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☆ Canopy Growth seeks bankruptcy protection for BioSteel to trim costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A sign featuring Canopy Growth Corporation's logo is pictured at their facility in Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada, January 4, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Wattie Acquire Licensing RightsSept 14 (Reuters) - Canada's Canopy Growth (WEED.TO) said on Thursday it would seek bankruptcy protection for its sports nutrition products' segment BioSteel, in the pot producer's latest attempt to rein in costs. Canopy's shares rose 9.6% in early trade after the company said it expects to lower debt by C$95 million over the next two quarters. Canopy first raised doubts about its ability to continue as a going concern in June and reiterated in August. Canopy had said in June it was facing an investigation from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over the reporting of revenue from BioSteel.

Persons: Chris Wattie, Sourasis Bose, Shweta Agarwal, Shinjini, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Thomson Locations: Smiths Falls , Ontario, Canada, , Ontario, BioSteel, Bengaluru

☆ Delta Air raises Q3 revenue forecast on rebound in transatlantic travel
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Sept 14 (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) on Thursday raised its current-quarter revenue forecast as Americans' thirst for travel to Europe lifted demand for transatlantic flights. Shares of the carrier, which also maintained its forecast for full-year profit, rose 2.7% before the bell. Transatlantic travel is the industry's most lucrative long-haul market, accounting for 11% to 20% of passenger revenue last year at the big three U.S. carriers: American Airlines (AAL.O), Delta Air Lines and United Airlines (UAL.O). The carrier said it expects third-quarter revenue to rise within the upper half of its forecast range of 11% to 14% growth. Atlanta-based Delta Air adjusted its estimate for fuel prices to a range of $2.75 and $2.90 per gallon for the current quarter, higher than the $2.50 to $2.70 per gallon it previously expected.

Persons: Mehr Bedi, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air, Thomson Locations: Europe, U.S, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Atlanta, Bengaluru

☆ Crypto firm DCG says Genesis' agreement with creditors to result in 70-90% recovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Sept 13 (Reuters) - Digital Currency Group (DCG), the parent of bankrupt crypto lender Genesis Capital, said in a court filing on Wednesday that it expects to provide a recovery of 70%-90% for all unsecured creditors under a previously announced agreement. Several crypto companies have been under pressure after the collapse of major exchange FTX sent shockwaves through the sector. Genesis, which filed for bankruptcy protection in January and owes at least $3.4 billion to creditors, reached an in-principle agreement on a restructuring plan a month later to resolve claims. Venture capital firm DCG owes Genesis Capital approximately $526 million due in May 2023 and $1.1 billion under a promissory note due in June 2032. "We strongly believe the proposed agreement represents the best outcome for all creditors," DCG said in a statement.

Persons: FTX, Genesis, DCG, Jaiveer Singh, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: Currency Group, Genesis, Gemini, . Venture, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

Sept 11 (Reuters) - Klaviyo is seeking a fully-diluted valuation of up to $8.4 billion in its initial public offering (IPO) in the United States, the marketing firm said on Monday, as it becomes the latest company to tap a growing wave of stock market listings. However, the company's proposed valuation is a climb-down from the $9.15 billion pre-money valuation at which Klaviyo last raised capital in 2021, reflecting a broader gloom in the technology startup ecosystem. Founded in 2012, Klaviyo helps store and analyze data for e-commerce brands that enables them to send out personalized marketing emails and messages to potential customers. Klaviyo posted 51% growth in revenue to $164.6 million for the three months ended June 30. The company is expected to debut in September, a busy month for stock market listings that could serve as a litmus test for other companies looking to go public.

