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☆ AMD says data center sales more than doubled in a year
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

AMD shares are down about 6% in 2024, even though the company is the second-largest vendor of data center GPUs after Nvidia . Investors want to see AMD take market share away from its longtime rival Nvidia with its MI300X AI chip and signal growth in its data center AI business. Earlier this year, AMD said it expected $4 billion in AI chips sales this year, or about 15% of the company's expected sales. AMD AI chip sales are reported in the company's Data Center segment, which grew 115% year-over-year to $2.8 billion, driven by an increase in AI GPU shipments, AMD said. Sales for PCs are reported in the company's Client segment, which rose 49% year-over-year to $1.5 billion, versus expectations of $1.43 billion from Street Account.

Persons: Lisa Su, Ryan Patel, Travis P, Su Organizations: SXSW, Austin Convention Center, Getty, Devices, AMD, Nvidia, company's, Data Locations: Austin , Texas

☆ SOCOM is seeking a lightweight machine gun with heavy firepower and a longer range to bridge the gap between the M2 and M240
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-22 | by ( Travis Pike | Sandboxx News | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Machine guns come in three types: we have light machine guns that chamber intermediate rounds and maximize weight savings; medium machine guns that offer more power with full-powered rifle rounds; and heavy machine guns that might weigh more than 100 pounds but provide light armor and barrier destruction as well as a longer range. SOCOM's new machine guns blend the medium and heavy machine gun types to create something novel. This new weapon seems ready to supplement or even replace the M2 heavy machine gun. This led to a demand for a gun that offers the range of a heavy machine gun with respectable power but without the weight. To put it simply, they want a weapon that weighs less than a medium machine gun but has the range of a heavy machine gun.

Persons: —, Ma, it's, Cpl, Mary Kohlmann SOCOM, Norma Magnum chambering, Norma, SOCOM, Norma Magnum, SIG MG338, we'll Organizations: Service, Marine Corps, Business, BMG, NATO, US Army, SIG, Ohio Ordnance, Indigenous, Dynamics, Velocity, Ohio Ordnance Works, Facebook Locations: United States, Ohio

☆ Wall Street banks name UK stocks to watch as Brits head to the polls
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-04 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

It would mark the second-highest pre-election performance since 1992, trailing only the 12.6% surge seen before the 1997 election, according to RBC's Fielding. "Overall, should a similar pattern to the 1997 election emerge in the future, the forward 1, 3, and 6-month periods could be notably strong." Genuit , Howden , and Travis Perkins were highlighted in the Building Materials sector, while Taylor Wimpey and Vistry were flagged in the homebuilders category. The bank specifically highlighted Barratt , Persimmon , and Taylor Wimpey as companies likely to benefit from these reforms. "Barratt and Taylor Wimpey remain our preferred Buy-rated names given the opportunities arising from potential planning reforms and relatively undemanding valuations."

Persons: Mark Fielding, RBC's Fielding, Fielding, Genuit, Travis Perkins, Taylor Wimpey, Ami Galla, Galla, —, Labour —, Barratt, Persimmon, " Barratt, AJ Bell Organizations: RBC Capital Markets, Conservative, Labour, RBC, FTSE, FTMC, Materials, AFC Energy, ITM Power, boohoo Locations: Howden, Germany, St, James's, London, Berkeley

☆ Shotguns emerge as a low-tech weapon to counter commercial drones in modern warfare
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Travis Pike | Sandboxx News | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

World War I made them trench guns and World War II jungle guns. The war in Ukraine has cemented commercial drones as potent weapons . Much like aircraft in World War I, commercial drones started life as reconnaissance assets, but it wasn't long until they were weaponized. Given the size and price of commercial drones, they are remarkably efficient and extremely deadly. AdvertisementShotguns won't be the ultimate, end-all option against commercial drones, but they are an infantry and armor organic weapon that could be easily used in this role.

