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Fitbit Versa 4 The Fitbit Versa 4 disappoints as a fourth-generation smartwatch as it lacks third-party app support, has issues with fitness tracking, and doesn’t allow for music storage. Fitbit Sense 2 vs. Fitbit Versa 4: Smartwatch performanceOne of the main nitpicks we have with these watches is their disappointing lack of smartwatch capability. Fitbit Sense 2 vs. Fitbit Versa 4: Health and fitness trackingRick Stella/InsiderThe biggest difference between the Versa 4 and the Sense 2 comes down to their individual health and fitness tracking performance. Fitbit Sense 2 vs. Fitbit Versa 4: Battery lifePerhaps the best feature native to both the Sense 2 and the Versa 4 is their battery life, which lasts roughly six days depending on how it's used. However, due to the Versa 4's shortcomings in both smarts and fitness tracking, it pales in comparison to the Sense 2.

The company's Ernie bot is based off its AI-driven deep learning model, Ernie - short for "Enhanced Representation through Knowledge Integration". During the presentation at Baidu's Beijing headquarters that was also livestreamed over nine platforms, Li cautioned it was not perfect. "After the release of ChatGPT, only Baidu has made a benchmark product among the major tech companies in the world," it said. "We continue to advise investors to patiently hold BIDU shares as the best 'national champion' play in China’s (semi-segregated) AI space," he said. "Ernie Bot is not a tool of confrontation between China and the United States," he said.

☆ Fact Check-Video purporting to show NBA Commissioner saying Ja Morant was suspended due to ‘thuggish and gangster activities’ is altered, stems from satire
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A clip that purportedly shows NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announcing the suspension of Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant because of “thuggish and gangster activities” has been altered and was likely meant as satire. While Morant was indeed suspended for at least two games, this came after displaying what appeared to be a gun at a nightclub. I hope he learns during this time that his thuggish and gangster activities are prohibited by the NBA. Parody / Satire.”A Google search shows the clip was taken from Silver’s NBA All-Star press conference (here) in February 2023. A clip that purportedly shows Adam Silver announcing the suspension of Ja Morant because of his “thuggish and gangster activities” features an edited audio track and was likely meant as satire.

☆ HelloFresh shares drop as profit outlook disappoints
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Linda Pasquini | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Germany's HelloFresh sees adjusted core profit (AEBITDA) of between 460 million and 540 million euros ($492 million and $577 million) in 2023, compared with analysts' estimate of 547 million euros. He said HelloFresh was not planning any lay-offs at the moment, and refrained from giving an update on the mid-term outlook. HelloFresh expects its revenue to grow 2% to 10% on a constant-currency basis this year, compared with growth of 18% in 2022. The company also forecast "relatively muted" order growth for 2023. HelloFresh reported annual AEBITDA of 477.4 million euros, above the 464.5 million euros expected by analysts.

[1/2] Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., March 3, 2023. The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield fell on Friday after touching a four-month high in the previous session but stayed above the 4% level. Nine of the 11 major S&P sectors were higher, with communication services (.SPLRCL) and technology (.SPLRCT) indexes leading gains. Apple Inc rose 1.9% after Morgan Stanley said the stock could rally more than 20% this year on potential hardware subscription. Dell Technologies Inc (DELL.N) slipped 0.9% after it forecast current-quarter revenue and profit below Wall Street estimates, hit by an ongoing demand slump in its PC business.

