In this article MSFT Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Microsoft has been hit with a fresh probe into its business software ecosystem by the British competition regulator. The U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority announced on Tuesday it is launching a "strategic market status (SMS) investigation" into the tech giant's suite of enterprise software, starting in May. Hundreds of tho...
In this article MSFT Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Microsoft has been hit with a fresh probe into its business software ecosystem by the British competition regulator. The U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority announced on Tuesday it is launching a "strategic market status (SMS) investigation" into the tech giant's suite of enterprise software, starting in May. Hundreds of thousands of U.K. businesses and public sector organisations use Microsoft's business software, which includes Windows, Word, Excel, Teams and AI platform Copilot, every day, the regulator said in a statement. "An SMS designation would enable us to tackle remaining concerns around Microsoft's licensing practices in cloud and would also enable us to ensure a level playing field as AI is rapidly embedded into everyday business software tools," CMA CEO Sarah Cardell said in a statement. Microsoft is committed to working "quickly and constructively" to address the issues identified by the CMA, said the company's president, Brad Smith. "We recognize that the CMA will continue to review and assess additional issues relating to our products and services, including in the business software market," Smith added in a statement. This is a breaking story. Refresh for updates. Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.
imaginima/E+ via Getty Images Brent crude ( CO1:COM ) is on course to register its largest monthly gain on record in March, as the Iran war triggered a sharp repricing across global energy markets and reignited fears of supply disruptions. Oil prices surged through the month as tensions escalated in the Middle East, with investors increasingly pricing in risks to key production and transit routes....
imaginima/E+ via Getty Images Brent crude ( CO1:COM ) is on course to register its largest monthly gain on record in March, as the Iran war triggered a sharp repricing across global energy markets and reignited fears of supply disruptions. Oil prices surged through the month as tensions escalated in the Middle East, with investors increasingly pricing in risks to key production and transit routes. Concerns over potential disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global crude flow, have been central to the rally, amplifying volatility and driving a rush into energy commodities. The move reflects both immediate supply fears and a broader geopolitical risk premium. Market participants have moved quickly to hedge against worst-case scenarios, including prolonged conflict or direct impacts on major oil-producing infrastructure in the region. This has tightened near-term supply expectations even as underlying demand signals remain mixed. The sharp rise in crude has also complicated the global macro outlook, feeding into inflation concerns and prompting a reassessment of monetary policy trajectories, particularly in oil-importing economies. At the time of writing, Brent futures ( CO1:COM ) were down -0.25% to $107.12 . One-month performance of Brent futures: Seeking Alpha More on Brent Futures Commodities: Oil Eases As Report Suggests War Could End Without Hormuz Reopening Real Yields, Oil, Conflict Scenarios The Ceasefire Is Slipping Away Oil could spike to $200 if Hormuz ‘near-closure’ persists, Fesharaki says U.S. crude oil closes above $100 for first time since 2022 after latest Middle East threats
German power prices for May are now trading at roughly four times the level in France, a record multiple as the disruption to natural gas supplies from the Iran war amplifies longstanding differences between the two markets. France’s electricity comes mostly from nuclear and some renewables, ensuring relatively stable, low-cost supply. Germany gets a greater share of its power from renewables, but...
German power prices for May are now trading at roughly four times the level in France, a record multiple as the disruption to natural gas supplies from the Iran war amplifies longstanding differences between the two markets. France’s electricity comes mostly from nuclear and some renewables, ensuring relatively stable, low-cost supply. Germany gets a greater share of its power from renewables, but shut its reactors in 2023, making it more dependent on fossil fuels. On evenings in Germany when wind or solar output is low, coal- or gas-fired power must fill the supply gap, pushing up the country’s power prices. The structural divergence began years ago, but the war in the Middle East has taken it to a new level, said Yiannis Papamikrouleas, head of trading at DEPA Commercial SA. “The trend was already in place. The current geopolitical premium is accelerating and amplifying it.” Utilities in Germany have sought to limit the impact of the war on energy costs by shifting generation from imported gas to coal as gas prices surged. However, the scope for such changes is limited , as a significant number of coal plants have already been closed under the country’s phase-out policy. The government is considering bringing some coal plants back from its reserve or even reactivating decommissioned units to mitigate the problem. Read More: Germany to Review Bringing Back Reserve Coal Plants Online Another factor widening the Franco-German price gap is concern about French power exports, said William Peck, senior European power analyst at Energy Aspects Ltd. In previous spring periods, French grid operator RTE has curtailed cross-border flows in the east due to grid constraints, he said. Such restrictions can weigh on domestic prices, as excess electricity cannot be sold outside France, while also raising prices in its neighbors. German power contracts for May were trading at €86.80 per megawatt-hour on Tuesday, with the French equivalent at €22.06 per megawatt-hour, according to ...
Unilever In "Advanced Discussions" To Sell Food Unit To Old Bay Maker Unilever Plc confirmed it is "now in advanced discussions" with Maryland-based spice maker McCormick & Company to sell its food business unit in a $15.7 billion transaction and said a final deal could be announced as soon as today. "The Company is now in advanced discussions with McCormick & Company ("McCormick") regarding a pot...
