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☆ Bob Iger’s stalling may be stifling
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The $180 billion company run by Bob Iger is kicking off its second round of layoffs, according to Reuters, part of an effort to cut $5.5 billion in costs. That’s a solid effort to keep activist Nelson Peltz, who had griped about Disney’s margins, at bay for now. The tricky part is ensuring assets don’t lose even more value before Iger heads out the door. Iger said he would leave the company and is meant to be setting up a successor. The balance act is ensuring Iger doesn’t degrade value, leaving a mess for his successor, whenever that person comes along.

☆ 3 ways the $800 billion AI explosion will boost Tesla's stock in the future
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Joe Ciolli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

In a new note to clients, the firm looked at how the AI boom will impact the market's top tech titans. Detailed below are three ways Wedbush sees AI opportunities helping Tesla's stock in the future. Ives also has thoughts on how Musk's forays into AI can boost shares of his crown jewel: Tesla. He sees three ways its implementation can help drive stock gains in the future. "That could lead to further improvements of Tesla's supply chain by opening up limitless labor supply for production lines while improving its cost structure during a labor constrained environment," he wrote.

☆ A new book by a Pulitzer Prize winner unsuccessfully tries to take down the private equity industry and fixates on Leon Black. Here's what it gets wrong.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Jonathan A. Knee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The economic and political influence of the private equity sector has exploded in the last 20 years. It's true that few topics have attracted greater attention from not only crusading journalists but serious academics than the impact of private equity ownership. This supports their belief that private equity firms "carry very little risk if the company fails." This view of a "typical" private equity deal is simply untrue: Even back in 2005, the average loan-to-value percentage for new private equity deals was 68% — firms already contributed over 30% in equity to the deals not under 10% as claimed. 'Smart buyer, dumb seller'One of the important developments in private equity of the last decades has been the emergence of major private funds focused on technology investing.

☆ BuzzFeed Shuts Down Its Namesake News Division
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Benjamin Mullin | Katie Robertson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

BuzzFeed is shutting down its namesake news division, which won acclaim for its journalism but fell prey to the punishing economics of digital publishing that has laid low many of its peers. Jonah Peretti, BuzzFeed’s chief executive, said in an email to employees on Thursday that he was closing BuzzFeed News as part of a broader round of cuts at the company. About 60 people will be affected by the shuttering of the news division, some of whom will be offered jobs at other parts of the company. BuzzFeed’s decision is the latest in a series of financial setbacks faced by digital media companies. The media industry writ large has pivoted to focus on streaming, and digital advertising — a mainstay for digital publishing companies — is increasingly going to tech platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.

☆ The 9 US cities with the most billionaires, from famous glitzy locales to newer hot spots for ultrarich residents
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The US is home to 770 billionaires, according to London-based consulting firm Henley & Partners. Here, the 9 US cities with the most billionaires, from the San Francisco Bay Area to Austin, Texas. Some of America's richest residents, though, choose quieter cities for their home bases. And one of America's fastest-growing cities — Austin, Texas — has emerged as a relatively new billionaire hot spot, counting nine as residents. Check out the full list of the US cities where the most billionaires live.

☆ Deposit flight at U.S. regional banks blights interest income gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The flight of deposits at Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB.O), Comerica (CMA.N), Truist Financial Corp (TFC.N) and KeyCorp (KEY.N) dampened gains that the lenders made in their interest income benefiting from the U.S. Federal Reserve's aggressive monetary policy tightening through the past year. Only, Huntington Bancshares Inc (HBAN.O), among banks reporting on Thursday, managed to grow average total deposits by $472 million from the prior quarter. In the aftermath, the KBW Regional Banking Index (.KRX) has tumbled 19.4% this year, through previous close. Clients are expected to continue the shift toward other assets that bring in higher returns unless the banks increase returns, analysts have said. Citizens Financial (CFG.N) on Wednesday cut its forecast for net interest income, expecting an increase in the rate it pays out for deposits to clients.

