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☆ Arm’s $52 bln IPO value sets stage for a fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Karen Kwok | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Arm’s IPO investors are effectively paying a slight premium while also betting that both growth and profitability are about to soar. Haas could then charge higher royalty rates. In the last calendar year, the company estimated that its royalty revenue equated to 1.7% of total worldwide spending on Arm-based chips. It’s not clear how many important Arm customers like Apple (AAPL.O), Nvidia (NVDA.O) and Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) have agreed to pay higher royalty rates. Nor will rising royalty rates necessarily compensate for possibly ongoing sluggish sales of smartphones, its key historic market.

Persons: Rene Haas, Haas, It’s, SoftBank, Liam Proud, Sharon Lam Organizations: Reuters, SoftBank Group, Cadence Design Systems, Apple, Nvidia, Samsung Electronics, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Thomson Locations: KS, British, New York

☆ Lithium miners’ $4.3 bln dance is a two-way hedge
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Albemarle's Chile country manager Ignacio Mehech shows an illustration of brines purification process to obtain lithium carbonate at their lithium plant placed on the Atacama salt flat, Chile, May 4, 2023. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado Acquire Licensing RightsMELBOURNE, Sept 4 (Reuters Breakingviews) - On the surface, offering a near-100% premium for an as yet unproductive lithium miner may seem over the top. Dig down a bit, though, and U.S.-based Albemarle’s (ALB.N)A$6.6 billion($4.3 billion) sweetened all-cash offer on Monday for Australian rival Liontown Resources (LTR.AX) has financial merit, as well as offering each side a handy hedge. A plan by Chile’s government to nationalise lithium resources adds more reason for the deal. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Ignacio Mehech, Ivan Alvarado, Albemarle, Kathleen, Antony Currie, Pernod Ricard, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Liontown Resources, Alpha, X, Thomson Locations: Chile, U.S, Western Australia, EBITDA, Albemarle

HONG KONG, Aug 31 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Prudential’s (PRU.L), new CEO has inherited an old problem. Wadhwani’s decision to lead the $35 billion company from Hong Kong underscores its focus. Its Hong Kong and London-listed stock trades at just over 13 times expected earnings for 2023, per Visible Alpha. Larger rival AIA, listed in Hong Kong, is valued at around 18 times. The group’s new business profit in the mainland slipped 16% to $171 million in the first half as Pru withdrew some products from the market.

Persons: Anil Wadhwani, Pru, Peter Thal Larsen, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, AIA, HK, U.S ., Prudential, Investments, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, U.S, Greater China, Hong Kong, London, China

People walk past a Woolworths supermarket following the easing of restrictions implemented to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Sydney, Australia, June 16, 2020. A day earlier, Coles said a cost blowout sent its underlying annual profit lower. Woolworths said its earnings margin from food was 6% in the year to end-June, from 5.3% a year earlier. The company gave no profit guidance except that growth in Australian food sales, its main earnings driver, remained strong although inflation was moderating. "We think the result will be taken well in the context of yesterday’s weaker result from Coles," Citi analysts said.

Persons: Loren Elliott, Coles, Brad Banducci, Jim Stanford, Byron Kaye, Nausheen, Archishma Iyer, Krishna Chandra Eluri, Stephen Coates, Muralikumar Organizations: Woolworths, REUTERS, JPMorgan, Macquarie Group, Citi, Centre, Future, Australia Institute, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Coles, Bengaluru

☆ Arm’s IPO risks shine brighter than its potential
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Karen Kwok | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Arm’s revenue is still dominated by its mainstay smartphone business, which contributed to the recent growth slowdown. Nor is Arm’s revenue particularly easy to forecast. In the most recent quarter, which ended on June 30, Arm’s revenue fell by more than 2% year-on-year to $675 million. Arm’s owner, SoftBank Group, was previously planning to sell between $8 billion and $10 billion of shares. SoftBank will have the right to appoint seven out of eight directors to Arm’s board after the IPO, provided its shareholding remains above 70%.

