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☆ Google Connects A.I. Chatbot Bard to YouTube, Gmail and More Facts
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Nico Grant | More About Nico Grant | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In March, Google released an artificial intelligence chatbot called Bard. It was Google’s answer to OpenAI’s hugely popular ChatGPT. Within weeks, Google revamped the tool with upgraded technology, but ChatGPT continued to be the chatbot that captured the public’s attention. On Tuesday, Google unveiled a plan to leapfrog ChatGPT by connecting Bard to its most popular consumer services, such as Gmail, Docs and YouTube. Though Bard has not received as much attention as ChatGPT, Google’s A.I.

Persons: Bard, ChatGPT, Google’s Organizations: Google Locations: Bard, Similarweb

☆ These are the 11 sectors that comprise the S&P 500 — and the stocks we own in each
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +28 min

.GSPF YTD mountain S & P 500 Financials Sector YTD performance Club stocks in the Financials sector: Morgan Stanley ( MS): The bank's services include investment banking, wealth management and investment management. Communication Services Sector market weight: 8.85% Market cap: $3.3 trillion YTD performance: up 44.5% Industries: Diversified telecommunication services; entertainment; interactive media & services; media; wireless telecommunication services. .GSPTS YTD mountain S & P 500 Communication Services Sector YTD performance Club stocks in the Communication Services sector: Walt Disney (DIS): The entertainment giant reported another mixed quarter last month, even against low expectations. Real estate Sector market weight: 2.44% Market cap: $909 billion YTD performance: up 0.9% Industries: Equity real estate investment trusts; real estate management & development. .SPLRCR YTD mountain S & P 500 Real Estate Sector YTD performance While we don't own any real estate stocks, investors have historically invested in the sector for its reliable cash flow from income-generating properties.

Persons: Jim Cramer's, Jim, Salesforce, reenergized, Marc Benioff, Wolfe, Palo, Eli Lilly, Cantor Fitzgerald, Bausch, bioprocessing, Morgan Stanley, Morgan Stanley's, Eaton Vance, Wells Fargo, Wells, TJX, Wynn, Locker, We've, Mary Dillon, Walt Disney, Bob Iger's, Emerson, Davidson, Vimal Kapur, Stanley Black, Decker, Estee Lauder, Gillette —, Elliott, Coterra, Linde, Jim Cramer, Mandel Ngan Organizations: Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust, CNBC, Club, Technology Sector, Industries, Communications, Technology, Information Technology, Apple, Wedbush Securities, Microsoft, UBS, Deutsche Bank, Nvidia, Broadcom, VMware, Palo Alto Networks, Wolfe Research, Palo Alto, Oracle, Mizuho, Amazon Web Services, Google, Health Care, Biotechnology, Health, Bausch Health, Leerink Partners, GE Healthcare Technologies, General Electric, GE, Financials, Bank of America, United Auto Workers, Detroit, Ford, Starbucks, TJX, Marshalls, Wynn Resorts, WYNN, Communication Services, Communication, Hollywood, Charter Communications, Disney, JMP Securities, Facebook, Industrials, Aerospace, Emerson, Caterpillar, Honeywell, Consumer Staples Sector, Consumer, Consumer Staples, Costco Wholesale, Procter & Gamble, Gillette, Constellation Brands, Corona, Modelo, Pacifico, Elliott Management, Energy Sector, Energy, Coterra Energy, Natural Resources, West Texas, Utilities Sector, Electric, Companies, Sempra Energy, Materials, Chemicals, Linde, LIN, DuPont, Sector, Equity, Real, Jim Cramer's Charitable, New York Stock Exchange, AFP, Getty Locations: U.S, FactSet, bioprocessing, Wells Fargo, China, Maxx, Macao, Asia, Pacifico —, California, Texas

☆ Disney’s battle with Charter could pose an existential threat to the cable bundle
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —It’s a carriage fight that could lead to the dismantling — or revolution — of the cable television bundle. Charter argues that it is paying a premium for Disney content ($2.2 billion in 2023), but that much of the first-class, buzzy content is actually on platforms like Disney+, not the linear channels. And it says it has proposed “creative ways” to make Disney’s DTC offerings available to Charter subscribers. But, in Disney’s eyes, why would it give away access to its expensive DTC content at no additional cost to Charter subscribers? “The Walt Disney Company and Charter have the opportunity to work together on transforming the industry for the long-term benefit of both companies and their customers,” Charter said.

