DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Apple wants to rewire search with AI — and that may help cut the Google cord
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-06 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In reality, however, Apple may not have to worry too much if it does have to reduce its reliance on Google for search on its devices. In other words, Apple hopes that AI can intelligently answer queries and support user needs by understanding what actually matters to users. Related storiesPart of Apple Intelligence also involves a revamped Siri, Apple's chatbot that users can supercharge by offering permission to connect to OpenAI's industry-leading technology, ChatGPT. It's unlikely to find a deal as lucrative as the one it got with Google on search anytime soon, either. AdvertisementStill, Apple's bet on AI gives it a chance to present consumers with an alternative way to search the internet.

Persons: —, Hugh Langley, Tim Cook, Siri, Apple's, ChatGPT, it's, Monday's, OpenAI Organizations: Service, Google, Business, Apple, Apple Intelligence, company's, Conference Locations: Washington, Silicon

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ One $16 bln deal travels lonely dual track
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Jonathan Guilford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, Oct 9 (Reuters Breakingviews) - When courting buyers, sellers like to make it seem as if there are plenty of options. So it is with buyout firms GTCR and Apax Partners as they explore ways to cash in on AssuredPartners, the insurance broker they own together. This parallel process, colloquially called a dual track, can build competitive tension to wheedle a higher price, but it’s too soon for the idea to pose a plausible threat. For example, cybersecurity provider AppDynamics was planning an IPO that would have valued it at around $2 billion in late 2016. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsHigher interest rates have made it harder to borrow and for buyers and sellers to agree on valuations.

Persons: it’s, AppDynamics, Apax, AssuredPartners, GTCR, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Reuters, Apax Partners, Cisco Systems, Bloomberg, Reuters Graphics, Cisco, SoftBank, Thomson Locations: AssuredPartners

☆ Amazon has a poor man’s monopoly
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Lauren Silva Laughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The $1.3 trillion retailer run by Andy Jassy was sued on Tuesday by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for alleged anticompetitive practices. She rose to prominence after publishing a paper in the Yale Law Journal in 2017 titled “Amazon’s Antitrust Paradox,” which painted the e-commerce giant as a sprawling monopoly that has gone unchecked by traditional antitrust policing. But Chinese competitors like Shein and Temu, which have different cost structures, are starting to encroach on Amazon’s market. It's possible that Khan and the FTC can nail Amazon in court for behaviors that in the past have given it an exclusive edge. Follow @thereallsl on XCONTEXT NEWSThe U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon.com on Tuesday, asking the court to consider forcing the online retailer to sell assets.

Persons: Andy Jassy, Lina Khan, EBITDA, Walmart’s, hasn’t, Khan, Jonathan Guilford, Sharon Lam Organizations: Reuters, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Yale Law, Investors, Walmart, Foods, Amazon.com, Alphabet's Google, Thomson Locations: Arkansas, It’s

☆ Alphabet moonshots are ready for launch
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Anita Ramaswamy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Alphabet logo and AI Artificial Intelligence words are seen in this illustration taken, May 4, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Aug 29 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Alphabet (GOOGL.O) is poised to welcome the autumn harvest. Verily boss Stephen Gillett told employees this month that it will cut its ties to several of Alphabet’s services next year. Such a financial services business strays from Alphabet’s wheelhouse, and with artificial intelligence demanding fresh attention, it’s wise to be prudent about capital allocation. Waymo, the autonomous vehicle technology business, secured a vote of approval this month from San Francisco to operate driverless rideshares in the city.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Ruth Porat, Morgan Stanley, ”, Stephen Gillett, wheelhouse, Chris Hohn’s, Ford, Porat, Verily, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Life Sciences, Wall Street Journal, Temasek, TCI Fund Investments, Google, Sciences, Wall, Thomson Locations: San Francisco

☆ China does Intel a small favor
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Jonathan Guilford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Aug 16 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Intel (INTC.O) can thank China later. The chipmaker on Wednesday terminated its $5.4 billion acquisition of Tower Semiconductor (TSEM.TA), after failing to secure approval from the country’s State Administration for Market Regulation. Beijing’s trustbusters are providing a helpful escape route from the intensifying technology trade war. Reuters GraphicsAdding Tower would have helped Intel boss Pat Gelsinger with his strategic pivot to making semiconductors designed by others. Tower uses old technology, however, while Intel’s new customers, including the U.S. Department of Defense and Qualcomm, want cutting-edge fabrication.