Persons: —, Coats, we'd, Sergey Bobok, Genya Savilov Organizations: Service, Business, Devices, Getty, French Ministry of, Armed Forces, French Armed Forces, Benelli Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Kharkiv, AFP, United States, Donetsk

☆ Taylor Swift has made Kansas City her new stomping ground — and local shops say business is booming
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Kansas City has been gripped by Taylor Swift mania amidst her relationship with Travis Kelce. Taylor Swift. They're not alone: Swiftmania has seized Kansas City, and the next great American dynasty — of a blockbuster football team and pop music superstar — is invigorating the Midwestern city. Indeed, Lonely Planet included Kansas City on its list of top destinations to visit in 2024 released on Thursday. While Swift is not single-handedly responsible for the Kansas City renaissance, her presence is currently being felt in the wallets and streets of Kansas City.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, —, Megan Folmsbee, Who's Travis, Swift, Westside Storey, Folmsbee, They're, Swiftmania, Ericka Hamilton, Misha Wilson, Randi Mahomes, Patrick Mahomes, Hamilton, Wilson, Randi, Travis Kelce's, ❤️, RsE3P5HKAd —, Sarah Fretwell, Erimish, Fretwell, Travis, Jason Kelce, hasn't, Taylor, We've, Xavier Ross, RAYGUN, It's, Ross, it's, Abby Meyer, Meyer, Dolce, Erin Brown, they've, Katlyn Howard, That's, Brown, Jack Stack, Kelce, Patrick Joyce, Joyce, could've Organizations: Kansas City, Swifties, Service, Westside Storey, Kansas City Chiefs, Westside, Chiefs, Kansas, RsE3P5HKAd — ESPN, Philadelphia Eagles, Arrowhead, University of Toronto, KC, . Kansas City's Union, Union, Bakery, Kansas City's, Lonely Planet Locations: Kansas, Arrowhead, Kansas City, Arkansas, . Kansas, Argentine

Harper, who also walked, scored twice and knocked in two runs, hit his 10th homer in two postseasons with the Phillies. The Diamondbacks were simply the latest team to unravel under the red storm of 45,396 towel-waving, deliriously-cheering fans at Citizens Bank Park. “Schwarber starting the game off right there was huge for us.”Those runs proved crucial for the Phillies. GOING DEEPSchwarber's fourth leadoff homer in the postseason moved him past Jimmy Rollins and Derek Jeter for most in baseball history. Castellanos' five homers in his last three postseason game — he hit two in consecutive games against Atlanta — made him the second player to hit those marks.

Persons: — Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, Harper, “ I’ve, ”, Zack Wheeler, Wheeler, José Alvarado, Craig Kimbrel, Schwarber, Zac Gallen's, “, ” Harper, “ There’s, —, Castellanos, Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift —, Jason Kelce, Travis, Jason, Trea Turner, Realmuto, “ Gallen, he’s, “ Schwarber, Geraldo Perdomo, Seranthony Domínguez, Alvarado, Emmanuel Rivera, Jimmy Rollins, Derek Jeter, Louis, Kolten Wong, Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria, Willie Aikens, Atlanta —, Reggie Jackson, Merrill Kelly, RHP Aaron Nola, Nola, ” Nola, I’ve Organizations: PHILADELPHIA, Philadelphia Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks, Phillies, National League, Diamondbacks, Arizona, Brewers, Dodgers, The Diamondbacks, Citizens Bank, Philadelphia, Bros, Chiefs, Eagles, Gallen, NL, St, Kansas, Atlanta, New York Yankees, NEXT Arizona Locations: Arizona, South Jersey, Tampa, Philadelphia

A signage is pictured at Travis Perkins, a timber and building merchants yard in St Albans, Britain October 22, 2020. The group said it now expected 2023 adjusted operating profit to be in the range of 175 million pounds ($215 million) to 195 million pounds, down from the 240 million pounds it had guided to in June, itself a 12% downgrade. Shares in Travis Perkins sunk by as much as 12% in early deals, hitting their lowest level for over three years. Travis Perkins said it remained confident in its longer-term outlook because Britain needed to build more homes and existing infrastructure would need to be decarbonised. Separately, Forterra (FORT.L), a British company which manufactures clay and concrete building products, said demand for its products has softened since July.

Persons: Travis Perkins, Paul Childs, Nick Roberts, Travis, Peel Hunt, Sarah Young, William James, James Davey, Emelia Organizations: REUTERS, Britain's, Peel, Thomson Locations: St Albans, Britain, British

☆ UK housing market challenging but rate pause offers hope -RICS
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) house price balance, which measures the difference between the percentage of surveyors seeing rises and falls in house prices, edged down to -69 after August's sharp drop to -68. Echoing other gauges of British house prices, RICS' latest figure was the weakest since February 2009 and was below the median forecast of -63 in a Reuters poll of economists. Britain's housing market boomed during the coronavirus pandemic as demand for homes with more space surged, but it has been a victim of the BoE's run of 14 interest rate hikes, which began in December 2021. "Although the decision to pause monetary policy tightening a few weeks ago provided a glimmer of relief for the market, interest rates are likely now set to remain on hold for a prolonged period," Parsons said. The weak state of the housing market has hurt companies such as building materials supplier Travis Perkins (TPK.L), which on Wednesday downgraded its annual profit forecast by as much as 27%.