Persons: CNN —, Disney, “, Bob Iger, Chris Winfrey, ” Organizations: CNN, Disney, Charter Communications, US, NFL, ABC, ESPN, Labor, Charter, Warner Bros, Paramount, Comcast, Fox Corporation, Hulu, FuboTV, Walt Disney Company, ”

☆ Why Charter and Disney Are Fighting, and What It Means for Viewers
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Benjamin Mullin | More About Benjamin Mullin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

On its surface, the quarrel is about how much Disney can charge Charter for its content, and how much Charter’s customers will pay for access to Disney’s streaming apps. Charter is positioning the blackout of Disney’s channels, including ESPN, as a fight over the future of TV. Disney has said it has “proposed creative ways to make Disney’s direct-to-consumer services available to their Spectrum TV subscribers.”How has Disney responded? Until Disney and Charter reach an agreement, the company’s TV channels, including ESPN, will be dark for the 15 million people who subscribe to Charter’s Spectrum service. There’s a chance that with Disney’s channels on Spectrum going dark, Charter’s customers might just cancel their subscriptions and opt for alternatives.

Persons: Disney, “, There’s Organizations: Disney, Media, ESPN, Spectrum, ABC, Charter, U.S, Disney Channel, YouTube, U.S . Locations: Disney’s

☆ Your boarding pass and weight, please: Why airlines are asking passengers to step on the scales
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | Marylou Costa | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Starting Monday, passengers flying on Korean Air may be asked to step on a scale before boarding their flight. Is it reasonable to weigh passengers? "Fuel is 20 times more than the passenger weight," he said. Where airlines weigh passengersAir New Zealand weighed passengers in June for reasons, it said, related to safety and fuel efficiency. Commercial airline seating is based on average passenger weight from the 1950s to 1970s, Hilderman said.

Persons: —, Vance Hilderman, Shem Malmquist, Hilderman, we're, Jose Silva, Finnair, Nick Gausling, Gausling, Tigress Osborn, Jodi Jacobson Organizations: Korean, Korean Air, CNBC, Gimpo, Incheon Airport, Bombardier, Embraer, Aviation, Istock, Florida Tech's College of Aeronautics, Transport & Health, RMIT University's School of Engineering, U.S . Federal Aviation Administration, New Zealand, Hawaiian Air, Samoa Air, Reuters, Flyers, European Union Aviation Safety Agency, International Civil Aviation Organization, Romy Group, National Association Locations: Honolulu, American Samoa, United States, Europe

☆ Florida Officials Warn of Fuel Contamination as Idalia Approaches
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Rebecca Carballo | More About Rebecca Carballo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Floridians face “potentially widespread” fuel contamination along the state’s Gulf Coast that could damage vehicles as Tropical Storm Idalia approaches and residents potentially face evacuation orders, state officials said a day after the governor declared a state of emergency for the storm. Fuel purchased after 10 a.m. on Saturday at stations at the Port of Tampa supplied by Citgo has a strong chance of being contaminated, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said on Sunday. The contamination happened through the accidental mixing of diesel and gasoline, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida said at a news conference on Sunday. “They put diesel in tanks that were supposed to be regular gas.”

Persons: Idalia, Citgo, Ron DeSantis, ”, “ Organizations: Fuel, Port, Florida Department of Agriculture, Consumer Services, Gov Locations: Tampa, Florida

The ONS said falling gas and electricity prices were the biggest driver behind the drop in inflation, while food price inflation also eased. Despite the drop in the headline figure, Britain retains one of the highest rates of price growth in Western Europe, with only Iceland and Austria suffering higher inflation. The BoE is watching core inflation - which strips out volatile food and energy prices - and consumer services prices closely. Services inflation picked up to 7.4% from 7.2% in June. Financial markets on Wednesday showed a roughly two-thirds chance that the BoE's Bank Rate will hit 6% in February, up from 5.25% now.

Persons: Phil Noble, BoE, Sterling, Ruth Gregory, Jeremy Hunt, Andy Bruce, William Schomberg Organizations: REUTERS, Bank of, National Statistics, U.S, ONS, Bank, Capital Economics, Financial, Manufacturers, Thomson Locations: Altrincham, Britain, Bank of England, Western Europe, Iceland, Austria, BoE's