☆ The rise of AI will only make Big Tech more powerful, NYU researchers warn
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Emilia David | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

That gives Big Tech companies an advantage. Last week, AI Now released a report detailing Big Tech's impact on AI development — finding that AI development has been "foundationally reliant" on resources controlled by Big Tech, including data and computing power. AI Now said Big Tech has also been positioned as a crucial part of the US-China race, giving them geopolitical importance. The report said much of the narrative around AI development has been shaped by Big Tech, from the idea that AI needs unrestricted innovation for social good to connecting AI development to societal progress. Myers West said better enforcement of antitrust laws and connecting competition with the concept of privacy could limit just how big Big Tech can get.

☆ Four out of the five US metro areas with the lowest unemployment are in Florida. Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington, DC CNN —Four out of the five US metropolitan areas with the lowest unemployment rates are in Florida, thanks to the state’s growing population, robust tourism activity and increased business investment. Jacksonville, Tampa and Orlando all had unemployment rates below 2.7% that month. Florida was also the fastest growing state as a percentage during that period, the first time it has notched that top spot since 1957. “Florida is pro-cyclical, so when unemployment is low, it’s going to be even lower in Florida and vice versa,” Pintea said. Some studies have argued that generous unemployment programs keep unemployment higher for longer by disincentivizing workers from searching for a new job.

☆ Banks Are Finally Facing Pressure to Pay Depositors More
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Gina Heeb | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Coming results from M&T Bank and other regional financial companies will shed light on overall economic health. Depositors fled to the perceived safety of the titans of finance following a pair of bank failures last month. A raft of earnings this week will show just how costly the run was for everyone else. Small and midsize U.S. banks lost hundreds of billions of dollars in recent weeks to their bigger peers and to money-market funds offering higher yields. That is likely to force many of them to increase the interest rates they are paying to avoid losing more customers.

☆ Goldman recommends buying call options in these two tech titans before their earnings reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Goldman Sachs recommends clients buy call options on Apple and Microsoft ahead of each company's earnings reports in two weeks. For Apple, Goldman thinks the mobile app spending portion of the company will beat Wall Street expectations and service revenue will become the main force behind earnings growth. "While app spending growth has slowed, as we lap recent benefits from consumer stimulus and engagement benefits due to the pandemic he expects app spending to resume mid-teens growth in F2024." AAPL YTD mountain Apple could beat expectations in mobile app spending and boost shares as investors look toward earnings, according to Goldman Sachs. "AI-related 12 April 2023 3 Goldman Sachs Weekly Options Watch workloads can also provide a boost to Azure over time.

☆ Only the big will crack the $1 trln LBO code
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Jonathan Guilford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Lenders will only tiptoe back, meaning deals need the big checks and extra elbow grease in credit markets that favor the largest private equity firms. Private equity firms depend on borrowed money to reduce how much of their own they use in any single deal and to magnify returns as a percentage of their initial investment. Imagine a private equity firm acquires a company for $1 billion, then flips it five years later for $1.5 billion. Though the private equity industry is awash in so-called dry powder, fundraising is increasingly tilting to the largest fund managers. Buyout firms are apt to keep their plans more conservative to garner higher ratings – meaning, again, less leverage and more upfront cash.

☆ Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has boosted its bets on 5 Japanese titans - plus it wants to raise its stakes more and join forces on big deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Warren Buffett has boosted his Japan bets and wants to buy more shares and partner on big deals. Berkshire Hathaway owns about 7.4% of Japan's five largest trading houses, Buffett told Nikkei. Berkshire originally spent about $6 billion to establish 5% stakes in each of the companies. The famed investor's conglomerate now owns about 7.4% of Itochu, Marubeni, Mitsubishi, Mitsui, and Sumitomo, Buffett told the newspaper. "We're very proud of that," Buffett told Nikkei about the investments.

