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☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Microsoft, Chipotle, Boeing, First Republic Bank and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Check out the companies making the biggest moves midday:Microsoft — Shares of tech giant Microsoft gained more than 8% Wednesday after a better-than-expected earnings report a day earlier. The company earned $1.17 per share on $69.79 billion in revenue, while analysts polled by Refinitiv expected it to earn $1.07 per share on revenue of $68.9 billion. The company also announced a $70 billion share buyback. 107230585First Republic — Shares of the regional bank fell more than 20% on Wednesday, extending their steep losses for the week. However, deposits for the first quarter totaled about $28.2 billion, down from $33.9 billion from the fourth quarter of 2022.

SummarySummary Companies Microsoft up as quarterly results top forecastsCloud firms gain on Microsoft earnings cheerActivision Blizzard down as UK blocks Microsoft dealIndexes: Dow off 0.02%, S&P up 0.16%, Nasdaq climbs 1%April 26 (Reuters) - The tech-heavy Nasdaq advanced on Wednesday as strong Microsoft results offset concerns over rising interest rates and their effect on the U.S. economy, while an upbeat forecast from Boeing further boosted sentiment. Earnings forecasts have improved, with analysts expecting a 3.9% contraction in first-quarter profit for S&P 500 companies compared with a 5.2% decline estimated at the beginning of the earnings season. Of the 124 S&P 500 companies that reported first-quarter profit through Tuesday, 79% topped analysts' expectations, as per Refinitiv IBES data. Meta Platforms Inc (META.O) is scheduled to report results after market close on Wednesday. Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 1.09-to-1 ratio on the NYSE, while advancers outnumbered decliners by a 1.04-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.

☆ UK regulator holding up Microsoft's Activision deal set to get new powers to rein in Big Tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The U.K. government on Tuesday published a draft bill that would give a newly created division within the independent competition regulator powers to levy huge fines against Big Tech firms for competition abuses, and investigate and block acquisitions with greater speed. The draft Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers bill will take aim at tech companies with annual revenues of at least £25 billion ($31.2 billion) globally, or £1 billion in the U.K., according to a statement. That's sure to include Amazon , Apple , Google , Microsoft and Meta , which generated $514 billion, $394.33 billion, $282.8 billion, $198 billion and $116.6 billion in revenue respectively in 2022. The CMA has been at the center of some major Big Tech crackdowns lately. The watchdog has held up Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of video game publisher Activision Blizzard with an in-depth competition investigation.

☆ Earnings playbook: Your guide to a busy week of earnings, featuring Meta and Amazon
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Fred Imbert | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

What history shows: GM has reported a better-than-expected bottom line in 29 of the last 30 quarters, per FactSet. McDonald's is set to report earnings in the premarket, with management slated to hold a call at 8:30 a.m. What history shows: History shows Google's parent company beats earnings expectations 68% of the time, with the stock averaging a gain of 1.6% on earnings day, per Bespoke. Meta Platforms is set to report earnings after market close, followed by a conference call at 5 p.m. What history shows: Bespoke data shows Intel beats earnings expectations 77% of the time.

☆ Big Tech earnings, crucial inflation call — here comes the biggest week of earnings season
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Stocks stuck to a holding pattern this week as investors brace for an incoming wave of Big Tech earnings and the Fed's favorite inflation reading. Earnings reports have generally been better than expected so far this first quarter. Humana (HUM) reports before the bell Wednesday; Meta Platforms and Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD) report after the bell Wednesday. ET: Personal Spending & Income (includes PCE Price Index) Club trades this week Just one trade: We added 150 shares of Coterra Energy (CTRA) on Wednesday. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley dismissed the plaintiffs' first complaint in March after finding it failed to present enough information to back claims the acquisition would harm industry competition. The judge said at the time the plaintiffs could refile a new suit, which challenges the largest-ever video game industry deal. Lawyers for Microsoft said in a court filing last week that the gamers' original case "relied largely on flawed legal arguments based on outdated Supreme Court cases." The plaintiffs' lawyers have served subpoenas on companies including Activision and rivals including Nintendo of America Inc and Sony. The case is Demartini v. Microsoft, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, 3:22-cv-08991-JSC.

☆ Jim Cramer's top 10 things to watch in the stock market Monday
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Club holding Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD) is the biggest independent oil exploration and production (E & P) play. Club holding Constellation Brands (STZ) reported an excellent quarter last week and gave you an 11% dividend increase. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade.

Microsoft will release a Diablo IV Xbox Series X bundle alongside the game's launch on June 6. The $560 bundle includes an Xbox Series X console and a copy of Diablo IV for a small discount. The $560 Diablo IV bundle will include a standard Xbox Series X, a digital copy of Diablo IV, and multiple digital preorder bonuses. Xbox Series X Diablo IV Bundle This bundle includes a standard Xbox Series X console, a digital copy of Diablo IV, and special in-game rewards. Where to preorder the Diablo IV Xbox Series X bundleThe Diablo IV Xbox Series X bundle will be released alongside the game on June 6, and preorders are available now at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy.

