DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ China's Nio opens trial for high-speed EV battery swapping stations
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Aly SongSHANGHAI, March 28 (Reuters) - Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Nio Inc (9866.HK) began trial operation on Tuesday of faster, more efficient battery swapping stations in China in its push to make battery swapping a viable alternative to rival EV makers' rapid-charging technology. Tesla's (TSLA.O) rapid-charging Supercharger allows EV users to top up vehicles to a range of 200 miles in 15 minutes. Rival Tesla has dismissed battery swapping as "riddled with problems and not suitable for widescale use". Nio, which has set a target of 2,300 battery swapping stations globally by year-end, had 1,323 in operation as of March 23, Shen said. It aims for 900 of the latest power swap stations to be operating this year, he added.

☆ Charging EVs can cost $1,800 more annually on UK streets than at home - analysis
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 21 (Reuters) - Charging electric vehicles (EV) using public chargers on Britain's streets can cost up to 1,515 pounds ($1,854.51) more annually than for those using a charger at home, according to an analysis of fees by pro-EV campaign group FairCharge. The analysis showed that the average cost to charge an EV on a public network is now up to 1,838 pounds annually, compared with those who can pay as little as 323 pounds annually to charge at home using lower overnight tariffs. FairCharge is campaigning for a change in how public charging is taxed in Britain to bring down costs for consumers and encourage investment in charging infrastructure. Home chargers range in price from about $600 to over $1,000, not including installation, and are often subsidised by carmakers. In Britain a consumption tax of 20% is levied on public charging, while consumers at home pay a tax of just 5%.

Arif Ali | AFP | Getty ImagesAbout 90% of the global population in 2022 experienced unhealthy air quality, and only six countries met the World Health Organization's recommendations of safe air pollutant levels, according to a new report from Swiss air quality technology company IQAir. The report found that the top five most polluted countries in 2022 were Chad, Iraq, Pakistan, Bahrain and Bangladesh. Lahore's air quality worsened to 97.4 micrograms of PM 2.5 particles per cubic meter in 2022 from 86.5 in the year prior, making it the most polluted city in the world. The 2022 report used air quality data from more than 30,000 regulatory air quality monitoring stations and air quality sensors from 7,323 cities across 131 countries, regions and territories. "Too many people around the world don't know that they are breathing polluted air," Aidan Farrow, senior air quality scientist at Greenpeace International, said in a statement.

☆ Here are Tuesday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Amazon, Arista, Costco, Joby, Netflix & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Here are Tuesday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Northcoast upgrades Costco to buy from hold Northcoast said it sees more upside for the wholesale retailer. " Goldman Sachs initiates Arista Networks and Juniper as buy Goldman initiated several networking equipment stocks, noting they are attractively valued. Deutsche Bank downgrades Joby to sell from hold Deutsche said it sees too many risks for the aviation company. Morgan Stanley reiterates Walmart as overweight Morgan Stanley said its standing by shares of Walmart as the retail giant continues to sign up new members for its Walmart+. Loop reiterates Netflix as hold Loop said its survey checks show that password sharing charging is increasing revenue for Netflix.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: CrowdStrike, Stitch Fix and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

CrowdStrike — The global cybersecurity company's shares were up 6% after its fourth-quarter earnings and revenue beat Wall Street's estimates. CrowdStrike posted adjusted per-share earnings of 47 cents, exceeding analysts' estimates of 43 cents, according to Refinitiv. Cricut reported revenue of $280.8 million, greater than the consensus estimate of $261 million, according to FactSet. The company reported per-share earnings of 5 cents, which was one cent below what Wall Street had predicted. Maxeon Solar Technologies — The Singapore-based solar panel company's shares were up 8%.

Prosecutors presented sufficient evidence to proceed with their case against Anderson Lee Aldrich on all charges filed in the Nov. 19 shooting rampage at Club Q club in Colorado Springs, the El Paso County district judge ruled. Besides multiple counts of first-degree murder, Aldrich faces dozens of counts of attempted murder and assault, as well as hate-crimes charges alleging the attack was motivated by prejudice against victims' sexual or gender identities. Thursday's ruling capped a two-day preliminary hearing in which prosecutors outlined their case for trying Aldrich on all charges. A hand-sketched map of Club Q was also found in a search of the defendant's home, Gasper said. Two patrons with military training subdued Aldrich and held the suspect until police arrived, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.

