DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Barbie’s a boss but not a business model
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Lauren Silva Laughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, Sept 5 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O) boss David Zaslav is playing too much with Barbie. Mattel (MAT.O), the $8 billion company behind the brand, has increased its market value 20% since late May, growing three times as fast as the S&P 500 Index (.SPX). Lego partnered with Warner Bros in 2014 to produce a movie featuring its renowned plastic bricks. Unlike Disney and its superheroes, Warner Bros doesn’t own the blonde bombshell. Barbie may be this year’s boss, but she and her nostalgic ilk are unlikely to become business models.

Persons: David Zaslav, Barbie, Margot Robbie, Harry Potter, Polly, Cuties, Walt Disney’s, Bob Iger, Warner, oligopolistic, Davidson, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam Organizations: Reuters, Warner Bros Discovery, Mattel, Warner Bros, Marvel, Disney, McKinsey, Harley, Thomson

☆ Twinkies maker will give food brands a sugar high
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Anita Ramaswamy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Hostess Brands "Twinkies" are displayed in a store in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S. July 5, 2016. Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 1 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Urban legend says Hostess Brands’ (TWNK.O) infamous Twinkie is so highly processed it could survive a nuclear war. Executives at both Hostess and Mondelez have noted that snacking is getting more popular, even as people are indulging in smaller portions. Add a 30% premium to its undisturbed stock price, and its enterprise value is 15 times forward EBITDA, according to Refinitiv data. A deal is possible, but it has a good chance of leaving a short-lived sugar high.

Persons: Mills, Metropoulos, Andy Callahan, Mondelez, Callahan, isn’t, Morgan Stanley, General Mills, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: Reuters, Mondelez, Apollo Global Management, New York Times, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Planters, Hostess Brands, Hershey, PepsiCo, General, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City, U.S

☆ With housing, Buffett chooses a great location
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Ben Winck | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, Aug 30 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Mortgages are pricey, but Warren Buffett seems to think that’s a good thing for homebuilders. Horton (DHI.N), Lennar (LEN.N) and NVR (NVR.N), just as mortgage rates hit the highest level in nearly 23 years. That’s 3% less than last year, and 7% less than the average used-home price today. Horton, NVR and Lennar on Aug. 14. The conglomerate, run by billionaire investor Warren Buffett, purchased $726 million, $71 million and $17 million of DR Horton, NVR and Lennar shares, respectively, throughout the second quarter, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

Persons: Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, D.R . Horton, Horton, NVR, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: Reuters, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, Buffett, Berkshire, Securities and Exchange Commission, Mortgage Bankers Association, Census, Thomson Locations: . Berkshire, D.R ., Horton, U.S, New York, Los Angeles, Berkshire, that’s, homebuilders D.R, DR

☆ 3M’s $6 bln earplugs settlement is a little sticky
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A variety of 3M products are pictured at an Orchard Supply Hardware store in Pasadena, California U.S., January 24, 2017. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Aug 29 (Reuters Breakingviews) - 3M’s (MMM.N) latest legal settlement includes some curious wrinkles. Moreover, the earplugs agreement is conditioned on 98% participation from what is now roughly 250,000 claimants. The $60 billion company is trying to project the idea it’s getting past its legal entanglements, but the reality is a little stickier. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Mario Anzuoni, Scotchgard, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Mukesh Ambani’s, Didi, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: Supply, Pasadena , California U.S, REUTERS, Reuters, Aearo Technologies, X, Thomson Locations: Pasadena , California

☆ Instacart’s mixed bag has valuation opportunities
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Anita Ramaswamy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

If it doesn’t push valuation too hard, a public listing could be seamless. Instacart booked net income in 2022, a rarity for a growth company hitting the public market. That brings Instacart’s enterprise value to roughly $17 billion, less than half of what it was worth in 2021 but still higher than the internal valuation it inked last year. Follow @AnitaRamaswamy on XCONTEXT NEWSGrocery-delivery business Instacart filed paperwork to go public on Aug. 25 under the formal name Maplebear. The company, which did not share its target price range in the filing, grew revenue by 39% in 2022 to $2.6 billion.

