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☆ Vista exploring deal to buy Coupa Software - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 23 (Reuters) - Private equity firm Vista Equity Partners is exploring an acquisition of Coupa Software Inc (COUP.O), Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Shares of the software firm, which had a market capitalization of nearly $3.5 billion as of Tuesday close, surged 27% to $58.15 following the report. Vista declined to comment, while Coupa did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Vista has held talks with Coupa, which is working with an adviser, according to the report, adding that private-credit lenders could provide financing for a potential deal. Reporting by Tiyashi Datta in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj KalluvilaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Popular tax prep software sent financial information to Meta, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Popular tax prep software including TaxAct , TaxSlayer and H&R Block sent sensitive financial information to Facebook parent company Meta through its widespread code, known as a pixel, that helps developers track user activity on their sites, an investigation by The Markup found. In a report published with The Verge on Tuesday, the outlet found the software sent information like names, email addresses, income information and refund amounts to Meta. "Advertisers should not send sensitive information about people through our Business Tools," a Meta spokesperson told CNBC in a statement. Our system is designed to filter out potentially sensitive data it is able to detect." Meta considers potentially sensitive information to include information about income, loan amounts and debt status.

☆ Coupa Software Weighs Right Time to Refinance Low-Rate Debt Amid High Rates
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Mark Maurer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Coupa Software Inc. is searching for the right time to refinance over $2 billion in convertible debt that it holds at nearly evanescent rates—despite rising financing costs and the fact that its maturities are more than two years away. Tony Tiscornia, chief financial officer at Coupa Software. “For a young software company, we would really like to see a lot of the focus on just growth at this time, over profitability,” she said, speaking generally. The company will likely refinance with convertible debt because the interest rate tends to be lower than that of straight debt, he said, adding that more equity would dilute shareholdings. Conagra said it had $8.98 billion in net debt as of Aug. 28, down from $9.19 billion a year earlier.

Nonpartisan forecasters and opinion polls suggested a strong chance of Republicans winning a House majority and a tight race for Senate control. Shares in healthcare, energy and defense sectors could see more volatility in the wake of the election. "A Republican victory is seen as removing either current regulations, like in the energy sector, or potential future regulations like in the pharmaceutical sector." The S&P 500 (.SPX) is up nearly 9% from its recent October lows, but has still posted steep losses this year on worries that aggressive monetary policy tightening would tip the U.S. economy into a recession. Among S&P 500 sectors, energy (.SPNY) and consumer discretionary (.SPLRCD) fell the most, down 1% and 0.5%, respectively.

☆ Futures edge higher with focus on midterm elections
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

With Democrat Joe Biden in the White House, that potential result would lead to a split government. Control of even one chamber of Congress would give Republicans the power to bring Biden's legislative agenda to a halt and demand deep spending cuts. "The question for many is whether investors will respond positively to the deadlock in Washington," said Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at Oanda. Traders are currently betting on 63% odds of a 50-basis point hike at the Fed's next meeting in December. ET, Dow e-minis were up 64 points, or 0.19%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 8.25 points, or 0.22%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 49.75 points, or 0.45%.

☆ Take-Two slumps as forecast cut deepens videogame industry gloom
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 7 (Reuters) - Take-Two Interactive Software Inc (TTWO.O) lowered its annual sales forecast on Monday, the latest videogame publisher to be hit by this year's dollar spike and a broader gaming industry slump. Take-Two, whose shares fell nearly 17% in extended trading, now expects full-year adjusted sales between $5.4 billion and $5.5 billion. Its prior view was $5.8 billion to $5.9 billion. Overall spending on mobile games is estimated to decline 2.3% in 2022, according to data analytics firm Sensor Tower, after a surge during the pandemic. Some of the pressure is expected to be offset by strong sales of "NBA 2K23" - the latest installment in Take-Two's popular basketball series.

☆ Take-Two deepens videogame industry gloom with forecast cut
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 7 (Reuters) - Take-Two Interactive Software Inc (TTWO.O) cut its annual sales forecast on Monday, the latest videogame publisher to be hit by this year's dollar spike and a broader gaming industry slump. Take-Two, whose shares fell nearly 15% in extended trading, now expects full-year adjusted sales between $5.4 billion and $5.5 billion. For the second quarter ended Sept. 30, Take-Two reported adjusted sales of $1.5 billion. The company's quarterly performance was supported by "NBA 2K23" - the latest game in Take-Two's popular basketball series - which has enjoyed solid demand since its early September launch. Reporting by Tiyashi Datta and Aditya Soni in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Shopify's startup investments this year include millions into companies that focus on NFTs, Web3 apps, customer-engagement, and financial services
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

In its press release announcing the new funding, Wati said the investment was Shopify's first in a startup operating in Southeast Asia. The goal is to make Thirdweb's tools available to Shopify merchants who want to bring Web3 products and experiences to their online stores. Shopify recently participated in Gorgias' $30 million Series C round, which valued the startup at $710 million. According to the company, merchants using its technology report a 96% increase in sales on average. Flexport announced it had received a strategic investment from Shopify as part of its $935 million Series E on February 7.

