DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ July jobs report and more Big Tech earnings are in the week ahead after markets notch historic run for Dow
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

More Big Tech earnings and the jobs report are in the week ahead as investors wrap up a strong week that included a historic run for the Dow Jones Industrial Average . Jobs report out Friday Investors will digest the latest data from the July jobs report due out next Friday. "I don't expect any huge surprise from this jobs report next week," said Liz Young, head of investment strategy at SoFi. Earnings will continue to pour in next week, with key results from Big Tech companies Apple and Amazon on Thursday. Still, cooling inflation, strong jobs market and a resilient economy could spell a happy path for Wall Street.

Persons: Dow, Queen Victoria, Kim Forrest, Jerome Powell, Forrest, Nonfarm, Dow Jones, Liz Young, Bokeh's Forrest, they're, She'd, we've, SoFi's Young, Young, she'd, Stanley Black, Decker, The Kraft Heinz Organizations: Big Tech, Dow Jones, Dow, Cotton Oil, Bokeh Capital Partners, Meta, Federal Reserve, Pew Research, Apple, Semiconductor, Bank of Japan, Chicago PMI SA, Dallas Fed, Arista Networks, Western, Systems, PMI Manufacturing SA, ISM Manufacturing SA, Merck, Co, Caterpillar, Marriott International, Altria, Cruise Line Holdings, Pfizer, Marathon Petroleum, Molson Coors Beverage, SolarEdge Technologies, Devices, Caesars Entertainment, Electronic Arts, Starbucks, ADP Employment Survey SA, CVS Health, Fidelity National Information Services, Generac Holdings, Humana, The Kraft, Brands, MetLife, Marathon Oil, Occidental Petroleum, PayPal Holdings, Qualcomm, Etsy, Costco Wholesale, MGM Resorts, SA, PMI, Factory, PMI SA, News Corp, Constellation Energy, Moderna, Warner Bros, Discovery, Hasbro, ConocoPhillips, Kellogg, Booking Holdings, Expedia, Motorola Solutions, Monster Beverage, Manufacturing Payrolls SA, Nonfarm Payrolls SA, Dominion Energy Locations: United Kingdom, U.S

Despite a mixed earnings season so far, analysts are still optimistic on a host of stocks that have yet to report. By this week's end, more than half of S & P 500 companies will have reported quarterly earnings, according to The Earnings Scout. As analysts and traders look to the second half of the earnings season, these are some of the stocks with upward momentum heading into their reports. CNBC Pro screened S & P 500 stocks for those that are reporting next week and have seen the average analyst raise earnings estimates at least 10% when looking over a three- and six-month period. These stocks have also had their average targets for share prices raised in the last three months.

Persons: Tami Zakaria, Zakaria, destocking, Molson, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: CNBC Pro, MGM Resorts International, Gaming, MGM, Caterpillar, JPMorgan, Molson Coors, NRG Energy, ON Semiconductor Locations: Macao, Las Vegas, 2H23

☆ Lucid, Activision, EA, Uber: Here's where Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund has invested
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, known as the Public Investment Fund, is an active player in U.S. public and private markets. But among the documents disclosed in the recent PGA-LIV merger hearings was a previously unreported list of the sovereign wealth fund's top public equity holdings, valued at about $35.5 billion. The list, which was updated as of March 31, shows a $8.9 billion stake in electric automaker Lucid , constituting about 25% of PIF's equity holdings. PIF's second-largest stake, in Activision Blizzard , was valued at $3.3 billion and amounted to 9.1% of PIF's public equity holdings. Google accounts for 2.87% of the Nasdaq by weight but made up a mere 1.2% of the PIF's $35.51 billion public portfolio.

Persons: PIF, PIF's, Prince Mohammed bin Salman Organizations: Public Investment Fund, Activision Blizzard, Trade, Electronic Arts, Nasdaq, Meta, Booking Holdings Locations: Saudi, Saudi Arabia

☆ Mission Impossible: Paramount reckoning
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

NEW YORK, July 5 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Paramount Global’s (PARA.O) predicament is worthy of its successful “Mission: Impossible” franchise. Over the past year or so, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (BRKa.N) has bought and increased its stake in Paramount to about 15%. Without the funding, her closely held firm might have needed to pledge more of its Paramount stock against a loan. Streaming service Paramount+ is similar to Netflix, whose enterprise is worth 5 times next year’s estimated revenue. “Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One,” from Paramount Pictures, opens in movie theaters on July 12.