Persons: Eric Cohn, Cheney Orr, Fidji Simo, Instacart, Simo, Apoorva Mehta, Domino's, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: Safeway, REUTERS, Reuters, Nasdaq, Kroger, Aldi, Costco Wholesale, Companies, Thomson Locations: Tucson , Arizona, U.S, Cava

☆ White House inflicts Big Pharma ills
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

If just one or two big medications were going to be renegotiated, the industry could shoulder the change. The IRA, signed into law last year, allows Medicare to negotiate prices for some of its most costly drugs. Though specificities are unclear, a quick look at one of the biggest sellers under the program, blood thinner Eliquis, suggests Big Pharma could shoulder a discount. At 11 times earnings over the next 12 months, that’s less than 10% of the firm’s $205 billion market capitalization. Put this on the same multiple of 11 times, and it would be a $275 billion hit to the industry.

Persons: George Frey, Biden, Robert Cyran, Xpeng’s Didi, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, REUTERS, Reuters, Big, Medicare, Pfizer, Bristol, Myers Squibb, Congressional, Office, X, Thomson Locations: Provo , Utah, U.S

☆ SPACs can't be killed
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Chamath Palihapitiya, Founder and CEO of Social Capital, presents during the 2018 Sohn Investment Conference in New York City, U.S., April 23, 2018. Although SPACs raised just $13 billion last year, this week produced a deal that looks like it could have happened during the heyday. From U.S. presidential hopefuls’ forays to a continued SPAC king’s virality, SPACs’ reach is a reminder that they are hard to kill. This week, one of those SPACs bought Better.com, a mortgage lender led by Vishal Garg and backed by SoftBank Group (9984.T). They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Chamath Palihapitiya, Brendan McDermid, SPACs, Vishal Garg, Donald Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy, lister Chamath Palihapitiya, Anita Ramaswamy, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: Social Capital, Investment, REUTERS, Reuters, SoftBank Group, Securities and Exchange Commission, X, KKR, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S

☆ Tupperware preserves lessons for Mark Zuckerberg
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Lauren Silva Laughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Mike Blake (UNITED STATES - Tags: BUSINESS) Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Aug 25 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Tupperware Brands (TUP.N) is struggling to stop the rot. As much as technology has remade business strategies over the past 77 years, Facebook owner Meta Platforms (META.O) leans on a comparable one. Enter Brownie Wise, the saleswoman credited with pioneering the “Tupperware effect” of teaching women how to flog to their friends by hosting themed gatherings in their living rooms. Ironically enough, in the interim Tupperware also become the product of another modern network effect, a meme stock, or a highly speculative online investment. Tupperware has about a quarter of the active salesforce it did at the end of 2012, the same year Facebook bought Instagram.

Persons: Mike Blake, UNITED, –, Earl Tupper, Tupperware, Brownie Wise, Tammy Hembrow, June Cleaver, influencers, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Safeway Inc, Reuters, Tupperware, Meta, Pew Research, Facebook, Brands, Thomson Locations: Encinitas , California, Vons, Australian, Tupperware’s

☆ Republican hopefuls’ deficit goals are all talk
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Ben Winck | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Participants in the party’s first debate for the 2024 election on Wednesday night promised to shrink the government’s budget shortfall. Yet Republicans have a bad track record for cutting federal debt, and some candidates are already touting pricey projects and tax cuts. The last Republican president to run a budget surplus was George W. Bush in 2001, but even that year was partly influenced by the cost-cutting measures put in place by his Democratic predecessor. With Congress balking at such a combinations, Republican candidates’ plans are all talk, little hope of action. That budget deficit is 122% larger than the shortfall seen in the same period last year.