Persons: Andrew Bialecki, Klaviyo, AllianceBernstein, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Sri Hari, Manya, Niket Nishant, Shweta Agarwal, Maju Samuel Organizations: Arm Holdings, Neumora Therapeutics, Summit Partners, BlackRock, New York Stock Exchange, Citigroup, underwriters, Sri, Manya Saini, Thomson Locations: United States, Boston, United Kingdom, Australia, Bengaluru

☆ Summit Materials to buy Cementos Argos' US unit in $3.2 bln deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Ananta Agarwal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Cement silos of Colombian cement maker Argos are pictured at a plant in Bogota, Colombia May 14, 2019. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez Acquire Licensing RightsSept 7 (Reuters) - Summit Materials (SUM.N) said on Thursday it would buy the U.S. operations of Columbia's Cementos Argos (CCB.CN) for about $3.2 billion in cash and stock, in a deal that would make the combined entity the largest U.S.-based cement producer. Cementos Argos, the core unit of industrial conglomerate Grupo Argos (ARG.CN), will own a 31% stake in Summit and receive $1.2 billion in cash payments, subject to certain conditions. The deal, which is expected to close in the first half of 2024, could lead to annual cost savings of more than $100 million, Summit said. Shares of Summit Materials fell 7.92% in mid-day trading.

Persons: Luisa Gonzalez, Columbia's Cementos, Argos, Summit, Anne Noonan, Morgan Stanley, Ananta Agarwal, Savio D'Souza, Maju Samuel, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: REUTERS, Grupo Argos, Summit, BofA Securities, Thomson Locations: Argos, Bogota, Colombia, U.S, Mid, Atlantic, Texas, Summit

Sept 6 (Reuters) - Intuit (INTU.O) launched an artificial intelligence-powered assistant on Wednesday to help clients in financial decision-making when using its products, ranging from tax-preparation tool TurboTax to bookkeeping software QuickBooks. The generative AI tool named "Intuit Assist" marks the latest effort by the financial software company to capitalize on the technology that has taken the world by storm after the rise of OpenAI's ChatGPT. The service uses the company's proprietary generative AI (GenAI) operating system designed to run with its own large language models. Chief Data Officer Ashok Srivastava told Reuters that Intuit's models "competed favorably" against sophisticated third-party rivals in accuracy tests conducted internally. The assistant is currently available to all TurboTax customers and select customers of Intuit's remaining products, with more features lined up for the 2023 tax season, the company said.

Persons: Ashok Srivastava, Arsheeya Bajwa, Akash Sriram, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: Intuit, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Intel to offer foundry services to Tower Semiconductor after acquisition deal falls through
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FILE PHOTO: Tower Semiconductor is seen on smartphone in front of displayed Intel logo in this illustration taken, February 15, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 5 (Reuters) - Intel (INTC.O) will offer foundry services to Tower Semiconductor (TSEM.TA) in a new deal that will see the Israeli contract chipmaker invest $300 million in Intel's New Mexico factory, the companies said on Tuesday. "We see this as a first step towards multiple unique synergistic solutions with Intel," Tower CEO Russell Ellwanger said. The deal also strengthens Intel's foundry capacity as it advances on rivals such as industry leader Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. In the second quarter, Intel's foundry business reported revenue of $232 million, up from $57 million a year earlier.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Russell Ellwanger, Yuvraj Malik, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: Semiconductor, REUTERS, Intel, Tower Semiconductor, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Thomson Locations: Intel's New Mexico, China, New Mexico, Ohio, Bengaluru

☆ CIBC's profit falls below estimates as it guards against bad loans
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A sign for the The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada December 13, 2021. CIBC, the last big six Canadian bank to report results for the third quarter, was also the latest to guard against potentially sour loans, a factor that is dragging on earnings across the sector. The issue was reflected in its core Canadian personal and business banking segment, where net income fell 16%. At its commercial banking and wealth management segment, net income fell 4%. CIBC's peers TD Bank (TD.TO), Bank of Montreal (BMO.TO), Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS.TO) and National Bank (NA.TO) missed quarterly profit estimates earlier in the week, also weighed down by higher provisions.