☆ Nikola’s Costs Rise Ahead of Hydrogen-Electric Truck Launch
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Bob Tita | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Nikola Corp. is eating up cash as it works to increase production of its zero-emissions trucks. Nikola Corp. reported rising expenses and declining revenue, cutting into the company’s cash reserves as it works to accelerate production of its zero-emissions trucks. Nikola said revenue for the three months ended Dec. 31 was $6.6 million, down from $24.2 million in the prior quarter. The Arizona-based company said it ended the quarter with a cash balance of $323 million, down from $403.8 million at the end of the prior quarter and $522.2 million at the end of 2021.

☆ Accused Colorado LGBTQ club shooter back in court for preliminary hearing
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Keith Coffman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

One of the men pistol-whipped Aldrich as others pummeled the accused assailant, leaving the suspect with multiple injuries that required hospitalization. Aldrich's lawyers have asserted in court filings that their client identifies as "non-binary" in gender and prefers them/they pronouns. At a previous court hearing, a defense lawyer intimated that Aldrich may have been in the club previously, including on the night of the massacre. El Paso County District Judge Michael McHenry was assigned to preside over the preliminary hearing, which was scheduled to run for three days, according to the court docket. The Q nightclub shooting is not the defendant's first brush with the law.

☆ Meet a Navy officer who just got $323,000 in student loans forgiven and said public service was 'the only way' he could have paid off his debt
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Jared Weegmann, 37, got $323,000 in student loans forgiven through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. "I just remember thinking, the only way this is ever gonna get off me is if I immediately start some public service job." Jared Weegmann (left) had $323,000 student loans forgiven through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. "We determined you have successfully met the requirements of the PSLF Program and your loans listed below have been forgiven. Thanks to changes we've made to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, everyday Americans can reach dreams they put off for far too long.

☆ How unusually mild weather prevented what could've been the first aircraft carrier battle since World War II
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Sebastien Roblin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Argentine jets were poised to strike when the usually turbulent South Atlantic winds took a mild turn. Few of the half-dozen Argentine aviators expected to survive the attack, dubbed "Banzai Night" after the famous Japanese battle cry. Government of ArgentinaIronically, the Veinticinco de Mayo was originally a British carrier named the HMS Venerable launched by the Cammell Laird shipyard near the end of World War II. After a damaging boiler-room fire, the Karel was sold in 1969 to the Argentine Navy which extensively modernized and rebuilt the 25-year-old vessel. The Harrier and the Sea DartSea Harrier jump jets aboard HMS Hermes in the South Atlantic on May 1, 1982.

Travel insurance weekly rates at a glance:Average premium: $333.10Average trip cost: $6,608.57Average trip length: 15 daysWhat is travel insurance? See Insider's picks for the best travel insurance »Some credit cards offer a limited amount of travel insurance annually. Insider's Featured Travel Insurance Companies World Nomads Travel InsuranceAllianz Travel InsuranceTravelex travel insurance Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. When calculating your travel insurance premium, travel insurance providers consider the likelihood of a medical emergency. Travel Insurance Rates FAQsHow much does travel insurance cost?

Travel insurance weekly rates at a glance:Average premium: $323.24Average trip cost: $6,795.88Average trip length: 15 daysWhat is travel insurance? See Insider's picks for the best travel insurance »Some credit cards offer a limited amount of travel insurance annually. Insider's Featured Travel Insurance Companies World Nomads Travel InsuranceAllianz Travel InsuranceTravelex travel insurance Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. When calculating your travel insurance premium, travel insurance providers consider the likelihood of a medical emergency. Insider's Featured Travel Insurance Companies World Nomads Travel InsuranceAllianz Travel InsuranceTravelex travel insurance Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.

☆ Wall Street rewards Linde for a quarter that exemplifies why we own the stock
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The stock popped nearly 4% as Wall Street showed appreciation for what we've been saying all along about the durability of the company's businesses even in tough times. Excluding foreign exchange (forex) fluctuations, this marks the ninth quarter in a row of 20% or better annual earnings growth —especially remarkable during multi-decade high inflation. Linde's stock is about 5.7% from its intraday all-time high of $352.18 on Jan. 5, 2022. Although about two-thirds of Linde's sales are in more cyclical end markets, Linde's business model is very defensive. The table above is a look at Q4 sales growth numbers for each category.

