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☆ Morgan Stanley has tech to thank for what could boost a long-dormant part of its business
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Morgan Stanley (MS) is set to report quarterly earnings before the opening bell Tuesday. While working on a transition to depend more on wealth management, investment banking is still an important aspect of Morgan Stanley's overall business. Morgan Stanley had a hand in the Cava IPO as a book-runner. It pays us to be patient with the stocks of Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo, which have been underperformers year-to-date compared to the S & P 500 . Morgan Stanley will likely benefit as companies turn to its investment banking services for ambitious deals.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, There's, Morgan, Morgan Stanley's, Goldman Sachs, Jim Cramer, Jim, Lina Khan, Activision Blizzard, IPOs, Wells, dealmakers, there's, Jim Cramer's, Bing Guan Organizations: Investment, JPMorgan, IB, Federal Trade, Microsoft, Activision, Renaissance Capital, Companies, Semiconductor, ARM Holdings, Silicon Valley Bank, Federal Reserve, Club, Nasdaq, CNBC, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: Cava, Silicon, Wells Fargo, U.S

☆ The regulator has mistreated the Microsoft-Activision deal as 'Goliath buying Goliath': Analyst
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThe regulator has mistreated the Microsoft-Activision deal as 'Goliath buying Goliath': AnalystMichael Pachter of Wedbush Securities discusses Microsoft's acquisition of Activision and his outlook for M&A trends and regulatory developments within the gaming sector.

Persons: Goliath, Michael Pachter Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, Wedbush Securities

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Ford, AT&T, Yelp, Figs and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Paramount Global — The entertainment company's stock shed 4.4% after the new "Mission: Impossible" movie underperformed expectations at the box office. The Wall Street firm said Progressive's valuation is now compelling after its poor results in June, and said the company has long-term earnings power and growth potential. Yeti — The cooler company's stock fell 5.8% following a downgrade to underweight from sector weight by KeyBanc. The Wall Street firm cited concerns over Yeti's growth and its heavy wholesale channel inventory. State Street — The asset manager slipped more than 3.1% after the firm was downgraded by multiple Wall Street firms, including JPMorgan.

Persons: Rivian, Tesla —, Knight, Yelp, Goldman Sachs, Raymond James, Cantor, —, Samantha Subin, Alex Harring, Tanaya Macheel, Brian Evans Organizations: Ford —, Ford, Tesla — Elon, Constellation Software, Intercontinental Exchange, Citi, BridgeBio Pharma —, Activision, Microsoft, Sony, PlayStation, Activision Blizzard, Paramount Global, Variety, Apellis Pharmaceuticals, American, JPMorgan, Wall, State Street's, Iris Energy

☆ CNBC Daily Open: For banks, big profits don’t mean stock gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our new, international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. The Chinese economy slowsChina's second-quarter gross domestic product grew 6.3% from a year ago, falling short of the 7.3% increase analysts had expected. When tabulated month over month, GDP grew only 0.8%, much slower than the 2.2% increase in the first quarter. [PRO] Retail therapyChina's economy may be slowing, but the country's "premium" spenders are still splashing out on goods, according to Bernstein.

Persons: Elon Musk, Sony's, Bernstein Organizations: CNBC, Dow Jones, BBC, Activision, Activision Blizzard, U.S, Appeals, Federal, Microsoft, Activision's, PlayStation Locations: Asia, Pacific, Shanghai

☆ Microsoft signs agreement to keep Call of Duty on Playstation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FILE PHOTO: Activision games "Call of Duty" are pictured in a store in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., January 18, 2022. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File Photo(Reuters) -Microsoft has signed an agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said in a tweet on Sunday. A deal to keep Call of Duty on Playstation could further ease concerns surrounding the acquisition’s impact on competition. Speaking on the agreement, Microsoft President Brad Smith said in a tweet, “Even after we cross the finish line for this deal’s approval, we will remain focused on ensuring that Call of Duty remains available on more platforms and for more consumers than ever before.”The FTC had argued the deal would hurt consumers whether they played video games on consoles or had subscriptions because Microsoft would have an incentive to shut out rivals like Sony Group. To address the FTC’s concerns, Microsoft had earlier agreed to license “Call of Duty” to rivals, including a 10-year contract with Nintendo, contingent on the merger closing.

