Victoria’s Secret & Co. said Thursday it’s teaming up with Alphabet’s Google Cloud Vertex AI unit to offer an online chatbot to provide personalized advice to shoppers. Financial terms of the multi-year deal were not disclosed. Victoria’s Secret VSCO, +1.70% said the “conversational chatbot” will provide customers with “tailored product recommendations and helpful advice” based on the personal preferences and life experiences of shoppers. The chatbot will talk to consumers and offer them choices “whether ...

Google has laid off hundreds of workers, joining tech companies including Amazon.com in reducing employee count in the new year. News outlets including the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal reported the layoffs affecting hardware and internal software tools. A spokesman for the company was quoted as saying it was focusing on its biggest priorities and significant opportunities. ...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis defended his high-profile battle against the Walt Disney Co. during a debate on Wednesday night, while rival Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley criticized his treatment of the entertainment giant.“The proper role of government, if it means anything, it’s to protect our kids, and I’ve stood for the innocence of our kids. It is wrong to sexualize the curriculum,” DeSantis said, when he was asked whether his feud with Disney DIS, -0.42% squared with the conservative view that ...

Citigroup Inc. on Wednesday said it set aside $1.3 billion in the fourth quarter to account for risks in Argentina and Russia, citing shocks to both nations’ economies, and said it booked other charges related to its own organizational overhaul and payments stemming from last year’s bank failures. The disclosure from the bank, in an SEC filing, was made as it prepares to report fourth-quarter results on Friday, and as Argentina undergoes harsh austerity measures and Russia deals with the fallout from its wa ...

Anticipation about the launch of spot bitcoin ETFs is peaking late Wednesday after the Securities and Exchange Commission greenlit such funds for trading on U.S. exchanges.Todd Rosenbluth, head of research at VettaFi, said in a phone interview that he’s watching for one or more spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds to come to market as soon as Thursday.The SEC gave its assent to about a dozen spot bitcoin ETFs on Wednesday. “Given that there are so many horses in this race,” said Rosenbluth, “you want to come ...

Mastercard Inc. vaulted into $400 billion territory for the first time Wednesday in a testament to confidence about consumer spending and momentum for digital payment methods. Shares of Mastercard MA, +1.34% finished Wednesday’s session up 1.3%, with a market capitalization of $401.6 billion, according to Dow Jones Market Data. The company is the 15th-largest public company in the U.S. by market value, ahead of Exxon Mobil Corp. XOM, -0.98% and Johnson & Johnson JNJ, +0.15%. Rival Visa Inc. V, +0.47% si ...

Tiger Woods and Nike NKE, +1.00% parted ways on Monday, ending their 27-year relationship.Now, golf fans are wondering what will happen to the iconic “TW” logo that has appeared on millions of hats and golf polos over the years.According to documents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, ownership of the TW logo has always belonged to Woods’ company ETW Corp. The company uses the initials of the golfer’s full name, Eldrick Tont Woods.Ownership of the TW trademark has not changed since it was first file ...

Meta Platforms Inc. shares clinched their highest close in more than two years Wednesday as an analyst called out the company’s ability to surprise with its top-line results. The stock META, +3.65% rose 3.7% on Wednesday to $370.47, notching its highest finish since Sept. 16, 2021, when it ended at $373.06. Meta shares also recorded their largest single-day percentage gain since July 28, 2023, according to Dow Jones Market Data. Mizuho’s James Lee cheered three catalysts for Meta shares in a late Tuesday no ...

When prices of basic necessities surged two years ago, more higher-income shoppers turned to Walmart Inc. to ease the strain on their bank accounts. Now, as those price increases start to cool, one analyst believes the big-box discount retailer WMT, +1.24% can hold onto those customers, as the chain, known for its lower prices, gains a bigger reputation for offering convenience. “A key question is if [Walmart] can maintain those customers in a less inflationary environment,” D.A. Davidson analyst Michael Ba ...

Nvidia Corp.’s stock chart shows that, after the stock’s continued surge into record territory, it is now technically the most overbought it has been in six months — but that doesn’t mean the rally is over.In fact, some chart watchers believe the stock’s recent breakout marks the beginning of the next leg of the uptrend, which could propel the stock above the $600 level.Katie Stockton, technical analyst at Fairlead Strategies, said the breakout was a “bullish medium-term development,” as it resolved a four- ...