Persons: Carlos Osorio, Nivedita Balu, Pritam Biswas, Shweta Agarwal, David Holmes Organizations: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, CIBC, REUTERS, Bank, Bank of Montreal, Bank of Nova, National Bank, Thomson Locations: Toronto , Ontario, Canada, Bank of Nova Scotia, Toronto, Bengaluru

BMO, which bought U.S. regional lender Bank of the West earlier this year, said provision for credit losses rose to C$492 million ($361.42 million), compared with C$136 million a year ago. The bank's earnings were also affected by severance costs of C$162 million and C$83 million in legal provisions at its capital markets unit. At Bank of Montreal, net interest income for the quarter rose to C$4.91 billion, compared with C$4.20 billion last year. At Scotiabank net interest income fell to C$4.58 billion, from $4.68 billion a year ago, largely hurt by lower corporate lending and lower loan fees. At Scotiabank, net income came in at C$2.23 billion, compared with C$2.61 billion.

Persons: Carlos Osorio, Tayfun Tuzun, BMO's, Scott Thomson, Thomson, John Aiken, BMO's Tuzun, Nivedita Balu, Pritam Biswas, Sri Hari, Shweta Agarwal, Bernadette Baum, Mike Harrison, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Bank of Montreal, REUTERS, Bank of Nova, Bank of Canada's, BMO, Bank, Scotiabank, Barclays, Bank of, Analysts, Thomson Locations: Toronto , Ontario, Canada, Bank of Nova Scotia, Toronto, U.S, Mexico, Bank of Montreal, Bengaluru

☆ TSX set to open flat ahead of data-packed week
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Art Deco facade of the original Toronto Stock Exchange building is seen on Bay Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada January 23, 2019. ET (1105 GMT), after finishing the week flat on Friday. The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index (.GSPTSE) ended higher on Friday, lifted by gains in energy stocks. Investors are also awaiting earnings from major Canadian banks, including Bank of Montreal (BMO.TO), Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS.TO) and National Bank of Canada (NA.TO), reporting this week. Wall Street futures edged higher on Monday.

Persons: Chris Helgren, Canada's, Shashwat Chauhan, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: Toronto Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Bank of Canada, Toronto Stock, Bank of Montreal, Bank of Nova, National Bank of Canada, Wall, Brent, Thomson Locations: Toronto , Ontario, Canada, United States, China, Bank of Nova Scotia, Bengaluru

☆ Private equity firm Veritas makes takeover offer for BlackBerry, source says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Greg Roumeliotis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Mike Blake Acquire Licensing RightsAug 25 (Reuters) - Private equity firm Veritas Capital has made an offer to buy BlackBerry Ltd (BB.TO), according to a person familiar with the matter, months after the Canadian technology company began a strategic review. Veritas and Blackberry did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Veritas has made an offer for the entire company, the source said, adding that BlackBerry is also in talks with other potential buyers. Morgan Stanley (MS.N) and Perella Weinberg Partners are acting as financial advisors to BlackBerry for the strategic review. Bloomberg News reported the talks between Veritas and BlackBerry earlier on Friday.

Persons: Mike Blake, Morgan Stanley, Perella Weinberg, Chavi Mehta, Shweta Agarwal, Grant McCool Organizations: REUTERS, Veritas Capital, BlackBerry, Veritas, Malikie Innovations, Perella Weinberg Partners, Bloomberg News, Thomson Locations: Irvine , California, U.S, Canadian, Bengaluru

☆ Private-equity firm Veritas makes a takeover offer for BlackBerry, source says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Blackberry logo is shown on a office tower in Irvine, California, U.S., October 20, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Blake Acquire Licensing RightsAug 25 (Reuters) - Private equity firm Veritas Capital has made an offer to buy Canadian software company BlackBerry (BB.TO), according to a person familiar with the matter. Veritas and Blackberry did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. It pulled the plug on its smartphones business last year and has since been trying to sell its legacy patents related to its mobile devices. In May, BlackBerry said it will continue with the previously announced sale of the patents related to its mobile devices to Malikie Innovations Limited for up to $900 million.