☆ US FTC fines Experian unit for spamming consumers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Experian logo is seen on a smartphone in front of displayed stock graph in this illustration taken, December 1, 2021. The accord also requires it to stop sending marketing emails that lack an opt-out mechanism. In a statement, Experian said its marketing emails now include an "Email Preferences Center" that goes beyond the changes sought by the FTC. "Although we disagree with the FTC's allegations, the agreement allows us to move forward and continue to focus on serving consumers the best way possible," Experian said. The case is U.S. v. ConsumerInfo.com Inc, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, No.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, ConsumerInfo.com, Samuel Levine, Experian, Jonathan Stempel, Richard Chang Organizations: REUTERS, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Experian Consumer Services, ConsumerInfo.com Inc, Court, District of, Thomson Locations: Costa Mesa , California, California, Los Angeles, District, District of California, New York

☆ Goldman names China stocks set for a bounce — and 2 make its list of top buy-rated picks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Goldman Sachs has identified a number of Chinese stocks to buy after the government announced a number of major fiscal stimulus measures this week. The bank added that it expects Chinese stocks to "trade better" in the coming months. Goldman screened for buy-rated stocks in several areas related to China's policy announcement, including internet giants Tencent and JD , as well as its medical platform JD Health . In real estate, Goldman is buy-rated on property software company Beike and on mobile components company BYD Electronic as well as online recruitment firm Kanzhun . Search engine giant Baidu and drinks company China Resources Beer are also picks of the bank, and appear on its Asia-Pacific conviction list of top buy-rated stocks.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Kinger Lau, Goldman, — CNBC's Michael Bloom, Clement Tan Organizations: country's Communist Party, Tencent, Baidu, China Resources Locations: China, Asia

☆ Melania Trump started a scholarship program called 'Fostering the Future,' but no charity with that name is registered in New York or Florida
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Sonam Sheth | John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Former first lady Melania Trump started a scholarship program called "Fostering the Future" last year. One person who said he received funds from the program told The Times he got it through a friend who knows the Trumps. But there's no charity with that name registered in New York or Florida, The New York Times reported. A person familiar with the scholarship program told the paper that "more than two" scholarships have been awarded as part of the program but did not provide further details. There was no indication of how much money would be retained by Melania Trump, per the newspaper.

Persons: Melania Trump, Lady Melania Trump, Trump, Michael Weitzman, Weitzman, Melania Organizations: Times, Service, The New York Times, White, Fox News, Fox, Bradley Impact Fund, Consumer Services, Division of Consumer Services Locations: New York, Florida, Wall, Silicon, The

☆ AI-Targeted Internet Advertisements Fueling Looming Addiction Crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Albert Fox Cahn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

A new breed of direct-to-consumer services is aggressively using targeted ads to sell habit-forming medications. In short, AI and surveillance capitalism, which empower today's targeted ads, have joined forces with the deadly OxyContin playbook. As the Journal reported, after ADHD medications grew to 20% of the VC-funded company's business, driving a $4.8 billion valuation, things came crashing to earth. We as a society may have come to accept being stalked by targeted ads, but consequences are much graver when the product itself is a danger. But above all, we need rules that ban targeted ads for drugs that can get patients hooked.

Persons: Taylor Swift, they're, haven't, Van Zee, OxyContin, prescribers, Dr, David Sack, Anthony Yeung, recreationally, Yann Poncin, shih, Ryan Haight, Ryan Haight Act's, Albert Fox Cahn Organizations: Circle, Purdue, American, of Public Health, Sackler family's pharma, Physicians, Yale School of Medicine, Bloomberg, Drug Enforcement Agency, Department of Health, Human Services, Ryan, Twitter, FDA Locations: Canadian, California, United States, New Zealand, New York

Recent inflation data points to a strong economy that could propel the S & P 500 to break the 5,000-point threshold by the end of 2023, according to Peter Essele, head of portfolio management for Commonwealth Financial Network. June data for two closely watched inflation gauges released this week, the consumer price index and producer price index , showed costs easing across the board. That signals to Essele the S & P 500 can keep charging upward, with his prediction of the 5,000 level being reached implying the S & P 500 will gain another 11.8% from Wednesday's close. The S & P 500 has already had a stellar year, rising 17%. We could easily see the S & P 500 top 5,000 by the end of the year."

Persons: Peter Essele, Essele, Sam Stovall, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Commonwealth Financial Network, CPI, PPI, CNBC Locations: Wednesday's

☆ Tesla's push into humanoid robots is set to benefit these 5 global stocks in the supply chain, HSBC says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

HSBC identified key stocks in the supply chain that may benefit from Tesla's push into humanoid robots. Tesla launched its human-shaped robot, called "Tesla Bot," last September. But compared with its more seasoned counterpart, Boston Dynamics' Atlas, the Tesla Bot lacks advanced motion control capabilities, HSBC said. The table below shows the five buy-rated stocks expected to be in the supply chain for such robots, according to HSBC. These companies — Japan's Keyence, South Korea's LG Energy Solution, Chinese firms Inovance, Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), and Zhejiang Sanhua — are involved in different aspects of the supply chain for humanoid robots, HSBC said.

