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☆ US Government Sends Initial Offers for Medicare Drug Price Cuts
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - The Biden administration is sending drugmakers opening offers for the U.S. Medicare program's first ever price negotiations on Thursday, the White House said in a statement. President Joe Biden's signature Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) allows Medicare, which covers 66 million Americans mostly aged 65 and older, to negotiate prices for some of its most costly drugs. The initial offers have been sent to manufacturers of 10 high-cost medicines, which include Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer's blood thinner Eliquis, Merck & Co's diabetes drug Januvia and Johnson & Johnson's blood thinner Xarelto. The HHS and White House did not disclose details on the offers. (Reporting by Urvi Dugar and Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Chopra and Sriraj Kalluvila)

Persons: Biden, Medicare program's, Joe Biden's, Januvia, Johnson, Urvi Dugar, Sriparna Roy, Toby Chopra, Sriraj Organizations: Reuters, U.S, Medicare, U.S . Department of Health, Human Services, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck, HHS, White Locations: Bengaluru

☆ US Airlines Cancel Over 2,000 Flights Due to Massive Winter Storm
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) -Airlines in the United States canceled more than 2,000 flights on Friday after a massive winter storm knocked out power and affected businesses in 12 states ahead of a likely brutal freeze over the weekend. A total of 2,058 flights were canceled and 5,846 flights were delayed as of 5.30 p.m. Southwest Airlines led the list of cancellations with 401 flights, followed by SkyWest at 358. "We expect some operational challenges due to the weather in the Midwest today and potentially tomorrow due to the winter weather in the region," Delta Air Lines said. Southwest Airlines said in a travel advisory that some of its flights in Chicago, Detroit and Omaha could be impacted.

Persons: SkyWest, Nathan Gomes, Abhinav Parmar, Sriraj Kalluvila, Arun Koyyur, Shounak Dasgupta Organizations: Reuters, Airlines, United States, Southwest Airlines, Air Lines, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Alaska Airlines Locations: United, Midwest, Chicago, Detroit, Omaha, Bengaluru

☆ P&G to record up to $2.5 bln in Gillette writedown, operations rejig
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The consumer goods giant said it would take a $1.3 billion non-cash impairment charge before tax in the current quarter ending Dec. 31 on its Gillette business. P&G, which bought Gillette for $57 billion in 2005, gets about 8% of its total sales from the grooming business. "It's very difficult for us as a U.S. dollar-denominated company to create value (in these markets)," Schulten said. Total charges will be between $2 billion and $2.5 billion after tax and will be recognized in fiscal years 2024 and 2025. Net earnings attributable to the company was $14.7 billion for fiscal 2023.

Persons: Timothy Aeppel, Andre Schulten, Morgan Stanley, Schulten, Juveria Tabassum, Sriraj Organizations: Procter, REUTERS, Procter & Gamble, Gillette, Morgan, Thomson, & $ Locations: Tabler Station, West Virginia, U.S, Argentina, Nigeria

☆ Tech firms, Wall Street lead job cuts in Corporate America
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

TECHNOLOGY, MEDIA AND TELECOM SECTORMeta Platforms (META.O):The Facebook-parent said it would cut 10,000 jobs, just four months after it let go 11,000 employees. read moreMicrosoft Corp (MSFT.O):The U.S. tech giant said it would cut 10,000 jobs by the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2023. The company laid off under 1,000 employees across several divisions in October, Axios reported, citing a source. Workday (WDAY.O):The software company will cut roughly 500 jobs, or 3% of its workforce, citing a challenging macroeconomic environment. Morgan Stanley (MS.N):The Wall Street powerhouse was planning to cut about 3,000 jobs in the second quarter ended June 30, Reuters reported in May.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Goldman Sachs, Axios, Pat Gelsinger, Elon Musk, Morgan Stanley, Lazard, Coinbase, cryptocurrencies, Phillips, Johnson, Joseph Wolk, Deborah Sophia, Akash Sriram, Granth Vanaik, Eva Mathews, Yuvraj Malik, Sourasis Bose, Priyamvada, Tiyashi Datta, Manya Saini, Jaspreet Singh, Maju Samuel, Sriraj Kalluvila, Pooja Desai Organizations: REUTERS, TELECOM, Meta, Facebook, IBM Corp, Spotify Technology SA, Spotify, Microsoft Corp, Intel Corp, Reuters, New York Times, Elon, Cisco Systems, HP, Rivian, Match, Dell Technologies, Technologies, U.S . Central Intelligence Agency, Goldman Sachs, Wall, Citigroup, Bloomberg News, BlackRock, Bed, Dow, Johnson, 3M, Thomson Locations: New, Wall, U.S, York, New Jersey, Bengaluru