Persons: Mike Blake, BlackBerry, Chavi Mehta, Greg Roumeliotis, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: REUTERS, Veritas Capital, BlackBerry, Veritas, Malikie Innovations, Thomson Locations: Irvine , California, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Veritas is said to consider a takeover offer for BlackBerry - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The Blackberry logo is shown on a office tower in Irvine, California, U.S., October 20, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Blake Acquire Licensing RightsAug 25 (Reuters) - Private equity firm Veritas Capital is considering a takeover offer for Canadian software company BlackBerry (BB.TO), according to a person familiar with the matter. Veritas and Blackberry did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for a comment. BlackBerry had said in May it would conduct a review of strategic alternatives, which includes the possible separation of one or more of its businesses. Reporting by Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru and Greg Roumeliotis; Editing by Shweta AgarwalOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mike Blake, BlackBerry, Chavi Mehta, Greg Roumeliotis, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: REUTERS, Veritas Capital, Canadian, BlackBerry, Veritas, Thomson Locations: Irvine , California, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ TSX ends lower as tech falls, investors weigh bank earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Fergal Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Art Deco facade of the original Toronto Stock Exchange building is seen on Bay Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada January 23, 2019. The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index (.GSPTSE) ended down 103.96 points, or 0.5%, at 19,775.83, giving back some of the previous day's rally. "Considering the softness on the U.S. side, the Canadian market held up well," said Lorne Steinberg, president, Lorne Steinberg Wealth Management Inc. Shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD.TO) were down 3.2% after the bank missed analysts' estimates for quarterly profit. But Royal Bank of Canada (RY.TO) shares ended 2% higher as it beat estimates, helped by cost cutting measures.

Persons: Chris Helgren, Jerome Powell's, Lorne Steinberg, Steinberg, Fergal Smith, Siddarth, Marguerita Choy, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: Toronto Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Tech, RBC, Toronto Stock, Federal, Lorne Steinberg Wealth Management Inc, Dominion Bank, Royal Bank of Canada, Thomson Locations: Toronto , Ontario, Canada, U.S, Toronto, Bengaluru

☆ AI startup Hugging Face valued at $4.5 bln in latest round of funding
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Aug 24 (Reuters) - AI startup Hugging Face said on Thursday it was valued at $4.5 billion in a $235-million funding round backed by technology heavyweights, including Salesforce (CRM.N), Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Google and Nvidia (NVDA.O). The latest round of funding outlines the rapidly growing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), which has been hailed by many as the next frontier of technology and has attracted some of the biggest investors in Silicon Valley. Following the launch of OpenAI's popular chatbot ChatGPT, several AI startups like Microsoft-backed (MSFT.O) Inflection AI and Google-backed Runway have raised funds. Intel (INTC.O), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD.O), Qualcomm (QCOM.O), IBM (IBM.N), Amazon (AMZN.O) and Ashton Kutcher-backed venture capital firm Sound Ventures also participated in Hugging Face's latest funding round. "In five years, every tech company will be an AI company," Delangue added.

Persons: Ashton Kutcher, Face's, Clément Delangue, Delangue, Shubhendu Satish Deshmukh, Niket, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: Google, Nvidia, Microsoft, Intel, Devices, Qualcomm, IBM, Sound Ventures, Thomson Locations: Silicon Valley, Bengaluru

☆ Meta to launch AI model for writing computer codes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of Meta Platforms' business group is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 24 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms (META.O) on Thursday said it would release an artificial intelligence (AI) model designed to assist in writing computer code, furthering its push into the new technology. Facebook and Instagram owner Meta has released a flurry of AI models, mostly free, this year, including an open-source language model, called Llama, that poses a serious challenge to proprietary models sold by Microsoft-backed (MSFT.O) OpenAI and Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Google. The new AI model is built on top of Meta's latest Llama 2 language model and will be available in different configurations, the company said, as it gears up to compete with Microsoft's code-writing tool GitHub Copilot. Code Llama supports the popular coding languages like Python, Java and C++ and is not recommended for general text tasks, Meta said.