Persons: Pat Gelsinger, MaxLinear, China’s, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam Organizations: Dow Jones Industrial, Intel, Reuters, Tower Semiconductor, Administration, Market, NXP Semiconductors, U.S . Department of Defense, Qualcomm, Wall Street Journal, Motion Technology, Cisco Systems, Acacia Communications, Thomson Locations: San Diego , California, China, country’s, Washington, Beijing

☆ ICE cuts tortuous path through frosty trustbusters
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Jonathan Guilford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A screen displays the logo for Black Knight on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., May 4, 2022. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission agreed on Monday to drop a lawsuit against Intercontinental Exchange’s (ICE.N) $11.7 billion acquisition of mortgage technology provider Black Knight (BKI.N). ICE, as the New York Stock Exchange operator is known, said in May 2022 that it would snap up Black Knight for $13.1 billion. ICE’s Encompass processes nearly half of originations in the United States, with Black Knight’s Empower in second place, according to the FTC. ICE originally said on May 4, 2022, that it had agreed to buy Black Knight for $13.1 billion.

Persons: Knight, Brendan McDermid, Black, Lina Khan, Khan, litigate, Black Knight, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Oliver Taslic Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Reuters, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Intercontinental, Black, FTC, ICE, UnitedHealth, Change Healthcare, Exchange, Constellation Software, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, United States

It is an unexpected truce between Sony, which makes Playstation consoles, and its far larger U.S. rival. Details have yet to be disclosed, and it's not clear why Sony, which Microsoft earlier offered a 10-year contract, has had a change of heart. Sony's video-game division reported digital software and content sales of $11 billion in the fiscal year to March. Yoshida has been selectively snapping up smaller gaming studios to beef up Playstation content, including splashing out $3.6 billion for developer Bungie. Details were not disclosed, but a Microsoft spokesperson clarified with various media that the deal is for 10 years.

Persons: it's, Boss Kenchiro Yoshida, Yoshida, Phil Spencer, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Activision Blizzard, Sony, Activision, Microsoft, Nintendo, Nvidia, U.S, UK Competition, Markets Authority, Bungie, Nikkei, Federal Trade, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, U.S

☆ JetBlue’s Spirit sacrifice
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, July 6 (Reuters Breakingviews) - JetBlue Airways (JBLU.O) is going for broke on its attempt to buy Spirit Airlines (SAVE.N). Eschewing the benefits of what the government branded a “de facto merger” to win Spirit might make sense, however. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Spirit grew capacity nearly 500% since 2010, far outstripping competitors. JetBlue’s concessions, which include selling Spirit’s operations at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, may not be enough, though. While the DOJ’s complaint against the merger does lean on harms from the alliance, it also includes Spirit executives warning of risks even without it.

Persons: Spirit, Jonathan Guilford, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam Organizations: YORK, Reuters, JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, American Airlines, JetBlue, Northeast Alliance, ”, U.S . Department of Justice, LaGuardia, Twitter, Thomson Locations: New, China

☆ Mission Impossible: Paramount reckoning
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

NEW YORK, July 5 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Paramount Global’s (PARA.O) predicament is worthy of its successful “Mission: Impossible” franchise. Over the past year or so, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (BRKa.N) has bought and increased its stake in Paramount to about 15%. Without the funding, her closely held firm might have needed to pledge more of its Paramount stock against a loan. Streaming service Paramount+ is similar to Netflix, whose enterprise is worth 5 times next year’s estimated revenue. “Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One,” from Paramount Pictures, opens in movie theaters on July 12.

