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The News Corporation logo is displayed on the side of a building in midtown Manhattan in New York, U.S., February 27, 2018. "What you will see over time is a lot of litigation; some media companies have already begun those discussions," said News Corp Chief Executive Robert Thomson, speaking at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference. It's unclear whether more publishers will ultimately strike deals with the tech companies or pursue litigation related to the use of that content. The Associated Press struck a deal in July, licensing a part its archive of news stories to ChatGPT-owner OpenAI. Reporting by Zaheer Kachwala in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja Desai and Aurora EllisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lucas Jackson, Robert Thomson, Goldman Sachs, we're, Bard, ChatGPT, OpenAI, Zaheer Kachwala, Pooja Desai, Aurora Ellis Organizations: REUTERS, News Corp, News, Technology, Publishers, Sunday Times, Wall Street, OpenAI, Associated Press, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ WeWork begins to renegotiate leases globally
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The WeWork logo is displayed on a screen during the company's IPO on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 21, 2021. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 6 (Reuters) - WeWork (WE.N) said on Wednesday it has started a process of global engagement with landlords to renegotiate nearly all its leases, sending its shares up as much as 9% in morning trade. The company had reported a 3% drop in total physical memberships from a year earlier, citing increasing competition, macroeconomic volatility and softer demand than anticipated. WeWork, which provides flexible workspaces by taking out long-term leases and renting them out for short durations, gained popularity before the COVID-19 pandemic made shared office spaces less appealing. The company, which has struggled with heavy debts and poor financial performance, hired advisers for its restructuring efforts, Bloomberg News reported last month.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Pratyush Thakur, Pooja Desai Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Bloomberg News, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ U.S. airlines flag high fuel costs, Southwest's August bookings disappoint
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Mehr Bedi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A Southwest Airlines aircraft flies past the U.S. Capitol before landing at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., January 24, 2022. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 6 (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines (LUV.N) on Wednesday flagged softer August leisure bookings and joined two other U.S. airlines in warning of higher fuel costs in the third quarter due to a jump in crude prices. United Airlines (UAL.O) and Alaska Air Group (ALK.N) also warned of higher fuel costs in the current quarter as crude oil prices rose for a third straight month in August, amid signs of tightening supply. In a regulatory filing, United said jet fuel prices have climbed over 20% since mid-July. U.S. airlines do not generally hedge against fuel costs, making them vulnerable to price swings.

Persons: Joshua Roberts, Gerald Laderman, Stephen Trent, Mehr Bedi, Abhijith, Aishwarya Jain, Pooja Desai Organizations: Southwest Airlines, U.S, Capitol, Reagan National Airport, REUTERS, United Airlines, Alaska Air Group, United, Cowen Transportation Conference, Alaska Air, Citi Research, Thomson Locations: Arlington , Virginia, U.S, Denver, Chicago, Southwest, Bengaluru

☆ Three US airlines warn of higher fuel costs in third quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A Southwest Airlines aircraft flies past the U.S. Capitol before landing at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., January 24, 2022. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 6 (Reuters) - Three U.S. airlines on Wednesday warned of higher fuel costs in the third quarter due to a jump in crude prices, adding to pressures the industry faces from expensive labor contracts. Shares of Southwest Airlines (LUV.N) fell 4.1%, United Airlines (UAL.O) was down 1.3% and Alaska Air Group (ALK.N) edged lower about 1% before the bell. U.S. airlines do not generally hedge against fuel costs, making them vulnerable to price swings. Southwest Airlines, the largest U.S. domestic carrier, said it expects revenue per available seat mile - a proxy for pricing power - to fall 5% to 7% in the current quarter.