☆ EV maker Fisker slashes 2023 production target
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of Fisker Automotive is pictured on a car at the 2022 Paris Auto Show in Paris, France, October 18, 2022. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 1 (Reuters) - Electric-vehicle maker Fisker (FSR.N) said on Friday it will scale down production this month, and produce lesser cars this year than its previous guidance, to prioritize cash for working capital needs. Shares of the EV maker, which has been struggling with a cash crunch, rose 7% in premarket. "Fisker has made a strategic decision to reduce December production to prioritize liquidity to unlock over $300 million of working capital," the company said. Fisker cut its production target for the year to just over 10,000 units, compared with its earlier forecast of 13,000 to 17,000.

Persons: Stephane Mahe, Fisker, Yuvraj Malik, Sriraj Kalluvila, Krishna Chandra Organizations: Fisker, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, premarket, 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

☆ First Quantum initiates international arbitration on Cobre Panama mine
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

View of the Cobre Panama mine, of Canadian First Quantum Minerals, in Donoso, Panama, December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Aris Martínez/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 1 (Reuters) - First Quantum Minerals (FM.TO) has suspended its current-year production outlook for the Cobre mine in Panama and has initiated international arbitration over a contested contract with the country's government, the miner said on Friday. The Canadian company said its local unit had started arbitration before the International Court of Arbitration to protect its rights under the 2023 concession. On Tuesday, President Laurentino Cortizo said the Cobre Panama mine would be shut down, hours after Panama's Supreme Court declared the contract unconstitutional. The miner exited the African nation in 2012 after filing an arbitration procedure for cancelling its mining contract.

Persons: Laurentino Cortizo, Tristan Pascall, Tanay, Devika Syamnath Organizations: Minerals, REUTERS, Aris, International Court, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Panama, Donoso, Miami , Florida, Democratic Republic Of Congo, Bengaluru

☆ Alibaba dips on MS downgrade as PDD grabs spot of most valuable Chinese e-commerce firm
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Meanwhile, shares of PDD Holdings (PDD.O) have surged this week following stellar quarterly results from the Temu parent. The company closed with a market capitalization of nearly $196 billion on Thursday, surpassing Alibaba's market value of $190.45 billion. They also noted uncertainties from Alibaba's decision to scrap the spin-off of its cloud business. Morgan Stanley cut its price target on the stock to $90 from $110, the second lowest among analysts, as per LSEG data. PDD shares were down 2.1% at $144.4 but have surged almost 80% in 2023, handily outperforming its peers.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Morgan Stanley, PDD, Alibaba, Morgan Stanley's Eddy Wang, Sruthi Shankar, Sriraj Organizations: REUTERS, Alibaba, PDD Holdings, Wall, Vipshop Holdings, Thomson Locations: China, Alibaba's, Bengaluru

☆ AbbVie to buy cancer drugmaker ImmunoGen for $10 billion as Humira faces heat
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 30 (Reuters) - AbbVie (ABBV.N) will buy ImmunoGen (IMGN.O) for $10.1 billion in cash, it said on Thursday, the latest major drugmaker to buy a developer of 'guided missile' cancer therapies as the company's top-seller Humira grapples with fierce competition. ImmunoGen's Elahere belongs to a new class of treatments called antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) that precisely targets cancer cells, potentially reducing toxicity for other cells. The drug, approved for ovarian cancer patients who have received previous therapies, is also being tested in earlier lines of treatment. AbbVie will also get access to Immunogen's follow-on pipeline of ADCs, including early-stage ovarian cancer candidate IMGN-151 and a mid-stage drug pivekimab sunirine for a rare type of blood cancer. Meanwhile, AbbVie's cancer drugs sales declined more than 8% in the third quarter to $1.51 billion, primarily due to increased competition to Imbruvica.

