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The Communication Workers of America union (CWA) has accused the "Call of Duty" maker of a series of illegal labor practices at the union has sought to organize video game testers and other employees at the company and its subsidiaries. The CWA in a statement said Activision's conduct showed a clear pattern of disregard for workers' legal rights. "In spite of Activision Blizzard's anti-union efforts, workers continue to organize, speak out about their working conditions and win union campaigns," the union said. Activision is already facing a separate NLRB complaint issued last year claiming the company used a policy limiting what workers can post on social media to bar them from discussing working conditions. Activision has said its social media policy is lawful and does not bar employees from exercising their rights under U.S. labor law.

☆ Potential regulator challenges to Big Tech M&A may have far-reaching consequences for the tech ecosystem
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Paayal Zaveri | April Joyner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

M&A deals involving large tech companies may get harder as US regulators ramp up scrutiny. If regulators increase scrutiny, it could deter other large tech companies from buying startups. More challenges to proposed tech M&A deals may also mean that the pool of potential acquirers shrinks. Of course, there are cases where a large tech company seeks to buy out a smaller, more innovative competitor because it is scared of getting displaced. "There has to be the hope and dream of selling to a larger tech company some day," Sherman said.

☆ Here's our March rapid-fire update on all 36 stocks in Jim Cramer's Investing Club portfolio
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

Here's a rapid-fire update on every stock in the CNBC Investing Club portfolio. But importantly, the chipmaker has joined Apple in rarified air, becoming an "own it, don't trade it" stock for the Club. The company's business can withstand an economic slowdown and benefits from a weaker U.S. dollar because of its large international presence. 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.

☆ BP, ADNOC’s Mediterranean debut ticks three boxes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 28 (Reuters Breakingviews) - BP (BP.L) and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) are tying the knot. The duo plan to set up a joint venture to buy gas assets in the eastern Mediterranean. On the other hand, the $4 billion NewMed net asset value implied by BP and ADNOC’s bid is some way ahead of the $2.6 billion estimated by hedge fund Palliser during NewMed’s autumn dalliance with Capricorn Energy (CNE.L). And after rethinking the speed with which it’s cutting its oil and gas production, BP wants to show investors that it can identify suitable fossil fuel projects. NewMed shares only jumped 38% to around 10 shekels on Tuesday, implying doubt about whether the deal will happen.

☆ Easy Diageo succession belies new CEO’s hard job
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

On Tuesday, the 80 billion pound maker of Guinness and Don Julio tequila announced that Chief Operating Officer Debra Crew would replace CEO Ivan Menezes in July. Menezes has been gunning for 5%-7% annual revenue growth and a 6%-9% annual increase in operating profit over the next three years. The company operates with a 31% operating profit margin, higher than its closest rival Pernod Ricard (PERP.PA), which runs on 29%. With the price of staff, ingredients and packaging soaring, cost cutting will be hard to pull off. Diageo’s smooth succession may lay the path for a bumpy road.

☆ Private equity finds silver lining in Asia Pacific
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, March 28 (Reuters Breakingviews) - It’s hard working in Asia-Pacific private equity these days. On Monday Brookfield Asset Management (BAM.TO) and MidOcean Energy agreed to take Australia’s Origin Energy (ORG.AX) private for A$18.7 billion ($12.5 billion). A few days earlier Toshiba’s (6502.T) board tentatively backed Japan Industrial Partners’ $15.3 billion offer. Origin’s buyers, which plan to split the business in two, had already made three offers before Origin accepted. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Credit Suisse investor’s exit will zip some lips
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 27 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The fate of Saudi National Bank’s (1180.SE) chairman may persuade other investors to maintain radio silence for a while. Asked by a television interviewer whether Saudi National Bank would invest more money into Credit Suisse, Al Khudairy replied “absolutely not”. Although SNB lost more than $1 billion on its Credit Suisse investment, Gulf investors are unlikely to stop investing in banks globally. Indeed, the Saudi bank was part of an investor group that proposed injecting around $5 billion into Credit Suisse as an alternative to the UBS deal, the Wall Street Journal reported. But big bank investors may avoid appearing on live television for a while.

☆ EU single market remains short of a single patent
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

While it’s good the EU is moving forward, a single patent can’t fulfill its promise without full participation. The European Patent Office holds fifth place. Billions of euros remain out of reach because the EU is strong on research but weak in finding market success. Seeking an EU patent via separate applications across Europe costs about 20,000 euros, compared to an estimated 6,000 euros under the new system. For Europe to be more than the world’s technology incubator, its single market needs more tools that are fully subscribed.

