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☆ Website creator Wix.com Q1 profit beats estimates, raises 2023 outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JERUSALEM, May 17 (Reuters) - Wix.com (WIX.O), which helps small businesses build and operate websites, on Wednesday said it swung to a net profit in the first quarter, boosted by growth in subscription revenue. The Israeli company said it had earned 91 cents per share excluding one-time items, compared with a loss of 72 cents per share a year earlier. Wix was forecast to earn 14 cents excluding one-time items, on revenue of $369 million, according to Refinitiv I/B/E/S data. It projects second-quarter revenue of $380 million to $385 million for annual growth of as much as 12%. Citing an "outperformance in Q1," Wix raised its full year 2023 revenue estimate to $1.522 billion to $1.543 billion - growth of 10-11% - from $1.51 billion to $1.535 billion.

☆ IBM takes another shot at Watson as A.I. boom picks up steam
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

About 15 months ago, IBM sold its Watson Health unit for an undisclosed amount to private equity firm Francisco Partners. Now, Watson has given way to WatsonX, and IBM is trying to ride the latest boom in AI. The platform includes a feature for AI-generated code, an AI governance toolkit, and a library of thousands of large-scale AI models, trained on language, geospatial data, IT events and code, according to a release. IBM is partnering with HuggingFace, the buzzy AI startup and open source platform that reached a $2 billion valuation last year. "We allow an enterprise to use their own code to adapt the model to how they want to run their playbooks and their code," Krishna said.

☆ Here are Thursday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Western Alliance, Berkshire Hathaway, Wix & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"We are initiating coverage of ZI with a BUY rating and a $30 target as a rare value investment within software. Citi upgrades Deutsche Bank to buy from neutral Citi said the global investment bank is at an "attractive entry point." " Deutsche Bank is one of the most de-rated banks YTD, yet the 1Q23 results demonstrated potential for further consensus earnings upgrades." Rosenblatt reiterates Apple as buy Rosenblatt said it's standing by its buy rating heading into earnings on Thursday after the bell. " CFRA reiterates Berkshire Hathaway as hold CFRA said it's standing by its "fairly valued" hold rating heading into Berkshire earnings on Saturday.

☆ 10 Things in Tech: AI-generated Drake songs, discounted startups, and Amazon’s upgraded Alexa
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I'm Diamond Naga Siu, and in this turbulent economy, I definitely want stability over most other things. And my colleague Grace Mayer highlights how retail, finance, and other (seemingly more stable) industries are piquing our interest instead. A leaked document viewed by Insider revealed that Amazon wants to focus on entertainment features for Alexa. The upgrade will feature Amazon's own generative AI technology instead of using OpenAI's technology (like how Microsoft paired ChatGPT with Bing). Bell dished to my colleague Ashley Stewart on why he made the move, how he met Satya Nadella, and more.

Shopify shares have big upside potential as the company gains traction with larger enterprise businesses, according to JMP. Analyst Andrew Boone upgraded Shopify shares to market outperform from market perform. His price target of $65 per share implies 45.1% upside from Tuesday's close price. SHOP YTD mountain SHOP in 2023 To be sure, the analyst said Shopify, as well as other website builders, can engage in greater expense discipline. "In 2023, we expect R & D to represent ~19% of Shopify's revenue, up from ~16% in 2019.

☆ 5 side hustles that can make you hundreds a month with only a few hours of work and no up-front costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Jen Glantz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Jen Glantz is an entrepreneur who has tried various side hustles to pass time in the winter months. But as a full-time entrepreneur whose income varies drastically month to month, I feel guilty when I'm not making money during my free time. Plus, many of these extra gigs can be done on the weekends, so they don't disrupt the flow of my work schedule. I often put the same items on both platforms to double the exposure and increase the potential of a sale. I stopped doing this once I met my partner and we started traveling more in the winter season together.

☆ Website creator Wix.com sees strong sales in 2023 after Q4 profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JERUSALEM, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Wix.com (WIX.O), which helps small businesses build and operate websites, said on Wednesday it swung to a profit in the fourth quarter and forecast 9-11% growth in revenue in 2023. The Israeli company said it earned 61 cents per share excluding one-time items, compared with a loss of 34 cents per share a year earlier. Wix was forecast to earn 9 cents a share ex-one off items on revenue of $352 million, according to data from Refinitiv. Wix said it was implementing further cost saving measures, and expected total savings of $200 million in 2023 and $215 million of annualized savings. Analysts are projecting first-quarter revenue of $366 million and full year revenue of $1.511 billion.

