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☆ Main street confidence dips to all-time low, survey finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Kate Rogers | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMain street confidence dips to all-time low, survey findsCNBC's Kate Rogers joins 'Squawk Box' to break down the latest CNBC/SurveyMonkey Small Business Survey results for the third quarter.

Persons: Kate Rogers Organizations: CNBC

REUTERS/Henry NichollsNEW YORK, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Private equity firm Symphony Technology Group (STG) is nearing a deal to acquire media editing software maker Avid Technology Inc (AVID.O) for close to $1.4 billion, including debt, according to people familiar with the matter. Palo Alto, California-based STG is a mid-market private equity firm focused on technology investments. Earlier this year, STG struck a deal to take Momentive Global Inc, the parent company of SurveyMonkey, private in a $1.5 billion deal. STG currently manages about $10 billion of assets and has invested in more than 50 companies in the technology industry. Reporting by Milana Vinn and Anirban Sen in New York; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tom Cruise, Jennifer Connelly, Henry Nicholls, STG, Milana Vinn, Anirban Sen, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Technology, Avid Technology Inc, Avid, Reuters, Impactive, Momentive, Inc, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Burlington , Massachusetts, Palo Alto , California, New York

NEW YORK, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Symphony Technology Group (STG) and Francisco Partners are among the private equity firms competing to acquire media editing software maker Avid Technology Inc (AVID.O), according to people familiar with the matter. Avid, Goldman and Francisco Partners declined to comment. Palo Alto-based STG is a mid-market private equity firm focused on technology investments. Francisco Partners is a prolific tech investor, which has raised over $45 billion to date. Earlier this week, Francisco Partners teamed up with TPG Inc (TPG.O) to acquire New Relic (NEWR.N) for $6.5 billion.

Persons: Goldman, STG, Palo, Francisco, Milana Vinn, Anirban Sen, Sharon Singleton, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Symphony Technology, Francisco Partners, Avid Technology Inc, Avid, Goldman Sachs, Reuters, Momentive, Inc, TPG Inc, Impactive, Thomson Locations: Burlington , Massachusetts, Palo Alto, New York

☆ With A.I., top CFOs are more likely to see it as a job destroyer
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

But given the choice of potential futures, just 18% of CFOs say they see AI as a job creator. But given the same choice as CFOs making the financial and cost decisions for companies, tech executives are the ones more likely to have an optimistic view. Another 18% said their firms are planning no new AI investments. For tech executives, AI is the clear priority. "My first reaction was one of horror," Higgins said of the 18% of CFO respondents who said their firms are planning no new AI investments.

Persons: CFOs, Matt Higgins, CNBC's, Higgins Organizations: Workers, CNBC, SurveyMonkey, CNBC Technology, RSE Ventures

☆ Majority of workers not worried A.I. will make their job obsolete, CNBC survey finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Sharon Epperson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMajority of workers not worried A.I. will make their job obsolete, CNBC survey findsCNBC’s Sharon Epperson joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the results from the latest CNBC/SurveyMonkey Workforce Survey.

Persons: A.I, CNBC’s Sharon Epperson Organizations: CNBC, SurveyMonkey, Survey

☆ Nvidia invests in Google-linked generative A.I. startup Cohere
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Natalie Rose Goldberg | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Cohere, an enterprise-focused generative artificial intelligence startup, has raised $270 million in a Series C round of venture capital which includes AI giant Nvidia as an investor. In the new Cohere round, Oracle and Salesforce were also investors. Cohere is one of the companies that the new Salesforce Ventures generative AI fund is investing in. "We want to build that toolkit that's accessible to any dev," co-founder and CEO Aidan Gomez told CNBC in June 2022. Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang expressed confidence in Cohere, saying in a press release announcing the funding, "The team at Cohere has made foundational contributions to generative AI.

Persons: OpenAI, Cohere, Aidan Gomez, Gomez, Nick Frosst, Jensen Huang, DTCP Organizations: Nvidia, Oracle, Microsoft, CNBC, Google, Google Research, Inovia Capital, Schroders, Thomvest Ventures, Ventures Locations: CoreWeave, Cohere

☆ Inflation top concern for small business owners, new CNBC survey finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Kate Rogers | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailInflation top concern for small business owners, new CNBC survey findsCNBC's Kate Rogers joins 'Squawk Box' to break down the results from the latest CNBC/SurveyMonkey Small Business Survey.

The remainder was equity checks by the private equity firms. Typically, debt accounts for between 60% and 80% of the deal consideration, allowing the buyout firms to juice returns. REFINANCING RISKTo be sure, a handful of private equity firms have already been accustomed to this kind of refinancing risk. An upside to the shift toward equity financing, dealmakers say, is that the companies owned by the private equity firms have more cushion to absorb losses if their business deteriorates. Many of the leveraged buyouts that became bankruptcies in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis were the result of private equity firms saddling companies with debt to the hilt.

