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☆ Microsoft's EU remedies target only cloud streaming rivals, sources says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, March 20 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O) remedies to address European Union antitrust concerns over its $69 billion acquisition of Activision (ATVI.O) focus only on cloud gaming services, with no mention of rival Sony (6758.T), people familiar with the matter said on Monday. The U.S. software giant has been trying to allay the Commission's concerns that the deal may reduce competition for console and personal computers, PC operating systems and cloud game streaming services. However, the absence of a Sony solution suggests the Commission no longer has concerns about competition in the console market. The sources said Microsoft has offered 10-year licensing deals for cloud gaming services, citing Nvidia, Ukraine-based cloud gaming provider Boosteroid and Japan's Ubitus as examples. Microsoft's EU offer is narrower than that to the UK competition agency, which includes licensing deals to cloud gaming services and a 10-year deal with parity on content and quality for Activision's Call of Duty franchise to critic and PlayStation owner Sony.

The Biden administration and CFIUS are pushing for a sale of TikTok in the US. The Chinese government could also block a TikTok sale outright before bidding kicks off. But the list of companies that would actually consider buying TikTok is small, experts told Insider. "I think Microsoft would be one of the only big money, big company possibilities." Ultimately, separating TikTok's US operations, whether in a sale to a big tech firm or a spin off, is complicated.

☆ Microsoft offers EU remedies seeking OK on Activision deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, March 17 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) has offered remedies in an attempt to gain EU antitrust approval for its $69 billion acquisition of Activision (ATVI.O), a European Commission filing showed on Friday. The EU competition enforcer, which did not provide details in line with its policy, will now seek feedback from rivals and customers before making its decision by May 22. Microsoft President Brad Smith has said the U.S. software company was prepared to offer rivals licensing deals to ease competition concerns but not to selling Activision's lucrative "Call of Duty" franchise. The company has in recent weeks signed agreements with three companies to bring "Call of Duty" to their platforms. "We are now backing up that promise with binding commitments to the European Commission, which will ensure that this deal benefits gamers into the future."

☆ Microsoft signs Japanese licensing agreement amid Activision deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, March 15 (Reuters) - Microsoft (MSFT.O) signed a 10-year licensing deal to bring Activision's (ATVI.O) Call of Duty franchise to Japanese cloud gaming provider Ubitus on Wednesday, the latest move by the company to address regulatory worries about its bid for the games maker. While Xbox maker Microsoft is likely to secure EU antitrust approval for acquiring Activision with such licensing deals and other behavioural remedies, it is facing headwinds in the United States and Britain. "Microsoft and Ubitus, a leading cloud gaming provider, have signed a 10-year partnership to stream Xbox PC Games as well as Activision Blizzard titles after the acquisition closes," the chief executive of Microsoft's gaming division, Phil Spencer, said in a tweet. The company agreed a similar deal with cloud gaming provider Boosteroid a day earlier, on top of agreements with Nvidia (NVDA.O), Nintendo (7974.T) and U.S. distributor Valve Corp, owner of the world's largest video game distribution platform, Steam. Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Microsoft Signs Third ‘Call of Duty’ Deal as It Seeks Approval to Buy Activision Blizzard
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Kim Mackrael | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

An image released by Activision Blizzard shows a scene from ‘Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.’BRUSSELS— Microsoft Corp. President Brad Smith said the company reached a deal with cloud gaming company Boosteroid on distributing “Call of Duty” videogames and expects more agreements to follow as the software giant pushes to convince regulators to approve its planned $75 billion acquisition of the videogame franchise’s owner, Activision Blizzard Inc.Microsoft said Boosteroid is the largest independent cloud-streaming company, with about four million users globally, including in the European Union, the U.K. and the U.S. The 10-year agreement would allow its customers to stream Activision games including ‘‘Call of Duty” if the acquisition goes through, Microsoft said. It is the third such pact Microsoft has signed. It previously reached similar deals with console maker Nintendo Co. and chip maker Nvidia Corp.