Persons: SoftBank Group's, That’s, Masayoshi Son, hasn’t, SoftBank, Liam Proud, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, Nvidia, Reuters Graphics Reuters, U.S, Nasdaq, SoftBank, Thomson Locations: China, British

☆ Cybersecurity firm Palo Alto projects strong annual billings, shares rally
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aug 18 (Reuters) - Palo Alto Networks (PANW.O) forecast annual billings above market estimates on Friday, in a sign that more businesses were turning to its integrated cybersecurity offerings to combat rising digital threats. Palo Alto projected full-year billings to be between $10.9 billion and $11.0 billion, compared with the Visible Alpha consensus estimate of $10.80 billion. Shares of Santa Clara, California-based Palo Alto have declined around 17% since it set Friday as its earnings date earlier this month — a move some analysts termed as "head scratching". Its fourth-quarter revenue grew about 26% to $1.95 billion, roughly in line with analysts' expectations, according to Refinitiv data. Palo Alto expects annual adjusted profit per share to be between $5.27 and $5.40, compared with analysts' expectations of $4.98.

Persons: billings, Nikesh Arora, Jaspreet Singh, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Palo Alto Networks, Palo Alto, platformization, Global, Palo, Software Technologies, Thomson Locations: billings, Santa Clara , California, Alto, Bengaluru

☆ Aussie lender NAB's quarterly margins decline on stiff competition
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The National Australia Bank Logo is seen on a branch in central Sydney, Australia, February 8, 2018. A high interest rate environment has benefited Australian banks, but they now face headwinds from rising bad debt and increasing competition for mortgages. Last week, the country's biggest lender Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA.AX) posted record annual profit on the back of rising interest rates, but warned higher living costs were pushing up debt arrears and competition was squeezing margins. NAB's net interest margin - a key measure of profitability - slipped to 1.72% in the April-June quarter from 1.77% as at March 31. The country's second-biggest lender, however, reported a 5% increase in cash earnings from higher interest rates.

Persons: Daniel Munoz, NIM, Ross McEwan, Upasana Singh, Archishma Iyer, Shilpi Majumdar, Shinjini Organizations: National, REUTERS, National Australia Bank, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, NAB, CBA, Analysts, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, 3Q23, Bengaluru

☆ Aussie lender NAB's Q3 margins decline; shares up on cash earnings beat
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Archishma Iyer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The National Australia Bank Logo is seen on a branch in central Sydney, Australia, February 8, 2018. Shares of the country's second-biggest bank rose 1.3% to trade at A$28.70 at 0115 GMT. Last week, the country's biggest lender Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA.AX) posted record annual profit but warned higher living costs were pushing up debt arrears and competition was squeezing margins. "Consensus NIM expectations might need to moderate down, but the current run rate in earnings would suggest NAB is on track to deliver on fourth quarter FY23 cash earnings expectations," analysts from UBS wrote. It posted cash earnings of A$1.90 billion, compared with A$1.80 billion a year earlier and beating a Visible Alpha consensus of A$1.83 billion.

Persons: Daniel Munoz, NIM, Ross McEwan, Upasana Singh, Archishma Iyer, Shilpi Majumdar, Shinjini, Sohini Organizations: National, REUTERS, National Australia Bank, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, NAB, UBS, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, 3Q23, Bengaluru

"The big thing we're watching for is any sign that rates of bad and doubtful debt are rising," Macquarie analysts said. Analysts at Citi expect cash profit to rise 3.5% to A$9.93 billion, while a Visible Alpha consensus estimate stands at A$10.11 billion. "Most banks may maintain buy-backs and lift dividends as they are still healthy on capital ratios." The heavyweight banking index, the S&P/ASX 200 Financials (.AXFJ), has gained 0.4% so far this year, as of last close. ($1 = 1.5230 Australian dollars)Reporting by Upasana Singh and Rishav Chatterjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'SilvaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: David Gray, Banks, Macquarie, Morgan Stanley, Tina Teng, Upasana Singh, Rishav Chatterjee, Anil D'Silva Organizations: REUTERS, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, National Australia Bank, Westpac, ANZ Group, Reserve Bank of Australia, Macquarie, CBA, Citi, NAB, ANZ, WBC, Thomson Locations: Melbourne, Southbank, Australia, Bengaluru

