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☆ Nikkei 225: Japan plans to raise interest rates and investors are spooked
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The Nikkei 225 sank 4.5% on Friday, extending a global stock rout that started following the release of weak US economic data. The Bank of Japan (BOJ) raised interest rates by 15 basis points to 0.25% on Wednesday, its second hike this year, and announced plans to taper off its policy of bond buying. ”The hike has narrowed the difference in interest rate between the United States and Japan, which pushed the Japanese yen higher against the greenback. Combined with strong corporate earnings and effective corporate governance reforms, the weak yen propelled the Nikkei 225 to all-time highs this year. “From a Japanese equity perspective, the earnings boost from a weak yen is set to diminish,” Citi analysts said on Thursday.

Persons: ”, Ken Cheung, Frank Benzimra, Korea’s, Australia’s Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — Japan’s Nikkei, Nikkei, Bank of Japan, Traders, Mizuho Securities, greenback, Societe Generale, ” Citi, Dow, Nasdaq, Labor Department, “, ” ANZ, Federal Reserve Locations: Hong Kong, United States, Japan, Asia, Shanghai

☆ Google-parent Alphabet's partnership with AI firm Anthropic under investigation in the UK
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

In this photo illustration, the Alphabet Inc. logo seen displayed on a smartphone screen and the Google logo in the background. Britain's competition regulator on Tuesday said that it is investigating to see if Google parent Alphabet's partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic has resulted in reduced competition. The regulator has invited comments from interested parties before beginning a formal investigation. An Anthropic spokesperson told CNBC that the company will cooperate with the CMA and "provide them with the complete picture about Google's investment and our commercial collaboration." "We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others," the spokesperson added.

Organizations: Alphabet Inc, Google, Markets Authority, CNBC, CMA

☆ Activist Trian has a few levers to pull to build shareholder value at Solventum
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-27 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Business: Solventum , formerly known as 3M Health Care, is a global health-care company that was spun out from 3M on April 1 . As a standalone company, Solventum has been under-covered and misunderstood by the market. There is also no shortage of examples of Trian being a valuable corporate governance-oriented investor and creating tremendous shareholder value from the board level. While Trian has a history of being an active shareholder, the firm has also created tremendous shareholder value as an engaged director. Moreover, if there is an opportunity to divest one or more businesses, shareholders would have comfort with a financially astute shareholder representative on the board to evaluate competing offers to assure the maximization of shareholder value.

Persons: Trian, Nelson Peltz, Peltz, Solventum, Pepper, Ingersoll Rand's, Russell, Ken Squire Organizations: Health, 3M, What's, Bloomberg, Dental Solutions, Information Systems, Electric plc, Kraft Foods, Dow, General Electric, GE, GE HealthCare, GE HealthCare Technologies, 13D Locations: Solventum

☆ OpenAI reassigns top AI safety executive Aleksandr Madry to role focused on AI reasoning
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-23 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks during the Microsoft Build conference at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington, on May 21, 2024. OpenAI last week removed Aleksander Madry, one of OpenAI's top safety executives, from his role and reassigned him to a job focused on AI reasoning, sources familiar with the situation confirmed to CNBC. Madry will still work on core AI safety work in his new role, OpenAI told CNBC. The decision to reassign Madry came less than a week before a group of Democratic senators sent a letter to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman concerning "questions about how OpenAI is addressing emerging safety concerns." Leike wrote in a post on X that OpenAI's "safety culture and processes have taken a backseat to shiny products."

Persons: Sam Altman, OpenAI, Aleksander Madry, Madry, reassign Madry, it's, Lina Khan, they've, Ilya Sutskever, Jan Leike, Leike, Greg Brockman, Brockman, Altman Organizations: Microsoft, CNBC, MIT's Center, MIT, Democratic, Google, Meta, FTC, Department of Justice, Nvidia Locations: Redmond , Washington

☆ This strategist is finding value outside of the U.S. — here's where
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Investors looking for stock investments on the cheap should look abroad, according to Schroders investment strategist Bob Armstrong. Europe's Stoxx 600 index and the Japanese Nikkei 225 hit record highs earlier this year, along with the S & P 500 . FactSet data shows the former trades at 15 times trailing 12-month earnings, while the latter has a multiple of 23. The S & P 500, meanwhile sports a 27 times earnings multiple. Year to date, the Nikkei is up nearly 20%, outpacing the S & P 500's 17% jump.