☆ Inside the 5-hour psychological interview that can make or break your career at Citadel, Blackstone, and other finance titans
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Emmalyse Brownstein | Alex Morrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

ghSmartThe company's unusual but rigorous approach to screening job candidates has won it the trust of some of the finance industry's most competitive and coveted workplaces, as well as other blue-chip corporations. "That became the kernel for ghSmart," Smart recounted in a podcast interview. That means the ghSmart interview isn't something you can necessarily prepare for in the same way you might, for example, read up on certain stocks or industry trends. The company's team of psychologists spends hours drilling into each candidate's job and life experiences. Unlike some executive-search firms, ghSmart disconnects its fee from whether it fills the role.

☆ LinkedIn cofounder says Elon Musk has an 'it's only great if I do it' mentality when it comes to ChatGPT
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman told CNBC the call for an AI slow down is a "mistaken effort." He said Elon Musk has an "it's only great if I do it" mentality when it comes to ChatGPT. Both Musk and Hoffman helped found OpenAI in 2015, but Musk left the company's board of directors in 2018 and has been critical of the company ever since. Despite his longtime friendship with Musk, Hoffman said he's "much more on the path that OpenAI has gone" when it comes to developing the technology. Spokespeople for Musk, Hoffman, and OpenAI did not respond to a request for comment ahead of publication.

☆ Jeff Bezos was the biggest net-worth loser in the last year, with his fortune dropping $57 billion, according to Forbes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Jeff Bezos' net worth dropped more than anyone else, down $57 billion from March 2022. But he's still the third-richest person in the world, with a $114 billion fortune, per Forbes. Bezos' net worth is down $57 billion from last March but still sits at a cool $114 billion, making him the world's third-richest person, according to Forbes. This year's list included 313 tech billionaires worth a collective $1.9 trillion, down from 332 tech industry titans worth $2.1 trillion last year, per Forbes. In 2021, a red-hot year for the industry, Forbes identified 365 tech billionaires worth a record $2.5 trillion.

☆ Leaders like Elon Musk want to pause AI development, but the power of the free market means it's impossible to stop
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Emilia David | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Elon Musk and other business leaders signed a letter urging a six-month pause in AI development. From the moment the public was allowed to start testing OpenAI's GPT-3 in November, there was no stopping the bullet train of generative AI development. And the power of market forces means that there's no stopping the pace of AI development, even if companies like OpenAI wanted to. The train has left the station, and there's no going backSince November, and arguably even before, generative AI has been the technology on everyone's lips. Even if we wanted to pause AI development, there's not a clear way to enforce itThere's also the problem of enforcement.

☆ New Zealand's Williamson ruled out of IPL after knee injury
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 2 (Reuters) - New Zealand's white-ball skipper Kane Williamson has been ruled out of this season's Indian Premier League (IPL) after sustaining an injury in Gujarat Titans' opening match against Chennai Super Kings, the team announced on Sunday. Williamson injured his right knee in Friday's match while fielding near the boundary when he leapt to stop a six. He saved two runs as he palmed the ball into the field but landed awkwardly, falling to the ground clutching his knee. New Zealand Cricket said Williamson would return home to have the injury further assessed. Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Edmund KlamannOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ After a more than $1 trillion rout, Beijing appears to be warming to Chinese tech giants
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In this article BABA Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTwatch nowBeijing's regulatory crackdown on the Chinese tech sector began in late 2020, wiping off more than a combined $1 trillion from the country's biggest companies. There are now signs that the central government is softening its stance towards internet titans like Alibaba , in a move that could prove positive for Chinese tech stocks. Jean Chung | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesIn addition to warming to the domestic tech sector, China is also courting foreign business. To achieve that, it will need the help of private businesses — including the tech sector. Is China tech out of the woods yet?