Persons: Joshua Roberts, United, Mehr Bedi, Abhijith, Pooja Desai Organizations: Southwest Airlines, U.S, Capitol, Reagan National Airport, REUTERS, United Airlines, Alaska Air Group, Alaska Air, Washington State, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Thomson Locations: Arlington , Virginia, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ J&J says drug combo contains lung cancer from spreading for longer duration
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Johnson & Johnson logo is displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., May 29, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 6 (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) said on Wednesday its combination drug helped increase the duration of no progress in a type of non small-cell lung cancer in patients. J&J's therapy was tested in patients in whom the disease progressed even after they were treated with AstraZeneca's Tagrisso. J&J is also testing its combination treatment in a head-to-head study with Tagrisso, and expects data from the trial by the end of this year. If successful, the company expects the therapy to become a first-line treatment for NSCLC patients with the mutation.

Persons: Johnson, Brendan McDermid, AstraZeneca's, Rybrevant, Leroy Leo, Pooja Desai Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Johnson, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Meta to drop 'Facebook News' tab in some European countries
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of Meta Platforms' business group is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 5 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms (META.O) said on Tuesday it will discontinue the "Facebook News" feature on its social media app in the UK, France and Germany, later this year. Users will still be able to view links to news articles and European news publishers will continue to have access to their Facebook accounts and pages after the change is implemented in December, Meta said. However, Facebook will not form new commercial deals for news content on "Facebook News", nor offer product innovations for news publishers in these countries. "Facebook News", which curates a feed of news articles, is a dedicated tab in the bookmarks section of the Facebook app.

Persons: Yves Herman, Meta, Yuvraj Malik, Pooja Desai Organizations: REUTERS, Facebook, Big Tech, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Bengaluru

☆ Dollar General shares tank after another disappointing quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dollar General shopping carts are seen outside a store in Mount Rainier, Maryland, U.S., June 1, 2021. Shares of the company have fallen about 36% this year, making it one of the worst performers in the S&P 500 in 2023. In an effort to improve its business and lure in value-seeking customers, Dollar General has been investing to keep prices low for its everyday staples, which are typically less profitable. Meanwhile, sales in the home products and apparel segments, which carry higher margins, fell more than 7% each in the second quarter ended August 4. For the quarter, same-store sales fell 0.1%, compared with analysts' average estimate of a 1.08% rise, according to Refinitiv IBES data.

Persons: Erin Scott, Savyata Mishra, Pooja Desai Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Mount Rainier , Maryland, U.S, Tennessee, Bengaluru

☆ Dollar General shares sink on second annual forecast cut, disappointing investors
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Savyata Mishra | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dollar General shopping carts are seen outside a store in Mount Rainier, Maryland, U.S., June 1, 2021. The Goodlettsville, Tennessee-based retailer has fallen short of the average analyst forecast for four straight quarters, and on Thursday cut its annual profit and sales targets for the second time this year. The quarter "marks the fourth consecutive guide down for Dollar General, which admittedly creates further uncertainty if we are hitting the bottom yet," said Raymond James analyst Bobby Griffin. "While we expect traffic trends to improve, we do not expect positive traffic until the fourth quarter," CFO Kelly Dilts said. To better compete with rival Dollar Tree and bigger grocer Walmart (WMT.N), Dollar General has been investing to keep prices low for its everyday staples, improve merchandise mix and increase wages.

Persons: Erin Scott, Raymond James, Bobby Griffin, Kelly Dilts, Savyata Mishra, Pooja Desai Organizations: REUTERS, Dollar, Walmart, Thomson Locations: Mount Rainier , Maryland, U.S, , Tennessee, Bengaluru

☆ Jack Daniel's maker Brown-Forman misses profit estimate as costs pinch
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Whiskey tasting station is seen at the Jack Daniel's distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee May 10, 2011. Excluding items, Brown-Forman earned 48 cents per share, compared with a profit estimate of 53 cents per share, as per Refinitiv data. A 90-basis-point expansion in gross margin in the quarter was driven by a 250-basis-point benefit from higher pricing as well as a let up in supply-chain costs, Brown-Forman said on a post-earnings call. Its quarterly net sales rose 3%, to $1.04 billion, compared with analysts' average estimate of $1.05 billion. Still, Brown-Forman reaffirmed its annual target of organic net sales growth between 5% and 7% and said it expects demand trends to normalize after two years of strong growth.

