Alphabet (GOOG)
Google surprised investors and users with reports that it may start charging users for some of its AI-related services in the biggest change to its commercial model.
According to the Financial Times, the company is considering whether to add certain AI-powered search capabilities to its premium subscription service, which already offers access to a new AI assistant called Gemini, which is Google’s version of chatbot ChatGPT. It is said that they are considering it.
Alphabet Inc.’s search giant has never put its core product behind a paywall.
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Executives have reportedly not yet decided when or if to move forward with the technology, but the FT said engineers are developing the know-how needed to introduce the service.
Alphabet stock fell about 1% in extended trading.
Spotify (Spot)
Spotify rose in after-hours trading after the music streaming service revealed plans to raise prices in five different regions, Bloomberg reported.
Spotify Technology SA plans to increase the price of its plans by around $1 (about £0.79) to $2 a month in five markets, including the UK, Australia and Pakistan, by the end of April. The company plans to raise prices in the U.S. later this year.
According to a report from Bloomberg, the new pricing plans will increase prices by about $1 a month for individual plans, and $2 a month for family plans and so-called duo plans for couples.
Spotify offers premium plans in the U.S. for $10.99 per month for individuals, $14.99 for duos, and $16.99 for families, according to the company’s website.
In the UK, a premium individual account currently costs £10.99, a duo costs £14.99 and a family package costs £17.99 per month.
Paramount Global (PARA)
According to the New York Times, Paramount Global is reportedly in exclusive acquisition talks with Skydance Media.
Skydance and Paramount entered a 30-day exclusive negotiation period on Wednesday, and shares soared more than 14% after reports that they had already agreed on terms, and rose on an extended deal, but Skydance has not yet agreed to move forward with its film studio. We still need to see if the Paramount movie studio can be merged.
The deal currently being discussed with Skydance includes Skydance acquiring National Amusements, which owns the voting stock of Paramount’s Shari Redstone. The expanded Skydance will then acquire publicly traded Paramount Global in a two-step process.
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This follows a recent $26 billion all-cash offer by private equity firm Apollo Global Management.
Paramount owns the Paramount movie and television studios, the streaming service Paramount+, and cable channels including broadcast networks CBS, Nickelodeon, MTV, BET, and Comedy Central.
Vodafone (VOD.L)
Vodafone’s £15bn merger with Chinese rival Three will face a thorough investigation by competition regulators.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has confirmed it will launch a so-called Phase 2 investigation after the companies told the regulator they would not come forward with measures to alleviate concerns before a deadline.
The telecoms giant last year agreed to merge with Three in a deal that would create the UK’s biggest mobile network with more than 27 million customers.
But the partnership has come under scrutiny over concerns that it could give Three’s Hong Kong-based parent company, CK Hutchison, access to sensitive state infrastructure.
The regulator said an initial investigation found that both companies are important options for mobile customers and that combining their businesses would reduce competition between mobile operators for new customers. .
The watchdog also said the deal would allow smaller mobile operators such as Sky Mobile, Lebara and Lyca Mobile to benefit their own customers by reducing the number of mobile network operators hosting them. He also expressed concern that negotiating a deal “could be difficult.” .
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