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☆ Photos show Black Friday crowds at retailers across the US even as more shoppers move online
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-29 | by ( Talia Lakritz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

AdvertisementEven as online Black Friday shopping increases, people still formed lines at stores across the US. Crowds descended on stores like Best Buy and shopping centers like the American Dream mall. Target attracted in-person Black Friday shoppers with exclusive in-store Taylor Swift merchandise. Retailers like Target also drew customers to brick-and-mortar locations by releasing exclusive Taylor Swift merchandise in-store on Black Friday before making it available online the following day. Take a look at Black Friday crowds across the US.

Persons: Taylor Swift Organizations: Target, National

☆ Bigger-than-expected discounts led to another holiday spending surge
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-29 | by ( Auzinea Bacon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Holiday shoppers got an early jump on Black Friday shopping this year, spending a record $6.1 billion on Thanksgiving, according to Adobe Analytics. Sales on the holiday increased year-over-year by 8.8%, a jump from 2023, which saw Thanksgiving sales climb by 5.5% as consumers looked to keep stretching their dollar. Shoppers found their phones were more convenient than their computers to make purchases this year, making up almost 60% of online sales. The “Buy Now, Pay Later” installment payment plan options gained more popularity as well, driving $430 million in online spending. Adobe expects Black Friday sales will set more online records, predicting $10.8 billion in spending with electronics as the most popular purchase.

Persons: Vivek Pandya Organizations: CNN, Adobe Analytics, Mobile, Shoppers, Adobe Digital, Adobe, Black, National Retail Federation Locations: chatbots

☆ 'ACDC,' 'T2K,' and the Middle East: Leaked documents reveal Amazon's top cloud growth initiatives
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-27 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementInternal AWS documents obtained by BI lay out the cloud giant's growth priorities next year. Amazon Web Services recently laid out new growth initiatives that include a focus on healthcare, business applications, generative AI, and the Middle East region, according to internal documents obtained by Business Insider. These are part of the AWS sales team's priorities for next year and Amazon refers to them internally as "AGIs," short for "AWS growth initiatives," one of the internal documents shows. That was slower than Microsoft's and Google's cloud business, on a percentage basis. Generative AI Innovation CenterLast year, AWS launched a $100 million program called Generative AI Innovation Center, which connects customers with AWS's AI scientists and experts to help launch generative AI solutions.

Persons: Greg Pearson, AWS's, Patrick Neighorn, Matt Garman Frederic J . BROWN Organizations: BI, Microsoft, Google, Amazon Web Services, Business, AWS, Synergy Research, Amazon, Services, Getty, Data Centers, Forbes, Adobe, Gulf Cooperation Council, Center, Accenture, Tata Consultancy Locations: East, AFP, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, Israel, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar

I combed through discounts to find the best early Walmart Black Friday deals actually worth shopping. SKIP AHEAD Best Walmart early Black Friday deals | More Walmart early Black Friday sales | Why trust NBC Select? Best Walmart Early Black Friday dealsI found, vetted and wrote about every deal I recommend below. Best Walmart early Black Friday salesHere are the best Walmart early Black Friday sales to know about. To find the best early Walmart Black Friday deals, I searched through discounts to roundup products from previous coverage, NBC Select staff favorites, and highly-rated products from brands that we know and trust.

Persons: I’ve, Harry Rabinowitz —, Lindsay Schneider, Apple Airtag, Harry Rabinowitz, Carote, TikTok Organizations: Walmart, Black, 6AM, Walmart Plus, NBC, Walmart Apple, Fujifilm, Samsung, Amazon Alexa, Root, Apple ., Apple, Microsoft, Google, Walmart NBC, Facebook, Twitter

NBC News is helping shoppers answer those questions by tracking the online prices of five popular gift items in major categories this season. Second, retailers change prices regularly, making unannounced price cuts on various items all the time. Take the AirPods and the Ninja coffee maker, for example: This past weekend, both hit their lowest online prices since NBC News began tracking them months ago. Overall spending is projected to increase by 7% to an average of $1,638 per shopper this holiday season, according to PwC. The company foresees holiday discounts roughly as deep as those on offer last year but a “much stronger reaction from the consumer,” according to Adobe lead digital analyst Vivek Pandya.

