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Amazon to invest £40 billion in the UK over next three years
CNBC· 2025-06-24 09:19
Group 1 - Amazon will invest £40 billion ($54 billion) in the U.K. over the next three years [1] - The investment will be allocated to building four new fulfillment centers and upgrading existing operations [1] - This move is part of Amazon's strategy to enhance its logistics and delivery capabilities in the U.K. [1] Group 2 - The British government welcomed the investment as it seeks to attract major tech investments to boost domestic growth [2] - U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that the investment would create thousands of new jobs [2] - The announcement comes amid a backdrop of a 0.3% contraction in U.K. monthly gross domestic product in April [2]
Goldman Sachs and Citadel back crypto firm Digital Asset in $135 million funding round
CNBC· 2025-06-24 09:00
Group 1 - Digital Asset has raised $135 million in funding from major financial institutions, indicating a growing interest in the cryptocurrency sector [1] - The funding round was co-led by DRW and Tradeweb, with participation from Goldman Sachs, BNP Paribas, and Citadel Securities [1] - This investment reflects how large financial institutions are increasingly integrating into the cryptocurrency market, which was previously viewed as risky and unregulated [1] Group 2 - Digital assets have transitioned from being associated with fraud and illicit activities to becoming a more mainstream asset class, with significant players like JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs entering the space [2] - JPMorgan recently launched its own stablecoin, named "JPMD," further demonstrating the bank's commitment to digital assets [2]
Meta approached AI startup Runway about a takeover bid before Scale deal
CNBC· 2025-06-23 21:45
Meta spoke with artificial intelligence startup Runway about a potential takeover ahead of its multibillion-dollar investment in Scale AI, CNBC confirmed on Monday.Runway is best known for its AI video generation tools and earned a spot on CNBC's Disruptor 50 list earlier this month. The deal talks between Meta and Runway did not progress far and dissolved, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be named due to the confidential nature of the discussions.Bloomberg earlier reported th ...
U.S. House tells staffers not to use Meta's WhatsApp
CNBC· 2025-06-23 18:06
Meta is pushing back against a ban on WhatsApp from government devices.The Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the U.S. House of Representatives told staffers on Monday that they are not allowed to use Meta's popular messaging app. The CAO cited a lack of transparency about WhatsApp's data privacy and security practices as the reason for the ban, according to a report by Axios that cited an internal email from the government office.The CAO told House staff members in the email that they are not allowed to ...
Super Micro shares fall on planned $2 billion convertible debt offering
CNBC· 2025-06-23 18:00
Super Micro Computer shares fell about 6% on Monday after the server maker said it plans to offer $2 billion in convertible notes, maturing in 2030. A company's stock often falls on the announcement of a convertible offering because the eventual conversion to equity could dilute existing shareholders' stakes. Super Micro, which has seen its business boom due to soaring demand for Nvidia's artificial intelligence processors, said in a press release that it plans to use the proceeds from the offering for "gen ...
Tech stocks, including Apple, were safety trade during Covid, but this market is different
CNBC· 2025-06-23 15:27
It's Apple that's no longer acting like the stock that in recent years had seemed to function as the equities market's closest thing to a bond. The recent gap is Apple's worst relative performance to its own sector fund since December 2002, according to CNBC research. It's the only of the so-called "Magnificent 7" tech stocks to recently trade below both its 50- and 200-day moving averages.But that doesn't mean tech hasn't bounced back strongly from the early 2025 tariff-triggered selloff. The SPDR Info Tec ...
Novo Nordisk ends deal with Hims & Hers over sales of Wegovy copycats; HIMS drops 20%
CNBC· 2025-06-23 12:20
The "Wegovy" brand slimming syringe is sold in the Achat pharmacy in Mitte. The "Wegovy" slimming syringe has been available in Germany for a year.Novo Nordisk on Monday said it is ending its collaboration with Hims & Hers due to concerns about the telehealth company's sales and promotion of cheaper knock-offs of the weight loss drug Wegovy. Shares of Hims & Hers fell about 20% in premarket trading Monday. Novo Nordisk in April said it would offer Wegovy through several telehealth companies such as Hims & H ...
