DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

Dec 20 (Reuters) - FedEx Corp (FDX.N) will slash an additional $1 billion in costs as recession threatens and the COVID-19 pandemic demand bubble deflates, the delivery company said on Tuesday. Shares rose 3.7% to $170.48 in extended trading after Memphis, Tennessee-based FedEx also reported a bigger fiscal second-quarter profit than Wall street expected. The global delivery company angered investors and analysts in September when it yanked its forecast, triggering the biggest one-day stock drop in company history. FedEx warned in November that U.S. volume in the year-end quarter was below company projections as the pandemic-driven e-commerce bubble deflated. On Tuesday, FedEx said second-quarter adjusted profit fell to $815 million, or $3.18 per share, from $1.3 billion, or $4.83 per share, a year earlier.

MONTREAL/BOGOTA Dec 16 (Reuters) - Latin America is drawing early investment for jet fuel produced from materials like forest residues and palm oil as emission-conscious airlines scour emerging markets for less-polluting fuel to power flights, industry executives say. While most sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, is produced in the United States, Europe, and Singapore, Latin America is emerging as a budding market. "Latin America right now is really a hot spot for Honeywell." Producing and distributing SAF in regions with faster-growing traffic like Latin America is key to meeting industry targets, said Landon Loomis, Latin America president for U.S. planemaker Boeing (BA.N). And Vibra Energia (VBBR3.SA) is working with Brasil BioFuels (BBF) to produce palm oil-based jet fuel in 2025.

WASHINGTON/DETROIT, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Chrysler parent Stellantis (STLA.MI) on Friday said it will indefinitely halt operations at an assembly plant in Illinois in February, citing the rising costs of electric vehicle production. The automaker, which employs about 1,350 workers at the Belvidere, Illinois, plant that builds the Jeep Cherokee SUV, said the action will result in indefinite layoffs and added it may not resume operations as it considers other options. Stellantis has said it will invest over 30 billion euros ($31.6 billion) through 2025 on electrifying its vehicle lineup. Stellantis spokeswoman Jodi Tinson would not comment on whether the Cherokee production would be moved to Toluca. UAW Vice President Cindy Estrada noted Stellantis imports many vehicles into the United States and said "companies like Stellantis receive billions in government incentives to transition to clean energy.

☆ Exclusive: Biden administration drafting executive order to simplify space rules -sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who chairs the National Space Council, has signaled her intention to codify new rules for private space activities, but the plan for the executive order has not been reported. The executive order is considered an early step to simplify existing regulations before new rules take shape. Companies like Blue Origin, Axiom Space and others are developing private space stations with unclear procedures for how they can court foreign governments as customers or execute their missions in space. However, a lack of rules governing private in-space activities complicates space companies' ties with prospective customers, investors and insurers that need more legal certainty. Private space stations like Orbital Reef, which Blue Origin is developing with Boeing and Sierra Space, could be deployed by 2030.

Some elements of the Jeep joint venture's failure are particular to Stellantis - and the former car groups that feature among its 14 brands. But data compiled for Reuters by consultancy LMC Automotive expose a problem shared by a number of other global carmakers: plummeting Chinese plant usage. Reuters GraphicsThe Jeep failure in China happened less than two years after Stellantis was formed by the merger of PSA and Fiat Chrysler. "Chinese companies actually have an early mover advantage because they embraced electrification faster than the foreign companies were willing to," he added. While fully-electric cars make up an average of 5% of models foreign carmakers sell in China, they account for 30% of Chinese carmakers' models, according to LMC data.

Airlines are operating 13% fewer domestic flights during the eight-day Thanksgiving travel period compared with 2019, according to data by Cirium. While flight delays and cancellations marred U.S. summer travel, airlines say they are better prepared to handle the holiday travel rush for Thanksgiving, which occurs on the fourth Thursday in November. Federal officials say they have enough staffing to handle holiday travel as well. More than 1.4 million travelers are going out of town for Thanksgiving by bus, train or cruise ship, AAA estimates. The company this year received Thanksgiving travel bookings as early as June, three months earlier than in 2019.

