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☆ Will Macy’s, Nordstrom merchandise overhauls lure shoppers?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Katherine Masters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In an effort to boost sales, Macy's - which reports second-quarter results on Tuesday - has focused on revamping its private brands, including its new On 34th label launched in July. Analysts expect Macy's to post a 87% slide in second-quarter profit, dragged down by heavy discounting to clear spring and early summer merchandise, according to Refinitiv. Thirteen percent answered Walmart and 9% answered Amazon, compared to 5.8% for Macy's and 3.3% for Nordstrom. Nordstrom so far has disclosed few specifics about the new merchandise intended to revive the Rack, including the brands and categories it plans to prioritize. On Monday, Rack’s website was advertising brands including Kate Spade, Adidas, Steve Madden and Cole Haan.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Nordstrom, Erik Nordstrom, Macy's, Nordstrom's, Prosper, Macy’s, Kathy Gersch, ”, Kate Spade, Steve Madden, Cole Haan, Katherine Masters, Granth Vanaik, Savyata Mishra, Deepa Babington Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Nordstrom, U.S ., Target, Walmart, Nordstrom . Consulting, Deloitte, Private, Kotter, Adidas, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, New York, Bengaluru

☆ TikTok challenger backpedals into public arena
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Anita Ramaswamy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Aug 21 (Reuters Breakingviews) - A celebrity-studded video app is fighting to contend in the public arena. The Triller app, started in 2015, runs a TikTok-like feed, but it has backed away from the battle. Brands generated most of Triller’s $48 million in revenue last year, but recent acquisitions have fueled much of the latest growth. Details are scant on Triller’s user count beyond the 550 million accounts it says it has signed up since inception. Follow @AnitaRamaswamy on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSVideo-sharing app Triller said on Aug. 2 that it plans to pursue a direct listing of its shares on the New York Stock Exchange.

Persons: Triller, Snoop Dogg, Mike Tyson, Charli, Mahi de Silva, Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, Black, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam Organizations: Reuters, New York Stock, Walmart, Facebook, Meta, Apple, Google, New York Stock Exchange, SeaChange International, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S

☆ Energy Transfer seeks new LNG export license after extension denied
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Curtis Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The department in May had refused a three-year extension to Energy Transfer's earlier license saying the request did not meet criteria for a second extension. Several other companies including Commonwealth LNG have been waiting years for their non-FTA license to be approved by the DOE. Energy Transfer has been pursuing the multi-billion-dollar Lake Charles LNG project since 2012 and in its latest filing said it could not finish the plant before the existing license's 2025 deadline. Rival Commonwealth LNG told Reuters it would not object to Energy Transfer's application being expedited. "We are advancing our project and whatever happens between the DOE and Energy Transfer has nothing to do with us", Hanna said.

Persons: Kelcy Warren, Lyle Hanna, Hanna, Curtis Williams, Grant McCool Organizations: HOUSTON, Energy, U.S . Department of Energy, DOE, Commonwealth LNG, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Charles , Louisiana, Charles, Dallas, Japan, South Korea, Houston

Megacap technology-related growth stocks dipped, with Alphabet (GOOGL.O) and Tesla (TSLA.O) falling, as investors fretted that interest rates could stay higher for longer. The tech-heavy Nasdaq (.IXIC) posted the biggest weekly decline of the three major indices. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) rose 34.29 points, or 0.10%, to 34,510.38. The S&P 500 energy index (.SPNY) rose, with Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) among leading gainers. Shares of cryptocurrency firm Coinbase Global (COIN.O) fell and Riot Platform (RIOT.O) tumbled as bitcoin hit a two-month low.