NEW YORK, Oct 27 (Reuters) - A federal jury in Detroit ordered Ford Motor Co (F.N) to pay Versata Software Inc $104.6 million in damages for breaching a 2004 licensing contract and misappropriating trade secrets. More than $82.2 million of the jury award was for breach of contract, with the remaining $22.4 million for trade secret misappropriation. Versata's damages expert testified that the company suffered $59.9 million in trade secret damages. The litigation began in April 2015, when Ford sought a court order that it did not infringe Versata's intellectual property. The case is Versata Software Inc et al v Ford Motor Co, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, No.

☆ New Adobe software tools aim to aid 3D content creation for metaverse
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Stephen Nellis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 18 (Reuters) - Adobe Inc (ADBE.O) on Tuesday released a set of new software tools designed to make it easier to create three-dimensional digital objects for marketing campaigns, video games and the metaverse. But in recent years Adobe has also invested in creating three-dimensional content, a field dominated by video-game centric firms like Unity Software Inc (U.N). Such content is expected to factor prominently in the metaverse, the virtual world that Meta Platforms Inc (META.O) and others are counting on for future revenue growth. "It's only with augmented reality and with 3D that you can do that," Cottin said. The second Adobe tool released Tuesday allows artists to switch between editing a three-dimensional object on a desktop computer to manipulating it with their hands in a virtual reality headset.

The AI software told banks to deny millions of legitimate purchases, at a time when consumers had been scrambling for toilet paper and other essentials. Seasonal variations, data-quality changes or momentous events - such as the pandemic - all can lead to a string of bad AI predictions. Also to blame was its AI system learning from corrupted data, the company said. Arize AI, which raised $38 million from investors last month, enables monitoring for customers including Uber, Chick-fil-A and Procter & Gamble. Zoldi said consumer habits were changing too fast to rewrite the AI system.

☆ Microsoft launches Designer, its answer to highly valued startup Canva
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Microsoft is launching a simple graphic design app called Designer that will be available for free and as part of Office productivity software subscriptions, the company said Wednesday. Microsoft has sought to demonstrate the value of Office subscriptions by adding new capabilities, and earlier this year it raised the prices of some bundles aimed at businesses. With its Designer app, Microsoft is initially aiming at consumers, a spokesperson told CNBC in an email. The launch of Designer might also make Microsoft bump up against Adobe , which fields the free Adobe Express tool that features templates and stock images. Once the app becomes generally available, Microsoft will maintain a free tier, along with a premium version for those with Microsoft 365 Personal and Microsoft 365 Family subscriptions, the spokesperson said.

☆ Cramer's lightning round: Service Corporation International is a good stock to own
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Loading chart...MGM Resorts International : "I don't really care for that group, but you know what, I think anything can bounce in that business." Loading chart...Take-Two Interactive Software Inc : "I don't think that group is doing that well." Loading chart...Rio Tinto PLC : "I do think that it represents great assets, but if the stock's going to reflect that in the near term, I don't know." I think it's fine, not great, not bad." Loading chart...Service Corporation International : "I think that that is a good stock to own."

☆ Insight Partners to acquire stake in software firm Aptean
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 10 (Reuters) - New York-based private equity and venture capital firm Insight Partners will acquire a minority stake in Aptean, the business software firm said on Monday. Existing investor TA Associates has also invested, Aptean said, making the investment firm its largest shareholder. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterVista Equity Partners, previously equal partners in Aptean with TA Associates, will fully exit its stake in the company. Charlesbank Capital Partners, a private investment firm that joined TA Associates and Vista Equity as stakeholder in 2020, will continue to be a shareholder, Aptean said. The investment firm then merged CDC Software with Consona Corp to form Aptean.

☆ Compass is in a precarious position. It's worth a fraction of its IPO valuation, it's never turned a profit, and employees say the former centerpiece of the business — its vaunted tech tools for agent
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Daniel Geiger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Reffkin (left) and Compass cofounder Ori Allon. Tech had been central to Compass' original missionFor years, Compass executives, including Reffkin, credited the company's tech with its meteoric rise in the residential-real-estate business. Though Compass' tech team still has 700 people, many more than any rival brokerage, the September layoffs seemed to initiate what insiders expect to be continuing cuts to the unit. "Robert is like Steve Jobs but without the insight," the veteran engineer who left Compass earlier this year said. Reffkin (left) and Allon ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

