DuPont raises annual profit forecast on strong AI-tech demand

By Seher Dareen -DuPont de Nemours raised its full-year profit forecast after topping third-quarter estimates on Tuesday, as the industrial materials maker rides a recovery in demand from semiconductor makers looking to tap a boom in AI technology. Shares of the company, which makes chemicals and other components that are widely used to manufacture chip circuits, were up more than 5% in early morning trade. “We are on a larger footprint in China than some … Read more…

Elf Beauty sales to rise as demand for mass market beauty products grow

By Ananya Mariam Rajesh (Reuters) – Elf Beauty is likely to report revenue growth of nearly 33% for the second quarter, bucking weak demand in the industry as its inexpensive cosmetics edged out competition. Expectations of strong sales from Elf are in stark contrast with legacy industry players such as Estee Lauder and L’Oreal that have reported declining sales, as consumers are shying away from buying pricey makeup and cosmetics in major markets including the … Read more…

Robot AI startup Physical Intelligence raises $400 million from Bezos, OpenAI

(Reuters) – Physical Intelligence, a startup that is developing foundational software for robots, said on Monday it has raised $400 million in early-stage funding from Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, OpenAI, venture capital firms Thrive Capital and Lux Capital. The new funds were raised at a $2 billion valuation, PitchBook data showed. Physical Intelligence is seeking to make a software that would work on any robot, eliminating the need to develop a software for each specific task. … Read more…

VW cost cutting necessary after ‘decades of structural problems’, CEO tells paper

BERLIN (Reuters) – Volkswagen’s planned cost-cutting programme was unavoidable in order to remedy “decades of structural problems” at the German carmaker, CEO Oliver Blume said in an interview published on Sunday. “The weak market demand in Europe and significantly lower earnings from China reveal decades of structural problems at VW,” Blume told Sunday paper Bild am Sonntag. The head of Volkswagen’s works council said last Monday that the carmaker plans to shut at least three … Read more…

Berkshire’s cash soars to $325 billion as Buffett sells Apple, BofA; operating profit falls

By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) -Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway extended their retreat from stocks in the third quarter, further slashing holdings in Apple and boosting cash to a record $325.2 billion. In its quarterly report on Saturday, Berkshire said it sold about 100 million, or 25%, of its Apple shares over the summer, ending with about 300 million. Berkshire has now sold more than 600 million of the iPhone maker’s shares in 2024, though Apple … Read more…

Apple to invest up to $1.5 billion in Globalstar for satellite coverage expansion

(Reuters) – Apple will invest up to $1.5 billion in Globalstar to fund the expansion of its iPhone communication services, the satellite provider said in a regulatory filing on Friday. Shares of Globalstar jumped over 30%, while Apple was down around 1.4% a day after it forecast tepid quarterly revenue growth. Under the funding agreement, Apple will commit $1.1 billion in cash and also purchase 20% equity in Globalstar for $400 million. The satellite company … Read more…

Netflix communications chief and global public policy executives to exit

(Reuters) – Netflix said on Tuesday that Vice President of Global Public Policy Dean Garfield, and Chief Communications Officer Rachel Whetstone are leaving the company. The streaming platform co-CEO Ted Sarandos is seeking candidates for a newly created role, chief global affairs officer, to oversee public policy and communications. A source familiar with the matter said that no one has been identified yet for the new role. The source added that Garfield does not have … Read more…

JPMorgan sues customers over check fraud linked to glitch that went viral

By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) – JPMorgan Chase, the largest U.S. bank, has begun suing customers for check fraud, saying they improperly withdrew funds by taking illegal advantage of a temporary technical glitch that went viral on TikTok. The glitch in late August let customers deposit big checks in ATMs and withdraw funds immediately before the checks could clear, even if the checks later bounced. Chase filed four lawsuits on Monday in federal courts … Read more…

Microsoft’s AI demand under scrutiny as investors seek payday

By Aditya Soni (Reuters) – Microsoft is expected to report its slowest quarterly revenue growth in a year on Wednesday, while investors await signs of AI demand amid growing worries about the slow payoff from hefty investments in the technology. The software giant is widely seen as the front-runner in the race to capitalize on generative AI, in part thanks to its investment in ChatGPT-owner OpenAI. But recent reports point to slow adoption for its … Read more…

Google to develop AI that takes over computers, The Information reports

(Reuters) – Alphabet’s Google is developing artificial intelligence technology that takes over a web browser to complete tasks such as research and shopping, The Information reported on Saturday.  Google is set to demonstrate the product code-named Project Jarvis as soon as December with the release of its next flagship Gemini large language model, the report added, citing people with direct knowledge of the product. Microsoft backed OpenAI also wants its models to conduct research by … Read more…