TECHNOLOGY
Microsoft to buy Revolution
Microsoft Corp on Friday agreed to buy startup Revolution Analytics, which makes tools to sift through data, to help the company build up its cloud-services business. Terms were not disclosed. The deal was driven by the growing volumes of data that companies are contending with and the need for more software that can help analyze information, Microsoft said in a blog. Mountain View, California-based Revolution Analytics makes a statistics programming language called “R” that helps analyze data. Revolution Analytics chief community officer David Smith said in a blog post that the deal would spread the use of advanced analytics within Microsoft products, including the Azure cloud service.
Acquisitions
Adidas to sell Rockport Co
Private equity firm Berkshire Partners and athletic shoemaker New Balance are buying Rockport Co from the Adidas Group. The deal is scheduled to close later this year, but financial terms were not disclosed. Rockport sells men’s and women’s shoes and boots. As part of the deal, New Balance affiliate Drydock Footwear LLC is set to join with Rockport Co to create the Rockport Group. Drydock’s brands include Cobb Hill, Aravon and Dunham.
Energy
Oil, gas limit GE revenue
General Electric Co (GE) on Friday posted increased revenue and net income for the fourth quarter, but was held back from even better results by a sputtering performance from its expanding oil and gas division. The company calmed investors by maintaining its guidance for this year’s profit, despite the low oil prices that are hurting its oil and gas operations, and a stronger US dollar that is hurting exports. GE reported net income of US$5.15 billion, up from US$3.21 billion in the same quarter last year. Revenue rose 4 percent to US$42 billion in the period, but fell short of the US$42.4 billion expected by analysts.
Beverages
Anheuser-Busch buys Elysian
Anheuser-Busch said it is buying Seattle-based craft brewer Elysian Brewing Co for an undisclosed amount. It is the latest in a string of craft brewery acquisitions by Anheuser-Busch as it tries to counter soft sales of its own brands, such as Budweiser. Anheuser-Busch and Elysian announced the deal on Friday and said it would bring the brewer’s popular beers — most notably Immortal IPA — to a greater number of consumers. The deal includes Elysian’s brewery business and its four Seattle brewpubs. It is expected to close by the end of the first quarter. Anheuser-Busch is the US arm of Belgian-based Anheuser-Busch InBev SA, and is the world’s largest brewer.
Internet
Expedia to buy Travelocity
Expedia on Friday said it is buying rival Travelocity in a US$280 million deal merging two of the largest online travel operators. The all-cash deal calls for Expedia to acquire its rival from travel software firm Sabre Corp and follows a 2013 agreement in which Expedia powered the tech platform for Travelocity’s US and Canadian Web sites. Expedia operates other travel Web sites, including Hotels.com and Carrentals.com. Sabre manages online reservations for airlines and hotels. Last year it sold travel Web site lastminute.com.
TAKING STOCK: A Taiwanese cookware firm in Vietnam urged customers to assess inventory or place orders early so shipments can reach the US while tariffs are paused Taiwanese businesses in Vietnam are exploring alternatives after the White House imposed a 46 percent import duty on Vietnamese goods, following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of “reciprocal” tariffs on the US’ trading partners. Lo Shih-liang (羅世良), chairman of Brico Industry Co (裕茂工業), a Taiwanese company that manufactures cast iron cookware and stove components in Vietnam, said that more than 40 percent of his business was tied to the US market, describing the constant US policy shifts as an emotional roller coaster. “I work during the day and stay up all night watching the news. I’ve been following US news until 3am
UNCERTAINTY: Innolux activated a stringent supply chain management mechanism, as it did during the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure optimal inventory levels for customers Flat-panel display makers AUO Corp (友達) and Innolux Corp (群創) yesterday said that about 12 to 20 percent of their display business is at risk of potential US tariffs and that they would relocate production or shipment destinations to mitigate the levies’ effects. US tariffs would have a direct impact of US$200 million on AUO’s revenue, company chairman Paul Peng (彭雙浪) told reporters on the sidelines of the Touch Taiwan trade show in Taipei yesterday. That would make up about 12 percent of the company’s overall revenue. To cope with the tariff uncertainty, AUO plans to allocate its production to manufacturing facilities in
Six years ago, LVMH’s billionaire CEO Bernard Arnault and US President Donald Trump cut the blue ribbon on a factory in rural Texas that would make designer handbags for Louis Vuitton, one of the world’s best-known luxury brands. However, since the high-profile opening, the factory has faced a host of problems limiting production, 11 former Louis Vuitton employees said. The site has consistently ranked among the worst-performing for Louis Vuitton globally, “significantly” underperforming other facilities, said three former Louis Vuitton workers and a senior industry source, who cited internal rankings shared with staff. The plant’s problems — which have not
COLLABORATION: Given Taiwan’s key position in global supply chains, the US firm is discussing strategies with local partners and clients to deal with global uncertainties Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD) yesterday said it is meeting with local ecosystem partners, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), to discuss strategies, including long-term manufacturing, to navigate uncertainties such as US tariffs, as Taiwan occupies an important position in global supply chains. AMD chief executive officer Lisa Su (蘇姿丰) told reporters that Taiwan is an important part of the chip designer’s ecosystem and she is discussing with partners and customers in Taiwan to forge strong collaborations on different areas during this critical period. AMD has just become the first artificial-intelligence (AI) server chip customer of TSMC to utilize its advanced
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