Persons: Jason Reed, Estee Lauder, Jerome Powell, Nvidia's, Michael Reynolds, Amruta Khandekar, Saeed Azhar, Maju Samuel, David Gregorio Our Organizations: U.S . Federal, REUTERS, Federal, Nasdaq, Nvidia, Dow Jones, Walmart, Exxon Mobil, Treasury, Thursday, Hawaiian, Coinbase, Thomson Locations: Washington, Bengaluru, New York

☆ US State Dept OKs potential sale to Australia of HIMARS for $975 mln - Pentagon
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Aug 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department has approved a possible sale to Australia of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) for $975 million, the Pentagon said on Friday. The principal contractors will be Lockheed Martin (LMT.N), L3Harris (LHX.N), Leonardo DRS, and Oshkosh (OSK.N), the Pentagon said in a statement. Reporting by Paul Grant and Kanishka SinghOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lockheed Martin, Leonardo, Paul Grant, Kanishka Singh Organizations: U.S . State Department, High, Artillery Rocket Systems, Pentagon, Lockheed, Leonardo DRS, Thomson Locations: Australia, Oshkosh

The "AI for business" diploma offers training in data and AI for client leaders, practitioners, and WPP executives, according to WPP's website. The team work under AI expert Daniel Hulme who was appointed chief AI officer at WPP two years ago. While lawmakers and philosophers alike still debate whether content produced by generative AI models amounts to anything like human creativity, advertisers have already begun using the technology in their promotional campaigns. Unilever, which owns more than 400 brands including Dove soap and Ben & Jerry's ice cream, has its own generative AI technology that can write product descriptions for retailers' websites and digital commerce sites, it said. The company's TRESemmé haircare brand has used its AI content generator for written content and its automation tool for visual content on Amazon.co.uk (AMZN.O).

Persons: Mark Read, Read, we've, Mondelez, Shah Rukh Khan, Daniel Hulme, Nestle, Gandon, Ray, Johannes Vermeer's, Aaron Rajan, Nestle's Gandon, Martin Sorrell, You've, Ben King, Richa Naidu, Martin Coulter, Matt Scuffham, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Nestle, Unilever, Marketing, Investment, Reuters, WPP, Oreo, Cadbury, Bollywood, YouTube, Facebook, University of Oxford, Global, Google, Go, Market Technology, Consumer, Walmart, Carrefour, Kroger, Thomson Locations: Africa, India, London, Swiss, Okta

☆ US FDA approves Regeneron's ultra-rare blood disease drug
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Pratik Jain | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 18 (Reuters) - Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN.O) said on Friday the U.S. health regulator approved its drug to treat a rare blood disease. The drug pozelimab, branded as Veopoz, would treat CHAPLE disease in adult and pediatric patients 1 year of age and older. Regeneron said the disease has fewer than 10 patients identified in the U.S. and estimates less than 100 patients worldwide. With Veopoz's approval, the company said the pre-approval inspection issues related to the marketing application of the higher dose of its blockbuster eye disease drug Eylea, or aflibercept, has been addressed. The FDA had in June declined to approve the higher-dose version following an inspection at third-party manufacturer Catalent (CTLT.N).

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Veopoz, Regeneron, 8mg, Evan Seigerman, Seigerman, Vaibhav Sadhamta, Khushi, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, REUTERS, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Reuters, BMO Capital, FDA, Thomson Locations: Westchester, Tarrytown , New York, U.S, Bengaluru

REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Resilient U.S. consumer spending drove Walmart's (WMT.N) better-than-expected second-quarter results and forecast hike but its international business on Thursday posted its best quarterly performance in several years. The retail behemoth's international business, which spans 19 countries, posted a 13.3% jump in sales during the second quarter, its strongest result since at least 2016, Refinitiv data shows. The unit posted $27.6 billion in sales, or 17% of the company's quarterly revenue, beating market estimates of $26.12 billion. In India, Walmart's majority-owned business Flipkart posted double-digit sales growth and PhonePe processed more than 5 billion transactions in a single month, Walmart said. "Walmart's international business continues to perform well.

Persons: Mario Anzuoni, Walmart's, Doug McMillon, Flipkart, Judith McKenna, McKenna, Kathryn McLay, Jason Benowitz, Siddharth Cavale, Aishwarya Venugopal, Vanessa O'Connell, Mark Porter Organizations: Walmart, REUTERS, Reuters Graphics, Unilever, Caterpillar, Sam's, Walmart International, Walmart's Sam's, Thomson Locations: Rosemead , California, U.S, Canada, United States, Mexico, India, China, New York, Bengaluru

