DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Jensen Huang says the 3 elements of AI scaling are all advancing. Nvidia's Blackwell demand will prove it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

AdvertisementReports on an AI progress slowdown raised concerns about model scaling on Nvidia's earnings call. An analyst questioned if models are plateauing and if Nvidia's Blackwell chips could help. And could the power of Nvidia's Blackwell chips start it up again? Pre-training, post-training improvements, and new reasoning strategies all improve models, Huang said. The company said commercial shipments of Blackwell chips are just beginning.

Persons: Nvidia's Blackwell, Huang, Jensen Huang isn't, OpenAI's, Blackwell, Hopper Organizations: Nvidia, Blackwell

☆ TGI Friday's Bankruptcy: Changing Tastes, Wall Street Crushed Chain
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( Emily Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The hundreds of TGI Fridays franchises across 41 countries are independently owned entities and, therefore, not part of the bankruptcy process. AdvertisementIf you're a TGI Fridays lover, that means you can still go to the one nearby if you want. Like companies in a similar situation, the story of TGI Fridays is one of slow decline before an accelerated crash. In addition to grappling with changing tastes, TGI Fridays has also been subject to another trend in the restaurant business: private equity financial maneuvering. It can always be Friday anywhere, not just TGI Fridays, and maybe at a better price point or nicer experience.

Persons: Ray Blanchette, Brandon Coleman III, Coleman, Weldon Spangler, It's, Jonathan Maze, Tom Cruise, Ruby, Chili's, You've, they'll, who'd, Burt, hasn't, There's, John Bringardner, Bringardner, that's, Ragini, Alicia Kelso, Kelso, TriArtisan, Hostmore, I'm, Emily Stewart Organizations: Street, Restaurant Business, Buffalo Wild Wings, NFL, Strategic Resource, — TriArtisan Capital Advisors, Sentinel Capital Partners —, Sentinel, Citibank, SEC, FTI Consulting, Creditsafe, Hooters, Business Locations: Beppo, New York, Olive, Nation's

☆ Tom's of Maine toothpaste contained bacteria-contaminated water, FDA says
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-20 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Tom’s of Maine said in a statement Wednesday that it is working with the FDA and remedying issues raised from the May inspection. That water was used to manufacture Tom’s Simply White clean mint paste and for the final rinse of numerous equipment cleaning processes, the letter said. “Batches manufactured after these incidents were released based on the microbial testing of the finished OTC product despite the quality of the water used as a component or to clean the equipment,” the FDA letter said. The investigator “also observed powder residues at a stainless-steel tray” near a batch of Tom’s Silly Strawberry anticavity toothpaste. We are also making capital investments as part of an ongoing, significant upgrade of the Sanford plant’s water system."

Persons: —, insidiosa, yeei, “, Tom’s Organizations: FDA, Colgate, Palmolive, Centers for Disease Control, NBC News Locations: Maine, Sanford , Maine, Sanford

It's the second mattress from bed-in-a-box brand Tuft & Needle, which now has four mattresses in total (including a hybrid version of the Mint Mattress). Connie Chen/Business InsiderThe Mint mattress is an upgrade from the company's Original Mattress, a 10-inch, medium-firm mattress. You can check out our Tuft & Needle Original Mattress review for our full thoughts, but it's a basic and comfortable mattress at a cheaper price point. We also have guides for specific needs, including the best cooling mattress, the best mattress for side sleepers, the best foam mattress, the best hybrid mattress, and the best mattress for back pain. If you're set on a Tuft & Needle mattress, you may also consider looking at our Tuft & Needle Original Mattress review for a cheaper option from the company.

Persons: Connie Chen, you'll, I've, I'm, it's Organizations: Business, Greenguard

☆ Target sounds the alarm bell on holiday shopping
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-20 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Target is expecting a surprisingly weak holiday shopping season, a warning sign for the retail industry. The holiday shopping season is pivotal for retailers. While Target can survive a weak holiday season, many smaller companies depend on strong sales during the holidays. But Target has also slumped because of its merchandise mix and higher prices compared to rivals like Walmart. Walmart raised its financial outlook, a signal it expects a strong holiday shopping season.

