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☆ For Apple, emerging markets like Vietnam, India and Indonesia are 'a golden opportunity' right now
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Hong Kong CNN —Apple launched an online store in Vietnam this week, in another nod to the growing importance of emerging markets for the iPhone maker. Markets like Vietnam, India and Indonesia are becoming more important for Apple as its growth in developed markets, including China, slows down, prompting the company to focus on places where it’s traditionally been less active. “Clearly, growth has slowed globally and thus put more pressure [on Apple] to aggressively go after emerging markets,” said Daniel Ives, managing director of Wedbush Securities. This has “been the core part of its success in China that now can be replicated in India, Indonesia, and Vietnam, among others,” said Ives. And while consumers are becoming more affluent, the company’s price points are still considered high in many emerging markets, noted Ives.

☆ Dianne Feinstein can't be recalled and she almost certainly won't be expelled from the Senate
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A new report raises even more concerns about Sen. Dianne Feinstein's health. True, Feinstein's health is the topic du jour in Washington. Byrd, Thurmond, and Cochran all faced unflattering stories that virtually mirror what's been written about Feinstein. The last time the Senate actually expelled a member was in 1862 when it booted out 14 senators for supporting the Confederacy. The biggest power Feinstein's colleagues and critics can wield is shame.

☆ Big beat for Amazon: Tops profit, cloud-unit sales estimates
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | 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 EmailBig beat for Amazon: Tops profit, cloud-unit sales estimatesHosted by Brian Sullivan, “Last Call” is a fast-paced, entertaining business show that explores the intersection of money, culture and policy. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. ET on CNBC. Casey Newton, Platformer editor, Steve Kovach, CNBC tech reporter, and Daniel Ives, Wedbush Securities managing director of equity research, join the show to discuss Thursday's deluge of tech earnings.

CHICAGO, April 26 (Reuters) - A U.S. default is highly unlikely, but negotiations around the debt ceiling are expected to be protracted, Daniel Ivascyn, chief investment officer at U.S. bond giant Pacific Investment Management Co (PIMCO), said on Wednesday. Speaking at a Morningstar investment conference in Chicago, Ivascyn said prolonged uncertainty around the U.S. debt ceiling could be a headwind for the economy, tightening credit conditions and accelerating the current economic slowdown. On Wednesday, former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers said the odds that the U.S. government could face a technical debt default were at around 2% to 3%, but that any default would be fixed quickly. "You're introducing a debt ceiling standoff at a time where there's just lots of other uncertainty," Ivascyn said, adding this could translate into a further reduction in risk-taking from households and corporates, which could exacerbate economic weakness. Ivascyn said he was seeking to maintain high liquidity to withstand potentially more volatility in financial markets caused by the borrowing limit standoff.

☆ Meta returns to revenue growth: Stock surges after-hours on big beat
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | 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 EmailMeta returns to revenue growth: Stock surges after-hours on big beatHosted by Brian Sullivan, “Last Call” is a fast-paced, entertaining business show that explores the intersection of money, culture and policy. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. ET on CNBC. Nilay Patel, The Verge editor-in-chief, Daniel Ives, Wedbush Securities managing director of equity research, and Julia Boorstin, CNBC, join the show to discuss Meta's most recent quarter.

☆ China's electric car drive, led by BYD, leaves global brands behind
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SHANGHAI, April 17 (Reuters) - China's auto market, the world’s largest, is accelerating toward an electric future – leaving established global brands stuck in the slow lane. China’s passenger car sales were down 13% in the first quarter, data from the China Passenger Car Association show. But sales of EVs and plug-in hybrids – an area where Chinese automakers led by BYD now dominate – were up 22%. BYD dominates China’s market for plug-in hybrids, cars that have a combustion engine but are capable of being charged and running for shorter distances on electric power. In a further threat to established brands, China’s exports are growing fast, led by EVs and PHEVs.

