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☆ Sanofi, Regeneron unveil 'blow-out' smoker's lung drug data
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Ludwig Burger Jubabu | Ludwig Burger | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Sanofi and Regeneron said in a statement on Thursday a Phase III trial involving 939 current or former smokers also showed improvements in lung function, quality of life and COPD respiratory symptoms. JP Morgan analyst Richard Vosser said the trial update had "blow-out data" in store for investors, and that market consensus for 2027 Dupixent sales of 15.7 billion euros would likely be topped-up by between 1 and 2 billion euros. The anti-inflammatory drug accounted for 8.3 billion euros, or more than 19% of the French group's overall sales of 43 billion euros, last year. Sanofi reports combined global Dupixent sales from its alliance with Regeneron. Sanofi and Regeneron on Tuesday announced the European Commission had approved Dupixent to treat severe atopic dermatitis in young children.

☆ Sanofi, Regeneron's Dupixent shows promise as 'smoker's lung' drug
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Ludwig Burger Jubabu | Ludwig Burger | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In a late stage trial Dupixent, jointly developed with Regeneron (REGN.O), led to a 30% reduction in moderate or severe acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a potentially deadly disease marked by progressive lung function decline. Sanofi previously forecast Dupixent would generate up to 13 billion euros ($14.2 billion) in sales in its best year as it seeks to widen its use across several inflammatory conditions. The anti-inflammatory drug accounted for 8.3 billion euros, or more than 19%, of the French group's overall sales of 43 billion euros last year. Sanofi reports combined global Dupixent sales from its alliance with Regeneron. Dupixent was also approved by the EC to treat eosinophilic esophagitis, a condition that damages the esophagus, in January.

☆ Snap stock surges on report that Biden may ban TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Shares in social media companies Snap and Meta jumped in after-hours trading on Wednesday after the Biden administration was reported to be considering banning TikTok in the U.S. unless Chinese tech giant ByteDance divests its stake. Snap shares surged nearly 7% while Meta shares rose more than 2% after The Wall Street Journal reported that TikTok faces a possible ban in the U.S. if ByteDance fails to comply with the Biden Administration's proposition. Both Snap and Meta face fierce competition for user attention from TikTok, and have introduced their own short-form video products to compete. Last week, the White House voiced support for a recent Senate bill that would grant the Biden Administration the ability to ban TikTok in the U.S.U.S. lawmakers have expressed concern that TikTok, by virtue of its Chinese ownership, poses a potential national security threat, with U.S. Senator Mark Warner, D-Va., recently saying that "This competition with China around who dominates technology domains, that really is where the nexus of national security lies going forward."

☆ KPMG reaches settlement with liquidator of Carillion
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Benoit TessierLONDON, Feb 17 (Reuters) - KPMG said on Friday it has reached a confidential settlement agreement with the liquidator of Carillion, the builder it audited before it collapsed. Carillion collapsed in 2018 under 7 billion pounds ($8.40 billion) of debt, with thousands of jobs lost, leading to government-backed reviews which recommended a shake-up in auditing standards. Liquidators of Carillion last year sued KPMG for 1.3 billion pounds for missing "red flags" during its audits of the construction giant. Carillion was an extreme and serious corporate failure, and it is important that we all learn the lessons from its collapse," KPMG's UK chief executive Jon Holt said in a statement. Britain's auditing watchdog, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has yet to announce the outcome of its investigation in KPMG's audits of Carillion.

Prime Trust made $650 million in wire transfer deposits into the Binance.US account during the quarter, the bank records show. The Binance global exchange, Binance CEO Zhao and Prime Trust did not respond to detailed questions about the transfers. Among the dealers on Binance.US was Merit Peak, according to company messages, the trading firm managed by CEO Zhao. From January to March 2021, the account records show that Merit Peak received 89 transfers from the Binance.US SEN account totalling $404 million. These transfers often immediately followed a deposit into the Binance.US account by Prime Trust, the crypto custodian firm for Binance.US client funds.

