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☆ Intuitive Surgical beats first-quarter sales on higher procedure volumes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Sriparna Roy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 18 (Reuters) - Intuitive Surgical Inc (ISRG.O) beat estimates for first-quarter sales on Tuesday as the surgical robot maker recorded a rise in total procedure volumes. The company reported quarterly sales of $1.70 billion, beating analysts' estimates of $1.60 billion, according to IBES Refinitiv data. The medical device maker posted a 26% growth in procedure volumes of its surgical robot da Vinci in the first quarter through March from a year earlier. Investors are eyeing the launch of company's new multiport surgical robot, which could be a potential near-term catalyst, analysts said after Intuitive in January told its next generation system is not expected to be launched this year. Excluding items, Intuitive earned $1.23 per share in the first quarter, above analysts' average estimate of $1.20 per share, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

☆ Lucid's first-quarter vehicle production, deliveries fall sequentially
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Companies Lucid Group Inc FollowApril 13 (Reuters) - Lucid Group Inc (LCID.O) on Thursday reported March quarter production and delivery figures that were lower than the preceding December quarter. The luxury electric car maker produced 2,314 vehicles and delivered 1,406 in the first quarter, lower than 3,493 vehicles produced and 1,932 delivered in the previous quarter. Shares of the company fell 3% in after-market trade. Reporting by Yuvraj Malik in Bengaluru; Editing by Shweta AgarwalOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ BNP Paribas appoints José Placido as its US unit's CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

April 13 (Reuters) - BNP Paribas (BNPP.PA) said on Thursday it has appointed José Placido as chief executive officer of its U.S. operations, effective April 1. José will assume the role of CEO of BNP Paribas USA and will oversee all U.S.-business activities while retaining in the role of CIB Americas' executive chief, the Paris-based bank said. The biggest euro-zone bank has also appointed Jean-Yves Fillion as the vice-chairman of the BNP Paribas USA Board of Directors. Jean-Yves Fillion was serving as CEO of BNP Paribas USA since 2016, overseeing both wholesale and retail operations. Reporting by Jaiveer Singh Shekhawat in Bengaluru; Editing by Shweta AgarwalOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Apple to invest another $200 million in carbon removal fund
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 11 (Reuters) - Apple Inc (AAPL.O) said on Tuesday it doubled its financial commitment to a fund it had established two years ago to invest in projects that remove carbon from the atmosphere. The iPhone-maker said it will invest up to an additional $200 mln in its Restore Fund, which was created in 2021 with an initial $200 million commitment. The additional investment is expected to help the fund start new projects and carry forward its previously stated goal to remove about 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, the company said. Apple is making efforts to become carbon neutral through its entire supply chain and the life cycle of every product by 2030. The expanded fund will be managed by Climate Asset Management, a joint venture of HSBC Asset Management and Pollination, Apple added.

☆ UK new car sales jump 18% YoY in March; best ever month for EVs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 5 (Reuters) - New car registrations in the UK rose for the eighth consecutive month in March, recording an 18.2% growth from a year earlier, and also marked the best month ever for battery electric car sales, according to industry data released on Wednesday. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said new car registrations jumped to 287,825 units as supply chain challenges continued to ease, making the first quarter of 2023 the strongest three-month period since 2019. Battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales reached a record monthly high of 46,626, representing 18.6% year-on-year growth, while petrol-powered vehicles remained the most popular fuel type, comprising 56.3% of new units in March. John Wilmot, CEO of car leasing comparison website LeaseLoco, said in a note that it would be foolhardy to declare the car industry is out of the woods just yet, as current reported numbers were still well below pre-Covid levels. Reporting by Sinchita Mitra and Aby Jose Koilparambil in Bengaluru; Editing by Shweta Agarwal and Sonia CheemaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ UK new car sales rise 17% in March; best ever month for EVs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