☆ Cirrus Logic slumps as analyst says Apple to abandon button design change
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 12 (Reuters) - Shares of Apple Inc (AAPL.O) supplier Cirrus Logic Inc (CRUS.O) tumbled about 12% after a renowned analyst said the iPhone maker will abandon the solid-state button design for premium variants of its iPhone 15 series of smartphones. Amid speculation Apple would use a button format that remains static, TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, known for his accurate predictions related to Apple's product launches, said in a blog post the company decided to abandon the design shift. "Investors had anticipated that the new solid-state button design would increase suppliers' revenues and profits," Kuo said. Shares of integrated circuit maker Cirrus Logic have hit their lowest in over two months and are set for their worst day in about two years. Cirrus Logic declined to comment.

☆ Premarket stocks: What markets are watching after digesting the US jobs data
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

While inflation has come down and other economic data point to a cooling economy, the labor market has remained remarkably resilient. The labor market is cooling but not rapidly or significantly, and further rate hikes can’t be ruled out. More trouble for commercial real estateA few weeks ago, Before the Bell wrote about big problems brewing in the $20 trillion commercial real estate industry. In a worst-case scenario, anxiety about bank lending to commercial real estate could spiral, prompting customers to yank their deposits. The proportion of commercial office mortgages where borrowers are behind with payments is rising, according to Trepp, which provides data on commercial real estate.

Multiple experts identified the presence of malware on the Pinduoduo app that exploited vulnerabilities in Android operating systems. Evidence of sophisticated malware in the Pinduoduo app comes amid intense scrutiny of Chinese-developed apps like TikTok over concerns about data security. Pinduoduo has previously rejected “the speculation and accusation that Pinduoduo app is malicious.”CNN has contacted PDD multiple times over email and phone for comment, but has not received a response. Google Play is not available in China, and Android users in the country download their apps from local stores. Engineers also found their access to big data, data sheets and the log system revoked, the source said.

☆ Hodgson's second spell at Palace begins with first win of 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, April 1 (Reuters) - Roy Hodgson's second stint as Crystal Palace manager began with a 2-1 Premier League win over Leicester City on Saturday, as the London side registered their first victory in 2023 thanks to a late winner from Jean-Philippe Mateta. Hodgson had been brought in to secure Palace's future in the top flight but with both teams looking likely to extend their winless runs, Jordan Ayew took matters into his hands in added time in the second half with a solo run into Leicester's half. We needed this win – for the team, for the new manager... Meanwhile, Ivorian winger and Palace's top scorer this season Wilfried Zaha was forced to limp off with a groin injury. Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Pritha SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Walt Disney Co begins 7,000 layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LOS ANGELES, March 27(Reuters) - Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) on Monday began 7,000 layoffs announced earlier this year, as it seeks to control costs and create a more "streamlined" business, according to a letter Chief Executive Bob Iger sent to employees and seen by Reuters. Several major divisions of the company - Disney Entertainment, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, and corporate - will be impacted, according to a person familiar with the matter. Iger said Disney would begin notifying the first group of employees who are impacted by the workforce reductions over the next four days. Josh D’Amaro, chair of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, sent a memo to theme parks employees in February warning that the profitable division would experience cuts. Officials for two of the unions representing cast members at Walt Disney World Resorts in Orlando, Florida, said “guest-facing” services were not expected to be affected by the layoffs.

☆ The TikTok hearing is mostly lawmakers berating the CEO and loudly asking 'Yes or no?' to detailed questions
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Dan Whateley | Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

TikTok CEO Shou Chew appeared before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on Thursday. Chew's remarks were often cut short as Congress members pressed him for "yes" or "no" responses. "Welcome to the most bipartisan committee in Congress," Republican Rep. Earl LeRoy "Buddy" Carter said, addressing Chew as "Mr. Chew's responses to questions were often cut short as members of Congress asked for shorter "yes" or "no" responses. In the days leading up to the committee hearing, TikTok helped arrange a press conference with Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman that it described as a push "in support of free expression."

