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Amazon is shutting down Amazon One, its biometric palm-scan system
Business Insider· 2026-01-28 12:28
Group 1 - Amazon is discontinuing its palm-authentication service, Amazon One, across all retail businesses, with users able to use it until June 3 [1] - The discontinuation follows Amazon's decision to close all Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go stores, where Amazon One was utilized, to focus on growth areas [2] - Amazon One was initially tested in 2020 at two Amazon Go stores in Seattle and later expanded to hundreds of Whole Foods and third-party retailers [2] Group 2 - Amazon is laying off approximately 16,000 corporate roles as part of a strategy to reduce bureaucracy [3] - The company has not provided comments regarding the layoffs [3] - The situation is ongoing, and updates are expected [3]
The headlines to look out for as Big Tech reports earnings
Business Insider· 2026-01-28 12:20
Group 1: Meta - Meta is focusing on significant investments in AI but lacks a cloud business to capitalize on the AI boom, which has raised concerns among investors [2] - The company has reduced its metaverse team and revamped its review program, indicating a shift in strategy [2] - Investors are looking for tangible returns, suggesting that Meta may face challenges in the upcoming year [2] Group 2: Microsoft - Microsoft, with a market cap exceeding $3.5 trillion, is undergoing a transformation under CEO Satya Nadella, who is emphasizing the importance of AI [3] - Nadella has appointed a new advisor to explore the economic implications of AI for Microsoft [3] - The company’s future plans and partnerships, particularly following its restructured agreement with OpenAI, are critical to monitor [3] Group 3: Tesla - Tesla is shifting its focus from traditional automotive business to future projects like the robotaxi service and the Optimus humanoid robot [4] - Elon Musk is promoting future innovations rather than current products, raising questions about investor confidence in unfulfilled promises [4] Group 4: Apple - Apple is taking a partnership approach in the AI space, exemplified by its collaboration with Google Gemini to enhance Siri's AI capabilities [4] - iPhone sales remain a crucial metric, particularly in China, which is its second-largest market [5] Group 5: Alphabet - Alphabet has experienced significant success recently, particularly with the launch of Gemini 3, which has positioned Google as a leader in the AI sector [6] - The company has entered the elite $4 trillion market-cap club and is expected to continue evolving its Search capabilities in the AI era [6] Group 6: Amazon - Amazon announced a workforce reduction of 16,000 employees as part of efforts to streamline operations and reduce bureaucracy [7] - This follows a previous job cut of approximately 14,000 employees, and the company's ability to maintain investor confidence post-reductions will be closely watched [8]
Fed meeting updates: Powell expected to hold interest rates steady in first decision of 2026
Business Insider· 2026-01-28 11:16
As of 6:30 a.m. ET futures for the three major US indexes are trending higher, with the Nasdaq leading the way, signaling a nearly 1% rise at the open. That's due in large part to its tech focus, with many of the biggest tech firms reporting earnings this week.With around 7.5 hours until the Fed's latest rate decision is announced, things are a bit of a mixed bag in financial markets on Wednesday.With around 7.5 hours until the Fed's latest rate decision is announced, things are a bit of a mixed bag in fina ...
GM is quietly becoming a subscriptions company
Business Insider· 2026-01-28 10:59
Core Insights - General Motors (GM) is significantly expanding its software and subscription business, generating $2 billion in software revenue over the past nine months and securing $5 billion in future subscriptions from customers [1][2]. Subscription Growth - GM has reached 11 million subscribers for its OnStar safety system, marking a 34% increase from the previous year, and an additional 500,000 customers are subscribed to the Super Cruise hands-free driver-assistance system [2][4]. - The subscription services, while currently a small portion of GM's total revenue of $45.29 billion in the last quarter, offer higher profit margins compared to traditional car sales [2][3]. Profitability and Strategy - GM's software business retains approximately 70 cents of every dollar earned, a notable profitability level in the auto industry where car sales typically yield only 4 to 10 cents per dollar [3]. - The company plans to enhance its software and services, such as OnStar and Super Cruise, to drive greater revenue during and after vehicle sales, indicating a strong growth opportunity with attractive margins [3][4]. Software-Defined Vehicles - As vehicles become more software-defined, GM aims to introduce new digital experiences through updates and optional services rather than relying solely on hardware changes [5][6]. - The subscription model is designed to ease customer adoption, with OnStar Basics included at no extra cost for newer GM vehicles, while paid subscriptions for services like Connect Plus and Super Cruise are available at monthly rates [6][7]. Competitive Landscape - Other automakers, including Ford and Tesla, are also expanding their subscription services, indicating a broader industry trend towards monetizing software and services post-sale [8][9]. - Wall Street responded positively to GM's earnings report, with the company's stock rising 8.8% following the announcement, reflecting investor confidence in the subscription model's potential [9][10].