☆ Microsoft inks licensing deal with cloud gaming provider Boosteroid
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, March 14 (Reuters) - Microsoft (MSFT.O) on Tuesday signed a 10-year licensing deal to bring Activision's (ATVI.O) Call of Duty franchise to cloud gaming provider Boosteroid's platform, a move partly aimed at allaying competition concerns over its Activision acquisition. Ukraine-based Boosteroid's access to Call of Duty is conditional on regulatory approval for the Activision deal. The agreement will also bring Microsoft's Xbox PC games to Boosteroid's cloud gaming platform. That's why Xbox is committed to give everyone more ways to play their favorite games, across devices," said Phil Spencer, chief executive of Microsoft's gaming division. EU antitrust regulators are expected to approve Microsoft's takeover of Activision conditional on such licensing deals, people familiar with the matter have told Reuters.

☆ AI Food Startup NotCo Hires Activision’s Fernando Machado as CMO
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

NotCo co-founder and Chief Executive Matias Muchnick, right, with Chief Marketing Officer Fernando Machado. Mr. Machado will develop a marketing plan to help the plant-based food startup break through into the U.S. market, according to Mr. Muchnick. The Not Co. or NotCo, a Chilean startup that uses artificial-intelligence technology to produce plant-based foods that mimic dairy and meat products, has hired Fernando Machado as chief marketing officer. He succeeds Flavia Buchmann, who left the company in late 2022. NotCo has also brought on an unnamed U.S. general manager to work alongside Mr. Machado and will announce that hire in the coming weeks, according to a company spokeswoman.

☆ Silicon Valley Bank gave the tech industry 40 years. The tech industry couldn't give Silicon Valley Bank 40 hours.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Silicon Valley Bank was shut down by regulators on Friday. Venture capital firms were quick to turn their back on the bank that has served them for decades. As one VC put it to Insider's Ben Bergman, "I don't think Silicon Valley Bank is going under, but I also don't want to be the last one holding the bag." Now, the consequences have extended beyond just SVB, as startups that used the bank worry whether they'll even make payroll next week. A bank that catered to tech startups' specific wants and needs is now gone.

☆ Microsoft tells UK it will license 'Call of Duty' to Sony for 10 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Paul Sandle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Microsoft last month struck a similar deal with Nvidia Corp's (NVDA.O) gaming platform, dependent on it getting the go-ahead for the much-contested acquisition. Microsoft President Brad Smith had said he hoped that rival Sony - which has strongly opposed the takeover - would consider doing the same type of deal. Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in February said the deal could weaken the rivalry between Microsoft's Xbox and Sony's PlayStation, and stifle competition in cloud gaming. It suggested that structural remedies could be needed to allay its concerns, including divesting the business associated with 'Call of Duty.' The biggest-ever deal in gaming, announced in January last year, is facing scrutiny in the United States and in Europe.

☆ M&A bankers trip over their cracked crystal balls
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Liam Proud | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The M&A pipeline generally has three components: announced deals that are almost certain to happen; announced deals that may not get over the line; and deals that have neither been announced or perhaps even conceived. Reuters GraphicsThere’s a much tighter relationship between equity markets and M&A, implying that CEOs pursue corporate marriages when their share prices are high. One common way to get around this problem is to look at the value of announced deals as a percentage of total worldwide market capitalisation. WEAKNESS IN NUMBERSUnsurprisingly, given all the uncertainty, some bankers take their pipeline estimates with an appropriately large pinch of salt. Reuters GraphicsFollow @liamwardproud on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSCompanies announced $3.6 trillion of mergers and acquisitions in 2022, according to Refinitiv, compared with $5.7 trillion in 2021.

☆ Morning Bid: Fed's 'slow and steady' lifts market mood
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Futures indicate that the buoyant mood is set to continue in Europe, with the continent-wide STOXX 600 looking to end yet another week with gains. Markets took their cues from comments from Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic. "Slow and steady is going to be the appropriate course of action," he said, arguing for quarter point hikes. Also helping lift sentiment was services sector data from China, reviving the optimism that a robust recovery was well underway. The Caixin/S&P Global services purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose at the fastest pace in six months to 55.0 in February from 52.9 in January.

☆ Exclusive: Microsoft set to win EU nod on Activision with licensing offer, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, March 2 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) is expected to secure EU antitrust approval for its $69 billion acquisition of Activision (ATVI.O) with its offer of licensing deals to rivals, three people familiar with the matter said, helping it to clear a major hurdle. In addition to the licensing deals for rivals, Microsoft may also have to offer other behavioural remedies to allay concerns of other parties than Sony, one of the people said. Activision shares, which jumped 1.8% in pre-market trading after the Reuters' story was published, were up 2.6% in late trade. Microsoft President Brad Smith last month said the U.S. software group was ready to offer rivals licensing deals to address antitrust concerns but it would not sell Activision's lucrative "Call of Duty" franchise. Microsoft said it was "committed to offering effective and easily enforceable solutions that address the European Commission's concerns."