☆ Microsoft-Activision Deal Gets Lift as U.K. Regulators Narrow Competition Probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Sarah E. Needleman | Kim Mackrael | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A billboard for the Activision videogame ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’ in Times Square, New York City. Microsoft Corp. moved closer to winning approval for its planned $75 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard Inc. in the U.K. The country’s antitrust watchdog said Friday that it had narrowed the focus of its probe into the proposed acquisition to the nascent cloud-gaming market, removing previous concerns that the deal could lessen competition in the established and much larger console-gaming market.

☆ Jim Cramer and David Faber discuss Deutsche Bank drama
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | 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 EmailJim Cramer and David Faber discuss Deutsche Bank dramaCNBC's Jim Cramer and David Faber report on Friday's biggest market-moving headlines: Deutsche Bank shares dragging on the financial sector, Activision shares rallying, and how tech stocks have been behaving like a safe haven.

☆ UK regulator drops some competition concerns in Microsoft-Activision deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON, March 24 (Reuters) - Britain's regulator said it no longer believed that Microsoft's (MSFT.O) $69-billion purchase of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O) would harm competition in relation to the supply of gaming consoles, but its other concerns remain. Publishing updated provisional findings based on new evidence, the Competition and Markets Authority said on Friday that it still has worries over the mega-deal's impact on competition in the cloud gaming market. Reporting by Sarah Young; editing by William JamesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Club meeting recap: Cramer says investors should find safety in defensive stocks like Costco
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Every weekday the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer holds a "Morning Meeting" livestream at 10:20 a.m. Own Nvidia Club holding Nvidia (NVDA) has been one of the best performing large cap stocks this year, with shares up more than 80% year-to-date. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a 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.

An Activision Blizzard's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare video game is inserted into the Microsoft's Xbox One video game console arranged in Denver, Colorado, on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022. Shares of Activision Blizzard surged Friday, after the U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority narrowed the scope of its investigation into Microsoft 's takeover of the games publisher. The development marks a partial win for Microsoft, as it pursues an expansion of its video game business. Among its concerns, the regulator flagged that the deal would cause a substantial lessening of competition in the console gaming market. With this new evidence, the CMA now says it no longer believes the transaction will hamper competition in console games.

Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading. GameStop -- The famed meme stock gained 2.5% in midday trading. The bank stock had been down about 14% after the bank's credit default swaps jumped without an apparent catalyst. Wells Fargo and JPMorgan — Shares of commercial bank giants were lower in midday trading, with Wells Fargo pulling back 2.3% while JPMorgan fell 2.2%. Activision Blizzard and Microsoft — Shares jumped 5% after the U.K. Competiton and Markets Authority dropped some of its concerns with the potential purchase of the company by Microsoft.

☆ Jim Cramer's top 10 things to watch in the stock market Friday: Bank mess, stocks slide, Activision deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Investors have been selling bank stocks overseas and in the U.S. off-and-on for two weeks since the failure of Silicon Valley Bank in California and later Signature Bank in New York. Any further limitation of TikTok in the U.S. would benefit Facebook-parent and Club stock Meta Platforms (META). 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.

☆ British regulator softens stance on Microsoft-Activision deal competition concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | 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 EmailBritish regulator softens stance on Microsoft-Activision deal competition concernsCNBC's David Faber reports on the latest headlines from the Microsoft-Activision deal.

☆ UK drops console concern over Microsoft-Activision deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, March 24 (Reuters) - Britain's competition regulator said Microsoft's (MSFT.O) 69-billion purchase of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O) would not harm competition in gaming consoles, removing a major obstacle to the deal. The regulator, however, said it was still looking at the impact of the deal on the cloud gaming market. The takeover, the biggest ever in gaming, remains subject to the scrutiny of regulators in the United States and Europe. But Microsoft has since offered Sony a licence deal to address those concerns. A Microsoft spokesperson said: "We look forward to working with the CMA to resolve any outstanding concerns."

☆ Wall Street ends volatile week higher as Fed officials ease bank fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"Wall Street is taking its cues from Washington and other capitals as it relates to interest rates and banking regulations." "The Fed may be jaw-boning a bit as it says more rate increases may be coming this year," JPMorgan's Carter added. Worries over potential contagion beyond regional banks threatening to spread to their larger peers was sparked by a sell-off of European bank shares. While the S&P Bank index (.SPXBK) ended modestly lower, the KBW Regional Bank index (.KRX) jumped 2.9%. Regional lenders PacWest Bancorp , Western Alliance Bancorp (WAL.N) jumped 3.2% and 5.8%, respectively, while First Republic Bank (FRC.N) dropped 1.4%.

