DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Crypto stocks surge as bitcoin hits fresh 2023 high
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"What we have right now is a risk rally, and bitcoin is also benefiting big time from falling yields. Halving is a process designed to slow the release of bitcoin, and bitcoin prices have typically rallied following halvings. The stock rose nearly 62% in November, even as the crypto exchange reported a decline in third-quarter trading volumes. The ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF , which tracks bitcoin futures, rose 7.7% and looked set to touch an over one-year high, while the ProShares Short Bitcoin Strategy ETF that allows traders to bet on a fall in bitcoin futures fell 7.7%. However, the recent rally has sent bitcoin up more than 150% so far in 2023, on course for its best annual performance since 2020.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Bitcoin, Ipek Ozkardeskaya, Microstrategy, Sruthi Shankar, Amruta, Tasim Zahid Organizations: REUTERS, Swissquote Bank, Thomson Locations: U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Crypto stocks set to start December on high note as bitcoin hits near 19-month high
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Shares of bitcoin miners - whose profitability improves as bitcoin climbs - including Riot Platforms (RIOT.O), Marathon Digital (MARA.O) and TeraWulf (WULF.O) rose between 1.7% and 4%. "Higher crypto prices should lead to a boost in transaction volume and transaction revenues for Coinbase as we enter 2024," said CFRA Research analyst Michael Elliott. However, Elliott cautioned the crypto exchange faces both legal challenges and new regulations that are likely to take time to play out and will continue to result in volatility for the stock. The ETF approval bets have helped counter latest concerns after Changpeng Zhao, the founder of the world's largest crypto exchange, stepped down and pleaded guilty to breaking U.S. anti-money laundering laws. Among other gainers were U.S. software developer and bitcoin investor Microstrategy (MSTR.O), up nearly 3.5%, and ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO.P), which added 2.1%.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Noelle Acheson, J.P.Morgan, Iris, Michael Elliott, Elliott, Changpeng Zhao, Microstrategy, Medha Singh, Sriraj Kalluvila, Krishna Chandra Organizations: REUTERS, Cipher Mining, Iris Energy, Marathon, CFRA, Thomson Locations: bitcoin, Bengaluru

☆ Trump’s avalanche of dishonesty: Fact-checking 102 of his false claims from this fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +111 min

Below is a fact check of 102 of Trump’s false claims from the 12 speeches. But contrary to Trump’s claim, it’s not true that people had been attempting for decades to create such an initiative. Trump’s aid to farmersIn speech after speech, Trump claimed that he had given US farmers $28 billion from China. Even if the poll result is off, it’s clear that Trump’s claim that “nobody wants them” is not true. He said he was an airline pilot.”Facts First: Trump made a false claim while mocking Biden for making false claims.