Organizations: New, New York CNN, Target, Walmart, Costco Locations: New York

☆ Ford to lay off 4,000 workers in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-20 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Ford plans to cut almost 4,000 jobs in Europe over the next three years, about 14% of its workforce in the region, as the carmaker faces slowing demand for electric vehicles and rising competition from China. “The global auto industry continues to be in a period of disruption, especially in Europe, where the industry faces unprecedented competitive, regulatory and economic headwinds,” Ford said in a statement. Last year, the company said it would axe around 4,900 jobs across Europe. The news of the Ford cuts comes just weeks after Volkswagen said it would trim employee pay by 10% to protect jobs and safeguard the company’s future. The German automaker plans to close at least three factories in its home country and lay off tens of thousands of staff as it grapples with a weak car market in Europe and a steep loss of market share in China.

Persons: London CNN — Ford, ” Ford, Dave Johnston, Ford, ”, John Lawler, ” Lawler Organizations: London CNN, ” Global, Ford, Volkswagen Locations: Europe, China, Germany, United Kingdom, Western

☆ Target CEO says shoppers are stretched and waiting until 'the last moment of need' to buy items
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-20 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Now, they're waiting "until the last moment of need, focusing on deals, and then stocking up," CEO Brian Cornell said. Chief Commercial Officer Rick Gomez provided additional detail about how this new consumer pattern has played out for the company. Advertisement"Our Target Circle week this quarter was one of our biggest yet," he said. Unseasonably warm temperatures also meant that shoppers delayed their purchases of cold-weather apparel until they actually needed it, Gomez said. "Would you be willing to trade some of the upside in those areas for even more consistency from quarter to quarter?"

Persons: Brian Cornell, Rick Gomez, Gomez, Neil Saunders, —, Fitch, David Silverman, Michael Lasser, Cornell Organizations: Target, Walmart, Data, UBS Locations: New York

☆ Ram’s first electric truck has been delayed
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-20 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Reuters —Stellantis said on Tuesday it will deploy a new vehicle system that will support assembly of gasoline, hybrid and electric models, but in a sign of how turbulent the electric-vehicle transition is, the automaker also delayed production of Ram electric pickup trucks. Tavares said the automaker is delaying production of its electric Ram pickups until the first half of 2025 from this year, citing the need to ensure quality. The global industry faces even greater uncertainty around EV demand if U.S. President-elect Donald Trump carries out plans to unravel various incentives around EV production and sales. Battery electric vehicles on Frame will have up to 500 miles (805 km) of range, and it will offer a 14,000-pound (6,350-kg) towing capacity, the company said. It will also support hydrogen and extended-range electric vehicles.

Persons: Reuters — Stellantis, ”, Carlos Tavares, Tavares, Stellantis, Donald Trump, Ram Organizations: Reuters, Ford, General Motors, GM, Jeep, Battery Locations: Italian, Detroit, U.S, Europe, North America

☆ Carson Block is shorting cosmetics company E.L.F. Beauty, saying it's a 'revenue and investor mystery'
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-20 | by ( Bradley Saacks | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

AdvertisementSpeaking at the Sohn conference in London, Muddy Waters founder Carson Block said he was short E.L.F Beauty. Notorious short-seller Carson Block has a new target: discount cosmetics company E.L.F. AdvertisementUsing import data and referencing conversations the Muddy Waters founder and his team had with E.L.F. "Its reported inventory also appears materially inflated as a result — i.e., to account for cash that has not really come in." AdvertisementBlock and his firm, Muddy Waters, have been a thorn in the side of plenty of companies, big and small.

Persons: Muddy, Carson Block, E.L.F, Block, Muddy Waters, Block's, Blackstone Organizations: Sohn, Muddy Waters, Sohn Conference Locations: London, California, Muddy, China

☆ Ford cuts 4,000 jobs in Europe amid weak demand for EVs and rising competition
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-20 | by ( Chris Johnston | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

AdvertisementFord is cutting 4,000 jobs in Europe after "significant losses" in its passenger vehicle operations. The company also cited rising competition and weaker-than-expected demand for EVs. Ford CFO John Lawler called for joint industry action in a letter to the German government. Ford said it would cut 4,000 jobs in Europe by the end of 2027 amid rising competition and weaker-than-expected demand for EVs. Earlier this month, Japanese automaker Nissan announced 9,000 layoffs and a 20% cut in global production amid falling sales in the US and China.

Persons: John Lawler, Ford, Dave Johnston, Lawler Organizations: Ford, General Motors, Nissan, Dodge Locations: Europe, Germany, Cologne, EVs, Detroit, China

☆ Chart of the Day: Target
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailChart of the Day: TargetTarget shares are plunging today after earnings. The company said it’s cutting their 2024 forecast. It’s our Chart of the Day. Shareholder Stephanie Link, CIO at Hightower, joins CNBC's 'Halftime Report' to discuss Target's biggest miss in two years.