Persons: Ninja, we’ve, Trae Bodge, PwC, Vivek Pandya, ”, ” Pandya, Pandya Organizations: NBC, Consumer, Wired, Apple, Apple AirPods, Apparel, Reebok, Amazon, Target, Walmart, Amazon’s, NBC News, Keepa Reebok, Keepa, Adobe, Deloitte, Black Locations: Zappos

Learn moreDigital artists, photographers, and animators are likely more than familiar with Adobe Creative Cloud and the suite's powerful lineup. Now through November 29, Adobe is offering its Creative Cloud All Apps subscription with a 50% discount. It's rare to find Adobe Creative Cloud on sale, especially for such a low price. The best Black Friday Adobe Creative Cloud dealsBlack Friday Adobe FAQsWhat does Adobe Creative Cloud include? Even if you only use two of these services, the Creative Cloud All Apps subscription is worth choosing over individual plans.

Persons: it's, you've, I've Organizations: Business, Adobe Creative, Adobe, Shoppers, Photoshop Express

☆ Microsoft, Apple are the most under-owned megacap tech stocks, poised for a rebound, Morgan Stanley says
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-20 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Microsoft emerged as the most under-owned megacap stock among institutional investors, signaling a rebound could be on the horizon, according to Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley thinks that stocks tend to experience a technical pull higher when active ownership is much lower than their weightings in the S & P 500, and vice versa. The gap between Microsoft's S & P 500 weighting and institutional ownership stood at 2.08% by the end of the third quarter, making it the most under-owned Big Tech name, Morgan Stanley said. After Microsoft, Apple is the second-most under-owned megacap tech stock coming out of the third quarter. On the flip side, the most over-owned tech stock at the end of September is software company Intuit , which could see a technical downward pull soon, according to Morgan Stanley.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Donald Trump Organizations: Microsoft, Big Tech, Apple, Intuit, Adobe

☆ Here are Wednesday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Apple, Netflix, Microsoft, Robinhood, Amazon, Dell, Chewy & more
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-20 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Here are Wednesday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Loop reiterates Nvidia as buy The firm said it's standing by the stock heading into earnings on Wednesday. "We see more upside potential and are moving up our target price to $51 from $30. Pivotal reiterates Netflix as buy Pivotal raised its price target on Netflix to a Street high $1,100 from $925. Goldman Sachs reiterates Microsoft as buy Goldman said it's standing by the stock following the company's Ignite Conference in Chicago on Tuesday. Citi downgrades Target to neutral from buy The firm downgraded the stock following earnings on Wednesday morning and says it's losing share.

Persons: NVDA, hasn't, Bernstein, Robinhood, HOOD, Tyson, Paul, Apple, Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Piper Sandler, Piper, Morgan Stanley, it's, DELL, qtr, Guggenheim, Oppenheimer, JPMorgan Chase, Cava Organizations: Nvidia, Deutsche Bank, Gaming, Leisure Properties, Deutsche, Netflix, Bank of America, Walmart, Microsoft, Adobe, JPMorgan, Dell, of America, Underperform, Trump, Barclays, Newell Brands, Citi, Target, TGT, HSBC Locations: Chicago

But planning ahead to take advantage of them is getting harder, and that’s largely thanks to Amazon. NBC News’ Holiday Price Check is tracking the online prices of five gift items, each in a popular product category, to determine when the best deals hit. Already, it’s clear that Amazon is often setting the pace. Target, for example, has narrowed the online price gap with Amazon in key product categories since last year, Profitero found. But for retailers, the race for shoppers’ holiday dollars is increasingly a discounting competition.

Persons: “, Trae Bodge, ”, Profitero, Vivek Pandya, upmanship, Janelle Rasey, “ We’ll, Donald Trump, Jack Kleinhenz, you’re, it’s, It’s, ” Pandya Organizations: Amazon . NBC, Amazon, Walmart, Amazon Prime, Amazon’s, AirPods, NBC News, House, NBC, Retail, National Retail Federation, “ Locations: Seattle

☆ Goldman's 2025 equity forecast is out and calls for the S&P 500 to gain 11% from here
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-18 | by ( John Melloy | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"We estimate net margins will expand by 78 bp to 12.3% in 2025 followed by a further 35 bp increase to 12.6% in 2026." Heading into this year the Goldman team was too bearish. When it originally set its 2024 forecast last November it called for the index to climb just 5% to 4,700. States the report: "Our economists assume the Trump administration will impose targeted tariffs on imported automobiles and select imports from China. "High multiples are weak signals for near-term returns, but typically increase the magnitude of market drawdown during a negative shock," states the report.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, David Kostin, Goldman, Donald Trump, Trump, Martin Marietta, Stocks Organizations: CNBC Pro, Goldman, Microsoft, Tesla, Electronic Arts, Martin Marietta Materials, Waste Management, Fiverr International, Apple, Adobe, Mastercard, Uber Locations: China

☆ Canva hires former Zoom CFO Kelly Steckelberg to run finance ahead of expected IPO
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-18 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Founded in 2013, Canva was valued recently at $32 billion, a drop from its peak of $40 billion in 2021. Canva is generating about $2.5 billion in annualized revenue and boasts 220 million monthly users. Steckelberg held financial positions at Cisco and was CEO of online dating company Zoosk before joining Zoom in 2017. Steckelberg announced her departure from Zoom in August after seven years at the company. Canva's previous finance chief Damien Singh resigned in February after the company said it was conducting an internal investigation surrounding inappropriate behavior.

