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☆ Big government will drive the next market cycle
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Francesco Guerrera | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Growth picked up while quiescent inflation permitted interest rates to fall. Bereft of government support, central banks tried to stimulate their economies by pushing interest rates to new lows. That means interest rates will struggle to return to the ultra-low levels seen after 2008. The first takeaway is that higher debt levels, inflation and interest rates should be bad for bonds. Vincent Deluard of StoneX has proposed a division between intangible and tangible companies.

Persons: Kevin Lamarque, ” Ronald Reagan’s, Milton Friedman –, Britain’s Margaret Thatcher –, Reaganomics ”, Réka Juhász, Nathan J, Lane, Dani Rodrik, government’s, Vincent Deluard, StoneX, Lockheed Martin, Peter Thal Larsen, Oliver Taslic, Thomas Shum Organizations: Republicans, Capitol, REUTERS, Reuters, Bank, Asset, Monetary Fund, Treasury, Capital Economics, Reuters Graphics Reuters Graphics, Capital, Facebook, Meta, Lockheed, Micron Technology, U.S, Congress, Nasdaq, Energy, Exxon Mobil, Labour Party, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, “, Ukraine, Covid, Europe, United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan

Six of the 11 major S&P 500 sectors were trading lower, with information technology (.SPLRCT) leading losses. Pfizer's shares (PFE.N) fell 1.5% after the drugmaker reported its first quarterly loss since 2019. U.S. equities are tracking their third straight month in the red, with the S&P 500 (.SPX) and the Nasdaq (.IXIC) on course for their worst October since 2018. The Fed kicks off a two-day monetary policy meeting on Tuesday. The Fed's commentary on Wednesday would be crucial in assessing how long monetary policy could stay restrictive amid recent signs of economic strength.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Andrew Hunter, Amruta Khandekar, Shashwat Chauhan, Saumyadeb Chakrabarty, Shounak Dasgupta, Maju Samuel Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Corp, Dow, Nasdaq, Federal, Nvidia, Microsoft, Caterpillar, Chicago PMI, Capital Economics, Dow Jones, PDD Holdings, VF Corp, Vans, Arista Networks, Sarepta Therapeutics, NYSE, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, China, Bengaluru

☆ GE HealthCare beats quarterly profit estimates on imaging device demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A logo is displayed on a GE digital anesthesia carestation as U.S. Vice President Mike Pence (not pictured) visits a GE Healthcare manufacturing facility during the global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. April 21, 2020. Larger peer Abbott Laboratories (ABT.N) also topped its quarterly profit estimates, aided by a recovery in sales of its medical devices such as heart valves and pacemakers. In the previous quarter, GE HealthCare had said that Alzheimer's-related testing would help drive demand for its imaging equipment at hospitals and medical centers next year. $2.64 billion of the sales came from imaging devices, in line with estimates. On an adjusted basis, GE HealthCare earned 99 cents per share, above LSEG estimates of 90 cents.

Persons: Mike Pence, Daniel Acker, Christy Santhosh, Maju Samuel Organizations: GE, GE Healthcare, REUTERS, GE HealthCare Technologies Inc, Abbott Laboratories, GE HealthCare, Thomson Locations: Madison , Wisconsin, U.S, COVID, United States, Bengaluru

☆ Uncle Sam provides shaky base for Caterpillar
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Ben Winck | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The $500 billion U.S. infrastructure spending bill, passed in late 2021, helped lift the firm’s third-quarter profit 41% from a year ago. As with other sharp pullbacks after government-supported pandemic spending, Caterpillar will prove that counting on federal aid isn’t a viable business model. And the construction firms that order from Caterpillar appeared to step back, with the company's backlog of deliveries falling $2.6 billion in the third quarter. The U.S. CHIPS Act set aside $39 billion to help build semiconductor factories, leaving more money for construction firms and, in turn, Caterpillar. Umpleby may be benefitting from Uncle Sam now, but before long Caterpillar will have to fend for itself.