Persons: Stephanie Link, Hightower

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Target, Nvidia, AppLovin, Williams-Sonoma and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-20 | by ( Pia Singh | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Williams-Sonoma earned $1.96 per share on $1.80 billion in revenue, while analysts surveyed by LSEG had anticipated just $1.78 in earnings per share and $1.79 billion in revenue. Target — Shares plunged more than 21% after the big-box retailer disappointed on third-quarter earnings and revenue estimates and cut its full-year guidance, just three months after raising that forecast. Target reported only a slight uptick in customer traffic as CEO Brian Cornell noted "lingering softness in discretionary categories." That is better than the $1.57 in earnings per share that analysts were expecting, per FactSet. Dolby earned 61 cents per share in its fiscal fourth quarter, higher than analysts' forecast of 45 cents per share, according to FactSet.

Persons: LSEG, Ford, Piper Sandler, Brian Cornell, Robinhood, Needham, Morgan Stanley, Keysight, Dolby, —, Alex Harring, Brian Evans, Sean Conlon, Yun Li, Michelle Fox Organizations: Sonoma, Ford, U.S, Nvidia, LSEG, —, Air Lines, Delta, Super Micro, BDO, Nasdaq, Dolby, Wall, Qualcomm Locations: Robinhood

☆ Ford to cut 14% of European jobs, blaming EV shift and rising competition
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ford Explorer electric cars are parked on car transporters on the Ford factory premises. It is the first electric car from Ford in Europe. The US car manufacturer Ford wants to cut 2,900 jobs in Germany by the end of 2027 in order to reduce costs. Ford said on Wednesday it would cut around 14% of its European workforce, blaming significant losses in recent years compounded by weak demand for electric vehicles, a lack of government support for the shift to EVs, and rising competition. The European Union has slapped tariffs on Chinese-made EVs, saying they benefit from unfair subsidies from China's government.

Persons: Ford, Donald Trump, John Lawler Organizations: Ford, Nissan, Volkswagen, European Locations: Ford, Europe, Germany, U.S, China, United Kingdom, Berlin

☆ Nvidia says it will sell more of its next-generation Blackwell chips than previously anticipated
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-20 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Those hopes fall on Blackwell, which is Nvidia's name for a family of server products based around its next-generation AI chip. Some of Nvidia's most important end-customers have already received some Blackwell chips, the company confirmed on Wednesday. "We will we'll ship more Blackwells next quarter than this [quarter], and we'll ship more Blackwells the quarter after that than than our first quarter," Huang said. A limiting factor to producing more Blackwell systems is the amount of components that Nvidia's suppliers can provide, Huang said. As Blackwell rolls out, Nvidia's current AI chips, which it calls Hopper, will be relegated to serving AI models, not creating new ones.

Persons: Jensen Huang, Colette Kress, Blackwell, Huang, OpenAI, Hopper, Chris Rolland Organizations: NVIDIA, Center, Blackwell, Nvidia, Microsoft, Oracle, SK Hynix, Micron, Amazon Locations: Washington , DC, Nvidia's, Vertiv

☆ SpaceX completes sixth Starship flight, with both booster and spacecraft splashing down
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

SpaceX launched the sixth test flight of its Starship rocket on Tuesday, as the company looks to keep up momentum of the mammoth vehicle’s development. Pushing the envelopeSpaceX has flown the full Starship rocket system on six spaceflight tests so far since April 2023, at a steadily increasing cadence. The company said on its website that it made hardware upgrades to the rocket’s booster for improved redundancy and improved structural strength. The Starship system is designed to be fully reusable and aims to become a new method of flying cargo and people beyond Earth. Fully stacked on the Super Heavy booster, Starship stands 397 feet tall and is about 30 feet in diameter.

Persons: Elon Musk’s, Donald Trump, Trump, SpaceX’s, Musk Organizations: SpaceX, Federal Aviation Administration, Super Locations: Brownsville , Texas, Gulf, Mexico, Florida

☆ Mike Tyson, Jake Paul fight was the most streamed sporting event ever, Netflix says
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Jake Piazza | Jason Is A Digital Rotation Program Associate For Cnbc. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Friday’s anticipated boxing match between former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul will be remembered for more than its unique card. The bout shown on Netflix was the most streamed global sporting event ever with 65 million live concurrent streams and 108 million total live viewers around the world, according to a Netflix release. The Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor fight before the Tyson-Paul match averaged 74 million live global viewers, the most watched professional women’s sporting event ever in the U.S. with 47 million viewers, the company said. Both Tyson and Paul made 10-figure paydays, according to Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian, whose company promoted the fight. Serrano and Taylor received record pay for women’s boxing, he said.