☆ Exclusive: Microsoft's licensing offer likely to satisfy EU on Activision, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, March 2 (Reuters) - Microsoft's (MSFT.O) offer of licensing deals to rivals is likely to address EU antitrust concerns over its $69 billion acquisition of Activision (ATVI.O), three people familiar with the matter said, helping it to clear a major hurdle. The European Commission, which is scheduled to decide on the deal by April 25, is not expected to demand that Microsoft sell assets to win its approval, the people said. Microsoft President Brad Smith last month said the U.S. software group was ready to offer rivals licensing deals to address antitrust concerns but it would not sell Activision's lucrative "Call of Duty" franchise. Microsoft said it was "committed to offering effective and easily enforceable solutions that address the European Commission's concerns." Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Hugh Lawson, Elaine Hardcastle and Jane MerrimanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Exclusive: EU unlikely to demand asset sales in Microsoft, Activision deal, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, March 2 (Reuters) - Microsoft's (MSFT.O) readiness to offer licensing deals to rivals is likely to address EU antitrust concerns over its $69 billion acquisition of Activision (ATVI.O) without the need for asset sales, three people familiar with the matter said. The European Commission is not expected to demand that Microsoft sell assets to win its approval, the people said. Microsoft President Brad Smith last month said the U.S. software giant was ready to offer rivals licensing deals to address antitrust concerns but it would not sell Activision's lucrative "Call of Duty" franchise. Microsoft said it was "committed to offering effective and easily enforceable solutions that address the European Commission's concerns". Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Hugh Lawson, Elaine HardcastleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

March 1 (Reuters) - "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard Inc (ATVI.O) has been accused by a union of illegally firing two video game testers for using "strong language" in a protest at a new company policy that limits remote work. The case is the latest the union has brought to the labor board as part of a campaign to unionize the firm and its subsidiaries. Small groups of game testers at three Activision subsidiaries voted to join the CWA last year. The change received an overwhelmingly negative response from employees, the CWA said, and Activision fired two game testers who "expressed their outrage using strong language." "When faced with unfair treatment by unscrupulous employers like Activision, workers should have the right to express themselves," CWA Secretary-Treasurer Sara Steffens said in a statement.

March 1 (Reuters) - "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard Inc (ATVI.O) has been accused by a union of illegally firing two video game testers for using "strong language" in a protest of a new company policy that limits remote work. The case is the latest the union has brought to the labor board as part of a campaign to unionize the firm and its subsidiaries. Small groups of game testers at three Activision subsidiaries voted to join the CWA last year. The change received an overwhelmingly negative response from employees, the CWA said, and Activision fired two game testers who "expressed their outrage using strong language." "When faced with unfair treatment by unscrupulous employers like Activision, workers should have the right to express themselves," CWA Secretary-Treasurer Sara Steffens said in a statement.

☆ EU regulators extend deadline for Microsoft, Activision deal to April 25
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRUSSELS, March 1 (Reuters) - EU antitrust regulators have extended their deadline for a decision on Microsoft's (MSFT.O) $69 billion acquisition of "Call of Duty" maker Activision (ATVI.O) to April 25, according to a European Commission filing on Wednesday. The Xbox maker announced the Activision Blizzard deal in January last year to help it compete better with leaders Tencent (0700.HK) and Sony (6758.T) but has encountered regulatory hurdles in Europe, Britain and the United States. It is expected to offer remedies to the EU competition enforcer soon. Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Angus MacSwanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Adobe slips on report saying DOJ plans suit to block $20 billion Figma deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Adobe has said Figma would generate over $400 million in annualized recurring revenue in 2022. Figma is a leader in interactive product design, focused on building a collaborative web platform. David Wadhwani, president of Adobe's digital media business and a key figure in the Figma deal, told analysts on a conference call in December that "the regulatory process is proceeding as expected." Adobe was busy with the Justice Department's second request process as the federal agency examined the deal, he said. Adobe still expects to close the Figma deal in 2023, the spokesperson said.