Persons: Asa Hutchinson, Chris Christie, Mike Pence, Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley, Tim Scott, Doug Burgum, jockeying, “, Donald Trump, George W, Bush, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Arkansas, New, U.S, South Carolina, North Dakota, Republican, Reuters, Republicans, South, Democratic, U.S . Office, Management, Former New, Congressional, Cato Institute, Fitch, Treasury Department, Thomson Locations: New Jersey, Florida, U.S, WASHINGTON, Milwaukee , Wisconsin, South Carolina, Former New Jersey, Arkansas, Ukraine, China, The U.S

☆ Shein deal kills several birds with one stone
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Shein logo is pictured at the company’s office in the central business district of Singapore, October 18, 2022. REUTERS/Chen Lin Acquire Licensing RightsTORONTO, Aug 24 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Shein isn’t wasting any time in the U.S. battle for buyers of ultra-fast fashion. In exchange, Sparc will become a minority shareholder in Shein. The clever relationship kills a few birds with one stone. Shein is highly skilled at manufacturing TikTok-friendly wares, but has come under attack for its ESG credentials.

Persons: Chen Lin, Simon Property, Simon, Brooks, Sharon Lam, Coinbase’s, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Oliver Taslic Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Forever, Sparc, Authentic Brands, Authentic, X, Thomson Locations: Singapore, U.S, Shein, American

☆ DeSantis chose wrong Disney battle, right war
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

NEW YORK, Aug 22 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis may have been politically foolish for picking a battle with Walt Disney (DIS.N), but economically speaking, he was on to something. Disney received special status in 1967 after it agreed to help drain the Florida swamp, literally, and build an entertainment park in exchange for special designation. DeSantis seized on the remarks, and with Florida lawmakers earlier this year, took control of the special board. Last week Disney filed a counterclaim to regain control. DeSantis chose the wrong battle but the right war.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Walt Disney, Disney, Bob Chapek, DeSantis, Donald Trump, didn’t, —, Timothy Bartik, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Reuters, Disney, Republican, New York Times, Comcast, Apple, Walt Disney, Florida, DeSantis, Thomson Locations: Florida, Siena, North Carolina, Virginia, State, . North Carolina, Reedy

☆ Union fights grow US workers’ slice of profit pie
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Ben Winck | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Strong demand for workers has given organized workers a stronger hand at the bargaining table. The United Steel Workers union has asserted itself aggressively in a bidding battle for U.S. Steel (X.N). Corporate profit is 30% above its pre-crisis high, at $2.7 trillion, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. With organized workers showing clout, they’ll be able to pull some more profit their way. Trucking company Yellow filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Aug. 7 after halting operations the week prior.

Persons: Darren Hawkins, they’ll, . Steel, “, Carole Tome, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: Reuters, U.S, Workers, Economic, United Parcel Service, United Steel Workers, U.S . Steel, UPS, Teamsters, U.S . Bureau, Reuters Graphics Reuters, ., Trucking, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Thomson Locations: Cleveland, U.S

☆ PayPal would slot well in a different wallet
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Lauren Silva Laughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The $70 billion company’s struggles, and the incoming chief’s credentials, set the stage for a transaction of some sort. He also spearheaded its $12 billion purchase of marketing service Mailchimp in 2021, which could augur a deal. And an operation like PayPal’s could help CEO Mark Zuckerberg challenge potential cage-match opponent Elon Musk and his super-app ambitions at X, formerly known as Twitter. Given PayPal’s massive slump, Chriss will be under pressure to restore the luster, or to slot it into another company’s wallet. In 2021, he led the company’s $12 billion acquisition of Mailchimp.