☆ Lyft forecasts strong earnings as it banks on competitive pricing to chase down Uber
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Shares of the company rose more than 12% in extended trading, after Lyft also reported higher-than-expected adjusted core profit for the April-June period. But that strategy dragged down its revenue per active user by 5% to $47.51 in the second quarter. In the quarter ending September, Lyft expects revenue in the range of $1.13 billion to $1.15 billion, higher than estimates of $1.09 billion, according to Refinitiv data. The company, which has promised profitability by 2023-end, forecast adjusted core earnings of $75 million to $85 million and a margin of 7%. Revenue grew 3% to $1.02 billion, in line with estimates, while adjusted EBITDA of $41 million was well above expectations of $27.9 million.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Lyft, David Risher, Risher, Yuvraj Malik, Anil D'Silva Organizations: REUTERS, Uber, Revenue, Thomson Locations: Lyft, Bengaluru

The maker of Tre model electric trucks has decided to make battery electric trucks only to order and focus on hydrogen fuel cell trucks. The company laid off 270 employees in June and liquidated assets of a recently acquired battery maker last month. Nikola forecast third-quarter revenue of $18 million to $28 million, compared with estimates of $34.5 million, according to Visible Alpha. Other electric vehicle (EV) startups also have toiled to ramp up production, meet delivery targets and raise funds as cash reserves dwindled. Separately, Nikola reported a narrower second-quarter loss as lower production of its Tre battery-electric trucks in the April-June period helped keep costs in check.

Persons: Stephen Girsky, Brendan McDermid, Nikola, NKLA.O, Michael Lohscheller, Girsky, Tre, Trevor Milton, Akash Sriram, Abhirup Roy, Will Dunham, Anil D'Silva, Sriraj Kalluvila, David Gregorio Our Organizations: VectolQ, Reuters, of Autonomous Vehicles, REUTERS, U.S, General Motors, Friday's, Nikola, Fisker, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Phoenix, Bengaluru, San Francisco

Nikola's investors on Thursday approved a proposal that will allow the company to issue more shares. The maker of Tre model electric trucks has been trying to pivot to hydrogen fuel cell technology. Nikola forecast third-quarter revenue of $18 million to $28 million, compared with estimates of $34.5 million, according to Visible Alpha. It had cash and cash equivalents of $226.7 million at the end of the second quarter, compared with $441.8 million, a year earlier. The company laid off 270 employees in June and liquidated assets of a recently acquired battery maker last month.

Persons: Stephen Girsky, Brendan McDermid, Nikola, okayed, Michael Lohscheller, Girsky, Tre, Trevor Milton, Akash Sriram, Abhirup Roy, Anil D'Silva, Sriraj Kalluvila, David Gregorio Our Organizations: VectolQ, Reuters, of Autonomous Vehicles, REUTERS, General Motors, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Bengaluru, San Francisco

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File photoAug 4 (Reuters) - Nikola (NKLA.O) on Friday named its fourth CEO in as many years as the electric truck maker navigates a host of challenges including dwindling cash reserves, lingering supply chain snags and a pivot to hydrogen fuel cell technology. The Tre battery-electric trucks maker forecast third-quarter revenue of $18 million to $28 million, compared with estimates of $34.5 million, according to Visible Alpha. Nikola's investors approved a proposal that will allow the truck maker to issue more shares to raise funds. Milton stepped down as CEO in 2020 after short-seller Hindenburg issued a scathing report that labeled Nikola a "fraud." Separately, Nikola reported a narrower second-quarter loss as lower production of its Tre battery-electric trucks in the April-June period helped keep costs in check.