☆ Alibaba’s restructuring and Jack Ma’s homecoming are all part of China’s plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Ma is seen as a symbol of China’s tech industry and a barometer of the Chinese government’s support for private business. Alibaba’s restructuring is “part of [Beijing’s] strategy to shore up confidence in the private sector,” said Hong Hao, chief economist for Grow Investment Group. “[Alibaba’s restructuring plan] offers a way to limit monopoly power and platform sway,” Hong said. Unlocking valueInvestors and analysts have cheered Alibaba’s restructuring. Alibaba’s business will be split into six units: domestic e-commerce, international e-commerce, cloud computing, local services, logistics, and media and entertainment.

☆ A portfolio manager at a $41 billion investment firm explains why US stocks aren't as attractive as their international counterparts — and shares 5 recession-resistant stocks to buy now
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Portfolio manager Emily Leveille shared 7 international stocks investors should consider buying now. After lagging behind their American counterparts for years, international equities may finally give US stocks a run for their money in 2023. Leveille is a portfolio manager who oversees the international growth strategy at Thornburg Investment Management, a firm with $41 billion in assets under management. As growth becomes more scarce during an economic slowdown, she believes that companies with resilient growth characteristics are best positioned to outperform. Another luxury brand Leveille owns is LVMH (LVMHF), which is known for its signature Louis Vuitton handbags.

☆ Warren Buffett missed out on a monster return by not investing in Tesla early on, Elon Musk says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Warren Buffett missed out on a monster return by not betting on Tesla early on, Elon Musk says. The famed investor and Berkshire Hathaway CEO could have achieved a similar result by simply betting on Tesla early on, Elon Musk says. He was commenting on a video clip showing how Berkshire's stock portfolio has changed over the last three decades or so. Buffett won't be kicking himself too hard, given Berkshire's stock portfolio ballooned in value by more than 20-fold between 1994 and the end of 2022. Buffett and Munger might have made more money on Tesla stock, but they were never likely to join the ranks of Musk's shareholders.

☆ Tech Companies Are Ruining Their Apps, Websites, Internet
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Ed Zitron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Google, Amazon, Meta, and other tech companies have monetized confusion, constantly testing how much they can interfere with and manipulate users. Abandoning the core productIn the 2000s and early 2010s, tech companies actually produced new, interesting products. This fueled Silicon Valley's explosive growth: Companies saw their valuations soar, revenue growth was exponential, and new users were joining by the boatload. There are ways to integrate new technology into a core product that doesn't end in disaster. Netflix was able to iterate on their core product — letting people watch movies — in a way that actually made that experience better.

☆ RBC: Buy these 17 future AI winners as the technology begins to transform the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Marley Jay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

RBC says that AI is one of the most transformative developments in tech in the last 20 years. The firm's tech analysts explained which stocks they think will benefit the most from generative AI. They added that in many cases, the "rising tide" of AI will benefit broad swaths of the market. But it's not just the established tech titans that can profit from the advent of AI technology. Those companies are below, along with their tickers and commentary about each provided by the RBC analysts.

☆ NBA roundup: Nuggets belt Bucks in matchup of titans
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Antetokounmpo was aggressive from the start, with 13 points in the first quarter and 24 at halftime. But the Bucks went 4:10 without a point in the fourth period as the Nuggets built a 20-point lead. Booker led six Suns scoring at least 13 points. Biyombo also grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds. Tyrese Haliburton added 19 points and 13 assists.

☆ U.S. and China wage war beneath the waves – over internet cables
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +28 min

Three of China’s state-owned carriers – China Telecommunications Corporation (China Telecom), China Mobile Limited and China United Network Communications Group Co Ltd (China Unicom) – had committed funding as members of the consortium, which also included U.S.-based Microsoft Corp and French telecom firm Orange SA, according to six people involved in the deal. China Telecom, China Mobile, China Unicom and Orange did not respond to requests for comment. China Telecom, China Mobile and China Unicom were resolutely behind HMN Tech, which had come in with a bid of around $500 million. China Telecom and China Mobile threatened to walk off the project, taking tens of millions of dollars of investment with them. Among them is China Telecom, which had previously won authorization to provide services in the United States.

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