Persons: Tesla, HSBC's, Elon Musk, Helen Fang, Japan's, Dyson Organizations: HSBC, Boston Dynamics, South Korea's LG, Amperex Technology Locations: South, Zhejiang

☆ Amazon charts its own course on A.I., leaning on its strengths in cloud and e-commerce
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

AI in advertising Amazon is not only differentiating its gen AI strategy by leveraging the cloud, but it's also incorporating AI in e-commerce to support its ad business. Amazon Prime Day Amazon Prime Day, the global shopping event that attracts consumers seeking huge cost-saving deals, on a variety of products will be held July 11 and 12 in 24 countries. Coupled with the cloud, e-commerce is the other big piece of what Amazon is all about. The 48-hour event is expected to bring in $8 billion in U.S. e-commerce sales, according to data by Insider Intelligence. Still, Insider Intelligence data shows Amazon Prime Day e-commerce sales will surpass that of competing retailers.

Persons: Andy Jassy, Scott Devitt, Devitt, Andrew Lipsman, it's, Lipsman, Sellers, Gene Munster, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim Organizations: Amazon Web Services, CNBC, Amazon, Microsoft, Nvidia, AWS, Insider Intelligence, Google, Deepwater Asset Management, Intelligence, Amazon CNBC Locations: U.S

☆ These are analysts' favorite S&P 500 stocks heading into the second half
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

It's been a stellar first half for the S & P 500 , and some stocks in the index may be poised for rallies in the back end of the year. The S & P 500 ended Tuesday's session at 4,378.41. The stocks are all S & P 500 members and have buy ratings from at least 65% of analysts. .SPX YTD mountain The S & P 500, year to date Targa Resources is the most-liked stock on the list, with just under 90% of analysts holding buy ratings. It's the only stock on this list with a positive year-to-date performance, though it has still notably underperformed the broad S & P 500 .

Persons: It's, Wells, Timothy Daley, Daley, Ron DeSantis, — CNBC's Michael Bloom, Fred Imbert, Gina Francolla Organizations: CNBC, CNBC Pro, Rad Laboratories, Rad, Resources, Florida Gov, Disney

☆ A giant snail that eats plaster and is a threat to human health was spotted in a Florida county, forcing it into quarantine
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A giant African land snail was spotted in Broward County, forcing part of it into quarantine. The snail is among the world's most invasive species and lays thousands of eggs at a time. The giant snail is among the most invasive species in the world; it eats plaster, paint, and stucco, poses significant threats to vegetation, according to CBS. The portion of Broward County under quarantine covers Fort Lauderdale and is about 3.5 square miles, the report said. It's illegal to import or possess the giant African land snail in the US; the snail was first spotted in Miami in 1969, according to ABC News.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, CBS News, CBS, Florida's Department of Agriculture, Consumer Services, ABC News Locations: Broward County, Florida's Broward County, Florida, Fort Lauderdale, Miami

☆ Nervous about high rates? Analysts like these cash-rich stocks, giving one nearly 80% upside
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Key beneficiaries Analysts recently flagged cash-rich companies as a beneficiary of higher interest rates. It said that consumer services, software and semiconductor companies are among those likeliest to profit the most from higher interest. "With higher interest rates, companies with robust balance sheets may be able to generate substantial amounts of interest income and surprise to the upside." The higher the free cash flow yield, the better a company's position to meet its debt obligations. A company with a high free cash flow is also able to access cash more quickly in the event of an emergency or opportunity.

Persons: James Demmert, Jefferies, Morgan Stanley, BofA, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Main, Research, Companies, ", CNBC Pro, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Broadcom, German, Lufthansa, Honda Motor, Renault Locations: U.S

☆ Disney removes some produced content from its direct-to-consumer services
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

June 2 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) said on Friday that it has removed certain produced content from its direct-to-consumer (DTC) services and will record a related $1.5 billion impairment charge in its fiscal third-quarter financial statements. Reporting by Tiyashi Datta in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika SyamnathOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tiyashi Datta, Devika Organizations: Walt Disney Co, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Billionaires are older than you may think
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Madeline Berg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Flashy young founders may get a lot of attention, but the typical billionaire is older than you may think. The median age of the world's billionaires is 67, according to a new report from Altrata. The median age of the world's billionaires is 67, according to a new report from data firm Altrata. Only 10% of the world's billionaires are younger than 50 — and over 40% are older than 70. Billionaires, for what it's worth, don't seem ignorant to the fact that they are an older breed.

