Pandemic

U.S. auto sales are expected to rise in March, despite brutal weather conditions and semiconductor chip shortages that have forced automakers to cut production, auto industry consultants J.D. Power and LMC automotive forecast on Friday. What Happened: Retail sales of new vehicles are estimated to...

Veteran wall street tech analyst Brent Thill has cautioned against buying stocks in the underperforming tech sector, with the exception of social media giant Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ: FB). What Happened: The Jefferies analyst said on Yahoo Finance Live that tech is “off limits right now”...

Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) is in talks to acquire Discord Inc. for more than $10 billion, as reported by Bloomberg, and there could be several ways the tech giant stands to benefit if such a deal goes through. What Happened: Bloomberg gaming journalist Jason Schreier noted that a...

AstraZeneca Plc (NYSE: AZN) may have included outdated data related to the U.S. trials of its COVID-19 vaccine that resulted in an incomplete view of the efficacy data, the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) said on Monday. What Happened: The British drugmaker had...

Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) is in talks to acquire Discord Inc. for more than $10 billion, Bloomberg reported Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. What Happened: Discord, a communications and chat platform, has reached out to potential buyers including Microsoft, but no deal is...

Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond’s President Thomas Barkin on Sunday said the U.S. economy is on course for a strong 2021 as the pandemic recedes and dismissed fears of unwanted inflation despite price pressures. What Happened: Speaking to Bloomberg on Sunday evening, Barkin said 2021 will be...

Exercise bike maker Peloton Interactive Inc’s (NASDAQ: PTON) CEO John Foley said on Thursday a tragic accident involving Tread+, a bike made by the company, resulted in the death of a child. What Happened: Peloton co-founder Foley in a note revealed an accident involving exercise...

The world’s largest coffee chain Starbucks Corp’s (NASDAQ: SBUX) customer visitation is expected to go back to pre-COVID-19 levels for when the vaccine is widely available, according to a survey conducted by Cowen Equity Research. The Starbucks Analyst: Cowen analyst Andrew Charles has...

Ride-hailing platform Lyft Inc (NASDAQ: LYFT) is expected to deliver a demand bounceback in 2021 as the coronavirus vaccine rollout accelerates to the masses by this summer and more companies resume work from the office and traveling picks up significantly, according to Wedbush Securities. The Lyft...

Swiss drug giant Roche Holding AG (OTC: RHHBY) announced a big-ticket acquisition that would boost its presence in the diagnostics market, setting the tempo for a merger Monday. What Happened: Roche said it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire GenMark Diagnostics (NASDAQ: GNMK) for...

AstraZeneca Plc (NASDAQ: AZN) said on Sunday that a review of safety data of more than 17 million people vaccinated with its COVID-19 vaccine in the European Union and the United Kingdom showed no evidence of an increased risk of blood clots. What Happened: According to the drugmaker, the safety...

Tesla Inc.’s (NASDAQ: TSLA) factory in Fremont, California recorded about 450 COVID-19 cases following CEO Elon Musk’s decision to reopen the plant in May last year in defiance of a county-mandated shutdown, the Washington Post reported Saturday. What Happened: The report quoted the...

Novavax, Inc (NASDAQ: NVAX) shares spiked nearly 32% in the after-hours and regular session on Thursday. What Happened: The Maryland-based biotechnology company said Thursday that its COVID-19 vaccine, NVX-CoV2373, was 96.4% effective “against mild, moderate and severe disease caused by the...

From now on, it will be possible to use the feature from the PC app; voice messaging has been also integrated Only WhatsApp hadn’t taken part in the jungle of computer video call services that boomed during the last year. The Facebook Inc (NASDAQ: FB)-owned messaging service has decided to...

Disneyland Resort will be allowed to open from April 1 with 15% capacity and other restrictions.  What Happened: The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) on Friday said that theme parks and outdoor sports stadiums will be allowed to reopen from April 1, but with certain...