Persons: Stephen Girsky, Brendan McDermid, Nikola, Michael Lohscheller, Trevor Milton, Milton, Hindenburg, Romeo Power, Akash Sriram, Anil D'Silva Organizations: VectolQ, Reuters, of Autonomous Vehicles, REUTERS, General Motors, EV, Lordstown Motors, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Phoenix , Arizona, Bengaluru

Aug 3 (Reuters) - Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O) warned Thursday that uncertainty over the dual strikes by Hollywood writers and actors could impact the timing of its film slate and its ability to produce and deliver content. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents Warner Bros Discovery and the other major studios in negotiations, asked to meet on Friday with the writers' guild to discuss the possibility of resuming talks. Warner Bros Discovery's revenue took a hit in the second quarter due to soft box office results, including the underperformance of the DC Comics-inspired film, "The Flash." The exterior of the Warner Bros. Under Zaslav, Warner Bros Discovery has been seeking to run its direct-to-consumer business more efficiently.

Persons: David Zaslav, Fran Drescher, Alyssa Pointer, Jamie Lumley, Samrhitha, Helen Coster, Mark Porter, Jonathan Oatis, Shounak Dasgupta, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Warner Bros Discovery, Hollywood, Writers Guild of America, Screen, SAG, Hasbro, Alliance, Television Producers, Paramount, Times, Variety, Warner Bros, DC Comics, Warner Bros . Discovery, Alliance of Motion Pictures, REUTERS, Discovery Inc, Total, HBO, Max, Thomson Locations: New York, Warner Bros . Discovery Atlanta, Atlanta , Georgia, U.S, Bengaluru

The squeeze has already claimed its first casualty in electric truck maker Lordstown Motors (RIDEQ.PK), which filed for bankruptcy in June. Companies including Lucid (LCID.O) and Nikola (NKLA.O) are likely to report another quarter of steep cash burn, as they continue to struggle with production and demand. Nikola, which reiterated a going-concern warning in May, is expected to report a 15% decline in revenue and widening losses on Friday. Its shares have rallied nearly 40% this year as the company attempts to reduce its cash burn with layoffs and the liquidation of a recently acquired battery business. But the company missed its production target in the quarter due to a parts shortage.

Persons: Thomas Peter, Tesla, Nikola, Thomas Hayes, Hayes, Needham, Chris Pierce, Akash Sriram, Sayantani Ghosh, Devika Organizations: REUTERS, Ford, Lordstown, Rivian, Visible Alpha, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Bengaluru

The exterior of the Warner Bros. REUTERS/Alyssa Pointer/File photoAug 3 (Reuters) - Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O) warned Thursday that the dual Hollywood strikes by writers and actors could hit its flagging studio business already bruised by high-profile box office flops including "The Flash." The shutdowns "may have implications for the timing and performance of the remainder of the film slate as well as our ability to produce and deliver content," Warner Bros Discovery CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels said. Total global subscribers for its HBO, Max and Discovery+ services stood at 95.8 million at the end of the quarter. Under CEO David Zaslav, Warner Bros Discovery has been seeking to run its direct-to-consumer business more efficiently.

Persons: Alyssa Pointer, Gunnar Wiedenfels, Jamie Lumley, David Zaslav, Zaslav, Samrhitha, Helen Coster, Mark Porter, Jonathan Oatis, Shounak Organizations: Warner Bros . Discovery, Writers Guild of America, Alliance of Motion Pictures, Television Producers, REUTERS, Warner Bros Discovery, Hasbro, Warner Bros, Discovery Inc, Total, HBO, Max, Thomson Locations: Warner Bros . Discovery Atlanta, Atlanta , Georgia, U.S, Bengaluru, New York

The exterior of the Warner Bros. REUTERS/Alyssa Pointer/File photoAug 3 (Reuters) - Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O) posted a smaller loss for the second quarter on Thursday as the media conglomerate benefited from cost cuts, sending its shares up nearly 4% in premarket trading. Under Chief Executive Officer David Zaslav, Warner Bros Discovery has been seeking to run its direct-to-consumer business, which includes the Max streaming service, more efficiently. Net loss for the quarter came in at $1.24 billion, compared with a loss of $3.42 billion a year earlier. It lost 1.8 million subscribers, more than analysts' estimates of 1.1 million, reporting 95.8 million total global subscribers for its HBO, Max and Discovery+ services.