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

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

☆ The Fed’s favorite inflation gauge will be the big market hurdle of next week
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Most important this week is Friday's core personal consumption expenditure (PCE) price index for January. In comparison, the consumer price index (CPI), released this past week, only tracks price changes over time. The market is expecting the core PCE price index to rise 0.4% monthly and 4.9% annually. In addition to the core PCE price index, we're going to be looking closely at the housing and utilities component. Lastly, the January producer price index came in hotter than expected, rising 0.7% from December versus expectations for 0.4% increase.

☆ Here are Friday's biggest analyst calls: Tesla, Nvidia, Roku, Coinbase, DraftKings, Disney & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Here are the biggest calls on Wall Street on Friday: Compass Point upgrades Coinbase to buy from neutral Compass said the "long-term opportunities outweigh near-term risks." Goldman Sachs reiterates Tesla as buy Goldman said it's bullish heading into the company's investor day on March 1. KeyBanc reiterates Nvidia as overweight KeyBanc raised its price target on the stock to $280 per share from $220. Daiwa reiterates Disney as buy Daiwa said it sees international growth for Disney which will further drive parks outperformance. Evercore ISI adds a positive tactical call on Walmart Evercore said it's bullish on Walmart heading into earnings next week.

☆ Exclusive: Starboard to challenge engineering materials maker Rogers' board -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The board challenge comes after chemical company DuPont (DD.N) in November walked away from a $5.2 billion deal to acquire Rogers because it failed to secure regulatory approval for the transaction in China. Starboard and Rogers did not respond to requests for comment. Its stock price tumbled after the DuPont deal was scrapped and is down 47% over the last 52 weeks. The company has made changes since the DuPont deal fell apart. Starboard has been active, including recent bets on cloud-based software company Salesforce (CRM.N), software company Splunk (SPLK.O) and website maker Wix.com (WIX.O).

☆ Shopify's prices will go up by as much as 33% in some cases, but analyst say merchants aren't going anywhere
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Analysts say Shopify's products offer a much better value than their competitors'. He added that many merchants pay more in fees for third-party apps and add-ons than they do for a Shopify subscription. With those fees in mind, an increase to the monthly subscription fee would seem relatively small, Pfau argued. Luria said that it's possible Shopify's price hikes could "upset smaller merchants for whom this is a big expenditure," particularly amid inflation and economic uncertainty. Shopify's price hikes come as the company makes changes to its leadership team.

☆ Here are Thursday's biggest analyst calls: Meta, Apple, Tesla, Netflix, Roku, Disney, Exxon & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Here are the Thursday's biggest calls Wall Street: Credit Suisse upgrades AECOM to outperform from neutral Credit Suisse said the company is a key beneficiary of infrastructure stimulus. UBS reiterates Apple as buy UBS said it's sticking with its buy rating on the stock but is concerned about App Store revenue declines. Credit Suisse upgrades Boeing to neutral from underperform Credit Suisse said in its upgrade of Boeing that it sees "stronger aircraft deliveries." RBC names Meta a top 2023 pick RBC said it sees "multiple expansion" on the horizon for Meta shares. " Rosenblatt reiterates Disney as buy Rosenblatt said activist investor Nelson Peltz's push for a Disney board seat could help shares.

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☆ Evercore’s Mark Mahaney reveals his top tech picks for 2023 — and says one could soar by nearly 200%
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

But top tech analyst Mark Mahaney has a positive outlook on the sector. Top stock picks Mahaney said Netflix is "at the top of my list of stocks that we are recommending this year." "One of the reasons I like Uber is that it has just hit this free cash flow inflection point," he told CNBC last week. "They finally reached positive free cash flow for the first time in the June quarter and repeated that trick in the September quarter. Mahaney has a price target of $115 on the stock – an implied potential upside of 53% to its Jan. 5 closing price.

☆ Macro trends decelerating, so find companies that have taken out costs, says Evercore's Mahaney
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | 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 EmailMacro trends decelerating, so find companies that have taken out costs, says Evercore's MahaneyMark Mahaney, Evercore ISI, joins 'Power Lunch' to discuss what's setting Netflix up for a strong start in 2023, how crucial content is to Netflix's ad-tier plans and Mahaney's thoughts on Uber and Wix.

☆ Top tech analyst Mark Mahaney gives his best 2023 internet stock comeback plays
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Despite a painful year for internet stocks, opportunities in the beaten-up sector are plentiful for investors positioning for a recovery, according to top tech analyst Mark Mahaney. Similarly, Mahaney views the company's cheaper ad-supported tier as a slightly recession-protective offering that can also drive a reacceleration in revenue growth. Heading into the new year, Mahaney also likes Uber , with the firm's price target suggesting shares can nearly triple from Friday's close. Mahaney also named Booking Holdings among his top internet picks, highlighting the company's roughly $1.1 trillion total addressable market opportunity and "asset-light" business model. Booking shares have tumbled about 16% this year.