Persons: Shari Redstone, Looney, Walt Disney, Sumner, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, Goldman Sachs, Byron Trott, Rudolph Valentino, Mae West, Marx, Trustbusters, Martin Davis, Sumner Redstone, Simon, Schuster, Walt, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam, Streisand Neto Organizations: YORK, Reuters, Paramount, Warner Bros Discovery, AT, Netflix, Apple, Comcast, Electronic Arts, MSD Partners, Viacom, Audio Communications, CBS, Nickelodeon, MTV, Time Warner, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Tiffany Network, National Football League, Fox, Amazon, MGM, U.S, Penguin Random, Walt Disney, Amusements, Paramount Global, BDT Capital Partners, “, Paramount Pictures, Thomson Locations: U.S, Gulf, Western, NAI

☆ LinkedIn ages like fine wine in Microsoft’s cellar
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Lauren Silva Laughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

NEW YORK, June 28 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Most corporate acquisitions deteriorate over time, but Microsoft’s (MSFT.O) $26 billion deal for LinkedIn keeps getting better. Buying LinkedIn was a bold step for Satya Nadella, who became the software goliath’s third chief executive in early 2014. Paying a 50% premium for LinkedIn and its 430 million users made it one of the technology industry’s largest deals ever and by far Microsoft’s biggest. The war over the “Call of Duty” maker is just one of many things happening at Microsoft that’s overshadowing LinkedIn. Those market dynamics have buoyed LinkedIn, which was only generating $3 billion in revenue when Microsoft bought it.

Persons: Satya Nadella, Steve Ballmer, There’s, Mark Zuckerberg, Tesla, Elon Musk, faddish, Microsoft’s, It’s, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam Organizations: YORK, Reuters, LinkedIn, Nokia, aQuantive, Activision, Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter, Sprout Social, Bing, Thomson

☆ Mattress M&A is stuffed with sweet dreams
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Lauren Silva Laughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Memory foam bedmaker Tempur Sealy International (TPX.N)agreed to buy rival Mattress Firm in a $4 billion cash-and-stock deal that combines manufacturing and retail. Mattress Firm filed for bankruptcy in 2018. Tempur’s superior 17% EBITDA margin, nearly double that of Mattress Firm, also helps make a deal stack up. Boosting Mattress Firm’s operating profitability from 10% to 13% could double those synergy projections. The buyer will retain slightly more than 83% of the combined company while Mattress Firm’s owners will hold the rest.

☆ Easy Diageo succession belies new CEO’s hard job
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

On Tuesday, the 80 billion pound maker of Guinness and Don Julio tequila announced that Chief Operating Officer Debra Crew would replace CEO Ivan Menezes in July. Menezes has been gunning for 5%-7% annual revenue growth and a 6%-9% annual increase in operating profit over the next three years. The company operates with a 31% operating profit margin, higher than its closest rival Pernod Ricard (PERP.PA), which runs on 29%. With the price of staff, ingredients and packaging soaring, cost cutting will be hard to pull off. Diageo’s smooth succession may lay the path for a bumpy road.

☆ Private equity finds silver lining in Asia Pacific
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, March 28 (Reuters Breakingviews) - It’s hard working in Asia-Pacific private equity these days. On Monday Brookfield Asset Management (BAM.TO) and MidOcean Energy agreed to take Australia’s Origin Energy (ORG.AX) private for A$18.7 billion ($12.5 billion). A few days earlier Toshiba’s (6502.T) board tentatively backed Japan Industrial Partners’ $15.3 billion offer. Origin’s buyers, which plan to split the business in two, had already made three offers before Origin accepted. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Busting through the brick wall barricading M&A: podcast
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Jeffrey Goldfarb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

NEW ORLEANS, March 28 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Worldwide merger activity is down by about half this year to $470 bln, stymied by tough financing conditions, assertive trustbusters and more. In this Exchange podcast from New Orleans, JPMorgan’s head of M&A Anu Aiyengar debates downbeat dealmakers and the pockets of optimism. Listen to the podcastFollow @jgfarb on TwitterSubscribe to Breakingviews’ podcasts, Viewsroom and The Exchange. Editing by Sharon Lam and Thomas ShumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Credit Suisse investor’s exit will zip some lips
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 27 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The fate of Saudi National Bank’s (1180.SE) chairman may persuade other investors to maintain radio silence for a while. Asked by a television interviewer whether Saudi National Bank would invest more money into Credit Suisse, Al Khudairy replied “absolutely not”. Although SNB lost more than $1 billion on its Credit Suisse investment, Gulf investors are unlikely to stop investing in banks globally. Indeed, the Saudi bank was part of an investor group that proposed injecting around $5 billion into Credit Suisse as an alternative to the UBS deal, the Wall Street Journal reported. But big bank investors may avoid appearing on live television for a while.

