Welcome to Tech In Depth, our daily newsletter about the business of tech from Bloomberg’s journalists around the world. Today, Rebecca Torrence looks at how AI tools are changing the way business customers are thinking about their software buying habits. Tech Across the Globe Switch 2 sales: Nintendo is cutting back production of the game console after sales in the year-end holiday season trailed...
Welcome to Tech In Depth, our daily newsletter about the business of tech from Bloomberg’s journalists around the world. Today, Rebecca Torrence looks at how AI tools are changing the way business customers are thinking about their software buying habits. Tech Across the Globe Switch 2 sales: Nintendo is cutting back production of the game console after sales in the year-end holiday season trailed expectations, particularly in the US. New BBC leader: Matt Brittin, a former top Google executive in the UK, is expected to be named head of the British Broadcasting Corp., becoming the first tech leader to run the storied media company. OpenAI changes: The leading artificial intelligence startup plans to discontinue its Sora video generator as part of the effort to streamline its products and focus more on business customers. Revalued Kleiner Perkins is raising $3.5 billion in a new fund to make bets on AI startups. The longtime venture capital firm, known for early investments in Google and Amazon, will put $1 billion of the new money toward its 22nd early stage fund, targeting promising new AI companies. AI’s commitment problem For more than a decade, selling software to companies has been Silicon Valley’s favorite way to lock in predictable revenue and high margins — a model that’s helped build some of the industry’s most formidable tech giants. With artificial intelligence, that model is starting to crack. The so-called SaaSpocalypse has already cratered the public market valuations of many companies that sell software as a service — a rout driven by fears that AI tools will upend how those companies make money, or replace them altogether. For example, when Amazon announced Tuesday that its cloud computing unit was developing an AI agent to automate some business functions such as sales, the exchange-traded fund tracking software dipped more than 4% , with some individual company stocks falling about 9%. Many in the industry worry that the profitable price-per-head mo...
Key PointsThe iShares Semiconductor ETF holds 30 of the world's top semiconductor stocks, and it has averaged returns of 30% per year over the last decade.
Key PointsThe iShares Semiconductor ETF holds 30 of the world's top semiconductor stocks, and it has averaged returns of 30% per year over the last decade.
Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) is one of the 10 Most Profitable S&P 500 Stocks to Buy Now. On March 19, 2026, Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) announced it is shipping what it described as the first end-to-end Post-Quantum Cryptography-safe in-flight network encryption solution. The company said more than 120,000 Emulex SecureHBAs have already been deployed on OEM server […]
Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) is one of the 10 Most Profitable S&P 500 Stocks to Buy Now. On March 19, 2026, Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) announced it is shipping what it described as the first end-to-end Post-Quantum Cryptography-safe in-flight network encryption solution. The company said more than 120,000 Emulex SecureHBAs have already been deployed on OEM server […]
Waterdrop ( WDH ) declares $0.03/per ADS quarterly dividend , in line with previous. Payable date May 13, for holders of ordinary shares and on or around May 20 for holders of ADSs; for both, the record is April 24; ex-div April 24. See WDH Dividend Scorecard, Yield Chart, & Dividend Growth. More on Waterdrop Waterdrop: Profitable Growth Meets Deep Value In China's InsurTech Waterdrop GAAP EPS of ...
Waterdrop ( WDH ) declares $0.03/per ADS quarterly dividend , in line with previous. Payable date May 13, for holders of ordinary shares and on or around May 20 for holders of ADSs; for both, the record is April 24; ex-div April 24. See WDH Dividend Scorecard, Yield Chart, & Dividend Growth. More on Waterdrop Waterdrop: Profitable Growth Meets Deep Value In China's InsurTech Waterdrop GAAP EPS of $0.01, revenue of $201.81M Top Quant rated insurance brokers in focus amid AI disruption fears Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Waterdrop Historical earnings data for Waterdrop
(RTTNews) - French stocks moved up sharply on Wednesday amid hopes of a de-escalation in Middle East tensions following reports that U.S. and Iran are engaged in diplomatic efforts to end their conflict.