Persons: Michaela Rehle, James Umpleby, Joe Biden’s, EBITDA, Uncle Sam, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: Construction Machinery, Machines, Mining Machines, Construction Vehicles, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Caterpillar, U.S . General Services Administration, Siemens, Cummins, LSEG, Thomson Locations: Munich, Germany, Texas, China, U.S

Roughly half of the S&P 500 (.SPX) companies have reported results thus far, with more than 77% exceeding results. But of that group, consumer discretionary companies have been the biggest surprise, on average exceeding earnings-per-share estimates by 19%, according to LSEG I/B/E/S data. A 4.9% rise in U.S. gross domestic product in the third quarter further highlights the health of the consumer. Including Monday's gains, the S&P 500 consumer discretionary index (.SPLRCD) is up nearly 19% this year, far outperforming the broader S&P 500, which is up nearly 8%. Reuters GraphicsAmong the other consumer discretionary names that have surpassed expectations are Amazon (AMZN.O), Hilton Worldwide Holdings (HLT.N) and Royal Caribbean (RCL.N).

Persons: LSEG, Jason Benowitz, Roosevelt, McDonald's, Brian Mulberry, Gerald Pascarelli, Aishwarya Venugopal, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Anil D'Silva Organizations: Reuters Graphics, Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Royal, Zacks Investment Management, Thomson Locations: U.S, Royal Caribbean, Bengaluru

☆ New York Times tech workers to strike over return-to-office rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The New York Times building is seen in Manhattan, New York, U.S., August 3, 2020. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 30 (Reuters) - Tech workers at the New York Times (NYT.N) plan to strike for half a day on Monday, accusing the publisher of attempting to unilaterally force them back to the office. ET and the nearly 700 workers will hold demonstrations on Zoom and outside the company's headquarters in Manhattan, where some will wear Halloween costumes, said the Times Tech Guild (TTG). The New York Times issued its return-to-office policy before the tech guild was recognized early last year, when workers voted 404-88 to join the NewsGuild of New York, making TTG the largest tech union in the U.S. with bargaining rights. Tech workers at the union have been in contract talks with the company for more than a year.

Persons: Shannon Stapleton, Kathy Zhang, Akash Sriram, Arun Koyyur Organizations: New York Times, REUTERS, Tech, Times Tech Guild, The New York Times, U.S . National Labor Relations Board, Bloomberg, Times, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York, U.S, Manhattan, New York, Bengaluru

☆ In the Market: Treasury market braces for seismic SEC rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Paritosh Bansal | Thomson Reuters | Paritosh Oversees The Work Of More Than Journalists Across The Globe Who Write About Finance | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

SIFMA, which has lobbied the SEC, expects the final rule next month, ahead of a Treasury market conference on Nov. 16. The SEC rule would be the most significant regulation so far to come out of that review. There is broad consensus on the need for Treasury market reform, including the benefits of central clearing -- even among the industry sources interviewed for this article. "It is going to improve financing and reduce the risks for turmoil in the U.S. Treasury market," said Yiming Ma, an associate professor at Columbia Business School. The SEC rule would force the banks to move that to central clearing.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, JPMorgan Chase, ”, Rob Toomey, SIFMA's, Gary Gensler, Banks, Ma, SIFMA, Toomey, Paritosh Bansal, Anna Driver Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, Treasury, SEC, JPMorgan, Bank of New York Mellon, Federal Reserve, U.S . Treasury, Columbia Business School, Depository Trust, Clearing Corp, Thomson Locations: Washington ,, U.S

The UAW's talks, replete with weekly addresses by union President Shawn Fain, were among the most unabashed. The agreements may be a selling point for non-union shops to push for unionization, said San Francisco State University labor and employment professor John Logan. Nissan (7201.T) and other competitors may feel compelled to boost wages to retain their workforce. UPS AND ITS RIVALSThe UPS deal in August raised pay and eliminated a two-tier wage system for drivers at the Atlanta-based company. That bolstered organizing efforts among Amazon workers and put pressure on UPS rivals to close a growing gap in pay.

Persons: Shawn Fain, Harley Shaiken, Stellantis, John Logan, Mack, Marcos Feldman, Feldman, Joe Biden, Kate Bronfenbrenner, Bianca Flowers, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: United Auto Workers, Detroit Three, Ford Motor, Chrysler, General Motors, University of California, Berkley ., San Francisco State University, UAW, Starbucks, Economic, UPS, Caterpillar, Workers, Deere & Co, Employers, U.S . Department of Labor, Amazon, National Labor Relations Board, Atlanta -, FedEx, Reuters, Cornell University, Industries, Thomson Locations: Detroit, Berkley, Berkley . Union, New York, Atlanta

