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☆ Japan's Itochu raises profit forecast on strong machinery business
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Toru Hanai/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 6 (Reuters) - Japanese trading house Itochu (8001.T) posted a 14.5% drop in six-month net profit on Monday but raised its full-fiscal year profit forecast on stronger expectations for its machinery business and the weaker yen. Itochu increased its net profit forecast for the year ending in March 2024 by 20 billion yen to 800 billion yen ($5.4 billion) after weaker coal and iron ore prices resulted in its half-year net profit falling to 412.90 billion yen. "We have raised our full-year profit forecast for the machinery segment, backed by strong performance of automobile, construction machinery and North America's power business," President and Chief Operating Officer Keita Ishii told a news conference. The full-year profit forecast for Itochu's machinery business -- its second-biggest profit contributor after the metals and minerals segment and which makes ship and car parts and industrial machinery -- was increased by 10 billion yen to 115 billion yen. The company also said it will buy back up to 1.2% of its shares, worth 75 billion yen.

Persons: Toru Hanai, Keita Ishii, Ishii, Katya Golubkova, Yuka Obayashi, Kim Coghill, Savio D'Souza Organizations: Itochu, REUTERS, Mitsui, Mitsubishi, Sumitomo, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, China

☆ India's Infosys says US unit hit by cyber security event
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The Infosys logo is seen at the SIBOS banking and financial conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada October 19, 2017. REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBENGALURU, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Indian IT service provider Infosys (INFY.NS) said on Friday its U.S. unit, Infosys McCamish Systems, was impacted by a cyber security event, resulting in the non-availability of certain applications and systems. The company said it is working with a cyber security company to resolve the issue and that it had launched an investigation to identify the potential impact on systems and data. Reporting by Sethuraman NR in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'SouzaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Chris Helgren, Savio D'Souza Organizations: Infosys, REUTERS, Rights, Indian IT, Infosys McCamish Systems, Sethuraman NR, Thomson Locations: Toronto , Ontario, Canada, Indian, Bengaluru

☆ BT maintains 2024 outlook after Q2 core profit beat
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 2 (Reuters) - BT Group (BT.L), Britain's biggest broadband and mobile provider, posted second quarter earnings slightly ahead of forecasts putting it on track to meet 2024 guidance, in one of the outgoing CEO's final announcements. Strong cost controls helped BT post a 3% rise in adjusted core profit (EBITDA) to 2.06 billion pounds ($2.51 billion) for the three months to the end of September, beating the 2.03 billion pounds consensus forecast. "These results show that BT Group is delivering and on target: we're rapidly building and connecting customers to our next generation networks, we're simplifying our products and services," Jansen said in a statement on Thursday. The quarterly result meant BT maintained its outlook to grow revenue and profits for its current 2024 financial year, and the group said it expected free cash flow towards the top end of its 1 billion to 1.2 billion pound range. ($1 = 0.8215 pounds)Reporting by Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru and Sarah Young in London; Editing by Savio D'Souza and James DaveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Allison Kirkby, Sweden's, Philip Jansen, Jansen, Yadarisa, Sarah Young, Savio D'Souza, James Davey Organizations: BT, Britain's, Sweden's Telia, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru, London

☆ AstraZeneca to invest $245 mln in Cellectis to boost gene therapy prospects
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo for AstraZeneca is seen outside its North America headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., March 22, 2021. Cellectis' gene-editing technology and manufacturing capabilities to design novel cell and gene therapy products will help strengthen AstraZeneca's growing offering in the space, it said. AstraZeneca said that as part of the deal, it will pay Cellectis $105 million by the end of this year. That includes an $80 million equity investment, which will be followed by another $140 million in early 2024, which will give AstraZeneca a stake of about 44% in the French company. The Anglo-Swedish pharma company said it had exclusive rights to 25 genetic targets, of which up to 10 candidate products could be explored for development.

