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☆ Australian billionaire proposes secure gate system to supply aid to Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Brisbane, Australia CNN —An Australian billionaire is offering to build a secure gate system on the Israel-Gaza border that he says could allow 10,000 metric tons of food aid to be delivered each day to starving Palestinians. He’s also committed $5 million to improve the Jordanian humanitarian land corridor by building storage warehouses to allow more aid to pass to Gaza. Cargo trucks carrying humanitarian aid move through security inspections before crossing into the Gaza Strip, in Kerem Shalom, Israel on March 14. The IDF has repeatedly said hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian aid have been entering the Gaza Strip, but aid organizations say the supplies are not reaching civilians in need. The passage of aid into Gaza has become gridlocked by Israeli inspections, and in some cases the temporary closure of access points.

Persons: Australia CNN —, Andrew Forrest, Antony Blinken, He’s, ” Forrest, Minderoo, Forrest, Israel, Fortescue, Marcus Yam Organizations: Australia CNN, Minderoo Foundation, United Nations, US, CNN, Cargo, Los Angeles Times, Israel Defense Forces, Ministry of Health, IDF, United Nations Security, Systems, NET, US Agency for International Development Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Israel, Gaza, Jordan, Egypt, Kerem Shalom, airdrops

☆ Microsoft will now let customers worldwide buy Office without Teams, following EU antitrust concerns
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Washington CNN —Microsoft will no longer sell its Teams collaboration software as a bundled product with its Office 365 suite anywhere in the world, the company said Monday, in the face of antitrust concerns. The decision to separate Teams from Office globally extends a previous announcement last year affecting only the European Union. And it comes after rivals such as Salesforce’s Slack complained in 2020 that Microsoft’s practices were a form of anticompetitive self-dealing. Slack’s complaint led to a European Commission antitrust investigation of Microsoft that is still ongoing. Monday’s announcement appears aimed at allaying some of those concerns, allowing customers worldwide to buy Microsoft’s Office software without Teams included and the ability to buy Teams as a standalone product for business customers.

Persons: Salesforce’s Slack Organizations: Washington CNN, Microsoft, European Union, Economic, European Locations: Switzerland

☆ Obama jumps in to help Biden defeat Trump again
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Mj Lee | Jeff Zeleny | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Washington CNN —Barack Obama spent several hours last Friday in the family dining room of the White House, visiting his former vice president, Joe Biden. Obama’s biggest embrace of Biden’s reelection effort comes Thursday at a star-studded Manhattan fundraiser featuring Biden, Obama and former President Bill Clinton. As president, Biden has also been in frequent touch with Clinton, sources familiar say. “President Obama once said to me that every president is a reflection of the previous president, and he’s right,” Messina said. “Trump was the complete opposite of Obama, and Biden is the complete opposite of Trump.

Persons: Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Obama, Biden’s, Donald Trump, Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Joe, Kamala, ” Obama, we’ve, Jeff Zients, Bill Clinton, Stephen Colbert, Clinton, “, ”, Queen Latifah, Lizzo, Cynthia Erivo, Mindy Kaling, Ben Platt, Lea Michele, Jordan Roth, Alex Timbers, Annie Leibovitz, Steve Ricchetti, –, Jim Messina, Messina, ” Messina, “ Trump Organizations: Washington CNN, White House, House, CNN, Affordable, Biden, Biden’s, Presidents Club, Radio City Music Hall, Democrats, White, Republican, Trump Locations: White, president’s State, Manhattan, , Gaza, Obama’s, United States

☆ Chip analysts boost Nvidia price targets in race to catch up to chipmaker's relentless 'joyride'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

That led several Wall Street banks to hike their price targets to account for the unrelenting demand. Bernstein and other Wall Street shops raced to catch up with Nvidia's share price, hiking their price targets in reaction to nonstop demand and the company's enormous total addressable market. Rasgon's new target was the equivalent of 48% upside from Wednesday's close, while the average price target according to FactSet implied more than 22% upside. Bank of America's Vivek Arya also lifted his Nvidia price target to $925 per share, equal to about 37% upside. JPMorgan analyst Harlan Sur boosted his price target to $850 to reflect strong data center growth and future product launches.