(RTTNews) - French stocks moved up sharply on Wednesday amid hopes of a de-escalation in Middle East tensions following reports that U.S. and Iran are engaged in diplomatic efforts to end their conflict.
wildpixel/iStock via Getty Images Listen below or on the go via Apple Podcasts and Spotify Nasdaq, S&P, Dow futures gain on talks of U.S.-Iran peace plan . (00:14) Pentagon seems to be punishing Anthropic for going public with contract dispute - judge. (01:48) Arm ( ARM ) stock jumps as CEO Haas issues $15B revenue expectation for new chip. (02:43) This is an abridged transcript. Stock index futur...
wildpixel/iStock via Getty Images Listen below or on the go via Apple Podcasts and Spotify Nasdaq, S&P, Dow futures gain on talks of U.S.-Iran peace plan . (00:14) Pentagon seems to be punishing Anthropic for going public with contract dispute - judge. (01:48) Arm ( ARM ) stock jumps as CEO Haas issues $15B revenue expectation for new chip. (02:43) This is an abridged transcript. Stock index futures are higher before the bell as the U.S. reportedly sent Iran a 15-point plan to end the war in the Middle East. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures ( INDU ) rose 0.8%, S&P 500 futures ( SPX ) gained 0.8%, and Nasdaq 100 futures ( US100:IND ) advanced 1%. The plan is said to address Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs, as well as maritime routes through the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices are also down on the news. Crude oil is down 4% at $88. Brent crude is down 4% at $100. In the world markets, the FTSE 100 is up 0.8% and the Dax is up 1.4%. Asian equity markets also advanced on Wednesday amid reports of a possible US-proposed ceasefire with Iran. UBS' Paul Donovan noted that, "Markets desperately want to believe in the positive." "Focus on the apparent 15-point U.S. plan to end the war has received more attention than Iranian dismissals of this, or the fact that passage through the Strait of Hormuz is minimal." While President Donald Trump claimed that negotiations are underway to end the war, an Iranian military spokesman has suggested that the U.S. is "negotiating with itself." The spokesman warned, "You will see neither your investments in the region nor the former prices of energy and oil again, until you understand that stability in the region is guaranteed by the powerful hand of our armed forces." The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Tehran has set a high bar for ceasefire negotiations. Iran is demanding that the U.S. shut down its bases in the Gulf region, pay reparations for its attacks and lift all sanctions. It wants to collect fees from ships ...
The Iran war has cut off a fifth of global oil and LNG supply, handing African producers “a structural advantage” in supplying global markets, although their capacity is hampered by factors beyond the Middle East conflict, according to analysts. “West and North African exports are largely insulated from the conflict, meaning barrels from Nigeria, Angola, Gabon, Algeria and Libya are viewed as lowe...
The Iran war has cut off a fifth of global oil and LNG supply, handing African producers “a structural advantage” in supplying global markets, although their capacity is hampered by factors beyond the Middle East conflict, according to analysts. “West and North African exports are largely insulated from the conflict, meaning barrels from Nigeria, Angola, Gabon, Algeria and Libya are viewed as lower-risk alternatives,” said Grace Goodrich and Anne-Laure Klein of Energy, Capital & Power, a Cape...
The US is recklessly spreading economic havoc among global friends and foes while suffering little harm itself To shield ordinary Indians from the war in Iran, the government in Delhi redirected supplies of liquefied gas to Indian families, for which it is the main cooking fuel, limiting supplies to the plastics industry. The Nepalese government rationed gas and the Philippines trimmed the governm...
The US is recklessly spreading economic havoc among global friends and foes while suffering little harm itself To shield ordinary Indians from the war in Iran, the government in Delhi redirected supplies of liquefied gas to Indian families, for which it is the main cooking fuel, limiting supplies to the plastics industry. The Nepalese government rationed gas and the Philippines trimmed the government workweek to four days. Bangladesh closed universities and rationed fuel. They have been hardest hit by Iran’s closure of the strait of Hormuz . Economies in Asia import over a third of the energy they consume, on average. Korea imports four-fifths; Japan nine-tenths; Thailand 55%. Most of this comes from the Gulf. About 80% of oil and oil products transiting through the strait in 2025 was destined for Asia, according to the International Energy Agency. But traffic through its waters has collapsed by 90% . Continue reading...
