DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Take a look at the gift that Apple gives employees after 10 years — a slab of aluminum along with a signed note from Tim Cook
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

At Apple, staff who've stayed 10 years get a gift commemorating the rare milestone. Take a look at Apple's 10-year employee gift, a hefty slab of aluminum with a signed note from Tim Cook. At Apple, employees who've stayed at least 10 years get a square slab of aluminum, a polishing cloth, and a signed note from CEO Tim Cook, according to a recent video from YouTuber DongleBookPro showing an unboxing of the award. The gift is a hefty square hunk of aluminum with a huge stainless steel Apple logo on it. A note from Apple in the package says the gift is made from the same 6000 series aluminum that's used to make the company's products.

☆ Here are Wednesday's biggest analyst calls: Tesla, Apple, Coinbase, Shopify, Pinterest, Nvidia & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

"We are upgrading shares of Shopify to BUY from Neutral, as we believe the > 20% selloff post earnings has created an attractive entry point." Morgan Stanley reiterates Home Depot and Walmart as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's standing by its overweight ratings on shares of Home Depot and Walmart after the company's reported earnings on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley also trimmed its price target on Walmart to $160 per share from $161. Morgan Stanley reiterates Apple as overweight Morgan Stanley said the tech giant remains underowned among large-cap institutional investors. Morgan Stanley reiterates Salesforce as overweight Morgan Stanley said expectations are "low" and "mixed" ahead of the company's earnings report.

Palo Alto Networks' forecast for fiscal third-quarter adjusted earnings also beat expectations. Coinbase - Shares of the cryptocurrency exchange rose more than 1% after Coinbase reported a smaller-than-expected loss for the fourth quarter. Toll Brothers — Shares of the homebuilder rose more than 2% on the back of better-than-expected fiscal first-quarter results. The company reported consolidated revenue of $1.31 billion, a 6% decrease compared to the prior year quarter, and earnings per share of $1.35. Analysts served by StreetAccount had expected a $1.3 billion in revenue and earnings per share of $1.19.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Palo Alto Networks, Coinbase, Dick's Sporting Goods, Amazon and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Coinbase — Shares of the cryptocurrency exchange fell 5% even after Coinbase reported a smaller-than-expected loss for the fourth quarter. Palo Alto Networks — The software company's stock gained more than 11% after its fiscal second-quarter earnings and revenue beat analysts' estimates. Wingstop — Wingstop shares jumped 8% after topping analysts' estimates for the recent quarter, according to FactSet. Baidu — U.S.-listed shares of the Chinese tech company fell more than 3%, despite Baidu topping revenue estimates for the recent quarter. Wix.com — Shares of the website developer company surged nearly 14% after beating analysts' estimates for the fourth quarter, according to FactSet.

☆ Citi upgrades Alcoa, says aluminum producer is a buy with China reopening
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

There's a buying opportunity in shares of aluminum producer Alcoa now that China is reopening, according to Citi. Analyst Alexander Hacking upgraded shares to buy from neutral, saying that aluminum is "the next leg of the China reopening trade." The rolling smelter cuts from southwestern China due to power availability restrict supply response to margins," Hacking added. What's more, Alcoa shares can rise 35% from Tuesday's close, according to the analyst. The aluminum stock added more than 1% in Wednesday premarket trading.

☆ Rio Tinto enters agreement with BMW to provide hydro-produced aluminum
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A BMW car logo is displayed during a media tour at the plant of German automaker BMW in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, February 3, 2023. REUTERS/Toya Sarno Jordan/File PhotoNEW YORK, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Rio Tinto on Tuesday said it would supply BMW with aluminum it produces in Canada using hydroelectric power, lowering the auto manufacturer's carbon footprint with respect to its procurement of the automotive metal. The UK-based mining company and the German automaker announced in separate statements that they had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for Rio Tinto's hydro-powered operations in Canada to provide a BMW production plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, with an unspecified amount of aluminum starting in 2024 -- a move that "could generate a reduction of up to 70 percent in CO2 emissions compared to the BMW Group's benchmark for aluminum," according to Rio Tinto. "The agreement to supply low-carbon aluminium" is also aimed at "ramping up our use of aluminium with no direct CO2 emissions from the smelting process," wrote Joachim Post, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, which is responsible for its purchasing and supplier network. Reporting by Stephen Culp; Additional reporting by Ernest Scheyder; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Reasons Plane Travel, Airline Customer Service, Airports Are so Terrible
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Bartie Scott | Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