☆ Walmart to upgrade 1,400 stores with $9 billion investment
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Siddharth Cavale | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

On Friday, 117 stores in 30 states will be re-launched showcasing the enhancements, representing investments of more than $500 million, Walmart said in a statement. In total, it plans to modernize more than 1,400 of its 4,717 Walmart stores across the country. As part of those efforts, the company tested some remodeled concept stores called "Stores of the Future" at a few Walmart Supercenters, including Teterboro in New Jersey, earlier this year. Monday's investments mark the national rollout of that concept, a Walmart spokesperson said. The enhanced stores will have refreshed interiors and exteriors, with new paint, updated flooring, modernized restrooms, LED-lighting and new signage for brighter and easier navigation through the stores, the company said.

Persons: John Furner, Siddharth Cavale, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Investment, Walmart, Sam's, Thomson Locations: Bentonville , Arkansas, New Jersey, New York

☆ Exclusive: Trucking firm prepares long-shot bid for Yellow, seeks US Treasury support
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Jarrett Renshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Jack Cooper officials, including Executive Chair Sarah Amico, have been talking with Biden administration officials in recent months to get support for extending the terms of the loan. The White House said it was referring all Jack Cooper stakeholder inquiries to the Treasury Department. Jack Cooper and the Teamsters union declined to comment. Yellow owns approximately 12,000 trucks and 35,000 trailers, along with hundreds of terminals, according to its bankruptcy court filing. Trucking firm Estes Express submitted a revised bid worth $1.525 billion in cash for Yellow Corp's shipment centers, topping a $1.5 billion bid from Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL.O).

Persons: Mike Blake, Biden, Jack Cooper, Sherrod Brown, Republican Roger Marshall, Bernie Sanders, Trump, Jack Cooper's, Sarah Amico, Amico, Lael Brainard, Brendan Danaher, Bob Casey, Tammy Baldwin, Jarrett Renshaw, Dietrich Knauth, Heather Timmons, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S, Yellow, Jack Cooper Transport, Ford, Brotherhood of Teamsters, Senators, Republican, Treasury Department, Reuters, Yellow Corp, Treasury, Biden, Democratic, U.S . Senate, Teamsters, White, National Economic Council, Democratic U.S, Citadel, MFN Partners, Walmart, Trucking, Express, Old Dominion Freight, Thomson Locations: Mexico, San Diego , California, U.S, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Nashville , Tennessee, Philadelphia, New York

☆ Arista Networks forecasts Q4 revenue above estimates on higher enterprise spend
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 30 (Reuters) - Cloud networking solutions provider Arista Networks (ANET.N) forecast fourth-quarter revenue above estimates on Monday, as it expects easing supply chain restraints to underscore enterprise spending, sending its shares up 5.5% in extended trading. Arista has benefited from upbeat capital spending as clients shell out on cloud computing services to support their growing AI needs amid a recovering economy. Arista reported third-quarter revenue of $1.51 billion, a 28.3% increase from a year earlier, beating Street expectations of $1.48 billion. Rival Juniper Networks also beat estimates for third-quarter revenue last week, on the back of upbeat spending from cloud computing clients. On an adjusted basis, Arista posted quarterly profit of $1.83 per share, against expectations of $1.58.

Persons: Akshita, Krishna Chandra Organizations: Arista Networks, Arista, Microsoft Corp, Juniper Networks, Thomson Locations: Santa Clara , California, Bengaluru

☆ Pfizer RSV vaccine lags GSK’s as head-to-head competition underway
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Michael Erman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] View of Pfizer's new respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine Abrysvo during its manufacture in this undated handout picture. "800 POUND GORILLAS"CVS, which has more than 9,000 U.S. locations, declined to comment on why it was only carrying GSK's vaccine. It was not immediately clear how many RSV shots were being administered in pharmacies versus doctors' offices. GSK declined to discuss its RSV vaccine contracts, but said customer relationships gives it a competitive advantage. Two independent pharmacists said they are being charged a lower price by wholesalers for the GSK vaccine, which comes in boxes of 10.