Persons: Donald Trump, –, Trump, Joe Biden, Biden, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, “, ”, Mexico’s, ‘ Trump, Defense Department –, ” Theresa Cardinal Brown, CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez, ” Trump, I’ve, Todd Harrison, Harrison, It’s, Trump’s, ” Ben Cahill, Nobody, Jimmy Carter’s, Barack Obama, isn’t, El Salvador –, Obama, we’d, Obama’s, Webster, Covid, Wuhan ”, They’d, they’d, you’d, Scott Gottlieb, ” Gottlieb, Trump Trump, it’s, Abraham, Aaron David Miller, Miller, Dana El Kurd, Qasem Soleimani, they’ve, we’re, We’re, ’, Iran haven’t, ” Matt Smith, Biden’s, Smith, Ali Vaez, Kpler, Biden Trump, Iran “, Democrats ”, that’s, Jimmy Carter, Carter “, Carter, ‘, Hillary Clinton, Kari Lake, Bill Gates, Gates, ” Chris Wallace, Chris Wallace, Hunter Biden, “ Chris Wallace, ‘ He’s, ‘ ” Trump, Wallace, “ you’re, “ Biden, ‘ You’re, Wallace interjected, Rather, you’ve, ’ ” Pavel Molchanov, Raymond James &, ” Molchanov, Tim Woody, Woody, autoworkers, CNN’s Ella Nilsen, Joe Biden’s, Erin Mellon, Gavin Newsom, Mellon, ” Vonette Fontaine, Biden “, CNN’s Matt Egan, Egan, ” Biden, Europe Trump, United Kingdom “, Brent, Pavel Molchanov, Raymond James, Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy, De Haan, Matt Smith, Matt Egan, Afghanistan Trump, we’ve, Krista Wiegand, Wiegand, ” Netanyahu, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Qasem, Bibi, Netanyahu, Soleimani, Asad, Mark Milley, Hezbollah Trump, Steven Cheung, John Kirby, Cheung, Kirby, Iran’s, ” Ali Vaez, Joseph Amon, Washington –, Faiq Zidan, Zidan’s, Zidan, Abu Mahdi al, China Trump, Ukraine Trump, Letitia James, James, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Matthew Colangelo, You’re, Bragg, Colangelo, Tanya Chutkan, I’m, Jack Smith, Bill Clinton, That’s, everybody’s, Letitia James –, Al Capone’s, Al Capone, Capone, Brad Schwartz, CNN couldn’t, Schwartz, Eliot Ness, MAGA, “ MAGA, …, White, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Inflation Trump, Bacon, Joe, PolitiFact, Trump . Howard Gleckman Organizations: Washington CNN —, CNN, Republican, Trump Trump, Republican Jewish Coalition, Department, ISIS, Trump’s, Democratic, Congress, Defense Department, former Defense Department, Center, US Customs, Trump, American Enterprise Institute, Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Energy Security, Center for Strategic, International Studies, US, IHS, Islamic, The State Department, Customs Enforcement, Policy Institute, ICE, El Salvador, ”, Merriam, The New York Times, Food and Drug Administration, FDA, Abraham Accords, United Arab Emirates, West Bank, Hezbollah, State Department, Carnegie Endowment, International, Arab Center Washington DC, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force, Obama, US International Trade Commission, Washington Post, U.S . International Trade Commission, New England lobstermen, England lobstermen, Americas, Crisis, government’s Energy, Administration, Washington Free Beacon, Energy Information Administration, Democrats, Biden, Electoral, Georgia, Michigan, Carter, Democrats can’t, Republicans, Alabama, Arizona, Fox News, ” Energy, Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Wildlife, Alaska Industrial Development, Export Authority, Raymond James & Associates, Wilderness Society, Cox Automotive, Pew Research Center, New York Times, National Oceanic, California Gov, California, American Petroleum Institute, Union, West, Energy, American Automobile Association, AAA, GasBuddy, New Hampshire, Houston, Keystone XL, Obama administration’s State Department, –, Foreign, Military, DoD, Afghan, Defense, Policy, Taiwan News, “, University of Tennessee’s Center for National Security, Foreign Affairs, Israeli, NBC, Jerusalem Post, Yahoo, Pentagon, ” CNN, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Post, National Security, Group, US government’s Defense Intelligence Agency, Narcotics Bureau, Global Health, Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health, Justice Department, Washington, Judicial, Popular Mobilization Forces, Customs and, Middle East, Customs, Protection, CBP, Border Protection, Kiel Institute, European Union, New York, New, ExxonMobil, Trump University, Trump Foundation, Manhattan, Attorney, federal Justice Department, Department of Justice, Washington DC, Presidential Records, Presidential, Mar, Biden White, MAGA Republicans, Inflation, Heritage Foundation, Trump ., Brookings Tax, Urban Institute Locations: New Hampshire, New York City, Saudi, Florida, al Qaeda, New York, Texas, Iowa, Mexico, “, U.S, Houston, Iraq, Israel, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Nord, Germany, Russian, Trump’s, Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, El, Washington, ”, ” In Texas, Covid, China, Wuhan, Italy, France, Abraham, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Palestine, Afghanistan, Somalia, Pakistan, New England, England, Kpler, Malaysia, Oregon, Alabama, Maricopa County, Arizona, Arizona’s, Moscow, Alaska, East, South Carolina, California, “ California, West Virginia, Virginia, United Kingdom, West Texas, “ U.S, Los Angeles, Venezuela, Mississippi , Louisiana, Canada, United States, Paris, Taiwan, “ China, Iranian, that’s, –, Singapore, Iraqi, San Diego, Kiel, York, Manhattan, York’s, Chicago, Philadelphia, Georgia, Qaeda

☆ Splunk beats quarterly revenue estimates on robust cybersecurity demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 28 (Reuters) - Splunk (SPLK.O) beat quarterly estimates for revenue on Tuesday, helped by resilient demand for its cybersecurity offerings in an uncertain economy. Cisco Systems (CSCO.O), which cut its annual revenue and profit forecasts earlier this month, entered into an agreement to buy Splunk for about $28 billion in September to strengthen its software business. Splunk is known for its strengths in the area of data observability, which helps companies monitor their systems for cybersecurity risks and other threats. Splunk's total annual recurring revenue for the third quarter ended Oct. 31 rose 15% to $4 billion. It reported total revenue of $1.07 billion, beating analysts' expectations of $1.03 billion, according to LSEG data.

