Sales & Marketing news

• The $67 billion Cigna-Express Scripts merger just passed a key hurdle (CI, ESRX)

  24-08-2018 23:09 via feedproxy.google.com
  Cigna and Express Scripts shareholders have voted to approve the companies' $67 billion merger. 
  The deal combines a health insurer and a company that helps negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs in the form of rebates on behalf of health plans.
  The deal was in jeopardy for a week after billionaire Carl Icahn came out against the deal, saying it "may well rival the worst acquisitions in corporate history." He ultimately reversed his course.
  The deal now awaits the scrutiny
  
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• The longest bull market in history is intact as stocks close at record highs

  24-08-2018 22:18 via feedproxy.google.com
  The S&P 500 closed at a record high on Friday.
  That erases any doubt about whether this is the longest bull market in history.
  The benchmark index hit a record on Wednesday but didn't close at a new high. 
  The S&P 500 closed at a record high on Friday, solidifying the bull market as the longest of all time.
  The benchmark index gained 0.62% to settle at 2,874.69, eclipsing the previous record of 2,872.87 set in January. Friday's gain was significant as it left no doubt about whether
  
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• Alibaba is investing big bucks in a popular Chinese food-delivery service (BABA)

  24-08-2018 19:00 via feedproxy.google.com
  Alibaba raised $3 billion to further invest in popular Chinese food-delivery service Ele.me.
  The e-commerce giant announced earlier this month that Ele.me will start delivering Starbucks  to customers beginning in September.
  Investments in Ele.me may weigh on Alibaba's bottom line but will increase top line results, said a team of Jefferies analysts.
  Watch Alibaba trade in real time here.
  Alibaba is aggressively investing in popular Chinese food-delivery service Ele.me with the ho
  
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• Video game makers are closer than ever to a revolt against a long-standing grudge — and it could cost Apple and Google billions (GOOG, AAPL)

  24-08-2018 18:53 via feedproxy.google.com
  The video game industry is furious about Apple's and Google's 30% fees on all app transactions, according to analysts.
  According to a recent research note from Macquarie, some in the industry are considering finally taking their complaints public — a potential nightmare for the two companies.
  Tim Sweeney, the CEO of Epic, the studio behind "Fortnite," is already outspoken about the fees, calling them "parasitic."
  Any change could send video game companies' profits skyrocketing — whil
  
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• The Mexican peso is jumping on hope for NAFTA progress

  24-08-2018 18:33 via feedproxy.google.com
  The peso was up nearly 1% on Friday.
  The US and Mexico have reportedly made progress on NAFTA.
  Watch the peso trade in real time here.
  The Mexican peso rose nearly 1% on Friday after reports that the US and Mexico were nearing a preliminary breakthrough on NAFTA, which would bring the two countries and Canada closer to resolving back-and-forth trade negotiations that have dragged on for more than a year.
  Reuters reports that disputes about auto rules have pushed talks into next week, but the US
  
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• Snap is on track to break its 8-day losing streak (SNAP)

  24-08-2018 18:13 via feedproxy.google.com
  Snap was up about 1.5% Friday, and on track to post its first gain in eight trading days.
  Shares have found support near $11.50 over the past couple of trading sessions.
  Follow Snap's stock price in real-time here. 
  Snap shares were grinding higher Friday, up about 1.5% at $11.58, and are on track to break their eight-day losing streak.They have been hovering around the $11.50 level over the past few trading sessions. 
  The gains, which could be the first positive close since August 13,
  
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• Bitcoin is still hard to predict - here's everything you need to know about the cryptocurrency, from how it works to its place on Wall Street

  24-08-2018 18:06 via feedproxy.google.com
  Bitcoin is everywhere.
  The cryptocurrency is seemingly in the news every day as investors and businesses try to understand the future of this digital finance.
  But what is Bitcoin all about?
  Why is it suddenly on every financial news program?
  And what does it mean to you?
  Find out the answers to these questions and more in Bitcoin 101, a brand new FREE report from Business Insider Intelligence.
  To get your copy of the FREE slide deck, simply click here.Join the conversation about this
  
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• The chances of a Trump impeachment are climbing — here's how JPMorgan says you can protect your investments

  24-08-2018 17:43 via feedproxy.google.com
  President Donald Trump's chances of impeachment, as measured by PredictIt, climbed after he was implicated in federal crimes by his former personal attorney Michael Cohen.
  While JPMorgan thinks an outright impeachment scenario is unlikely, it says the process surrounding it could affect Trump's actions and have a major impact on markets.
  The firm offers hedging recommendations for investors looking to protect their portfolios.
  As President Donald Trump finds himself implicated in federal crimes
  
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• GOLDMAN SACHS: These are the 19 companies that matter most to America's largest stock pickers

  24-08-2018 17:43 via feedproxy.google.com
  Mutual funds are pulling money out of financials and rotating into healthcare stocks, according to equity strategists at Goldman Sachs.
  Goldman examined 499 mutual funds with $2 trillion in assets under management.
  The share of funds beating their benchmarks has recently weakened, making their stock picking even more crucial.
  The year is getting tougher for mutual funds, according to Goldman Sachs.
  That's judging by one of their most ubiquitous mandates: beat the market. The share of large-cap f
  
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• A small corner of the debt market has quietly grown to $1.4 trillion — and it has 'eerie similarities' to 2008