New Stellantis CEO faces slew of challenges, vows to avoid 'mediocrity'
CNBC· 2025-06-23 10:00
Core Viewpoint - The appointment of Antonio Filosa as the new CEO of Stellantis is seen as a pivotal moment for the company, which faces significant challenges in revitalizing its performance and restoring relationships with stakeholders after a period of decline under the previous leadership [1][4][14]. Group 1: Leadership Transition - Antonio Filosa, who has been with the company for 25 years, emphasizes the importance of avoiding mediocrity and aims to channel the leadership style of his mentor, Sergio Marchionne, to turn around Stellantis [1][2][4]. - Filosa's leadership style is described as engaging and collective, with a strong understanding of the business from factory operations to executive levels [3][17]. - The previous CEO, Carlos Tavares, resigned amid declining sales and profit, with Stellantis experiencing a 70% drop in net profit last year [5][14]. Group 2: Challenges Ahead - Filosa faces the challenge of mending relationships with dealers, employees, and politicians that were strained during Tavares' tenure, as well as managing the transition to electric vehicles [6][8]. - Stellantis' global sales fell 12.3% from 6.5 million in 2021 to 5.7 million in 2024, with a significant 27% drop in U.S. sales during the same period [11]. - The company is currently experiencing a product shortage, which has contributed to a 12% decline in overall sales during the first quarter of the year compared to the previous year [12]. Group 3: Market Position and Financial Performance - Stellantis' revenue decreased by 17.2% year-over-year in 2024 to €156.9 billion ($180.6 billion), contrasting with growth seen by competitors like General Motors and Ford [13]. - Filosa's immediate priorities include revitalizing U.S. market performance and addressing the extensive 14-brand portfolio of Stellantis [14][20]. - Investor confidence appears to be low, with shares declining 3.2% upon Filosa's appointment and continuing to drop by approximately 10% since then [23].
Top Wall Street analysts like these three stocks for long-term growth
CNBC· 2025-06-22 11:07
Market Overview - The Middle East conflict and macroeconomic uncertainty are expected to keep global stock markets volatile, suggesting that investors should focus on stocks with solid growth prospects rather than short-term fluctuations [1]. Chewy (CHWY) - Chewy reported solid revenue and earnings for Q1 FY25, but there are concerns regarding a decline in free cash flow [3]. - JPMorgan analyst Doug Anmuth raised the price target for CHWY from $36 to $47, maintaining a buy rating, and believes the post-earnings sell-off is overdone [4]. - Anmuth remains bullish on Chewy due to strong execution, growth in active customers, and profitability ramp, expecting multi-year profitability driven by sponsored ads and product mix [5]. - The company saw a sequential increase of 240,000 active customers in Q1 2025, marking the fourth consecutive quarter of growth [6]. Pinterest (PINS) - Pinterest has partnered with Instacart to make advertisements directly shoppable, which is expected to enhance ad performance [8]. - Bank of America analyst Justin Post reaffirmed a buy rating on PINS with a price target of $41, highlighting the potential for advertisers to utilize Instacart's purchase data [8][9]. - The partnership is anticipated to provide better ad campaign insights and could drive incremental ad spend from consumer packaged goods clients [11]. Uber Technologies (UBER) - Stifel analyst Mark Kelley initiated a buy rating on UBER with a price target of $110, viewing it as a "super app" for various services [13]. - Kelley believes that the emergence of autonomous vehicles presents minimal risk to Uber's business in the near-to-medium term due to several hurdles [14]. - He expects gross bookings growth of 16% in both 2025 and 2026, supported by expansion into non-urban areas and international markets [15]. - Kelley is optimistic about Uber's success in the Delivery segment, which is expected to facilitate customer acquisition [16].
Easy returns cause big trouble for Amazon sellers, but return rates show signs of slowing
CNBC· 2025-06-21 13:32
Core Insights - The rise in return fraud on Amazon is impacting small businesses negatively, leading some sellers to exit the Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) program [1][2][3] - In 2024, nearly 14% of all U.S. retail returns were fraudulent, significantly up from 5% in 2018, costing retailers $890 billion [4] - Amazon has introduced new fees for sellers with high return rates, which has led to a decrease in return rates for some sellers [5][7] Impact on Small Businesses - Small business owners express concern that consumers do not understand how their return habits affect them [3] - Specific incidents of fraud have led to significant losses for small businesses, with one owner reporting a return incident that severely damaged her business [3][15] - Sellers are experiencing higher return rates on Amazon compared to other platforms, with one seller noting a return rate three times higher than on eBay [9][11] Amazon's Response - Amazon has implemented measures to combat return fraud, including denying refunds and requiring customer identity verification [8] - The company has also started adding warning labels to frequently returned items, which may be contributing to a decrease in return rates [6] - Amazon has introduced programs to help sellers manage returns, such as "Grade and Resell" and FBA Liquidation, allowing sellers to recoup some losses [20][21] Environmental Concerns - Returns generated an estimated 29 million metric tons of carbon emissions in 2024, with 9.8 billion pounds of returns ending up in landfills [19] - Amazon has faced criticism for destroying millions of pounds of unused products, although it claims that the majority of returns are resold, liquidated, or donated [20][21] Market Trends - A survey indicated that 65% of sellers raised prices in 2024 due to Amazon's fee changes and returns fraud [7] - The e-commerce analysis company Helium 10 reported a nearly 5% drop in return rates for U.S. Amazon sellers after the new fee was implemented [5]