Microsoft to Launch 60bn Share Buyback and Boost Dividend

HSBC chief says east-west division will not lead to ‘any split’

Georges Elhedery embarks on sweeping overhaul of lender as part of cost-cutting drive

Business - Financial Times - October 29

Oil giant Shell posts $6 billion profit beat, launches new share buyback program

British oil giant Shell on Thursday posted a small year-on-year drop in third-quarter profit as a sharp drop in crude prices was offset by higher gas sales.

Business - CNBC - October 31

FirstFT: HSBC overhaul to divide businesses along east-west lines

Also in today’s newsletter, EY fires staff for ‘cheating’ and Mubadala Capital’s private equity push

World - Financial Times - October 22

EstéeLauder Shares Plunge 21% After It Slashes Dividend

The cosmetics giant withdrew its outlook for the current year after reporting another quarter of falling sales.

Business - The Wall Street Journal - October 31

OpenAI launches ChatGPT search, competing with Google and Microsoft

OpenAI on Thursday launched ChatGPT search, positioning the company to better compete with search engines like Google, Microsoft's Bing and Perplexity.

Business - CNBC - October 31

Chinese share buybacks hit record high as Beijing steps up support

Policymakers push companies to return cash to shareholders as they try to revive flagging stock market

Business - Financial Times - October 21

Can you beat 5 per cent with UK dividend shares?

Be cautious of the yields you might see on investment platforms

World - Financial Times - October 23

HSBC shares surge on another $3 billion buyback plan and earnings beat

HSBC shares increased 4% on Tuesday as the British bank beat analysts’ earnings expectations for the third quarter and launched another $3 billion share buyback plan.

Business - MarketWatch - October 29

Snap shares jump 10% on profit beat, stock buyback

Snap reported third-quarter results on Tuesday that beat on the top and bottom lines, but the company issued light fourth-quarter guidance.

Business - CNBC - October 29

Estée Lauder shares plunge as China sales slump prompts dividend cut

Beauty group’s stock drops 25% after guidance withdrawn for rest of year

Business - Financial Times - October 31

Merck KGaA Shares Jump on Expectations of AI Boost

The German company said booming artificial-intelligence demand would help its electronics sales grow faster than previously expected over the medium term.

Business - The Wall Street Journal - October 17

Microsoft Cloud revenue rises on AI boom but softer outlook weighs on shares

Warnings of slowing Azure growth and rising data centre costs damp initial optimism on tech giant’s quarterly earnings

Business - Financial Times - October 31

Microsoft Shares Slip as Forecast Sparks Concern About AI and Cloud Revenue

The company’s projection points to less growth than anticipated, causing concern about the payoff for its massive AI investment.

Business - The Wall Street Journal - October 31

United shares hit pre-pandemic high after airline forecasts strong finish to 2024, plans buyback

United Airlines said it authorized a $1.5 billion share buyback, its first share repurchase since before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Business - CNBC - October 16

Ulta Beauty unveils $3 billion share buyback program and plans to open 200 new stores in next three years

Ulta Beauty Inc. announced a new $3 billion share buyback authorization on Wednesday and said it plans to open 200 new stores over the next three years.

Business - MarketWatch - October 16

HSBC announces fresh $3 billion share buyback as third-quarter earnings beat expectations

Pre-tax profit came in at $8.5 billion, a 10% rise from the $7.7 billion posted a year ago.

Business - CNBC - October 29

Alphabet shares rise on earnings beats boosted by cloud revenue

Google parent Alphabet reported third-quarter earnings that beat on top and bottom lines.

Business - CNBC - October 30

Microsoft Kills $1 Game Pass Trial Just Days Before Black Ops 6 Launches

Microsoft is no longer offering $1 Game Pass trials, killing the option just days before Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 launches into Game Pass on October 25. So anyone who wanted to sign up for the ...

Tech - GameSpot - October 16

AWS launches in-line Q Developer AI coding assistant to take on Microsoft’s Github Copilot

Amazon Q Developer’s inline chat feature demonstrates its potential through practical applications like code refactoring and documentation.

Tech - VentureBeat - October 29

Boeing’s record $21bn fundraising boosts hopes of avoiding downgrade

Aircraft maker is racing to ease pressure on its balance sheet exacerbated by a labour strike

Business - Financial Times - October 29

Anger is the defining energy of western politics

Quelling the rage is a democratic imperative across the world

World - Financial Times - Yesterday

Bank of England cuts interest rates to 4.75%

Central bank signals further reduction is unlikely before next year as it raises post-Budget inflation forecast

World - Financial Times - Yesterday

Trump and the lure of strongman leadership

The president-elect has fundamentally shifted the norms and ideology of American politics

World - Financial Times - Yesterday

EU leaders strain for unity after Trump win and German crisis

Bloc gathers in Budapest at summit hosted by Brussels’ antagonist Viktor Orbán

World - Financial Times - Yesterday

Germany’s five-year tax haul to fall nearly €60bn short of forecast

Gloomier economic predictions will increase budgetary strains and government coalition tensions

Business - Financial Times - October 24

Trump Media closes in the red on Election Day, giving up earlier rally

Shares of retail trader favorite Trump Media & Technology Group (DJT) were active as Election Day is finally here.

Business - CNBC - 2 days ago

Tesla shares soar more than 14% as Trump win is seen boosting Elon Musk's electric vehicle company

Shares of Tesla soared Wednesday as investors bet that the electric vehicle maker and its CEO Elon Musk will benefit from Donald Trump’s return to the White House

Tech - ABC News - Yesterday

Roche Increases Dividend on Higher Sales

Roche said it would increase its dividend after its hemophilia injection Hemlibra and multiple sclerosis treatment Ocrevus lifted sales in the first nine months of the year.

Business - The Wall Street Journal - October 23