Persons: Jack Daniel's, Martinne Geller, Brown, Forman, BFb.N, Jack, Juveria Tabassum, Pooja Desai Organizations: REUTERS, Reserve, U.S, Thomson Locations: Lynchburg , Tennessee, United States, U.S

☆ Drug retailer Rite Aid prepares to file for bankruptcy - WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Aug 25 (Reuters) - Rite Aid Corp (RAD.N) is preparing to file for bankruptcy in coming weeks to address lawsuits the company is facing over its alleged role in the sale of opioids, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the plan. Rite Aid did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Regionally focused Rite Aid operates more than 2,330 stores in 17 U.S. states, although it is much smaller than rivals like Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA.O) and CVS Health (CVS.N). Along with other pharmacy chains, Rite Aid has been named a defendant in lawsuits that alleged they helped fuel the opioid crisis in the United States. The U.S. Department of Justice in March sued Rite Aid, accusing the pharmacy chain of missing "red flags" as it illegally filled hundreds of thousands of prescriptions for controlled substances, including opioids.

Persons: Mariam Sunny, Khushi, Pooja Desai, Maju Samuel Organizations: Rite Aid Corp, Wall Street, Aid, Walgreens Boots Alliance, CVS Health, U.S . Department of Justice, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Thomson Locations: U.S, United States, Bengaluru

☆ China Evergrande says resumption guidance fulfilled, shares set to trade next week
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Cranes stand at a construction site near the headquarters of China Evergrande Group in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China September 26, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song Acquire Licensing RightsAug 25 (Reuters) - Embattled property developer China Evergrande Group (3333.HK) said on Friday it has "adequately" fulfilled the resumption guidance issued by the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and made an application to resume trading in shares on Aug. 28. Trading in the company's shares was suspended on March 21 last year after it failed to get back on its feet amid the debt crisis. On the same day, the company's unit, China Evergrande New Energy Vehicle (0708.HK), posted a loss attributable from continuing operations of 5.80 billion yuan ($795.84 million), compared with a loss of 3.87 billion, from a year ago. ($1 = 7.2879 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Roushni Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja DesaiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Aly, Evergrande, Roushni Nair, Pooja Desai Organizations: China Evergrande Group, REUTERS, China Evergrande, HK, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Prism, Shanghai Ltd, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Energy, Thomson Locations: China, Shenzhen, Guangdong province, Prism Hong Kong, Shanghai, U.S, United States, Bengaluru

☆ Dollar Tree forecasts tepid annual profit on costs, pivot to spending on essentials
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Dollar Tree sign is seen outside the store in Washington, U.S., June 1, 2021. REUTERS/Erin Scott/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 24 (Reuters) - Dollar Tree (DLTR.O) forecast annual profit largely below estimates on Thursday, owing to higher costs and a shift in spending towards lower-margin consumables. Chief Financial Officer Jeff Davis said the profit outlook was also impacted by unfavorable shrink trends and higher diesel fuel prices. Dollar Tree, like retailers Target (TGT.N) and Macy's (M.N), has been plagued by a rise in retail shrink, where inventory is lost, damaged, or stolen. Dollar Tree said it now expects to earn in the range of $5.78 to $6.08 per share in fiscal 2023, compared with its prior outlook of between $5.73 and $6.13.

Persons: Erin Scott, Jeff Davis, Savyata Mishra, Pooja Desai Organizations: REUTERS, Target, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Chesapeake , Virginia, Bengaluru

☆ Netflix signups remain high, fueled by password-sharing crackdown - data
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Netflix logo is shown on one of their Hollywood buildings in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 23 (Reuters) - Signups for Netflix (NFLX.O) in the United States remain elevated despite a fall from June's record high after the video-streaming pioneer's crackdown on shared passwords came into effect in May, according to data from research firm Antenna. Netflix had said last year it was going to limit account-sharing and was testing various approaches in some markets. This has led analysts to expect that about 50 million users will ultimately create their own accounts. The research firm sources its streaming data from transaction records such as online purchase receipts and banking information.