Persons: Rachel Wisniewski, Aby Jose Koilparambil, Savio D'Souza Organizations: AstraZeneca, REUTERS, Swedish pharma, Thomson Locations: North America, Wilmington , Delaware, U.S, Swedish, Bengaluru

☆ Toyota pledges $8 billion more for US battery plant to rev up EV push
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Nathan Gomes | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Toyota logo is seen during the New York International Auto Show, in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., April 5, 2023. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 31 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor (7203.T) said on Tuesday it would boost investment by $8 billion and add about 3,000 jobs at its electric-vehicle battery manufacturing plant in North Carolina, accelerating the Japanese automaker's push to electrify its lineup. Toyota's North Carolina facility is set to begin operations in 2025 and will be the company's first automotive battery plant globally. It will have six battery production lines, four supporting hybrid vehicles such as the Prius, and two additional lines to support battery EVs. NORTH CAROLINA HUBNorth Carolina is emerging as a leading hub for electric vehicle and battery manufacturing, with new investments planned by companies ranging from Redwood Materials to Vietnam's Vinfast .

Persons: David, Dee, Delgado, Tesla, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Nathan Gomes, Savio D'Souza, Devika Organizations: New York, REUTERS, Toyota, Ford, General Motors, United Auto Workers union, Tesla, Samsung SDI Co, Panasonic, Chrysler, Stellantis, Materials, North, North Carolina Governor, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, North Carolina, Detroit, NORTH CAROLINA, United States, Bengaluru

☆ A doping free-for-all Enhanced Games calls itself the answer to doping in sports. Opponents say it poses a danger to health
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Molly Stazicker | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +23 min

The Enhanced Games is the brainchild of businessman Aron D’Souza. Aron D'Souza is the founder of the Enhanced Games. But that isn’t the only potential legal jeopardy the Enhanced Games faces, according to American lawyer Jim Walden, who represents Russian whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov. “If you look at the Enhanced Games website, it’s almost as though they’re advertising their disregard of the law,” Walden told CNN Sport. If it goes ahead as planned in December 2024, D’Souza insists that the Enhanced Games will unlock the potential of humanity.

Persons: Dr, Grigory Rodchenkov, –, Rodchenkov, Oscar, Aron D’Souza, ”, D’Souza, “, Raphael Faiss, Faiss, WADA, they’re, Aron D'Souza, ” WADA, Travis Tygart, Jim Walden, ” Walden, Alex Wong, ” Rodchenkov, USADA’s Tygart, ” D’Souza, he’d, “ They’re, Ben Johnson, Johnson, Mike Powell, Pierre de Coubertin –, Ben Johnson –, Eugene, Simona Halep, – Faiss, CNN Roxadustat, Michele Verroken, ” Verroken, Verroken, Hamish Coffey, ’, Brett Fraser, ” Fraser, “ I’ve, I’ll, Jess Ennis, Hill, CNN D’Souza, Trevor Painter, ” Painter, John William Devine, ” Devine, don’t, Martial Saugy Organizations: CNN, Olympics, ”, Testing Agency, ITA, International Olympic Committee, Olympic Games, IOC, CNN Sport, Netflix, Doping Agency, Research, University of Lausanne, United, United States Anti, US Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Sports, Gaming Initiative, “, Games, Seoul, London Games, Bettmann, Athletics Integrity Unit, National Institutes of Health, Sporting Integrity, Australian Olympic, Olympic, United States Patent, Sciences, Swansea University Locations: Paris, United States, Seoul, South Korea, Eugene , Oregon, Cayman Islands, Tokyo, Wales

☆ Weight-loss drug worries add to US restaurants' weak traffic woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Deborah Mary Sophia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Investors' knee-jerk reaction to those comments sent the under-pressure S&P 500 restaurants index (.SPLRCREST) down 1.3% at the time. THE FUNDAMENTALS** On Thursday, Chipotle is expected to report a 4.5% increase in Q3 same-store sales, according to LSEG data, slower both on a year-over-year and a sequential basis. Profit likely rose about 18%. WALL STREET SENTIMENT** The S&P 500 restaurant sub-index (.SPLRCREST) has risen just 0.4% year-to-date, lagging a more than 10% jump in the benchmark S&P 500 (.SPX). Growth in top restaurant stocks has broadly lagged the benchmark S&P 500 indexReporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'SouzaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Peter Saleh, Taco Bell, Wells, Chipotle, Deborah Sophia, Savio D'Souza Organizations: REUTERS, KFC, Yum Brands, Walmart, Conagra, Taco, WALL, Thomson Locations: New York, McDonald's, Wells Fargo, Bengaluru

☆ London stocks slip as downbeat earnings weigh
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The London Stock Exchange Group offices are seen in the City of London, Britain, December 29, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies FTSE 100 down 0.8%, FTSE 250 off 0.6%Oct 26 (Reuters) - The UK's FTSE 100 edged lower on Thursday as Standard Chartered led a slide in bank stocks and Unilever led a drop in consumer shares after the two blue-chip companies posted disappointing earnings. The FTSE 100 (.FTSE) declined 0.8% by 0709 GMT, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 (.FTMC) dipped 0.6%, extending losses to a third straight day. Shares of Standard Chartered (STAN.L) dropped 12.8%, the most on the FTSE 100, after the UK lender flagged a 33% drop in pre-tax profit in the third quarter. The Dove soap maker's shares fell 3.1%, while the personal care, drug and grocery stores index (.FTNMX452010) lost 1.9%.

