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☆ America's lack of boardroom diversity isn't just a PR problem, it's a business problem that will make companies more vulnerable in a downturn
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Marguerite Ward | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

More than a dozen companies had no board members of color, according to the report, which relied on 2021 data. Along with a few partner organizations, Watts launched a program in August to help companies interview and select more board members from underrepresented backgrounds. Bessie Watts of Vista Equity Partners is working on a program to increase the pipeline of board members from underrepresented backgrounds. More CEOs are embracing not just the moral case for board diversity, but the business case, as well, Watts said. "We're able to meet and help support board members with valuable new insight."

☆ Thoma Bravo to buy Coupa Software for $6.15 billion amid tech slump
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Coupa Software said on Monday it will sell itself to private-equity major Thoma Bravo for $6.15 billion in cash, calling the deal the "optimal path forward" as broader economic uncertainty hammers technology stocks. "The transaction provides superior risk-adjusted value relative to the company's (Coupa's) standalone prospects," said Roger Siboni, an independent director at the software firm. Coupa Software, which went public in 2016, provides business-spend management software, which helps companies manage the purchase of goods and services. Qatalyst Partners and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer advised Coupa, while Goldman Sachs & Co, Piper Sandler, and Kirkland & Ellis were advisors to Thoma Bravo. Separately, Coupa reported a 17% rise in total revenue for the quarter ended Oct. 31 and a net loss of $84.1 million.

☆ Thoma Bravo to buy Coupa Software for $6.15 bln amid tech slump
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 12 (Reuters) - Coupa Software Inc (COUP.O) said on Monday it will sell itself to private equity major Thoma Bravo for $6.15 billion in cash, calling the deal the "optimal path forward" as broader economic uncertainty hammers technology stocks. Over the last two years, Thoma Bravo has acquired Ping Identity, Sophos, Proofpoint and Sailpoint Technologies. Coupa Software, which went public in 2016, provides business-spend management software, which helps companies manage the purchase of goods and services. Qatalyst Partners and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer advised Coupa, while Goldman Sachs & Co, Piper Sandler, and Kirkland & Ellis were advisors to Thoma Bravo. Separately, Coupa reported a 17% rise in total revenue for the quarter ended Oct. 31 and a net loss of $84.1 million.

CNN —University of Texas at Austin men’s basketball head coach Chris Beard was arrested and charged with a third-degree felony assault on Monday. “The University is aware of the situation regarding Chris Beard. The university announced Monday night that Beard was suspended following his arrest. “Given the information available, The University has suspended Chris Beard from his position as head coach of Men’s Basketball and will withhold his pay until further notice. Associate Head Coach Rodney Terry will serve as acting head coach for tonight’s game against Rice.”The 7-1 Longhorns, ranked No.

☆ Billionaire Robert F. Smith's awkward James Bond-themed birthday bash featured strict security and port-a-potties — despite being held at his multimillion dollar mansion with 15 bathrooms
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

For his 60th birthday, billionaire Robert F. Smith's wife threw him a James Bond-themed party. Partygoers weren't pleased with the "massive security" and port-a-potties outside, according to the New York Post. "They frisked you when you came out of the bathroom," one guest told New York Post, suggesting it was in an effort to search for hidden cameras and other surveillance technology. Despite the home boasting 15 bathrooms, guests say they were asked to use port-a-potties placed outside during the five-hour long party. It wasn't a great party," the guest told the New York Post.

☆ Border barrier of shipping containers snakes across Arizona wilderness
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Liliana Salgado | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SIERRA VISTA, Ariz., Dec 8 (Reuters) - A long, thin line stretches across the dusty Arizona landscape. It is a border barrier - but not the customary wall or fence. This is made up entirely of shipping containers stacked on top of each other. Border communities had been overwhelmed, he argued, saying the double-stacked containers would reach 22 feet (6.7 m) high. What we're here to do is enjoy our public lands in a strategic way that hinders the placement of further shipping containers," said Eamon Harrity, wildlife project manager at Sky Island Alliance.

A former U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent accused of kidnapping and repeatedly sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in Arizona was caught on police video saying what appears to be a threat against his accuser. “I cannot believe this s---,” Mitchell, who worked for CBP for 10 months and who is the son of two retired Florida police officers, could be heard saying, according to federal court papers. Mitchell worked for the CBP at a border post in Douglas, Arizona, according to the court papers. He tossed her backpack into a dumpster, the court papers state. Although Mitchell denied assaulting the teenager, “DNA recovered from the girl’s genitalia was consistent with Mitchell’s DNA,” the papers state.

☆ HR software firm Globalization Partners, a rival to Softbank-backed Remote, cuts jobs and says impact is less than 10% of staff
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Boston-based Globalization Partners has laid off approximately 100 staff, Insider understands. Globalization Partners, a Boston-based HR and employment platform that rivals venture-backed upstarts like Remote, has cut jobs, with one source indicating around 100 staff have been impacted. Founded in 2012 by Nicole Sahin, Globalization Partners, or G-P, was valued at $4.2 billion after raising $200 million in funding from Vista Equity Partners in January 2022. HR companies enjoyed a pandemic boom through 2020 and 2021 as firms began experimenting with hybrid work, requiring new processes and platforms. Remote, a venture-backed rival to G-P, cut 10% of staff earlier this year, Insider reported.