Persons: Henry Nicholls, RICS, Tarrant Parsons, Parsons, Travis Perkins, William Schomberg, Kylie MacLellan Organizations: REUTERS, Bank, Royal Institution, Chartered Surveyors, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ European markets open lower ahead of slew of earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON — European markets opened lower on Tuesday as investors look ahead to a busy week of earnings after logging a winning month in July. The Stoxx 600 opened down 0.1%, with all major bourses and the majority of sectors trading in negative territory. Stateside, U.S. futures traded near the flatline after wrapping up a winning earnings month. Back in Europe, earnings are due from Euroapi, Uniper, Daimler Truck, DHL Deutsche Post, Covestro, BP, HSBC, Travis Perkins and Diageo. Euro zone unemployment data will also be posted.

Persons: Dow, Travis Perkins Organizations: P Global, Nasdaq, Daimler Truck, DHL Deutsche Post, BP, HSBC, Diageo Locations: Asia, Pacific, Europe, Euroapi, Covestro

☆ Extreme heat cuts into US small business, worker hours in July, report shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Safiyah Riddle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Carlos BarriaAug 1 (Reuters) - Record-breaking heat waves across the U.S. forced small businesses to close early in July, according to a report released on Tuesday, and reduced paid working hours for employees as dangerous temperatures reshape consumer behavior. Hundreds of millions Americans dealt with extreme heat advisories in the past two weeks, as temperatures across the South and Southwest hit historic highs. These hazardous conditions have kept consumers inside and forced small businesses to close early - cutting into paid hours for employees - according to a report by the small business payroll company Homebase. Nationally, small business employees worked 0.9% fewer hours in the first two weeks of July compared with the last two weeks of June - a standard seasonal change that is typical of summer months - the report said. Small business employees in New Orleans and Memphis, for example, were on the clock 5.7% and 5.1% less, respectively, than they were in June as business owners shorten hours to adjust for fewer customers and try to protect employees from too much heat exposure.

Persons: Carlos Barria, slowdowns, John Waldmann, Danah Lee, Lee, I've, Travis Parsons, Parsons, It's, Safiyah Riddle, Dan Burns Organizations: REUTERS, Southwest, Homebase, Memphis, Boston, Taco Joint, Weather Service, International Union of, Thomson Locations: Scottsdale, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S, New Orleans, Memphis, International Union of North America, Canada

The continent-wide European STOXX 600 (.STOXX) index rose 0.5%. The index gained 1.5% in the policy-packed week, its best performance in over two months. China-focused luxury stocks such as LVMH (LVMH.PA) and Richemont (CFR.S) gained nearly 3% each, boosting the broader STOXX 600. Defensive shares such as healthcare (.SXDP) gained 0.9%, and utilities (.SX6P) climbed 1.3% to a four-week peak. The STOXX 600 broke away from a restrictive 1% trading range that was seen for much of the past two weeks, as investors gradually start putting behind major central bank events.

Persons: Travis Perkins, DAX, Germany's DAX, Danni Hewson, AJ Bell, Hewson, Shreyashi Sanyal, Siddarth, Sohini Goswami, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: European Central Bank, U.S, U.S . Federal, Bank of Japan, Bank of, Britain's, Rheinmetall, Apollo Global Management, Claure Group, Thomson Locations: China, U.S ., Stockholm, Millicom, Bengaluru

☆ European shares edge higher at open, defensive healthcare stocks up
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 16 (Reuters) - European shares opened higher on Friday as gains were led by defensive healthcare stocks at the end of a week dominated by major central bank policy decisions. The continent-wide European STOXX 600 (.STOXX) index rose 0.2% at 0717 GMT, with the healthcare index (.SXDP) up 0.5%. The STOXX 600 had ended Thursday lower after the European Central Bank (ECB) raised borrowing costs and signalled more policy tightening in its fight against sticky inflation, a day after the U.S. Federal Reserve's hawkish pause. Shares of Britain's biggest supplier of building materials Travis Perkins (TPK.L) slid 7.4% to the bottom of the STOXX 600 after it warned profit would be hit by difficulties in the country's housing market. Reporting by Shreyashi Sanyal in Bengaluru; Editing by Sohini GoswamiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Travis Perkins, Shreyashi Sanyal, Sohini Goswami Organizations: European Central Bank, U.S, U.S . Federal, Bank of Japan, Britain's, Thomson Locations: U.S ., Bengaluru