Persons: Mike Blake, Walt Disney's, Max, Jaspreet Singh, Akash Sriram, Pooja Desai Organizations: Netflix, REUTERS, Amazon, Warner Bros, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, United States, Bengaluru

☆ Singapore's Grab forecasts smaller operating loss this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A Grab employee shows the Apps used to book a cab in the metro Manila, Philippines July 22, 2016. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 23 (Reuters) - Grab (GRAB.O) forecast a smaller operating loss for the current fiscal year and pulled forward its profitability timeline on Wednesday, driven by cost savings from its recent workforce reduction. The Southeast Asian internet firm now sees adjusted loss before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization between $30 million and $40 million, compared to its earlier forecast of $195 million to $235 million. Grab is undergoing a restructuring focused on lowering costs, with measures including cuts to its cloud bill and consumer and worker incentives. In the quarter ended June 30, the company's revenue increased 77%, to $567 million, surpassing analysts' estimate of $546.1 million, according to Refinitiv data.

Persons: Romeo Ranoco, Yuvraj Malik, Pooja Desai Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Manila, Philippines, U.S, Bengaluru

Raw material and freight costs have eased from pandemic-era highs, but a tight labor market is exacerbating the drag of persistent inflation on production costs. This overshadowed Coty's quarterly revenue beat despite customers splurging on its high-end and affordable fragrances and cosmetics, ranging from Hugo Boss to Gucci. The company reported a quarterly adjusted profit of 1 cent per share, missing estimates of 2 cents, according to Refinitiv data. Coty forecast 2024 adjusted profit between 44 cents and 47 cents per share. Rival Estee Lauder (EL.N) had also provided downbeat annual forecasts, hurt by frail recovery in travel retail and slowing U.S. demand.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Hugo Boss, Gucci, Laurent Mercier, Mercier, Estee Lauder, Javier Gonzalez Lastra, EL.N, Juveria Tabassum, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Pooja Desai Organizations: Coty Inc, REUTERS, Coty, Reuters, L'Oreal, Tema, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ IBM sells weather business to private equity firm Francisco Partners
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 22 (Reuters) - International Business Machines (IBM.N) has agreed to sell its weather business to private equity firm Francisco Partners for an undisclosed sum, the technology services giant said on Tuesday. IBM will retain its sustainability software business. The Big Blue said Tuesday it plans to continue using The Weather Company's weather data for its software offerings focused on environmental insights. Francisco Partners did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The deal with Francisco Partners is expected to close in the first quarter of 2024 and is subject to regulatory approval.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Rob Thomas, Arsheeya, Pooja Desai Organizations: IBM, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Business Machines, Francisco Partners, Storm, NASA, Street Journal, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Watsonx, Bengaluru

☆ DuPont to sell majority stake in $1.8 billion Delrin resins unit
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 21(Reuters) - Industrial materials maker DuPont De Nemours (DD.N) said on Monday it has agreed to sell an 80.1% stake in its Delrin resins unit to private equity firm TJC, formerly known as The Jordan Company, in a deal that values the business at about $1.8 billion. It will also own a 19.9% non-controlling interest in the unit, which the company had been looking to divest since February last year. The company sold most of its mobility and materials business to Celanese (CE.N) for $11 billion last year. However, it also suffered a setback last year as Chinese regulatory hurdles forced it to scrap the $5.2 billion acquisition of engineering materials maker Rogers (ROG.N). Earlier this year, peers Univar Solutions(UNVR.MX) and Chase Corp(CCF.A) had been taken private by Apollo Global Management and KKR, respectively.

Persons: Denis Balibouse, DuPont De, Ed Breen, Rogers, Sourasis Bose, Pooja Desai Organizations: REUTERS, DuPont, DuPont De Nemours, Jordan Company, ED, Chase Corp, Apollo Global Management, KKR, Thomson Locations: Dupont, Geneva, Switzerland, Celanese, Bengaluru

☆ DuPont to sell majority stake in Delrin resins unit for about $1.6 bln
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A logo is pictured outside of Dupont offices in Geneva, Switzerland, April 15, 2021. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 21(Reuters) - Chemical maker DuPont De Nemours (DD.N) said on Monday it has agreed to sell 80.1% of its Delrin resins unit to private equity firm TJC, formerly known as The Jordan Company, for about $1.6 billion. It will also own a 19.9% non-controlling interest in the unit, which the company had been looking to divest since February last year. It sold most of its mobility and materials business to Celanese (CE.N) for $11 billion last year. However, it also suffered a setback last year as Chinese regulatory hurdles forced it to scrap the $5.2 billion acquisition of engineering materials maker Rogers (ROG.N).