☆ Nebraska man gets prison for leaving noose for coworker
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

— A former employee at the Oriental Trading Co. has been sentenced to prison for leaving a noose on a floor scrubber that a Black colleague was set to use. The Nebraska U.S. Attorney’s office said Bruce Quinn, 66, was sentenced Friday to four months in prison and one year of supervised release for leaving the noose for his coworker to find. He pleaded guilty in September to a federal civil rights violation. Prosecutors said a 63-year-old Black man who worked for Oriental Trading found the noose made out of orange twine sitting on the seat of the equipment in June 2020. “Federal courts have long recognized the noose as one of the most vile symbols in American history,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

☆ A tale of 2 tech giants: Struggling Meta is pulling back on offices in LA and NYC to cut costs, while TikTok is expanding
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Daniel Geiger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

TikTok is seeking 150,000 square feet in Los Angeles to more than double its footprint in the city. One of the leasing executives who spoke with Insider said TikTok had considered spaces from "Santa Monica to downtown" Los Angeles. Meta, meanwhile, has 260,000 square feet in Los Angeles at the Brickyard, a recently built office complex in Playa Vista. The diverging appetite for office space between TikTok and Meta underscores a change in fortune for both firms. A spokeswoman for Meta said the company would not comment on its LA offices or its plans for them.

☆ Crowdstrike Holdings warning sparks selloff in cybersecurity stocks
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 30 (Reuters) - A warning from Crowdstrike Holdings Inc (CRWD.O) that clients were cutting back on spending and delaying purchases due to an economic slowdown slammed cybersecurity stocks on Wednesday, inflicting fresh pain on the battered sector. "Increased macroeconomic headwinds elongated sales cycles with smaller customers and caused some larger customers to pursue multi-phase subscription start dates," Crowdstrike Chief Executive Officer George Kurtz said. The results are the latest in a series of dour reports from cybersecurity firms, whose business boomed during the pandemic but is now seeing a slowdown, making them a hot target for private equity buyouts. "Resilient, but not immune is a theme that will likely dominate the narrative during our October quarter-cohort earnings cycle," Piper Sandler analysts said. Still, some analysts see long-term benefits from the rising demand for cybersecurity as more businesses take to the web and high-profile hacks force companies to be more cautious.

☆ This software stock surged 37% last week, and analysts say it could rise by another 14%
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Global stocks inched higher over the past week, but one stock stood out. That stock is U.S.-based software firm Coupa Software , which jumped nearly 37% over the week. Coupa was among only six global stocks under the MSCI World index to rise more than 10% over the week. Retailer Burlington Stores surged around 24% after last week's release of its third-quarter earnings. Its performance comes off per-share earnings and revenue beats reported in third-quarter earnings Tuesday.

Courtesy Roberto’s Taco Shop; LLC Courtesy Roberto’s Taco Shop; LLCMore than 70 variations have been reported across the Southwest states and the majority are owned by people who originate from the same region in Mexico that the Robledos are from. Courtesy Roberto’s Taco Shop; LLC"At first, that’s all they sold," said Reynaldo Robledo, 57, the 12th of the Robledo children. Courtesy Roberto’s Taco Shop; LLCThe restaurant initially had six combination plates and four burrito types. Outside a Roberto's Taco Shop in Nevada in 2014, when the family was in town for the gala celebration of Roberto’s 50th anniversary. Courtesy Roberto’s Taco Shop; LLCThe senior Robledo died in 1999 and Dolores died in 2020.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Activision Blizzard, Tesla, Manchester United and others
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Peter Schacknow | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Tesla (TSLA) – Tesla said its Full Self Driving Beta software is now available to everyone in North America. Tesla rose 2% in premarket trading. Manchester United Shares jumped 14.7% Tuesday and rocketed 25.8% on Wednesday. Nonetheless, the stock rose 1% in the premarket. Deutsche Bank (DB) – The German bank's U.S.-traded shares added 2.4% in the premarket, following a report by RBC Capital that said Deutsche Bank's restructuring progress has been overlooked by investors.

☆ The secrets behind these Christmas movie classics
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ was supposed to be a flop"A Charlie Brown Christmas" is a beloved special, but those involved in its production worried that they'd created a dud. Classic songs were reused, rewritten and dubbed for ‘White Christmas’"White Christmas" is a movie that has a lot of behind-the-scenes lore. Paramount/Kobal/ShutterstockThe 1954 film “White Christmas” is brimming with behind-the-scenes lore, especially when it comes to the music. The animators behind 1993’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” used about 400 different hand-sculpted heads to bring Jack Skellington to life. Michael Caine did a literal balancing act during ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’The Ghost of Christmas Present, left, and Michael Caine, right, in 1992's "The Muppet Christmas Carol."