April 5 (Reuters) - New car registrations in the United Kingdom rose for the eighth consecutive month in March, recording a more than 17% rise from a year earlier, according to preliminary industry data released on Wednesday. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said it was the biggest month ever for battery electric car registrations. The SMMT will provide the final figures for the month at 0900 GMT. Reporting by Sinchita Mitra in Bengaluru; Editing by Shweta AgarwalOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Streaming device maker Roku to cut 200 jobs in second round of layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 30 (Reuters) - Roku Inc (ROKU.O) will lay off 6% of its workforce, or 200 employees, in its second round of job cuts, the U.S. streaming device maker said, sending its shares up nearly 3% before the bell on Thursday. In a bid to lower expenses, the company also decided to exit and sub-lease office facilities that it did not currently occupy. Majority of the restructuring charges will be incurred in the first quarter of fiscal 2023, while the job cuts will be completed by the end of the second quarter, the company said. Earlier this month, Roku said it had about $487 million, or 26% of its cash and cash equivalents, in deposits with SVB Financial Group (SIVB.O), which was closed down by California banking regulators. Reporting by Tiyashi Datta in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur and Shweta AgarwalOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ United Airlines reaches contracts with better pay for 30,000 ground workers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 29 (Reuters) - United Airlines Holdings Inc (UAL.O) CEO Scott Kirby said on Wednesday the carrier has reached an agreement in principle with a workers union over new contracts that include higher wages for its nearly 30,000 ground workers. The pacts come as airlines strive to retain workers with attractive pay and benefits after a faster-than-expected rebound in U.S. travel demand following the pandemic triggered a shortage. Members covered by the tentative agreements would get more details, the union said in a statement, adding that a ratification vote would be scheduled shortly. The agreements cover seven different work classifications at United Airlines, including fleet service workers, passenger service workers, storekeepers, central load planners, maintenance instructors, fleet technical instructors and security officers. Reporting by Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Editing by Shweta Agarwal and Devika SyamnathOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ US FDA expands use of Regeneron's cholesterol drug in young children
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The drug, Evkeeza, was approved in February 2021 as an additional treatment with other lipid-lowering therapies for patients aged 12 years and above with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH). HoFH is an inherited condition that affects about 1,300 people in the United States. The expanded approval makes Regeneron's Evkeeza the first drug to treat kids under 10 with the condition. The drugmaker estimates there are roughly 200 pediatric patients suffering from HoFH in the United States. The company recorded $48 million in sales of Evkeeza in the United States in 2022.

☆ Delta to launch flight academy to train more pilots
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 21 (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL.N) said on Tuesday it would launch a flight academy to train pilots for the airline as the industry struggles with a shortage of aviators. The carrier said the academy, operated in partnership with training provider Skyborne Airline, would start training its first batch of students in June. The Delta Propel Pilot Academy will be based in a 12,000-square-foot facility situated within Skyborne's Florida campus, the statement said. Atlanta-based Delta joins United Airlines Holdings Inc (UAL.O), which agreed to purchase a flight training academy in Phoenix in 2020, in an effort to bolster its roster of pilots. Reporting by Priyamvada C in Bengaluru; Editing by Shweta AgarwalOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Pregnancy-related deaths in US surged during pandemic - CDC
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Mariam Esunny | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The United States has one of the highest rates of pregnancy-related deaths among developed countries. It recorded more than 1,200 deaths in pregnant women in 2021, compared with 861 in 2020 and 754 in 2019, according to CDC data. About 32.9 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births were reported in 2021, compared with 23.8 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020 and 20.1 in 2019. The mortality rate for Black women in the United States was at 69.9 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2021, about 3 times higher than white and Hispanic women. UN agencies reported last month that nearly all parts of the world saw a spike in maternal mortality rates in 2020.

☆ Mozambique records rise in cholera cases, Malawi sees decline - WHO
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Eliza Tangwe, 18, takes a dose of oral cholera vaccine at a health centre in response to the latest cholera outbreak in Blantyre, Malawi, November 16, 2022. REUTERS/Eldson Chagara/March 15 (Reuters) - Mozambique recorded an increase in the number of cholera cases in the last few weeks, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday, even as many other African countries reported a decline. Mozambique's neighbor Malawi, which has been battling the deadliest cholera outbreak in its history, was now seeing a sustained decline in cases and deaths, WHO official and epidemiologist Dr Otim Ramadan said. Overall, cholera cases and deaths in Africa have been declining over recent weeks. So far this year, more than 40,000 cases have been reported in Africa, with Malawi accounting for more than half and Mozambique recording about 15%, WHO reported.

☆ Reata shares triple after surprise FDA nod for rare disease drug
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 1 (Reuters) - Shares of Reata Pharmaceuticals Inc (RETA.O) tripled in value on Wednesday after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its rare disease drug, ending years of uncertainty over its future. The U.S. biotech firm's shares jumped to $93, the highest since late 2021, on more than 16 million shares traded, a record one-day volume for the stock. Reata's drug Skyclarys is the first approved treatment for Friedreich's Ataxia, a rare genetic disorder that causes progressive damage to the nervous system and can lead to premature death. The nod follows years of back and forth between Reata and the FDA. Reata's shares had tumbled 30% following Dunn's resignation as investors fretted about the possibility of approval under a new division head.

☆ Reata shares hit 1-year high after surprise FDA nod for rare disease drug
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 1 (Reuters) - Shares of Reata Pharmaceuticals Inc (RETA.O) soared 175% to hit a one-year high in early trading on Wednesday, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its rare disease drug and ended years of uncertainty over its future. The U.S. biotech firm's shares jumped to $86, their highest since December 2021. The nod follows years of back and forth between Reata and the FDA. Reata's shares had tumbled 30% following Dunn's resignation as investors had fretted about the possibility of approval under a new division head. "We've followed some pretty dramatic stories in the past, but the Reata odyssey is in the Hall of Fame," said Baird analyst Brian Skorney.