☆ Google to soon add generative AI features in search results
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Benoit TessierSTOCKHOLM, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Google (GOOGL.O) said on Wednesday it would soon integrate artificial intelligence (AI) capable of generating text and other content in search results, as it battles to answer the challenge of Microsoft's (MSFT.O) popular AI chatbot ChatGPT. At a launch event in Paris on Wednesday, Google executive Prabhakar Raghavan said so-called generative AI would enable users to interact with information in "entirely new ways". "As we continue to bring generative AI technologies into our products, the only limit to search will be your imagination." Generative AI is used to make human-like creations through code, drawing on vast amounts of data to produce new pieces of text, video, or audio. Google said it would soon allow more developers and partners to test Bard.

☆ Factbox: Renault, Nissan detail joint projects to revive alliance
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LATIN AMERICAThe four projects to be considered in Latin America include:A new half-ton pick-up, developed by Renault Group and shared with Nissan in Argentina. Renault Group would produce the pick‑ups in Cordoba (Argentina) for both Renault and Nissan. In Mexico, Nissan would produce a new model for Renault Group, making it the first Renault vehicle to be produced there in 20 years. INDIAFor India and export, Renault Group and Nissan would collaborate on several new vehicle projects including new SUVs shared by both Renault Group and Nissan, and a New Nissan car derived from the Renault Triber. Electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure: Renault Group and Nissan are considering jointly deploying charging infrastructure in Europe at both Renault Group and Nissan dealerships.

☆ VIEW Nissan, Renault agree to overhaul alliance, putting themselves on equal footing
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"We understand Renault is able to ring fence its own technology within the alliance allowing the firm to collaborate also with other external partners beyond the Renault Nissan alliance. "Overall we welcome this step which will enhance the industrial collaboration within the alliance." JEFFERIES"A re-sized capital structure should help keep the Alliance viable, maintaining synergies and opening up strategic opportunities on both sides. Ultimately it means that a disorderly unwind of the alliance has been avoided which is a positive. "Over the short term, it's possible there may be selling (of Nissan shares) due to a worsening of supply and demand.

☆ Top Wall Street analysts like these stocks for maximum returns
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Tipranks.Com Staff | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

To ease the process, here are five stocks chosen by Wall Street's top analysts, according to TipRanks, a platform that ranks analysts based on their past performances. Nonetheless, Monness, Crespi, Hardt, & Co. analyst Brian White expects the results to be in line with his expectations. (See Alphabet Blogger Opinions & Sentiment on TipRanks) White reiterated a buy rating on the stock with a price target of $135. Feinseth's convictions can be trusted, given his 185th position among nearly 8,300 analysts in the TipRanks database. This apart, his track of 63% profitable ratings, each rating delivering 12.1% average returns, is also worth considering.

[1/2] A logo of Meta Platforms Inc. is seen at its booth, at the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups, at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France June 17, 2022. REUTERS/Benoit TessierJan 25 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump's potential return to Meta Platform's (META.O) Facebook and Instagram is unlikely to change how advertisers spend money with the world's second-largest digital ad company, ad agency executives said. In a blog post on Wednesday announcing Trump's reinstatement, Meta said he will face "heightened penalties for repeat offenses." Trump's reinstatement, however, reinforces long-standing concerns about how social media platforms can ensure that ads don't appear next to content that marketers consider unsuitable, D'Altorio said. Ad spending on Twitter slumped in the last two months of 2022, according to Standard Media Index, which measures ad spending based on data from ad agencies.

The lawsuit tackles a business at Google that is responsible for 80 percent of its revenue. The Justice Department asked the court to compel Google to break up its ad technology business. Eight states joined the department in Tuesday's lawsuit, including Google's home state of California. The lawsuit says "Google has thwarted meaningful competition and deterred innovation in the digital advertising industry." In addition to its well-known search, which is free, Google makes revenue through its interlocking ad tech businesses, which connect advertisers with newspapers, websites and other firms looking to host them.

REUTERS/Benoit TessierWASHINGTON, Jan 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Google on Tuesday over allegations that the company abused its dominance of the digital advertising business. "Google has used anticompetitive, exclusionary, and unlawful means to eliminate or severely diminish any threat to its dominance over digital advertising technologies," the government said in its antitrust complaint. The Justice Department asked the court to compel Google to divest its Google Ad manager suite, including its ad exchange AdX. The lawsuit is the second federal antitrust complaint filed against Google, alleging violations of antitrust law in how the company acquires or maintains its dominance. The Justice Department lawsuit filed against Google in 2020 focuses on its monopoly in search and is scheduled to go to trial in September.

