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☆ Here are Tuesday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Alphabet, Pinterest, Netflix, Amazon, Nvidia & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Here are Tuesday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Jefferies reiterates Apple as buy Jefferies said it's expecting a "quiet quarter" when the company reports earnings Aug. 3. Wells Fargo reiterates Netflix as overweight Wells said it's bullish heading into the company's earnings report Wednesday. Jefferies reiterates Alphabet as buy Jefferies said it's bullish heading into Alphabet earnings next week. Bank of America downgrades Lumentum to neutral from buy Bank of America called the stock an "overstated" AI beneficiary. JPMorgan reiterates Amazon as overweight JPMorgan said the e-commerce giant is its top pick heading into earnings. "

Persons: Jefferies, it's, Wells, Truist, Piper Sandler, Dave, Buster's, Piper, Bernstein, Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Max, Roth, Uber, Roth MKM, it's bullish, Morgan Stanley, Evercore, Marvell, Williams Deutsche, Sherwin Williams, JPMorgan Organizations: Apple, Netflix, Argus, Warner Brothers Discovery, Citi, Polaris Citi, 2Q, Bank of America, Nvidia, American Express, Digital, Marvell Technology Inc, Global, Inc, Deutsche Bank, Sherwin, JPMorgan Locations: capex

☆ ASML, STMicro, Infineon and more: Barclays predicts the AI impact as earnings loom
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"We expect AI excitement to continue (hence our Positive industry view)," said the Barclays analysts led by Simon Coles in a note to clients on June 28. The below table highlights the European chip stocks covered by Barclays, the date of their earnings, and the bank's 12-month price target for each. The stock has potential upside of 37.3%, according to Barclays' analysts; the second-highest on their list. The bank's analysts are optimistic about the company's revenue exposure and anticipate a strong quarter driven by the auto sector. Barclays puts Infineon's upside potential at 40% — the highest on its list of chip stocks.

Persons: Simon Coles, ASML, telco, STMicroelectronics Organizations: Barclays, Samsung, Nokia, ASM, Infineon Locations: Asia, China, EUV, STMicro, 2024E

☆ A $12 phone is opening doors for rural India to get on the internet
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

All that could change with a new $12 phone from Reliance Jio this week. India is already the world's second-largest smartphone market and is likely to add 300 million new internet users, making it the fastest country to provide internet services to those who remain unconnected, Mishra said. "However, screen size can limit the experience a bit, but still good for first-time internet users." Reliance Jio has rolled out 5G services in 406 cities in India. Additionally, Singh highlighted that Reliance Jio hopes first-time internet users who purchase the Jio Bharat will eventually upgrade to more advanced phones down the road.

Persons: Mukherjee, Akash Ambani, Jio Bharat, Varun Mishra, Mishra, Navkendar Singh, Singh, Jio, Bharat, There's, Nikhil Batra, Batra, Research's Mishra Organizations: International Data Corporation, Afp, Getty, Reliance, Reliance Industries, Counterpoint Research, CNBC, Vodafone, Aditya Birla Group, Vodafone Group —, BSNL, IDC, Nurphoto, Macquarie Research, Vodafone Idea, Bharti Airtel, Macquarie, Jio, Airtel Locations: India, Jio, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bihar, Jammu, Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh

☆ Korean telco giant adds ChatGPT tech to its A.I. chatbot, says you can talk to it like a 'close friend'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The company has integrated its various service from music streaming to e-commerce into A. and is planning to launch it fully in 2023. SKT added a feature called "Chat T" to A. that is powered by the technology behind ChatGPT, based on Microsoft's Azure OpenAI cloud computing service. The Korean telecoms giant also added a chatroom function to A. that allows users to have conversations with an AI character. "Through these conversations, users can share information about their daily life like they are talking to a close friend," SKT said in a press release. SKT said it has brought more AI agents named "A. friends" to the product, equipped with conversational AI technology "that enables emotional and human-like conversations."