☆ US FTC approves deal for natgas producer EQT to buy THQ Appalachia
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Signage is seen at the Federal Trade Commission headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 29, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 16 (Reuters) - EQT Corp (EQT.N), the biggest U.S. natural gas producer, said on Wednesday that it had won antitrust approval to close a deal to buy Quantum Energy-backed THQ Appalachia I LLC and associated infrastructure. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Wednesday it had moved to resolve antitrust concerns over the transaction by hammering out a consent order that "prevents entanglements" between Quantum Energy Partners and EQT Corp. The agreement would bar Quantum from having a seat on EQT's board, requires Quantum to divest EQT shares and puts other restrictions on the deal to ensure competition in the energy market. Reporting by Diane Bartz, Rami Ayyub and Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Eric Beech and Marguerita ChoyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Diane Bartz, Rami Ayyub, Dan Whitcomb, Eric Beech, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, EQT, Quantum Energy, THQ, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Quantum Energy Partners, EQT Corp, Thomson Locations: Washington ,

☆ BAE snaps up Ball's aerospace arm for $5.6 billion in its biggest deal ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Yadarisa Shabong | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

People gather at the BAE Systems' booth during the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Global Force Symposium & Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama, U.S. March 28, 2023. Shares in BAE Systems fell as much as 4.9%, while Ball Corp rose 2.7% in premarket trading. "We see this deal as a good fit, although slightly expensive," Jefferies analysts led by Chloe Lemarie wrote in a note. He also confirmed the 1.5 billion pound ($1.91 billion) share repurchase announced with its half-year results. The Colorado-based aerospace business made $1.98 billion in revenue and accounted for 13% of Ball's consolidated net sales in 2022.

Persons: Cheney Orr, Tom Arseneault, Chloe Lemarie, Charles Woodburn, Yadarisa Shabong, Chandini, Susan Mathew, Subhranshu Sahu, Jason Neely, Sharon Singleton Organizations: BAE Systems, Association of, United States Army, Global, REUTERS, Ball Corp, Jefferies, Reuters, Blackstone Inc, Veritas Capital Fund Management, BAE, General Dynamics Corp, Textron, Shore Capital, Britain's, British, Thomson Locations: Huntsville , Alabama, U.S, Ukraine, Colorado, Bengaluru

Cisco Systems (CSCO.O) gained 2.2% in premarket trading after the networking equipment maker's fourth-quarter results beat estimates, and its CEO talked up artificial intelligence opportunities. Traders' bets of a rate hike pause from the Fed in September slipped to 86.5% from about 89% a week earlier, according to CME Group's Fedwatch tool. Walmart results follow stronger-than-expected earnings from Target (TGT.N) and Home Depot (HD.N) earlier this week, marking an upbeat second quarter for major U.S. retailers. ET, Dow e-minis were up 37 points, or 0.11%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 16 points, or 0.36%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 72.5 points, or 0.49%. Reporting by Amruta Khandekar and Shristi Achar A in Bengaluru Editing by Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Carlo Allegri, Thomas Martin, Oppenheimer, Amruta Khandekar, Vinay Dwivedi Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Cisco, Dow, Nasdaq, U.S, U.S . Federal, Cisco Systems, Globalt Investments, Traders, Fed, Nvidia, Rosenblatt Securities, Walmart, Target, CVS Health Corp, Dow e, Ball Corp, BAE Systems, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S ., U.S, Bengaluru

An employee arranges shopping carts outside a Walmart store in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., November 20, 2018. Shares in Walmart, which have climbed 12.3% this year, were up about 3% in premarket trading. Smaller rival Target (TGT.N) on Wednesday beat quarterly profit estimates, benefiting from leaner inventory, but in contrast to Walmart, cut its forecast for the year. Online sales rose 24% in the second quarter, mainly driven by double-digit growth in store-fulfilled pickup and delivery. The company's global advertising business, called Walmart Connect, rose 35%.

Persons: Kamil Krzaczynski, Hogan, John David Rainey, Aishwarya Venugopal, Siddharth Cavale, Sriraj Kalluvila, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Walmart, REUTERS, Walmart Inc, Riley, Walmart's, Wednesday, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, United States, Bengaluru, New York

At current prices shares are now down about 16% in the year to date, surrendering gains up to Wednesday's close. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) were 320 million euros ($348 million), down 10% from a year earlier and below analyst forecasts of 386 million euros, Refinitiv data showed. Revenue rose 21% to 739 million euros, against Adyen's mid-term forecasts of more than 25% growth. He said the economy overall is slowing and online payments growth may not be quite as fast as it was in the pre-COVID era. A similar margin decline led to a sell-off in Adyen shares when the company reported full-year earnings in February.