"He's probably going to spend more time on Twitter than any Tesla investor feels comfortable about." Sales of Musk's own Tesla shares - totaling $20 billion since he disclosed his Twitter stake - have added to the pressure. "I think he's finally reached a point where he's really challenging himself. 'MINIMAL TIME'The Tesla board has expressed concerns about Musk's commitment to SpaceX and several smaller companies. So I think Tesla would continue to do very well even if I was kidnapped by aliens or went back to my home planet maybe."

Today's EVs run on lithium ion batteries — mostly made with lithium, cobalt, manganese and high-grade nickel, whose prices have soared. The EVs of the future — those arriving after 2025 — could shift to sodium ion or lithium sulfur battery cells that could be up to two-thirds cheaper than today's lithium ion cells. China's CATL (300750.SZ) has said it plans to begin producing sodium ion cells in 2023. Michigan-based Amandarry and British startup AMTE Power (AMTE.L) are developing sodium ion batteries using sodium chloride — basically table salt — as the main cathode ingredient. Battery developers hope they can add sodium ion and lithium sulfur batteries to the range open to the auto industry.

DETROIT/WASHINGTON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Stellantis (STLA.MI) said on Monday it is pausing all paid advertising posts on Twitter as it waits to see what the platform will look like under the leadership of its new owner Elon Musk. “We're pausing paid advertising posts until we have a clearer understanding of the future of the platform under its new leadership," the automaker said of Twitter in a statement to Reuters. Musk has said Twitter has suffered a "massive" revenue drop since he took over 10 days ago. Stellantis joins a number of major companies that have halted advertising on Twitter, including United Airlines (UAL.O), General Mills Inc (GIS.N) luxury automaker Audi of America and General Motors Co (GM.N). Gilead Sciences Inc (GILD.O) said earlier on Monday the company and its unit Kite were in the "process of pausing advertising" on Twitter.

It wants 3.8 billion pounds ($4.4 billion) to build a gigafactory in northern England but its plans are hanging by a thread as it struggles to lure enough investment. French battery startup Verkor, for example, announced on Wednesday that it had raised 250 million euros ($249 million) to fund a megafactory. The European Battery Alliance (EBA) acknowledges Asian firms, and Chinese companies in particular, are likely to increase their market share in the coming years, helped by their track record and offtake agreements. "Even if we have the production in Europe, it doesn't mean we have the know-how or the control," she said. The EU has approved 6.1 billion euros since 2019 in funding by member states for battery research and innovation while Britain has a 1 billion pound fund to support investments in EV supply chains.

☆ Self-driving cars face uncertain path to U.S. deployment
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Legislation in Congress has been stalled for more than five years over how to amend regulations to encompass self-driving cars, including the scope of consumer and legal protections. And U.S. regulators have given no indication when they might act on petitions to initially approve a few thousand self-driving cars on U.S. roads without steering wheels or brake pedals. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said this month he has "very high hopes for the theoretical possibility that self-driving cars and high-tech cars will save thousands and thousands of lives because human beings have a basically murderous track record as drivers of cars. Some in the industry and in Washington also see developing self-driving vehicle technology as a competitive issue. Last year the agency directed all automakers and tech companies to promptly report crashes involving self-driving vehicles.

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.

DETROIT, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co (F.N) on Wednesday reported a third-quarter net loss driven by its decision to shift spending from the Argo AI self-driving business. Ford posted a net loss in the quarter of $827 million, after taking a $2.7 billion noncash pretax impairment on its investment in Argo AI. The automaker said Argo will be "wound down" and that "talented engineers" will be offered positions with Ford. Chief Executive Jim Farley on Wednesday said Ford will shift its development focus away from fully self-driving systems developed by Argo to advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) created internally at Ford. GM on Tuesday reported a net profit of $3.3 billion on record third-quarter revenue of $41.9 billion.