Persons: Bob Armstrong, Europe's, Armstrong, Armstrong didn't Organizations: Nikkei, CNBC, Tokyo, European Central Bank and Bank of England, Franklin FTSE United Kingdom ETF Locations: U.S, Europe, Armstrong, Russia, Ukraine, Japan

☆ Proxy advisor ISS says Masimo change is 'absolutely necessary' in brutal report
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-15 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Joe Kiani, Founder, Chairman & CEO, Masimo; on Startup University Stage on day three of Collision 2024 at the Enercare Centre in Toronto, Canada. Masimo under Kiani's leadership "has continued to display a dangerous lack of accountability to shareholders that will require additional board change to rectify," ISS wrote. By contrast, ISS wrote, Politan "has presented a logical plan" and nominees which "appear to be appropriate." ISS wrote that such threats were unacceptable. "Under no circumstances should shareholders ever abide ultimatums or threats from a CEO, at MASI or anywhere else," the proxy advisor wrote, referring to Masimo's stock ticker.

Persons: Joe Kiani, Masimo, Bill Jellison, Darlene Solomon, Glass Lewis, Kiani, Biden, Kiani's Organizations: Enercare, Services, CNBC, Politan Capital, ISS, Politan Locations: Toronto, Canada, MASI

☆ Goldman's $2.8 trillion asset management arm says the S&P 500 will be 'flattish' for the rest of 2024. 5 places it says to invest your money instead.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-14 | by ( Christine Ji | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Don't expect the mammoth returns of the S&P 500 to continue this year, according to Goldman Sachs Asset Management's midyear investment outlook released last week. AdvertisementBut this doesn't mean that Goldman Sachs is expecting a severe downturn. Active management is more important now than ever, and Goldman Sachs recommends taking steps now to prepare for a lukewarm second half of 2024. To address geopolitical instability and financial shocks, Goldman Sachs recommends hedging risk through commodities. Goldman Sachs is seeing increasing opportunities in Asia.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Alexis Deladerrière, —, Lindsay Rosner, Rosner, Deladerrière, it's Organizations: Service, Goldman, Business, Nvidia, Microsoft, Apple, Fed Locations: Mexico, France, East, Ukraine, industrials, underperformance, Asia, Japan, India

☆ Proxy advisor backs activist Politan nominees in scathing Masimo report
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis on Thursday recommended that shareholders of Masimo , the medical technology firm best known for its Apple Watch patent litigation, elect dissident Politan's two nominees, Bill Jellison and Darlene Solomon. Masimo's board includes Kiani, former Disney CEO Bob Chapek and Politan managing member Quentin Koffey, who overwhelmingly won the election last year. Glass Lewis tacitly endorsed that criticism in its report, writing that the company displayed "de minimus responsibility" and "poor governance." Alongside its larger peer Institutional Shareholder Services, though, Glass Lewis reports are considered highly important to passive investors. Glass Lewis responded to RTW with an offer to meet on July 8, shortly after Politan's allegations were publicized in an SEC filing.

Persons: Joe Kiani, Glass Lewis, Politan's, Bill Jellison, Darlene Solomon, Kiani, Bob Chapek, Quentin Koffey, Kiani —, Politan, Jellison, RTW, Christopher Chavez, RTW's Organizations: Enercare, Masimo, Apple Watch, CNBC, Disney, Services, ISS, Kiani, SEC Locations: Toronto, Canada, Solomon, Politan

☆ Microsoft's decision to give up OpenAI board observer seat doesn't quell key concerns
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella (R) speaks as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (L) looks on during the OpenAI DevDay event in San Francisco on Nov. 6, 2023. Microsoft has given up its observer seat on OpenAI's board. Apple , which was reportedly expected to take a similar observer position, will no longer pursue one, according to the Financial Times. "The timing of this move matters," Kak wrote in a message to CNBC. Kak told CNBC that regulators' pursuits are helping to get answers and deliver transparency.