Persons: laud Splunk's, Zaheer Kachwala, Shailesh Organizations: Cisco Systems, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Autodesk sees annual revenue above estimates amid robust client spending
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 21 (Reuters) - Autodesk (ADSK.O) forecast full-year revenue above market estimates on Tuesday, in a sign that client spending on its design software remains resilient in an uncertain economy. Shares of the San Francisco-based company rose 2.8% after market, as it also posted higher revenue and profit in the third quarter. The company has been benefiting from higher sales and recurring revenue as clients in the construction sector look to optimize their industrial design software despite high borrowing costs. Autodesk, whose AutoCAD software is used by construction, engineering and manufacturing companies, expects full-year revenue to be in the range of $5.45 billion to $5.47 billion, compared with LSEG estimates of $5.43 billion. Autodesk's architecture, engineering and construction segment reported a 17% rise in revenue from a year earlier to $675 million.

Persons: Zaheer Kachwala, Pritam Biswas, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Autodesk, Cadence Design Systems, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, Bengaluru

☆ Blackstone frontrunner in Signature Bank commercial-property loan sale, Bloomberg reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A person waits for a teller at a Signature Bank branch in New York City, U.S., March 13, 2023. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado Acquire Licensing RightsNov 19 (Reuters) - Blackstone (BX.N) is the lead to win the $17 billion portfolio of commercial-property loans from the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corp's (FDIC) sale of Signature Bank debt, Bloomberg News reported on Sunday. In September, the FDIC was seeking buyers for the $33 billion commercial real estate loan portfolio of failed New York lender Signature Bank. The entire portfolio sale has yet to close," it said. Blackstone, and Newmark Group did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Persons: David, Dee, Delgado, Newmark, Blackstone, Chandni Shah, Lisa Shumaker, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Bank, REUTERS, Blackstone, U.S . Federal Deposit Insurance, Signature Bank, Bloomberg, Starwood Capital Group, Brookfield Asset Management, FDIC, Newmark Group, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, New York, Bengaluru

An electric vehicle charge station by ChargePoint, Inc. is seen in Manhattan, New York, U.S., December 8, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Nov 17 (Reuters) - ChargePoint Holdings' (CHPT.N) stock slumped by nearly 38% to a record low on Friday after the electric vehicle (EV) charging network slashed its third quarter revenue forecast and replaced key executives. California-based ChargePoint also announced that longtime Chief Executive Pasquale Romano will be replaced by Rick Wilmer, its chief operating officer, effective immediately. The shares of other major EV charging network providers besides ChargePoint were also trading lower. But they downgraded the company to "perform" from "outperform" citing the executive departures, choppy demand, and "potential for further organizational changes."

Persons: Andrew Kelly, ChargePoint, Pasquale Romano, Rick Wilmer, Rex Jackson, Mansi Khetani, Cowen, Oppenheimer, Needham, ChargePoint F3Q, Bill Peterson, bode, Colin Rusch, Chibuike Oguh, Lance Tupper, David Evans Organizations: ChargePoint, REUTERS, ChargePoint Holdings, Reuters Graphics, JPMorgan, EV, EVgo, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York, U.S, North America, Europe, California, New York

☆ How an Indian startup hacked the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +41 min

The Indian company hacked on an industrial scale, stealing data from political leaders, international executives, prominent attorneys and more. Run by a pair of brothers, Rajat and Anuj Khare, the company began as a small Indian educational startup. The Indian company hacked on an industrial scale, stealing data from political leaders, international executives, sports figures and more. Back in 2012, Kristi Rogers was an executive at Aegis, a London-based security company. Canadian security company GardaWorld, which acquired Aegis in 2015, said it had no information on the incident.