Persons: Alyssa Pointer, David Zaslav, Max, Zaslav, Samrhitha, Helen Coster, Shounak Dasgupta, Mark Porter Organizations: Warner Bros . Discovery, Writers Guild of America, Alliance of Motion Pictures, Television Producers, REUTERS, Warner Bros Discovery, Media, Warner Bros, Consumer, HBO, Discovery Inc, Max, HBO Max, Thomson Locations: Warner Bros . Discovery Atlanta, Atlanta , Georgia, U.S, United States, Bengaluru, New York

☆ HSBC invites shy investors to turnaround party
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Una Galani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The turnaround Quinn launched shortly after taking charge of the London-headquartered bank in 2019 is gaining momentum. In the three months to the end of June, HSBC almost doubled its pre-tax profit to $8.8 billion compared with the same period last year. He’s catching up with market expectations, too, aiming for a return on tangible equity in the mid-teens and echoing Visible Alpha’s consensus numbers for 15% this year, and almost 14% next. Crucially, Quinn and his newish finance chief, Georges Elhedery, can focus on improving the bank’s performance with fewer distractions. All shareholders, though, clearly still need some convincing to join HSBC’s turnaround party in earnest.

Persons: Noel Quinn, Quinn, Georges Elhedery, Ping, Antony Currie, Thomas Shum, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, HK, HSBC, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Ping An Insurance, Thomson Locations: MUMBAI, London, Hong Kong, China, Asia, Europe, North America, Canada

☆ Apple heads for largest Q3 revenue drop since 2016 as iPhone sales slow
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Yuvraj Malik | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The world's most valuable firm will wrap up Big Tech earnings on Thursday, with a likely 1.6% drop in total quarterly revenue, according to Refinitiv - its steepest drop in third-quarter revenue since 2016. IPhone sales likely fell more than 2% in the period, according to 24 analysts polled by Visible Alpha, compared with a near 3% increase a year earlier and a 1.5% rise in the quarter ended March. IPHONE SLOWDOWNMuch of the weakness in iPhone sales is expected to come from the Americas, where revenue is set to fall 6%, analysts said. "If there is any sales weakness from China, it is likely to be easily offset by strong sales momentum in India," they added. Mac and iPad sales are expected to fall by 10.6% and 11.2%, respectively, according to Refinitiv data.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Bob O'Donnell, Apple, Fargo, Piper Sandler, Yuvraj Malik, Sayantani Ghosh, Maju Samuel Organizations: Apple, REUTERS, Big Tech, Alpha, Microsoft, TECHnalysis Research, Bloomberg, Nasdaq, International Data Corp, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Americas, China, India, Bengaluru

☆ Hermes defies luxury slowdown with strong sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Mimosa Spencer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Hermes' results come as luxury stocks have come under pressure due to uncertainty over the pace of China's post-pandemic recovery, while a months-long spending frenzy in the U.S. market cools amid rising inflation. "We've seen no interruption in (growth) trends," Hermes Executive Chairman Axel Dumas told journalists. "Strong print across the board," said Exane BNP Paribas, citing fast sales growth and consensus-beating margins. Analysts said the results showed the strength of Hermes' business model, which entails careful management of production and stocks. Hermes shares traded up 3.3% in early morning trading, while rival Kering was up 1% and LVMH was down 0.5%.

Persons: Veronique Nichanian, Gonzalo Fuentes, Birkin, Hermes, Richemont, We've, Axel Dumas, Dumas, Bernstein, Kering, LVMH, Mimosa Spencer, Silvia Aloisi, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, BNP, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, U.S, China

☆ T-Mobile posts highest Q2 subscriber adds in eight years, beating estimates
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 27 (Reuters) - T-Mobile US (TMUS.O) topped Wall Street expectations for quarterly wireless subscriber additions on Thursday, as cost-conscious customers flocked to its cheaper plans and superior 5G services in a highly competitive market. The U.S. wireless carrier said it added 760,000 postpaid phone subscribers - its highest second-quarter additions in eight years. The figure was also higher than additions posted by rivals AT&T and Verizon and beat expectations of 708,800, according to Visible Alpha. Total revenue for the quarter fell 2.6% to $19.20 billion, missing analysts' estimate of $19.31 billion, according to Refinitiv data. By contrast, Verizon reported a churn of 0.83% for monthly phone subscribers, while AT&T's came in at 0.79%.

