Target lowering prices on 5,000 items in bid to lure more shoppers

(Reuters) – Target will be lowering prices on at least 5,000 frequently shopped products across its assortment ranging from milk to diapers, the big-box retailer said on Monday, as it looks to attract budget-stretched customers. Still-high food prices and borrowing costs have made cash-crunched customers more conscious of their spending on pricey items and look for cheaper products in stores and online, forcing retailers to lower prices to get more consumers to their stores. Target … Read more…

Google invests 1 billion euros in Finnish data centre to drive AI growth

HELSINKI (Reuters) – Alphabet-owned Google will invest a further 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) into the expansion of its data centre campus in Finland to drive its artificial intelligence (AI) business growth in Europe, it said in a statement on Monday. In recent years, many data centres have been located in the Nordic countries because of the region’s cooler climate, tax breaks and abundant availability of renewable power. Finland’s Nordic neighbours Sweden and Norway have … Read more…

Hershey faces larger lawsuit over missing designs on Reese’s candies

By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) – Hershey is facing a renewed, larger lawsuit claiming it misled consumers about the amount of artistic detail they would find on several Reese\’s peanut butter candies after opening the packaging. In a proposed class action on Friday, four Reese\’s consumers in southern Florida said they were \”very disappointed\” that the candies they bought late last year looked plain, and lacked the \”explicit carved out artistic designs\” shown on the packaging. … Read more…

Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems to lay off about 400 employees, memo says

(Reuters) -Spirit AeroSystems is laying off several hundred members of its workforce in Wichita, Kan., according to an internal memo, as the company deals with high debt and slowed production at Boeing, its key customer. \”The recent slowdown in the delivery rate on commercial programs compels a reduction to our workforce in Wichita,\” spokesman Joe Buccino said. \”In the coming weeks, we will inform affected employees. We are committed to implementing this transition in as … Read more…

The Dow’s climb to a record 40,000 points

By Saqib Iqbal Ahmed and Lewis Krauskopf NEW YORK (Reuters) – The Dow Jones Industrial Average, a laggard among the major U.S. stock indexes this year, got its moment in the spotlight on Thursday as it briefly broke above 40,000 points for the first time in its history. The record on the Dow – as well as fresh records on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite earlier this week – come as investors grow more … Read more…

Analysis-Walmart’s strong forecast signals a resilient consumer

By Siddharth Cavale and Aishwarya Venugopal (Reuters) – A positive forecast from retail bellwether Walmart on Thursday signaled a resilient U.S. shopper, in line with earlier remarks by one of its key suppliers and one of its retail rivals. American shoppers are opening their wallets, spending money on bargain-priced goods in stores and online, with many people turning to Walmart’s delivery service for convenience, Walmart executives said on Thursday. The nation’s largest retailer raised its … Read more…

Tesla gets local council go-ahead for German factory expansion

GRUENHEIDE, Germany (Reuters) – Tesla got the go-ahead for an expansion of its German factory in Gruenheide near Berlin from the local council on Thursday despite protests against the U.S. electric vehicle maker’s plans. The green light from the Gruenheide council is just the first in a series of hurdles Tesla needs to clear before being able to start its expansion to add logistical spaces including a train station. The expansion must also be approved … Read more…

AI’s use in finance may need new rules, ECB says

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – The use of artificial intelligence in finance is still in its infancy but it needs to be monitored and possibly regulated to prevent harm to consumers and ensure the proper functioning of markets, the European Central Bank said on Wednesday. The ECB saw a number of opportunities from the use of generative AI by banks and other financial institutions, such as superior processing of information, more efficient customer service and even a … Read more…

Meta to shut Workplace app to focus on AI, metaverse

(Reuters) – Meta Platforms will discontinue its work-focused Workplace app as the company shifts its focus on building artificial intelligence and metaverse technologies, the Facebook parent said on Tuesday. Workplace will be shuttered starting June 2026 for customers but Meta will continue to use it as its internal messaging board, the company said, adding users can continue to access the product until August 2025. “We are discontinuing Workplace (to) focus on building AI and metaverse … Read more…

Explainer-Why are meme stocks rallying again?

By Sruthi Shankar and Medha Singh (Reuters) – GameStop and AMC Entertainment have again captured retail investors’ attention, reminiscent of “the meme stock frenzy” that gripped Wall Street three years ago, following social media posts from the leading figure behind that rally “Roaring Kitty”. Here is what you need to know about the recent surge in meme stocks: ROARING KITTY AND HIS SKETCH Keith Gill, popularly known among traders as “Roaring Kitty”, shared a series … Read more…