Persons: Satya Nadella, Sam Altman, aren't, Amba Kak, Kak, Lina Khan Organizations: Microsoft, Apple, Financial Times, CNBC, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Justice Department, Nvidia Locations: San Francisco

☆ A former OpenAI safety employee said he quit because the company's leaders were 'building the Titanic' and wanted 'newer, shinier' things to sell
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewA former safety employee at OpenAI said the company is following in the footsteps of White Star Line, the company that built the Titanic. Was the path that OpenAI was on more like the Apollo program or more like the Titanic?" Apollo vs TitanicAs Saunders spent more time at OpenAI, he felt leaders were making decisions more akin to "building the Titanic, prioritizing getting out newer, shinier products." OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider. Meanwhile, OpenAI cofounder and former chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, who led the firm's superalignment division, resigned later that month.

Persons: —, OpenAI, William Saunders, OpenAI's, Alex Kantrowitz's, Saunders, Ilya Sutskever, JACK GUEZ, Kantrowitz, he's, Saunders — Organizations: Service, White Star Line, Business, Artificial, Intelligence, White Star, Apollo, NASA, BI, OpenAI, Getty, Tech, Apple, Google, Superintelligence Inc Locations: OpenAI, Russia, AFP

☆ Taiwan tops Asia's best-performing stock markets so far in 2024 — Japan is No. 2
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-01 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

A screen displays stock figures at the Taiwan Stock Exchange Corp. headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan, on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. The Taiwan Weighted Index has surged 28% so far this year, powered by stocks along the AI value chain. While Taiwan may lead Asian markets, Japan seems to be the favored market going forward, among analysts who spoke to CNBC. While most Asian markets are in positive territory year-to-date, three stock markets — Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines — fell into negative territory. The CME FedWatch tool indicates that 61% of traders expect the Fed to cut rates by 25 basis points in the September meeting.

Persons: Foxconn —, Hai Precision Industry —, Rahul Ghosh, Rowe Price, Ghosh, Ben Powell, Powell, Neel Kashkari, Ken Orchard Organizations: Taiwan Stock Exchange Corp, Bloomberg, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp, Hai Precision Industry, Intelligence, Nikkei, CNBC, BlackRock Investment Institute, Bank of Japan, Federal, U.S, Fed, Minneapolis Federal Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Asia, Pacific, Japan, BlackRock, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Jakarta, Philippine, U.S

"The stock price has lagged but we don't see any other catalysts medium term, hence we are moving to the sidelines." Micron shares were down 5% in the premarket. The analyst reiterated a buy rating on Micron stock with a $175 per share price target, implying nearly 23% upside from Wednesday's $142.36 close. He raised his price target to $158 per share price from $138, calling for 11% upside. Arya maintained a buy rating on Micron stock with a $170 per share price target, or about 19% upside moving forward.

Persons: Vivek Juneja, — Brian Evans, TD Cowen, Cowen, John Blackledge, Keefe, David Konrad, Brian Evans, Christopher Danely, Goldman Sachs, Toshiya Hari, Hari, Vivek Arya, Arya, Caio Ribeiro, Ribeiro, Fred Imbert Organizations: CNBC, Micron Technology, Bank of America, Petrobras, JPMorgan downgrades U.S, Bancorp, JPMorgan, U.S . Bancorp, New York Mellon, Bank of New, Bank of New York Mellon, BK, Mellon, Micron, MU, Citi Locations: Brazil, U.S, Bank of New York, CY2025

☆ Here are Thursday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Apple, Broadcom, Micron, Goldman Sachs, Carvana, Arista & more
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Here are Thursday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Goldman Sachs reiterates Micron as buy Goldman said investors should buy the dip in the stock following earnings on Wednesday. Jefferies reiterates Nvidia, Marvell and Broadcom as buy Jefferies said it's sticking with its buy rating on all three companies. " Morgan Stanley initiates Viking Therapeutics as overweight Morgan Stanley said the biotech company has "best-in-class potential." Morgan Stanley adds Goldman Sachs to the financials finest list Morgan Stanley added the investment banking giant to its top financials ideas list. Morgan Stanley reiterates Coca-Cola as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's sticking with its overweight rating on the beverage giant.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Bernstein, Apple, Mizuho, KBW, it's, Jefferies, AVGO, KeyBanc, Texas Consolidator, TD Cowen, Grindr, GRND, Morgan Stanley, JPM, Oppenheimer, Kyndryl, CVNA, Truist Organizations: Micron, Apple, Bank of America, Petrobras, of America, Mizuho, Holdings, Grab Holdings, New York Mellon, Deutsche Bank, Emerson Electric Deutsche Bank, Nvidia, Marvell, Broadcom, Energy, Crescent Energy Co, Citi, Arista Networks, Arista, Viking Therapeutics, Macquarie, TPG, Markets, JPMorgan, Bancorp, UBS, Disney, Cable Locations: MU, Brazil, Texas, North America, CA