☆ PREVIEW Luxury giants bank on Chinese return as Western shoppers sober up
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Mimosa Spencer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

They are expected to see a deceleration in sales growth over the quarter as the post-pandemic splurge on designer fashions begins to ease in the United States and Europe. Hermes (HRMS.PA), which reports fourth-quarter results on Feb. 17, is expected to show sales growth of 17%, a decline from 24% in the third quarter. Luxury spending by Chinese nationals had dipped from 33% of the global personal luxury goods market in 2019 to as little as 17% last year, according to estimates from consultancy Bain. Burberry's like-for-like sales growth slowed sharply to 1% in the quarter to end-December after a 23% fall in mainland China. Although the Chinese are expected to initially resume travelling within Asia, Europe is a region that particularly stands to benefit from a return of Chinese tourists.

☆ Luxury giants bank on Chinese return as Western shoppers sober up
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Mimosa Spencer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

☆ Exclusive: Google parent to lay off 12,000 workers in latest blow to tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Jeffrey Dastin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Benoit TessierJan 20 (Reuters) - Google's parent Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) is eliminating about 12,000 jobs, or 6% of its workforce, it said Friday, as Silicon Valley reels from recent layoffs and faces a troubled outlook. The cuts at Alphabet come days after Microsoft said it would lay off 10,000 workers. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai told staff in a memo that the firm had reviewed its products, people and priorities, leading to job cuts across geographies and tech. Alphabet's job losses affect teams across the company including recruiting and some corporate functions, as well as some engineering and products teams. Reporting by Jeffrey Dastin in Davos, Switzerland; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle and Alexander SmithOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Google challenged the directive in the Supreme Court saying it would hurt consumers and also its business, warning the growth of the Android ecosystem could stall. A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, which included the chief justice of India, extended the implementation date of CCI's directives by a week beyond Jan. 19, but declined to block the ruling despite Google's repeated requests. Google licenses its Android system to smartphone makers, but critics say it imposes restrictions such as mandatory pre-installation of its own apps that are anti-competitive. Google also says in its India filings that "no other jurisdiction has ever asked for such far-reaching changes". "We have not cut, copy and paste," N Venkataraman, a government lawyer representing the Competition Commission of India (CCI), told the top court.

☆ Crypto exchange Binance plans 15%-30% hiring spree in 2023 even as rivals slash jobs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Zhao said Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, said the company increased head count in 2022 from 3,000 people to "almost" 8,000. In 2023, Binance plans to increase the number of staff by between 15% and 30%, Zhao said at the Crypto Finance Conference in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Zhao said Binance needs to get the company "well-organized" ahead of the next crypto bull run and admitted the exchange is "not super efficient." The industry was plagued last year by collapses of major projects, liquidity issues, bankruptcies and the high-profile failure of crypto exchange FTX. Binance had a big role to play in FTX's collapse.

The article was one of a series of reports this year by the news agency on Binance's financial compliance and relationship with regulators across the world. Reuters also asked representatives of the local Binance units and affiliates about their relationship with the main Binance exchange. In Italy, Binance's public corporate filings detail just the unit's capital base and its ownership by a separate Binance company in Ireland. The Italian company, Binance Italy S.R.L., has its listed address in a block of shops and apartments in the southern city of Lecce. Just two of the Binance units analysed by Reuters offer more substantial details in their filings.

☆ Apollo lifted out of Versailles' gardens for restoration
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] The gilded sculpture of Apollo on his chariot, part of a group of statues symbolising the sun god's journey created by Jean-Baptiste Tuby between 1668 and 1671, is lifted out of its basin as part of a major restoration of Apollo's fountain in the gardens at the Chateau de Versailles (Versailles Palace) in Versailles, France, December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Pascal RossignolVERSAILLES, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Apollo's Chariot Fountain was lifted from its base in the sumptuous gardens of the Palace of Versailles on Tuesday ahead of an 18-month restoration of the gilded lead sculpture celebrating the Greek god. Until now, restoration work had been limited to its surface. The restoration work will consist of disassembling the statues, with the 13 sculptures being restored and re-gilded, while the stone base will be strengthened. (And) with the horse riding events happening here, we'll have Apollo's Chariot, in majestic and flamboyant gold, as a backdrop for those Games", Pegard said.