Persons: Shari Redstone, Looney, Walt Disney, Sumner, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, Goldman Sachs, Byron Trott, Rudolph Valentino, Mae West, Marx, Trustbusters, Martin Davis, Sumner Redstone, Simon, Schuster, Walt, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam, Streisand Neto Organizations: YORK, Reuters, Paramount, Warner Bros Discovery, AT, Netflix, Apple, Comcast, Electronic Arts, MSD Partners, Viacom, Audio Communications, CBS, Nickelodeon, MTV, Time Warner, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Tiffany Network, National Football League, Fox, Amazon, MGM, U.S, Penguin Random, Walt Disney, Amusements, Paramount Global, BDT Capital Partners, “, Paramount Pictures, Thomson Locations: U.S, Gulf, Western, NAI

‘An operation of seduction’Just days after the PGA-LIV Golf merger was announced, a contingent of Saudi Arabian investors and power brokers, including the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, has converged on France this week looking for more deals with potentially trillions to spend. The “Invest in Saudi” booth at VivaTech — where Elon Musk and the luxury tycoon Bernard Arnault are also on the program — has an outsized presence. Paid for by the Saudi Ministry of Investment, the booth serves as a kind of billboard to announce the country’s ambitions and a way to help its entrepreneurs attract Western investors and prospective business partners, Vivienne Walt writes for DealBook. Badr Al Badr, the deputy minister for investor outreach, told DealBook that Saudi Arabia has about $3.2 trillion to invest by 2030. “That is why there are so many opportunities for investors,” he said.

Persons: Mohammed bin Salman, Elon Musk, Bernard Arnault, Vivienne Walt, DealBook, Prince Mohammed, Badr Al Badr, ” Organizations: LIV, Invest, —, Elon, Saudi Ministry of Investment, PayPal, Electronic Arts Locations: Saudi Arabian, France, Saudi, Badr, Saudi Arabia

☆ Diablo IV crosses $666 million in sales in five days, a record for Activision Blizzard
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Activision Blizzard's new Diablo video game broke $666 million in global sales in the span of five days, the company said Wednesday. Diablo IV, which launched June 6, has become Activision subsidiary Blizzard Entertainment's fastest-selling game ever, the company added. Microsoft dominates the space, and with a possible Activision acquisition, it would be able to make popular franchises beyond Diablo exclusive to Microsoft's cloud platform, the CMA said. Diablo IV isn't available on Game Pass, an Activision executive said in March. The sales record, while record breaking for Blizzard, is not an industry record.

Persons: Diablo Organizations: Activision, Blizzard, Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, FTC, Authority, CMA, Marquee, Electronic Arts, FIFA, Madden Locations: California

☆ Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund just reshaped professional golf with the PGA Tour-LIV merger. That's just the start
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The Saudi Public Investment Fund is a government-controlled fund that has $650 billion in assets under management, according to its most recent filing. A state-owned investment fund like the PIF is not unique. Critics of LIV Golf accused the Saudis of backing the new tour as a form of “sportswashing” its reputation. For example it’s not clear exactly how much it invested to start up LIV Golf. CNN has not been able to confirm that report, but what is known is that LIV Golf tournaments have been held on Trump Organization properties.

Persons: petro, LIV Golf, LIV, Yasir Al, Rumayyan, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, ”, Elon Musk, Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s, Kushner, Mohammed bin Salman, Bin Salman, Jamal Khashoggi, – CNN’s Coy Wire, Jack Bantock, Steve Almasy Organizations: New, New York CNN, Saudi, Saudi Public Investment Fund, Sovereign Wealth Fund, PGA, Soccer, Saudi Aramco, Newcastle United, Saudi Pro League, CNBC, Electronic Arts, EA, Activision Blizzard, Ticketmaster, Carnival Corp, Twitter, Washington Post, CNN, Trump Organization, US State Department, Congress Locations: New York, Europe, Saudi, English, Al, Saudi Arabia, al Qaeda