The CWA in a statement said Activision's conduct showed a clear pattern of disregard for workers' legal rights. "In spite of Activision Blizzard's anti-union efforts, workers continue to organize, speak out about their working conditions and win union campaigns," the union said. Activision has said its social media policy is lawful and does not bar employees from exercising their rights under U.S. labor law. Small groups of workers at Activision subsidiaries in New York and Wisconsin have voted to join the CWA in recent months. Boston-based employees of Activision unit Proletariat in January withdrew a petition to have an election.

☆ Activision Proposes Settlement in DOJ Lawsuit Over Esports Pay
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Denny Jacob | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The U.S. Justice Department is reviewing a proposed settlement to its antitrust lawsuit against Activision Blizzard Inc. after accusing the company of imposing rules that limited competition and suppressed wages for players in two of its videogame franchises’ professional esports leagues. The department alleged that in two of the esports leagues owned Activision, the company and the independently owned teams in each league implemented a so-called Competitive Balance Tax. The tax was structured to penalize teams in the “Overwatch” and “Call of Duty” leagues if a team’s player compensation exceeded a threshold set by Activision, the complaint alleges.

☆ Justice Department Sues Activision Over Esports Leagues
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Denny Jacob | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The U.S. Justice Department on Monday said it filed an antitrust lawsuit against Activision Blizzard Inc. alleging that the company imposed rules that limited competition for players in two of its videogame franchises’ professional esports league and suppressed wages for players in those leagues. The department said its complaint alleges that in two of the esports leagues owned by the videogame company, Activision and the independently-owned teams in each league implemented a so-called Competitive Balance Tax. The tax was structured to penalize teams in the “Overwatch” and “Call of Duty” leagues if a team’s player compensation exceeded a threshold set by Activision, the complaint alleges.

☆ Activision Deal Enters Bonus Round Phase
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Dan Gallagher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Response to a beta test of Blizzard’s ‘Diablo IV’ indicated the videogame is shaping up to be a hit. For Activision Blizzard , good things are apparently worth a long wait. The videogame publisher has been under a cloud of uncertainty over the past 14 months, ever since it announced it was being acquired by Microsoft . The deal, valued at nearly $69 billion once adjusted for Activision’s net cash, has sparked lengthy regulatory reviews in the U.S. and Europe that are still ongoing. The deal also came as Activision was reeling both from internal scandals and what looked like a damaged game portfolio following a misfire with its “Call of Duty” sequel released in late 2021 and the delay of two key games from its Blizzard unit.

Industry Insight Insights in Action: Corporate law departments find their outside firms’ innovation lagging, but there may be little incentive to changeZach Warren March 24, 2023

☆ Tony Hawk turned down a $500,000 payment for 'Pro Skater,' opting for royalties instead. He ended up making at least 8 times that.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tony Hawk made an appearance on "The Diary of a CEO" podcast and discussed his best financial move. Ahead of the release of video game "Pro Skater," he was offered a $500,000 payment for his likeness. Activision's fiscal report from 2002 cites the video game series as "the single largest independent U.S. video game franchise for the fiscal year" and credits the game, in part, for the company's increased revenue. 2020's "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2" would go on to sell one million units faster than any other iteration of the series, per Activision. "Nowadays an entire generation of kids, have asked me if I'm named after a video game," Hawk said on "Diary of a CEO."

The Communication Workers of America union (CWA) has accused the "Call of Duty" maker of a series of illegal labor practices at the union has sought to organize video game testers and other employees at the company and its subsidiaries. The CWA in a statement said Activision's conduct showed a clear pattern of disregard for workers' legal rights. "In spite of Activision Blizzard's anti-union efforts, workers continue to organize, speak out about their working conditions and win union campaigns," the union said. Activision is already facing a separate NLRB complaint issued last year claiming the company used a policy limiting what workers can post on social media to bar them from discussing working conditions. Activision has said its social media policy is lawful and does not bar employees from exercising their rights under U.S. labor law.

☆ Potential regulator challenges to Big Tech M&A may have far-reaching consequences for the tech ecosystem
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Paayal Zaveri | April Joyner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

M&A deals involving large tech companies may get harder as US regulators ramp up scrutiny. If regulators increase scrutiny, it could deter other large tech companies from buying startups. More challenges to proposed tech M&A deals may also mean that the pool of potential acquirers shrinks. Of course, there are cases where a large tech company seeks to buy out a smaller, more innovative competitor because it is scared of getting displaced. "There has to be the hope and dream of selling to a larger tech company some day," Sherman said.