Persons: Altrata, Elon Musk, Kim Kardashian, Peter Thiel, Jeff Bezos, Larry Ellison, Jack Dorsey, Zuckerberg, Warren Buffett, I've Organizations: Tech, Oracle, CNBC Locations: Omaha

☆ Google plans to use new A.I. models for ads and to help YouTube creators, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Google CEO Sundar Pichai speaks on-stage during the Google I/O keynote session at the Google Developers Conference in Mountain View, California, on May 10, 2023. Google 's effort to rapidly add new artificial intelligence technology into its core products is making its way into the advertising world, CNBC has learned. The company has given the green light to plans for using generative AI, fueled by large language models (LLMs), to automate advertising and ad-supported consumer services, according to internal documents. For creators, the company has been using the technology to experiment with the idea of providing five video ideas based on topics that appear relevant. Specific to Google, paid search advertising conversion rates have decreased this year across most industries.

☆ What might get this stock market unstuck
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Michael Santoli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Clearly the market is captive of strong, opposing and somewhat unpredictable currents, as the passengers argue over what might get stocks unstuck, and in which direction. Excluding financial stocks, for instance, the S & P 500 would be up 11% for the year. Here is the equal-weighted S & P 500 vs. the Nasdaq 100 since the end of 2021. The stock market has, coincidentally or not, carved a similar path so far this year as it did to begin 2011. The S & P 500 that year raced higher to print a 7% gain into a February high, then chopped sideways.

☆ Chinese company earnings reveal lopsided economic recovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Summer Zhen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Restaurants and tourism businesses recovered, with travel-related consumer services sector earnings surging 155%, data from China International Capital Corp (CICC) showed. Food-and-beverage sector earnings jumped 18% and automobiles were up a smaller 8%. Several analysts believe the first quarter will be the low point for 2023 and full-year earnings will reach double digits. Refinitiv data forecasts full-year earnings growth of 26% for companies listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. The materials sector posted the worst results, with earnings in steel and building materials tumbling more than 60%, respectively.

☆ UK retailers report record food inflation but see falls ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Overall inflation among BRC members dropped to 8.8% from March's 8.9% as price increases for non-food items slowed due to heavy discounting of clothing, footwear and furniture. Costlier coffee beans and more expensive packaging and production of ready-meals pushed up food inflation, but prices of butter and vegetable oil were starting to decline. "We should start to see food prices come down in the coming months as the cut to wholesale prices and other cost pressures filter through," BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said. Britain's official measure of consumer price inflation peaked last October at 11.1%, its highest in more than 40 years. The Office for National Statistics' measure of food price inflation - which is calculated differently to the BRC's - was the highest since 1977 in March at an annual 19.1%, reflecting higher costs for biscuits, cakes and confectionery.

☆ Analysis: Why is UK inflation so high?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Andy Bruce | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Annual consumer price inflation (CPI) in Britain fell to 10.1% last month but defied forecasts for a bigger drop from February's 10.4%, according to data published on Wednesday. "Inflation in the UK has risen further and stayed higher than elsewhere as the UK has experienced the worst of both worlds: a big energy shock like the euro zone and labour shortages - even worse than the U.S.," said Ruth Gregory, deputy chief UK economist at consultancy Capital Economics. British consumer energy prices were 79% higher in March than their level two years earlier, the biggest increase in western Europe. Britain's high rate of energy inflation reflects its heavy reliance on gas for power generation and home heating as well as the poor energy efficiency of its housing stock. But domestically generated price pressures are likely to slow the pace of decline in headline inflation.

Vahia is one among India’s young and aspirational 1.4 billion population, whose propensity for online spending has attracted global companies and digital platforms. And as private consumption underpins economic growth in India, financial investors are targetting new ways to tap into it. India's per capita consumption of food was at $314 in 2020 compared to $884 for China, while that of clothing stood at $53.9 versus $212.9 for China, data from CLSA showed. FOREIGN INVESTORS JUMP INWith private consumption accounting for 60% of India's $3.5 trillion GDP, foreign portfolio investors have been quick to latch on. To be sure, it has not been all smooth sailing for investors as they chased India's consumption boom.

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