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☆ Microsoft to invest more in OpenAI as tech race heats up
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Jeffrey Dastin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Recently touting a revolution in artificial intelligence (AI), Microsoft is building on a bet it made on OpenAI nearly four years ago, when it dedicated $1 billion for the startup co-founded by Elon Musk and investor Sam Altman. Microsoft in a blog post has now announced "the third phase" of its partnership "through a multiyear, multibillion dollar investment" including additional supercomputer development and cloud-computing support for OpenAI. Both companies will be able to commercialize the AI tech that results, the blog post said. Microsoft last week said it aimed to imbue such AI into all its products, as OpenAI continues to pursue the creation of human-like intelligence for machines. Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft warned of a recession and growing scrutiny of digital spend by customers in its layoff announcement.

☆ Spotify to trim 6% of workforce in latest tech layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 23 (Reuters) - Spotify Technology SA (SPOT.N) said on Monday it plans to cut 6% of its workforce and would take a related charge of up to nearly $50 million, adding to the massive layoffs in the technology sector in preparation for a possible recession. The tech industry is facing a demand downturn after two years of pandemic-powered growth during which it had hired aggressively. "I was too ambitious in investing ahead of our revenue growth," he added, echoing a sentiment voiced by other tech bosses in recent months. Reuters GraphicsSmall figurines are seen in front of displayed Spotify logo in this illustration taken February 11, 2022. Ostroff helped shape Spotify's podcast business and guided it through backlash around Joe Rogan's show for allegedly spreading misinformation about COVID-19.

☆ Spotify to cut 6% of jobs, content head to depart
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

That has led firms from Meta Platforms Inc (META.O) to Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) to shed thousands of jobs. "I was too ambitious in investing ahead of our revenue growth," he added, echoing a sentiment voiced by other tech bosses in recent months. It said Dawn Ostroff, the head of content and advertising, was leaving after an over four-year stint at the company. Ostroff helped shape Spotify's podcast business and guided it through backlash around Joe Rogan's show for allegedly spreading misinformation about COVID-19. The company said it is appointing Alex Norström, head of the freemium business, and research and development boss Gustav Söderström as co-presidents.

☆ Spotify to trim 6% of workforce
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 23 (Reuters) - Music streaming firm Spotify Technology SA (SPOT.N) plans to cut 6% of its workforce, the company said on Monday, a move that will add to a glut of layoffs in the technology sector as companies prepare for a possible recession. Tech companies are facing a demand downturn after two years of pandemic-driven growth during which they had hired aggressively. Spotify said it will incur about 35 million euros ($38.06 million) to 45 million euros in severance-related charges. Spotify had about 9,800 full-time employees, as of Sept. 30. ($1 = 0.9196 euros)Reporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Sherry Jacob-PhillipsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Czech interest rates should stay higher for longer, Kubelkova says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PRAGUE, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Keeping the Czech National Bank's interest rates higher for a longer period would work better against inflation than implementing further hikes only to reverse them soon after, central bank board member Karina Kubelkova said. Since joining the central bank last July, Kubelkova has been part of the majority in favour of stable rates. "Especially in the current situation, holding rates higher for a longer time is a strategy that works better (than raising rates further and then cutting them)," Kubelkova said in an interview published on Monday by daily paper Hospodarske Noviny. "The transmission into the real economy will be bigger than moving the (main) rate higher and back over a short time," she said. Analysts see rates staying stable for the first half of 2023 before the bank begins lowering borrowing costs.

☆ Dutch defence ministry advised against ASML exports to China in 2020 -FD
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Eva Plevier/File PhotoAMSTERDAM, Jan 20 (Reuters) - The Netherlands' defence ministry advised the government in 2020 not to allow semiconductor equipment supplier ASML Holding NV (ASML.AS) to export any of its most modern machines to China, Dutch newspaper Het Financieele Dagblad reported on Friday. The advice has been heeded, as ASML has not shipped EUV technology to Chinese customers. The publication comes as the Dutch government is weighing additional restrictions on ASML's exports of older equipment to China. Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Jan. 17 he expected a "good outcome" to discussions with the United States on the matter after meeting with President Joe Biden in Washington. "In addition our most important strategic security partner, the United States, has made an urgent appeal to the Netherlands not to export the EUV technology to China."