Persons: Bernstein's Stacy Rasgon, Bernstein, America's Vivek Arya, Harlan Sur, allaying, Sur, Goldman Sachs, Toshiya Hari, Morgan Stanley's Joseph Moore, Moore, Deutsche Bank's Ross Seymore, Seymore, Timothy Arcuri, Arcuri, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Nvidia, Bank, America's, JPMorgan, Deutsche, UBS Locations: CY24

Analysts said, however, that Asiana's greenlighting of the cargo unit sale did not necessarily ensure smooth sailing ahead for the deal. They noted the desired valuation for the air cargo unit of some 700 billion won ($520 million) including debt, as reported by local media, was probably too high. Approving the sale was a contentious issue at Asiana amid concerns that a takeover by Korean Air would lead to the loss of many Asiana jobs. Korean Air also said it will buy 300 billion won of convertible bonds issued by Asiana, part of fresh financial support to the smaller airline. The company accounts for about a fifth of South Korea's market for overseas air cargo.

Persons: Bae, Asiana, IAG, 1,342.9900, Joyce Lee, Heekyong Yang, Hyunsu Yim, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Asiana Airlines, Korean Air Lines, Korean Air, country's, European, Analysts, Hi Investment, Securities, European Union, European Commission, Air, Lufthansa, ITA Airways, British Airways, Spanish, Korea Development Bank, Asiana, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, KS, Korean, Union, United States, Japan, Asiana, Iberia, Germany, Russia

☆ Gold set to break longest losing streak in 7 years as bond selloff cools
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Gold edged higher on Thursday, set to end its eight-session-long losing streak, last seen around the same time in 2016, as U.S. bond yields and the dollar retreated from recent highs ahead of a keenly awaited non-farm payrolls report this week. Spot gold rose 0.3% to $1,826.49 per ounce by 0314 GMT, attempting a rebound from its weakest levels since March touched on Tuesday. Benchmark U.S. 10-year bond yields fell from 16-year highs on Thursday and the U.S. dollar was 0.2% lower, allaying some pressure on non-yielding gold. SPDR Gold Trust , the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, said its holdings fell 0.5% to 869.31 metric tons on Wednesday, its lowest since August 2019. The subdued dollar also buoyed other greenback-priced precious metals, with spot silver up 1.1% to $21.19 per ounce, having slipped to its lowest since mid-March this week.

Persons: Yeap Jun Rong Organizations: U.S ., U.S, CPI, Labor, Wednesday, Benchmark, Trust Locations: ., U.S

☆ Elon Musk's X is hiring, and the Diet Coke-loving billionaire says soda machines will be a perk
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk replied to posts about it saying the company is getting soda machines. Daniel O'Shea, an X employee whose LinkedIn profile lists him as the director of engineering, shared a post that uses X Hiring. X Hiring appears to be part of Elon Musk's ambitions to turn the platform into an "everything app." But, perhaps allaying concerns over an exacting work environment, Musk is trying to tempt job seekers with soda machines. "We're getting some of those machines that make any kind of soda on demand," Musk added.

Persons: Elon Musk, Coke, Daniel O'Shea, Elon Musk's, We’re, — Elon, Linda Yaccarino, Musk, — Organizations: Service, Laskie, Twitter, San Locations: Wall, Silicon, San Francisco

☆ Analysis: A year on, Europe less fearful of U.S. green subsidies push
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Jan Strupczewski | Thomson Reuters | Jan Is The Acting Bureau Chief In Brussels. He Has Been Covering European Union Policy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Solar panels are seen atop a hops plantation in the Bavarian Holledau region in Au, Germany, June 19, 2023. And already, those subsidies are flowing: German conglomerate Thyssenkrupp (TKAG.DE) will invest around 3 billion euros ($3.27 billion) in a proposed green steel plant in Duisburg, Germany, including over 2 billion euros in state subsidies given EU approval in late July. But it noted the U.S. model also had uncertainty built in because a change of administration could end IRA subsidies. The complexity of EU financing through the recovery fund means it is available only to bigger companies, leaving smaller firms struggling to benefit. ($1 = 0.9184 euros)Reporting by Jan Strupczewski; editing by Mark John and Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Louisa, Joe Biden's, Biden, Niclas Poitiers, Jan Strupczewski, Mark John, Susan Fenton Organizations: REUTERS, United States, Union, Biden, EU, Zero Industry, European Commission, Sovereignty Fund, Ukraine, Russian, EV, Zero, Thomson Locations: Bavarian, Au, Germany, EU, BRUSSELS, United, Europe, Ukraine, Brussels, United States, Duisburg, U.S, France, China

☆ Dollar gains, crosses key 145 yen level
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Herbert Lash | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Japanese yen and U.S. dollar banknotes are seen with a currency exchange rate graph in this illustration picture taken June 16, 2022. In the 12 months through July, the PPI rose 0.8% after a 0.2% gain the prior month. Prior to the inflation data, that chance was already above 85%. The stronger dollar led the yen to briefly touch 145.03 in late afternoon trade, its highest since June 30. Japan intervened in currency markets last September when the dollar rose past 145 yen, which prompted the Finance Ministry to buy the yen and push the pair back to around 140 yen.