☆ Embracer gaming deal flub leaves credibility wound
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, May 24 (Reuters Breakingviews) - A communications glitch is raising credibility questions at video game giant Embracer (EMBRACb.ST). Gaming companies occasionally make games in partnership with media giants that control popular intellectual property – like film, TV or comic book characters – but lack the knowhow to create video games. Conversely, a hot developer may sign a deal to produce exclusive content for a specific video game marketplace, like the Epic Games Store. It said on Wednesday that adjusted operating profit for the current financial year would likely be between 7 billion and 9 billion Swedish crowns ($650 million and $840 million), from 10.3 billion to 13.6 billion Swedish crowns previously. Among those is Savvy Games, owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which bought a roughly 8% stake for 103 Swedish crowns a share in June last year, versus a share price of roughly 23 Swedish crowns on Wednesday morning.

Xbox Game Pass vs. PlayStation Plus: GamesHorizon: Forbidden West is one of the latest high-profile games to hit PlayStation Plus. Horizon Forbidden West / SonyThe main selling points of Game Pass and PlayStation Plus are their Netflix-style libraries of downloadable games. Xbox Game Pass' recent day-one releases include the cooperative shooter Redfall, and the rhythm-based action game Hi-Fi Rush. Game Pass members get a 10% discount when buying games that are already on Game Pass, so you can always get a deal before a game leaves the service entirely. That 10% discount also applies to downloadable content and add-ons for Game Pass games, which aren't always included with the base version.

Take-Two Interactive Software Inc (TTWO.O) on Wednesday rounded off a strong March quarter for the sector that saw its three major players post net bookings growth of between 11% and 66%. The company said "NBA 2K23", "Grand Theft Auto V" and "Grand Theft Auto Online" were some of the top contributors to its net bookings growth in the reported quarter. The company forecast net bookings of more than $8 billion for next year, which was above analysts' estimates. "It (the GTA VI release) would be a watershed moment for the category of open-world games," said MoffettNathanson analyst Clay Griffin. "Tens and tens of millions of units would be sold immediately, and a new or completely refreshed GTA: Online would redefine what a modern 'metaverse' really looks like."

☆ Take-Two gains on gaming demand rebound, title delivery forecast
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Tiyashi Datta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The company also said it expects to deliver 36 video game titles through 2025 and 2026, and forecast $8 billion in 2025 net bookings and over $1 billion in operating cash flow. Take-Two, however, did not make any announcements about its highly anticipated title "Grand Theft Auto VI". Its fourth-quarter adjusted sales grew 65% to $1.39 billion, compared with Wall Street's estimate of $1.34 billion, according to Refinitiv data. During an earnings call with analysts, Chief Executive Strauss Zelnick said Take-Two was assuming a continuation of the current challenging consumer backdrop within its forecast. Its annual adjusted revenue forecast between $5.45 billion and $5.55 billion came below Street's estimate of $6.07 billion.

☆ Take-Two beats adjusted sales estimates on higher gaming demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 17 (Reuters) - Take-Two Interactive Software Inc (TTWO.O) on Wednesday beat Wall Street estimates for fourth-quarter adjusted sales on strong demand for legacy titles "NBA 2K" and "Grand Theft Auto", sending the video game maker's shares up over 7% after the bell. Take-Two has established itself as one of the dominant players in the U.S. with strong sales from its successful video game franchises and a solid pipeline including titles "Grand Theft Auto VI" and "Star Wars Hunters". Fourth-quarter adjusted sales grew 65% to $1.39 billion, compared with Wall Street's estimate of $1.34 billion, according to Refinitiv data. However, its annual adjusted revenue forecast between $5.45 billion and $5.55 billion came below Street's estimate of $6.07 billion. Reporting by Tiyashi Datta and Yamini Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini GanguliOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Amazon, Embracer strike deal to make 'Lord of the Rings' video game
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The Hobbiton Movie Set, a location for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogy, is pictured in Matamata, New Zealand, December 27, 2020. REUTERS/Praveen MenonMay 15 (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) and Swedish game developer Embracer Group have agreed to develop and publish a massively multiplayer online (MMO) game based on fantasy series "The Lord of the Rings", the companies said on Monday. The game, which is in the early stages of development, will be set in Middle-earth, featuring stories of "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" literary trilogy written by J.R.R. Video game publisher Electronic Arts also launched its mobile game "The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth" earlier this month. Earlier in 2021, Amazon had canceled an online role-playing game based on "The Lord of the Rings", which was announced in 2019.