Persons: Samrhitha, Pooja Desai Organizations: Mobile, Sprint, AT, Verizon, Alpha, T's, Thomson Locations: U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Rio Tinto cuts dividend as H1 profit falls to lowest in three years
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, July 26 (Reuters) - Rio Tinto's (RIO.L), (RIO.AX) first-half underlying earnings fell to their lowest in three years as easing iron ore prices offset an uptick in shipments from its Pilbara operations, it said on Wednesday, while also announcing a dividend cut. Rio, the world's biggest iron ore producer, was cautiously optimistic on China's economy over the rest of the year, CEO Jacob Stausholm said. Average realised prices for Pilbara iron ore slipped to $98.60 per wet metric ton in the first half, 11.1% below last year. The world's largest iron ore producer flagged a shortage of skilled workers in a tight labour market along with supply-chain issues. Additional reporting by Melanie Burton in Melbourne; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu and Christian SchmollingerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jacob Stausholm, Rio, Rishav Chatterjee, Archishma Iyer, Melanie Burton, Subhranshu Sahu, Christian Organizations: MELBOURNE, Alpha, Thomson Locations: Rio, Beijing, China, Pilbara, Bengaluru, Melbourne

Microsoft is weaving AI into its own products, such as the $30-a-month "Copilot" assistant for its Microsoft 365 service that can summarize a day's worth of emails into a quick update. Microsoft's results show heavy spending on AI services ahead of commensurate revenue growth. For the segment that includes Azure, Microsoft forecast a first-quarter revenue range with a midpoint of $23.45 billion. Microsoft's forecast for its Windows segment had a midpoint of $12.7 billion, below analysts' estimate of $13.14 billion. Microsoft has started integrating AI functionality across its products such as Azure, Microsoft 365, GitHub and several developer tools.

Persons: Amy Hood, Hood, Satya Nadella, Yuvraj Malik, Devika Syamnath, Richard Chang Organizations: Microsoft, Wall, Nvidia Corp, Revenue, Alpha, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Microsoft beats quarterly estimates as AI boosts cloud business
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 25 (Reuters) - Microsoft (MSFT.O) on Tuesday surpassed Wall Street estimates for fourth-quarter revenue and profit as its cloud business benefited from product upgrades featuring new artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Revenue rose to $56.2 billion in the quarter ended June, compared with analysts' consensus estimate of $55.5 billion, according to Refinitiv. Microsoft's Intelligent Cloud unit, which houses the Azure cloud computing platform, grew revenue to $24 billion, compared with expectations of $23.8 billion. It is also aiming to sell cloud computing services that other firms will use to build AI services. The Microsoft segment containing the LinkedIn social network and its Office productivity software grew to $18.3 billion, compared with analysts' consensus estimate of $18.1 billion according to Refinitiv data.

Persons: Yuvraj Malik, Devika Organizations: Microsoft, Alpha, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Verizon profit beats on lower costs, surprise rise in wireless users
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Samrhitha A | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 25 (Reuters) - Verizon (VZ.N) beat quarterly profit estimates on Tuesday on the back of lower costs and a surprise rise in wireless subscribers as efforts to grow its enterprise customer base and super-fast 5G network paid off. They are still down about 5% since the July 9 Wall Street Journal report, which also named AT&T (T.N) among firms that left behind the potentially toxic lead cables. Free cash flow, a metric closely watched by investors to help determine dividend payouts, came in at $5.6 billion, above estimates of $5.05 billion, according to Visible Alpha. Total revenue fell 3.5% to $32.6 billion, missing analysts' estimates of $33.24 billion, according to Refinitiv data. Reporting by Samrhitha Arunasalam in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Devika SyamnathOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Anthony Skiadas, Hargreaves, Matt Britzman, Verizon's, Samrhitha, Anil D'Silva Organizations: Verizon, Alpha, Consolidated, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

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