☆ Morning Bid: Hang on a minute
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

And so a speech from New York Fed chief John Williams make give a better steer on current thinking. Markets are now priced for a Fed 'terminal rate' in the 5.25-5.50% range by July and no cut from there by year-end. European central bankers are also talking tough as the region's economies dodge recession and inflation stays high. But geopolitical concerns rankle again ahead of Friday's anniversary, with Russia unilaterally withdrawing from a key nuclear arms control treaty. As G20 finance chiefs meet in India, the world is watching closely the extent of the alliance between Beijing and Moscow.

☆ Amazon delivers a regulatory breather to Big Tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission said it won’t challenge Amazon.com’s (AMZN.O) $3.9 billion acquisition of physician network One Medical. As the deal moves forward, deal-hungry technology giants can take a small breather. One Medical’s revenue accounted for just 0.2% of all U.S. healthcare spending in 2021, according to Amazon. And while the FTC’s concerns about Big Tech seemed limitless, its resources aren’t. Letting the One Medical deal move forward frees up staff to focus on ones that pose a clearer threat to consumers.

WHAT IS THE ACTIVISION DEAL? A group of 10 gamers in the United States has filed a private consumer antitrust lawsuit over the deal. Both companies have signed 10-year licensing deals that will bring Call of Duty to their gaming platform if the Activision deal is approved. Spain's Nware also signed a 10-year deal to bring Xbox and Activision Blizzard games to the Spanish cloud-gaming platform. Microsoft's Smith said the company would fight the FTC's request to block the deal.

Persons: Tencent, Martin Coleman, Brad Smith, Smith, Spain's Nware, Meta, Microsoft's Smith, Foo Yun Chee, Aurora Ellis, Maju Samuel Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Activision, ACTIVISION, HK, Sony, U.S . FTC, Britain's, Markets, FTC, Nintendo, Sony Group, CMA, Commission, WHO, United States, May, Games Development, UNI Global Union, Nvidia, MICROSOFT, Britain, NINTENDO, NVIDIA, Xbox, Activision Blizzard, Antitrust, Facebook, Thomson Locations: metaverse, U.S, United, Brazil, Chile, Serbia, Saudi Arabia

☆ Amazon, Wells Fargo, Microsoft, Nvidia are in the headlines. Here's our take on the news
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Club holdings Amazon (AMZN), Wells Fargo (WFC) as well as Nvidia (NVDA) and Microsoft (MSFT) are in the news Wednesday. In buying tech-focused One Medical, Amazon has said the companies together can make visiting the doctor an easier and more convenient experience. The news: A pair of banking regulators are investigating record-keeping failures at Wells Fargo, according to the company's annual filing. Specifically, Wells Fargo said the probes from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) are focused on "business communications sent over unapproved electronic messaging channels." The Club's take: This is new disclosure from Wells Fargo is not cause for concern.

☆ Microsoft looks to allay EU fears over Activision takeover with Nintendo, NVIDIA deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | 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 EmailMicrosoft looks to allay EU fears over Activision takeover with Nintendo, NVIDIA dealsMicrosoft has got Nintendo and NVIDIA on its side for it proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard. But it is still struggling to convince regulators, CNBC's Arjun Kharpal reports.

☆ Goldman Sachs says hedge funds’ favorite stocks are up 10% this year already after a brutal 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A group of hedge funds' favorite stocks staged a fierce comeback in the new year with a double-digit return, according to Goldman Sachs. It then compiled a basket of the most popular long positions, dubbed Goldman's "Hedge Fund VIP basket," consisting of 50 stocks that most frequently appear among the largest 10 holdings of hedge funds. These hedge fund darlings have rebounded more than 10% year to date as technology stocks rebounded from steep losses, the firm said. The strength in these VIPs lifted the average hedge fund to a 3% return in early 2023, Goldman said. Microsoft and Amazon remained the two most popular hedge fund long positions last quarter.

☆ Explainer: How Microsoft is addressing antitrust concerns over Activision deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WHAT IS THE ACTIVISION DEAL? The UK competition agency CMA has suggested divesting Call of Duty to address its concerns while the European Commission has warned Microsoft about the possible anti-competitive impact of the deal. A group of 10 gamers in the United States has filed a private consumer antitrust lawsuit over the deal. WHAT ARE THE NINTENDO AND NVIDIA LICENSING DEALS? Both companies have signed 10-year licensing deals that will bring Call of Duty to their gaming platforms but these are conditional on the Activision deal being approved.

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