Persons: Denis Balibouse, DuPont De, Rogers, Sourasis Bose, Pooja Desai Organizations: REUTERS, DuPont, DuPont De Nemours, Jordan, ED, Thomson Locations: Dupont, Geneva, Switzerland, Celanese, Bengaluru

☆ Palo Alto shares jump as rosy forecast soothes slowdown fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aug 21 (Reuters) - Palo Alto Networks (PANW.O) surged 12% on Monday after its dominant position in the cybersecurity market helped power a strong forecast, cheering investors worried about possible weakness after it chose a rare summer Friday for its earnings. Palo Alto Networks had declined nearly 17% ahead of earnings this month. Palo Alto's shares outperform cybersecurity peersBut as enterprise budgets tighten and threats of cyber attacks intensify, more businesses are turning to larger players like Palo Alto Networks that serve as one-stop shops for a variety of cybersecurity solutions. "We walk away confident about the company's ability to consolidate enterprise security spend and outgrow peers with strong profitability," RBC Capital Markets analysts said. Palo Alto trades at more than 41 times the consensus earnings for the next 12 months, compared with 52.56 for CrowdStrike and 34.19 for Fortinet.

Persons: billings, Akash Sriram, Pooja Desai Organizations: Palo Alto Networks, Rivals CrowdStrike Holdings, Wedbush Securities, RBC Capital Markets, Fortinet, Thomson Locations: Alto, Palo, CrowdStrike, Bengaluru

Aug 18 (Reuters) - Estee Lauder (EL.N) forecast annual sales and profit below estimates on Friday, indicating a slower-than-expected rebound in its travel retail business, mainly in Asia, and waning demand in the United States, sending its shares down about 3%. Analysts note that the drop in consumer demand in China and a slow recovery in Asia travel retail - sales made at airports or travel destinations like Korea and China's Hainan - could impact luxury companies like Estee, which makes about 30% of its annual revenue from the Asia Pacific region. "De-stocking and inventory levels in Asian Travel Retail… likely to remain the biggest headwind to growth over the next few quarters," said Bernstein analyst Callum Elliott. Estee expects full-year sales to rise between 5% and 7%, compared with an estimated 8.8% increase, according to Refinitiv data. It sees annual adjusted profit to be between $3.50 and $3.75 per share, compared with an expectation of $4.83.

Persons: Estee Lauder, It's, Tracey Travis, Lauder, Shannon Stapleton, Bernstein, Callum Elliott, Estee, Granth Vanaik, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Pooja Desai Organizations: Reuters, Nordstrom, REUTERS, L'Oreal, U.S ., Asia Pacific, Thomson Locations: Asia, United States, China, Korea, Hainan, Asia Pacific, New York, U.S, Americas, Mainland China, Bengaluru

☆ Estee Lauder forecasts weak annual profit on slow recovery in Asia travel retail
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Analysts have said the drop in consumer demand in China and a slow recovery in Asia travel retail - sales made at airports or travel destinations like Korea and China's Hainan - could impact luxury companies like Estee, which makes about 30% of its annual revenue from the Asia Pacific region. "Asia travel retail pressured results, particularly in Skin Care, and we continued to experience softness in North America," CEO Fabrizio Freda said in a statement. Estee Lauder's Americas region reported flat net sales compared to a year ago, while Asia-Pacific reported a 29% increase in sales. The company expects annual adjusted profit per share to be between $3.50 and $3.75, compared with analysts' expectation of $4.83. However, on an adjusted basis, Estee earned a profit of 7 cents per share, compared to an estimated loss of 4 cents per share.