☆ Sketchy Social Security Numbers Possibly Landed Billions in Covid Aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Austen Hufford | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The U.S. government likely awarded more than $5 billion in emergency pandemic loans to applicants that used questionable and unverified Social Security numbers, a government watchdog said, in the latest example of potential fraud from Covid-19 relief initiatives. The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, an oversight panel that monitors pandemic-related government spending, said Monday that it had identified 69,323 loan receivers who had used Social Security numbers that weren’t issued legitimately or didn’t match other information. That is a sign, the panel said in a report, that the government loans might have gone to organizations that didn’t deserve them or had requested aid fraudulently, a finding that a House oversight panel might discuss at a Wednesday hearing about waste and fraud in pandemic spending.

☆ U.S. watchdog identifies $5.4 billion in potentially fraudulent COVID-19 loans
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Kanishka Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. government likely awarded about $5.4 billion in COVID-19 aid to people with questionable Social Security numbers, a federal watchdog said in a report released on Monday. The watchdog, the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC), said it "identified 69,323 questionable Social Security Numbers (SSNs) used to obtain $5.4 billion from the Small Business Administration's (SBA) COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (COVID-19 EIDL) program and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)." In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick Garland launched a COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force. In September, the inspector general for the U.S. Labor Department said fraudsters likely stole $45.6 billion from the United States' unemployment insurance program during the coronavirus outbreak by applying tactics like using Social Security numbers of deceased individuals. Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Here are Monday's biggest analyst calls: Tesla, Apple, Netflix, Amazon, Chevron, Meta, Shopify & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Morgan Stanley upgrades Colgate-Palmolive to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said in its upgrade of Colgate that it sees an attractive entry point. "We upgrade shares from Neutral to Buy as we see the last of tough comparables for SHOP subsiding entering '23." Bank of America reiterates Meta as neutral Bank of America says it's cautious heading into Meta earnings on Wednesday. Berenberg upgrades Tesla to buy from hold Berenberg said in its upgrade of Tesla that "factory innovations support long-term margins." Morgan Stanley reiterates Southwest Airlines as overweight Morgan Stanley says it's sticking with shares of the airline.

☆ Shipping Platform Freightos Goes Public in SPAC Deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Paul Berger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Online freight booking platform Freightos Ltd. started trading shares publicly on Thursday through a merger with a special-purpose acquisition company, just as the booming shipping demand that helped fuel the digital startup’s growth shows signs of weakening. The company has seen booming business during the pandemic for its platform as shipping demand skyrocketed while tight capacity and supply-chain disruptions sent freight rates soaring. The Freightos platform operates like an Expedia or Travelocity for freight, allowing companies with goods to ship to compare prices and book space on planes and ships. In a note to new shareholders on Freightos’ website Thursday, Zvi Schreiber, the company’s chief executive and chairman, recommended that investors view Freightos as a long-term investment. Ezra Gardner, Gesher’s chief executive and a Freightos board member, said the SPAC gave Freightos more control than an IPO over whom the company’s main investors would be.

Moeller-Maersk and Mediterranean Shipping Co. created the so-called 2M alliance in 2015 to help them reduce costs by sharing cargo on major ocean routes. Rivals formed similar partnerships, creating the Ocean Alliance and THE Alliance. Global trade volumes fell 9.5% year over year in November 2022, according to London-based Container Trade Statistics, and global shipping rates have been sliding at a steep pace since early last year. He said the winding down of 2M raised questions over the future of the other two alliances, Ocean Alliance and THE Alliance. So the in-transit issues and all the penalties have pretty much faded away.”Target said in an email that it renegotiates its shipping rates regularly.

☆ FTX lost $415 million worth of crypto in hacker heists, the collapsed exchange's new bosses say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

FTX lost $415 million worth of crypto to hackers, its new bosses said Tuesday. "It has taken a Herculean investigative effort from our team to uncover this preliminary information," acting CEO John Ray said. Around $415 million of the assets for recovery had been lost in crypto hacks, FTX's new bosses said. Hackers stole $323 million from the Bahamas-based parent company FTX.com, $90 million from FTX, and $2 million from sister trading firm Alameda Research, according to the presentation. As well as the exchange's crypto and cash holdings, they identified $253 million worth of real estate in the Bahamas as potential assets for recovery in Tuesday's presentation.

