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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 industry, with Microsoft’s various deals with smaller startups facing mounting scrutiny. In March, the tech giant hired Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder … Read more…

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. The online retailer began holding Prime Day a decade ago, typically in July. Prime Day accounts for 1% to 2% … Read more…

(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. and certain international markets. The fallout of last year’s Hollywood strikes have also impacted the company’s studio segment. Warner could … Read more…

By Arasu Kannagi Basil and Davide Barbuscia (Reuters) – Assets managed by BlackRock hit a record $10.65 trillion in the second quarter thanks to rising client asset values and as investors pumped money into the company’s exchange-traded funds, the world’s largest asset manager said on Monday. Stock markets have scaled record highs in the last few months amid rising expectations of a soft landing for the U.S. economy and an investor frenzy around artificial intelligence-linked … Read more…

By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) -Berkshire Hathaway’s share price hit a record high on Monday, reflecting investors’ confidence in Warren Buffett’s company, which is often regarded as a microcosm of the broader American economy. The price of Berkshire’s Class A shares rose 1.5% to $649,000 in late morning trading, surpassing the $647,039 price reached on Feb. 26. Berkshire’s more widely held Class B shares are worth about 1/1,500th as much. Monday’s gain boosted the market value … Read more…