Persons: Alex Chriss, Dan Schulman, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Lina Khan, Fiserv, Frank Bisignano, Peter Thiel, Sexier, Chriss, Schulman, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Reuters, PayPal, Intuit, JPMorgan, Citigroup, Facebook, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Visa, Mastercard, PayPal Mafia, Mailchimp, Thomson

☆ Consumers will win in cannabis-credit card clash
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The $376 billion payments network wants its financial partners in transactions for cannabis to crack down on using its debit cards, Bloomberg reported on July 26. The budding industry is running out of convenient options for customers to pay for its products. By definition, payments networks such as Mastercard and Visa (V.N) are middlemen, facilitating the movement of money between parties. In the weed business, that means they take the money from the buyer’s bank account and ship it into the dispensary’s. In Washington, D.C., some cannabis shops peddle quasi-worthless knickknacks such as stickers to customers while “gifting” small amounts of pot.

Persons: workarounds, Mastercard’s, Anita Ramaswamy, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: YORK, Reuters, Mastercard, Bloomberg, Visa, D.C, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Washington

☆ Chevron’s restraint paying off
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, July 24 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Chevron’s (CVX.N)second-quarter profit was cut nearly in half as production rose slightly, according to a surprise early release of the oil giant’s earnings on Sunday night. Chevron’s profit jumped, too. Each barrel Chevron was producing brought in about $20 of profit, some 40% less than it had in the quarter earlier. Oil prices have continued to fall, but the drop in profit per barrel is less dramatic than before – just 8%. As long as restraint holds the upper hand, so will Chevron’s profit.

Persons: Brent, Goldman Sachs, Robert Cyran, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: YORK, Reuters, Chevron, Reuters Graphics, Twitter, Thomson Locations: U.S, Spain

☆ Office landlord offers glimpse of what’s to come
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, July 24 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Piedmont Office Realty Trust (PDM.N) is sifting through the rubble. The $910 million owner of high-quality office buildings in Boston, Dallas and beyond just borrowed at 9.25%, more than twice the interest rate it’s replacing. It’s an ominous sign for U.S. office landlords facing $60 billion of debt maturing at the end of 2023 and 2024, per data miner RCA. Office prices have fallen so much that cap rates are approaching 10%, according to Jonathan Litt, founder of activist hedge fund Land and Buildings Investment Management. Pricier debt means less income, but if rents have stabilized and interest rates keep rising, Piedmont was wise to start reconstructing its balance sheet sooner rather than later.

Persons: Brent Smith, Jonathan Litt, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam Organizations: YORK, Reuters, Realty Trust, Refinitiv, RCA, Buildings Investment Management, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Boston, Dallas, Piedmont, Spain

☆ AMC can build Dreamhouse on Barbenheimer buzz
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Anita Ramaswamy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

AMC Entertainment (AMC.N), the struggling movie theater chain wrestling with a meme-stock hangover, saw its busiest day since 2019 this past Saturday. The company needs cash to survive, and this weekend might add enough fantasy to help it. AMC has refiled to try again, and in some ways, Barbenheimer helps. The biggest risk to the movie theater business was that it would never return to pre-pandemic levels. AMC Entertainment, one of the U.S.’s largest theater chains, recorded over 7 million moviegoers in attendance over that weekend.

Persons: Barbie, “ Oppenheimer ”, Adam Aron, Aron, –, “ Barbie ”, “ Oppenheimer, ”, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: YORK, Reuters, Warner Bros, Comcast, Universal Pictures, AMC Entertainment, Monday, AMC, Malibu, Thomson Locations: Barbenheimer, Delaware

☆ Tesla’s new burden: shouldering the market
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Jonathan Guilford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Back then, Tesla had three-quarters of the U.S. electric vehicle market, according to Cox Automotive. Its U.S. growth flatlined in 2022, Cox reckons, as the overall quarterly growth rate of electric sales downshifted. It needs the entire electric-vehicle market to grow beyond its current 7% share of the U.S. market, to bring in new buyers. Cox found 51% of consumers are now at least interested in an electric car. But Tesla’s operating margin has fallen to under 10%.Gross profit per car delivered is also down, 44% year-over-year, despite costs also declining.