Persons: Friday’s, Mike Tyson, YouTuber, Jake Paul, Amanda Serrano, Katie Taylor, Tyson, Paul, Nakisa Bidarian, Serrano, Taylor, Bela Bajaria, NBCUniversal’s Peacock Organizations: Netflix, Football Locations: U.S, Nevada

SpaceX's Starship spacecraft sits atop its powerful Super Heavy rocket at the company's Boca Chica launchpad, near Brownsville, Texas, on November 16. Musk’s claims came after the FAA proposed $633,009 in civil penalties against SpaceX, saying the company violated launch license requirements twice during flights of its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket. SpaceX has denied wrongdoing related to those requirements, saying none of the allegations related to public safety. Still, the FAA granted SpaceX its long-awaited license to move forward with Starship’s fifth uncrewed test launch in October — and that same launch license covers this week’s test flight. It marks the first time that SpaceX has not had to go back to the FAA to approve launch license changes since the company began this testing campaign years ago.

Persons: Joe Skipper, Elon Musk, Musk, Donald Trump, —, Mike Whitaker “, ” Musk, Musk’s Organizations: Boca, Reuters, SpaceX, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, “ Department, Government Locations: Brownsville , Texas, —

Instagram users will soon be able to manually reset the recommendation algorithm that determines what they see in their feeds. “We want to make sure everyone on Instagram — especially teens — has safe, positive, age-appropriate experiences and feels the time they’re spending on Instagram is valuable,” the company said. A mock-up from Meta showing a new feature that allows people to reset their content recommendations. This summer, Instagram announced it would automatically put teens into separate private accounts with increased controls and restrictions. Instagram users can already partially control their recommendation algorithm through a widget that allows them to market content as “interested” or “not interested.” In February, said it had stopped recommending political content altogether.

Persons: Instagram, —, “, personalize, ” Instagram, Meta, ” Organizations: Facebook, Meta

☆ Baltic Sea internet cables cut: European officials cry sabotage
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —European officials are looking toward Russia after two submarine internet cables in the Baltic Sea were suddenly disrupted in an apparent sabotage operation, just weeks after the United States warned that Moscow was likely to target critical undersea infrastructure. A cable between Lithuania and Sweden was cut on Sunday, according to Telia Lithuania, the telecommunications company that runs the link. Separately, the state-controlled Finnish telecoms company Cinia said one of its cables, which connects Finland and Germany, was disrupted on Monday. ”Nobody believes that these cables were accidentally severed,” he told reporters on Tuesday morning ahead of a ministerial meeting in Brussels, Belgium. The extent of the disruption, if any, caused by the damage to the cables is unclear.

Persons: Cinia, Boris Pistorius, ”, “, “ Pistorius, Telia, Andrius Šemeškevičius, – Organizations: CNN, Germany’s, Museum of Occupation, European Union, BCS Locations: Russia, Baltic, States, Moscow, Lithuania, Sweden, Finnish, Finland, Germany, Brussels, Belgium, Ukraine, Czech, Prague, Riga, Latvia, Ukrainian, London, Warsaw, Poland, Belarus, Helsinki, Rostock, Lithuanian

☆ Jaguar is changing its iconic logo
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Jaguar has unveiled a new logo that emphasizes its posh British pronunciation as it transitions into a “new era” that emphasizes its upcoming all-electric vehicle lineup. JaguarThe redesigned "Leaper." JaguarOther changes to Jaguar’s branding include a redesigned pouncing cat logo, called the “Leaper,” and a new monogram that incorporates the “J” and “R” in the brand name. He even joked a press event that Jaguar has “not been sniffing the white stuff — this is real,” according to Car Dealer Magazine. What all the new branding will look like on the cars will be unveiled at a Miami Art Week event on December 2.