☆ Activist Starboard Value demands Autodesk explain accounting, financial issues
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Activist investor Starboard Value on Tuesday sent a letter to Autodesk's board, demanding that the company explain to shareholders who and what was behind an internal financial probe that sparked federal investigations and revealed deliberate misrepresentation of key financial metrics. The activist investor wrote in its letter that there had been "no consequences and no accountability for those involved in this purposeful misleading of shareholders." A representative for Autodesk did not immediately return a request for comment. The internal probe led to the reassignment of its chief financial officer and prompted inquiries from financial regulators and the Justice Department. The activist wrote that it had received "overwhelmingly positive feedback" from other investors frustrated with Autodesk's perceived "poor corporate governance."

Persons: Jeff Smith, Smith, Debbie Clifford Organizations: Autodesk, Justice Department, Company Locations: Delaware

☆ BlackRock directors keep seats at six funds in proxy battle with Saba
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Based on the preliminary results from last week's shareholder meetings, it is clear that shareholders have rejected both Saba's nominees and its efforts to displace BlackRock as investment advisor to the Funds," BlackRock said in a statement. Saba, run by prominent investor Boaz Weinstein, and BlackRock, the world's biggest asset management company with more than $10 trillion in assets under management, have been locked in battle for months over the future of 10 BlackRock closed end funds. Saba wants investors to elect its nominees to the BlackRock funds' boards and fire BlackRock as manager at some of them. Some $1.4 billion in value could be unlocked at the funds by cutting the funds' discount to their net asset value, he has said. The 10 BlackRock funds jointly oversee roughly $10 billion in assets.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, BlackRock, Boaz Weinstein, Saba, Weinstein, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, BlackRock, Saba Capital Management, Services, BIGZ, ISS, Svea, Thomson Locations: BlackRock, New York City, U.S, Saba

☆ Fund manager on hefty discount of preferred shares on Korean market
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | 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 EmailHefty discount of preferred shares is a 'side effect' of Korea's poor corporate governanceJonathan Pines of Federated Hermes shares his view on South Korea's Value-Up program and says the government's short selling ban is unlikely to be effective in the long run.

Persons: Jonathan Pines Organizations: Federated Hermes

☆ Toyota Chairman’s Investor Support Tumbles
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( River Akira Davis | More About River Akira Davis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Investor support for Toyota Motor’s longtime leader, Akio Toyoda, sank to its lowest level since he took the helm as shareholders challenged the extent of control he exerts over the company. According to a filing released on Wednesday, 71.9 percent of shareholders supported renominating Mr. Toyoda as chairman of Toyota’s board. That met the threshold required for re-election, but it was the lowest level of support for him since at least 2010, after Mr. Toyoda’s first full year as chief executive. Ahead of Toyota’s shareholder meeting on Tuesday, The New York Times reported that several big investors planned to vote against Mr. Toyoda’s reappointment. Traditionally in Japan, board members receive nearly unanimous support from shareholders, and Mr. Toyoda, whose grandfather founded the company, has gotten an average approval of more than 96 percent over the past decade.

Persons: Akio Toyoda, Toyoda, Toyoda’s, Toyoda’s reappointment Organizations: Toyota, The New York Times Locations: Japan

☆ The luxury conglomerate behind Cartier is beating LVMH at its own game
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Madeline Berg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

But there's another corporation beating LVMH at its own game, and you probably haven't even heard of it: Richemont. Switzerland-based Richemont, behind brands like Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Piaget, is having a moment. "All of this favors the most established brands: Cartier and Van Cleef." Driven by Richemont's top brands, Cartier and Van Cleef, sales gained 7% in the country, including Hong Kong and Macau, in Richemont's 2024 fiscal year. "If you're in a bar or restaurant, you're sitting at a distance, you can recognize the Labra pendant from Van Cleef.