Persons: Brian Snyder, ImmunoGen's Elahere, AbbVie, IMGN, pivekimab, Immuogen stock's, Immunogen's, Elahere, Imbruvica, Manas Mishra, Leroy Leo, Shinjini Ganguli Organizations: REUTERS, Pfizer, Merck, U.S, Thomson Locations: Cambridge , Massachusetts, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ US health insurers Humana, Cigna in talks to merge - WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Signage for Humana Inc. is pictured at a health facility in Queens, New York City, U.S., November 30, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 29 (Reuters) - Health insurers Cigna (CI.N) and Humana (HUM.N) are in talks for a merger, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Cigna's shares were down 4.4% in noon trading, while Humana's stock was flat. The companies did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Reporting by Manas Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj KalluvilaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Cigna, Manas Mishra, Sriraj Organizations: Humana Inc, REUTERS, Health, Cigna, Wall Street, Thomson Locations: Queens , New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Micron sees first-quarter operating expenses above forecast, shares fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 28 (Reuters) - Micron Technology (MU.O) expects first-quarter operating expenses to be higher than its prior estimates, sending the memory chipmaker's shares down 3%, even as the company projected revenue to trend towards the upper-limit of its forecast. The company on Tuesday estimated adjusted operating expenses of about $990 million in the quarter ending Nov. 30, higher that its prior expectation of $900 million, plus or minus $15 million. The higher expenses are driven by the timing of R&D costs as well as asset sales, CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said at the UBS Global Technology Conference on Tuesday. Micron said it now expects revenue to approach $4.7 billion, compared with its previous estimate of $4.4 billion, plus or minus $200 million. It previously forecast loss of $1.07 per share, plus or minus 7 cents.

Persons: Aly, Sanjay Mehrotra, Matthew Bryson, Chavi Mehta, Krishna Chandra Eluri Organizations: Micron, REUTERS, Micron Technology, UBS Global Technology Conference, Wedbush Securities, Samsung Electronics, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Bengaluru

☆ Broadcom closes $69 billion VMware deal after China approval
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Harshita Mary Varghese | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Broadcom Limited company logo is pictured on an office building in Rancho Bernardo, California May 12, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 22 (Reuters) - Broadcom (AVGO.O) on Wednesday closed its $69 billion acquisition of cloud-computing firm VMware (VMW.N) after receiving regulatory approval in last major market China and ending a months-long saga. The deal, one of the biggest globally when announced in May 2022, was the latest in CEO Hock Tan's efforts to boost the chipmaker's software business. However, the transaction faced tough regulatory scrutiny across the world and the companies had delayed the closing date three times. Big Tech mergers such as Microsoft's (MSFT.O) now-closed $69 billion purchase of the "Call of Duty" publisher Activision have faced heightened regulatory pressure from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission under its Chair Lina Khan.

Persons: Mike Blake, Hock, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Danni Hewson, AJ Bell, Cabot Henderson, Lina Khan, Harshita Mary Varghese, Sriraj Organizations: Broadcom, REUTERS, VMware, U.S, European Commission, Marvell Technology, Markets Authority, CMA, Activision, Big Tech, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Thomson Locations: Rancho Bernardo, California, China

☆ Best Buy sees steeper decline in annual comparable sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A Best Buy store is seen in Niles, Illinois near Chicago, September 23, 2013. REUTERS/Jim Young/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 21 (Reuters) - Best Buy (BBY.N) said on Tuesday it expects a steeper drop in full-year comparable sales, anticipating shoppers to remain selective in purchases of big-ticket items like electronics and home appliances despite elevated holiday season promotions. The company's shares, down nearly 15% this year, fell 2.4% in premarket trading after a miss on third-quarter revenue estimates. The top U.S. electronics retailer now expects annual comparable sales to decline in the range of 6.0% to 7.5%, compared with its prior range of a 4.5% to 6.0% drop. Total revenue fell to $9.76 billion in the third quarter ended Oct. 28 from about $10.59 billion a year earlier and compared with LSEG estimates of $9.90 billion.