Persons: chatbot, OpenAI's, Sapeon Organizations: SK Telecom's, SK Telecom, South Korea's, Microsoft, CNBC Locations: South, South Korea

☆ China-bashing throws Vodafone a curveball
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 27 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Vodafone's (VOD.L) M&A ambitions in Britain are falling prey to anti-China rhetoric. Parliamentarians are also fretting over the security impact on contracts with government departments once the deal goes through. Vodafone may face similar scrutiny, leading to inevitable delays. The fact that CK Hutchison has retained the right to appoint the chief financial officer may be a red flag. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: CK Hutchison's, Li Ka, Franco, Patrick Drahi, Hakan Koc, Pyrros Koussios, Roman Abramovich, CK Hutchison, Pamela Barbaglia, Aston Martin, Lisa Jucca, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, HK, Vodafone, BT, UK's National Security and Investment Act, Twitter, Siemens, Thomson Locations: Britain, China, Hong Kong, Canada

☆ Australia names air force veteran as cybersecurity chief amid rise in data breaches
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, June 23 (Reuters) - Australia on Friday named a senior air force commander as its first cybersecurity boss to help lead the government's response to major data breaches and boost the nation's security capabilities amid a recent spike in network intrusions. Air Marshal Darren Goldie, a 30-year veteran, will become the national cybersecurity coordinator, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. He will be supported by a national office within the department of home affairs and begin his term on July 3. HWL Ebsworth has flagged ransomware group BlackCat, also known as ALPHV, may have published some stolen data on the dark web. Major breaches were reported by health insurer Medibank Private (MPL.AX) and telco Optus, owned by Singapore Telecommunications (STEL.SI).

Persons: Darren Goldie, Anthony Albanese, " Albanese, HWL Ebsworth, Goldie, Clare O'Neil, telco, Renju Jose, Jamie Freed Organizations: SYDNEY, Home Affairs, Medibank, telco Optus, Singapore Telecommunications, Thomson Locations: Australia, Sydney

☆ Orange CEO on telco investment needs and consolidation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | 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 EmailOrange CEO on telco investment needs and consolidationEurope is lagging behind in terms of capacity to invest in infrastructure, Orange CEO Christel Heydemann says.

Persons: Christel Heydemann Organizations: Orange, telco Locations: Europe, Orange

☆ Subsidies from Big Tech should be last option for EU telcos - Meta Platforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 15 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms (META.O) said on Thursday subsidies from Big Tech should be the last option for European Union telecoms operators trying to get U.S. companies to foot some of their network cost. The European Commission launched a consultation early this year on whether tech giants should bear some of the costs of Europe's telecoms network. A majority of European Union countries have also rejected the push to levy a network fee on Big Tech, sources told Reuters earlier this month. The European Commission did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. It added any subsidies be awarded by a tender to ensure availability to all network operators, not just the large players.

Persons: Meta, Akash Sriram, Krishna Chandra Organizations: Big Tech, European Union, Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica, European Commission, Meta, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Orange, Bengaluru

☆ Here are Wednesday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Amazon, Match, Netflix, Nvidia, Topgolf & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Here are Wednesday's biggest calls on Wall Street: JPMorgan reiterates Netflix as overweight JPMorgan raised its price target on the stock to $470 per share from $380 and says it's bullish on paid sharing. "We are raising our price target from $205 to $220 to reflect increased confidence in this upcoming iPhone cycle and reiterate Apple as an OUTPERFORM and Wedbush Best Ideas List name." Piper Sandler reiterates Amazon as overweight Piper raised its price target on Amazon to $150 per share from $130 and said it sees Amazon Web Services revenue bottoming later this year. Bank of America reiterates Nvidia as buy Bank of America said it sees "sustainable AI growth" for shares of Nvidia. " Jefferies reiterates Topgolf Callaway Brands as buy Jefferies said the combination of PGA and Liv Golf is bullish for Topgolf.

Persons: it's bullish, Wells, Wedbush, Morgan Stanley, Piper Sandler, Piper, We've, YTD, Canaccord, Mobileye, Rosenblatt, it's, Jefferies, Topgolf, Liv, bullish Organizations: JPMorgan, Netflix, Apple, AWS, Computer, Micro, Supermicro, Barclays, Bank of America, Nvidia, Broadcom, Topgolf Callaway Brands, UBS Locations: 2H23, GKOS, Midcap, Edgewater

☆ EU's Breton cites telcos' investment gap for Big Tech network fee push
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It is better to be a telco in the U.S. than in Europe," Breton told a conference. Adjusted for GDP, 5G investment in the EU is lower than in other regions of the world," he said. He dismissed fears that requiring some users to pay more than others would breach EU net neutrality rules which say all users should be treated equally. "We will not touch net neutrality. It is not a question of changing net neutrality.

