdaq, Federal, Reuters, May, U.S, Treasury, Nvidia, Banking Committee, Cleveland Fed, Chicago Fed, U.S . House, Dow Jones, Inc, NYSE, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, New York, United States, Bengaluru

☆ Instant view: Cooler October US CPI raises confidence that Fed hikes done
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the CPI gaining 0.1% on the month and increasing 3.3% on a year-on-year basis. The rally was due to rising investor belief that the Federal Reserve will now be less likely to hike interest rates at future meetings. LINDSAY ROSNER, HEAD OF MULTI-SECTOR FIXED INCOME INVESTING, GOLDMAN SACHS ASSET MANAGEMENT, NEW YORK“Today's Core CPI print was below expectations. "The Fed will not want to step back from its hawkish stance yet; the annual core rate at 4% is still some way away from target. THOMAS HAYES, CHAIRMAN AT HEDGE FUND GREAT HILL CAPITAL, NEW YORK"We're happy to see both headline and core CPI come in lower than expected.

Persons: Hannah Beier, ” BEN JEFFERY, GREG BASSUK, ” “, ” BRIAN JACOBSEN, MENOMONEE, we’ll, ” CHRIS ZACCARELLI, LINDSAY ROSNER, GOLDMAN, ” MATTHEW MISKIN, JOHN, “, ” STUART COLE, Kashkari, Powell, PETER ANDERSEN, ANDERSEN, it's, THOMAS HAYES, OLIVER PURSCHE, It’s, ” Organizations: Reading, REUTERS, Federal Reserve, Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics, Reuters, Treasury, Markets, BMO, Reserve, CPI, ALLIANCE, Fed, Global Finance, Thomson Locations: Philadelphia , Pennsylvania, U.S, WALTHAM, MA, WISCONSIN, CHARLOTTE, GOLDMAN SACHS, JOHN HANCOCK, BOSTON, LONDON

☆ Boeing shares take off on report that China may lift 737 freeze, bumper Dubai orders
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 13 (Reuters) - Shares of Boeing (BA.N) rose on Monday after a report said China was considering ending its freeze on purchases of the planemaker's best-selling 737 MAX aircraft after more than four years. This, coupled with bumper jet orders from Middle Eastern airlines at the Dubai Airshow, sent Boeing shares up 4%. China is considering resuming purchases of Boeing's 737 MAX aircraft when the U.S. and Chinese presidents meet this week at the APEC summit, Bloomberg News reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter. Deliveries of Boeing's bestselling 737 MAX to Chinese airlines were halted following two deadly crashes. Boeing shares have underperformed S&P 500 in 2023Boeing shares were trading at $205.15, compared with analysts' current median price target of $250, according to LSEG data.

Persons: Thomas Hayes, Benoit Tessier, Hayes, Shivansh Tiwary, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Boeing, Dubai Airshow, APEC, Bloomberg, Paris, REUTERS, Emirates, Thomson Locations: China, Middle, U.S, Le Bourget, Paris, France, Dubai, Bengaluru

The company reported free cash flow of $2.06 billion, compared with $1.72 billion in the prior quarter. The company posted a net loss of $417 million, narrowing from a $2.3 billion net loss from a year-ago period. Advertising revenue at its networks segment declined 12% to $1.71 billion as global conflicts and inflation created an uncertain climate for marketers. The company's streaming unit posted an adjusted core profit of $111 million, compared with a loss of $634 million a year ago. Warner Bros Discovery had 95.1 million global direct-to-consumer customers at the end of the quarter, down from 95.8 million in the previous quarter.