Persons: Elon, Tesla, Cox, Biden, can’t, Musk, Gross, Elon Musk, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: YORK, Reuters, General Motors, U.S, Cox Automotive, Ford, Thomson Locations: U.S, United

☆ Post-it maker 3M is in danger of coming unstuck
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Jeffrey Goldfarb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

There will be up to $1.5 billion of costs related to separating the health care business, 3M has said. Its interest cover, after backing out estimated operating income from health care, would fall to about 4 times from 11 times. And its net debt, using all these assumptions and excluding the health care division, would swell to nearly 5 times EBITDA from less than 2 times. Back out $2.5 billion from health care, as estimated by the Morgan Stanley team, and $1.5 billion of capital expenditure costs noted by Wolfe Research. For example, the water settlement, as drafted, only envisions $4.6 billion of outlays through 2025, and the rest over the ensuing 11 years.

Persons: Mike Roman, Roman, Sackler, Johnson, Aearo, ”, Morgan Stanley, Smith, Nephew, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Streisand Neto Organizations: YORK, Reuters, U.S . Environmental, Purdue Pharma’s, Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, Bayer, Monsanto, Aearo Technologies, Partners, Honeywell International, Siemens, 3M, Refinitiv, Reuters Graphics, Wolfe Research, Thomson Locations: . Oregon, Republic, Corning

☆ Netflix’s cash gun starts to whir
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, July 19 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Netflix (NFLX.O) is putting out some programming worthy of more eyeballs. But its forecast on free cash flow – once a horror flick– shows that the business is only getting stronger. The revenue outlook for the third quarter of $8.5 billion is below analysts’ estimates of $8.7 billion, according to Refinitiv. Netflix raised its outlook for free cash flow this year to at least $5 billion from approximately $3.5 billion. At a time when high interest rates make greenbacks more expensive, and competitors Walt Disney (DIS.N) and Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O) are squirming, Netflix’s cash story is one to watch.

Persons: Reed Hastings, Walt Disney, Jennifer Saba, Gucci, Xavier Niel’s, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: YORK, Reuters, Netflix, Hollywood, Warner Bros Discovery, Twitter, Xavier Niel’s GAM, Commonwealth Games, Thomson

☆ BlackRock’s Aramco embrace makes sense in a vacuum
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Lauren Silva Laughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The $109 billion asset manager run by Larry Fink said on Monday it would add Saudi Aramco (2222.SE) Chief Executive Amin Nasser to its 16-strong board. But judged through an investment lens the appointment makes sense. Nasser, who led Aramco through its 2019 initial public offering, will take the seat currently occupied by Bader Alsaad, a former managing director of the Kuwait Investment Authority. Follow @thereallsl on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSBlackRock on July 17 said Amin Nasser, chief executive of Saudi Aramco, would join its board as an independent director. “Amin’s distinguished career at Aramco, spanning more than four decades, gives him a unique perspective on many of the key issues facing our firm and our clients,” BlackRock Chief Executive Larry Fink said in a statement.

Persons: Larry Fink, Amin Nasser, Nasser, Bader Alsaad, Jamal Khashoggi, Randall Stephenson, Fink, Richard Blumenthal, T Rowe Price, Fink –, “ Amin’s, Peter Thal Larsen, Sharon Lam Organizations: YORK, Reuters, BlackRock, Aramco, Kuwait Investment Authority, of, Petroleum, Saudi, Golfers ’ Association, Global Energy, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Shell, Thomson Locations: BlackRock, Saudi Aramco, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United States, U.S, Texas, Connecticut, Aramco

☆ Saudi golf shot plays through CFIUS hazards
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

U.S. congressional lawmakers scrutinized PGA Tour officials on Tuesday this week about the group’s tie-up with a rival golf tournament owned by Saudi Arabia. Enter the Saudis, who launched an upstart golf tournament last year, LIV Golf, that competed with the U.S.-based PGA Tour and its European counterpart DTP. There are worries that Saudi Arabia, a regime viewed as hostile to women and LGBTQ groups, would have significant sway over golf’s culture. LIV Golf is owned by Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund. Former AT&T Chief Executive Randall Stephenson resigned from the PGA Tour policy board, the Washington Post reported on July 9.