It's almost impossible to imagine a time when air travel was pleasant, much less enjoyable. Lost baggage, overbooked flights, outdated equipment, hidden fees, and disorganized staffing have fliers at their wits' end; consumer complaints about airline service have risen by 300% from pre-pandemic levels. Many of these measures had been put in place to improve safety following some rattling accidents in the early days of commercial air travel. So in 1978, at the urging of the economist and "inflation czar" Alfred Kahn, President Jimmy Carter enacted the Airline Deregulation Act. He added that "airline service, by any standard, has become unacceptable."

☆ The UFO shoot-downs show the hardest part of discovering alien life may be announcing it. Here's how NASA might break the news.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Extraterrestrial life likely wouldn't show up as flying objects, but finding it could cause similar chaos. An illustration of the CoLD scale for determining confidence in a detection of alien life. The president or other countries could be involved in announcing extraterrestrial life existsPresident Joe Biden speaks at Delaware State University. Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesAnnouncing the existence of alien life would be an "administration-level" affair, Glaze said, referring to the US presidency. Needless to say, any discovery of alien life would likely lead to chaos — at least in public discourse.

☆ U.S. trade official Tai discussed Inflation Reduction Act with EU's Dombrovskis
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Kanishka Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 17 (Reuters) - U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai on Friday met with European Union Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis and discussed the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, Tai's office said in a statement. The legislation excludes electric vehicles assembled outside of North America from tax credits in the United States. European nations are not the only ones who have raised concerns with the Inflation Reduction Act. Tai and Dombrovskis also discussed the ongoing negotiations for a global arrangement on sustainable steel and aluminum and agreed to remain in close contact as negotiations continue in 2023, the USTR office added. Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Analysts see short-term strength, long-term 'generational shift' in copper prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Sheets of copper cathode are pictured at BHP Billiton's Escondida, the world's biggest copper mine, in Antofagasta, northern Chile March 31, 2008. Ivan Alvarado | ReutersAlong with experiencing a short-term supply shortage, copper is set to undergo a "generational shift" in demand as decarbonization ramps up, according to BNY Mellon Lead Portfolio Manager Al Chu. Short-term supply issues have also emerged alongside a rebound in demand, such as an eruption of protests in Peru, which accounts for 10% of the world's copper supply. Every renewable energy pretty much needs copper, because if you're talking about electrifying something and transmitting electricity, you need copper." "When you look at the long-term secular story, you can just see strong demand.

☆ Metals Rally Fueled by China’s Reopening, Tight Supplies
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Hardika Singh | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The prices of metals used to make objects such as aircraft and electrical wire have rebounded toward last year’s highs, lifted by China’s pandemic reopening and low global supplies. A basket of industrial metals that trades in London just notched its best January in more than a decade. U.S. copper futures posted their best first month of the year since 2003. Aluminum prices in London have climbed 10% so far this year. Zinc has added 2.4% and tin has gained 11%.

☆ 2023 Alpine A110 South Beach Edition: A Rally Racer Revived
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Dan Neil | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

PINK MARTINI The Alpine A110 is a two-seat coupe with aluminum chassis and body weighing only 2,430 pounds. Powered by a mid-mounted 1.8-liter turbocharged engine (252 hp) and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, the rear-drive A110 can hit 62 mph in 4.5 seconds. I STOOD in the parking lot of my hotel near Heathrow, in falling snow, amazed by the Alpine A110 South Beach Edition that had been left for me. Then it dawned on me: “The South Beach Edition.” Oof! The halo car for Renault ’s premium-performance Alpine brand, the two-seat, mid-engine A110 went on sale in 2017 and is often favorably compared to Porsche ’s fabulous 718 Cayman.