Separately, two days of chaos in China's $21 trillion bond market ended on Friday after Beijing allowed money brokers to resume providing data to third-party platforms. Jeffrey Gundlach, CEO of DoubleLine Capital, said he considered selling Treasuries earlier in the week but the market was "wildly illiquid." Bond market volatility spikesKEEPING WATCHThe heightened volatility has caught the eye of officials who play a role in ensuring financial markets stability. Analysts noted that bond volatility was exceptionally high not only because of a flight to safe-haven government debt, but also due to a massive repricing of rate-hike expectations. "If liquidity is deteriorating due to wild swings in safe-haven markets, that has implications for the functioning of financial markets and broader economic stability."

☆ Fed likely to raise rates by 25 bps, with eyes on banks -PIMCO's CIO
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Davide Barbuscia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

But as the European Central Bank hiked rates by 50 basis points on Thursday, the U.S. central bank was expected to press on with a quarter-point interest-rate hike despite the banking sector turmoil. "They're going to be watching signs of more instability across the financial sector very carefully," Ivascyn told Reuters. "There certainly are scenarios where they pause, it'll likely be a hawkish pause if it's a pause, but our current thinking is they go 25." Ivascyn said he expected market volatility around banks to continue over the next few months with some "isolated areas of weakness," but said the global banking sector was well capitalized compared with the 2008 global financial crisis. "There are going to be weak links within the financial sector and within the credit sector more broadly," said Ivascyn.

☆ AI stocks surge as investors bet on growth prospects
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

C3.a1 forecast better-than-expected revenue and profit for both the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2023, after its third-quarter results topped Wall Street estimates. Shares of the AI software provider were up 16% at $24.80, and were one of the top five trending stocks on StockTwits. Microsoft's investment in OpenAI's ChatGPT boosted AI firms' popularity further. Other major AI stocks also surged on Friday with BigBear.ai (BBAI.N), conversation intelligence firm SoundHound AI (SOUN.O), and Thailand's security firm Guardforce AI (GFAI.O) jumping between 5% and 20%. "AI could become the new gold rush on Wall Street," said Adam Sarhan, chief executive officer of 50 Park Investments in Florida.

☆ The GOP’s 2024 Presidential Debate Pledge
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Republican party chair Ronna McDaniel said this weekend that to get access to the GOP’s 2024 debate stage, presidential contenders will likely have to pledge to support the eventual primary winner. Months later he was asked if he stood by his promise to back the GOP nominee. “We’ll see who it is.” Perhaps Mr. Trump will do the same bait and switch this year. Maybe he will refuse to sign, point to his polling, and pressure the party to let him debate anyway. In any case, Ms. McDaniel is putting down a useful marker.

☆ Why AI stocks could return outsized performance in the next 18 months, and 7 leading names with direct exposure, according to an ETFs analyst
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

There are mature, large-cap companies that investors could stick to for exposure to the sector. A sudden interest in artificial intelligence has brought the more than decade-old technology to the forefront of investors' minds. It has additional ETFs focused on sectors that will be heavily impacted by AI including the Cloud Computing ETF (CLOU) and Cybersecurity ETF (BUG). They are broken down into innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and finally, the laggards. Mature companies like Microsoft that are developing AI use cases could move AI into a mature stage rapidly.

☆ Elon Musk is currently working for Tesla for free. That could be about to change
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —For the moment at least, Elon Musk is working at Tesla for free. And last month the company disclosed Musk received the last remaining block of options granted under an even more lucrative 2018 pay package. Tesla stock closed Friday at $208.31. Still, some believe that the Tesla board could soon announce a new pay package for Musk. Some Tesla shareholders challenged the 2018 deal in a Delaware court, even though it was overwhelmingly approved by shareholders at that time.

☆ Lyft posts worst trading day ever after grim earnings report shows the company falling behind Uber
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Lyft plunged 36% on Friday after the company posted a disappointing Q1 revenue forecast. The ride-hailing brand expects $975 million in revenue during the period, missing estimates of $1.09 billion. Elsewhere, Uber reported its strongest quarter ever with revenue up 49% year-over-year. The company said it expects to generate around $975 million in revenue during the first quarter of 2023, missing analyst estimates of $1.09 billion. Lyft exceeded Wall Street's expectations for fourth-quarter revenue at $1.18 billion, compared to estimates at $1.16 billion, according to Refinitiv.