☆ What the Club is watching Friday — China locks down (again), Black Friday sales
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Apple, Manchester United, Activision Blizzard and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard logo in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. Apple — Apple's stock shed 2% on Friday after protests occurred at the iPhone maker's major Foxconn supplier in China earlier this week. Activision Blizzard – Shares of the video game company slid more than 4% after Politico reported the Federal Trade Commission is likely to sue to block Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Manchester United — Manchester United's stock surged 12.8%, building on this week's earlier gains following news that the soccer team's owners are weighing a potential sale. Canoo – The electric vehicle company's stock price traded 4.6% higher after a Securities and Exchange Commission filing revealed that CEO Tony Aquila purchased shares.

☆ Vista exploring deal to buy Coupa Software - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 23 (Reuters) - Private equity firm Vista Equity Partners is exploring an acquisition of Coupa Software Inc (COUP.O), Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Shares of the software firm, which had a market capitalization of nearly $3.5 billion as of Tuesday close, surged 27% to $58.15 following the report. Vista declined to comment, while Coupa did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Vista has held talks with Coupa, which is working with an adviser, according to the report, adding that private-credit lenders could provide financing for a potential deal. Reporting by Tiyashi Datta in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj KalluvilaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Cramer's lightning round: I still see another bad quarter ahead for Ford Motor
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Loading chart...Ford Motor Co : "I still see another bad quarter ahead because they don't have the right inventory, and then maybe things can get better." However, it's not doing well financially, so therefore I'm not going to give it my blessing." Loading chart...First Watch Restaurant Group Inc : "We have to do work on First Watch. We don't know it." Disclaimer: Cramer's Charitable Trust owns shares of Ford.

Banks struggled to find demand from junk-bond investors for $2.4 billion of secured bonds and loans that is part of the debt package after a weeks-long marketing effort, the sources said. It showed the challenges banks face to sell down highly leveraged debt this quarter as bond yields spiked in response to a hawkish Fed policy and recessionary fears. The source would not say whether that would mean re-offering the debt to investors at even juicier terms. The end result is the banks involved are digging into their own pockets to provide the whole debt for the Tenneco acquisition which closed on Thursday. So it's almost like investors have seen this cycle occur that makes them question the outlook of something like Tenneco," he added.

☆ Arizona man killed, nephew injured in 'unprovoked' shooting at RV dealer, police say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Minyvonne Burke | Minyvonne Burke Is A Senior Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

A 47-year-old man was killed and his 18-year-old nephew was injured in what authorities said was an "unprovoked" shooting at an Arizona RV dealer. The shooting happened around 5:15 p.m. Monday at Desert RV in Whetstone, about 65 miles southeast of Tucson. Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels said Hansberry walked into the business armed with an AR-15 rifle and shot several employees. Desert RV in Whetstone, Ariz. GoogleRobert Lizarraga, of Sierra Vista, died at the scene. Both worked at Desert RV.

Anne Heche’s estate has been sued by the woman whose Los Angeles home was destroyed in the car crash that ended the actor’s life. “Thankfully, (Mishele) and her pets, which she regards as family, avoided death that day,” the lawsuit said. The Aug. 5 crash, which caused a fire, was ruled an accident by the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office. A Los Angeles police spokesman had previously said police were investigating the crash as a felony DUI collision. Mishele's lawsuit asks for at least $2 million, but the claim could be more depending on the total value of damages from the crash.

☆ Op-ed: Opportunities await investors in the tech sector. Here is a corner that’s ripe for growth
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Robert F. Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

However, on close examination, investing specifically in enterprise software will continue to be one of the best uses of capital anywhere in the financial and technology markets. As we have seen, enterprise software is a disruptive force with the potential to unlock unprecedented productivity and innovation. The pandemic accelerated reliance on enterprise software, as companies turned to technology to connect employees and customers, conduct meetings and facilitate payments. Conversely, as more businesses face commodity and wage inflation, they recognize the value that enterprise software can deliver to help manage the cost of day-to-day workflows while increasing efficiency. Selecting the right investmentsThat said, even in the private markets, generating favorable outcomes in turbulent times requires investors to execute against two factors.

☆ Some OnlyFans creators have found a loophole to put their their nudes on TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Some OnlyFans creators are using a TikTok artificial intelligence art filter to get around the platform’s community guidelines and promote their explicit content without getting their videos removed. People began posting AI-generated paintings of their explicit photos around late October, according to meme database Know Your Meme. tiktok and onlyfans creator amethyst roseAmethyst Rose, a creator known as walmartladygaga on TikTok, said she joined in on the trend because she'd previously heard that "TikTok is a good way to promote" an OnlyFans account. Instead of referring to explicit photos as "nudes," for example, TikTok users will write out the word as "n00ds" or "spicy pics." “Images also pass through the phone, so [they] may be backed up on the cloud.”Despite the restrictions on TikTok, Rose said that in her experience, TikTok remains the "best platform" on which to promote her OnlyFans content.

☆ Live Results: California votes in congressional and state elections
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Walt Hickey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Explore more race results below. Polls close in the state at 8 p.m. local time, or 11 p.m. EST. Loading Something is loading. It symobilizes the 2022 Election. Polls close in the state at 8 p.m. local time, or 11 p.m. EST.

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