Persons: Yves Herman, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Meta, Zaheer Kachwala, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: REUTERS, Facebook, Microsoft, Google, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Bengaluru

☆ Toronto-Dominion Bank's quarterly profit falls as loan-loss provisions rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) logos are seen outside of a branch in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, May 26, 2016. REUTERS/Chris Wattie/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 24 (Reuters) - Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD.TO) on Thursday reported a drop in third-quarter profit as the Canadian lender set aside more rainy-day funds to cover losses from borrowers who might fall behind on loan payments. The bank reported adjusted net income of C$3.73 billion ($2.76 billion), or C$1.99 per share, in the three months ended July 31, compared with C$3.81 billion, or C$2.09 apiece, a year earlier. ($1 = 1.3538 Canadian dollars)Reporting by Pritam Biswas in Bengaluru; Editing by Shweta AgarwalOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Chris Wattie, Pritam Biswas, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: Dominion Bank, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Toronto, Ottawa , Ontario, Canada, Bengaluru

☆ Abercrombie & Fitch lifts sales forecast as fresh clothing styles draw shoppers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A person carries a bag from the Abercrombie & Fitch store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., February 27, 2017. The company's eponymous Abercrombie label has also ranked among the top five clothing brands that back-to-school shoppers chose, a survey by William Blair showed. Net sales at the Abercrombie brand jumped 26% in the three months ended July 29, while the Hollister division posted an 8% rise. The company said it now expects net sales to rise around 10% for fiscal 2023, compared with its prior forecast range of 2% to 4% growth. Analysts, on average, had estimated a 3.9% rise to $3.84 billion in revenue, according to Refinitiv IBES data.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Abercrombie, William Blair, Deborah Sophia, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: Abercrombie, Fitch, REUTERS, U.S, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Ohio, Hollister, Bengaluru

☆ Bath & Body Works sees steeper sales drop on slowing demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Products are displayed in L Brands Inc., Bath & Body Works retail store in Manhattan, New York, U.S., May 13, 2016. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Acquire Licensing RightsAug 23 (Reuters) - Bath & Body Works (BBWI.N) on Wednesday warned of a steeper decline in annual sales as Americans deferred purchasing its pricier home fragrances and personal care products amid still-high inflation pinching household budgets. Shares of the Ohio-based company fell about 2% in premarket trading after the retailer forecast current-quarter sales and profit below Street expectations. Bath & Body Works now expects annual net sales to decline between 1.5% and 3.5%, compared with its previous forecast of flat net sales to a mid-single-digit percentage decline. It also raised its annual profit forecast to adjusted earnings per share now expected to range between $2.80 and $3.10, compared with $2.68 and $3.08 previously expected.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Estee Lauder, Juveria Tabassum, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: Brands Inc, Body Works, REUTERS, Body, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York, U.S, Ohio

☆ Abercrombie & Fitch raises sales forecast as new clothing styles attract shoppers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Deborah Mary Sophia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A person carries a bag from the Abercrombie & Fitch store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., February 27, 2017. Revenue from the Abercrombie brand rose 26% in the quarter, while that from Hollister recorded its first growth, with an 8% rise, following a decline in the past five quarters. Abercrombie now expects fiscal 2023 net sales to rise around 10%, compared with its prior forecast range of 2% to 4% growth. Its per-share profit of $1.10, for the three months ended July 29, crushed estimates of 17 cents, according to Refinitiv IBES data. Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Shweta AgarwalOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Abercrombie, Fran Horowitz, Rachel Wolff, They've, Wolff, Hollister, Deborah Sophia, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: Abercrombie, Fitch, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Meta rolls out web version of Threads
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Aug 22 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms (META.O) said on Tuesday it was launching the web version of its new text-first social media platform Threads, in a bid to retain professional users and gain an edge over rival X, formerly Twitter. Threads' users will be able to access the microblogging platform by logging-in to its website from their computers, the Facebook and Instagram owner said. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a Threads post that the web version would reach users "over the next few days." Meta's Threads app logo is seen in this illustration taken July 4, 2023. The company will be adding more functionality to the web experience in the coming weeks, Meta said.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Dado Ruvic, Meta, Yuvraj Malik, Katie Paul, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: Facebook, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru, New York