Persons: Carlo Allegri, Phil Spencer, Brad Smith Organizations: Activision, REUTERS, Microsoft, PlayStation, Activision Blizzard, FTC, Sony Group, Nintendo Locations: Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S

☆ Call of Duty Will Stay on PlayStation After Microsoft-Activision Deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Sarah E. Needleman | Nora Eckert | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/call-of-duty-will-stay-on-playstation-after-microsoft-activision-deal-34b8ebb1

Persons: Dow Jones Organizations: microsoft, activision

Game enthusiasts and industry personnel walk between the Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlayStation exhibits at the E3 trade show on June 16, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. Sony has signed a binding agreement with Microsoft to keep Call of Duty on its PlayStation gaming consoles after closing the Activision Blizzard acquisition, Microsoft said on Sunday. "We are pleased to announce that Microsoft and PlayStation have signed a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard," Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said on Twitter Sunday. Regulators around the world had expressed significant concern about Microsoft's power over the gaming market if an Activision acquisition was approved. The deal does something to ameliorate those concerns, although Microsoft and Sony aren't disclosing the duration of the agreement.

Persons: Activision Blizzard, Phil Spencer, Jim Ryan, Ryan, Brad Smith, divestitures Organizations: Microsoft Xbox, Sony PlayStation, Sony, Microsoft, PlayStation, Activision Blizzard, Activision, Twitter, Regulators, Sony's PlayStation, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, EU, Markets Authority Locations: Los Angeles , California, San Francisco federal

☆ Cramer: The Cassandras are wrong about the market (again) — here's why I'm upbeat
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

The impossibility of any company doing anything right, or as right as the market seems to judge, serves as the only homily worth offering. You simply don't land at all. Of course, the biggest worry to this market is its two-tiered nature: The mega-cap techs versus all the rest. 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.

Persons: Warren Buffett, It's, Jerome Powell's, Alan Greenspan, Ben Bernanke, Powell, deride Powell, —, it's, Wells, Vin Diesel, he'll, Goldman Sachs, Amy Hood, Tim Cook's, Mark Zuckerberg's pickleball, Clive Cussler, Stephen King, Lina Khan's, Jonathan Kanter, Khan, Morgan, let's, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Victor J Organizations: Apple, Wells, JPMorgan, PepsiCo, Treasury, Bank of America, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Nvidia, Intel, Devices, Colgate, Federal Trade, Activision, Justice Department, sycophantic, Fed, Jim Cramer's Charitable, CNBC, Visitors, New York Stock Exchange, Blue, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: People's Republic of China, China, Wells Fargo, America, New York

☆ Call of Duty to remain on Playstation following Activision Blizzard Microsoft merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Microsoft (MSFT) has signed an agreement with Sony (SNE) to ensure “Call of Duty” remains available on PlayStation after Microsoft (MSFT) closes its $69 billion Activision Blizzard (ATVI) merger, the tech giant said Sunday. The agreement could resolve long-standing complaints by Sony that the merger — which aims to make Microsoft the third-largest video game publisher in the world — threatens competition. “We are pleased to announce that Microsoft and @PlayStation have signed a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard,” said Phil Spencer, Microsoft’s Xbox head, in a tweet. On Sunday, Microsoft did not disclose the duration of the agreement with Sony. Last week, Microsoft won two successive court victories when a federal district court and a US appeals court declined to temporarily block the merger from being consummated.

Persons: Sony didn’t, ”, Phil Spencer, Microsoft’s, we’ve, Brad Smith, Satya Nadella, Jacqueline Scott Corley, “ Organizations: CNN, Microsoft, Sony, PlayStation, Activision, Activision Blizzard, ” Sony, Nintendo, Nvidia, “, Sony PlayStation, Federal Trade Commission

☆ FTC Loses Latest Bid to Halt Microsoft-Activision Merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Jan Wolfe | Sarah E. Needleman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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Persons: Dow Jones Organizations: microsoft, activision

SummaryCompanies JPMorgan, Wells Fargo up as Q2 profit rises on higher interest incomeUnitedHealth rises on Q2 profit beatFutures mixed: Dow adds 0.33%, S&P up 0.02%, Nasdaq slips 0.12%July 14 (Reuters) - The S&P 500 and Dow futures rose on Friday as JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo commenced second-quarter earnings for big U.S. banks on a strong note. UnitedHealth Group (UNH.N) gained 3.6% after the health insurer reported a quarterly profit above analysts' estimates, as the industry bellwether's expenses came in lower than feared. Overall earnings for the S&P 500 constituents are seen dropping 6.4% in the second quarter, according to Refinitiv data released at the start of the earnings season. The earnings are expected to feed into a strong rally in recent days. ET, Dow e-minis were up 114 points, or 0.33%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 1 points, or 0.02%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 19.5 points, or 0.12%.

Persons: Wells, Dow, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, Christopher Waller, bullish, Morgan, Johann M Cherian, Saumyadeb Chakrabarty Organizations: JPMorgan, Nasdaq, Dow, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, BlackRock, Federal, of Michigan, Dow e, Microsoft, UBS, Activision, Thomson Locations: Wells Fargo, U.S, Bengaluru

The San Francisco federal court had ruled in favor of Microsoft on Tuesday, saying the FTC had failed to show the deal would be illegal under antitrust law. "The FTC asks this Court to enjoin the merger at issue pending resolution of the FTC’s appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The FTC had said it was seeking a preliminary injunction to temporarily stop the deal until an internal FTC judge could assess it. It is rare for a merger fight to go to an appeals court. The agency settled with the companies before the appeals court made a decision.