Persons: Chuck Randall, Randall, “, ” Randall, ”, Randall’s inbox, Appin, Rajat, Anuj Khare, Rajat Khare’s, Clare Locke, Khare “, Khare, ” Clare Locke, Ted Kaczynski, Anuj, who’ve, SentinelOne, Tom Hegel, Appin “, Hegel, Mandiant, ” Hegel, Shane Huntley, ” Huntley, Google’s Huntley, ‘, Jochi Gómez, Gómez, Halevi, Tamir Mor, Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky, Mohamed Azmin Ali, ” Mor, Berezovsky, Azmin, Mor, Roman Abramovich, Mark Hastings, Hastings, didn’t, Jim H, ” Jim H, Jim H’s, Kristi Rogers, Mike Rogers, he’s, Global’s, sully, Rogers, Damian Perl, – “, Steven Santarpia, ” Santarpia, Santarpia, Leonel Fernández, ” Fernández, Rajat Khare, “ Let’s, Ministry of Home Affairs didn’t, Peter Hargitay, Stevie, Billing, ” Stevie, ’, ” Peter Hargitay, Mookhey, Norman Shark, Jonathan Camp, Shark, Camp, Norman, Dominican Republic –, Dan Brady, Sandra Schweingruber, ” Schweingruber, Schweingruber, Brady, ” Gómez, –, ” –, Anna Carter, Mark Califano, ” Rajat Khare’s, India’s, Educomp, Karen Hunter, Hunter, Bryan, Rajat’s, Vijay Kumar, Deepak Kumar, Kumar, ACSG, Jay Solomon, Solomon, ” Rebsec’s, Vishavdeep Singh, Rebsec, CyberRoot, Sumit Gupta, Gupta, Raphael Satter, Zeba Siddiqui, Christopher Bing, Ryan McNeill, Corinne Perkins, John Emerson, Marla Dickerson Organizations: Reuters, Google, Harvard University, U.S, Symantec, Appin, Caribbean, El, Israeli Defense Forces, Commando, Quillon Law, U.S . House Intelligence, The Michigan Republican, U.S . Senate, Aegis, Global Security, Security, Rogers, Army Corps of Engineers, Rotary, Aegis ’, Global, ” Reuters, Britain’s, Appin Software Security, Ltd, Appin Security, –, Research, Analysis, Intelligence Bureau, Indian, India’s Ministry of Home Affairs, India’s Ministry of Defense, of Home Affairs, Central Bureau of Investigation, CBI, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Ministry of Home Affairs, Telenor, Broadcom, FBI, Dominican, Criminal Investigation Service, Appin Security Group, CERT, country’s, Bureau of Investigation, Educomp, State Bank of India, State Bank, The National Security Agency, NSA, U.S ., Swiss, Appin Technology, India’s Ministry, Corporate Affairs, Control Security Global, Technology, Kumar, Facebook, Meta, BellTroX, Services, Street, New, Rebsec, BellTroX’s, Hire Locations: Long, New Delhi, India, Yorker, Paris, Swiss, cybersecurity, Appin, Dominican, California, “, Dominican Republic, El Siglo, United States, Britain, Switzerland, New York, French, New Jersey, Israel, Russian, Malaysian, London, Rwandan, Virginia, Canadian, Chuck@shinnecock.org, Texas, Indian, India’s Punjab, Pakistan, Zurich, Australia, Norway, Oslo, Brady, Former, ”, U.S, Islip, Shinnecock, Washington, cyberespionage

☆ Cisco lowers annual forecasts on slowdown in new orders
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Samrhitha A | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Cisco logo is displayed, during the GSMA's 2023 Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain March 1, 2023. The company estimates one to two quarters of shipped product orders are still waiting to be implemented by customers. For the full year, Cisco expects revenue between $53.8 billion and $55.0 billion, and adjusted per-share earnings in the range of $3.87 to $3.93. The company had previously forecast annual revenue of $57.0 billion to $58.2 billion, and adjusted per-share earnings of $4.01 to $4.08. For the second quarter, Cisco expects revenue between $12.6 billion and $12.8 billion, missing analysts' estimates of $14.19 billion, according to LSEG data.

Persons: Nacho, Scott Herren, Samrhitha, Shounak Dasgupta Organizations: Cisco, Congress, REUTERS, Cisco Systems, Juniper Networks, Arista Networks, Revenue, Thomson Locations: Barcelona, Spain, Bengaluru

☆ Hedge fund JAT calls on Overstock.com to replace CEO - filing
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Hedge fund JAT Capital urged the board of internet retailer Overstock.com (OSTK.O) to replace the company's chief executive officer, arguing that Jonathan E. Johnson III is to blame for poor financial performance. JAT, run by John Thaler, owns a 9.6% stake in Overstock.com, and is stepping up pressure, having called on the company in October to consider selling certain assets and to overhaul management compensation. "The current CEO needs to be removed immediately," JAT wrote to the board in a letter dated Nov. 2 and made public in a regulatory filing on Friday. Thaler, who wrote the letter just days before Overstock.com's analyst day on Monday, proposed that businessman and television personality Marcus Lemonis, who joined the Overstock.com board last month, should become CEO. Overstock's stock price climbed nearly 3% on Friday but has lost 23% in the last 52 weeks.