Persons: Jim Young, Corie Barry, Savyata Mishra, Sriraj Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Niles , Illinois, Chicago, Bengaluru

☆ Best Buy flags weakening consumer demand heading into holiday shopping season
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Savyata Mishra | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Jim Young/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 21 (Reuters) - Top U.S. electronics retailer Best Buy (BBY.N) on Tuesday forecast a bigger decline in annual comparable sales and pointed to "difficult to predict" consumer demand, days ahead of Black Friday that signals the start of the holiday shopping season. "In the more recent macro environment, consumer demand has been even more uneven and difficult to predict," CEO Corie Barry said in a statement. Retailers from Lowe's (LOW.N) to Walmart (WMT.N) have warned of cautious consumer spending as the holiday shopping season gets underway. U.S. holiday sales this year are expected to grow at a slower pace, according to data from the National Retail Federation. Best Buy's third-quarter revenue fell 8.2% to $9 billion in the U.S. as demand fell again across appliances, home theater, computing and mobile phones, signaling that higher discounts failed to entice shoppers.

Persons: Jim Young, Corie Barry, Steven Zaccone, Savyata Mishra, Sriraj Organizations: REUTERS, Lowe's, Walmart, National Retail Federation, Citi, Thomson Locations: Niles , Illinois, Chicago, U.S, comparables, Bengaluru

Nov 20 (Reuters) - The United Auto Workers (UAW) said Monday that 64% of workers at the Detroit Three automakers voted to ratify new record contracts after a six-week targeted strike, as the union turns its attention to organizing foreign-owned and Tesla auto plants. The UAW for decades has unsuccessfully sought to organize auto factories operated by foreign automakers. In recent weeks, Hyundai Motor (005380.KS), Toyota Motor (7203.T) and Honda Motor (7267.T) have all announced they would hike U.S. factory wages after the UAW contract. Fain told Reuters last week that the UAW was getting expressions of interest in organizing from many Tesla (TSLA.O) workers. Automakers, looking to trim costs as they make the shift to electric vehicles, face higher hourly labor costs.

Persons: Shawn Fain, Fain, Joe Biden, Biden, ”, Jim Farley, Farley, Mary Barra, Gerald Johnson, Mark Stewart, David Shepardson, Chizu Nomiyama, Sriraj Kalluvila, Jonathan Oatis, Aurora Ellis Organizations: United Auto Workers, UAW, Detroit Three, Hyundai Motor, Toyota, Honda, Reuters, “, Tesla, Ford, General Motors, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington

☆ US FDA to delay decision on Bristol Myers-2seventy bio cancer therapy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Signage is seen outside of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) headquarters in White Oak, Maryland, U.S., August 29, 2020. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet confirmed when the advisory panel would meet, they added. Shares of Bristol Myers Squibb fell more than 2% and those of 2seventy bio slid nearly 20% in early morning trade. The therapy was originally co-developed by bluebird bio (BLUE.O) but following its spin-off in 2021 became part of 2seventy's portfolio. Bristol Myers and 2seventy bio, however, have faced manufacturing constraints, and a month-long planned maintenance shutdown of one of Abecma's manufacturing facility in June had also negatively impacted sales.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, 2seventy bio's, Bristol Myers, Johnson, Biotech's, Khushi, Sriraj Kalluvila Organizations: Food and Drug Administration, FDA, REUTERS, Bristol Myers Squibb, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Bristol, Johnson, Thomson Locations: White Oak , Maryland, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ UAW says 64% of workers vote to ratify Detroit Three contracts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 20 (Reuters) - The United Auto Workers (UAW) union said Monday that 64% of workers at the Detroit Three automakers voted to ratify new contracts. Despite the opposition from workers at some major facilities, UAW members voted to ratify the contract by a near two-third margin. Automakers, looking to trim costs as they make the shift to electric vehicles, face higher hourly labor costs. About 55% of votes cast by GM members were in favor of the new deal, while about 69% of Ford members and 68% of Stellantis workers who voted supported the agreement, according to a UAW vote tracker. Reporting by David Shepardson and Shivansh Tiwary; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Sriraj KalluvilaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Shawn Fain, Ford, Jim Farley, David Shepardson, Chizu Nomiyama Organizations: United Auto Workers, UAW, Detroit Three, U.S, Ford, GM, Chrysler, Thomson Locations: Michigan , Kentucky, Illinois