Persons: Toby Melville, Khushi Singh, Savio D'Souza Organizations: London Stock Exchange Group, City of, REUTERS, Chartered, Unilever, FTSE, Standard Chartered, WPP, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain

☆ UK extends deadline on in-depth probe into Adobe's $20 bln deal for Figma
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Figurines are seen in front of displayed Adobe logo in this illustration taken June 13, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 25 (Reuters) - Britain's competition regulator, on Wednesday, extended by eight weeks the deadline to complete its in-depth probe into Photoshop owner Adobe Inc's (ADBE.O) $20 billion buyout of cloud-based designer platform Figma, to February 2024. The CMA now has until Feb. 25 to conclude its investigation, compared to the earlier deadline of Dec. 27. In September 2022, Adobe announced a cash-and-stock deal for Figma, the biggest buyout of a privately owned software startup. Reporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Savio D'SouzaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Eva Mathews, Sherry Jacob, Phillips, Savio D'Souza Organizations: REUTERS, Adobe, Markets Authority, CMA, Figma, Zoom Video Communications, Airbnb Inc, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Microsoft, OpenAI-backed AI safety forum names first director, plans advisory board
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Frontier Model Forum also said it created a fund to back research into the technology, with initial funding commitments of more than $10 million from its backers and partners. It said its first-ever director would be Chris Meserole, who most recently served as director of AI and emerging technology initiative at the Brookings Institution, a Washington-based think tank. He joins a forum launched in July with a focus on "frontier AI models" that exceed the capabilities present in the most advanced existing models. Industry leaders have warned that such models could have dangerous capabilities sufficient to pose severe risks to public safety. The Frontier Model Forum is backed by ChatGPT-owner OpenAI, Microsoft (MSFT.O), Google's parent Alphabet (GOOGL.O) and AI startup Anthropic.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Chris Meserole, OpenAI, Juby Babu, Savio D'Souza Organizations: REUTERS, Microsoft, Google, Brookings Institution, Industry, Britain, ChatGPT, Thomson Locations: Washington, Bengaluru

☆ Fortive cuts full-year profit forecast
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct, 25 (Reuters) - Fortive (FTV.N), whose industrial measurement equipment and software-enabled automation are used in a range of industries, cut its full-year profit forecast on Wednesday due to inflationary pressures and ongoing supply chain snarls. The company, whose technology is used in industries ranging from hospitals to construction and broadcast to food, now expects full-year earnings per share of $2.30 to $2.33. It had forecast earningws of $2.38 to $2.44 per share earlier. Fortive, like its peers Emerson Electric Co (EMR.N) and Rockwell Automation (ROK.N), has benefited from companies revamping their facilities as labor gets expensive. Reporting by Abhinav Parmar and Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'SouzaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Emerson, Abhinav Parmar, Nathan Gomes, Savio D'Souza Organizations: Emerson Electric Co, Rockwell Automation, EA, Automatik Holdings, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 23, 2023. Google-parent Alphabet (GOOGL.O) slid 6.6% in premarket trading as its cloud business crawled to its slowest growth in at least 11 quarters. Microsoft (MSFT.O), on the other hand, rose 3.9% after topping expectations for first-quarter results in all segments, including its cloud business. Of the 118 S&P 500 companies that have reported so far, 81% have beaten analysts' earnings expectations, LSEG data showed on Tuesday. ET, Dow e-minis were up 47 points, or 0.14%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 13 points, or 0.3%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 78.75 points, or 0.53%.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Danni Hewson, AJ Bell's, Israel, Ankika Biswas, Shashwat Chauhan, Savio D'Souza, Shounak Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Dow, Nasdaq, U.S, Treasury, Google, Microsoft, Apple, Mobile, Dow e, . Federal Reserve, Traders, Texas, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Texas, Gaza, Bengaluru

☆ Sidney Powell pushes claims that 2020 election was rigged and prosecutors 'extorted' her after she pleaded guilty to election interference
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Sidney Powell pleaded guilty to election interference in Georgia's criminal case last week. On social media, she has continued to push claims that the 2020 election was rigged and prosecutors target conservatives. She also shared a post about a survey that claimed many Democrats believe "cheating affected the outcome of the 2020 election." Chesebro and Powell have both pleaded guilty in the Fulton County election interference case. Fulton County sheriff's officeNeither Powell nor a representative for the Fulton County district attorney's office responded to a request for comment.