☆ Futures rise as yields retreat from highs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield fell on Friday after touching a four-month high in the previous session but stayed above the 4% level. Central bank officials including Bostic and Fed Dallas President Lorie Logan are scheduled to speak later in the day. ET, Dow e-minis were up 82 points, or 0.25%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 13 points, or 0.33%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 35 points, or 0.29%. Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE.N) rose 2.3% after the laptop maker gave an upbeat full-year earnings forecast. Reporting by Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'SilvaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Here are Wednesday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Procter & Gamble, Tesla, Spotify, AbbVie & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Morgan Stanley upgrades Sarepta to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said it's bullish on the company's gene therapy drug, SRP-9001. Morgan Stanley reiterates Rivian as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's standing by its overweight rating on the EV maker after its earnings report on Tuesday, but says it's now a show-me story. Morgan Stanley reiterates Eli Lilly as top pick Morgan Stanley said the stock is best-in-class and that it's bullish on its diabetes drug, Mounjaro. Morgan Stanley names JD.com a catalyst driven idea Morgan Stanley said it's bullish heading into the China e-commerce company's earnings on March 9. Morgan Stanley reiterates Microsoft as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's standing by shares of Microsoft.

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☆ Merck scraps third prostate cancer study as Keytruda therapy disappoints
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Bhanvi Satija | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The setbacks were likely to put Merck further behind in its quest to develop a treatment for advanced forms of the most common cancer type in the United States. It had in January stopped a late-stage study of the drug in some prostate cancer patients. An interim analysis showed the combination therapy did not extend survival or help extend the time a patient lives without the disease worsening compared to placebo, Merck said. Merck was testing its blockbuster immunotherapy in combination with androgen deprivation therapy and Xtandi, made by Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) and Astellas Pharma Inc (4503.T), in patients with an advanced form of treatment-resistant prostate cancer. Additionally, Merck said another combination treatment with Keytruda did not meet the main goal in a separate late-stage study for a type of lung cancer that can spread to other parts of the body.

BARCELONA, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Spanish pharmaceutical company Grifols' (GRLS.MC) shares fell around 10% in afternoon trading after its 2023 outlook disappointed analysts, who were looking for a better recovery in margins. Grifols reported on Tuesday that net profit rose 10% to 208 million euros ($220.19 million). Total revenues rose 23% to 6 billion euros ($6.38 billion), with over half generated in the United States and Canada. JPMorgan said the progress on EBITDA margin recovery in 2023 may be a little slower than the market had hoped. Grifols announced earlier this month it would lay off 8.5% of its workforce seeking annual savings of around 400 million euros.

☆ Futures fall as Home Depot outlook disappoints
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Investors will be focusing on retail giant Walmart Inc's (WMT.N) results due later in the day. ET, Dow e-minis were down 264 points, or 0.78%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 30.75 points, or 0.75%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 110.25 points, or 0.89%. Money market participants see the benchmark level peaking to a 5.3% in July, and staying near those levels throughout the year. Yield on the U.S. benchmark 10-year Treasury note edged higher, in turn pressuring rate-sensitive growth stocks. Reporting by Johann M Cherian and Medha Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb ChakrabartyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Jim Cramer's top 10 things to watch in the market Tuesday: Bond yields up so stocks drop to start week
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Club earnings this week include Palo Alto Networks (PANW), TJX Companies (TJX), Nvidia (NVDA), Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD) and Coterra Energy (CTRA) as well as Bausch Health (BHC). Deere (DE) price target raised to $398 per share from $364 at Bernstein, which keeps market perform (hold) rating. Mizuho likes the Twilio (TWLO) pivot and takes price target up to $90 per share from $75. (See here for a full list of the stocks in Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

☆ Hasbro 2023 profit forecast disappoints as toy demand drops sharply
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The Hasbro, Inc. logo is seen on the Star Wars Galactic Snackin Grogu toy in the FAO Schwarz toy store in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., November 24, 2021. Toy demand has typically remained resistant to economic uncertainties, but it fell sharply in the holiday season, with Hasbro rival Mattel Inc (MAT.O) earlier this month projecting 2023 profit below expectations. For Hasbro, Walmart accounted for around 13% of sales, while Target made up for roughly 8% of sales in 2021. The toymaker said it will take a nearly $300 million hit to 2023 revenue from the licenses and brands that it exited. Hasbro said it expects 2023 adjusted earnings in the range of $4.45 to $4.55 per share, well below analysts' average estimate of $4.88 per share, according to Refinitiv data.