☆ UK police arrest 17-year-old on suspicion of hacking
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterA hooded man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. Top U.S. fuel pipeline operator Colonial Pipeline has shut its entire network after a cyber attack, the company said on Friday. read moreRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe police could not confirm if the arrest was related to that investigation. In April, City of London Police charged two teenagers aged 16 and 17 in connection with an investigation into hacking. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Farouq Suleiman and Paul Sandle; editing by William James and Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Take-Two says hacker accessed 2K Games' help desk
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterGrand Theft Auto The Trilogy by Take-Two Interactive Software Inc is seen for sale in a store in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., February 7, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File PhotoSept 21 (Reuters) - Take-Two Interactive Software Inc said on Wednesday that a hacker had gained access to the help desk platform of its unit 2K Games and sent a malicious link to certain customers. The support account of 2K Games - the studio behind hit titles such as "NBA 2K" and "Borderlands" - will remain offline while it continues to address the issue, Take-Two said. "We will issue a notice when you can resume interacting with official 2K help desk emails," it added. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Tiyashi Datta in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta and Anil D'SilvaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Wall Street ends choppy session higher with focus firmly on Fed
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( David French | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Focus will also be on new economic projections, due to be published alongside the Fed's policy statement at 2 p.m. A majority of the 11 S&P 500 sectors rose. read moreIndustrial stocks (.SPLRCI) rebounded 1.4% after a sharp drop on Friday, while banks (.SPXBK) gained 1.9%. Tech heavyweights Apple Inc (AAPL.O) and Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) rose 2.5% and 1.9%, respectively, to provide the biggest boost to the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq. read moreThe S&P 500 posted one new 52-week high and 28 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 29 new highs and 378 new lows.

☆ Uber says Lapsus$-linked hacker responsible for breach
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe logo for Uber Technologies is seen on a vehicle in Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S., November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew KellySept 19 (Reuters) - Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N) said on Monday a hacker affiliated with the Lapsus$ hacking group was responsible for a cyber attack that forced the ride-hailing company to shut several internal communications temporarily last week. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe company said it was in close coordination with the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice on the matter. The hacker had posted a message on the forum about seeking to "negotiate a deal" with the videogaming company. read moreRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Nivedita Balu in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju SamuelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterUnexpectedly hot August inflation data last week also raised bets on increased rate hikes down the road, with the terminal rate for U.S. fed funds now at 4.46%. It's a lower volume market, which means that folks are probably just sitting tight at this point waiting to see the next step." Focus will also be on new economic projections, due to be published alongside the Fed's policy statement at 2 p.m. Four of the 11 S&P 500 sectors were lower. Tech heavyweights Apple Inc (AAPL.O) and Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) rose more than 1% each to provide the biggest boost to S&P 500 and the Nasdaq.

Raindrops hang on a sign for Wall Street outside the New York Stock Exchange in Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., October 26, 2020. Five of the 11 S&P 500 sectors were lower. Tech heavyweights Apple Inc (AAPL.O) and Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) rose more than 1% each to provide the biggest boost to S&P 500 and the Nasdaq. read moreThe CBOE volatility index (.VIX), also known as Wall Street's fear gauge, rose to 26.67 points. Declining issues outnumbered advancers for a 1.31-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and for a 1.92-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.

☆ Take-Two confirms GTA VI leak, says game development unaffected
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Nivedita Balu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File PhotoSept 19 (Reuters) - Take-Two Interactive Software Inc (TTWO.O) on Monday confirmed that a hacker had leaked the early footage of Grand Theft Auto VI, the next installment of the best-selling videogame. The company, however, said it did not expect the incident to affect the game's development, helping its shares pare some of their losses from a 6% drop in premarket trading. We have already taken steps to isolate and contain this incident," Take-Two said in a statement. "The leaked footage simply confirms existing market rumors on the game's development that have been circulating for years," Benchmark analyst Mike Hickey said. "We are incrementally more confident the game can release in FY25 and provide a significant catalyst for revenue and profit growth."

Raindrops hang on a sign for Wall Street outside the New York Stock Exchange in Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., October 26, 2020. Unexpectedly hot August inflation data last week also raised bets on increased rate hikes down the road, with the terminal rate for U.S. fed funds now at 4.47%. The Fed regards a recession as regrettable, but necessary to fight inflation," Grisanti said. The CBOE volatility index (.VIX), also known as Wall Street's fear gauge, rose to 27.72 points, inching closer to a more than two-month high. Focus will also be on new economic projections, due to be published alongside the policy statement at 2 p.m.

☆ Take-Two shares fall after reported leak of GTA VI gameplay footage
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy by Take-Two Interactive Software Inc is seen for sale in a store in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., February 7, 2022. The unprecedented leak included dozens of videos showing robberies, gunplay and open-world driving and was posted on an online message board. An admin for the message board, GTAForums, said Take-Two had asked for the copyrighted material to be taken down. "Based on what we see, the game is further along than many believe and (the leak) won't impact game reception/sales," Jefferies analysts said. GTA VI is estimated to generate bookings of $3.5 billion at launch and an annual average of $2 billion thereafter, according to BofA Global Research.

☆ Take-Two's Grand Theft Auto VI gameplay leaked online, Bloomberg reports
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy by Take-Two Interactive Software Inc is seen for sale in a store in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., February 7, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File PhotoRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterSept 18 (Reuters) - A hacker released gameplay from Take-Two Interactive Software Inc's (TTWO.O) Grand Theft Auto VI in one of the biggest leaks in gaming history, Bloomberg News reported on Sunday. https://bloom.bg/3R1OKAURegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterRockstar Games, a video game studio owned by Take-Two, is the developer of Grand Theft Auto, one of the best-selling videogame franchises of all time. Take-Two Interactive did not respond to a Reuters request for comment outside regular business hours. read moreRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Abinaya Vijayaraghavan in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika SyamnathOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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