DETROIT, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co (F.N) on Wednesday reported a third-quarter net loss driven by its decision to shift spending from the Argo AI self-driving business. Ford posted a net loss of $827 million, after taking a $2.7 billion noncash pretax impairment on its investment in Argo AI. The automaker said Argo will be "wound down" and that "talented engineers" will be offered positions with Ford. The other key investor in Pittsburgh-based Argo, Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE), said it, too, expects to hire some personnel from Argo. Adjusted free cash flow in the quarter was $3.6 billion, with the outlook for the full year raised to $9.5 billion to $10 billion.

☆ Exclusive: Automakers to double spending on EVs, batteries to $1.2 trillion by 2030
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Paul Lienert | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

To put the figure in context, Alphabet (GOOGL.O), the parent company of Google and Waymo, has a market cap of $1.3 trillion. Automakers have forecast plans to build 54 million battery electric vehicles in 2030, representing more than 50% of total vehicle production, according to the analysis. To support that unprecedented level of EVs, carmakers and their battery partners are planning to install 5.8 terawatt-hours of battery production capacity by 2030, according to data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence and the manufacturers. Japan's Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) is investing $70 billion to electrify vehicles and produce more batteries, and expects to sell at least 3.5 million battery electric models (BEVs) in 2030. It plans at least 30 different BEVs and expects to transition the entire Lexus range to battery electric over that span.

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives in a research note called the results a "major step in the right direction for the Detroit stalwart." GM reaffirmed its guidance for full-year net income of $9.6 billion to $11.2 billion, and full-year diluted earnings per share of $5.76 to $6.76. The automaker reported net income of $3.3 billion, compared with $2.4 billion a year earlier. The automaker said higher volume in the quarter drove a $5-billion gain, with higher prices contributing a $2.1 billion gain, offset by $3.6 billion in additional logistics costs. GM's China income climbed to $330 million, compared with $270 million a year earlier.

DETROIT, Oct 25 (Reuters) - General Motors Co (GM.N) on Tuesday reported a higher quarterly profit, and reaffirmed its full-year outlook. The automaker reported net income of $3.3 billion, compared with $2.4 billion a year earlier. The automaker said higher volume in the quarter drove a $5 billion gain, with higher prices contributing a $2.1 billion gain, offset by $3.6 billion in additional logistics costs. GM said it has received 170,000 reservations for the new Chevrolet Silverado EV pickup, which arrives at U.S. dealers next spring. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Ben Klayman, Paul Lienert and Joseph White, Editing by Louise Heavens, Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

DETROIT, Oct 25 (Reuters) - General Motors Co (GM.N) shares rose almost 5% in premarket trade on Tuesday as the company reported a higher quarterly profit that beat analysts' estimates. GM reaffirmed its guidance for full-year net income of $9.6 billion to $11.2 billion, and full-year diluted earnings per share of $5.76 to $6.76. Diluted earnings per share in the third quarter of $2.25 topped estimates of $1.88. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe automaker reported net income of $3.3 billion, compared with $2.4 billion a year earlier. The automaker said higher volume in the quarter drove a $5 billion gain, with higher prices contributing a $2.1 billion gain, offset by $3.6 billion in additional logistics costs.

Oct 24 (Reuters) - United Parcel Service (UPS.N) investors want to see this week how the delivery giant is managing through the bursting e-commerce delivery bubble better than rival FedEx (FDX.N). Shares in UPS are down roughly 20% so far this year, versus the 40% decline in FedEx stock. At the same time, the UPS sales team has been working to drum up new business. Lego, the $7.3 billion Danish maker of colorful plastic bricks used to build everything from UPS delivery trucks to Hogwarts Castle of Harry Potter fame, switched from FedEx to UPS, according to the sources, who asked not to be identified. Global air and ocean import cargo volumes, a gauge of demand for logistics companies like UPS and FedEx, are slumping.