Persons: Jonathan E, Johnson, John Thaler, JAT, Thaler, Marcus Lemonis, Lemonis, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Louise Heavens Organizations: Capital, Bed, Svea, Thomson Locations: Overstock.com

☆ Splunk to lay off nearly 7% of its workforce amid economic woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Nov 1 (Reuters) - Splunk (SPLK.O) said on Wednesday it would lay off nearly 7% of its global workforce as the cybersecurity and cloud software company grapples with an uncertain macroeconomic environment. Splunk had 8,000 employees as of Jan. 31, of which nearly 560 are set to be impacted by the layoffs. "The overall market has retracted and we expect the macro environment will continue to be unpredictable for the foreseeable future," said CEO Gary Steele in an email sent to employees, about a month ahead of its quarterly results. The reorganization is unrelated to the deal Cisco Systems (CSCO.O) made in September to acquire Splunk for about $28 billion, Steele added. Reporting by Arsheeya Bajwa in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi MajumdarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Splunk, Gary Steele, Steele, Arsheeya, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Cisco Systems, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Verisk tops third-quarter expectations on resilient demand from insurers
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 1 (Reuters) - Verisk Analytics (VRSK.O) beat market expectations for third-quarter revenue and profit on Wednesday, as more insurance companies used its products to assess risk. The data analytics company's products cater to insurers across sectors ranging from real estate to manufacturing. A rebound in markets is set to help insurers post higher returns from their investments, improving their capacity for enterprise expenditure. Underwriting revenue, which comes from providing property-specific underwriting and rating information and data solutions, was up nearly 9% at $475.2 million. Verisk posted adjusted profit of $1.52 per share for the quarter, compared with analysts' estimate of $1.48 per share.

Persons: Chubb, Verisk, Arsheeya, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Insurance, Thomson Locations: New Jersey, Bengaluru

☆ Exclusive: Natgas producer Chesapeake explores buying Southwestern Energy -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( David French | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A 3D printed oil barrels and oil pump jack are seen in front of displayed Chesapeake Energy logo in this illustration taken January 25, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsOct 17 (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas producer Chesapeake Energy Corp (CHK.O) has approached Southwestern Energy (SWN.N), a peer valued by the stock market at $12 billion including debt, about a potential acquisition, people familiar with the matter said. Since then, Chesapeake has been shedding oil-producing assets to focus on its competence in natural gas. U.S. natural gas prices have been sluggish in recent months, as oversupply and warmer weather erode producers' profitability. Some analysts expect prices to go up in the next few months, as a pick-up in U.S. natural gas exports creates more domestic scarcity.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Chesapeake's, David French, Greg Roumeliotis, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Chesapeake Energy, REUTERS, Chesapeake Energy Corp, Southwestern Energy, EQT Corp, Southwestern, Chesapeake, Exxon Mobil Corp, Natural Resources, Thomson Locations: U.S, New York, Chesapeake, Southwestern, Louisiana, West Virginia, Pennsylvania

☆ Thermo Fisher Scientific to buy Olink in $3.1 billion deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A company flag flies outside the offices of Thermo Fisher Scientific offices in Waltham, Massachusetts, U.S., August 2, 2023. The deal lifted Olink's U.S.-listed shares nearly 67% in early trading, while shares of Thermo Fisher were down over 1%. Olink's acquisition will help Thermo Fisher's customers in the biotech industry "to meaningfully accelerate discovery and scientific breakthroughs," Thermo Fisher CEO Marc Casper said. Thermo Fisher said it would pay Olink shareholders $26 per share, an about 74% premium to the U.S.-listed stock's closing price on Monday. The deal is a good fit for Thermo Fisher and "checks the box strategically," Evercore ISI analyst Vijay Kumar wrote in a note.