☆ Salesforce shares tumble after surprise exit of co-CEO Taylor
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Bret Taylor, Co-CEO of Salesforce, speaks at the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France June 15, 2022. Jefferies analysts said the surprise exit indicated that the "co-CEO model is not working with two departures in three years." Benioff tapped Taylor as co-CEO in 2021, to replace Oracle (ORCL.N) executive Keith Block who stepped down from the role just before the pandemic began. He was previously chief operating officer and chief product officer of the company. "We view this leadership change as a significant blow given his leadership role on product," Needham analysts said in a note.

An early mover in the electric car race, Renault has fallen behind newer, more agile rivals like Tesla. But big question marks remain on its strained relationship with long-standing Japanese partner Nissan, as Renault looks for other outside investors for each of its divisions. Nissan (7201.T) is expected to take a stake in the EV venture, codenamed "Ampere", alongside other investors, though Renault will keep a majority stake. Renault CEO Luca De Meo said the group wanted to give the alliance a strong future and a "new chance". Aside from the Ampere EV unit and the combustion engine division, Renault will have an additional three businesses - the Alpine sports-car brand, financial services and new mobility and recycling activities.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: Meta Platforms, ServiceNow, Align Technology and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Check out the companies making headlines after the bell:Meta Platforms — The Facebook parent plunged more than 13% after missing earnings estimates for the third quarter. Meta beat revenue estimates, posting a better-than-expected decline year-over-year but shared disappointing guidance for the fourth quarter. ServiceNow — The software stock soared 12.4% postmarket as earnings per share came in 12 cents ahead of Wall Street expectations. Align Technology — The maker of Invisalign dental straighteners toppled 16.8% after missing earnings estimates for the recent quarter. O'Reilly Automotive — Shares gained more than 3% after hours following a beat on revenue and earnings for the third quarter.

REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File PhotoCompanies L'Oreal SA FollowOct 24 (Reuters) - L'Oreal SA (OREP.PA) has been sued by a Missouri woman who alleges she developed uterine cancer as a result of using the French cosmetic company's hair-straightening products. The lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court in Chicago, came days after a study from the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Safety (NIEHS) finding that hair-straightening products may significantly increase the risk of uterine cancer among frequent users. The plaintiff, Jennifer Mitchell, said she was diagnosed with uterine cancer in 2018, after using L'Oreal's products since about 2000, when she was 10. Uterine cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer in the United States, according to federal government data, with rates rising, particularly among Black women. The company "profited, significantly" from "unethical and illegal conduct that caused plaintiff to purchase and habitually use a dangerous and defective product," the lawsuit said.

☆ LVMH's resilience gives luxury shares a boost amid economic gloom
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"LVMH's 3Q22 print will likely reassure on the health of the high-end consumer in the run-up to the festive season," said Thomas Chauvet of Citi. He said he had seen no signs that lower product categories were underperforming -- a category that has been closely eyed for signs of weakness. Analysts have been on the look out for signs of weakness in more aspirational products as younger shoppers face rising living costs. Guiony flagged a strong performance in watches -- luxury products that tend to do well in an inflationary environment because they hold their value. Hermes and Kering (PRTP.PA) report third quarter sales on Oct. 20.

REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File PhotoLONDON, Oct 7 (Reuters) - A blockchain linked to Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange, has been hit by a $570 million hack, a Binance spokesperson said on Friday, the latest in a series of hacks to hit the crypto sector this year. Criminals have increasingly targeted them, with some $2 billion stolen in 13 different hacks, mostly this year, researcher Chainalysis said in August. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe hackers stole around $100 million worth of crypto, Zhao said in his tweet. BNB Chain later said in a blog post that a total of 2 million of the BNB cryptocurrency - worth around $570 million - was withdrawn by the hacker. BNB Chain suspended its blockchain for several hours before resuming at around 0630 GMT, it said in a tweet.

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