Persons: Price, Ben Link, Link, Pfizer's, Dovato, Morningstar, Damien Conover, We’ve, Alison Hunt, Michelle Vargas, Michael Erman, Caroline Humer, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Pfizer, Handout, REUTERS, GSK, Reuters, CVS Health, CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Aid, Thomson Locations: United States, British, U.S, South Carolina

☆ State Street CEO O'Hanley to take additional role as bank's president
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo and trading symbol of financial services company State Street are displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., March 8, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 30 (Reuters) - State Street Corp (STT.N) said on Monday its CEO and Chairman Ron O'Hanley will take on an additional role as the bank's president after Louis Maiuri retires, set for early next year. Maiuri also serves as State Street's chief operating officer and head of its largest business, investment services. The custodian bank said Mostapha Tahiri, currently head of Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, will become chief operating officer, while O'Hanley will take the responsibility of the investment services unit. State Street is among the world's largest custodian banks with $40 trillion in assets under custody and/or administration and $3.7 trillion in assets under management (AUM) as of Sept 30.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Ron O'Hanley, Louis Maiuri, Maiuri, Mostapha Tahiri, O'Hanley, Manya Saini, Krishna Chandra Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Street Corp, Asia Pacific, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Middle East, North Africa, Bengaluru

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, reacts during a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior officials and CEOs of American and Indian companies in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., June 23, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) and its subsidiary Google, will testify on Monday in the once-in-a generation antitrust fight with the U.S. government over Google's dominance of search and some parts of search advertising. The government, in cross examination, will likely also ask why the company pays billions of dollars annually to ensure that Google search is the default in smartphones. The clout in search makes Google a heavy hitter in the lucrative advertising market, its biggest revenue source. It has also argued that if people are dissatisfied with default search engines that they can, and do, switch to another search provider.

Persons: Sundar Pichai, Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, Evelyn Hockstein, Diane Bartz, Chris Sanders, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Google, U.S, India's, White, REUTERS, Rights, Alphabet Inc, Apple, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S

☆ Boeing struggles to steer defense unit in another year of losses
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Valerie Insinna | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The Boeing KC-46 Pegasus aerial refueling tanker is seen before a delivery celebration to the U.S. Air Force in Everett, Washington, U.S., January 24, 2019. Despite absorbing $4.4 billion in losses in 2022 – which executives said would lower the risk of future cost overruns – the unit has seen little improvement this year. Excluding last year, losses on Boeing's defense programs in 2023 exceed those from all years since 2014, according to a Reuters review of Boeing’s regulatory filings. The latest charge for Air Force One brought total losses to $2.4 billion on a $3.9 billion contract to develop two planes. A better bet, and one Boeing's defense segment is aggressively pursuing, is inking future contracts for next-generation fighter jets and cutting-edge drones.

Persons: Lindsey Wasson, Lockheed Martin, Brian West, Byron Callan, ”, Seth Seifman, JP Morgan, “, NASA's, West, there's “, Richard Aboulafia, ” Aboulafia, Valerie Insinna, Rod Nickel Organizations: Boeing KC, Pegasus, U.S . Air Force, REUTERS, Rights, Air Force, Boeing, Lockheed, General Dynamics, Capital Alpha Partners, U.S . Defense Department, NASA, BDS, Boeing Defense Space, U.S . Air Force's KC, KC, Thomson Locations: Everett , Washington , U.S, Ukraine

☆ Ukraine war orders starting to boost revenues for big US defense contractors
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 is starting to boost defense contractors' revenues, as customers such as the U.S. government restock supplies shipped to Ukraine and countries around Europe arm themselves with an eye on Moscow's aggressions. New contracts to supply Ukraine directly - or backfill U.S. weapons sent to Ukraine - were signed late last year, and now revenue is flowing to the big defense contractors. "We've gone from 14,000 (artillery) rounds per month to 20,000 very quickly. The General Dynamics' Combat Systems unit, which makes armored vehicles, tanks and the artillery Ukraine uses, saw its revenue rise almost 25% versus the same period a year ago. Third-quarter sales for Northrop Grumman's (NOC.N) Defense Systems segment rose 6% on high demand for ammunition and rocket motors used in guided multiple-launch rocket systems (GMLRS), which play a crucial role in supporting Ukraine's defense efforts against Russian forces.