Amazon slashes 16,000 corporate roles in latest phase of a broader reset
Business Insider· 2026-01-28 10:35
Group 1 - Amazon is eliminating 16,000 corporate employees, marking its second round of mass job cuts since October, when it shed 14,000 roles [1] - The job cuts are part of Amazon's efforts to cut back on bureaucracy and operate more efficiently amid rapid advances in AI [2][4] - Amazon's corporate workforce is approximately 350,000 employees, which is a small share of its total global workforce of over 1.5 million [3] Group 2 - The company has been trimming management layers, tightening spending, and overhauling performance systems, with a cultural reset accelerating after the pandemic [4] - Amazon's job cuts reflect a broader trend in Big Tech, where companies like Microsoft and Meta have also made significant layoffs while ramping up AI investments [5]
Billionaire Bernard Arnault kicked off LVMH's earnings call with a dash of dark humor
Business Insider· 2026-01-28 07:15
LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault started a Tuesday earnings call with some dry humor, telling investors that his company will see the end of winter. The French luxury tycoon, who is worth $197 billion, announced the company's full-year 2025 results during a call with investors."I'm delighted to present to you the figures for 2025, to begin with a good piece of news," he said. "I think we'll make it through the winter." He said that LVMH's results were "solid" in a challenging geopolitical and economic climate, an ...
Tiffany & Co. is setting its sights on the gold girlies
Business Insider· 2026-01-28 05:00
Group 1: Company Strategy - Tiffany & Co. is shifting its focus from silver jewelry to gold and high jewelry, as stated by LVMH executives [1][2] - The demand for high jewelry has quadrupled over the last four years, while demand for silver jewelry has declined by one-third since LVMH acquired Tiffany in 2021 [2] - This marks a significant change for Tiffany, which has historically specialized in silver jewelry since its inception in 1851 [3] Group 2: Financial Performance - LVMH's watches and jewelry division reported €10.5 billion in sales (approximately $12.6 billion) in 2025, reflecting a 1% decline from the previous year [4] - LVMH's stock price has decreased by about 22% over the past year [4] Group 3: Market Trends - Gold prices have surged to record highs, with spot gold trading around $5,240 per ounce, up about 20% this year and 73% in 2025 [6] - Silver prices have also risen significantly, currently trading around $115 per ounce, with a year-to-date increase of 56% and a 170% rise last year [9] - The gold-to-silver ratio has fallen to a four-year low, indicating that silver now "appears expensive" relative to gold [12]
Paramount+ got about 1 million new subscribers the day of its first UFC event, an exec told staffers
Business Insider· 2026-01-27 23:53
UFC is already a hit for Paramount+. Paramount's flagship streaming service generated about a million new subscribers on the day of its first-ever UFC match, Paramount product chief Dane Glasgow told employees in a town hall on Tuesday morning, three staffers who attended the meeting told Business Insider.A Paramount spokesperson said: "Those numbers are unverified, and it's against our policy to share speculative data externally." In August, Paramount did a deal with UFC parent TKO that will see it pay $ ...
Lululemon cuts 100 staff as founder attacks board, and customers complain about product quality
Business Insider· 2026-01-27 17:33
Lululemon has laid off 100 part-time employees in its customer service department in an effort to "strengthen" the business. The layoffs have affected staff in North America working at the company's contact center.A Lululemon company spokesperson said: "Over the past several months and as part of our ongoing strategic efforts to strengthen our business, we have been assessing ways to optimize and better support this experience for our guests and employees in North America. "After careful consideration, we ...
Amazon is shuttering its Fresh stores. It's the latest pivot for the company's yearslong supermarket bet.
Business Insider· 2026-01-27 16:08
Amazon is closing the supermarket chain that it spent nearly six years building from scratch. The tech and retail giant said it plans to close its Amazon Fresh stores "to prioritize investment in growth areas," in a company blog post on Tuesday. Amazon has around 60 Fresh stores in the US listed on its website.The company is also shuttering about 15 Amazon Go convenience stores, it said. "While we've seen encouraging signals in our Amazon-branded physical grocery stores, we haven't yet created a truly dis ...