Persons: State Condoleezza Rice, Darla Moore, Covid, LIV Golf, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Yasir Al, Ed Herlihy, Wachtell, Lipton, Katz, hasn’t, Randall Stephenson, Jamal Khashoggi, ”, Richard Blumenthal, –, Sherrod Brown, Maxine Waters, Janet Yellen, LIV Golf’s, Joe Biden hasn't, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Khashoggi, Uncle Sam, Refinitiv, China’s ByteDance, LIV, Stephenson, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: YORK, Reuters, Public Investment Fund, Augusta National Golf Club, State, U.S, PGA, LIV, Rosen, Breakingviews, Former AT, PGA Tour, Saudi, Department of Justice, Foreign Investment, U.S . Treasury, Saudi Arabian Crown, Walmart, Visa, Uber Technologies, Nation Entertainment, National Basketball League, Houston Rockets, People’s, NBA, backtrack, FIFA, Qatar, The Justice Department, Treasury, Committee, Homeland Security, Governmental Affairs, Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, T, Washington Post, Thomson Locations: Saudi Arabia, United States, American, U.S, South Carolina, Iran, China, Saudi, Hong Kong, People’s Republic, Beijing

☆ Seed funding valuations sprout a bubble
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Anita Ramaswamy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Their need for new cash was nearly three times higher than the available supply last quarter, according to the report. Companies raising seed rounds in today’s market might command higher prices in part because they are better prepared. But it’s unlikely that today’s cohort of seed-stage startups is so markedly superior to predecessors that it warrants record high prices. A newfound focus on seed companies could just be VCs’ latest justification for keeping the tech bubble afloat. Median valuations for venture rounds in startups at all other stages captured by the report have fallen this year relative to their 2022 levels.

Persons: PitchBook, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: YORK, Reuters, Venture, National Venture Capital Association, Carta, Tiger Global, Thomson

☆ Domino’s Uber delivery is an extra topping
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, July 12 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Domino’s Pizza (DPZ.N) wants to stuff more pie holes. The pizza chain announced on Wednesday that customers will be able to make delivery orders through Uber Eats, sending Domino’s shares up 10% in late morning trade. At first blush that may seem an admission that Domino’s own delivery app is sputtering. The agreement with Uber Technologies (UBER.N) is exclusive in the United States at least until 2024, and it extends Domino’s reach internationally as well. By partnering with Uber, Domino’s has a better chance of getting a bigger slice of the delivery market.

Persons: Uber, Dara Khosrowshahi, that’s, Domino’s, Jennifer Saba, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: YORK, Reuters, Uber Technologies, Twitter, Thomson Locations: United States, China

☆ Microsoft-Activision deal not yet game on
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Karen Kwok | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Britain’s antitrust regulator also indicated it was open to new concessions, but the parties will have to renegotiate their deal and get it approved. Two developments on Tuesday increased the odds of Microsoft getting the deal down the line. That’s a rapid change of tone from May, when the watchdog concluded blocking the Microsoft-Activision deal is the “only effective and proportionate way forward." As a result, Activision’s share price jumped 11% on Tuesday, its narrowest spread to Microsoft’s $95-a-share offer since the deal was announced. The agency's concern was that the deal would potentially preclude the availability of those videogames on other platforms.

Persons: hasn’t, Satya Nadella, it’s, ”, Brad Smith, Bobby Kotick, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: Reuters, Federal Trade Commission, Activision Blizzard, Microsoft, Markets Authority, Activision, FTC, CMA, Financial, Thomson Locations: U.S, San Francisco

Search resuls for: "Lauren Silva Laughlin"

25 mentions found