☆ ‘Demetrius’ Review: Aiming for Empire
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Peter Thonemann | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Nominations, please, for the title of Most Confusing Historical Period Ever. The third-century crisis of the Roman Empire? The Thirty Years’ War? The half-century after the death of Alexander the Great still beats all comers. But the intervening period was, frankly, a nightmare.

☆ The Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray is the first-ever hybrid Corvette
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Exactly 70 years after the very first Chevrolet Corvette was unveiled in January, 1953, General Motors revealed the first Corvette with an electric motor on Tuesday. The Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray is 3.6 inches wider than the base model. General MotorsUnlike some other high-performance hybrid cars, the Corvette E-ray is not a plug-in hybrid. A button inside the cabin of the Corvette E-Ray changes how the car’s electric motor is used. While fuel economy is secondary to performance in the Corvette E-Ray, it is expected to be more efficient than other Corvette models.

☆ FTX says $415 million of crypto was hacked
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Rohan Goswami | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Bankrupt crypto firm FTX said on Tuesday that $415 million worth of crypto was hacked from the exchange's accounts, representing a sizeable portion of the identified assets the company is trying to recover. However, that includes "unauthorized third-party transfers" of $323 million out of FTX.com (the international business) and $90 million out of FTX US, the company said in a statement. Another $2 million of hedge fund Alameda Research's crypto was also stolen. At the time, the stolen crypto was valued at $477 million, according to blockchain analytics firm Elliptic. FTX's advisors are also reviewing a $2.1 billion share repurchase payment from FTX to crypto exchange Binance in the third quarter of 2021.

☆ FTX says $415 million in crypto was hacked
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Dietrich Knauth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The logo of FTX is seen at the entrance of the FTX Arena in Miami, Florida, U.S., November 12, 2022. REUTERS/Marco BelloJan 17 (Reuters) - Bankrupt crypto exchange FTX said in a report to creditors on Tuesday that about $415 million in cryptocurrency had been stolen as a result of hacks. Some $323 million in crypto had been hacked from FTX's international exchange and $90 million had been hacked from its U.S. exchange since it filed for bankruptcy on Nov. 11, CEO John Ray said in a separate statement on Tuesday. FTX told a bankruptcy judge in Delaware last week that it had recovered over $5 billion in crypto, cash and liquid securities, nine weeks after declaring bankruptcy. The crypto assets recovered to date include $685 million in Solana, $529 million in FTX's proprietary FTT token and $268 million in bitcoin, based on crypto prices on Nov. 11, 2022.

☆ INDIA RUPEE Rupee may firm on smaller Fed rate hike bets; dollar hits 7-month low
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Nimesh Vora | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The dollar index dropped below 103 overnight to its lowest level since June, extending its U.S. jobs data-prompted slide. ING Bank said in a note that after the U.S. jobs data, Fed futures have reverted to pricing in a peak rate of less than 5%. The focus now shifts to Fed Chair Jerome Powell's speech later in the day and to the critical U.S. inflation on Thursday. Fed policymakers said on Monday the inflation data will help them decide whether they can slow the pace of interest rate hikes at their upcoming meeting to 25 basis points. Overnight, U.S. shares slipped overnight, unable to sustain an earlier rally.

☆ Skin care bestsellers: The most purchased products we covered in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Mili Godio | Mili Godio Is An Associate Reporter For Select On Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Skin care should be a top priority no matter the season, according to the dermatologists we spoke to this year. They stressed the importance of wearing sunscreen during the hot summer months and moisturizing your dry skin in the winter. Throughout 2022, we saw plenty of interest in a variety of skin care products to tackle any issues your skin may face in between, including SPF scalp protection, under-eye patches, pimple patches and more. And as the year comes to a close, we’re taking a look back on some of the skin care products Select readers loved the most. Below, we listed the most purchased products in 2022 across our skin care and wellness coverage.

Search resuls for: "323"

25 mentions found