Persons: Thierry Breton, Breton, Foo Yun Chee, Richard Chang Organizations: Big Tech, EU, Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica, Telecom Italia, Alphabet's, Google, Apple, Netflix, Microsoft, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Europe, United States, U.S, Breton, Orange

☆ A telco billionaire gave $1,000 each to 2,500 Boston college graduates and encouraged them to donate half of it, calling it a 'gift of giving'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Robert Hale, the founder, and CEO of Granite Telecommunications, gave 2,500 graduating students $1,000 each. But he called on the graduates to donate half of the gift, or $500, calling it the "gift of giving." He isn't the only billionaire donating to college students. He then urged them to donate half of the gift, or $500, calling it the "gift of giving," according to media reports, including NBC Boston. In May 2022, Hale gifted $1,000 each to 150 graduates at the Roxbury Community College in Boston, per NBC Boston.

☆ Telco tycoons’ UK bets look stuck underwater
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Pamela Barbaglia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Set those complications aside, however, and his stake-building may have cost about 4.2 billion pounds overall since 2021. That’s according to Breakingviews calculations which use the share price from the day before each stake increase became public. The holding is now worth 3.6 billion pounds, implying a nearly 560 million pound or 13% loss. That’s mild compared with some of Vodafone’s investors. But UK consolidation would hardly move the needle as Vodafone is haggling to retain control of the merged entity.

☆ India's TCS receives $1.83 bln-worth advance purchase order from BSNL
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] A private security guard stands at the exit gate of the headquarters of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in Mumbai, India October 13, 2016. REUTERS/Shailesh AndradeBENGALURU, May 22 (Reuters) - Tata Consultancy Services (TCS.NS) on Monday said it received an advance purchase order valued over 150 billion rupees ($1.83 billion) to deploy a 4G network across the country from Indian state-run telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL.NS). ($1 = 81.7800 Indian rupees)Reporting by Navamya Ganesh Acharya in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane VenkatramanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ BT’s miss may spur big investors into action
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, May 18 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Trumpeting massive job cuts is usually one way to boost a share price. The 14 billion pound telco said on Thursday it would shed 55,000 jobs over the next seven years, but shares slumped 8%. That will stretch the patience of Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE) and Patrick Drahi’s Altice, which collectively control 30% of the UK group. The catch for Drahi and Höttges is that it’s not obvious what they should demand to reinvigorate BT’s share price. Still, if the two bigwigs decide to join forces, BT’s job cuts may yet move up to the company’s C-suite.

☆ Vodafone shares drop 4% after record 11,000 jobs cut as CEO says telco 'must change'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Vodafone announced plans to cut 11,000 jobs as part of a turnaround plan from the company's newly-appointed CEO Margherita Della Valle. Vodafone shares fell as much as 4% on Tuesday, after the British telecommunications firm announced plans to slash a record number of jobs and forecast a drop in free cash flow. To consistently deliver, Vodafone must change," recently appointed CEO Margherita Della Valle said in a candid statement on Tuesday. Vodafone reported 45.7 billion euros ($49.7 billion) in revenues for its fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, roughly unchanged versus the previous year. "What is going to change is the level of ambition, speed, [and] decisiveness of execution," Della Valle said in a recorded video on Tuesday.

☆ Capgemini CEO: Tech and telco companies are 'definitely under pressure'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | 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 EmailCapgemini CEO: Tech and telco companies are 'definitely under pressure'Aiman Ezzat, CEO of Capgemini, says tech and telco companies are under pressure, but are expected to rebound in two to three quarters.

Hudson will be one of the few female executives leading a major company in Australia, although rival carrier Virgin Australia also has a woman as its CEO, Jayne Hrdlicka. "I come with an understanding of this organization that is very deep," Hudson told reporters in her first news conference as CEO designate. "Vanessa has been market-facing as CFO since October 2019, which will have prepared her well for the very public role as Qantas CEO," RBC Capital Markets analyst Owen Birrell said in a note. Though men still account for far more top executive roles in Australian-listed companies, a growing number of high-profile CEO roles are occupied by women, including at the No. Qantas said Hudson would continue in her current role until taking over as Qantas' 13th CEO at the 2023 annual general meeting.