Persons: We're, Brad Smith, Jacqueline Scott Corley, Corley, Diane Bartz, David Shepardson, Kanishka Singh, Tim Ahmann, Josie Kao, Jamie Freed Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Activision, San, FTC, Ninth Circuit, Appeals, Nintendo, Britain's, Markets Authority, Foods, Oats, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, Britain, California

☆ FTC Continues Fight to Block Microsoft’s $75 Billion Deal for Activision
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Sarah E. Needleman | Dave Michaels | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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Persons: Dow Jones Organizations: activision

July 14 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Friday rejected the Federal Trade Commission's request that it order Microsoft (MSFT.O) to temporarily hold off on closing its $69 billion purchase of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O). The appeals court decision removes one of the few remaining hurdles stopping Xbox maker Microsoft from expanding its gaming business by closing its deal to buy Activision. The FTC had also asked Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley of the U.S. District Court in northern California for a stay but she rejected that request late on Thursday. After July 18, either company will be free to walk away from the deal unless they negotiate an extension. But on Tuesday, Judge Corley ruled the deal was legal under antitrust law and declined the FTC request to slap a preliminary injunction on it to give the FTC time to take it before an internal FTC judge in August.

Persons: Jacqueline Scott Corley, Judge Corley, Diane Bartz, Sandra Maler Organizations: Federal Trade, Microsoft, Activision, FTC, U.S, Markets Authority, Sony Group, Thomson Locations: California, Britain, United States

☆ UK regulator extends deadline for Microsoft-Activision deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailUK regulator extends deadline for Microsoft-Activision dealThe U.K. Competition and Markets Authority extended the deadline to conclude the probe into Microsoft's takeover of Activision by six weeks. CNBC's Arjun Kharpal explains why and weighs in on what could happen next.

Persons: CNBC's Arjun Kharpal Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, Competition, Markets Authority

☆ Federal appeals court rules Microsoft can close its Activision merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

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☆ FTC faces uphill battle in Microsoft/Activision appeal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Mike Scarcella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In its appeal, the FTC said Corley's order allowing Microsoft to move ahead with the deal incorrectly held the agency to a legal standard that was too high. Some legal experts said the FTC had made a compelling argument, but also said there was no certainty for success. Antitrust scholar Sean Sullivan, who teaches at University of Iowa's law school, said an appeals court can modify or throw out a lower court opinion based on "errors of law." The appeals court is expected to move quickly. The appeals court "may be less than sympathetic with the argument it needs to hurry up and do something when the blame for the emergency lies entirely with the FTC," Ross said.

Persons: Jacqueline Scott Corley, Brad Smith, Kathleen Bradish, Bradish, Corley, Sean Sullivan, Sullivan, Douglas Ross, Ross, Mike Scarcella, Mark Potter Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission's, Activision, U.S, Tuesday, Biden, San, Circuit, Appeals, U.S ., FTC, Microsoft, American Antitrust Institute, Antitrust, University of, Wild, of Columbia Circuit, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, California, U.S

☆ UK regulator extends Microsoft-Activision deadline to Aug. 29
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, July 14 (Reuters) - Britain's competition regulator on Friday extended its final deadline on Microsoft's $69 billion Activision Blizzard deal to Aug. 29 after its received a "detailed and complex" new proposal from Microsoft that claimed material changes in circumstance. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) become the first major regulator to block the acquisition of the "Call of Duty" maker in April when it issued its final report. Yet on Wednesday the CMA said a restructured deal between Microsoft and Activision could satisfy its concerns, subject to a new investigation. On Friday it extended its deadline to either accept final undertakings or make a final order by six weeks to Aug. 29, although it said it would aim to do it as soon as possible and before that date. Reporting by Muvija M and Paul Sandle; editing by Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Muvija M, Paul Sandle, Jason Neely Organizations: Activision, Microsoft, Markets Authority, CMA, U.S, FTC, Ninth Circuit, Appeals, Thomson

☆ It's a black eye for the FTC, says Wedbush's Dan Ives on FTC losing bid to pause Microsoft deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailIt's a black eye for the FTC, says Wedbush's Dan Ives on FTC losing bid to pause Microsoft dealWedbush's Dan Ives joins 'Last Call' to his take on the FTC losing its bid the pause the Microsoft-Activision merger.