☆ It's about to be way easier to make a smart home. Here's what you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Sofia Pitt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In this article AMZNAAPLGOOGL Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTSoon it will be easier to buy gadgets that work with your smart home. Matter, backed by the biggest names in tech including Amazon , Apple , Google and Samsung, aims to solve a key pain point. Smart home accessories with Matter connectivity. These include Eve, which makes smart plugs and sensors, as well as Wix which makes smart light bulbs. Google Nest Hub Max and Google Nest Hub (second generation) smart displays, Google Nest WiFi and WiFi Pro routers, and Amazon Echo (fourth generation) smart speakers will also support the standard.

☆ A 48-year old Airbnb host breaks down how she used Facebook and Instagram to bring in $25,000 through direct bookings
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Amie Sommer, an Alaska resident, rents out a $1 million Arizona home that sleeps 10. When she launched her listing, she used Facebook to get direct bookings from family and friends. Half of those bookings she told Insider were from promoting her direct booking link on the social-media sites Facebook and Instagram. Lodgify provides Sommer with a central calendar that syncs bookings between her website, Airbnb, and Vrbo. When it came time to book her first guests, Sommer was looking for "guinea pigs."

☆ Jim Cramer on Starboard Value's stakes in Wix, Splunk, Salesforce and Vertiv
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | 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 EmailJim Cramer on Starboard Value's stakes in Wix, Splunk, Salesforce and VertivCramer on Monday gave his thoughts on Starboard's busy October.

☆ Cramer breaks down Starboard's thesis that drove its recent investments
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | 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 EmailCramer breaks down Starboard's thesis that drove its recent investmentsCramer explained why he believes Starboard recently took stakes in Wix, Splunk, Salesforce and Vertiv.

☆ Top investors say it's foolish to ignore the value in tech stocks right now. What to buy and when
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +25 min

Schatz of Heritage Capital looks for what he calls "high-flier" or "second-tier" technology stocks severely battered this year but pushing higher. Playing defense When looking outside of big tech, investors may also want to consider looking out for more defense-focused names. His picks include IBM, which trades at just 14 times forward earnings and offers a sticky revenue base. Schatz of Heritage Capital looks for what he calls "high-flier" or "second-tier" technology stocks severely battered this year but pushing higher. His picks include IBM, which trades at just 14 times forward earnings and offers a sticky revenue base.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe trio of stocks presented by Smith have fallen between 37% and 54% this year. Smith was detailing the thesis of his most recent investments at the 13D Monitor Active-Passive Investor Summit on Tuesday. "We think there's significant upside at Splunk," Smith said noting the company could boost free cash flow margins and maintain strong growth profile that could allow Splunk to generate eight to $9 of free cash flow per share by 2025. He added that, as well as growing profitability, Splunk's business made it highly attractive as a potential acquisition target. "This dynamic creates multiple ways to win and makes the investment in Splunk even more interesting," he added.

☆ Activist investor Starboard has sizable stake in Splunk
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 16 (Reuters) - Activist investor Starboard Value LP has a nearly 5% stake in Splunk Inc (SPLK.O) and plans to push the software maker to take steps that would boost its share price, a source familiar with the matter said. Starboard and Splunk did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterLast week, Splunk added two directors to its board, including a partner from Hellman & Friedman. The private-equity firm owns about 7.8% stake in the software maker. Last month, the activist hedge fund disclosed its stake in website development platform Wix, supporting Wix's bid to become profitable.

☆ Here are Thursday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Exxon, Coinbase, Alphabet, Amazon, Marvell & more
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Here are Thursday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Wells Fargo initiates Coinbase as underweight Wells said in its initiation of the crypto company that it sees too many headwinds for shares of Coinbase. Cowen initiates CyberArk as outperform Cowen said it sees "growth and profitability" for the company. Stifel reiterates Marvell as buy Stifel said Marvell is one of the resilient stocks in the firm's coverage. Rosenblatt upgrades Apple to buy from neutral Rosenblatt said that its survey checks show consumers love the latest iPhone products. "We upgrade Apple to Buy from Neutral, and move our price target up $29 to $189.

☆ Starboard snaps up a position in Wix, and building free cash flow may become a focal point
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Activist Commentary: Starboard is a very successful activist investor and has extensive experience helping companies focus on operational efficiency and margin improvement. Starboard has had a notable track record with web applications companies going back to 2004 with their 13D investment in Register.com. Starboard has extensive experience in helping companies optimize growth and margins, typically from a board level. There is one other similarity between Wix and many other Starboard activist positions. Ken Squire is the founder and president of 13D Monitor, an institutional research service on shareholder activism, and he is the founder and portfolio manager of the 13D Activist Fund, a mutual fund that invests in a portfolio of activist 13D investments.

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