May 10 (Reuters) - Roblox Corp (RBLX.N) on Wednesday topped quarterly bookings estimates on Wednesday, as a wider audience swarmed to the platform for games such as "Adopt Me!" However, adjusted loss of 44 cents per share was bigger than analysts' expectation of 40 cents loss per share, according to Refinitiv data. Roblox said higher expenses due to developer exchange fees, personnel costs and infrastructure were the reason behind the bigger loss. "We also expect our operating expenses to increase significantly in future periods", the company said, adding it intends to continue to make investments to grow its business and hire more people. Reporting by Yamini Kalia and Tiyashi Datta in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra EluriOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ EA's quarterly bookings beat estimates on 'FIFA' strength
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 9 (Reuters) - Videogame publisher Electronic Arts Inc (EA.O) beat fourth-quarter booking estimates on Tuesday as the latest installments in its "FIFA" and "Madden NFL" series kept gamer interest strong, sending the company's shares up 3.3% after the bell. EA reported net bookings of $1.95 billion in the fourth quarter, compared with Refinitiv estimates of $1.76 billion. "Record live services performance and increased engagement, particularly from our EA Sports FIFA franchise, drove better-than-expected Q4 net bookings," Chief Financial Officer Chris Suh said. EA also said it expects fiscal 2024 net bookings between $7.30 billion and $7.70 billion, compared with estimates of $7.52 billion. Bookings outlook for the current quarter was in line with expectations.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: Airbnb, Twilio, Rivian, Occidental Petroleum and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The company posted a slight beat on revenue. Rivian — The electric vehicle stock gained more than 5% in extended trading. Rivian reported a narrower-than-expected loss and revenue beat Wall Street's expectations. Toast — The cloud-based restaurant software vendor popped 7.4% in extended trading. The company reported an adjusted loss of 47 cents a share.

☆ Morning Bid: Showdown on the ceiling
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

With world markets still at an impasse on the extent of the economic slowdown and chance of recession, the U.S. debt ceiling impasse remains unresolved - and Tuesday's showdown at the White House is one of the few opportunities left to resolve it. Biden meets Republican House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy for the first time since February. There are only six days this month when the House and the Senate are in session when Biden is in Washington. Longer-term Treasury yields remain under wraps, however, with 2-year yields hovering just under 4%. DEBT CEILINGBeyond the debt ceiling row, the picture of the wider economy remains equivocal.

☆ Earnings playbook: How to trade results from Disney and these other names ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Fred Imbert | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Tuesday Occidental Petroleum is set to report earnings after the bell. What history shows: Data from Bespoke Investment Group shows Occidental beats earnings expectations 71% of the time. Electronic Arts is set to report earnings after the close, followed by a call at 5 p.m. What history shows: Bespoke data shows Disney beats expectations 78% of the time. However, Disney shares tend to struggle on earnings day, averaging a slight loss after the company posts results.

☆ As earnings season winds down, investors turn to Tuesday's debt ceiling meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

With only a small fraction of the S & P 500 left to report quarterly earnings, investors are now turning their focus to another major hurdle for the markets and economy: the debt ceiling crisis. Earlier this week, we looked back to debt limit crisis of 2011 for potential lessons. The protracted fight ultimately ended in an agreement in early August of that year, but it was a choppy summertime ride for investors. Within the portfolio, Wynn Resorts will report Tuesday, after the closing bell, and Disney will report on Wednesday, after the closing bell. Estee Lauder (EL) and Emerson Electric (EMR) reported earnings before the opening bell.