  24-08-2018 17:43 via feedproxy.google.com
  An overlooked area of the debt markets has "eerie similarities" to the 2008 sub-prime mortgage crisis.
  Mark Zandi, the chief economist at the analytics arm of the ratings agency Moody's, argued that rising risk taking and falling standards of underwriting in the corporate bond and leveraged debt space are a big threat.
  The amount of leveraged loans to non-financial companies has now risen to around $1.4 trillion.
  Wall Street may have just seen US stocks enter their longest bull market in history
  
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• One of Trump's top ranking officials is 'actively pleading' with him to try and save jobs that tariffs killed in his home state

  24-08-2018 17:24 via feedproxy.google.com
  President Donald Trump's recent tariffs on Chinese goods led to layoffs at a TV manufacturing plant in South Carolina.
  Element Electronics said the increased cost of parts used in their TVs forced them to lay off 126 workers at their Winnsboro, South Carolina, plant.
  Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, a former South Carolina congressman, is advocating for Element to receive an exemption from the tariffs.
  Any company can apply for an exemption if the firm can prove that there
  
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• Netflix is climbing after a Wall Street analyst says to buy the dip because of growth in India (NFLX)

  24-08-2018 16:07 via feedproxy.google.com
  SunTrust has upgraded Netflix from hold to buy with a $410 price target.
  Shares rose as much as 3% in early trading Friday following the report.
  Watch Netflix trade in real time here. 
  A Wall Street analyst suggested late Thursday to buy the dip in Netflix, and investors appear to have listened. 
  Shares of Netflix rose more than 3% Friday, to almost $350 apiece, following an upgrade from SunTrust analyst Matthew Thornton, who says new momentum in India is a good opportunity to get in r
  
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• BANK OF AMERICA: Massive investors are dumping gold, and the one thing that can rescue the precious metal is still missing

  24-08-2018 15:52 via feedproxy.google.com
  Gold is the worst-performing major asset class of 2018. 
  Michael Hartnett, the chief investment strategist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, said the key catalysts that could reverse its decline is a dollar that falls alongside US Treasury yields. 
  Investors are making record bets that yields will continue rising. 
  Watch gold trade in real time here.
  Gold investors are having a tough year. 
  The precious metal is down 8% so far in 2018, and nearly 14% on an annualized basis &m
  
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• Analyst begs Gap's board to 'Change Name of Company to Old Navy' (GPS)

  24-08-2018 15:28 via feedproxy.google.com
  Gap topped earnings on both the top and bottom lines in second quarter.
  Old Navy outperformed the Gap brand.
  Shares fell 7% after the earnings.
  Watch Gap trade in real time here.
  A group of Wall Street analysts is begging Gap's board of directors to consider a name change because of rising momentum at Old Navy. 
  In a note sent out to clients on Friday title "Dear B.O.D. of GPS... Please Change Name of Company to Old Navy," a team of Jefferies analysts led by Randal Konik said the Gap b
  
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• One quote from Chinese giant Alibaba shows how Trump's trade war could backfire

  24-08-2018 15:14 via feedproxy.google.com
  Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant, says it is not concerned with the growing trade war between China and the US.
  During an earnings call, the company said the Chinese government would help the country's customers find other sources for the US goods subject to tariffs that would reduce China's reliance on the US.
  Data suggests this shift away from US products is already happening even as Chinese exports to the US are staying steady.
  The Chinese retail giant Alibaba says it isn't worried about
  
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• Coca-Cola, Virgin, Henkel: 5 things that mattered this week and why

  24-08-2018 13:08
  Coca-Cola redesigns Coke Zero Sugar, again
  Redesigning Coke Zero Sugar is becoming a biennial event for Coca-Cola. In 2014, Zero (as it was known then) got an “edgy” makeover and a new visual identity that features a red circle icon as it looked to shake off its blokey image.
  Fast-forward to 2016, and Coke Zero was revamped again, this time changing its time to Coca-Cola Zero Sugar to really hammer home that it doesn’t contain any sugar and introducing the Coca-Cola red disc t
  
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• Facebook poaches HP’s Antonio Lucio as new CMO

  24-08-2018 09:09
  Facebook has hired HP’s Antonio Lucio as its new CMO as the social network looks to repair its brand image after a series of scandals.
  Lucio starts at Facebook on 4 September and will report to chief product officer Chris Cox, while being part of COO Sheryl Sandberg’s leadership team. He will work across the business, including on Facebook-owned apps such as Instagram and Whatsapp.
  Lucio fills a role that has been vacant since Gary Briggs left at the start of this year. Lucio is cur
  
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• How direct-to-consumer brands are using social to scale

  24-08-2018 08:00
  Social media provides an important platform for discovery for direct-to-consumer mattress brand Simba.Social media provides direct-to-consumer businesses with the rocket fuel they need to scale their business at speed. Get the messaging, visuals and tone right, and they could end up with a brand that looks so at home in their customers’ feeds it feels like they’re engaging with a friend.
  It has given startup manufacturing brands a ready-made route to market, enabling them to grow sal
  
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• GDPR three months on: Most consumers feel no better off

  24-08-2018 08:00
  It’s now three months since the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect and while consumers feel they have a better understanding of how companies are using their data most have seen no change to the overall experience they have with brands, according to new research commissioned by Marketing Week.
  The survey of more than 1,000 consumers, which was conducted by Toluna, shows 57% of people feel they have a better understanding of how companies are using their personal da
  
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