Persons: Wedbush's Dan Ives Organizations: FTC, Microsoft, Activision

WASHINGTON, July 13 (Reuters) - A U.S. federal court rejected the Federal Trade Commission's request that it order Microsoft (MSFT.O) to temporarily hold off on closing its $69 billion purchase of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O), according to a court filing. Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kanishka Singh, Sandra Maler Organizations: U.S, Federal Trade, Microsoft, Activision, Thomson Locations: Washington

☆ UK extends Activision deadline after receiving Microsoft's 'complex' proposal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Paul Sandle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is also opposed, but it suffered a major defeat on Tuesday when a federal court ruled in favour of Microsoft. It is battling on and filed an emergency motion to an appeals court requesting a "temporary pause" to the deal closing late on Thursday. Yet on Tuesday, less than an hour after a U.S. federal court ruled the deal could go ahead, the CMA said it could look again at a modified proposal. A Bloomberg report said Microsoft and Activision were considering giving up some control of their cloud-gaming business in Britain to appease the CMA. Additional reporting by Muvija M; editing by Jason Neely and Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brad Smith, Jeremy Hunt, Smith, Gareth Mills, Charles Russell Speechlys, They'll, Muvija, Jason Neely, Louise Heavens Organizations: CMA, Microsoft, Activision, Markets Authority, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Bloomberg, Thomson Locations: Britain, EU

The British regulator has been a stalwart opponent of Microsoft's $69-billion purchase of Activision Blizzard, inclusively blocking the deal in April over competition concerns in the nascent cloud gaming market. The revised period will therefore end on 29 August 2023," the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority said Friday . LONDON — The U.K. competition regulator on Friday said it is extending the deadline for its review of Microsoft 's takeover of video game publisher of Activision Blizzard by six weeks. These include deals to license some of Microsoft and Activision games to other cloud gaming providers. This coud include bolstered licensing deals or even a potential spinoff of its cloud gaming business in the U.K., analysts told CNBC.

Persons: Redmond Organizations: CMA, U.S . Federal Trade, Activision Blizzard, Competition, Markets, LONDON, Microsoft, CNBC, Activision, Netflix, Bloomberg, U.S, Northern, Federal Trace Commission Locations: U.S, Northern District, California

☆ FTC loses appeals court bid to temporarily block Microsoft-Activision deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Microsoft is still working to resolve concerns about the transaction from the United Kingdom's Competition and Markets Authority. "We appreciate the Ninth Circuit's swift response denying the FTC's motion to further delay the deal. The FTC first sued to block the acquisition last December, then filed for an emergency injunction to block the completion of the deal before it could have an agency administrative law judge take it up. The agency requested a temporary injunction while the court considered an appeal of the district court's conclusion. FTC representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the ruling.

Persons: Brad Smith, Lina Khan Organizations: Microsoft, Appeals, Circuit, Federal, Activision Blizzard, United Kingdom's, Markets Authority, FTC, Activision Locations: U.S, San Francisco

WASHINGTON, July 14 (Reuters) - Microsoft (MSFT.O) urged an appeals court in sometimes scathing language on Friday to reject the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) request to pause its $69 billion deal to buy Activision (ATVI.O). The agency asked the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals late on Thursday to require the companies to delay consummating the transaction while the court considered the FTC's broader appeal. Microsoft said on Friday the agency had been slow to file in federal court, and thus it was inappropriate to press for a delay so late in the game. "The district court’s consideration of the FTC's primary claim at trial shows that the court did not misapply the law," Microsoft said. Legal experts have said the agency faced an uphill fight in convincing the appeals court to overturn Corley's ruling.

Persons: Jacqueline Scott Corley, Corley's, Biden, Diane Bartz, David Shepardson, Josie Kao Organizations: Microsoft, U.S . Federal Trade Commission's, Activision, FTC, Sony, PlayStation, Markets Authority, Big Tech, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, Britain

☆ US FTC opens investigation into OpenAI over misleading statements -document
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The FTC this week sent a 20-page demand for records about how OpenAI - the maker of generative artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT - addresses risks tied to its AI models. The agency is probing if OpenAI engaged in unfair practices that resulted in "reputational harm" to consumers. According to the FTC's demand for information sent to OpenAI, one of the questions has to do with steps OpenAI has taken to address its products' potential to "generate statements about real individuals that are false, misleading, or disparaging." The FTC declined comment, while OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment. OpenAI in March also ran into trouble in Italy, where the regulator had ChatGPT taken offline over accusations OpenAI violated the European Union's GDPR - a wide-ranging privacy regime enacted in 2018.

Persons: OpenAI, Lina Khan, Dado Ruvic, Chuck Schumer, ChatGPT, Diane Bartz, Mrinmay Dey, Samrhitha Arunasalam, Aditya Soni, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Mark Porter, Maju Samuel Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, FTC, Activision Blizzard, Washington Post, REUTERS, Reuters, U.S ., Thomson Locations: United States, Italy, U.S, Washington, Bengaluru

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