Persons: Mario Anzuoni, Gunnar Wiedenfels, there's, Wiedenfels, David Zaslav, Michael Schulman, Barbie, Thomas Hayes, Samrhitha, Helen Coster, Saumyadeb Chakrabarty, Anil D'Silva, Mark Porter Organizations: Paramount Pictures Studios, REUTERS, Warner Bros Discovery, SAG, Running, HBO, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Bengaluru, New York

Covergirl makeup, owned by Coty Inc, is seen for sale in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., February 7, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 7 (Reuters) - Coty (COTY.N) on Tuesday raised its annual core sales forecast on the back of higher pricing and strong demand from customers who snapped up the CoverGirl parent's new makeup and fragrance launches. Coty's efforts to launch key products such as Burberry Goddess in its high-end "prestige" category and CoverGirl's Yummy Gloss in the consumer beauty category drove a double-digit increase in these segments. The company now expects fiscal 2024 core like-for-like sales growth between 9% and 11%, compared with its previous outlook of an 8% to 10% rise. On an adjusted basis, Coty earned 12 cents per share, compared with analysts' estimates of 17 cents.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Laurent Mercier, Z, Coty's, Thomas Hayes, Coty, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Shounak Dasgupta Organizations: Coty Inc, REUTERS, Coty, Burberry, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, United States, Europe, Swiss, Bengaluru

The logo of NVIDIA as seen at its corporate headquarters in Santa Clara, California, in May of 2022. Nvidia's stock fell to as low as $392.30, down 4.7%, to the lowest level since mid-June. "The stock is getting oversold," said Tom Plumb, chief executive and lead portfolio manager at Plumb Funds, which has Nvidia as one of its largest holdings. "Previously, Nvidia has said this is not going to have a short-term impact but it's more in the long term. "These new export controls will not have a meaningful impact in the near term," the Nvidia spokesperson said in a statement.

Persons: Tom Plumb, Plumb, Biden, Thomas Hayes, Chibuike Oguh, Stephen Nellis, Amruta, Lance Tupper, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: NVIDIA, Handout, REUTERS, Nvidia Corp, Nvidia, Alibaba, HK, Baidu, U.S . Commerce Department, Wall, Nasdaq, Plumb Funds, Beijing, Great, Thomson Locations: Santa Clara , California, China, U.S, Iran, Russia, New York, San Francisco, Bengaluru

A pair of shoes is pictured in a window of a Birkenstock footwear store in Berlin, Germany, January 21, 2021. Birkenstock is the latest high-profile listing to put investor focus on the initial public offering (IPO) market, which is gradually reopening after two relatively quiet years and a burst of activity in September. Due to recent price hikes, worldwide footwear sales are expected to rise just 2.9% over 2022, according to market research firm Euromonitor International. AllBirds (BIRD.O), Dr Martens (DOCS.L), and On Running (ONON.N) have all seen their market value fall since their IPOs in 2021. "When you look at the trend of other shoe companies that have IPO-ed, it doesn't give a great outlook for Birkenstock," Valechha said.

Persons: Fabrizio Bensch, Birkenstock, Kellogg, Mamta, Cheviot, Valechha, Johann Adam Birkenstock, Barbie, Margot Robbie, Jessica Ramirez, Jane Hali, Siobhan Gehin, Roland Berger, Thomas Hayes, sneaker, Dr Martens, Allbirds, Alexandre Arnault, LVMH, Bernard Arnault, Matt Oguz, Iris, L, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Helen Reid, Emma, Victoria Farr, Echo Wang, Abigail Summerville, Deepa Babington Organizations: REUTERS, LVMH, New York Stock Exchange, Euromonitor, Associates, Dick's Sporting, Reuters, Partners, Norges Bank Investment Management, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, New York, London, Neustadt, United States, U.S, Cannes, Silicon Valley

The ADP National Employment report showed private payrolls rose 89,000 in September, much lower than the expected 153,000. Focus now shifts to the more comprehensive non-farm payrolls data due on Friday. Separate data showed the U.S. services sector slowed in September as new orders fell to a nine-month low. Declining issues outnumbered advancers for a 1.02-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and a 1.10-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P index recorded no new 52-week high and 19 new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 4 new highs and 162 new lows.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Thomas Hayes, Kevin McCarthy, Helen of Troy, Rollins, advancers, Ankika Biswas, Shashwat Chauhan, Shounak Dasgupta Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Companies, Nasdaq, Treasury, Microsoft, Nvidia, Great, Capital LLC, Dow, Traders, Wednesday, Dow Jones, U.S . House, Point Capital Management, NYSE, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, HELE.O, Point, Bengaluru

