By Amy-Jo Crowley and Oliver Hirt LONDON (Reuters) – Apax Partners, Bain Capital and CVC are each exploring potential bids for SoftwareOne, two people with knowledge of the situation said, three months after the ouster of the Swiss software company’s board. Talks with interested funds are ongoing, one of the people said. Four sources mentioned […]
US hits former Israeli military sergeant with visa restrictions
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. has imposed visa restrictions against a former Israeli military sergeant for his alleged involvement in gross violations of human rights in the occupied West Bank, including an extrajudicial killing, the State Department said on Wednesday. As a result of the restrictions, Sergeant Elor Azaria “and any immediate family members are […]
Squishmallows maker can sue Build-A-Bear over alleged knockoffs
By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) – A U.S. judge rejected Build-A-Bear Workshop’s effort to dismiss a lawsuit claiming that its Skoosherz plush toys were unauthorized knockoffs of Squishmallows, the popular plush toys made by a unit of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway. In a decision on Monday, U.S. District Judge Josephine Staton in Los Angeles […]
Microsoft’s hiring of former Inflection AI staff prompts UK probe
By Yadarisa Shabong and Martin Coulter (Reuters) – Britain’s competition regulator has started a formal investigation into Microsoft’s hiring of some former staff of Inflection AI and its partnership with the startup, it said on Tuesday. Over the past 18 months, regulators around the world have increasingly focused on potentially anti-competitive behaviour in the AI […]
Exclusive-FTC seeking details on Amazon deal with AI startup Adept, source says
By Krystal Hu, Greg Bensinger and Jody Godoy (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has asked Amazon.com to provide more details on its deal to hire top executives and researchers from artificial intelligence startup Adept, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. The request reflects the FTC’s growing concern about how AI deals […]
Warner Bros Discovery rises after BofA says possible sale of assets likely beneficial
(Reuters) – Shares of Warner Bros Discovery rose more than 6% on Tuesday after Bank of America (BofA) Global Research said the company could create more value for its shareholders if it explored strategic options, including a potential sale. The loss-making media conglomerate has been reeling from the effects of subdued advertising in the U.S. […]
Fed’s Powell: Latest data ‘add somewhat to confidence’ inflation is returning to 2%
By Howard Schneider WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Monday the three U.S. inflation readings over the second quarter of this year “add somewhat to confidence” that the pace of price increases is returning to the Fed’s target in a sustainable fashion, remarks that suggest a turn to interest rate cuts may […]
Wall St ends higher as investors firm bets on Trump win, rate cuts
By Stephen Culp NEW YORK (Reuters) -Wall Street closed higher on Monday, building on Friday’s rally as increasing expectations of a second Donald Trump presidency in the wake of a failed assassination attempt raised hopes of a looser regulatory environment. The growing probability that the U.S. Federal Reserve will begin cutting its key interest rate […]
Goldman Sachs profit tops estimates on robust debt underwriting, fixed-income trading
By Saeed Azhar and Niket Nishant NEW YORK (Reuters) -Goldman Sachs’ profit more than doubled in the second quarter and beat analysts’ estimates on strong debt underwriting and fixed-income trading, but slipped from a bumper first quarter when earnings were the highest since 2021. The resilience of the U.S. economy has given corporate executives the […]
Amazon Prime Day sales to hit record $14 billion, data firm says
By Ananya Mariam Rajesh and Arriana McLymore (Reuters) – Shoppers are likely to spend roughly $14 billion during Amazon’s Prime Day two-day shopping event this week, according to projections from Adobe Analytics, a firm that studies e-commerce transaction data. Spending at Amazon on Tuesday and Wednesday could rise 10.5% from Prime Day 2023, Adobe said. […]