Persons: Brian Snyder, Fisher, Marc Casper, Vijay Kumar, Mariam Sunny, Krishna Chandra Eluri, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: REUTERS, Olink, U.S, Thomson Locations: Waltham , Massachusetts, U.S, Sweden, Bengaluru

☆ Hedge fund JAT pushes Overstock.com to mull options -filing
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW YORK, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Hedge fund JAT Capital on Monday urged Overstock.com (OSTK.O) to consider selling certain assets and overhauling its management and compensation, warning it may seek board seats if its suggestions are ignored, a regulatory filing on Monday showed. The hedge fund, run by John Thaler, owns a 9.1% stake in Overstock.com, and made its demands public in the filing after sending a letter outlining its wishes to the company last week. JAT is not traditionally an activist investor but its filing signaled mounting frustration with the company and left open the option of pursuing strategies like running a proxy contest. JAT also wants the company to emphasize stock option participation and develop a business plan with financial objectives, the filing said. "The Reporting Persons may consider to seek Board representation to the extent the above recommendations have not been explored, pursued and executed satisfactorily."

Persons: Overstock.com, John Thaler, JAT, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Richard Chang Organizations: Bed, Svea, Thomson Locations: Overstock.com

☆ One $16 bln deal travels lonely dual track
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Jonathan Guilford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, Oct 9 (Reuters Breakingviews) - When courting buyers, sellers like to make it seem as if there are plenty of options. So it is with buyout firms GTCR and Apax Partners as they explore ways to cash in on AssuredPartners, the insurance broker they own together. This parallel process, colloquially called a dual track, can build competitive tension to wheedle a higher price, but it’s too soon for the idea to pose a plausible threat. For example, cybersecurity provider AppDynamics was planning an IPO that would have valued it at around $2 billion in late 2016. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsHigher interest rates have made it harder to borrow and for buyers and sellers to agree on valuations.

Persons: it’s, AppDynamics, Apax, AssuredPartners, GTCR, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Reuters, Apax Partners, Cisco Systems, Bloomberg, Reuters Graphics, Cisco, SoftBank, Thomson Locations: AssuredPartners

Democratic Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during The World Values Network's Presidential Candidate Series that discusses fighting antisemitism and championing Israel, in New York City, U.S., July 25, 2023. Kennedy's deep-pocketed backers and famous name, combined with a lack of broad enthusiasm for Biden and Trump, could help him take votes from their respective sides. "It could certainly siphon some votes from Trump, but it will certainly hurt Biden much more," said Republican strategist Ford O'Connell, who argued that Trump voters were more enthusiastic than Biden's. HIGH FAVORABILITY, TRUMP DONORKennedy has higher favorability ratings than either Trump or Biden, Reuters/Ipsos polling from September shows, with 51% of respondents having a favorable view of him compared to 45% for Biden and 40% for Trump. At 69, Kennedy might have an appeal to Americans looking for a younger candidate than Biden, 80, and Trump, 77.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Amr Alfiky, Democrat Joe Biden, Republican Donald Trump, Kennedy, Biden, Trump, Donald Trump’s, Matt Bennett, FiveThirtyEight, Ford O'Connell, Trump's, Paul Offit, George W, Bush, Ipsos, Cheryl Hines, Gavin de Becker, Timothy Mellon, Peter Daou, Joe Manchin, Joe Lieberman, Al Gore's, ProPublica, Lieberman, Jeff Mason, Heather Timmons, Lisa Shumaker, Grant McCool Organizations: Democratic, REUTERS, Rights, Democrat, Republican, Republicans, Trump, Independent, Biden, Health Defense, Children's, White House, Reuters, HIGH, TRUMP, RealClearPolitics, Mellon, America, Cornell West, Twitter, U.S, Thomson Locations: Israel, New York City, U.S, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, Arizona, American Samoa, West Virginia

During the third quarter, U.S. dealmaking contributed to a larger-than-usual share of global activity and offset a decline in volumes in Europe and Asia Pacific, accounting for about half of global volumes. Deal volumes in Europe and Asia Pacific fell 31% and 9%, respectively. To date, private equity deal volumes have slumped 48% to $313.73 billion, compared to the same period last year. Deal activity driven by activist shareholders was muted as several big-name activists reached settlements with corporate boardrooms. Dealmaking in technology, which typically accounts for the largest share of deal volumes, has fallen 51% so far this year.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, dealmaking, We're, Melissa Sawyer, Sullivan, Cromwell, dealmakers, headwinds, Tony Kim, Roark Capital's, ”, Andre Kelleners, Goldman Sachs, Naveen Nataraj, Kappa, WestRock, it’s, Rob Kindler, Weiss, Garrison, it'll, Anton Sahazizian, Anirban Sen, Timothy Gardner Organizations: REUTERS, Cromwell LLP, Asia Pacific, Investment, U.S . Steel, Centerview Partners, U.S . Investment, Evercore Inc, Cisco, Splunk Inc, Fidelity National Information Services, Reuters, Paul, Moelis, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, United States, Europe, Asia, Cleveland, Rifkind, Wharton, New York, London