☆ Air Force's aging E-3 Sentry stirs questions of airborne-battle readiness
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Brad Howard | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

For decades the U.S. Air Force has relied on the E-3 Sentry, and the most recent version, the E-3G, has been upgraded with more modern electronics and software to keep up with new threats. 'The best way to describe it is kind of like the quarterback in the sky," said Air Force Col. Keven Coyle, commander of the 552nd Air Control Wing. In the most recent budget, Congress appropriated an additional $200 million for the Air Force to develop a prototype to meet that need. A Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail takes off during Black Flag 22-1 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, May 10, 2022. A U.S. Air Force E-3G taxies on a runway at Tinker AFB By Brad Howard, CNBC

☆ Sonos, Therabody and Dyson: Best online sales right now
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Caroline Curran | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

No matter which model you choose, you’ll save on a device perfect for athletes and anyone else who appreciates at-home relaxation. Right now you can save up to $170 at Therabody, including savings on the Theragun Pro and Mini. Sonos Home Theater Sale Sonos Arc Sonos In the world of premium speakers, Sonos is always a top contender — and now through Feb. 12, you can score up to $280 off select home theater speakers. Tocess Claw Clips $19 $8 at Amazon Amazon Keep your hair out of the way with a chic claw clip. • Save on our favorite affordable headphones right now — the over-ear Soundcore Anker Life are just $45 right now.

☆ Perfect Storm for Some Companies: Fewer Interest Deductions, Rising Rates
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Mark Maurer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +9 min

For some firms, the move shrank the amount of taxable income that can be offset by interest expenses. Higher interest rates generally lead to higher interest expenses tied to companies’ variable-rate debt, new borrowings and refinancings. The cap can hit companies’ cash flows immediately, though not necessarily their financial statements, due to timing differences in claiming the deductions. Aluminum maker and recycler Novelis plans to allocate less cash toward its venture-capital arm due to the higher interest expenses. Leveraged loans have variable rates that typically reset every one to three months, based on short-term interest rates.

☆ U.S. plans 200% tariff on Russian aluminum - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 6 (Reuters) - The United States is preparing to impose a 200% tariff on Russian-made aluminum as soon as this week, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, as Washington looks to mount pressure on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. Reuters reported last October that the Biden administration was weighing restrictions on imports of Russian aluminum in response to Moscow's military escalation in Ukraine. The White House declined to comment on the Bloomberg report, which cited unnamed people familiar with the plans. The latter agency is responsible for investigating anti-dumping and anti-subsidy cases and in September 2021, imposed a 62.2% tariff on imports of Russian aluminum foil after determining it was being sold under fair value. Aluminum prices spiked last year, along with other commodities exported by Russia, with London Metal Exchange three month aluminum prices reaching a record of over $4,073 per tonne in March.

☆ I settled the gas stove debate with a $69.99 induction cooktop from Ikea
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Well, not at Ikea per se, but on the Ikea website — where I purchased the Tillreda, a single-burner induction cooktop, for $69.99. I got a magnet; if it doesn't stick to a pot, the pot won't work on an induction plate. That meant I couldn't do stuff on the Tillreda like boiling soup and pasta, things that require a long time on an inefficient gas flame. "In cases like that, the heat losses for a gas flame really add up," McGee says. I tried one in a cast-iron pan on the induction plate.

☆ Saudi Arabian shares drop on lower oil prices; Egypt rises
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Md Manzer Hussain | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 5 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabian stock market closed lower on Sunday, in response to fall in oil prices on Friday amid concern about the European Union embargo on Russian refined products. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister warned on Saturday that sanctions and underinvestment in the energy sector could result in a shortage of energy supplies in future. The European Union has imposed a series of sanctions against Russia, reducing Russian energy exports. Saudi oil giant Aramco (2222.SE) sank 1.5%, while the world's largest Islamic bank by market capitalization, Al Rajhi Bank (1120.SE), dropped 1.9%. Qatar's stock index (.QSI) ended down 0.4%, with almost all its constituent stocks in negative territory.

☆ Sustainable Packaging Is Sometimes Doubling as Easier-to-Open Packaging
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Katie Deighton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

Sarah Ryan Hudson found the Barbie’s Dr. Jane Goodall packaging to be a welcome departure from the hard-to-open versions of her youth. The costs involved in overhauling packaging systems also made them reluctant to change for the benefit of a less-finicky opening experience. To be sure, shifts toward more sustainable materials haven’t made packaging easier to use across the board, and campaigners for widely accessible packaging say companies aren’t moving to provide it quickly enough. The company’s Gillette razor brand in 2021 began selling some razors in cardboard packaging with a pulp tray, rather than in plastic blister packs and trays. Colgate-Palmolive Co. in 2019 introduced a recyclable Colgate toothpaste tube, using a high-density polyethylene material without aluminum, said Greg Corra, Colgate-Palmolive’s worldwide director of global packaging and sustainability.