Persons: Eva Plevier, Hannes Leitner, Adyen, Toby Sterling, Sinead Cruise, David Goodman, Barbara Lewis, Jane Merriman Organizations: REUTERS, Company, Netflix, Microsoft, Spotify, JPMorgan, Revenue, Adyen's, PayPal, Jefferies, Thomson Locations: Amsterdam, Netherlands, AMSTERDAM, North America, Stripe, Braintree, Fiserv

☆ BAE snaps up Ball's aerospace arm for $5.6 bln in its biggest deal ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Yadarisa Shabong | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

People gather at the BAE Systems' booth during the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Global Force Symposium & Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama, U.S. March 28, 2023. The war in Ukraine has led to new demand for those in munitions supply chains, Tom Arseneault, head of BAE's U.S. business, told analysts. Shares in BAE Systems fell as much as 4.9%, while Ball Corp rose 2.7% in premarket trading. "We see this deal as a good fit, although slightly expensive," Jefferies analysts led by Chloe Lemarie wrote in a note. The Colorado-based aerospace business made $1.98 billion in revenue and accounted for 13% of Ball's consolidated net sales in 2022.

☆ Payments company Adyen's shares drop more than 20% after earnings miss
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) were 320 million euros ($348 million), down 10% from a year earlier and below analyst forecasts of 386 million euros, Refinitiv data shows. Revenue rose 21% to 739 million euros, against Adyen's mid-term forecasts of more than 25% growth. Adyen's EBITDA margin fell to 43% from 59%, which the company said was mostly because of higher wage costs as it takes on more staff. A similar margin decline led to a sell-off in Adyen shares when the company reported full-year earnings in February. Adyen maintained its medium-term targets for revenue growth above 25% and an improving EBITDA margin that it expects to reach 65% in the long term.

Persons: Eva Plevier, Adyen, Toby Sterling, David Goodman, Barbara Lewis, Jane Merriman Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Netflix, Microsoft, Spotify, JPMorgan, Revenue, Adyen's, North, PayPal, Thomson Locations: Amsterdam, Netherlands, North America, United States

☆ Private equity bites off mostly what it can chew
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Jonathan Guilford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Private equity firms notched nearly $300 billion of acquisitions worldwide through Aug. 15, according to Dealogic data. Deals in the $1 billion to $5 billion range are running closest to the same pace as 2022. STG, for example, secured a loan to value of more than 40% from private lenders. With capital tighter, it’s easy to understand why buyout firms are pursuing humbler deals more likely to exceed the minimum returns investors expect. GTCR’s plan to buy 55% of Worldpay at a $17.5 billion valuation requires an equity check equivalent to 15% of the buyout firm’s assets.

Persons: Simon & Schuster, STG, Clayton, Rice, Banks, Ares Capital’s, hasn’t, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam Organizations: KKR, New York Stock Exchange, Reuters, Avid Technology, GTCR, TPG, Francisco Partners, Bain Consulting, Thomson, & $ Locations: New York, U.S, can’t, Dubilier

Netherlands' Air Force F-16 fighter jets fly during a media day illustrating how NATO Air Policing safeguards the Allies' airspace in the northern and northeastern region of the Alliance, July 4, 2023. Ukraine has actively sought the U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets to help it counter Russian air superiority. Washington gave Denmark and the Netherlands official assurances that the United States will expedite approval of transfer requests for F-16s to go to Ukraine when the pilots are trained, the official said. A coalition of 11 countries was due to start training Ukrainian pilots to fly the F-16 fighter jets this month in Denmark. U.S. President Joe Biden endorsed training programs for Ukrainian pilots on F-16s in May.