☆ Microsoft’s Activision sweet talk
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The seller’s shares rose 5% on the news Friday, but hurdles remain. Unlike the European Commission, which seems minded to approve the deal, and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which is opposed but has a mixed success rate, a CMA block would likely be fatal. So Microsoft pressed its case, submitting data that the agency says shows it has no incentive to yank Activision’s games from rival consoles to its Xbox. Still, Microsoft’s arguments gaining traction is welcome news to merger arbitrageurs. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ This week's best performers include Regeneron and these two solar stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Solar stocks Enphase and SolarEdge were also among the best performing stocks as investors continued weighing how the Inflation Reduction Act could boost solar companies. The average price target on the stock implies upside of 49.3% over the next 12 months. The stock's average price target implies it could rally 29.5%. Around three-fifths of analysts rate the stock a buy with a price target that implies a potential 16.7% rally. Technology stocks made up the majority of the list this week as investors bet growth stocks could benefit in an environment with lower interest rates.

☆ Activision fails to increase representation of women as it faces 2025 goal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Video game publisher Activision Blizzard failed to increase its representation of women in the first quarter of 2022, according to a diversity report it released on Thursday. Executives have pledged to make women more pervasive inside the company after media reports described cases of harassment of women, prompting government investigations. Microsoft , an Activision Blizzard competitor and partner, began talks to acquire the game publisher after the reports pushed down the game publisher's stock price. In 2021 the company set a goal to reach 35% by 2025. "We'll continue to measure the impact of these changes, as we're confident this work will contribute to our goal of becoming the most welcoming and inclusive company in the industry," Hines wrote.

☆ Activision increased representation of women and non-binary people by 2 percentage points as it faces 2025 goal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Video game publisher Activision Blizzard increased representation of women and non-binary people by 2 percentage points from November 2021 to December 2022, according to data shared with CNBC. The company said women and non-binary employees represented 24.3% of its workforce in November 2021 but that figure has increased to 26.3% as of the end of 2022. Executives have pledged to make women more pervasive inside the company after media reports described cases of harassment of women, prompting government investigations. Microsoft , an Activision Blizzard competitor and partner, began talks to acquire the game publisher after the reports pushed down the game publisher's stock price. In 2021 the company set a goal to reach 35% for full-time non-binary and women workers by 2025.

☆ A 27-page report breaks down where the money is flowing in sports tech and the investors to watch. Here were 5 key takeaways.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Ashley Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Investment bank Drake Star broke down dealmaking in 2022 and what it means for the year ahead. Sports tech M&A activity in 2022, from Drake Star's Global Sports Tech Report 2022. Drake Star Global Sports Tech Report 2022The fourth quarter saw a surge in M&A volume with 67 deals, the most in the sector's recent history. More sports tech companies could explore public listings in the second half of the year. "Some of the IPO ready sports tech companies are expected to explore IPO/SPAC listings."

☆ Microsoft poses 'biggest potential threat' to Apple's App Store: Morgan Stanley
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Analysts at Morgan Stanley said Tuesday that a Microsoft app store on the iPhone would represent "the biggest potential threat" to Apple 's App Store. "We estimate the impact of a potential Microsoft App Store on the iPhone would be limited to <3% of App Store revenue and <0.5% of EPS, but it still represents the biggest potential threat to the App Store today," they wrote in a Tuesday note. Regulators in the U.S., the U.K. and Europe have raised concerns about what the acquisition of Activision Blizzard could mean for competition. Morgan Stanley analysts also found that fewer than 30% of Apple users would be willing to buy apps outside of the company's App Store. Even so, they said Microsoft's app store could prove to be a true competitor with time.

"Plaintiffs' general allegation that the merger may cause 'higher prices, less innovation, less creativity, less consumer choice, decreased output, and other potential anticompetitive effects' is insufficient," wrote U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Corley. The decision does not affect the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) regulatory challenge to the largest-ever gaming industry deal. Microsoft announced its bid last year, and it also faces competition scrutiny in the EU and UK. A spokesperson for Microsoft and lawyers for the company did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. The case is Demartini v. Microsoft Corp, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, 3:22-cv-08991.

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