Persons: Kelly Steckelberg, John Ritter, Canva, Klarna, Zoom, Steckelberg, Michelle Chang, Damien Singh Organizations: John, John Ritter Foundation, Relics, Adobe, Nasdaq, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Cisco, Zoom Locations: Van Nuys , California, Austin , Texas, Sydney, Australia

☆ Activist ValueAct is poised to trim fat and help boost profits at Meta Platforms. Here’s how
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-16 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Now, ValueAct has engaged another titan of the market, Meta Platforms, announcing an approximately $1 billion dollar position in the company. With the stock price up about 56% in 2024, ValueAct still sees significant untapped value in Meta. ValueAct has shown at Microsoft and Salesforce that it is very good in helping companies trim fat and build muscle. The AI spending, while concerning to some in the market, can be the muscle that strengthens Meta's core FoA business. It should more than justify Meta's AI spend.

Persons: ValueAct, Mason Morfit, Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI's GPT, Meta, Martha Stewart Living, Ken Squire Organizations: Reality Labs, Facebook, Microsoft, Meta, RL, Spotify, OpenAI, Adobe, New York Times, Expedia, Century Fox, KKR, 13D Locations: Salesforce

☆ On-the-Job Training Is Broken. That Hurts Companies and Workers.
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Emily Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

Workers are struggling to get a handle on their jobs, and this failure falls on everyone — companies, managers, human-resources departments, and, in some cases, the workers themselves. The chaos has left employers, managers, and employees wondering just how much time and money it's worth investing in training in the first place. It's tough to learn by osmosis over Slack, and the deluge of HR apps and training modules isn't filling in the gaps. As workers and managers are increasingly overextended, these types of unmeasured, softer activities can fall by the wayside. Gavin emphasized that it's not just on companies and managers to make sure employees are learning and getting onboarded but also on individual workers.

Persons: Gen, It's, what's, Gallup, Ana Goehner, Kenneth Matos, Matos, they're, it's, Ashley Herd, nonmanagers, Christy Pettit, Herd, Stephanie Wolf, she's, Wolf, that's, Phoebe Gavin, Gavin, I'd, hadn't, Michelle, Z, they've, Emily Stewart Organizations: Workers, Adobe, doer, Fortune, Business Locations: America, HiBob, RebuttalPR

☆ We're homeowners in Mexico and renters in the US. It's allowed us to live the best of both worlds for 20 years.
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Louisa Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

My husband and I rent an apartment on the northern coast of California and own a home in Mexico. We live in Mexico's Guanajuato part of the year and love its walkability and vibrancy. AdvertisementMy husband and I, who are 82 and 73 respectively, love being renters — but we also own a home outside of the US. For over 20 years we've split our time between our rented apartment on California's northern coast and our 150-year-old adobe house in Guanajuato, Mexico. We often spend spring, summer, and fall in California before heading down to Mexico around Thanksgiving to live in our house until it's time to fly back.

Persons: —, we've, MARCO BOTTIGELLI, vibrancy, isn't, We've, viniendo Organizations: Service Locations: California, Mexico, Mexico's Guanajuato, Eureka , California, Guanajuato, Humboldt County, Humboldt Bay, Eureka

Price growth ticked higher in October as voters began casting ballots in a presidential election in which economic concerns played a big role. The consumer price index climbed to 2.6% last month since the same time last year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. Stock futures turned higher, while traders bid up the price of government bonds. All-important shelter costs rose 0.4% from September to October, accounting for over half the monthly gains, the BLS said. Over the past four years, consumer prices have cumulatively increased about 20%, with the costs of many other goods and services rising even faster.