☆ Private equity finds silver lining in Asia Pacific
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, March 28 (Reuters Breakingviews) - It’s hard working in Asia-Pacific private equity these days. On Monday Brookfield Asset Management (BAM.TO) and MidOcean Energy agreed to take Australia’s Origin Energy (ORG.AX) private for A$18.7 billion ($12.5 billion). A few days earlier Toshiba’s (6502.T) board tentatively backed Japan Industrial Partners’ $15.3 billion offer. Origin’s buyers, which plan to split the business in two, had already made three offers before Origin accepted. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Here's our March rapid-fire update on all 36 stocks in Jim Cramer's Investing Club portfolio
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

Here's a rapid-fire update on every stock in the CNBC Investing Club portfolio. But importantly, the chipmaker has joined Apple in rarified air, becoming an "own it, don't trade it" stock for the Club. The company's business can withstand an economic slowdown and benefits from a weaker U.S. dollar because of its large international presence. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio.

☆ Easy Diageo succession belies new CEO’s hard job
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

On Tuesday, the 80 billion pound maker of Guinness and Don Julio tequila announced that Chief Operating Officer Debra Crew would replace CEO Ivan Menezes in July. Menezes has been gunning for 5%-7% annual revenue growth and a 6%-9% annual increase in operating profit over the next three years. The company operates with a 31% operating profit margin, higher than its closest rival Pernod Ricard (PERP.PA), which runs on 29%. With the price of staff, ingredients and packaging soaring, cost cutting will be hard to pull off. Diageo’s smooth succession may lay the path for a bumpy road.

☆ BP, ADNOC’s Mediterranean debut ticks three boxes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 28 (Reuters Breakingviews) - BP (BP.L) and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) are tying the knot. The duo plan to set up a joint venture to buy gas assets in the eastern Mediterranean. On the other hand, the $4 billion NewMed net asset value implied by BP and ADNOC’s bid is some way ahead of the $2.6 billion estimated by hedge fund Palliser during NewMed’s autumn dalliance with Capricorn Energy (CNE.L). And after rethinking the speed with which it’s cutting its oil and gas production, BP wants to show investors that it can identify suitable fossil fuel projects. NewMed shares only jumped 38% to around 10 shekels on Tuesday, implying doubt about whether the deal will happen.

☆ Credit Suisse investor’s exit will zip some lips
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 27 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The fate of Saudi National Bank’s (1180.SE) chairman may persuade other investors to maintain radio silence for a while. Asked by a television interviewer whether Saudi National Bank would invest more money into Credit Suisse, Al Khudairy replied “absolutely not”. Although SNB lost more than $1 billion on its Credit Suisse investment, Gulf investors are unlikely to stop investing in banks globally. Indeed, the Saudi bank was part of an investor group that proposed injecting around $5 billion into Credit Suisse as an alternative to the UBS deal, the Wall Street Journal reported. But big bank investors may avoid appearing on live television for a while.

☆ EU single market remains short of a single patent
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

While it’s good the EU is moving forward, a single patent can’t fulfill its promise without full participation. The European Patent Office holds fifth place. Billions of euros remain out of reach because the EU is strong on research but weak in finding market success. Seeking an EU patent via separate applications across Europe costs about 20,000 euros, compared to an estimated 6,000 euros under the new system. For Europe to be more than the world’s technology incubator, its single market needs more tools that are fully subscribed.

☆ Microsoft-Activision Deal Gets Lift as U.K. Regulators Narrow Competition Probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Sarah E. Needleman | Kim Mackrael | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A billboard for the Activision videogame ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’ in Times Square, New York City. Microsoft Corp. moved closer to winning approval for its planned $75 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard Inc. in the U.K. The country’s antitrust watchdog said Friday that it had narrowed the focus of its probe into the proposed acquisition to the nascent cloud-gaming market, removing previous concerns that the deal could lessen competition in the established and much larger console-gaming market.

☆ Jim Cramer and David Faber discuss Deutsche Bank drama
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | 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 and David Faber discuss Deutsche Bank dramaCNBC's Jim Cramer and David Faber report on Friday's biggest market-moving headlines: Deutsche Bank shares dragging on the financial sector, Activision shares rallying, and how tech stocks have been behaving like a safe haven.

☆ UK regulator drops some competition concerns in Microsoft-Activision deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON, March 24 (Reuters) - Britain's regulator said it no longer believed that Microsoft's (MSFT.O) $69-billion purchase of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O) would harm competition in relation to the supply of gaming consoles, but its other concerns remain. Publishing updated provisional findings based on new evidence, the Competition and Markets Authority said on Friday that it still has worries over the mega-deal's impact on competition in the cloud gaming market. Reporting by Sarah Young; editing by William JamesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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