☆ Travis Perkins warns on profit in sign of UK housing market difficulty
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, June 16 (Reuters) - Travis Perkins (TPK.L), Britain's biggest supplier of building materials, warned profit would be hit by difficulties in the country's housing market in one of the latest warning signs that rising interest rates are beginning to be felt by consumers. For 2023, Travis said it now expected full-year adjusted operating profit to be around 240 million pounds ($307 million), a downgrade from guidance in April when it said it was on track to meet market forecasts of about 272 million pounds. Worries over higher mortgages now appear to be feeding through to the housing market, with Travis saying that the volumes in new build housing and private domestic building projects were lower. Travis said the other half of its business, which serves large commercial and public infrastructure projects, however, was seeing resilient demand. ($1 = 0.7817 pounds)Reporting by Sarah Young in London and Aby Jose Koilparambil in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Kate HoltonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Travis Perkins, Travis, Sarah Young, Aby Jose Koilparambil, Rashmi Aich, Kate Holton Organizations: Britain's, Bank of England, Thomson Locations: London, Bengaluru

SummarySummary Companies Travis Perkins falls, warns of downbeat profitUK inflation data, BoE rate decision due next weekFTSE 100 up 0.2%, FTSE 250 flatJune 16 (Reuters) - UK's FTSE 100 climbed on Friday, with defensive stocks such as utilities and healthcare leading the charge, while top building materials supplier Travis Perkins slumped after a profit warning. The internationally-focused FTSE 100 (.FTSE) gained 0.2%, posting a weekly gain of 1%, snapping a three-week losing streak underpinned by strength in mining stocks. Investors now look ahead to domestic inflation data and a probable 25-basis-point rate hike from the Bank of England next week. "It looks like, at least at this point, that this is the central bank that's going to remain the most restrictive for the longest period of time." A BoE survey showed the British public's expectations for inflation in the coming 12 months cooled in May.

Persons: Travis Perkins, BoE, Julien Lafargue, Ankika Biswas, Shashwat Chauhan, Khushi Singh, Sherry Jacob, Phillips, Shailesh Organizations: U.S . Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, Bank of, ECB, Barclays Private Bank, FTSE, Britain's, Thomson Locations: Bank of England, Bengaluru

☆ The story behind North Korea's wacky homegrown version of the AK-74 rifle
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Travis Pike | Sandboxx News | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

North Korea's military uses the Type 88-2 assault rifle, which is based on a clone of the AK-74 series. But other features of the Type 88-2 rifle raise questions about what the designers were thinking. North Korean troops during an exercise in August 2017. North Korean helical magazines seem to be primarily aimed at the much longer rifle calibers and likely hold anywhere from 100 to 150 rounds. It seems only certain North Korean units carry these magazines, and this includes the bodyguards of Kim Jong Un.

☆ European shares fall on sticky inflation worries; UK's Ocado slides
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Shreyashi Sanyal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The continent-wide STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) slipped 0.3% in the first hour of trading, after closing sharply higher in the previous session. Higher food prices pushed the 12-month inflation rate in France to 7.2% in February from 7.0% in the preceding month. In Spain, consumer prices rose 6.1% year-on-year in February, over a 5.9% rise in the 12 months to January. Ocado (OCDO.L) sank 9.6%, to the bottom of the STOXX 600, after the online supermarket and technology group reported a worse-than-expected full-year loss. Travis Perkins (TPK.L) fell 3.7% after Britain's biggest supplier of building materials posted a 16% decline in annual profits.

☆ EUROPE Market mood downbeat ahead of raft of data
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Anshuman DagaThe overarching downbeat mood among investors shows no signs of improving as markets become increasingly wary of a further rise in borrowing costs. Although U.S. markets took a breather and rose on Monday, they ended well below the day's highs and Asian markets were back in the red on Tuesday after gaining in early trade. Tuesday's U.S. consumer confidence data will be especially scrutinised for households' views on economic prospects and inflation expectations. European markets will deal with CPI data due from France and Spain. While inflation has eased a bit, providing some support to markets, a barrage of economic data suggests that inflation is stickier than expected, reinforcing the "higher-for-longer" rates view.