Persons: Florence Lo, Thierry Wizman, Wizman, Everyone's, Marvin Loh, Loh, Moh Siong Sim, Herbert Lash, Alun John, Ankur Banerjee, Kirsten Donovan, William Maclean, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Federal, PPI, Labor Department, Treasury, Singapore, Finance Ministry, Swiss, Thomson Locations: Macquarie, New York, Boston, Japan, London, Singapore

☆ Dollar set for fourth week of gains, climbs back towards 145 yen
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Amanda Cooper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Japanese yen and U.S. dollar banknotes are seen with a currency exchange rate graph in this illustration picture taken June 16, 2022. "You should expect the rhetoric once yen gets to 145," said Bank of Singapore currency strategist Moh Siong Sim. Japan intervened in currency markets last September when the dollar rose past 145 yen, which prompted the Ministry of Finance to buy the yen and push the pair back to around 140 yen. Prior to the inflation data, that chance was already above 85%. ,The Australian dollar rose 0.12% to $0.652.

Persons: Florence Lo, Moh Siong Sim, Francesco Pesole, Ankur Banerjee, Alun John, David Evans, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Federal, Bank of Japan, Singapore, Ministry of Finance, ING, Swiss, Thomson Locations: Japan, Washington, Frankfurt, Beijing, Singapore, London

☆ Dollar set for fourth week of gains, inflation cements rate outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Amanda Cooper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Japanese yen and U.S. dollar banknotes are seen with a currency exchange rate graph in this illustration picture taken June 16, 2022. The pound was last up 0.3% at $1.2711, but was still heading for a fourth weekly drop. Data on Thursday showed U.S. consumer inflation rose 0.2% last month, matching the gain in June, and by 3.2% in the 12 months through July. The dollar index , which measures the U.S. currency against six others, fell 0.1% to 102.50, but was still set for a fourth weekly gain, thanks in part to a rise in Treasury yields. The dollar fell against the euro , which rose 0.1% to $1.0995 and against the Australian dollar , which rose 0.14% to $0652.

Persons: Florence Lo, Moh Siong Sim, Nick Rees, Mary Daly, Ankur Banerjee, Shri Navaratnam, Simon Cameron, Moore, David Evans Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Federal, Bank of Japan, Singapore, Ministry of Finance, Reuters, CPI, FX, Monex, San Francisco Fed, Thomson Locations: Japan, Monex Europe, U.S, Singapore

☆ Meta plans new overview for Facebook, Instagram users, German regulator says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, June 7 (Reuters) - Germany's cartel office said Meta (META.O) plans to introduce a new overview for users of its platforms Facebook and Instagram, in a step towards allaying anti-trust concerns following years of discussions with the regulator. Meta's accounts centre will allow users to make "a largely free and informed decision" about whether they want to use accounts such as Instagram and Facebook in combination or separately, the office said. "We have updated the Meta account overview to show more transparently how our services work together and give people more control over these features," a Meta spokesperson said. In 2019, the cartel office sought to ban Meta - then Facebook - from combining user data from several sources without users' consent. Germany is keeping close watch over Meta after the regulator deemed it of "paramount significance for competition across markets", a classification which gives the regulator more leeway to curb digital companies' market power.