☆ Reactions: Media mogul Rupert Murdoch steps down as chairman of Fox, News Corp
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Sept 21 (Reuters) - Media mogul Rupert Murdoch, 92, has stepped down as the chairman of Fox Corp (FOXA.O) and News Corp (NWSA.O), ending a more than seven-decade career in which he created an empire spanning from Australia to the United States. His son, Lachlan Murdoch, will become the chairman of News Corp and continue as the chair and CEO of Fox, the companies said on Thursday. The transition cements Lachlan's role as the leader of the media empire, putting to rest questions of succession within the Murdoch family. His son Lachlan Murdoch is seasoned and capable of running the business, but of course there's no replacement for someone like the chairman, Rupert Murdoch, who founded the company and built it over decades." "The media world is unrecognisable from the one he stepped into seventy years ago and the decision to scrap plans to reunite his empire must have smarted."

Persons: Rupert Murdoch, Lachlan Murdoch, Murdoch, BRIAN WIESER, Lachlan, MICHAEL ASHLEY SCHULMAN, Smartmatic, Rupert Murdoch's, JASON BENOWITZ, I'm, DANNI HEWSON, AJ BELL, he's, Mary Berry, he'll, RILEY, THOMAS HAYES, Wise, MATTHEW TUTTLE, ED MOYA, Aditya Soni, Samrhitha, Mayur, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Arun Koyyur Organizations: Media, Fox Corp, News Corp, Fox, MADISON, WALL'S, Dominion, HOGAN, TUTTLE, MSNBC, Thomson Locations: Australia, United States, Bengaluru

☆ Disney to nearly double parks spending to $60 billion over 10 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Sept 19 (Reuters) - Walt Disney (DIS.N) said on Tuesday it would nearly double its capital expenditure for its parks business to about $60 billion over the next 10 years. Disney CEO Bob Iger and Josh D'Amaro, the company's parks chief, announced the accelerated pace of investment at a gathering of Wall Street analysts and investors at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, focused on the company's parks business. Parks have become a reliable profit engine for Disney and has helped cushion losses in the Disney+ streaming business, which is expected to become profitable only next year. The announcement of the planned investment followed a slowdown at Walt Disney World in Orlando, as attendance surges at its parks around the world, particularly Shanghai Disney Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland. Disney also plans to nearly double the capacity of its cruise line, adding two ships in fiscal 2025 and another in 2026.

Persons: Walt Disney, Bob Iger, Josh D'Amaro, Parks, Iger, Disney, Ron DeSantis, Mario Anzuoni, Paul Verna, Thomas Hayes, Samrhitha, Dawn Chmielewski, Shailesh Kuber, Chizu Nomiyama, Paul Simao, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Disney, Wall Street, Walt Disney World, Disney California, Hollywood Studios, Republican, REUTERS, Insider Intelligence, Walt Disney, Shanghai Disney Resort, Great, Thomson Locations: Orlando , Florida, California, Orlando, Florida, Anaheim , California, U.S, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Great Hill, Bengaluru, Dawn, Los Angeles

Walmart's logo is seen outside one of the stores ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. November 27, 2019. The merchandise mix Walmart (WMT.N) will carry rests not purely on retail executives' judgment but rather on software it developed around 2019. Its machine-learning algorithm relies on weather patterns and each store's past sales data to predict inventory needs of its more than 4,700 U.S. locations, a Walmart tech executive told Reuters. Walmart executives say it is aided by its large tech team in India, spanning three cities and employing 11,500. Software directs Walmart workers to use the quickest route while assembling online orders for pickup and delivery, Vasudev said.

