Microsoft: Tech giant announces mammoth buyback and hikes dividend September 17, 2024 Tech giant Microsoft has announced a new $60bn share buyback programme and hiked its quarterly dividend by 10 per cent. This new shareholder cash return replaces Microsoft’s previous $60bn programme, which was launched in 2021, and has no set expiration date. According to data from Birinyi Associates, the cash return is the third-largest repurchase scheme [...]
The City is a financial knowledge hub, trading in ideas just as much as in goods September 16, 2024 Despite being a hub for meaningful education, there is still too heavy a reliance on qualifications within the City, writes Michael Mainelli.
Proposals submitted for huge £3.75bn data centre in Hertfordshire September 12, 2024 Technology Secretary Peter Kyle has hailed a proposed £3.75bn investment in a colossal new data centre in Hertfordshire. A planning application for what would amount to one of Europe’s largest data centre campuses, at 85 acres and taking up 2m square feet of floor space, has been submitted via a new company DC01UK. Construction will [...]
Eleco: British software giant sees revenue soar as businesses look for AI solutions September 10, 2024 Software company Eleco has seen its revenue continue to soar as a growing number of businesses turn to tech to help improve efficiency. The listed company, which is headquartered in London and has offices across the UK and Europe, saw its revenue hit £16.2m in the six months ending June 30, 2024, up from £13.4m [...]
The Notebook: Labour is charting a dangerous course on free speech September 10, 2024 Labour's proposed expansion of the Online Safety Act is a troubling step for free speech, writes Big Brother Watch director Silkie Carlo.
John Lewis brings back ‘never knowingly undersold’ pledge in major U-turn September 5, 2024 Department store chain John Lewis is to bring back its famous ‘never knowingly undersold’ price pledge in a major U-turn. The national retailer has made the move after ditching the commitment over concerns it what less relevant to shoppers two years ago. The price promise, which was first introduced in 1925, will come back into [...]
Nvidia shares plunge: Are investors on the edge of ‘AI apathy’? September 4, 2024 Analysts are asking if we are at “peak Nvidia” or if the latest selloff is simply a healthy correction in an overheated market. Shares in Nvidia, the poster child for AI, plunged nearly 10 per cent on Tuesday, wiping out $279bn of value—the largest single-day loss ever recorded for a US stock. Since 19 August, [...]
CMA clears Microsoft and Inflection AI partnership after merger ruling September 4, 2024 Britain’s competition regulator has today cleared Microsoft’s arrangements with Inflection AI, which included a licensing deal and the hiring of former Inflection employees. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced in April it was looking at three separate deals that potentially fall under UK merger law and, if so, whether they could have a harmful [...]
Pinewood Technologies strikes deal with AI firm to bolster US expansion September 4, 2024 Pinewood Technologies, formerly known as Pendragon, has entered into an advanced subscription agreement with Seez, known for its automotive AI tech, it announced today. Under the terms of the agreement, Pinewood Technologies, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, said it had agreed to invest $4.2m (£3.2m) as part of a minority investment round. The [...]
AI and dating apps: a match made in heaven or hell? September 4, 2024 Dating apps are unleashing AI to run our hopeless romantic pursuits. But could this push users away in the long run?