☆ Reata shares surge after surprise FDA nod for rare disease drug
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 1 (Reuters) - Shares of U.S. biotech firm Reata Pharmaceuticals Inc (RETA.O) more than doubled in premarket trading on Wednesday, a day after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its rare disease drug and ended years of uncertainty over its future. The drug Skyclarys is the first approved treatment for Friedreich's Ataxia, a rare genetic disorder that causes progressive damage to the nervous system and can lead to premature death. The approval follows years of back and forth between Reata and the FDA, which in 2020 said the data from a mid-stage trial was not enough to support an approval. The FDA has previously approved drugs for neurological conditions based on limited data such as for Biogen Inc's Alzheimer's drug Aduhelm and Amylyx's (AMLX.O) ALS drug. Reata's shares were up 174.2% to $85.47 before the bell.

☆ Evercore ISI downgrades FuboTV as subscriber growth slows, competitive pressures linger
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Mounting competitive pressures and a difficult economic outlook should pressure shares of FuboTV in the near term, according to Evercore ISI. Analyst Shweta Khajuria downgraded the sport-focused TV streaming company to in line from outperform, saying that its 2025 outlook for advertising average revenue per user and subscriptions appears "modestly aggressive" given the recent deceleration in subscriber growth. The guidance implies just 23% year-over-year revenue growth and 3% subscriber growth this year at the midpoint. That's down from 42% year-over-year subscriber growth in 2022 and 140% growth in 2021. FUBO YTD mountain FuboTV shares so far this year — CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed reporting

☆ A pop-up message tells staff 'please go home' 10 minutes before locking their computers at the end of the day to improve work-life balance
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

IT firm Software Computers developed a fun way to get staff to leave work on time, per Reuters. It made a pop-up message to warn staff that their computers will shut down in 10 minutes. It's installed software that displays a pop-up message telling workers that their computers will shut down in 10 minutes when their day is done, Reuters reported. Tanvi Khandelwal, an employee at Software Computers, shared a photo on LinkedIn of the notification, which has had more than 425,000 reactions. A Software Computers representative told Insider that it had deployed the pop-up messages to help its staff.

☆ Why some analysts are still worried about Roku even after it posted strong Q4 results
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Roku is not out of the woods yet, even after posting strong results for the fourth quarter, according to some analysts. The company's first-quarter revenue guidance of about $700 million also beat a StreetAccount estimate of $691.6 million. While those results and guidance are welcome by the market — Roku shares rallied 12% in the premarket — some analysts covering the stock remain skeptical about the company's prospects going forward. The ad market has taken a hit in recent months as companies pulled back as a way to save money. "Given mgmt's track record of conservative guidance ... we think investors will look past weaker 1Q revenue guidance," Helfstein said in a Wednesday note to clients.

☆ FuboTV insiders describe how its 'doomed' sportsbook collapsed in a year — and what it means for the future of the streaming company
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Colin Salao | Ashley Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +22 min

But despite the MetLife lounge remaining open throughout the 2021-22 NFL season, the Fubo Sportsbook wouldn't launch in New Jersey until the following one, in September 2022. "It was doomed from the start," one former Fubo Gaming staffer told Insider. Meanwhile, Rattner — whom the first former Fubo gaming staffer described as a "good talker" — sustained the startup's more youthful culture. The Fubo Sportsbook launched in New Jersey on September 7, days before the first Jets home game. A promotional image from when the Fubo Sportsbook went live in New Jersey in September 2022.

☆ Grindr Plans to Focus on Monetization, Subscription Prices After Going Public
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Jennifer Williams-Alvarez | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

The company will list on the New York Stock Exchange under a new name, Grindr Inc.Vanna Krantz, Grindr CFO. Ms. Krantz said she plans to review subscription prices, which currently start at $19.99 a month for paid accounts. Once the company is public, Ms. Krantz will be responsible for further building out Grindr’s finance function. Ms. Krantz said she would focus on further improvement when it comes to forecasting. The year-over-year loss was largely driven by one-time costs associated with going public, such as legal, consulting and audit fees, Ms. Krantz said.

☆ Bank of England readies for biggest rate rise since 1989
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] A general view of the Bank of England (BoE) building, the BoE confirmed to raise interest rates to 1.75%, in London, Britain, August 4, 2022. Markets are now more stable, with British government borrowing costs broadly back to where they were before the upheaval. Purchasing managers' data slid in October to its weakest since January 2021 when the economy was mired in a COVID-19 lockdown. Forty-six of 53 economists polled by Reuters expected the BoE to raise rates to 3% this month. Investors expect the BoE's Bank Rate to hit 3.5% in December and 4.75% next May - the highest since 2008 though below the peak of around 6% projected during last month's market turmoil.

☆ Time for someone else to ride the Peloton bike?
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Paul R. La Monica | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Peloton also announced job cuts at the time of McCarthy’s hiring and revealed more layoffs in August. Peloton is one of several pandemic era winners that are now finding it difficult to keep the boom times going. With that in mind, Nike (NKE) or Adidas (ADDDF) could work out as potential Peloton buyers. Amazon (AMZN) is also compelling as a potential Peloton owner. Nike and Amazon were both mentioned in various media reports as potential acquirers for Peloton in February, just before McCarthy was hired.

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