Persons: —, Louis Vuitton, Bernard Arnault's, Van Cleef, Piaget, outperforming LVMH, Saint Laurent, It's, Cartier, Chiara Battistini, it's, Gucci, Arnault, Johann Rupert, Rupert, Richemont, Fflur Roberts, HSBC's Rambourg, Diana —, Tim Graham, Jelena Sokolova, Morningstar, Rambourg, Euromonitor's Roberts, Van, Keith Tsuji, Sokolova, Cleef, Nicolas Bos, — Bos, Nicholas Bos, Jared Siskin, I've, What's, JPMorgan's Battistini, Bos, Porter Organizations: Service, LVMH, Business, Cartier, Gucci, HSBC, Google, JPMorgan, Credit Suisse, Deloitte, Local, Art Basel, McKinsey, Prada Locations: Switzerland, China, Euromonitor, Hong Kong, Macau, Art Basel Hong Kong, Asia

☆ Activist Starboard sues Autodesk in bid to mount proxy fight
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Starboard Value sued software maker Autodesk on Monday to delay the company's annual meeting and reopen the board nominating window and allow the activist to mount a proxy fight. Activists can typically only begin a proxy fight, involving the nomination of a slate of directors to replace the existing board, if they submit their proposals within a specific window. Starboard confirmed in a letter on Monday that it has a stake in Autodesk valued at more than $500 million. The company waited until April 1 to tell shareholders about the investigation, filings show, which was more than a week after the nominating window had closed. An Autodesk representative referred CNBC to its prior statements on the matter, where it said it would refuse Starboard's requests to reopen the nominating window and delay the annual meeting.

Persons: Deborah Clifford Organizations: Autodesk, SEC, CNBC Locations: Delaware Chancery

☆ Tyson CFO and chicken family scion John Tyson arrested for DWI
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —Tyson Foods suspended its CFO John R. Tyson after he was arrested Thursday on charges of DWI and careless driving. Tyson, the great grandson of the founder of the meat processing company, was previously arrested in 2022 on charges of public intoxication and criminal trespass. The 34-year-old was booked early Thursday and has since been released, according to the Washington County, Arkansas, Detention Intake Report. “We are aware that John Randal Tyson, Chief Financial Officer of Tyson Foods, was arrested for an alleged DWI,” the company said in a statement Thursday. “Tyson Foods has suspended Mr. Tyson from his duties effective immediately and named Curt Calaway as interim Chief Financial Officer.”Back in 2022, Tyson was charged after he allegedly wandered into the wrong home and fell asleep.

Persons: New York CNN — Tyson, John R, Tyson, “, John Randal Tyson, “ Tyson, Curt Calaway, “ I’m, ”, Donnie King, —, Rebekah Riess, Parija Kavilanz Organizations: New, New York CNN, New York CNN — Tyson Foods, Tyson Foods, “ Tyson Foods Locations: New York, Washington County , Arkansas

☆ 66% of Americans give companies a failing grade for CEO pay
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-12 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —Americans are fed up with massive CEO pay packages. Just 13% say companies are doing a good or excellent job at avoiding a major pay gap between CEOs and average employees. For the third year in a row, the vast majority – 66% — say companies are doing a “poor” job here. Politically, the majority of Democrats (96%), independents (83%) and Republicans (67%) agree that it’s important to avoid major pay gaps. The findings show how the issue of CEO pay strikes a chord among many Americans, some of whom are struggling to make ends meet in an increasingly expensive world.