☆ More beauty brands are ditching plastic packaging — and consumers are buying in
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Korie Wilkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Some beauty companies are ditching plastics in favor of aluminum, glass, or plant-based materials. "Beauty products come in bottles and pots with pumps and lids, and we're noticing the first question a consumer asks is, 'Is this all recyclable?'" Purpose-driven beauty companies are ditching plastics in favor of aluminum, glass, or plant-based materials. If they use plastic, they're trying to ensure that it's designed to be recyclable (mindful of inks and coatings). As a result, shoppers, namely millennials and Gen Z, are skipping the store and ordering their beauty products online.

☆ The US is bad at recycling. Making businesses pay could boost the rate to 75% in some states, a study found.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Recycling rates in US states could hit 75% if companies bear the costs, a study found. Recycling rates are high there, and taxpayers don't cover the bill, unlike in the US. The Recycling Partnership said it examined these states because they had the best available data. In most cases, recycling rates could get as high as 75%, de Thomas said. At least 11 others have either introduced legislation or plan to, according to a tally by The Recycling Partnership.

☆ China's reopening could boost global growth — and worsen inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

London CNN —China’s swift reopening after nearly three years of strict coronavirus controls could provide a much-needed boost to global economic growth, but may also stoke inflation just as it has shown signs of falling back. The revival of the world’s second largest economy — and its biggest consumer of commodities — threatens to push up global prices for fuel, industrial metals and food this year. The speed of the reopening, as well as indications that infections may have already peaked, has been surprising, analysts told CNN. Yet, if global food and energy prices start rising again, that could feed through into higher consumer prices. China’s reopening could bump up demand for agricultural goods, while the world is still in the grips of the worst food crisis in modern history.

☆ Ex-FBI official worked for sanctioned Russian oligarch, prosecutors say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, Jan 23 (Reuters) - A former top FBI official was arrested over the weekend on accusations he worked for sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, prosecutors said on Monday. Charles McGonigal, who led the agency's counterintelligence division in New York before retiring in 2018, faces four counts including sanctions violations and money laundering. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan say McGonigal, 54, received concealed payments from Deripaska, who was sanctioned in 2018, in exchange for investigating a rival oligarch in 2021. He is also charged with unsuccessfully pushing in 2019 for the lifting of the sanctions on Deripaska. The following month, U.S. prosecutors charged British businessman Graham Bonham-Carter with conspiring to violate sanctions by trying to move Deripaska's artwork in the United States overseas.

☆ Why a human-centric approach to digital transformation is more likely to be successful for your business
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Hitachi With Insider Studios | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Having a clear alignment between your technical objectives and your company's culture is essential for success — in fact, organizations that take a human-centric approach to digital transformation are 2.6 times more likely to see success. 1Five common business blockers to cultural changeThere are several common stumbling blocks that may significantly impede your progress along the path to digital transformation. How can companies overcome these stumbling blocks to enable and encourage cultural change in support of digital transformation? The right technology can make all the difference in fostering the cultural shift necessary for successful digital transformation. Because, in the end, digital transformation is all about your people; a journey begun for your people and achieved by your people.

☆ Former top FBI counterintelligence agent Charles McGonigal charged with violating Russia sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

That other person later became an FBI source in a criminal probe of foreign political lobbying, which McGonigal was supervising, authorities said. The former top FBI agent in New York for counterintelligence was arrested with an ex-Russian diplomat and charged with violating U.S. sanctions on Russia after he left the FBI by trying to help the oligarch Oleg Deripaska get off the sanctions list, federal prosecutors said Monday. McGonigal and Shestakov, 69, who also was arrested Saturday evening, are due to appear in court in Manhattan later Monday. McGonigal previously had investigated Deripaska, who made his fortune in Russia's aluminum industry, while at the FBI. McGonigal agreed to help, and told an FBI supervisor who worked for him that he wanted to recruit the Deripaska employee, the indictment says.

Search resuls for: "Aluminum"

25 mentions found