☆ Microsoft emerges as big winner from OpenAI turmoil with Altman on board
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Aditya Soni | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

That was nearly equal to the valuation OpenAI commanded in its last fundraise. "If Microsoft lost Altman, he could have gone to Amazon, Google, Apple, or a host of other tech companies," said Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives. We view Microsoft now even in a stronger position with Altman and Brockman at Microsoft running AI. Altman will lead a new research team at the software giant following his surprise ouster by OpenAI that shocked the tech industry. "The OpenAI for-profit subsidiary was about to conduct a secondary at a $80 billion+ valuation.

Persons: Satya Narayana Nadella, Lucas Jackson, Sam Altman, Altman, Dan Ives, Brockman, OpenAI, Greg Brockman, Szymon Sidor, SemiAnalysis, Mira Murati, Aditya Soni, Akash Sriram, Sriraj Organizations: Microsoft, REUTERS, Google, Wedbush Securities, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City, OpenAI, Bengaluru

☆ Microsoft emerges as big winner from OpenAI turmoil
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Aditya Soni | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Microsoft Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Satya Narayana Nadella speaks at a live Microsoft event in the Manhattan borough of New York City, October 26, 2016. The turmoil at OpenAI since Friday had raised fears about the fallout for Microsoft, which has pumped in billions of dollars and uses the pioneer's technology for most of its AI offerings. That was nearly equal to the valuation OpenAI commanded in its last fundraise. We view Microsoft now even in a stronger position with Altman and Brockman at Microsoft running AI. "The OpenAI for-profit subsidiary was about to conduct a secondary at a $80 billion+ valuation.

The Gap logo is seen on the front of the company's store in Paris, France, July 1, 2021. If current gains hold, shares will have nearly doubled since late July after the former Mattel (MAT.O) executive was appointed to revive the once sought-after brand. Gap's third-quarter earnings release Thursday showed significant inventory destocking, even as its holiday-season forecast disappointed. However, Gap joined other retailers in sounding a cautious note on spending, heading into the all-important shopping season. Reporting by Ananya Mariam Rajesh in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli and Sriraj KalluvilaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sarah Meyssonnier, Richard Dickson, Dickson, David Swartz, Swartz, Katrina O'Connell, Gap, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Shinjini Ganguli Organizations: REUTERS, Mattel, Gap's Old Navy, Morningstar, Navy, Walmart, Banana Republic, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Bengaluru

☆ Gap shares soar on Old Navy brand renewal, controlled inventory
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Comparable sales at Old Navy rose 1% in the third quarter, the first increase in 10 quarters. "Old Navy gained market share, an encouraging early proof point that work to improve both product assortment and brand messaging" were driving results, Gap Chief Financial Officer Katrina O'Connell said on Thursday following the earnings. Gap's struggles with outdated inventory at its namesake brand and Old Navy had pushed customers to look for newer and fresher styles at rivals like Shein and Amazon.com (AMZN.O). Jefferies analysts said new CEO Richard Dickson's prior experience in reinvigorating brands like Barbie at Mattel (MAT.O) could bring a lift to the Old Navy banner. The apparel maker's executives also alluded to a "longer recovery" time for Banana Republic and Athleta, which has seen "product misfires" and weak "retail execution".