MELBOURNE, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Australia's Whitehaven Coal Ltd (WHC.AX) posted a more than five-fold jump in first-half profit on Thursday, aided by soaring coal prices, but paid a lower than expected dividend, sending its shares down. But Whitehaven announced an interim dividend of only 32 Australian cents per share, about 30% lower than Citi estimates and about 16 cents below Goldman Sachs' forecast. Whitehaven shares slid as much as 12.3% after news of the coal reservation scheme broke, before paring loses to A$7.88, down 3.8%. "We do think the structural underpinnings of the market are very positive, but in the short term, coal prices have come off quite a bit," Flynn added. Subsequently, the company kept its run-of-mine coal production guidance of between 19.0 million and 20.4 million tonnes for the 2023 fiscal year unchanged.

☆ Devon Energy shares drop 12% on disappointing earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Liz Hampton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Devon Energy Corp FollowDENVER, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Shares of U.S. shale oil producer Devon Energy (DVN.N) fell more than 12% at midday Wednesday after the company reported fourth quarter earnings that missed analysts' forecast on higher-than-expected expenses and lower production. The fire-hit gas compression facility will resume operations at the end of the first quarter, executives said during an earnings call on Wednesday. Wall Street analysts had a negative view of the results, pointing to higher capital spending, lower production and a profit miss. "Disappointing print on Q4," wrote analysts for Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co, pointing to capital expenditures, which at $3.7 billion is 5% above expectations, as well as lower earnings and free cash flow. The company posted adjusted earnings of $1.66 per share for the fourth-quarter versus analysts' expectations of $1.75 a share, according to Refinitiv data.

☆ Americans are quitting plant-based meat due to high prices, worse taste, and questionable health benefits
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In 2020, retail sales of plant-based meat grew 45%, surpassing the $1 billion mark for the first time. Questionable taste and health benefits are scaring off consumersFirst, it's unclear whether the plant-based meat industry has a growing customer base. On the all-important issue of taste, many Americans say plant-based meat disappoints, and some experts think the industry's efforts to compare plant-based meat to the real thing is a losing battle. Additionally, while plant-based meat has environmental benefits, growing research suggests it may not be much — if at all — healthier than traditional meat, something consumers are beginning to suspect. It's also possible that cultivated meat — meat grown from animal cells in a lab — will prove to be the answer, though this innovation could face some obstacles as well.

☆ Royal Caribbean reports smaller-than-expected loss; forecast disappoints
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 7 (Reuters) - Royal Caribbean Group (RCL.N) reported a smaller-than-expected loss for its fourth quarter on Tuesday, as pent-up demand for leisure travel helped offset the pressures from rising fuel prices and stronger dollar. In late December, Carnival Corp (CCL.N), (CCL.L) also said it was seeing a strong start to the wave season after it posted a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss. Royal Caribbean saw occupancy rates rise to 94.9% in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, compared to 59.3% a year earlier, when Omicron-related restrictions dampened demand for cruises. It reported a fourth-quarter loss of $1.12 per share, compared with analysts' expectations of a loss of $1.34, according to Refinitiv IBES data. However, the cruise operator missed revenue estimates for the fourth quarter and forecast 2023 adjusted profit between $3.00 and $3.60 per share, compared with estimates for a profit of $3.31.

And while Amazon's holiday revenue beat Wall Street's expectations, sales growth from its lucrative cloud-computing division slowed during the fourth quarter. Amazon Chief Financial Officer Brian Olsavsky told reporters that the company expects slower cloud growth rates for the next few quarters as it worked with customers to optimize costs. Olsavsky also said the company remains nervous about consumer spending and how people will prioritize budgets moving forward. Facing high inflation and an uncertain economy, CEO Andy Jassy has aimed to slash costs across Amazon's vast array of businesses. The division fell short of estimates of more than $22 billion in fourth-quarter cloud sales, increasing them 20% to $21.4 billion.