Persons: Sidney Powell, Powell, —, Joe Biden's, Fani Willis, Willis, Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Jenna Ellis, Trump, Dinesh D'Souza, Dan Bongino, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, D'Souza, Tim Fitton, Fitton, Biden, John Eastman, couldn't, Steve Sadow, Powell's, Mugshots, Kenneth Chesebro, Chesebro, Ronald Carlson, Carlson, Michael Flynn, Trump's, Flynn, Mike Flynn Organizations: Service, Trump, Strike Force, House, Dominion, Twitter, Police, Trump Justice Department, Truth Social, Federalist, University of Georgia School of Law, FBI, Fascist Locations: Georgia, Fulton County, Coffee County, California, Atlanta, Republic, Fulton, United States

☆ Tesla to top $9 bln spending target this year as it rolls out new models
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of Tesla is seen in Taipei, Taiwan August 11, 2017. The company's spending is, however, expected to return to the $7 billion and $9 billion range in the next two years, a regulatory filing showed. He warned that rising interest rates could impact demand at Tesla, on top of a margin-sapping price war this year to maintain sales. Tesla shareholders -- including Gary Black, managing partner of The Future Fund, which owns Tesla stock -- have been calling for the automaker to advertise, saying that price cuts have only had a limited impact on demand. Reporting by Aditya Soni and Juby Babu; Editing by Maju Samuel and Savio D'SouzaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, Tesla, Elon Musk, Musk, Gary Black, Aditya Soni, Juby Babu, Maju Samuel, Savio D'Souza Organizations: Tesla, REUTERS, Fund, Thomson Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Mexico

While enterprise demand stabilized for legacy products, that has not extended to cloud computing, the mainstay for Microsoft and Amazon. Alphabet and Meta are set to benefit from an uptick in digital ad sales ahead of the holiday-shopping season. Last month, media research and investment firm Magna raised its forecast for U.S. ad spending growth to 5.2%, from 4.2%, for calendar 2023. Reuters GraphicsAmazon, however, is expected to be shielded by strong retail sales, thanks to a strong labor market. Meta reports on Wednesday and Apple will round off Big Tech earnings with results next week, on Nov. 2.

Persons: Gil Luria, It's, Rishi Jaluria, Yuvraj Malik, Zaheer Kachwala, Sayantani Ghosh, Savio D'Souza Organizations: Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, D.A, RBC Capital, Nvidia, RBC, Google Services, Magna, Amazon Web Services, Reuters Graphics, Big Tech, Thomson Locations: Davidson, Bengaluru

☆ Disney nears deal to sell $10-bln valued India business to Reliance -Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

However, Disney may now sell a controlling stake in the business to Reliance, the Mukesh Ambani-controlled conglomerate whose streaming platform's success has weighed on the U.S. company's Indian business, Bloomberg reported. Reliance, whose broadcast venture Viacom18 runs JioCinema, values Disney's India assets, which comprises the Disney+ Hotstar streaming service and Star India, at between $7 billion and $8 billion, the report said. The enterprise value of the India business, Disney's biggest last year globally by users, was seen at around $15 billion to 16 billion when Disney took over Fox's business. The deal could be announced as early as next month, although no final decision has been made and Disney could still decide to hold onto the assets, Bloomberg reported. JioCinema has put increased pressure on Disney India and other streaming platforms, with Ambani marketing the platform by offering free access to the Indian Premier League cricket tournament, digital rights of which were earlier with Disney.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Gautam Adani, Kalanithi Maran, Mukesh Ambani, JioCinema, Ambani, OTT, Karan Taurani, Taurani, Varun Vyas, Rama Venkat, Savio D'Souza Organizations: Disney, REUTERS, Rights, Reliance Industries, Bloomberg, Reuters, Sun TV Network, Blackstone, Reliance, Star India, Disney's, Disney India, Indian Premier League cricket, Elara Securities, Thomson Locations: India, Bengaluru

REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department has sought documents and issued subpoenas to Tesla (TSLA.O) as it scrutinizes the automaker's driver assistance system Autopilot and vehicle driving range, among other issues, the company said on Monday. Tesla said in a regulatory filing it has received requests for information "including subpoenas, from the DOJ. These have included requests for documents related to Tesla’s Autopilot and FSD features" and other requests "associated with personal benefits, related parties, vehicle range and personnel decisions." Reuters reported in October 2022 that Tesla was under a Justice Department criminal investigation over claims the company's electric vehicles can drive themselves, citing people familiar with the matter. The company's spending is, however, expected to return to the $7 billion to $9 billion range in the next two years, a regulatory filing showed.

Persons: Mike Blake, Tesla, Elon Musk, Musk, Aditya Soni, Juby Babu, David Shepardson, Maju Samuel, Savio D'Souza, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Tesla, Beta, REUTERS, U.S . Justice Department, DOJ, Reuters, Justice Department, Street, Chief, Traffic, Administration, Thomson Locations: Encinitas , California, U.S, Mexico

☆ Elon Musk's X to launch premium subscriptions soon
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo for social media platform X, following the rebranding of Twitter, is seen covering the old logo in this illustration taken, July 24, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 20 (Reuters) - Elon Musk said on Friday social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, will soon launch two new tiers of premium subscriptions. Earlier this week, the company started charging new users $1 in New Zealand and the Philippines as a test case for accessing the platform. Musk has acknowledged that the platform has taken a hit on revenue and has blamed activists for pressuring advertisers. To generate revenue, Musk started charging $8 per month for the blue check subscription service and tried to woo advertisers back to X with offers of discounts.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Elon Musk, Musk, Gursimran Kaur, Supantha Mukherjee, Savio D'Souza, Jason Neely Organizations: Twitter, REUTERS, Supantha, Thomson Locations: New Zealand, Philippines, Bengaluru, Stockholm

☆ Tesla raises US price of Model X Plaid all-wheel drive by 5.6%
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A Tesla Model X electric vehicle is shown in this picture illustration taken in Moscow, Russia July 23, 2020. Picture taken July 23, 2020. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 19 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O) has increased the price of its Model X Plaid all-wheel drive to $94,990 from $89,990 in the United States, the electric vehicle maker's website showed on Thursday. Higher financing costs meant the price of the popular Model Y SUV was "almost unchanged" for consumers despite price cuts, Musk said. Earlier this month, Tesla cut prices for its Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in the U.S.

Persons: Evgenia, Elon Musk, Tesla, Musk, Chandni Shah, Sohini Goswami, Savio D'Souza Organizations: Tesla, REUTERS, Plaid, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, United States, Bengaluru

☆ Chinese-owned pork producer Smithfield prepares for US listing -WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A painted pig stands on the lawn of Smithfield Foods executive offices in Smithfield, Virginia May 30, 2013. REUTERS/Rich-Joseph Facun/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 18 (Reuters) - Smithfield Foods' Chinese owner WH Group (0288.HK) is working with banks to take the U.S.-based pork producer public again in the United States, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Smithfield could list its shares as early as next year, the WSJ reported, adding the deliberations are ongoing and the timing could change. Smithfield and WH Group did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. WH Group bought Smithfield in 2013 in a $4.7-billion deal aimed at tapping the massive supplies of U.S. meat for export to China.

Persons: Joseph Facun, Rishabh, Savio D'Souza Organizations: Smithfield Foods, REUTERS, WH, Wall Street, WSJ, WH Group, Missouri Worker, Thomson Locations: Smithfield , Virginia, HK, U.S, United States, Smithfield, China . Virginia, Missouri, Bengaluru