☆ Regional bank stocks could be a market afterthought in the week ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Scott Schnipper | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

For the immediate economic and earnings and growth outlook, it almost seems irrelevant whether regional bank stocks rally, steady or sell off more next week. Regional banks were top of mind for investors this past week, as First Republic failed , the SPDR S & P Regional Banking ETF tumbled more than 10% — twice the five-day loss in the S & P 500 Energy Index, the hardest hit S & P sector — and lenders such as PacWest Bancorp and Western Alliance Bancorp lost billions in market value. And, for all that, the S & P 500 only fell about 0.75% this week. Now the conventional wisdom on Wall Street is that regardless of how the regional bank stocks trade, it's a given that bank lending officers are going to pull in their horns and risk management desks will grow more risk averse. But stocks still face a host of issues, none of which are going away next week.

☆ TV and film writers are fighting to save their jobs from AI. They won’t be the last
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

A powerful new crop of AI tools, trained on vast troves of data online, can now generate essays, song lyrics and other written work in response to user prompts. While there are clearly limits for how well AI tools can produce compelling creative stories, these tools are only getting more advanced, putting writers like August on guard. But as part of their demands, the WGA is also fighting to protect their livelihoods from AI. Stephanie Elam/CNNWhile film and TV writers in Hollywood may currently be leading the charge, professionals in other industries will almost certainly be paying attention. “Watch this #WGA strike carefully,” Justine Bateman, a writer, director and former actress, wrote in a tweet shortly after the strike kicked off.

☆ Inside NBCUniversal, female execs are eyeing leadership's next moves after CEO Jeff Shell's ouster over 'inappropriate relationship': 'We're watching'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

NBCUniversal insiders are reeling after chief Jeff Shell's stunning departure and asking questions about what's next for the Comcast division. News of Shell's hasty exit dropped April 23 after an investigation into what he called an "inappropriate relationship" with a company employee. "It's shocking," said one employee, wondering how an executive at Shell's level would take such a risk with his career. Two staffers also grumbled that the company hasn't widely addressed the matter internally since its terse statement announcing Shell's exit. Keeping Cavanagh atop NBCU could serve another purpose — to help bring about a merger of Comcast with Warner Bros.

☆ Read the pitch deck a social-gaming startup used to raise $7 million to disrupt fantasy sports by catering to Gen Z audiences who want shorter, faster play
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Ashley Rodriguez | Nhari Djan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Champions Round is a social media platform for fantasy sports. Read the 13-page pitch deck Champions Round used to to fundraise. Champions Round also plans to introduce tools that would allow creators or brands to build their own games and earn a cut of the revenue generated from them. The company shared with Insider the exact deck used to pitch potential investors during its latest round. Here are 13 key slides from the pitch deck Champions Round used to raise its Series A round:

☆ Here are Thursday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Meta, Amazon, Ford, Activision Blizzard & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Here are Thursday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Bernstein reiterates Apple as market perform Bernstein said it remains "torn" on Apple heading into earnings next week. Morgan Stanley reiterates Meta as overweight Morgan Stanley raised its price target on the AI beneficiary to $300 per share from $250 after the company's earnings report Wednesday. " Morgan Stanley reiterates Ford as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's standing by its overweight rating heading into earnings next week. Citi reiterates Amazon as buy Citi said it's bullish on the e-commerce giant heading into earnings on Thursday after the bell. Morgan Stanley reiterates Nvidia as overweight Morgan Stanley said the stock is one of the firm's top picks heading into earnings in May.

☆ This video game stock could struggle after the blocking of Microsoft's Activision Blizzard takeover, BMO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

BMO Capital Markets thinks Electronic Arts could be negatively impacted from the blocking of the Microsoft - Activision Blizzard deal. The firm downgraded EA stock to market perform from outperform Thursday. But BMO says because the UK Competition and Markets Authority's stopped Microsoft's takeover attempt of Activision Blizzard , the failure will be a cautionary tale for company's seeking large deals in the space. EA YTD mountain Shares of Electronic Arts could face more pressure after the fallout of the takeover deal from Microsoft of Activision Blizzard. However, the regulatory body did stipulate that Microsoft could make Activision games exclusive to cloud gaming platform Xbox Game Pass.

Search resuls for: "Electronic Arts"

25 mentions found