Jefferies analysts wrote in a note the Federal Reserve putting the brakes on interest rate hikes has given acquirers more certainty around their funding costs, helping dealmaking. Cisco's deal valued Splunk at 7 times projected 12-month revenue, according to Jefferies. "We note that the typical security company with 20% growth trades at about 7 times (sales)," BTIG analysts wrote in a note last week. Private software companies may also be more receptive to takeovers. "A tidal wave of software M&A (is) on the horizon," Wedbush analysts wrote in a note last week.

Persons: Chuck Robbins, David Chen, Morgan Stanley, Chen, Jefferies, Keith Skirbe, Houlihan Lokey's, Milana Vinn, Anirban Sen, Anna Driver Organizations: Cisco Systems, Cisco, Crowdstrike Holdings, Microsoft, Adobe, Oracle, Francisco Partners, TPG Inc, Federal Reserve, IBM, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Jefferies, Thomson Locations: New York

☆ Morning Bid: Edgy market calm after worst day of 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The exterior of the Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve Board Building is seen in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 14, 2022. World stocks captured by MSCI's all-country index (.MIWD0000PUS) recorded their worst day of the year so far - dropping 1.69%. The yen fell back again but the dollar/yen rate remained below Thursday's 2023 high of 148.45. The pound hit its lowest level since March and 10-year British gilt yields fell to their lowest level since July. Elsewhere, oil prices nudged higher again on Friday as concerns that a Russian ban on fuel exports could tighten global.

Persons: Sarah Silbiger, Mike Dolan Punch, Rupert Murdoch, Lisa Cook, Susan Collins, Neel Kashkari, Mary Daly Organizations: Eccles Federal Reserve, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, Bank of Japan, Fed, European Central Bank and Bank of England, Treasury, Sterling, of, Activision Blizzard, Markets Authority, Ubisoft, Cisco Systems, Cisco, Fox Corp, News Corp, JPMorgan, Federal Reserve, Boston, Minneapolis Fed, San Francisco Fed, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Washington ,, U.S, Australia, Britain, United States, India

Based in Palo Alto, California, Tidal was started by technology bankers David Handler and David Neequaye. Their firm, which employs just two dozen people according to its website, was the sole financial adviser to Cisco, while larger investment banking peers Qatalyst Partners and Morgan Stanley (MS.N) advised Splunk. Tidal's win comes as more technology bankers decide to launch their own firm amid an overall slowdown in dealmaking in the sector. Three former Qatalyst Partners bankers launched a new technology-focused investment banking boutique called AXOM Partners earlier this week, Reuters reported. The group went on to advise other major technology companies including Cisco, Qualcomm Inc (QCOM.O) and Twilio Inc (TWLO.N).

Persons: Centerview Partners dealmakers, David Handler, David Neequaye, Qatalyst, Morgan Stanley, MS.N, Splunk, David, Handler, we've, Chuck Robbins, Tidal's, Neequaye, Centerview, Milana Vinn, Anirban Sen Organizations: Centerview Partners, Cisco Systems Inc, Splunk Inc, Cisco, Qatalyst Partners, AXOM Partners, Reuters, Qualcomm Inc, Twilio Inc, UBS Group AG, Thomson Locations: Palo Alto , California, New York

☆ Cisco beefs up cybersecurity play with $28 bln Splunk deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of networking gear maker Cisco Systems Inc is seen during GSMA's 2022 Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain February 28, 2022. REUTERS/Nacho Doce Acquire Licensing RightsSept 21 (Reuters) - Cisco Systems (CSCO.O) on Thursday agreed to acquire cybersecurity company Splunk (SPLK.O) for about $28 billion, in its biggest acquisition ever that would bolster its network security business. "Combined, Cisco and Splunk will become one of the world's largest software companies and will accelerate Cisco's business transformation to more recurring revenue," the companies said in a joint statement. Cisco shares were down nearly 5% in premarket, while trading in Splunk stock was halted. The deal, which was unanimously approved by the boards of both Cisco and Splunk, is expected to close by the end of the third quarter of 2024 subject to regulatory approvals.