KUALA LUMPUR/SINGAPORE, April 16 (Reuters) - Malaysia plans to introduce a second 5G network from next year, four sources told Reuters, in the latest policy shake-up aimed at dismantling monopolies and promoting competition by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's six-month-old administration. A recommendation by major carriers for a second 5G provider was rejected by the previous government in March last year. Fahmi also said last week 5G network coverage had reached 55% in populated areas. It was not clear how the proposal for a second 5G network would affect DNB's existing agreements with its development partner Swedish telecoms giant Ericsson (ERICb.ST), and other mobile operators. U Mobile later joined other telco firms in signing up to access DNB's 5G network.

☆ Italy’s green star has new, uncertain trajectory
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, April 13 (Reuters Breakingviews) - In 2021, Enel (ENEI.MI) had the world at its feet. The group remains the world’s largest private operator of renewable energy, and its goal for 75 gigawatts of green power capacity by 2025 leaves the targets of parvenus like BP (BP.L) in the dust. Given Scaroni’s background, it may even seem like a good idea to combine Enel with $53 billion Eni and create an inward-focused national champion rather than a global net zero star. That may make Enel less appealing to international investors than once seemed likely. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Buyouts are getting complicated
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The terms say that the buyer cannot be forced to close before Oct. 15 – seven months after the deal’s announcement. A Tuesday proxy filing shows that’s to give Platinum enough time to sort out its debt financing. Qualtrics, meanwhile, sold in March for $12.5 billion – but it turns out it almost got more. An unnamed bidder offered $21 per share, more than the $18.15 that Qualtrics accepted from Silver Lake and CPP Investments. Buyouts are getting done, but they’re also getting complicated.

☆ Buffet breaks out of Japan’s value trap
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, April 12 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Berkshire Hathaway (BRKa.N) has upped its stake in iconic Japanese trading houses, according to an interview boss Warren Buffett gave the Nikkei newspaper on Tuesday. Worries that the nonagenarian was walking into Japan’s infamous “value trap” now look overwrought. The rise in global interest rates and the popping of the tech bubble have pushed funds back into the boring nuts and bolts companies Buffett loves. Given that the trading houses are themselves Berkshire-like investors, Buffett says he is open to doing deals with them, and investing more in Japan. The hedge funds and activist investors who have been banging their heads against Japan Inc might watch what Buffett does next.

☆ Inflation beds down, gets comfortable
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Price growth is now fueled more by non-essentials, like air fares and new cars, than food and energy. That’s a problem, since those core prices are historically less volatile and therefore less likely to drop. As costs edge higher, Americans will probably have to endure a longer, and more expensive, inflation battle. Core inflation is now outpacing broader CPI by the widest margin since the pandemic began, signaling those sticky prices that rarely drop are playing a bigger part in keeping inflation high. High core inflation means the Federal Reserve will probably raise rates again next month, making money even more expensive for households and businesses.

☆ Electric cars get a reality check
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, April 11 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Regulators want to encourage electric vehicles by flattering them less. The U.S. Department of Energy has proposed tweaking a decades-old formula for calculating EVs’ fuel efficiency. The overhaul will lower electric mileage ratings – but could encourage automakers to ditch fossil fuels more quickly. Automakers must meet a minimum overall CAFE mileage; falling short results in penalties. GM and rivals already want to catch up to electric leader Tesla – and its $600 billion valuation.

☆ IMF dashes hopes of growth rebound
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, April 11 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The International Monetary Fund may have just hammered the final nail in the coffin of a complete economic rebound. With downside risks dominating its outlook, the IMF’s estimates dash any remaining hopes of a full recovery from recent years’ shocks. The shortfall between actual growth and expected growth reached 1 percentage point in 2022. Put simply, the world economy will probably never regain the growth trajectory it had before the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. That’s a harsh reversal from recent hopes of a V-shaped recovery and a soft landing.

☆ UAE telco super app punt uses Indian playbook
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, April 11 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The United Arab Emirates is finding more strategic places to park its cash. The telecoms giant’s purchase follows a $4.4 billion investment in Vodafone (VOD.L) in May last year. It’s a way to advance an ambition, revealed last June, to be a technology and investment powerhouse. In a way, e& is following an investor playbook akin to that of India’s Reliance Industries (RELI.NS). The $192 billion Indian conglomerate has spent years acquiring music apps and other services in an attempt to cross-sell to its mobile customers.

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