Persons: de, Troels Poulsen, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Joe Biden, Yuriy Ihnat, Lockheed Martin, Steve Holland, Idrees Ali, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Air Force, Air, Alliance, REUTERS, Rights, United, U.S, Washington, NATO, Reuters, Ukrainian, Lockheed, Thomson Locations: Netherlands, United States, Ukraine, Denmark, U.S, Ukrainian, Russia, States, Romania, .

Cisco Systems (CSCO.O) gained 4.6% after the networking equipment maker's fourth-quarter results beat estimates, and its CEO talked up artificial intelligence opportunities. The S&P 500 health sector (.SPXHC), down 0.2%, was among the few major sectors in the red. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 1.91-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and by a 1.16-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P index recorded one new 52-week high and 12 new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 11 new highs and 95 new lows. Reporting by Amruta Khandekar and Shristi Achar A in Bengaluru Editing by Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Carlo Allegri, Dow, Thomas Martin, Amruta Khandekar, Vinay Dwivedi Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Cisco, Dow, Nasdaq, U.S, U.S . Federal, Cisco Systems, Globalt Investments, Traders, Fed, Walmart, Target, CVS Health Corp, . Energy, Dow Jones, Ball Corp, BAE Systems, NYSE, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S ., U.S, Bengaluru

☆ BAE Systems snaps up Ball Corp's aerospace arm for about $5.55 bln
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Yadarisa Shabong | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

People gather at the BAE Systems' booth during the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Global Force Symposium & Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama, U.S. March 28, 2023. Shares in BAE Systems were down 3% by 0730 GMT. "We see this deal as a good fit, although slightly expensive," Jefferies analysts led by Chloe Lemarie wrote in a note. The proposed deal would be treated as an asset purchase for federal tax purposes, BAE said. ($1 = 0.7856 pounds)Reporting by Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru; editing by Subhranshu Sahu and Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Cheney Orr, Chloe Lemarie, Charles Woodburn, Morgan Stanley, Yadarisa, Subhranshu Sahu, Jason Neely Organizations: BAE Systems, Association of, United States Army, Global, REUTERS, Ball Corp, Jefferies, Reuters, Blackstone Inc, Veritas Capital Fund Management, BAE, General Dynamics Corp, Textron, Britain's, Intelligence, Thomson Locations: Huntsville , Alabama, U.S, Colorado, Bengaluru

REUTERS/Peter Power/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 16 (Reuters) - Target (TGT.N) cut its full-year sales and profit expectations even as its quarterly profit exceeded Wall Street estimates on Wednesday, benefiting from fewer discounts and better stocked store shelves. The retailer's second-quarter sales, however, dropped 5%, partly due to the fallout of a backlash against its Pride merchandise in May. Target now expects annual comparable sales to decline in the mid-single digit range compared to its prior forecast of low-single digit decline to a low-single digit increase. It expects 2023 adjusted profit per share between $7 to $8, compared with the prior range of $7.75 to $8.75. On an adjusted basis, Target earned $1.80 per share in the quarter ended July 29, beating expectations of $1.39.

Persons: Peter Power, Target, Erik Carnell's Abprallen, Brian Cornell, Cornell, Dave Wagner, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Savyata Mishra, Aishwarya Venugopal, Arun Koyyur Organizations: REUTERS, Wall, Pride, Aptus Capital, Target, Walmart, Thomson Locations: Target, Ancaster, Bengaluru

☆ Target investors misread bullseye
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, Aug 16 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Target (TGT.N) had some luck hitting the bullseye this quarter. Target is getting its inventory in shape after a glut of products from last year caused it to slash prices. Still, the company slashed its sales and profit outlook as shoppers continue to spend more on food. E-commerce sales slumped nearly 11% – well below the overall sales decline of 5%. Target may well be beholden to consumer behavior, but it can steady its aim to hit marks under its control.