Medtronic Plc logo is seen displayed in this illustration taken, April 10, 2023. Medtronic, which makes pacemakers, catheters and other tools used in heart and gastrointestinal surgeries, joins rivals, including Abbott Laboratories (ABT.N), Stryker (SYK.N) and Boston Scientific (BSX.N), on benefiting from a rise in non-urgent surgeries. CEO Geoff Martha said trends pointed to a recovery in surgical volumes as some procedures returned to stronger than pre-pandemic levels. Whereas, revenue from its medical surgical unit rose 5.5% to $2.04 billion. Medtronic also said that it was expecting to split its patient monitoring and respiratory interventions businesses in the first half of fiscal 2025.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Stryker, Geoff Martha, It's, Martha, Edward Jones, John Boylan, Medtronic, Bhanvi Satija, Christy Santhosh, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: REUTERS, Abbott, Abbott Laboratories, Boston, Thomson Locations: Dublin, Bengaluru

☆ Medtronic raises forecast as demand for heart devices powers upbeat results
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 22 (Reuters) - Medtronic (MDT.N) on Tuesday raised its annual profit forecast, after beating first-quarter estimates on higher demand for its medical devices used in heart and gastrointestinal surgeries. A recovery in non-urgent procedures and easing staffing shortages following a decline in COVID-19 cases has boosted the demand for medical devices. Sales at Medtronic's heart devices unit, its biggest revenue driver, increased 5.5% to $2.85 billion for the first quarter, above analysts' estimates of $2.78 billion. Revenue for the quarter rose 4.5% to $7.70 billion, topping analysts' average estimate of $7.57 billion. Its adjusted profit of $1.20 per share for the quarter ended July 28 beat estimates of $1.11 per share.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Medtronic, Stryker, Bhanvi Satija, Christy Santhosh, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: REUTERS, Abbott Laboratories, Boston, Revenue, Thomson Locations: COVID, Dublin, Bengaluru

CVS Health logo is seen displayed in this illustration taken, May 3, 2022. The regional health insurance provider will still retain CVS Caremark for managing specialty drugs, which are costly medications used to treat complex conditions like cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. Other analysts highlighted difficulties in shifting to a different model than the one offered by companies like CVS - which provide other services including home drug delivery and reimburse pharmacies for patients' prescriptions. Amazon Pharmacy will provide at-home delivery of prescription drugs as well as upfront pricing, while Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company will provide access to generic drugs, Blue Shield said. Blue Shield of California's other partners include privately held Abarca for processing claims related to prescription drugs, while smaller PBM Prime Therapeutics will work to negotiate savings with drugmakers.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Cigna, UnitedHealth, Mark, Elizabeth Anderson, J.P, Morgan, Lisa Gill, Gill, Blue, Manas Mishra, Mariam Sunny, Bhanvi, Shweta Agarwal, Pooja Desai, Krishna Chandra Eluri, Frances Kerry Organizations: CVS, REUTERS, Amazon, Cigna, UnitedHealth, Evercore ISI, Mark Cuban, Plus, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Blue Shield of California drops CVS, taps Amazon and others to lower drug costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CVS Health logo is seen displayed in this illustration taken, May 3, 2022. Blue Shield, whose health plans cover 4.8 million members, said it will now work with five different companies, including Mark Cuban's drug company, to provide "convenient, transparent access to medications while lowering costs." Privately held Abarca will pay prescription drug claims, while Prime Therapeutics will work with Blue Shield to negotiate savings with drugmakers, the company said. Blue Shield will also work with CVS Caremark for specialty pharmacy services. The loss of the Blue Shield pharmacy benefit management contract is another blow to Caremark, which is also set to lose the contract to manage Centene's (CNC.N) $40 billion annual pharmacy needs from next year.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, UnitedHealth, Mark Cuban's, Paul Markovich, Mark, Manas Mishra, Mariam Sunny, Bhanvi, Shweta Agarwal, Pooja Desai Organizations: CVS, REUTERS, Blue, Cigna, UnitedHealth, Pharmacy, Wall Street, Mark Cuban, Plus, Thomson Locations: Blue, Bengaluru

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