Sinkholes, storm drains, manmade labs miles underground … this documentary, based on Robert Macfarlane’s book, burrows deep into some of humanity’s great unknowns There are some arresting questions and potent images in Rob Petit’s ruminative essay-documentary Underland, based on Robert Macfarlane’s bestselling book of the same name about the spaces under the Earth’s surface and what they tell us –...
Sinkholes, storm drains, manmade labs miles underground … this documentary, based on Robert Macfarlane’s book, burrows deep into some of humanity’s great unknowns There are some arresting questions and potent images in Rob Petit’s ruminative essay-documentary Underland, based on Robert Macfarlane’s bestselling book of the same name about the spaces under the Earth’s surface and what they tell us – or withhold from us – about human existence and the Anthropocene. Mexican archaeologist Fátima Tec Pool descends into a cenote , a freshwater sinkhole, on the Yucatan peninsula, the entry point to a mysterious subterranean zone; these were revered by the Maya people as Xibalba , the underworld, and once upon a time explored by them using just firelight. Meanwhile, theoretical physicist Mariangela Lisanti studies dark matter in a special ultra-clean facility constructed miles below the Earth’s surface in Canada, and urban explorer Bradley Garrett roams the scary and dark storm-drain tunnels below Las Vegas and discovers evidence that people live there; poor people driven underground. Continue reading...
Small farmers and community-led conservation efforts are trying to protect one of the biggest semi-arid forests in the world – under threat from expanding agriculture, wildfires and the ‘logging mafia’ Jorge Luna stands in a piece of Argentina ’s Gran Chaco forest that he calls his own. Birds sing as he surveys skyscraping molle trees, known as pepper trees, palo santo and algorrobo, or carob tree...
Small farmers and community-led conservation efforts are trying to protect one of the biggest semi-arid forests in the world – under threat from expanding agriculture, wildfires and the ‘logging mafia’ Jorge Luna stands in a piece of Argentina ’s Gran Chaco forest that he calls his own. Birds sing as he surveys skyscraping molle trees, known as pepper trees, palo santo and algorrobo, or carob trees. “It’s good wood,” says Luna, 55. “I was about to cut them down.” Selling timber promises quick and easy money in the sprawling ecosystem that covers parts of Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil. But it comes at a steep price, contributing to rampant deforestation and irreversible damage to the forest. Continue reading...
The president promised to spill the beans about little green men. Is that why the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency registered the domains alien.gov and aliens.gov ? There are some very important files sitting in a US government building right now, full of shocking details that certain entities would prefer to keep hidden. For far too long the public has been kept in the dark but...
The president promised to spill the beans about little green men. Is that why the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency registered the domains alien.gov and aliens.gov ? There are some very important files sitting in a US government building right now, full of shocking details that certain entities would prefer to keep hidden. For far too long the public has been kept in the dark but, thanks to the self-proclaimed “ most transparent administration in history ”, the truth could be about to be revealed. Obviously I’m not talking about the Epstein files. I’ve got a funny feeling we’re never going to see the rest of those. FBI agents have been paid nearly $1m in overtime to work on the “Epstein Transparency Project”, also referred to as the “Special Redaction Project”, but even with all that special redacting, more than 2m documents have reportedly not been released . No, I’m talking about proof of alien life – which is far less fanciful than the idea that powerful people might actually face accountability. Continue reading...
Lawmakers say moratorium on construction would buy time to create strong, federal guardrails for AI Amid an unprecedented energy crisis and the rapid buildout of artificial intelligence infrastructure, progressive lawmakers have unveiled a new policy to place a moratorium on the construction of AI datacenters. The policy, announced by Bernie Sanders , an independent senator from Vermont, and Alexa...