Persons: That's, Joe Biden’s, ” Kathy Jones, Charles Schwab, ”, Donald Trump, Trump, Jerome Powell Organizations: of Labor Statistics, BLS, Charles, Charles Schwab Center, Financial Research, ” Voters, White House, Trump, Investors, Adobe, National Retail Federation, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Citi Locations: —

☆ Ancient DNA reveals surprises about bodies found together in Pompeii
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-09 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Over time, Pompeii was forgotten, and it wasn’t until centuries later that excavations unearthed evidence of the tragic event. Archaeological Park of PompeiiAncient DNA sequenced from bone fragments preserved within the plaster casts at the Pompeii site has upended some long-held assumptions about bodies found together. Other worldsAstronomers have been searching the Kuiper Belt on the edge of our solar system for a hidden ninth planet for more than a decade. CNN/Adobe StockFor years, astronomers have searched the edge of our solar system for evidence of an unseen world called Planet Nine. They find wonder in planets beyond our solar system and discoveries from the ancient world.

Persons: Giuseppe Fiorelli, “, ” Aaron Fowler, Lady Chenet, embalmers, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt, Jackie Wattles Organizations: CNN, Australian Broadcasting Corp . Local, Chicago’s Field, Adobe, NASA, CNN Space, Science Locations: Beach, Denmark, Western Australia, Antarctica, Colombia, Poland

☆ This software stock is well-positioned to benefit from Trump's agenda, trader says
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-08 | by ( Tony Zhang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A pro-business agenda, regulatory flexibility, and potential tax incentives under his administration could once again set the stage for technology stocks to outperform. Adobe (ADBE) , a leader in AI-enhanced creative solutions, is particularly well-positioned to capitalize on this environment. With its superior growth rates and operational margins that set it apart from peers, Adobe's valuation presents a compelling entry point amid strong fundamentals and a supportive administration. This signals that sellers are starting to get exhausted and presents an opportunity for buyers to start stepping in for a strong counter-trend rally. To capitalize on a potential rally in Adobe, consider buying the December 20, 2024, $500/550 Call Vertical @ $18.05 Debit.

Persons: Donald Trump's, ADBE Organizations: Adobe, Digital Media, CNBC, NBC UNIVERSAL

☆ How atheist chaplains provide spiritual care for nonbelievers
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-07 | by ( Harmeet Kaur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

In these conversations with patients who are wary of religion, Callahan slips in another detail: He’s an atheist himself. Callahan is one of a growing number of openly atheist chaplains working in institutions around the country. Though the term “atheist chaplain” might sound like an oxymoron, he doesn’t see a contradiction between his beliefs and the work of tending to the human spirit. Other atheist chaplains don’t shy away from religion at all, instead helping people explore faith and spirituality in nontraditional ways. There may be few atheist and nonreligious chaplains right now, but as Callahan sees it, their numbers only stand to grow.

Persons: Jason Callahan, Callahan, —, nonbeliever, ”, David, Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Tupac Shakur, “, ” Callahan, haven’t, Michael Skaggs, Greg Epstein, ” Epstein, Epstein, he’s, wouldn’t, don’t, Vanessa Gomez, Skaggs, agnostics, Gomez, Brake, “ There’s Organizations: CNN, Pew Research, Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center, VCU, “ Chaplaincy, Christianity Chaplaincy, Harvard University, MIT, Harvard, Adobe Stock, Technology, University of Southern, Adobe Locations: Christianity, New York, Flushing , Queens, University of Southern California

☆ Apple to buy Pixelmator, the iPhone image editing app with AI features
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-01 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Apple will buy Pixelmator, the creator of image editing apps for Apple's iPhone and Mac platforms, Pixelmator announced Friday in a blog post. Pixelmator, a Lithuanian company, was founded in 2007, and in recent years has been best known for Pixelmator and Pixelmator Pro, which compete with Adobe Photoshop. It also makes Photomator, a photo editing app. Pixelmator said in its blog post that there "will be no material changes to the Pixelmator Pro, Pixelmator for iOS, and Photomator apps at this time." In 2020, Apple bought Dark Sky, a weather app that eventually became integrated into Apple's default weather app.

Persons: Steve Jobs, Pixelmator, We've, Siri Organizations: Apple, Pixelmator, Adobe, iOS, Apple Intelligence Locations: Cupertino , California, Lithuanian

☆ What It's Like to Stay at the Four Seasons Jackson Hole
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-31 | by ( Joey Hadden | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

I stayed at the Four Seasons in Jackson Hole and felt like I was in a luxury mountain lodge. AdvertisementWhen I stay in a hotel, I don't want a bland room or a lobby decorated like countless others across the country. But on a recent trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, I decided to try a Four Seasons for the first time. US News ranked the Jackson Hole location the best hotel in Wyoming. During my one-night stay, the lodge reminded me I was in Jackson Hole at every turn.