☆ Microsoft packs Bing search engine, Edge browser with AI in big challenge to Google
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Jeffrey Dastin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Microsoft is staking its future on AI through billions of dollars of investment as it directly challenges Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google. “This technology is going to reshape pretty much every software category," Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella told reporters in a briefing at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington. On Monday it unveiled a chatbot of its own called Bard, while it is planning to release AI for its search engine that can synthesize material when no simple answer exists online. PRACTICAL USESAt the event, Mehdi demonstrated how the AI-enhanced search engine will make shopping and creating emails much easier. For the quarter ending Dec. 31, Alphabet reported $42.6 billion in Google Search and other revenue, while Microsoft posted $3.2 billion from search and news advertising.

☆ Microsoft to infuse software with more AI as Google rivalry heats up
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Jeffrey Dastin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Microsoft is staking its future on AI through billions of dollars of investment. Working with the startup OpenAI, the company is aiming to rival Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google and potentially claim vast returns from tools that speed up all manner of content creation, automating tasks if not jobs themselves. “This technology is going to reshape pretty much every software category," said Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella, in a briefing for reporters at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington. "Microsoft is looking to win this AI battle," he said in a research note on Monday. Last week Microsoft announced the startup's AI will generate meeting notes in Teams, its collaboration software, as well as suggest email replies to vendors using its Viva Sales subscription.

☆ Baidu, the Chinese search engine giant, announces ChatGPT-style AI bot
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —Chinese search engine giant Baidu says it will be launching its own ChatGPT-style service. It will launch a new artificial intelligence chatbot called “Wenxin Yiyan” in Chinese, or “Ernie Bot” in English, a spokesperson told CNN on Tuesday. Baidu (BIDU) is currently testing the project internally and will likely roll out the service to users in March, the person said. The company did not provide further details, such as how the tool would look or whether it would appear as a feature within its popular search engine. Baidu’s AI investments can be seen as “both an offensive and defensive strategic move in China,” Daniel Ives, managing director of Wedbush Securities, told CNN.

☆ Meta's layoffs were expensive — it may have spent more than $88,000 per employee to cut 11,000 from the ranks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg cut 13% of the company's workforce in November. Facebook/MetaIn November 2022, Meta laid off more than 11,000 employees, or 13% of its workforce. It's possible the company spent around $88,000 a person in cutting those employees. The number comes from dividing the $975 million that the company paid in "Severance and Other Personnel" costs by 11,000, approximately the number of employees the company cut in November. In the company's fourth-quarter earnings release posted Wednesday, CEO Mark Zuckerberg warned that Meta's management theme for 2023 was 'Year of Efficiency.'

Both men, who are part of the RNC team tasked with reviewing the midterms, confirmed the discussion to NBC News. “We had a little bit of a debate between me and Henry Barbour over candidate quality versus candidate support,” Bowyer, who is also chief operating officer of Turning Point Action, a conservative group, said. And what we control here at the RNC is money that comes in and money that goes out. Many in the party have cited candidate quality as the chief reason for a subpar performance. … When people say candidate quality, some perceive that as a code word for Trump endorsement.

But members gathered here at the party’s winter meeting say that once all the votes are counted, the tensions are unlikely to quickly subside. McDaniel and Dhillon supporters who spoke with NBC News acknowledged Dhillon is facing tough odds to unseat McDaniel. For nearly two months, RNC members, particularly those backing McDaniel, have been inundated with emails from Dhillon supporters pleading with them to back the insurgent candidacy. “He’s very well thought of and carries a lot of weight here,” Bill Palatucci, an RNC committeeman from New Jersey who is backing Dhillon, told NBC News. Regardless, he expressed concern that most RNC members were choosing to ignore the grassroots backlash to another McDaniel term.

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