☆ Netflix's ability to churn out hits gives it an edge over rivals -analysts
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

read moreAt least 18 brokerages raised their price targets on the stock as they cheered Netflix's 7.66 million subscribers additions that easily beat estimates of 4.57 million. "Content performance is underpinning all aspects of financial improvement and helps investors sleep better," Wells Fargo analysts said, adding that double-digit revenue growth could be achievable in the second half of the year. The company said it would roll out features this quarter to try and convert more password sharers to paying subscriber. But the company expects increased engagement and monetization after a short period of churn. Reporting by Aditya Soni, Tiyashi Datta and Eva Mathews in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'SilvaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

"This was my road to Damascus experience, a turning point in my understanding of the role of talent density in organizations," Hastings wrote. Hastings credits the company's culture of internal transparency and innovation, which endows top-performers with unusual autonomy, for Netflix's success. "This is a big psychological change for Netflix," said Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData. "There's no big strategy shifts or big culture shifts," he said in a post-earnings video interview with an analyst. They'll also need to find new sources of revenue, including in video games -- where Netflix will confront established rivals.

☆ Three Stock Lunch: Alphabet, Wayfair and SVB Financial
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThree Stock Lunch: Alphabet, Wayfair and SVB FinancialEva Ados, chief investment strategist at ERShares, joins ‘Power Lunch’ to discuss her investing take on three stocks: Alphabet, Wayfair and SVB Financial.

[1/3] Reed Hastings, Co-CEO, Netflix speaks at the 2021 Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, U.S. October 18, 2021. "It was a baptism by fire, given Covid and recent challenges within our business," Hastings said in a statement. To kick-start growth, Netflix introduced a cheaper, ad-supported option last November in 12 countries. We believe we have a clear path to reaccelerate our revenue growth," Netflix said in its quarterly letter to shareholders. That 2011 initiative cost the company 800,000 subscribers and sent the stock plunging.

☆ T-Mobile says investigating data breach involving 37 mln accounts
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 19 (Reuters) - U.S. wireless carrier T-Mobile (TMUS.O) said on Thursday it was investigating a data breach involving 37 million postpaid and prepaid accounts and that it expected to incur significant costs related to the incident. The company said it identified malicious activity on Jan. 5 and contained it within a day, adding that no sensitive data such as financial information was compromised. However, some basic customer information was obtained, such as name, billing address, email and phone number, T-Mobile said. T-Mobile has over 110 million subscribers, making it the third-largest wireless carrier in the United States. Reporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and Maju SamuelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Amazon to lay off staff in U.S., Canada and Costa Rica by end of day
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 18 (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) will cut some jobs in the United States, Canada and Costa Rica by the end of Wednesday as part of its plan to lay off 18,000 employees, the e-commerce giant said in a memo to staff seen by Reuters. The layoffs are the latest in the U.S. technology sector, with companies cutting their bloated workforce and slashing costs to reverse pandemic-era excesses and prepare for a worsening global economy. Amazon.com Chief Executive Andy Jassy said earlier this month the cuts, about 6% of the company's roughly 300,000 corporate employees, would mostly impact the e-commerce and human resources divisions. read moreMicrosoft (MSFT.O) said earlier on Wednesday it would cut about 10,000 jobs and take a $1.2-billion charge. read moreReporting by Tiyashi Datta and Eva Mathews in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri and Shinjini GanguliOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Disney says Peltz 'lacks skills' to help business as proxy battle heats up
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Peltz does not understand Disney's businesses and lacks the skills and experience to assist the board in delivering shareholder value in a rapidly shifting media ecosystem," Disney said. Peltz told CNBC on Thursday that Disney should either jettison the streaming business or buy the rest of rival streaming service Hulu. Disney also needs to boost capital expenditure at its parks business, where it probably raised ticket prices "too hard," he said then. In its statement on Tuesday, Disney said it was already working to improve profitability at the Disney+ streaming business that Iger helped launch in 2019 and was rolling out broader cost-cutting measures. Unless Peltz settles with Disney, investors will vote this year on whether he should sit on the company's board.