Lawmakers say moratorium on construction would buy time to create strong, federal guardrails for AI Amid an unprecedented energy crisis and the rapid buildout of artificial intelligence infrastructure, progressive lawmakers have unveiled a new policy to place a moratorium on the construction of AI datacenters. The policy, announced by Bernie Sanders , an independent senator from Vermont, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , a New York Democratic representative, on Wednesday morning, aims to ensure the AI boom protects the environment and communities, and benefits workers instead of harming them. A temporary ban, the lawmakers say, would give the US government time to create strong federal safeguards for AI, which is “affecting everything from our economy and wellbeing to our democracy, warfare and our kids’ education”. Continue reading...
Homes in Daly City, California, US, on Monday, March 23, 2026. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Mortgage rates rose last week to the highest level since last fall, and that pushed mortgage demand off a cliff. Total mortgage application volume dropped 10.5% last week from the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's seasonally adjusted index. The average contract i...
Homes in Daly City, California, US, on Monday, March 23, 2026. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Mortgage rates rose last week to the highest level since last fall, and that pushed mortgage demand off a cliff. Total mortgage application volume dropped 10.5% last week from the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's seasonally adjusted index. The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances, $832,750 or less, increased to 6.43% from 6.30%, with points increasing to 0.65 from 0.63, including the origination fee, for loans with a 20% down payment. "The threat of higher for longer oil prices continued to keep Treasury yields elevated, and mortgage rates finished last week higher. The 30-year fixed rate rose to 6.43 percent, more than 30 basis points higher than at the end of February and at its highest level since October 2025," said Joel Kan, MBA's vice president and deputy chief economist. Refinance demand, which had been surging just a few months ago, dropped 15% for the week. It was still 52% higher than the same week one year ago, when the 30-year fixed rate was 28 basis points higher. The refinance share of mortgage activity decreased to 49.6% of total applications. For comparison, in mid-January it held a 60% share. Applications for a mortgage to purchase a home dropped 5% for the week and were just 5% higher than the same week one year ago. Get Property Play directly to your inbox CNBC's Property Play with Diana Olick covers new and evolving opportunities for the real estate investor, delivered weekly to your inbox. Subscribe here to get access today . "Higher mortgage rates, coupled with affordability constraints and economic uncertainty, pushed some potential homebuyers to the sidelines," Kan added. The adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) share of activity also increased to 8.1% of total applications. ARM's offer lower rates but with higher risk, as they can adjust after a fixed peri...
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., talks with reporters after a Senate Armed Services Committee closed briefing on the Iran war, in the Capitol Visitor Center on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images Sen. Elizabeth Warren said the Department of Defense has no plan to stop President Donald Trump's family from profiting on lucrative defense contracts in a Tuesday let...
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., talks with reporters after a Senate Armed Services Committee closed briefing on the Iran war, in the Capitol Visitor Center on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images Sen. Elizabeth Warren said the Department of Defense has no plan to stop President Donald Trump's family from profiting on lucrative defense contracts in a Tuesday letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth , shared exclusively with CNBC. The letter comes after the Pentagon sent Warren a response to a January inquiry the Massachusetts Democrat sent to the department seeking answers about the agency's contracting with the Trump children. CNBC has also reviewed the previously unreported Defense Department response, which Warren said failed to answer her questions about potential Trump family involvement in the agency's contracting decisions. Read more CNBC politics coverage Pakistan offers to facilitate U.S.-Iran war talks as Trump, Tehran give mixed signals DCCC launches geotargeted digital ad campaign hitting GOP for gas prices Senate confirms Markwayne Mullin as next DHS secretary "It failed to provide answers to the vast majority of questions that we asked regarding DoD's decision making process for the contracts and loan guarantees referenced in our January 22, 2026 letter," Warren wrote of the Defense Department's response in the new letter, which was cosigned by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. "It also suggests that DoD appears to have no effective processes in place to ensure that DoD contracts are being fairly awarded to companies based on our national security and defense requirements—rather than the financial interests of the President's family." The Defense Department, in its initial response to Warren, said that the Pentagon's "[Office of Strategic Capital] is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards and ensuring that its investment decisions are free from conflicts of interest involving Department of War (DoW) pers...