☆ Nearly half of small businesses say the recession has already started
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailNearly half of small businesses say the recession has already startedSmall business owners across the U.S. remain pessimistic about the economy, with almost half saying we're in a recession now and three-quarters saying inflation has not peaked yet and they have little confidence in the Fed, according to the CNBC|SurveyMonkey Small Business Survey for Q1 2023. CNBC's Yasmin Khorram reports.

☆ American small business pessimism on recession, inflation, isn't relenting
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Eric Rosenbaum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

That's according to the CNBC|SurveyMonkey Small Business Survey for the first quarter of 2023. The Q1 survey was conducted from Jan. 23-Jan. 30 among over 2,300 small business owners across the country. "Small business owners have a more difficult time gaining benefits of economies of scale," said Holly Wade, executive director of the NFIB Research Center, whose own recent surveying of small business owners finds persistent pessimism. The new CNBC|SurveyMonkey data finds 75% of small business owners saying they are still facing rising costs of supplies and just over half (51%) supply chain disruptions. Politics is a factor in Main Street outlook Politics plays a role in any small business survey, with a demographic that skews conservative.

☆ Here are the 34 tech companies most likely to be snapped up by private equity firms like Vista and Thoma Bravo in 2023, according to bankers and market data
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Ben Bergman | Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +22 min

With a stock price down 45% in the last year, though, it may soon find itself on the other side of the table. But it has $732 million in cash on hand, with zero debt, and analysts are projecting 16% revenue growth. This year, though, Varonis has come back to earth — its stock price has sunk over 57% in the last 12 months. However, with strong projected 2023 revenue growth of 18.6%, Zuora remains a strong target for PE firms. Its stock price has been hammered, going down about 40% this year and making it the subject of mergers-and-acquisitions chatter.

☆ Behind a Wall Street headhunter's rapid ascent lie accusations of harassment and abuse
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Alex Morrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +38 min

"It was a complete whirlwind, and it felt too good to be true," Morrison told Insider. "Everyone is given a calendar reminder of when they have to submit a review," one former employee told Insider. Durlston told Insider she wasn't a credible source given the acrimonious nature of her departure from Durlston. "Everyone gets pretty loose at these events," a former employee told Insider, noting the availability of alcohol throughout the day. Bahram told Insider this was not a prohibition but merely a suggestion that it would not be an appropriate arrangement.

☆ FBI says $7 billion lost in criminal cyberattacks, and most victims were small businesses
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Small and medium-sized businesses face a big threat from cyberattacks and hackers, according to a special agent in the FBI's cyber division. "Unfortunately, the majority of those victims were small businesses," Sohn told CNBC's Frank Holland. But even as small businesses are increasingly being targeted by hackers and cyber criminals, CNBC and SurveyMonkey data has shown that most small business owners are not concerned. Sohn said his key message for small and medium-sized business owners was to stay vigilant. Here are some of the pointers from Sohn for small and medium-sized business owners to make sure their basic cybersecurity practices are up to date.

☆ Here are the 34 tech companies most likely to be on the holiday shopping lists of private-equity firms after valuations plunged this year, according to bankers and private data
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Ben Bergman | Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +22 min

☆ Economists think inflation has peaked. Main Street is preparing for more pain
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

An overwhelming majority (78%) of America's entrepreneurs say they expect inflation to continue to rise, according to the quarterly CNBC|SurveyMonkey Small Business Survey. That is effectively unchanged from last quarter when 77% said they expected inflation to continue to rise. Regardless of the economic tailwinds, inflation remains top of mind for small business owners. More small business owners (45%) now say inflation is the biggest risk to their business than tracked in any of the previous recent quarterly survey. The CNBC|SurveyMonkey Small Business Survey for Q4 2022 was conducted Nov. 9-Nov. 16 among nearly 2,600 small business owners.

☆ For the first time in his presidency, Biden's approval rating on Main Street goes up
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Eric Rosenbaum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Carlo Allegri | ReutersIt may not have increased by much, and it's rising from an all-time low, but for the first time during his presidency, Joe Biden's approval rating on Main Street has gone up. The CNBC|SurveyMonkey Small Business Survey for Q4 2022 was conducted Nov. 9-Nov. 16 among nearly 2,600 small business owners. Biden's approval rating still remains heavily partisan: Just 8% of small business owners who are Republican approve of President Biden. "This is the first quarter of Biden's presidency where we've seen any improvement whatsoever in Biden's approval among small business owners, so it's important because it breaks the trend," said Laura Wronski, senior manager of research science at Momentive. Small business owners are more confident this quarter than last, with the overall survey reading moving up modestly and fears of recession declining quarter over quarter.