Persons: Gallup, ”, Nell Minow, Elon Musk, Tesla, “, Cynthia Clark, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, “ It’s, Bill George, Medtronic, Hock Tan, William Lansing, George, Dave Calhoun, Dodd, Frank, Clark, ” Minow, Minow Organizations: New, New York CNN, Bentley University, Gallup, CNN, ValueEdge Advisors, Associated Press, “, Democrats, Sens, Broadcom, Harvard Business School, Boeing, Congress Locations: New York, ”

☆ OpenAI hires new CFO and product chief, announces Apple deal to integrate ChatGPT
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

OpenAI on Monday hired two top executives and announced a partnership with Apple that includes a ChatGPT-Siri integration, the company announced in two blog posts. The company said Sarah Friar, previously CEO of Nextdoor and finance chief at Square, is joining as chief financial officer. OpenAI also hired Kevin Weil, an ex-president at Planet Labs , as its new chief product officer, according to the blog post. Weil's product team will be focused on "applying our research to products and services that benefit consumers, developers, and businesses," the company wrote. "Siri can also tap into ChatGPT's intelligence when helpful," OpenAI wrote.

Persons: OpenAI, Siri, Sarah Friar, Friar, Kevin Weil, Weill Organizations: Apple, Stanford Digital Economy, Planet Labs, Twitter, Facebook, Monday Locations: ChatGPT

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (L) speaks with Microsoft Chief Technology Officer and Executive VP of Artificial Intelligence Kevin Scott during the Microsoft Build conference at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington, on May 21, 2024. The Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department are set to open antitrust investigations into Microsoft , OpenAI and Nvidia , examining the powerful companies' influence on the artificial intelligence industry, a source familiar confirmed to CNBC. The FTC will take the lead on looking into Microsoft and OpenAI, while the DOJ will focus on Nvidia, and the investigations will focus on the companies' conduct, rather than mergers and acquisitions, according to the source. The news also follows the FTC's January decision to conduct an extensive study on AI industry heavyweights, including Amazon , Alphabet , Microsoft, Anthropic and OpenAI. Microsoft and OpenAI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Persons: Sam Altman, Kevin Scott, Anthropic, Claude chatbots, that's, Lina Khan, Khan, OpenAI, — CNBC's Eamon Javers Organizations: Microsoft Chief Technology, Artificial, Microsoft, Federal Trade Commission, Justice Department, Nvidia, CNBC, FTC, DOJ, New York Times, Google, Meta Locations: Redmond , Washington

☆ CEOs are making almost 200 times what workers are
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The median CEO in the S&P 500 was paid 196 times as much as the median employee in 2023, according to an analysis by Equilar and The Associated Press. The widening divide is driven by the fact that CEO pay — which is closely tied to share prices — is rising notably faster than that of employees. Median total compensation for S&P 500 CEOs (including stock awards) soared to $16.3 million in 2023 — a huge year-over-year increase of 12.6%, compared to just 0.9% in 2022. The median S&P 500 employee earned $81,467 last year, up 5.2% from 2022, the report said. Given the rising stock market, the median stock award increased by 10.7% to $9.4 million, the report found.

Persons: Moody’s, Eleanor Bloxham, Bloxham, “, Hock Tan, William Lansing, Tim Cook, Barbara Rentler, — Organizations: New, New York CNN, Associated Press, Workers, Value Alliance, CNN, Federal Reserve, Nasdaq, Broadcom, Apple, Ross Stores, Ross Locations: New York, United States

☆ Current and former OpenAI employees warn of AI's 'serious risks' and lack of oversight
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A group of current and former OpenAI employees published an open letter Tuesday describing concerns about the artificial intelligence industry's rapid advancement despite a lack of oversight and an absence of whistleblower protections for those who wish to speak up. "AI companies have strong financial incentives to avoid effective oversight, and we do not believe bespoke structures of corporate governance are sufficient to change this," the employees wrote. The letter also details the current and former employees' concerns about insufficient whistleblower protections for the AI industry, saying that without effective government oversight, employees are in a relatively unique position to hold companies accountable. "Ordinary whistleblower protections are insufficient because they focus on illegal activity, whereas many of the risks we are concerned about are not yet regulated." Four anonymous OpenAI employees and seven former ones, including Daniel Kokotajlo, Jacob Hilton, William Saunders, Carroll Wainwright and Daniel Ziegler, signed the letter.

Persons: OpenAI, they've, Daniel Kokotajlo, Jacob Hilton, William Saunders, Carroll Wainwright, Daniel Ziegler, Ramana Kumar, Neel Nanda, Geoffrey Hinton, Yoshua Bengio, Stuart Russell Organizations: Google, Microsoft, Meta, CNBC, Security Locations: Anthropic

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