Persons: It’s, it’s, ”, Gerry McGovern Organizations: New, New York CNN, Dealer, Miami Art Locations: New York

☆ Walmart says prices will 'probably' go up if Trump tariffs take effect
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

AdvertisementWalmart's CFO said that Trump's proposed tariffs could lead the retailer to raise prices. During Trump's previous term, Walmart said it would try to avoid food price increases by managing costs elsewhere. Walmart CFO John David Rainey said on Tuesday that Trump's sweeping tariff plan could lead the retailer to raise prices on a portion of its products. Related Video"We never want to raise prices," he told CNBC. "Tariffs, though, are inflationary for customers, so we want to work with suppliers and with our own private-brand assortment to try to bring down prices."

Persons: John David Rainey, Trump, Rainey, Doug McMillon, McMillon Organizations: Walmart, CNBC, Walmart US, Target, Costco

☆ Nvidia must show Blackwell chip can drive growth in earnings report
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Future growth will have to come from Blackwell, its next-generation chip that has just started shipping to end-users such as Microsoft , Google and OpenAI. More important than Nvidia's third-quarter results will be what the company says about demand for the Blackwell chip. In August, Nvidia said it expected about "several billion" in Blackwell sales during the January quarter. Nvidia reported 122% growth in sales in the most-recent quarter. That was lower than the 262% year-over-year growth it reported in the April quarter and the 265% growth in the January quarter.

Persons: Jensen Huang, Frank Lee, Lee, Blackwell, Raymond James, Srini Pajjuri, ChatGPT, LSEG, Huang Organizations: Nvidia, HSBC, Microsoft, Google, Blackwell, Nintendo Locations: Vilhelm, Kastrup, Denmark, NVDA

☆ Super Micro shares soar 30% after company names new auditor to help keep Nasdaq listing
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Charles Liang, chief executive officer of Super Micro Computer Inc., during the Computex conference in Taipei, Taiwan, on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Shares of Super Micro soared more than twentyfold over a two year period from early 2022 until their peak in March of this year. Super Micro has been one of the primary beneficiaries of the artificial intelligence boom, due to its relationship with Nvidia . On Monday, Super Micro announced that it was selling products featuring Nvidia's next-generation AI chip called Blackwell. Less than two weeks after the index changes were announced, Super Micro reached its closing high of $118.81.

Persons: Charles Liang, Ernst & Young, Nvidia's Organizations: Super, Computer Inc, Micro Computer, BDO, Nasdaq, SEC, Ernst, Deloitte, Touche, Micro, Mizuho, Nvidia, Super Micro, Dell, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Hindenburg Research, Street, Department of Justice Locations: Taipei, Taiwan

☆ A New Way to Leave Twitter for Bluesky Without Losing Your Tweets
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

"We know lots of people are importing their old posts, and we're excited about that," Liu says. To be honest, I've found it a bit weird to see my old tweets in my new home. To fix that — and to minimize the potential for tampering with old tweets — Bluesky is planning to label posts that are moved over from other platforms. "We're about to ship an update to show old posts that are imported with an archival tag," Liu says. Once I've got all my old tweets unpacked on Bluesky, I'm going to head back over to X and torch my entire archive.

Persons: Elon Musk, Trump, We've, Emily Liu, Nicolas Castellani, Amos da Silva Bezerra, They've, X, Bezerra, Musk, Mastodon, Bluesky, it's, Castellani, Donald Trump, David Shiffman, Liu, backdating, I've, Joe Bak, Coleman, Adam Rogers Organizations: Elon, Bluesky, Twitter, Business Locations: decamp, Canada, Europe, Brazil, Bluesky

☆ Mike Tyson, Jake Paul fight was the most-streamed sporting event ever, Netflix says
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Jake Piazza | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Friday's highly anticipated boxing match between former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul will be remembered for more than its unique card. The bout shown on Netflix was the most-streamed global sporting event ever with 65 million live concurrent streams and 108 million total live viewers around the world, according to a Netflix release. The Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor fight before the Tyson-Paul match averaged 74 million live global viewers, the most-watched professional women's sporting event ever in the U.S. with 47 million viewers, the company said. Both Tyson and Paul made 10-figure paydays, according to Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian, whose company promoted the fight. Serrano and Taylor received record pay for women's boxing, he said.

Persons: Friday's, Mike Tyson, YouTuber, Jake Paul, Amanda Serrano, Katie Taylor, Tyson, Paul, Nakisa Bidarian, Serrano, Taylor, Bela Bajaria, NBCUniversal's Peacock, Peacock Organizations: Netflix, National Football League, Football, CNBC Locations: U.S, Nevada, NBCUniversal

Search resuls for: "Company SA"

25 mentions found