☆ EXCLUSIVE Automakers to double spending on EVs, batteries to $1.2 trillion by 2030
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Paul Lienert | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterAutomakers have forecast plans to build 54 million battery electric vehicles in 2030, representing more than 50% of total vehicle production, according to the analysis. To support that unprecedented level of EVs, carmakers and their battery partners are planning to install 5.8 terawatt-hours of battery production capacity by 2030, according to data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence and the manufacturers. Leading the charge is Tesla (TSLA.O), where Chief Executive Elon Musk has outlined an audacious plan to build 20 million EVs in 2030, requiring an estimated 3 terawatt-hours of batteries. Japan's Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) is investing $70 billion to electrify vehicles and produce more batteries, and expects to sell at least 3.5 million battery electric models (BEVs) in 2030. It plans at least 30 different BEVs and expects to transition the entire Lexus range to battery electric over that span.

☆ Automakers need more time to meet U.S. minerals requirements for EVs -execs
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Ben Klayman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"We believe it's unfair," he added, pointing out that none of the South Korean automaker's EVs qualify for the credit. Munoz said U.S. legislators should offer companies investing in the United States some type of waiver or a longer transition period. Automakers are trying to figure out how their vehicles will meet the new law's requirements to qualify for EV tax credits. Details of the act are still being ironed out and the U.S. Treasury is currently taking comments on how to implement the rules around the EV tax credits. "We're pretty well positioned," he said at the Reuters conference, citing the Detroit automaker's four U.S. battery plants the company has announced and its raw materials supply deals.

☆ REUTERS EVENTS-Stellantis eyeing two more N. American battery plants by 2030
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DETROIT, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Stellantis (STLA.MI) will need four electric-vehicle battery plants in North America by 2030, the company's North American chief operating officer said on Tuesday. The automaker has already announced two joint-venture battery plants - one in Indiana and the other in Canada - and will need two more plants in the United States, Canada or Mexico, Mark Stewart said at a Reuters Events auto conference in Detroit. We will need four plants by 2030." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe Indiana plant is a joint venture with South Korea's Samsung SDI (006400.KS), while the Canada plant will be built with South Korea's LG Energy Solution (373220.KS). Asked whether Stellantis was open to the workers at the joint-venture battery plants being represented by the United Auto workers union, Stewart said it was up to the workers but the company was open to the idea.

Sony Honda Mobility said on Thursday it was aiming to deliver the first of the unnamed EV by 2026, starting in the United States, and will sell them online. Honda has about 1,100 Honda dealers and 270 Acura dealers. "I get teaming up with Sony, but it should be done in conjunction with the dealer network, not outside it," he added. Sony Honda officials promised the vehicle - to be built at one of Honda's Ohio plants - will include advanced driver-assist features and a new software system developed by Sony that offers cloud-connected services that generate recurring revenue. Sony Honda officials declined to say under what brand the vehicle will be sold.

☆ FedEx's reduced holiday forecast no surprise to skeptical contractors
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Lisa Baertlein | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Bush has delivered packages for FedEx Ground for 15 years, and in that time, he said, "they haven't had accurate projections." The updated holiday forecast will help ensure that contractors have appropriate resources for the peak delivery season while minimizing preparation costs, FedEx said in a statement. More than half the 20 contractors who spoke with Reuters for this story were not planning to bulk up operations to meet the company's original holiday forecast. Their previously unreported silent work action shows the distrust many Ground contractors have in company leadership. Last year, FedEx's overly bullish holiday forecast left many contractors with losses after they geared up with trucks and employees for a surge that failed to materialize.

☆ Sierra Space weighs public offering to help fund space station, president says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Janet Kavandi, president of Sierra Space, scientist and astronaut, attends the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) space exploration conference in Paris, France, September 19, 2022. No private company has built a space station. "It is one of many considerations," Sierra Space President Janet Kavandi said of a public offering, speaking to Reuters at the International Astronautical Congress in Paris. Sierra Space hopes to have the first elements of the station in orbit by about 2027. "I don't think you can overstate its importance," Michael López-Alegría, Axiom's chief astronaut, said of getting their space station to market first.

Search resuls for: "BEN KLAYMAN"

25 mentions found