☆ Travis Perkins CEO: Pipelines remain robust in construction sector
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | 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 EmailTravis Perkins CEO: Pipelines remain robust in construction sectorTravis Perkins CEO Nick Roberts argues he sees long-term fundamentals for growth in the U.K., as he outlines why his group is prepared to handle short-term volatility.

☆ FTSE 100 falls as Ocado sinks; still set for best Feb in six years
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Shashwat Chauhan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) lost 0.6% with shares of Ocado (OCDO.L) plunging 10.5% on the online supermarket and technology group's worse-than-expected full-year loss. "Ocado is in the eye of the cost-of-living storm because its offering isn't synonymous with being the best value," said Sophie Lund-Yates, lead equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown. Lund-Yates said Ocado is a higher-end option, without the same benefits of enticing people with tangible, physical goods like peer Marks & Spencer (MKS.L). Despite recent volatility, the exporter-heavy FTSE 100 is on track to record its best February performance since 2017 as higher earnings and weakness in the pound earlier in the month made equities more attractive. On the flipside, hedge fund firm Man Group (EMG.L) gained 7.9% after posting a higher full-year core pretax profit and beating expectations on assets under management.

☆ Morning Bid: Market mood downbeat ahead of raft of data
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Tuesday's U.S. consumer confidence data will be especially scrutinised for households' views on economic prospects and inflation expectations. Economists polled by Reuters expect a median reading of 109.5 on the index, which unexpectedly fell in January. European markets will deal with CPI data due from France and Spain. While inflation has eased a bit, providing some support to markets, a barrage of economic data suggests that inflation is stickier than expected, reinforcing the "higher-for-longer" rates view. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak struck a deal with the European Union on post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland.

☆ AK-47 vs. AK-74: How Russia's workhorse rifles stack up
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Travis Pike | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Today we are going to dig deep into the differences and do a little AK-47 vs AK-74 showdown. Breaking down the AK-47 vs. AK-74 historyMikhail Kalashnikov with an AK-74 in November 2002. REUTERS/Gleb GaranichBig brother AK-47 can teach the younger 74 some lessons in this AK-47 vs AK-74 brawl. From a civilian-ownership perspective, we need to look at commonality and logistics in our AK-47 vs AK-74 deathmatch. Mikhail Japaridze\TASS via Getty ImagesIt's time to declare a winner in the AK-47 vs AK-74 grudge match.

☆ Smart bombs were a game-changer for militaries. Smart bullets may be next.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Travis Pike | Sandboxx News | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Smart bullets aren't new, but they're still early in development, and they have some drawbacks. If DARPA, aka the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, has its way, smart bullets will become a very real thing. Beyond offensive combative measures, guided smart bullets can be used to defeat future threats from swarming UAVs to incoming missiles. Smart bullets currently availableAs of this writing, smart bullets aren't being deployed. Regardless, smart bullets could provide a new surgical option for snipers, infantrymen, and naval personnel.

☆ Blackout fears prompt Britons to buy generators and torches
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Britons are preparing for possible power cuts by stocking-up on portable generators and torches, in addition to winter clothing, thermal underwear and candles. Comparing data from the first 11 days of October 2021 to the same period this year showed a 203% increase in sales of generators and a 43% increase in sales of torches and head torches, Toolstation, part of Travis Perkins (TPK.L), Britain's biggest building materials retailer, said on Friday. The Toolstation data chimes with a report this week from market researcher Kantar which said Britons were stocking-up on candles and duvets. Department store chain John Lewis last week said people were stockpiling thermal underwear, gloves and dressing gowns. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by James Davey; Editing by Alexander SmithOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

LONDON, July 18 (Reuters) - Sales of electric fans, hoses, air conditioning units and sprinklers are soaring as Britons swelter amid record temperatures, retailers said. 2 supermarket group which also owns the Argos general merchandise business, said sales of fans last week rose 1,876% versus the week before, while sales of air conditioning units were up 2,420% and sales of paddling pools were up 814%. On Monday, 10 out of the top 15 most-sold items in Amazon's (AMZN.O) UK home and kitchen section were fans. Department store group John Lewis said sales of fans and air conditioning units were up 709% year-on year. It said sales of smart technology that controls temperatures leapt 95%, while sales of hoses had increased by 56% and sales of water cans by 21%.

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