Global Breaking News - Monday, December 23, 2024
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[Misc] (HL-20190609~20190615) Weekly Headlines
최고관리자 | 19-06-07 10:23
(Mon) Canada Goose, Abercrombie plunge on earnings
캐나다 구스, 애버크롬비, 수입 급감
They were once darlings of the retail world. But shareholders of Canada Goose and Abercrombie & Fitch probably got goose bumps Wednesday. Shares of both retailers plummeted roughly 25 percent in morning trading. In both cases, the culprits were the same: slowing quarterly sales and weak sales forecasts. Shoppers used to line up outside this Canada Goose store in New York to snap up its pricey parkas. But the company posted its slowest revenue growth in eight quarters, and revenue fell short of Wall Street's targets. And what’s more, it forecast even slower sales growth for the next three years. At Abercrombie & Fitch, executives blamed the stronger dollar for its weak forecast, which sees second quarter sales inching up 2 percent at best. Its Hollister brand was once the company's shining star, pulling in young shoppers who loved its casual, fun, surf-themed clothing. But that brand posted its slowest rise in same-store sales in two years.
(Tue) The robot teachers learning emotions
아이들의 감정을 배우는 로봇 선생님
After a successful year teaching languages, these robots in Finland are being taken to the next level, using artificial intelligence to read children's emotions. But it's a steep learning curve. Several models of robot Elias have spent the last 12 months at a school in the southern Finnish city of Tampere. Elias already understands 23 languages, but its creators say mastering the language of emotion will improve learning. "Elias could provide different kind of exercises depending on how the student is feeling. Because emotions have a really strong influence on learning, when our kids are happy in the classroom they learn faster." It works by using in-built cameras with an integrated face recognition engine and pre-trained models to recognize some basic facial expressions. They won't be replacing their human counterparts just yet. But teachers at the school saw particular benefits during the trial for less confident children, who didn't seem as worried about making mistakes in front of the robot. The creators are now exploring how other data can help Elias identify different emotions; like head movements, gaze patterns, tone of voice and touches on its sensors.
(Wed) Fiat Chrysler proposes merger with Renault
피아트 크라이슬러, 르노에 합병 제안
Two titans of the auto industry could team up soon. Fiat Chrysler has proposed a merger with French automaker Renault. Fiat says each company would control half. That new group would be the world's third-largest car company. Renault said it would consider the deal on Monday. Fiat owns brands from Jeep to Maserati. The new business with Renault would include sales of almost nine million vehicles. Renault is already partnered with Japan's Nissan and Mitsubishi. However, the alliance has come under strain recently. After Carlos Ghosn, the former head of their alliance was arrested in Tokyo last year and charged with financial crimes. Nissan also turned down a recent proposal to merge with Renault. The French government, Renault's biggest shareholder, gave a cautious blessing to the deal. But it also said any merger must safeguard Renault's alliance with Nissan. Fiat has said under the new plan, Nissan would get a seat on the board. It all adds up to what may be the latest in a flurry of tie-ups by car makers as they try to cope with new technology. Electric cars, self-driving, and tough new emissions standards are pressuring the auto world to consolidate. On Monday Fiat CEO Mike Manley told employees the deal could take more than a year to be finalized.
(Thu) Amazon will hit $3,000 in two years - analyst
분석가 예측에 따르면, 2년 후 아마존 주가 3천 달러에 이를 것으로 보여
Amazon shares have already surged 85 percent over the last two years. But a top-rated analyst at Piper Jaffray says it's still way undervalued. Michael Olson predicts the online retailer's stock could soar to $3,000 a share in two years. That would be a 65 percent leap from where it trades now. And it can do so, he says, without big changes to its business. Olson argues the true valuation of amazon - when you add its three main parts of - retail, advertising and the cloud - is around $1.5 trillion. He arrived at that total by using multiples applied to e-commerce companies instead of traditional bricks-and-mortar retailers. The $3,000 prediction is slightly reminiscent of then CIBC Oppenheimer analyst Henry Blodget's audacious call during the dotcom craze in 1998. Now CEO and editorial director at Business Insider, Blodget back then correctly predicted Amazon shares trading at $40 would catapult to $400 in 12 months. The stock topped that just weeks later, then eventually sank in the dotcom crash. If Piper Jaffray is right, it'll make Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway look smart. Earlier this month, it disclosed it owned $860 million worth of Amazon shares. Amazon stocks rose slightly on the call.
(Fri) Novartis gets approval for world's costliest drug
노바티스, 세계에서 가장 비싼 약품에 대한 승인 받아
A new treatment is approved for sufferers of a rare and deadly infant muscle disorder, but it comes with a record price tag: more than $2.1 million for a one-time dose. U.S. regulators on Friday gave Swiss drugmaker Novartis approval for gene therapy drug -Zolgensma - to treat childhood spinal muscular atrophy, a leading genetic cause of death in infants. Novartis told Reuters health and pharmaceuticals correspondent Caroline Humer - the price is right. "Novartis says that it is worth $2.125 million dollars because right now there are treatments on the market that costs almost $500,000 a year already. In this first trial for children who have gotten it, the results have been pretty amazing. Everybody agrees that children who had been predicted not to be able to walk, or even swallow, or even lift their heads can move around, some of them can run, they can eat on their own. So compared to what the disease is, it's been somewhat miraculous they say." The record price tag is sure to raise eyebrows among politicians and consumer groups already upset over sky-high costs for prescription drugs. "Already I think we're starting to hear a little bit on Twitter and we've gotten a bunch of emails from patient advocates saying that this is just too high of a price. We'll see. The company has said insurers, the payers, the big ones are ready to pay for this." But one independent group, The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, after saying the price was too excessive, changed its mind Friday, seemingly convinced by data on the drug's live-saving results. Novartis is not alone in treating the disease. Biogen has a drug which requires multiple doses starting at $750,000 the first year and $375,000 each year thereafter. And rival Roche is working on its own treatment, which it plans to seek approval for - later this year. No word yet on how much that drug will cost.
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