Persons: Sarah Meyssonnier, Katrina O'Connell, Richard Dickson's, Barbie, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Sriraj Organizations: REUTERS, Old Navy, Walmart, Advisory, Navy, Jefferies, Mattel, Banana Republic, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, trendier, encouragingly, Bengaluru

The logo of Lilly is seen on a wall of the Lilly France company unit, part of the Eli Lilly and Co drugmaker group, in Fegersheim near Strasbourg, France, February 1, 2018. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler Acquire Licensing RightsNov 17 (Reuters) - Retail flows into Eli Lilly (LLY.N) spiked to a more than two-year high in November, as small investors rushed to buy the stock after the U.S. pharma major received a highly anticipated approval for its weight-loss drug Zepbound. Lilly and Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO) - seen as leaders in a potential $100 billion obesity treatment market - have helped rekindle retail investor interest in the healthcare sector. "During the COVID period, retail investors were piling into healthcare because of the vaccines and after that there was a bit of a hangover of purchases. Reuters GraphicsRetail investors are now "catching up" with institutional investors, said Sel Hardy, vice president of equity research at CFRA.

Persons: Lilly, Eli Lilly, Vincent Kessler, Zepbound, Marco Iachini, Hardy, JPMorgan Chase, Vanda, Ozempic, drugmakers, Iachini, Bhanvi Satija, Sriraj Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . pharma, Vanda Research, Novo Nordisk, Graphics Retail, Sel Hardy, JPMorgan, BlackRock, AMC, Thomson Locations: Lilly France, Fegersheim, Strasbourg, France, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Macy's shares surge on smaller-than-expected sales drop, improved margins
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Shoppers are seen outside Macy's in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., March 30, 2021. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs Acquire Licensing RightsNov 16 (Reuters) - Macy's (M.N) on Thursday reported an improvement in margins and a lower-than-expected drop in quarterly sales, sending its shares 10% higher in premarket trading. The Bloomingdale parent said its gross margins improved 160 basis points in the third quarter due to lower markdowns within the Macy’s brand, as well as easing freight charges. The U.S. department store operator's net sales fell 7.1% to $4.86 billion in the third quarter ended Oct. 28, while analysts' had estimated a 7.9% drop to $4.82 billion, according to LSEG data. The company logged an adjusted net income of $59 million, or 21 cents per share, from $143 million, or 52 cents per share last year.

Persons: Caitlin Ochs, Savyata Mishra, Sriraj Organizations: REUTERS, Bloomingdale, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Macy's smashes profit estimates as leaner inventory lifts margins, shares jump
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Savyata Mishra | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Shoppers are seen outside Macy's in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., March 30, 2021. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs Acquire Licensing RightsNov 16 (Reuters) - Macy's (M.N) crushed analysts' estimates for quarterly profit on lower inventories and strong demand for beauty products, sending the department store operator's shares surging as much as 14% on Thursday. "(We are) entering the holiday period in a healthy inventory position," Macy's outgoing CEO Jeff Gennette said in a statement. Gross margins improved 160 basis points in the third quarter, driven by a 110 basis points jump in merchandise margins, bolstered by lower markdowns within the Macy's brand and reduced freight costs. Credit card revenues again declined, down 100 basis points year-on-year, indicating its core middle-income consumer faced difficulty in repaying debts as interest rates climbed.

Persons: Caitlin Ochs, Jeff Gennette, Tony Spring, Rachel Wolff, Macy's, Savyata Mishra, Sriraj Organizations: REUTERS, Bloomingdale, Target, Walmart, Insider, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S, Bengaluru

Service centers - facilities that play a crucial role in supplying manufacturing companies nearly finished steel products - had paused purchases ahead of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union's coordinated strike against the Detroit automakers. However, many of them were soon forced to place large orders as stocks ran low and operations resumed at the carmakers. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsThe automotive segment makes up about 25% of the total U.S. sheet demand, with about 65% of that attributable to the Big Three Detroit automakers in any given year, CRU data showed. Nucor Corp (NUE.N) has raised HRC prices to $950/st while U.S. Steel (X.N) recently announced a $100/st price increase, without specifying a final rate. Meanwhile, automakers stare at higher costs for a key raw material if prices extend their upward trajectory for longer.

Persons: union's, Ryan McKinley, Morgan, Philip Gibbs, Gordon Lee Johnson, Ananta Agarwal, Nathan Gomes, Arpan Varghese, Sriraj Organizations: Detroit Three, CRU Group . Service, United Auto Workers, UAW, Detroit, CRU, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Big Three Detroit, Cleveland Cliffs, HRC, Nucor Corp, U.S . Steel, KeyBanc, GLJ Research, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

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