☆ EU single market remains short of a single patent
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

While it’s good the EU is moving forward, a single patent can’t fulfill its promise without full participation. The European Patent Office holds fifth place. Billions of euros remain out of reach because the EU is strong on research but weak in finding market success. Seeking an EU patent via separate applications across Europe costs about 20,000 euros, compared to an estimated 6,000 euros under the new system. For Europe to be more than the world’s technology incubator, its single market needs more tools that are fully subscribed.

☆ Trustbusters pick fight that can make friends
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CHICAGO, March 24 (Reuters Breakingviews) - After a year of fighting losing battles, one of the United States’ biggest trustbusters is taking on a fight where it will be easy to find support. The Federal Trade Commission proposed new rules on Thursday that would make canceling subscriptions less burdensome for consumers. That’s in stark contrast to the complex, lengthy and occasionally contentious — and unsuccessful — antitrust fights the commission had been waging. The agency is seeking a rule change, not a legal fight. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Microsoft’s Activision sweet talk
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The seller’s shares rose 5% on the news Friday, but hurdles remain. Unlike the European Commission, which seems minded to approve the deal, and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which is opposed but has a mixed success rate, a CMA block would likely be fatal. So Microsoft pressed its case, submitting data that the agency says shows it has no incentive to yank Activision’s games from rival consoles to its Xbox. Still, Microsoft’s arguments gaining traction is welcome news to merger arbitrageurs. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Spooked dealmakers scurry back into their foxholes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Jeffrey Goldfarb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

NEW YORK, March 23 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Jonathan Kanter, a lawyer by training, has become something of a magician. Pay closer attention, however, and Kanter is methodically rewriting a decades-old regulatory playbook. Last year, these breakup charges reached their highest level in a decade, at an average 4.5% of deal prices. The Department of Agriculture partnered with the DOJ on the case, another feature of Kanter’s plan of attack. As legal weaknesses emerge, dealmakers should be in position to better structure transactions and defend themselves at trial.

☆ Amazon delivers a regulatory breather to Big Tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission said it won’t challenge Amazon.com’s (AMZN.O) $3.9 billion acquisition of physician network One Medical. As the deal moves forward, deal-hungry technology giants can take a small breather. One Medical’s revenue accounted for just 0.2% of all U.S. healthcare spending in 2021, according to Amazon. And while the FTC’s concerns about Big Tech seemed limitless, its resources aren’t. Letting the One Medical deal move forward frees up staff to focus on ones that pose a clearer threat to consumers.

☆ Dealmakers will be lucky to eke out a 2022 repeat
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Jeffrey Goldfarb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, Dec 29 (Reuters Breakingviews) - As with often value-destructive mergers and acquisitions, the numbers aren’t adding up for dealmakers. Meanwhile, deal volume tumbled to about $3.5 trillion, 36% down from the same time a year earlier, though it stayed ahead of 2020’s pace. Private equity firms already accounted for an all-time high of 22% of deal volume in 2022. As potentially bleak economic circumstances loom, bankers will be lucky to eke out a repeat of 2022. CONTEXT NEWSWorldwide mergers and acquisitions volume for 2022 stood at $3.5 trillion as of Dec. 12, according to Refinitiv data.

☆ Netflix will be next on Microsoft’s shopping list
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Look for him to add Netflix (NFLX.O) to the list in 2023. Since his 2014 promotion into the technology titan’s corner office, Nadella has embarked on a pricey shopping spree. Later, Microsoft bought LinkedIn for $26 billion and the speech recognition and artificial intelligence software developer Nuance for $20 billion. Even if Nadella loses out on the video-game company for competition reasons, however, owning Netflix would make strategic sense and probably be an easier sell in Washington and Brussels. With a market value 13 times that of Netflix, as of early December, $1.8 trillion Microsoft can afford Netflix.

☆ A solo Ticketmaster might attract financial fans
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

NEW YORK, Dec 15 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The drums are beating louder for a breakup of Live Nation Entertainment (LYV.N). For Live Nation, it’s not entirely clear that the flywheel is spinning smoothly. Live Nation says it is so dominant because it’s so much better than the competition. Putting the complicated legal and regulatory questions aside, there’s probably a financial case for Ticketmaster to become a solo act. Live Nation merged with Ticketmaster in 2010.

Search resuls for: "trustbusters"

25 mentions found