☆ UBS pushes out S&P 500 mid-2024 target forecast to year-end
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A logo of Swiss bank UBS is seen in Zurich, Switzerland March 29, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 16 (Reuters) - UBS said it now expects the S&P 500 (.SPX) to hit 4,700 points only by December 2024, instead of the middle of the year as it forecast earlier, due to expectations of higher-for-longer U.S. interest rates. "The delay ... is primarily related to the recent rapid move higher in interest rates and ... expectations that interest rates will remain higher for longer," said David Lefkowitz, head of chief investment office, U.S. equities, UBS. The fear of higher-for-longer rates has pushed the S&P 500 down about 6% from this year's highs hit late in July. Reporting by Reshma Rockie George and Susan Mathew in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'SouzaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Denis Balibouse, David Lefkowitz, Lefkowitz, Reshma Rockie George, Susan Mathew, Savio D'Souza Organizations: Swiss, UBS, REUTERS, The Federal, Thomson Locations: Zurich, Switzerland, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Vista Outdoor to sell sporting products unit in $1.91 bln deal, cuts sales forecast
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 16 (Reuters) - Vista Outdoor (VSTO.N) said on Monday it would sell its sporting products business in a $1.91 billion deal, although its shares tumbled about 20% in early trading after it cut its full-year sales forecast. The all-cash sale of the sporting products unit, which includes its guns and ammunition business, to privately held Czechoslovak Group a.s. (CSG) is expected to close next calendar year, Vista Outdoor said. Earlier this month, Vista spun off its outdoor products segment, which includes helmets and water bottles, into a separate publicly traded company called Revelyst as part of its previously announced plan. Vista said in a call with analysts and investors that the separation of its sporting and outdoor goods units will be formalized at the closing of its deal with CSG. CSG said it plans to take $1.11 billion of debt financing to fund the deal with Vista Outdoor.

Persons: Andy Keegan, Vista, Fiocchi Munizioni, Juveria Tabassum, Jason Hovet, Jan Lopatka, Savio D'Souza, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: Vista, CSG, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Prague

The British company gets most of its revenue from the smartphone market, in which it has a 99% share across Google's Android and Apple's iOS devices. Arm shares last closed at $54.08, compared with the IPO price of $51. Such growth would benefit SoftBank, which told investors ahead of the Arm IPO that it plans to remain the majority owner in the company it considers its crown jewel. But some brokerages, including HSBC, urged caution, saying Arm's shares could remain range-bound as uncertainty over a smartphone market recovery pressures earnings. At least 17 brokerages started covering Arm, with an average rating of "buy" and a median price target of $63.50.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Goldman Sachs, TD Cowen, Roshan Abraham, Savio D'Souza, Anil D'Silva, Shounak Organizations: REUTERS, Holdings, Wall Street, SoftBank, J.P.Morgan, British, Citi, Deutsche Bank, Rosenblatt Securities, Philadelphia Semiconductors, HSBC, Thomson Locations: brokerages, Philadelphia, Bengaluru

Arm shares last closed at $54.08, about two dollars below their IPO price. TD Cowen said Arm faces some challenges from the weak smartphone market, but its current revenue represented an "under-monetization of its importance to the industry". Such growth would benefit SoftBank, which told investors ahead of the Arm IPO that it plans to remain the majority owner in the company it considers its crown jewel. But some brokerages, including HSBC, urged caution, saying Arm's shares could remain range-bound as uncertainty over a smartphone market recovery pressures earnings. But by 8 am ET on Monday, at least 15 brokerages started covering Arm with a mean rating of "buy" and a $60 median price target.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Morgan, Goldman Sachs, TD Cowen, Roshan Abraham, Savio D'Souza, Anil D'Silva Organizations: REUTERS, Arm Holdings, SoftBank, Citi, Deutsche Bank, Mizuho, HSBC, Thomson Locations: brokerages, British, J.P, Morgan, Bengaluru

☆ Activist investor Peltz boost Disney stake, seeks board seat for himself -WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A vehicle drives through the main gate at The Walt Disney Studios the day after the Writers Guild of America (WGA) announced it reached a preliminary labor agreement with major studios in Burbank, California, U.S., September 25, 2023. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 8 (Reuters) - Nelson Peltz's Trian Fund Management has increased its stake in Disney (DIS.N) and the activist investor is expected to request multiple board seats, including for himself, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. Trian is now one of Disney's largest investors with a stake worth upward of $2.5 billion after boosting its stake to more than 30 million shares, from roughly 6.4 million shares at the end of the second quarter, the WSJ reported. Trian thinks Disney shares are significantly undervalued and that the company needs a more focused board, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. Disney and Trian did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment.

Persons: Mario Anzuoni, Nelson, Trian, Peltz, Bob Iger, Urvi, Krishna Chandra Eluri, Savio D'Souza 私たち Organizations: Walt Disney Studios, Writers Guild of America, REUTERS, Management, Disney, Wall Street Locations: Burbank , California, U.S, Bengaluru

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