☆ Netflix set for slowest revenue growth as ad plan struggles to gain traction
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Eva Mathews | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Bing GuanJan 17 (Reuters) - Netflix Inc (NFLX.O) is expected to report its slowest quarterly revenue growth on Thursday as its ad-supported plan struggles to attract customers in the saturating U.S. market, which could pressure the company to pull back on content spending this year. "Given current interest rates, Netflix will have to be very selective about green-lighting content and how they would finance it." It returned to subscriber growth in the third quarter, but its stock, an investor favorite during its years of rapid growth, still ended the year with a drop of more than 50%. "As overall streaming growth flattens out, most of the more mature streaming platforms have leveled off as well," MoffettNathanson said, adding that Netflix's reach fell by 200 basis points in the quarter. Reuters GraphicsStill, some analysts believe that the ad-supported plan will pay off in the long run, especially in developing markets, where spending power is weaker.

☆ German Defence minister resigns, successor to be announced promptly
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Lambrecht asked the chancellor to dismiss her, as formally required, and Scholz has accepted it, a government spokesperson said. The chancellor would propose a successor promptly, the person added, refusing to comment on names. Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces Eva Hoegl, junior defence minister Siemtje Moeller, SPD party head Lars Klingbeil and Labour Minister Hubertus Heil have been suggested as candidates by German media. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper said, citing government sources, that a successor would be announced on Tuesday. Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, the head of Germany's parliamentary defence committee and a member of Scholz's junior coalition partner Free Democrats (FDP), called for her successor to be installed quickly.

☆ German defence minister resigns amid criticism, pressure over Ukraine arms
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Lambrecht asked Scholz to dismiss her, as formally required, and he has approved, a spokesperson for the Social Democratic (SPD)-led coalition government said. During a visit to arms manufacturer Hensoldt, Scholz thanked Lambrecht for her service and said he would act fast to replace her. Among the candidates mooted by German media are Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces Eva Hoegl, junior defence minister Siemtje Moeller, SPD party chief Lars Klingbeil and Labour Minister Hubertus Heil. Economy Minister Robert Habeck praised Lambrecht for her ambition to reform the Bundeswehr and said her decision would not have been taken lightly. Associated with this were for me many special impressions, many encounters with interesting, great people," Lambrecht said in the video.

☆ German defence minister Lambrecht to step down -govt source
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Germany's defence minister Christine Lambrecht plans to resign, a government source said on Friday, potentially adding to chancellor Olaf Scholz's problems as he cautiously seeks to step up military support for Ukraine. The paper listed the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces, Eva Hoegl, and junior defence minister Siemtje Moeller as potential successors. Spiegel magazine added SPD party head Lars Klingbeil and Labour Minister Hubertus Heil to the list of candidates. The news comes as Scholz is under pressure to approve an increase in international military support for Kyiv to help it repel Russian forces from Ukraine. Associated with this were for me many special impressions, many encounters with interesting, great people," Lambrecht said in the video.

Jan 11 (Reuters) - NBC News appointed New York Times Deputy Managing Editor Rebecca Blumenstein to a newly created role of president of editorial, the broadcaster announced on Wednesday. NBC News President Noah Oppenheim, who led the division since 2017, will depart in a shake-up that includes two other executive appointments. Before that, she worked for 21 years at the Wall Street Journal, where her positions included deputy editor-in-chief, page one editor, international editor and editor of WSJ.com. As part of the restructuring, NBC News promoted Libby Leist to executive vice president, TODAY and Lifestyle, and promoted Janelle Rodriguez to executive vice president at the NBC News NOW streaming network. Prior to running NBC News, Oppenheim spent two years as executive in charge of the morning news broadcast TODAY.

REUTERS/Eva Plevier/File PhotoWINNIPEG, Manitoba, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Netherlands-based Rabobank NA (RABOVR.UL) is aiming to grab 10-15% of the Canadian farm lending market within 15 years, as it aims to shake up a sector dominated by government and domestic banks, its new Canadian agricultural head told Reuters on Wednesday. It took Rabobank a decade before deciding to expand into Canadian farm lending, taking a methodical approach, Lieverse said. Rabobank expects Canadian farm lending to be profitable from the start and plans to announce hiring plans shortly, she said. Rabobank did not release its estimate of the value of the Canadian farm lending market, but government agency Statistics Canada pegged 2021 farm debt at a record-high C$129 billion ($96.1 billion), with chartered banks accounting for 37%. Farm Credit Canada, owned by the Canadian government, is the biggest agricultural lender, controlling a market share of about one-third, Lieverse said.