Persons: Lockheed Martin, We've, Jason Aiken, Northrop Grumman's, Sweden's, Joe Biden, Biden, Dynamics's Aiken, Mike Stone, Rod Nickel Organizations: Lockheed, General Dynamics, Patriot, Palestinian, Hamas, Wall, Dynamics ', Systems, Wall Street, Russian, Sweden's Saab, Rheinmetall, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Europe, aggressions ., U.S, Israel, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Washington

Physical representations of the bitcoin cryptocurrency are seen in this illustration taken October 24, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsOct 26 (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has eight to 10 filings of possible exchange-traded products for bitcoin in front of it for consideration, SEC Chair Gary Gensler said Thursday. Bitcoin has rallied this week on speculation that SEC approval is imminent for a spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) - seen as a driver of demand because it would allow investors to obtain direct exposure to the cryptocurrency via an exchange-listed product. To date, the SEC has approved only ETFs tied to bitcoin futures contracts. Anticipation around spot ETFs has been rising after the SEC opted not to appeal a court ruling it had been wrong to reject an application from Grayscale Investments to convert its existing bitcoin trust into a spot bitcoin ETF.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Gary Gensler, Bitcoin, I'm, Gensler, Jan, Douglas Gillison, Megan Davies, David Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, BlackRock, Fidelity, Thomson Locations: U.S

☆ Weight-loss drug worries add to US restaurants' weak traffic woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Deborah Mary Sophia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Investors' knee-jerk reaction to those comments sent the under-pressure S&P 500 restaurants index (.SPLRCREST) down 1.3% at the time. THE FUNDAMENTALS** On Thursday, Chipotle is expected to report a 4.5% increase in Q3 same-store sales, according to LSEG data, slower both on a year-over-year and a sequential basis. Profit likely rose about 18%. WALL STREET SENTIMENT** The S&P 500 restaurant sub-index (.SPLRCREST) has risen just 0.4% year-to-date, lagging a more than 10% jump in the benchmark S&P 500 (.SPX). Growth in top restaurant stocks has broadly lagged the benchmark S&P 500 indexReporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'SouzaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Peter Saleh, Taco Bell, Wells, Chipotle, Deborah Sophia, Savio D'Souza Organizations: REUTERS, KFC, Yum Brands, Walmart, Conagra, Taco, WALL, Thomson Locations: New York, McDonald's, Wells Fargo, Bengaluru

☆ Google CEO Sundar Pichai to testify Monday in US Google antitrust trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Google CEO Sundar Pichai arrives for a bipartisan Artificial Intelligence (AI) Insight Forum for all U.S. senators hosted by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., September 13, 2023. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Sundar Pichai, chief executive of Alphabet (GOOGL.O) and its subsidiary Google, will testify on Monday in the once-in-a generation antitrust fight over Google's dominance of search and some parts of search advertising. The government, in cross examination, may ask why the company pays billions of dollars annually to ensure that Google search is the default in smartphones. The clout in search makes Google a heavy hitter in the lucrative advertising market, boosting its profits. * Google has argued the revenue share agreements are legal and that it has invested to keep its search and advertising businesses competitive.

Persons: Sundar Pichai, Chuck Schumer, Leah Millis, Diane Bartz, Chris Reese Organizations: Intelligence, Senate, U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Google, Apple, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S

☆ Music streaming was 2022's top moneymaker for songwriters, composers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A man watches the sunset while wearing a headphone and listening to music, in Colombo, Sri Lanka February 23, 2023. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 26 (Reuters) - Streaming became the largest source of income for composers and songwriters in 2022 and helped boost their collections by more than a quarter to 10.83 billion euros ($11.44 billion), a report showed on Thursday. After a boom during the pandemic, streaming collections have doubled from their pre-COVID levels and account for 35% of total collections for music creators, surpassing TV and radio. "It may not affect the graph lines of creators' collections in 2023, but it will in years ahead. CISAC is a network of authors' societies, protecting rights and representing interests of over four million creators of music, audio-visual, drama, literature and visual arts.

Persons: Dinuka, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Ulvaeus, CISAC, Juby Babu, Devika Organizations: REUTERS, International Confederation of, Authors, Composers, Thomson Locations: Colombo, Sri Lanka, Bengaluru

☆ If Amazon, why not Walmart?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Shopping habits vary widely, however, and the company’s pricing strategies are commonly used, including at Walmart (WMT.N). According to the complaint, if Amazon finds a cheaper product elsewhere, it punishes the seller by removing merchandise from the “buy box,” effectively tanking sales. Thus, the argument goes, Amazon prevents rivals from competing on price. Walmart, which bought Jet.com in 2016 for $3 billion, is also just as discerning when it comes to online pricing. The agency accuses Amazon of stifling competition on price, product selection and quality, and preventing rivals from attracting a critical mass of shoppers and sellers.