☆ Main Street says America has dodged recession so far, but economic downturn is coming
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Laura Wronski | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Signals from the economy are mixed, but the answer from small business owners has changed significantly from three months ago. In the latest quarterly CNBC|SurveyMonkey Small Business Survey, just under half of small business owners (49%) say we're currently experiencing a recession and another 9% expect a recession to occur before the end of the year. In the most recent data, 58% of Republicans, 48% of independents, and 31% of Democrats who are small business owners say "we're already in a recession." Small businesses prepared for downturnSmall business owners are realistic about the current economic prospects. Most small business owners (61%) say their business is prepared to withstand a recession if one were to occur.

☆ Fewer small business owners believe US is in a recession, survey finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFewer small business owners believe US is in a recession, survey findsAmerica's small business owners are now less likely to say the economy is in a recession, according to a new CNBC survey with SurveyMonkey.

☆ Chattermill helps Amazon and Uber understand customer feedback across social media and review sites. Check out the 14-slide pitch deck it used to raise a $26 million Series B.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

London-based Chattermill has raised $26 million to analyze customer feedback for big firms. Isupov had been working at a market research company, manually looking at customer feedback and brand perception. That essentially is a huge waste of opportunity because there is a lot of amazing insight in that data," Dubov added. As well as scraping internet data, Chattermill plugs into SurveyMonkey, Typeform, and Qualtrics. It is honoring some signed contracts with Russian customers, of which none are Kremlin-affiliated or on a sanctions list, Dubov said.

☆ Another tech bubble bursts: 2022 has been brutal for Silicon Valley workers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( David Ingram | David Ingram Covers Tech For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +28 min

Gem: 100A maker of recruiting software, the startup cut a third of its workforce Nov. 1, The Information reported. HealthCare.com: 149The health insurance marketplace announced the job cuts Aug. 3, Miami Inno reported, citing state regulatory filings. Fabric: 120The robotics startup said July 13 that it was layoffing off 40% of them, TechCrunch reported, citing company confirmation. It affected about 300 people, the Silicon Valley Business Journal reported, citing company confirmation. Policygenius: 170The online insurance company cut about 25% of its staff, Axios reported June 6, citing company confirmation.

☆ Inflation? Recession? Starting Black Friday, holiday shoppers are planning to spend
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Eric Rosenbaum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"People are pretty consistent on how much they expect to spend on holiday shopping," said Laura Wronski, senior manager of research science at Momentive. The survey results reveal the consumer divide in the economy, with spending concerns more prevalent at lower income levels. 1 shopping holiday The survey has consistently found that the hype around shopping holidays is often higher than the actual excitement among consumers. 1 shopping holiday that Americans say they will spend on. One in five (21%) are "most excited" to go shopping on Black Friday, almost double the consumers planning to shop on Cyber Monday (12%).

☆ Zendesk goes private in $10 bln deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

As part of the deal, Zendesk shareholders received $77.50 per share in cash. Proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) had backed the deal, which Zendesk shareholders approved in September. Jana had pushed for the sale after San Francisco-based Zendesk failed to buy SurveyMonkey parent Momentive Global Inc (MNTV.O) in a $3.9 billion deal. The Momentive deal fell through after it was rejected by Zendesk shareholders. In August, Light Street Capital Management, which manages funds that own more than 2% of Zendesk, said it would vote against the private equity deal and proposed that Zendesk remain a standalone public company and find a new top boss.

Nationally, 51% said they would vote for the Democratic candidate if the election for House were being held today and 49% said they would vote for the Republican candidate. A deeper analysis of state-level results reveal concerns for Democrats in several critical states where the party is trying to gain or hold Senate seats. For voters who identify as Democrat or Republican, their ballots break down as expected — 97% of Democrats say they’ll vote for the Democratic candidate and 97% of Republicans say they’ll vote for the Republican. There are differences across party lines, and critically, priorities of independent voters are closer to those of Republicans than Democrats. Analyses of subgroups of states were weighted according to population targets in those states.

Tim Michels, the Republican nominee in Wisconsin’s race for governor, can’t keep his messaging straight on abortion rights — a top issue in the state and nationally. But in recent days, he has done just that — offering support for policies less hard-line than the 1849 law, while continuing to insist his position hadn't changed. The remark stands in stark contrast to comments Michels made during the primary, too, when he called the law an “exact mirror" of his own personal position on abortion rights. While Michels’ latest comment appears to further soften his position on abortion, the governor doesn’t actually have the power to arrest or charge anyone under the 1849 or any other law. In September, just days after pledging to not soften his position, Michels said he would support an abortion ban that includes exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest.

A month before the midterm elections, most Americans say abortion is important to their vote. Ninety percent of Americans who identify as Democrats or leaning Democrat, 78 % of independents and 74 % of Republican and Republican-leaning Americans say abortion matters at the voting booth. Nine in 10 Americans think a pregnant woman should be able to legally have an abortion if her health is seriously endangered by the pregnancy. Aggregating the states where abortion is legal, 88 % of Americans think abortion should be legal in the case of rape or incest. Two-thirds of Americans also said they think abortion regulations should be determined by public referendum rather than by elected officials or judges.

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