Persons: Brian Cornell, Jennifer Saba, EY’s loveless, Exor’s Philips, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam Organizations: Reuters, Twitter, TPG, Thomson

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., July 19, 2023. Wall Street closed sharply lower on Tuesday after solid retail sales growth in July added to uncertainty around the interest rate outlook, with concerns over a possible downgrade of several U.S. lenders by Fitch further denting risk sentiment. Investors are now focused on the Federal Reserve's July 25-26 meeting minutes, due at 1400 ET (1800 GMT), which may indicate how many policymakers feel the U.S. central bank is done raising interest rates. The central bank had raised rates by 25 basis points at the end of the meeting. Coinbase(COIN.O) gained 5.4% as the crypto exchange secured regulatory approval to allow U.S. retail customers to trade crypto futures.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Piper Sandler, Fitch, Michael Hewson, Tesla, Amruta Khandekar, Vinay Dwivedi, Maju Samuel Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Nvidia, Dow, Nasdaq, Federal, Target, Traders, Committee, CMC Markets, Walmart, Dow e, Tower Semiconductor, Intel, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, China, Bengaluru

Despite these challenges, Walmart International has performed strongly under McKenna's leadership, under which it exited poorly performing operations in Japan, Britain, Argentina and Brazil. McKenna has led Walmart International since 2018, overseeing a multi-year transformation that resulted in the unit delivering more growth and stronger financial results across the board, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon wrote in a memo to employees. Sam's Club, a rival to Costco (COST.O), for years had been an underperforming business with muted sales growth. Sam's Club, a business unit with $84 billion of yearly revenue, has posted 12.7% average annual comparable sales growth since McKay took over the division, according to a Reuters calculation. Walmart also announced that Christopher Nicholas, currently chief operating officer of Walmart U.S., would replace McLay as CEO of Sam's Club.

Persons: Mario Anzuoni, Kathryn McLay, Judith McKenna, McKenna, Doug McMillon, Piper Sandler, McKay, she's, Edward Jones, Brian Yarbrough, Christopher Nicholas, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Siddharth Cavale, Anil D'Silva, Sandra Maler, Jamie Freed Organizations: Walmart, REUTERS, Walmart Inc, Walmart International, Sam's, Woolworths, Sam's Club, Costco, Walmart U.S, McLay, Jan, Thomson Locations: Rosemead , California, U.S, China, Mexico, South Africa, Japan, Britain, Argentina, Brazil, India, Walmart's U.S, Walmart Mexico, Bengaluru, New York

The minutes of the Fed's July monetary policy meeting showed most policymakers continue to prioritize the battle against inflation, adding to uncertainty among investors about the outlook for interest rates. Bank shares extended losses, with the S&P 500 bank index <.SPXBK> down 1% and Bank of America (BAC.N) leading losses among bigger banks to end 2.2% lower. Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., July 19, 2023. Equities have suffered through a rough patch in August, with the S&P 500 languishing near one-month lows as data underscoring sticky inflation and a robust economy fans fears of interest rates staying elevated for longer. The S&P 500 posted four new 52-week highs and 18 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 36 new highs and 255 new lows.

Persons: Banks, we're, Peter Tuz, Brendan McDermid, Mike Reynolds, Saeed Azhar, Noel Randewich, Amruta, Lewis Krauskopf, Maju Samuel, Vinay Dwivedi, Deepa Babington Organizations: Nasdaq, Dow, Federal, Chase Investment, ”, Dow Jones, Bank, Bank of America, Nvidia, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Walmart, NYSE, Thomson Locations: Charlottesville , Virginia, New York City, U.S, New York, Bengaluru

☆ Cisco touts market share wins, AI potential as revenue forecast disappoints
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of U.S. networks giant Cisco Systems is seen in front of their headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, near Paris, France August 6, 2022. REUTES/Sarah Meyssonnier/file Acquire Licensing RightsAug 16 (Reuters) - Networking equipment maker Cisco Systems' (CSCO.O) CEO talked up market share wins and artificial intelligence (AI) opportunities, as he moved to allay fears over slowing growth after a disappointing annual revenue forecast. Cisco forecast full-year revenue to be between $57 billion and $58.20 billion, below the Refinitiv estimate of $58.38 billion. He also said the company was likely to be a leading supplier of the networking gear needed for AI workloads. Cisco expects adjusted earnings per share of $4.01 to $4.08 for the full year, compared with the estimate of $4.04.

Persons: REUTES, Sarah Meyssonnier, Chuck Robbins, Zaheer Kachwala, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Cisco Systems, Cisco, Microsoft, AT, Thomson Locations: Issy, Paris, France, Bengaluru

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