Persons: Lina Khan, Andy Jassy, Walton, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Reuters, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Walmart, Amazon, FTC, eBay, Amazon.com, Thomson Locations: United States

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 25 (Reuters) - Hilton Worldwide Holdings (HLT.N) beat Wall Street estimates for third-quarter revenue and lifted its annual forecast on Wednesday, as record lodging prices and higher occupancy levels boosted results. Hotel and resort operators are benefiting from the global rebound in travel as consumers continue to plan vacations despite inflation and the higher cost of travel compared to pre-pandemic. Hilton's revenue per available room in the third quarter saw significant recovery in Asia, up 65.5% compared to the year earlier. The company's third-quarter revenue rose to $2.67 billion, exceeding the average Wall Street estimate of $2.64 billion, according to LSEG data. It expects full-year revenue per room to increase between 12.0% and 12.5% compared to 2022.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Christopher Nassetta, Hilton, Priyamvada, Shounak Dasgupta, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Hilton, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Asia, Bengaluru, Doyinsola

☆ Consumer Reports finds more lead, cadmium in chocolate, urges change at Hershey
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Hershey's chocolates are pictured for sale on a store shelf in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S. July 19, 2017. The magazine said 16 of the 48 chocolate products from various makers that its scientists tested recently in seven categories - dark chocolate, milk chocolate, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and mixes for brownies, chocolate cake and hot chocolate - contained potentially harmful levels of lead, cadmium or both. The Consumer Reports testing followed its findings last December that 23 of 28 tested dark chocolate bars contained excessive lead or cadmium, including Hershey products sold under its own brand and the Lily's and Scharffen Berger brands. The magazine is again petitioning Hershey to reduce heavy metals in its chocolate. Consumer Reports food policy director Brian Ronholm said Hershey, as a "leading and popular brand," should commit to eliminating "dangerous levels" of heavy metals from its chocolate products, making them safer for consumers.

Persons: Carlo Allegri, Joe's, Scharffen Berger, Hershey, Brian Ronholm, Steve Voskuil, Voskuil, Christopher Gindlesperger, Jonathan Stempel, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Hershey Co, Nestle, Starbucks, YORK, Hershey, Consumer, Walmart, Target, National Confectioners Association, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S, New York

A logo of the Amazon fulfillment is seen outside the Amazon fulfillment center in Kent, Washington, U.S., October 24, 2018. Same-day delivery is now offered in at least 90 cities, free for Prime members while non-members pay $9.99. The retailer invested heavily in 2020 and 2021 in logistics to make same-day delivery, which it introduced in 2015, available in more places. Amazon packs its same-day delivery centers with its top 100,000 products. By comparison, analysts forecast Walmart will show a 1% decline in e-commerce revenue for the third quarter when it reports in November.

Persons: Lindsey Wasson, Arun Sundaram, Sarah Mathew, Mathew said, Mari Shor, Sundaram, Scott Devitt, Group's, Devitt, Arriana McLymore, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: REUTERS, Amazon, Reuters, Columbia Threadneedle, Walmart, Thomson Locations: Kent , Washington , U.S, Temu, New York

☆ T-Mobile lifts free cash flow forecast as profit, subscriber additions beat estimates
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Samrhitha A | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

T-Mobile now expects adjusted free cash flow for the year to be between $13.4 billion and $13.6 billion, compared with its prior forecast of $13.2 billion to $13.6 billion. T-Mobile added 850,000 postpaid phone customers in the third quarter, the highest among peers, beating FactSet estimates of 773,400 additions. It raised its full-year forecast for wireless subscriber net additions to between 5.7 million and 5.9 million, up from its earlier forecast of 5.6 million to 5.9 million. The telecom industry has been seeing a gradual moderation in postpaid phone net additions after hitting record levels in 2021 and 2022. Industry-wide postpaid phone net additions are expected to moderate in 2023 to 8.5 million from a near-record 9.3 million in 2022, according to analysts at Goldman Sachs.

Persons: Leonhard Foeger, Jamie Lumley, Goldman Sachs, Samrhitha, Vinay Dwivedi Organizations: Mobile, REUTERS, Verizon, Rivals Verizon, Thomson Locations: Mobile Austria, Vienna, Austria, Bengaluru

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