Persons: Kamil Krzaczynski, D.A, Davidson, Michael Baker, Doug McMillon, Thomas Hayes, Hari Vasudev, Vasudev, David Klink, Huntington, Nandan Mandayam, Siddharth Cavale, Mark Porter Organizations: REUTERS, Walmart, Reuters, Target, Shoppers, Amazon, New, Great, U.S, Walmart's India, Software, Workers, Hunting Private Bank, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, United States, Bentonville , Arkansas, New York, India, Bengaluru, Target's, Walmart's

A vehicle drives on a flooded road after the arrival of Hurricane Idalia, in Cedar Key, Florida, U.S., August 30, 2023. Hurricane Idalia plowed into Florida's Gulf Coast with fierce winds, torrential rains and pounding surf before weakening but turning its fury on southeastern Georgia, where floodwaters trapped some residents in their homes. At about $10 billion, Idalia would cost insurers less than 10 of the costliest hurricanes to hit the United States. Higher reinsurance rates can affect the premiums that insurers charge their customers. FLORIDA PAINFlorida has a large number of very small, thinly capitalized insurers, insurance experts have said.

Persons: Hurricane Idalia, Julio Cesar Chavez, Thomas Hayes, Gallagher Re, Michael Peltier, Berkshire Hathaway, Ajit Jain, Noor Zainab Hussain, Manya, Chibuike Oguh, Jon Stempel, Devika Syamnath, Megan Davies, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: REUTERS, Hurricane, UBS, Global, Great, Great Hill Capital, Farmers Insurance, Bankers Insurance, Lexington Insurance, AIG, Farmers, Florida Office, Insurance, Bankers, Property Insurance Corp, Property Insurance, Berkshire, Manya Saini, Thomson Locations: Cedar Key , Florida, U.S, Florida, Coast, Georgia, United States, Ukraine, California, Great Hill, New York, FLORIDA, USA, Lexington, Berkshire, Bengaluru, Chibuike

The company hit the headlines in December 2021 after it laid off 900 employees via Zoom, and has since seen its profit dented by high mortgage rates that have dampened demand for home loans. "Here is an example of the exact wrong company at the wrong time - SPACs are hated and anything related to mortgage lending is hated at the moment," said Thomas Hayes, chairman at Great Hill Capital. U.S. mortgage rates have extended their surge as government bond yields rally. The popular 30-year fixed rate hit its highest level since 2000 last week, causing mortgage applications to hit a 28-year low. Amid ultra-low interest rates, the SPAC market exploded in 2021, but has since sputtered amid rising interest rates, high redemption rates and increased regulatory scrutiny.

Persons: SoftBank, Vishal Garg, Thomas Hayes, Bansari Mayur, Hannah Lang, Sriraj Kalluvila, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Home, Finance, Aurora, Corp, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Great, Thomson Locations: Great Hill, Bengaluru, Washington

[1/2] The Macy's logo is displayed on the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., August 19, 2021. A bellwether for back-to-school demand, Foot Locker joined rival Dick's Sporting Goods (DKS.N) on Wednesday to cut annual profit forecast, sending the shares of sportswear retailers tumbling. "We did see a softening in trends in July and are adjusting our 2023 outlook to allow us to best compete for price-sensitive consumers," Foot Locker CEO Mary Dillon said. Walmart last week raised its full-year forecasts and beat second-quarter results, benefiting from strong demand for its low-priced groceries. Reporting by Ananya Mariam Rajesh and Aishwarya Venugopal in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun KoyyurOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Cristina Fernandez, Foot Locker, Mary Dillon, Macy's, Adrian Mitchell, Locker, Thomas Hayes, Hogan, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Aishwarya Venugopal, Arun Koyyur Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Dick's Sporting, Target, Walmart, Riley Wealth, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., July 19, 2023. The S&P 500 information technology sector (.SPLRCT), which houses Nvidia, rose 0.7% while real estate (.SPLRCR) and utilities (.SPLRCU) were a drag, down more than 1% each. Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 2.38-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and a 1.46-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P index recorded one new 52-week high and 18 new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 27 new highs and 141 new lows. Reporting by Amruta Khandekar and Shristi Achar; Editing by Arun Koyyur and Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Thomas Hayes, Jerome Powell, stokes, Dow, Johnson, Goldman Sachs, Amruta Khandekar, Arun Koyyur, Vinay Dwivedi Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Palo Alto Networks, Broadcom Indexes, Dow, Nasdaq, Nvidia, HSBC, Fed, Great, Capital LLC, Equity Research, Dow Jones, Federal, Federal Reserve, Traders, Reuters Graphics Reuters, VMware, NYSE, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Jackson, Wyoming

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