Business

By Fabian Cambero and Daina Beth Solomon SANTIAGO (Reuters) – More than 50 companies have expressed interest in developing lithium projects in Chile, Finance Minister Mario Marcel said on Tuesday, after the government called for proposals for a range of salt flats containing the battery metal. Chile, the world’s largest copper producer, called for proposals in April to develop lithium projects in more than two dozen salt flats that have yet to be fully explored, … Read more…

By Suzanne McGee and Lisa Pauline Mattackal (Reuters) – One of the world’s largest technology funds is set to ramp up its exposure to Nvidia, which has become the world’s most valuable company following a blistering run in its shares. The $72.34 billion Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund, managed by State Street Global Advisors, will buy some $10 billion shares of Nvidia while slashing its exposure to Apple, Matthew Bartolini, head of SPDR Americas research … Read more…

By David French (Reuters) – Some of Colonial Pipeline’s owners are exploring divesting their stakes, hoping they can fetch prices that would value the largest U.S. fuel transportation system in excess of $10 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. Growing U.S. energy consumption has raised demand for pipeline capacity. Any deal would test the company’s value three years after a major cyberattack disrupted its operations. Canadian pension fund Caisse de dépôt et placement … Read more…

SANTIAGO (Reuters) -Chilean lithium miner SQM, the world’s second-largest lithium producer, said on Monday it had reached a long-term supply deal with Hyundai and Kia to provide the carmakers with the white metal, key for the production of electric vehicle batteries. Hyundai and Kia will “secure a portion of (their) future lithium hydroxide supply from SQM,” the miner, which has previously landed supply deals with Ford Motors and battery maker LG Energy, said in a … Read more…

By Tom Hals WILMINGTON, Delaware (Reuters) – Tesla began its fight for legal recognition of a shareholder vote favoring Elon Musk’s record compensation, telling a Delaware judge that it “significantly impacts” her ruling voiding the pay, according to a letter made public on Monday. Tesla wrote to Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick that the parties in the pay package case should now lay out their legal interpretations of Thursday’s ratification of Musk’s pay, rather than moving ahead … Read more…

(Reuters) -OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told some shareholders that the company is considering changing its governance structure to a for-profit business that OpenAI’s nonprofit board doesn’t control, The Information reported on Friday. One scenario Altman said the board is considering is a for-profit benefit corporation, which rivals such as Anthropic and xAI are using, the report said, citing a person who heard the comments. OpenAI did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment. (Reporting … Read more…

By Allison Lampert and Tim Hepher (Reuters) -Boeing has told suppliers it is delaying a key production milestone for its 737 jet family by three months, two industry sources said, as it continues to struggle with a crisis that is hurting output. A new Boeing supplier schedule communicated to the industry calls for 737 output to reach 42 a month in September, compared with a previous target of reaching that output in June, the sources … Read more…

(Reuters) -Coca-Cola and Starbucks have applied to re-register their trademarks in Russia to protect their intellectual property rights after exiting in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, domestic business newspaper Vedomosti reported. Coca-Cola filed three trademark applications in April, Vedomosti said, citing documents on the website of Russian intellectual property agency Rospatent. “Intellectual property assets are of high value and importance to the Coca-Cola Company, and we continuously take steps to enhance and … Read more…

By Max A. Cherney SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – On stage on Monday CEO Tim Cook’s Apple announced a splashy deal with OpenAI to include its powerful artificial intelligence model as a part of its voice assistant, Siri. But in the fine print of a technical document Apple published after the event, the company makes clear that Alphabet’s Google has emerged as another winner in the Cupertino, California, company’s quest to catch up in AI. To … Read more…

By Jody Godoy (Reuters) – Alphabet’s Google must face trial on U.S. antitrust enforcers’ claim that the internet search juggernaut illegally dominates the online advertising technology market, a federal judge ruled on Friday. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Alexandria, Virginia, denied Google’s motion during a hearing, according to court records. Google had argued for a win without a trial, saying that antitrust laws do not block companies from refusing to deal with rivals and … Read more…