Persons: —, Jackson, Kim Cole Organizations: Service, US Locations: Jackson, American, Arizona, Beach , Miami, Jackson Hole , Wyoming, Portland , Oregon, Wyoming

☆ Amazon set to report Q3 earnings after the bell
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-31 | by ( Annie Palmer | In Annierpalmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Amazon will report results for the third quarter after the bell Thursday. Earnings are growing much faster, due largely to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy's widespread cost-cutting efforts. Amazon is expected to report operating income of $14.7 billion during the quarter, up more than 31% from a year earlier, according to StreetAccount. During the third quarter, Amazon held its annual Prime Day megasale in July. WATCH: What to expect from Meta and Amazon earnings

Persons: Brian Olsavsky, Donald Trump, Olsavsky, Andy, Jassy, Jeff Bezos, Jassy's, Brad Erickson, CNBC's, megasale, Amazon, Oppenheimer, Jason Helfstein, SpaceX's, Helfstein, hasn't Organizations: LSEG, LSEG Revenue, Web, Paris Olympics, Amazon, CNBC, Nasdaq, RBC Capital Markets, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Adobe Analytics, United Launch Alliance, . Space Force, Olsavsky Locations: U.S

☆ 3 things you should never put in a work email, according to an HR professional
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-29 | by ( Alyshia Hull | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Jackie Cuevas shares email tips to avoid sharing personal or sensitive information at work. Cuevas advises against using targeted words in emails to prevent unintended HR issues. If you're buying lunch for yourself and your coworker, don't email them your credit card number. Words like 'bullying,' 'I'm being harassed,' or even 'name-calling' are targeted words, and when you use them, HR will investigate further. I don't advise using company time and property to say, 'Hey (coworker's name), you were such a b—in that meeting.'

Persons: Jackie Cuevas, Cuevas, Slack, —, I'm, shouldn't Organizations: Service, Social Locations: Orange County , California

☆ Google, Adobe and IBM are aiming to help millions gain AI skills—here’s what to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-25 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

On Oct. 16, Google announced that it will award $15 million in new grants to two nonprofit organizations: The Partnership for Public Service and InnovateUS. The grants are part of Google.org's $75 million AI Opportunity Fund, an initiative aimed at helping upskill the U.S. workforce. The Partnership for Public Service will receive a $10 million grant to open the Center for Federal AI in the spring of 2025, according to a press release. The center plans to offer a federal artificial intelligence leadership program to help further educate government workers on how to evaluate potential use cases for AI and increase AI literacy. In September, Google also committed to investing $25 million in nonprofits focused on training educators and students around the U.S. on AI literacy and generative AI tools.

Organizations: Google, Public Service, Opportunity Fund, Federal AI Locations: Google.org's

☆ Bernstein naming Meta the new 'set-it-and-forget-it' stock comes down 2 things
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In the battle of the tech giants, Wall Street firm Bernstein favors Meta Platforms over Alphabet . The analysts raised their Meta price target to $675 per share from $600 and kept their outperform buy rating on the stock. Bernstein acknowledged the valuation of Meta stock versus Alphabet "feels stretched" at the moment. Big picture Bernstein's bullish assessment of Meta's future growth prospects comes as the stock has significantly outperformed both the overall market and Alphabet. META YTD mountain Meta Platforms YTD Before Wednesday's 3% drop in an ugly market, Meta closed Tuesday just 2% off its record close of $595.94 on Oct. 4.

Persons: Bernstein, Meta, Shein, we're, Jim Cramer's, Kamala Harris, Jim, Jim Cramer Organizations: Wall, Google, Meta, Adobe, Facebook, CNBC Locations: Wednesday's, U.S

☆ Starboard Value's Jeff Smith says Salesforce has 'a lot more to go' and can get more profitable
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-22 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Starboard revealed a holding in the stock and Salesforce responded by cutting thousands of employees and moving up its timeline for widening its adjusted operating margin. On Tuesday, Starboard said in a presentation that Salesforce "can continue to become more efficient and more profitable." And Starboard said Salesforce should commit to adhering to the rule of 50 by the 2028 fiscal year. The activist firm laid out two scenarios, both of which involved Salesforce's revenue growth accelerating and its adjusted operating margin widening. The Agentforce technology for automating customer interactions, which Salesforce discussed at its Dreamforce conference in September, has the potential to boost revenue growth, Starboard said.

Persons: They've, Jeff Smith, CNBC's David Faber, Salesforce, Marc Benioff, Salesforce's, Mason Morfit, Amy Weaver Organizations: 13D, ValueAct, UBS, Adobe, Intuit, Microsoft, Oracle, SAP, CNBC Locations: New York

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