Silbert is the founder of Digital Currency Group (DCG), a crypto conglomerate that includes the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust and trading platform Genesis. Winklevoss, along with his brother Tyler, co-founded Gemini, a popular crypto exchange that, unlike many of its peers, is subject to New York banking regulation. Winklevoss and Silbert were linked through an offering called Earn, a nearly two-year-old product from Gemini that promoted returns of up to 8% on customer deposits. With Earn, Gemini loaned client money to Genesis for placement across various crypto trading desks and borrowers. Silbert has avoided responding directly to Winklevoss' latest accusation, though the company has taken up his defense.

☆ Factbox: Tech firms, Wall Street lead job cuts in corporate America
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Jan 11 (Reuters) - Big Tech firms and Wall Street titans are leading a string of layoffs across corporate America as companies look to rein in costs to ride out the economic downturn. HP Inc (HPQ.N):The computing devices maker said it expected to cut up to 6,000 jobs by the end of fiscal 2025. Job seekers wait before a job fair for airport related employment at Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., December 7, 2021. Blue Apron Holdings Inc (APRN.N):The online meal-kit company said it will cut about 10% of its corporate workforce, as it looks to reduce costs and streamline operations. Last year, company executives had said the home goods retailer was cutting about 20% of its corporate and supply chain workforce.

☆ Factbox: FACTBOX Tech firms, Wall Street lead job cuts in Corporate America
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Jan 10 (Reuters) - Big Tech firms and Wall Street titans are leading a string of layoffs across corporate America as companies look to rein in costs to ride out the economic downturn. Cisco Systems Inc (CSCO.O):The networking and collaboration solutions company said it will undertake restructuring which could impact roughly 5% of its workforce. The effort will begin in the second quarter of the fiscal year 2023 and cost the company $600 million. HP Inc (HPQ.N):The computing devices maker said it expected to cut up to 6,000 jobs by the end of fiscal 2025. Consumer and retail companies:Beyond Meat Inc (BYND.O):The vegan meat maker said it plans to cut 200 jobs this year, with the layoffs expected to save about $39 million.

☆ China’s reopening has gotten Wall Street excited. Here’s how the pros are playing it
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Over the past week, a host of Wall Street banks have turned increasingly bullish on the world's second-largest economy and have upgraded their outlook on Chinese stocks. Morgan Stanley expects China's GDP to grow by an "above-consensus" 5.4% in 2023, on the back of a "fast-tracked" reopening and more proactive policy easing. Meanwhile, UBS says Chinese stocks look increasingly attractive. How to play the reopening Against this backdrop, analysts have named a slew of both Chinese and global stocks they think will benefit most from China's reopening. Bank of America's domestic reopening beneficiaries include consumer stocks such as alcoholic beverage makers Kweichow Moutai and Tsingtao Brew , airline stocks including China Southern Airlines , as well as online travel platform Trip.com .

☆ Disney asks employees to work from office four days a week - CNBC
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 9 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) top boss Bob Iger told employees to return to corporate offices four days a week starting March 1, CNBC reported on Monday, citing an email. The entertainment giant did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The pandemic prompted companies across the world to turn to work-from-home or hybrid work models to prevent the spread of the virus. However, with the rise of vaccinations and fall in severe cases that require hospitalization, Disney's move mirrors other companies like Snap (SNAP.N), Tesla (TSLA.O) and Uber (UBER.N) in asking employees to return to office. read moreReporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

David Slotnick/Business InsiderAmerican Express Membership Rewards points are among the most valuable card rewards you can earn. You'll usually get the most value from Amex points by transferring them to airline and hotel partners. In fact, the Amex Membership Rewards program debuted way back in 1991 with just seven US airline partners. More Information Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. What to know about transferring Amex points to partnersAmerican Express Membership Rewards points are among the most valuable and versatile travel rewards out there.

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