Persons: Lauder, Shannon Stapleton, Estee Lauder, Fabrizio Freda, Estee, Granth Vanaik, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Pooja Desai Organizations: Nordstrom, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Asia, United States, China, Korea, Hainan, Asia Pacific, North America, Pacific, Bengaluru

CVS Health logo is seen displayed in this illustration taken, May 3, 2022. The regional health insurance provider will still retain CVS Caremark for managing specialty drugs, which are costly medications used to treat complex conditions like cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. Other analysts highlighted difficulties in shifting to a different model than the one offered by companies like CVS - which provide other services including home drug delivery and reimburse pharmacies for patients' prescriptions. Amazon Pharmacy will provide at-home delivery of prescription drugs as well as upfront pricing, while Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company will provide access to generic drugs, Blue Shield said. Blue Shield of California's other partners include privately held Abarca for processing claims related to prescription drugs, while smaller PBM Prime Therapeutics will work to negotiate savings with drugmakers.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Cigna, UnitedHealth, Mark, Elizabeth Anderson, J.P, Morgan, Lisa Gill, Gill, Blue, Manas Mishra, Mariam Sunny, Bhanvi, Shweta Agarwal, Pooja Desai, Krishna Chandra Eluri, Frances Kerry Organizations: CVS, REUTERS, Amazon, Cigna, UnitedHealth, Evercore ISI, Mark Cuban, Plus, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Blue Shield of California drops CVS, taps Amazon and others to lower drug costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CVS Health logo is seen displayed in this illustration taken, May 3, 2022. Blue Shield, whose health plans cover 4.8 million members, said it will now work with five different companies, including Mark Cuban's drug company, to provide "convenient, transparent access to medications while lowering costs." Privately held Abarca will pay prescription drug claims, while Prime Therapeutics will work with Blue Shield to negotiate savings with drugmakers, the company said. Blue Shield will also work with CVS Caremark for specialty pharmacy services. The loss of the Blue Shield pharmacy benefit management contract is another blow to Caremark, which is also set to lose the contract to manage Centene's (CNC.N) $40 billion annual pharmacy needs from next year.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, UnitedHealth, Mark Cuban's, Paul Markovich, Mark, Manas Mishra, Mariam Sunny, Bhanvi, Shweta Agarwal, Pooja Desai Organizations: CVS, REUTERS, Blue, Cigna, UnitedHealth, Pharmacy, Wall Street, Mark Cuban, Plus, Thomson Locations: Blue, Bengaluru

☆ Blue Shield California drops CVS; picks Amazon, others to lower drug price
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CVS Health logo is seen displayed in this illustration taken, May 3, 2022. Non-profit health plan provider Blue Shield, which has 4.8 million members, said it will work with partners including Amazon.com and Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drug Company to provide at-home delivery and access to low-cost medications. Privately held Abarca will pay prescription drug claims, while Prime Therapeutics will work with Blue Shield to negotiate savings with drugmakers, the company said. Blue Shield will also work with CVS Caremark for specialty pharmacy services. The loss of Blue Shield marks another blow to Caremark, which is also set to lose the contract to manage Centene's (CNC.N) $40 billion annual pharmacy needs from next year.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Cuban's, Privately, Manas Mishra, Mariam Sunny, Bhanvi, Shweta Agarwal, Pooja Desai Organizations: CVS, REUTERS, Wall Street Journal, Cigna, UnitedHealth, Company, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Visa's pricing of token technology under DOJ probe - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Visa credit and debit cards are seen in this picture illustration taken August 2, 2022. The DOJ's antitrust probe against Visa, which began in early 2021, is investigating if the company uses anticompetitive practices in the debit card market. The DOJ declined to comment and Visa did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Mastercard also disclosed in April that it was being asked to provide additional information by the DOJ. In 2019, Visa had settled a European Union antitrust probe relating to card fees.

Persons: Benoit Tessier, Pritam Biswas, Pooja Desai Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Department of Justice, Bloomberg, Visa, DOJ, Mastercard, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Union, Thomson Locations: United States, Bengaluru

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