Across the company, Alphabet will "meaningfully" slow its pace of hiring this year, said Porat. Net income fell to $13.62 billion, or $1.05 per share, from $20.64 billion, or $1.53 per share, a year earlier. Adjusted profit of $1.05 per share fell short of an expected $1.18 per share, according to Refinitiv. Revenue from Google advertising, which includes Search and YouTube, fell 3.6% to $59.04 billion. Late last month, the Justice Department and eight states sued Google over what they said were anticompetitive practices in its digital ad sales.

While a tough economy and a stronger dollar had also crimped its business, poor product execution at Tinder was the "significant" culprit, Match said. Match reaffirmed its 2023 revenue growth forecast of 5% to 10%. It expects revenue growth to reach double digits by the fourth quarter on increasing momentum in the second half. The company forecast first-quarter revenue between $790 million and $800 million, lower than analysts' estimates of $817.3 million, according to Refinitiv data. Revenue fell 2% to $786 million in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, also missing expectations of $787.3 million.

☆ These are the 11 cheapest electric cars you can buy in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

We've found the 11 cheapest new EVs you can buy in 2023. Chevrolet Bolt EVThe 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV. ChevroletRetail price: $27,800EPA-estimated range: 247 milesQualifies for EV tax creditChevy recently introduced a big brother for the Bolt EV, the Bolt EUV. MazdaRetail price: $34,110EPA-estimated range: 100 milesMazda's first electric model disappoints in the all-important range department. KiaRetail price: $39,550EPA-estimated range: 253 milesThe Kia Niro gets bold new looks for the 2023 model year.

Its customers are also scaling back investments, especially within its key vacuum division which counts the major semiconductor producers as its main clients. In the fourth quarter, order intake at its vacuum business fell 22% to 8.48 billion crowns, once again denting results. On an organic basis, or like-for-like, orders at the vacuum division fell 33%, while for the group as a whole they dropped 7%. JPMorgan said the poor order intake for the vacuum division was expected. Atlas as a group delivered an operating margin of 19.5% compared with 18% at its vacuum division.

Jan 24 (Reuters) - U.S. weapons maker Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) on Tuesday forecast annual profit below Street expectations, hurt by lingering supply bottlenecks and higher costs, though a generous defense budget helped it beat fourth-quarter estimates. The defense contractor said it expected a profit of $26.60 to $26.90 per share in 2023. Lockheed forecast 2023 revenue between $65 billion and $66 billion, compared with market estimates of $65.74 billion. Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed Martin posted adjusted net income of $7.79 per share for the three months ended Dec. 31, compared with analysts' estimate of $7.39 per share. It reported fourth-quarter net sales of $18.99 billion, above expectations of $18.27 billion.

☆ An AI porn lobby group had its fundraising campaign booted off Kickstarter after raising $56,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Unstable Diffusion, which campaigns to legitimize AI porn, was banned from Kickstarter last month. Originating on Discord, Unstable Diffusion allows users to artificially generate explicit imagery. The group's campaign was active from December 9 to December 21, raising around $56,000 in its 12-day active period. However, they told Insider that the site had not banned all AI art. Everette Taylor, Kickstarter's CEO, seemingly referenced some of the backlash in a blog post about AI art published on December 21.

☆ A group trying to make AI porn legitimate had its campaign booted off kickstarter after raising $56K
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

☆ China's retail sales shrink far more than expected, while industrial production disappoints
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING — China reported economic data Thursday that missed expectations across the board during a month in which widespread Covid controls weighed on growth. Retail sales fell by 5.9% in November from a year ago, the National Bureau of Statistics said. Industrial production grew by 2.2% in November from a year ago, missing Reuters' forecast for a 3.6% increase. The reported pace was also slower than the 5% increase in October. Fixed asset investment for the year through November slowed to 5.3% year-on-year growth, missing Reuters' expectations for a 5.6% increase.

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