Persons: Rachel More, Miranda Murray, Jason Neely Organizations: Facebook, Meta, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, Germany

☆ Nasdaq hits 13-month high as investors look ahead to OPEC+ meeting and Apple headset event
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

It was a strong week for all three major stock indices, with the market bolstered Friday by strong jobs data and a deal in Washington to raise the U.S. debt ceiling. The S & P 500, the Nasdaq and the Dow Jones Industrial Average all finished the week roughly 2% higher. While Friday's rally broadened out beyond just the usual tech stocks, the Nasdaq ended Friday at its highest level since April 2022. This is the key data to look out for in the week ahead: Monday, June 5 9:15 a.m. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

Persons: payrolls, Biden, Investors, we've, Joann, JOAN, Ferguson, JM Smucker, Buster's, Campbell Soup, OLLI, Friday's, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Anna Moneymaker Organizations: U.S . Labor Department, Nasdaq, Dow Jones Industrial, Organization of Petroleum, Monday Club, Apple, PMI, THOR Industries, ABM Industries, Academy Sports, Ciena Corp, Foods, GameStop, Signet Jewelers, SIG, Company, Brands, Vail Resorts, MTN, Labor, Federal Reserve, U.S, West Texas, Treasury, Jim Cramer's Charitable, CNBC, Capitol, Getty Locations: Washington, OPEC, Vienna, China, U.S, Washington , DC

At least 300,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) production was shut in last week in Alberta. Also supporting oil prices, the U.S. could start repurchasing oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) after completing a congressionally mandated sale in June, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm told lawmakers on Thursday. Global crude supplies could also tighten in the second half as OPEC+ - the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia - plan additional output cuts. Fears of a slowdown in the global economy limited gains in oil prices. "If credit conditions ease over the coming months, allaying economic fears for the world's largest economy, oil prices could bounce back without assistance but it seems a little premature at this point," said OANDA analyst Craig Erlam.

☆ Southwest sees 'solid' Q2 profit, flags 20 fewer jet deliveries from Boeing
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 27 (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines Co (LUV.N) said on Thursday it expects "solid profits" in the current quarter on strong summer bookings, and flagged 20 fewer deliveries of the MAX jets this year from Boeing Co (BA.N). Delay in MAX deliveries is expected to increase operating costs for airlines and limit their ability to meet travel demand, hitting revenue. The company expects "solid profits" in the second quarter as well as the full year, but did not provide specific numbers. Analysts polled by Refinitiv expect an adjusted profit per share of $1.05 for the second quarter and $2.73 for 2023. "Travel demand and revenue trends in March were strong and resulted in solid profitability for the month," Jordan added.

☆ Futures slip as investors brace for tech earnings, economic data
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Market heavyweights including Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O), Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O), Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) and Meta Platforms Inc (META.O), whose shares have supported markets this year, are scheduled to report results this week. Whether the rally continues could depend on the companies beating already-lowered first-quarter estimates. Of the 88 S&P 500 companies that reported results through Friday, nearly 76% beat analysts' first-quarter profit estimates, as per Refinitiv IBES data, above the long-term average of 66.3%. ET, Dow e-minis were down 80 points, or 0.24%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 9 points, or 0.22%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 19.5 points, or 0.15%. The regional bank, whose shares have sunk 88% this year triggered by the U.S. banking crisis, is set to report results after market closes on Monday.

☆ For some US banks, it’s still a wonderful life
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( John Foley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Bank customers are still sitting on a pile of savings manufactured by pandemic-era government stimulus and curtailed consumption. Among all banks, deposit balances have fallen 5% year-on-year; to get back to their pre-Covid trend, they’d need to fall 20%. What of small banks that can’t match either advantage? Better placed within communities to soothe the nerves of mostly local customers, small banks can instill trust and loyalty while allaying fears. This edge for small banks should also insulate them from the worst effects of a deposit price war.

☆ The EV industry is gaining momentum. But public charging is a long way from being accessible to all
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Equally important is making sure these EV chargers are accessible to all. Ensuring EV chargers are accessible to all is a big task, and organizations like Motability are pushing hard to create conditions for change. In collaboration with the U.K. government's Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, it commissioned the British Standards Institution to develop a "national accessible charging standard for EV chargepoints." Separately, it received funding from Motability to develop design guidance for those involved in the charging industry. In July 2022, the U.S. Access Board, an independent federal agency, issued design recommendations for accessible charging stations.

☆ Microsoft inks licensing deal with cloud gaming provider Boosteroid
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, March 14 (Reuters) - Microsoft (MSFT.O) on Tuesday signed a 10-year licensing deal to bring Activision's (ATVI.O) Call of Duty franchise to cloud gaming provider Boosteroid's platform, a move partly aimed at allaying competition concerns over its Activision acquisition. Ukraine-based Boosteroid's access to Call of Duty is conditional on regulatory approval for the Activision deal. The agreement will also bring Microsoft's Xbox PC games to Boosteroid's cloud gaming platform. That's why Xbox is committed to give everyone more ways to play their favorite games, across devices," said Phil Spencer, chief executive of Microsoft's gaming division. EU antitrust regulators are expected to approve Microsoft's takeover of Activision conditional on such licensing deals, people familiar with the matter have told Reuters.