Unilever In "Advanced Discussions" To Sell Food Unit To Old Bay Maker Unilever Plc confirmed it is "now in advanced discussions" with Maryland-based spice maker McCormick & Company to sell its food business unit in a $15.7 billion transaction and said a final deal could be announced as soon as today. "The Company is now in advanced discussions with McCormick & Company ("McCormick") regarding a potential transaction," the Anglo-Dutch consumer goods company wrote in a press release . Unilever noted, "Work remains ongoing to agree and finalise a transaction and it is possible that an agreement could be concluded today, although there can be no certainty that a transaction will be agreed." Unilever explained that if the "transaction were to proceed," it would combine most of its food business unit, excluding certain assets such as those in India, with the Hunt Valley-based spice company in a transaction valued at $15.7 billion. After closing, Unilever and its shareholders are expected to own 65% of the combined company. The deal would be structured as a Reverse Morris Trust, making it tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes for Unilever and its shareholders. The transaction is a big move for the spice company, known across the U.S. East Coast for its Old Bay seasoning and other brands such as French's mustard and Frank's RedHot. McCormick is a much smaller company whose business generates about half of Unilever's food unit. But the proposed transaction comes as Unilever pivots further toward beauty, personal care, and home products - higher margin items - while transforming McCormick into a major food player. Wall Street analysts are mixed. "We aren't overly impressed by what we can see of Unilever's potential disposal of its food business," RBC Capital Markets analyst James Edwardes Jones told clients earlier. He added that the current deal means Unilever has full ownership of a division dominated by its own two brands, Hellmann's mayonnaise and Knorr stock cubes...
syahrir maulana/iStock via Getty Images Our philosophy Simply put, the upward inflection in stock prices can be a confirmatory signal of fundamental improvement. Our approach to investing is based on our view that fundamentals ultimately drive stock prices. Through deep fundamental research, we aim to exploit market anomalies to identify stocks that should outperform the market. Once we identify a...
syahrir maulana/iStock via Getty Images Our philosophy Simply put, the upward inflection in stock prices can be a confirmatory signal of fundamental improvement. Our approach to investing is based on our view that fundamentals ultimately drive stock prices. Through deep fundamental research, we aim to exploit market anomalies to identify stocks that should outperform the market. Once we identify an opportunity, the signal of upward inflection in price provides the impetus to invest. We believe that investing in companies that demonstrate an ability to compound capital over time, maintain strong fundamental attributes and trade at discounts to intrinsic value will lead to durable outperformance over a full market cycle. Our work relies on proprietary research and our experience investing over many different market cycles. We believe that the integrity and intensity of our research process leads to success. Our clients benefit from in-depth internally generated research from Columbia Threadneedle Investments' outstanding fundamental analyst team, quantitative research department and big-data team. Our passion for investing and deep belief in our philosophy are foundational to our strategy, which we are proud to offer our clients. This philosophy has been employed on behalf of our clients for years, and our north star (our philosophy) will continue to guide us forward for years to come. Top holdings (% of net assets): as of December 31, 2025 Commercial Metals ( CMC ) 2.02 Essent Group ( ESNT ) 1.95 BankUnited ( BKU ) 1.85 Cushman & Wakefield ( CWK ) 1.77 Texas Capital Bancshares ( TCBI ) 1.71 Fulton Financial ( FULT ) 1.65 Assured Guaranty ( AGO ) 1.62 PotlatchDeltic 1.61 Newmark Group ( NMRK ) 1.61 Victoria's Secret ( VSCO ) 1.60 Click to enlarge Top holdings exclude short-term holdings and cash, if applicable. Fund holdings are as of the date given, are subject to change at any time, and are not recommendations to buy or sell any security. Top five contributors - Eff...
Boarding1Now Delta Air Lines ( DAL ) and Amazon Leo ( AMZN ) have signed a long-term deal to bring next-generation in-flight connectivity and digital experiences to Delta passengers. The plan is for the airline company to install Amazon Leo on hundreds of aircraft, with an initial rollout on 500 planes beginning in 2028. The partnership is designed to support faster, lower-latency Wi-Fi and more p...
Boarding1Now Delta Air Lines ( DAL ) and Amazon Leo ( AMZN ) have signed a long-term deal to bring next-generation in-flight connectivity and digital experiences to Delta passengers. The plan is for the airline company to install Amazon Leo on hundreds of aircraft, with an initial rollout on 500 planes beginning in 2028. The partnership is designed to support faster, lower-latency Wi-Fi and more personalized onboard services across Delta's ( DAL ) domestic and international network. Delta ( DAL ) said customers will be able to stream entertainment, stay connected, and upload files and photos more easily while in flight. Notably, the deal also expands Delta's ( DAL ) broader technology relationship with Amazon Web Services. The companies said they plan to work together on integrating AWS, Amazon Leo, and other Amazon ( AMZN ) technologies, including AI, to improve the travel experience for customers and employees. Delta framed the agreement as part of its push to stay ahead in onboard connectivity, noting its existing free Wi-Fi program for SkyMiles members and its growing fleetwide rollout of Delta Sync Wi-Fi. "This agreement will fuel a durable partnership engine that can innovate at scale to keep customers coming back to Delta for years to come," highlighted Delta ( DAL ) CEO Ed Bastian. Shares of Delta ( DAL ) were up 1.8% in premarket trading to $64.30 vs. the 52-week range of $34.74 to $76.39. More on Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL) Presents at JPMorgan Industrials Conference 2026 Transcript Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL) Presents at JPMorgan Industrials Conference 2026 - Slideshow Delta Air Lines: Assessing Risks Of War Senate advances Homeland Security funding bill as shutdown strains airports Trump to sign order to pay TSA workers during shutdown