Persons: Simpson Thacher, Moore, Morgan Stanley, Flom, Splunk, Yuvraj Malik, Anil D'Silva Organizations: Cisco Systems Inc, Congress, REUTERS, Cisco Systems, Splunk's, Cisco, Splunk, Tidal Partners, Bartlett, Qatalyst Partners, Thomson Locations: Barcelona, Spain, premarket, Cravath, Slate, Bengaluru

Smucker's $5.6 bln buyout dealIndexes: S&P 500 +0.67%, Nasdaq +1.14%, Dow +0.25%Sept 11 (Reuters) - The Nasdaq closed sharply higher on Monday as Tesla surged on optimism around artificial intelligence and investors awaited inflation data due later this week. The S&P 500 climbed 0.67% to end at 4,487.46 points. Hostess Brands (TWNK.O) surged 19.1% after J. M. Smucker (SJM.N) said it would buy the Twinkies-maker in a $5.6 billion deal. Advancing issues outnumbered falling ones within the S&P 500 (.AD.SPX) by a 1.5-to-one ratio. The S&P 500 posted 14 new highs and 11 new lows; the Nasdaq recorded 36 new highs and 199 new lows.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Morgan Stanley, Tesla, megacaps, Walt Disney, Greg Bassuk, chipmaker, Ankika Biswas, Shreyashi Sanyal, Shubham Batra, Noel Randewich, Arun Koyyur, Vinay Dwivedi, Richard Chang Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Qualcomm, Apple Hostess Brands, Nasdaq, Dow, Amazon, Microsoft, Sunday, Charter Communications, ESPN, NFL, Federal, New York Fed, PPI, AXS Investments, Traders, Dow Jones, Apple, Hostess Brands, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, New York, Bengaluru, Oakland, Calif

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., August 29, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies Tesla gains on Morgan Stanley upgradeQualcomm up after deal to supply 5G chips to AppleHostess Brands up after J.M. The S&P 500 consumer discretionary stocks (.SPLRCD) rose 2.2% to their highest level in a month, leading gains in key S&P 500 sectors. Investors now await the crucial consumer and producer prices data as well as retail sales numbers due later this week. Wall Street had logged weekly losses on Friday after a recent uptick in oil prices and stronger-than-expected economic data fueled concerns of sticky inflation and interest rates staying higher for longer.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Morgan Stanley, Tesla, Anthony, chipmaker, Ankika Biswas, Shreyashi Sanyal, Shubham Batra, Arun Koyyur, Vinay Dwivedi Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Qualcomm, Apple Hostess Brands, Dow, Nasdaq, U.S, Apple, Microsoft, Energy, Investors, New York Fed, Traders, FedWatch, Fed, Dow Jones, Nvidia, Hostess Brands, Sunday, NYSE, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, megacaps, U.S . Federal, Bengaluru

[1/2] Hostess Brands "Twinkies" are displayed in a store in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S. July 5, 2016. Smucker (SJM.N) said on Monday it will buy Twinkies-maker Hostess Brands (TWNK.O) in a $5.6 billion deal, as major U.S. packaged food companies look to expand their brand portfolios with pandemic-era fortunes dwindling. J. M. Smucker will pay Hostess shareholders $34.25 per share in a cash and stock deal, representing a premium of 54% since the day before the report surfaced. Hostess Brands became an acquisition target after it managed to boost its revenue through price hikes that fueled investor concerns over its prospects with its volume growth consistently declining. Smucker and Hostess deal follows a spree of other deals including that of Campbell Soup's (CPB.N) $2.7 billion deal for Rao's sauce maker Sovos Brands (SOVO.O) and Unilever (ULVR.L) buying premium frozen yogurt brand Yasso in North America.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Smucker, Campbell Soup's, Hostess, Ding Dongs, Dimpal Gulwani, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Anirban Sen, Savio D'Souza, Shinjini Organizations: REUTERS, Hostess Brands, Reuters, Hostess, Mills Inc, Mondelez, PepsiCo Inc, Hershey Co, Sovos, Unilever, Hos, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City, U.S, North America, Lenexa , Kansas, Ho, Bengaluru, New York

Search resuls for: "K.O"

25 mentions found