☆ Cheddar News has seen so many exits that managers have asked staffers to delay scheduled vacations, while promising that reinforcements are on the way
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Cheddar News has lost more than 10 newsroom staffers since the start of 2023, sources told Insider. As of March, Cheddar appears to have plans to hire at least five news-related roles, according to Altice's jobs portal. a former Cheddar producer said. The two executives are said to have denied speculation that Altice has any plans to combine Cheddar and News 12. Sources previously told Insider that, throughout 2022, the Cheddar newsroom had contracted by roughly a third.

"The legal precedent is not on the side of the FTC," said Andre Barlow, an antitrust lawyer at Doyle, Barlow & Mazard PLLC. Barlow pointed to three recent mergers challenged by the FTC or Justice Department that were ultimately allowed to proceed. Those cases share something else in common with the proposed Microsoft deal: in each instance, a company would merge with a supplier in a so-called "vertical" merger. "Vertical merger challenges are really difficult to win so it will be an uphill battle for the FTC," said Roger Alford, who teaches law at the University of Notre Dame. Reuters reported last month that Microsoft was expected to offer remedies to EU antitrust regulators in the coming weeks to stave off formal objections to the deal.

☆ Dollar soft as China reopening hopes boost risk sentiment
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, Dec 5 (Reuters) - The dollar struggled to gain a foothold on Monday and was languishing at five-month lows as traders looked past stronger than anticipated U.S. jobs data, while growing hopes of China reopening boosted risk sentiment. The dollar index , which measures the currency against six major peers including the yen and euro, was down 0.18% at 104.28, its lowest since June 28. "With limited data to drive this week and no Fed speakers, the market may start to think for itself and look at massaging exposures ahead of next week," Weston added. Also, weighing on the dollar was growing hopes of China slowly reopening, with more Chinese cities announcing an easing of coronavirus curbs on Sunday. The Japanese yen weakened 0.11% versus the greenback at 134.46 per dollar, having gained 3.5% on the greenback last week.

☆ How Germany's industrial giants are preparing for winter
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Victoria Waldersee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Some industrial giants in particular gas-heavy industries like chemicals have begun shifting production and sourcing from elsewhere, while others are switching from gas to coal or oil - spelling trouble for their carbon footprint. read moreBMW (BMWG.DE)BMW consumes around 3,500 gigawatt hours (GWh) of energy annually in Germany and Austria, three-quarters of which comes from natural gas. The carmaker can reduce its gas intake by at least 15% compared to last year, the company's chief financial officer said on Monday. LINDEThe world's largest industrial gas company said in July it produced gases which were critical from a medical or process safety perspective and so believed it would be prioritised for gas allocation from Germany' government. read moreA spokesperson declined to provide further information, saying an update would be provided later in October in line with third quarter results.

☆ Factbox: How Germany's industrial giants are preparing for winter
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Victoria Waldersee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Industrial giants, in particular gas-heavy industries like chemicals, have begun shifting production and sourcing from elsewhere. It is now sourcing some of its ammonia from outside of Europe, where prices are lower, a spokesperson said. read moreBMW (BMWG.DE)BMW consumes around 3,500 gigawatt hours (GWh) of energy annually in Germany and Austria, three-quarters of which comes from natural gas. Chief executive Dominik von Achten said the company was shifting production at plants to times when power prices were lower, such as weekends. LINDEThe world's largest industrial gas company said in July it produced gases which were critical from a medical or process safety perspective and so believed it would be prioritised for gas allocation from Germany' government.

☆ T-Mobile US transmits clear signal to investors
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, Sept 9 (Reuters Breakingviews) - T-Mobile US (TMUS.O) is sending a clear signal about the benefits of being bigger. The $182 billion company announced a $14 billion share buyback program on Thursday, reflecting the fact that both profit and subscriber numbers are rising. Fears that mobile prices would rise when T-Mobile acquired SoftBank’s Sprint have not materialized, allaying at least one of the potential objections to the merger. Last quarter, it raised its forecast for additional subscribers for this year to as high as 6.3 million from a previous high of 5.8 million. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

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