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Stocks Fueling the Internet of Things

Stocks Fueling the Internet of Things

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The next wave of the Internet is already underway – here are seven companies poised to power this digital revolution.

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Bloomberg
SoftBank Vision Fund’s Praveen Akkiraju Is Stepping Down
(Bloomberg) -- SoftBank Vision Fund managing partner Praveen Akkiraju is stepping down from the behemoth investment vehicle to explore working with early stage startups in either an operational or investment role.Akkiraju joined SoftBank in April 2018 and was previously the chief executive officer of Viptela, a cloud software company that was acquired by Cisco Systems Inc. His departure was confirmed by a Vision Fund spokeswoman.Axios earlier reported Akkiraju’s exit. The outlet noted that Deep Nishar, a senior managing partner, will assume many of Akkiraju’s responsibilities including his board seat at Automation Anywhere. SoftBank’s Vision Fund invested $300 million in the San Jose, California-based robotic process automation company last November.SoftBank has raised roughly $2 billion for its second Vision Fund so it can start making new investments, people familiar with the matter said last month.Akkiraju’s departure follows the resignation of London-based Vision Fund partner David Thevenon.Akkiraju didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.(Updates with second Vision Fund details. A previous version of this story corrected the size of first fund in story link.)To contact the reporters on this story: Giles Turner in London at gturner35@bloomberg.net;Gillian Tan in New York at gtan129@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Alan Goldstein at agoldstein5@bloomberg.net, Robin Ajello, Jillian WardFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
Bloomberg
Cisco Enters Chip Market, Supplying Microsoft, Facebook
(Bloomberg) -- Cisco Systems Inc. has started supplying switch chips to major data-center operators, including Microsoft Corp. and Facebook Inc., opening up a new avenue to win orders from some of its largest networking-equipment customers.Cisco Silicon 1 is a switch semiconductor that’s already being used by Microsoft and Facebook in crucial networking equipment, the companies said Wednesday at an event in San Francisco. San Jose, California-based Cisco is now offering the chips, which it says are the fastest in the industry, to all of its customers, regardless of whether they buy its networking machinery. Previously Cisco’s chips were only available as components of its machines.The shift toward standalone chip sales is another departure from the business model that made Cisco one of the biggest companies in the technology industry. Cisco’s expensive proprietary combinations of hardware and software make up the backbone of much of the internet and corporate networks, and these products generate the bulk of the company’s revenue. The new initiative has the potential to attract business from customers who want to build their own machines instead of buying whole packages. It also puts Cisco in direct competition with its suppliers, Intel Corp. and Broadcom Inc., which also make switch chips that the networking equipment maker uses in some of its products.“From today -- and this is something that some of you never thought we’d do -- some of our customers will buy our silicon and build their own products if that’s what they choose to do,” Chief Executive Officer Chuck Robbins said at the event. “We really want our customers to consume this technology in any way they want.”As the internet infrastructure business moves away from suppliers who provide all the needs through locked-down combinations of hardware and software, Robbins has been pushing Cisco to adapt by becoming a bigger supplier of networking services and software. On his watch, software has risen to provide about 11% of revenue. Hardware still generates more than half of sales.Cisco shares rose less than 1% to $44.24 at 2:02 p.m. in New York. The stock gained 1.8% this year through Tuesday’s close.The move into selling components is an attempt to win orders from the hyperscalers, such as Microsoft, Google and Amazon.com Inc.’s AWS, a group that has increasingly turned away from Cisco’s offerings and equipped their data centers with computers and networking gear designed in house. Those big cloud-computing vendors contribute as little as 2% of Cisco’s total sales, according to Raymond James analyst Simon Leopold.Switch chips perform the crucial function of deciding where packets of data should go in a network of computers. They are designed to handle that task at great speed, and only a few companies have been successful in the market. Broadcom is the biggest provider of this type of chip as an individual component and has as much as 80% share, Leopold said. Intel took a bigger interest in the market in June when it bought startup Barefoot Networks.Cisco’s new offering will combine the attributes of both switch and routing chips, the company said. It’ll be able to move data very quickly and still be programmable, carrying the ability to have its function changed. Routing, directing traffic among networks, is typically conducted by groups of chips that bring other attributes but are unable to direct data fast enough for modern internet traffic loads. One chip providing all of the functions will simplify the operation of networks by eliminating the need for different layers of software, Cisco executives said.Offering up what was previously guarded as a proprietary advantage shows a flexibility at Cisco that has been increasing as Robbins works to transform the company. Analysts predict the build-it-yourself approach to networking, pioneered by the large cloud-service operators, over time will be copied by companies looking to reduce the cost of their data-center spending. That corporate market is one of Cisco’s biggest sources of revenue.Cisco’s equipment, including its chips, is designed by the company and manufactured by a third party, which it hasn’t identified.The company also announced a new router machine at the event, designed to better serve as the backbone for new fifth generation, or 5G, cellular networks. The Cisco 8000 will be based on the new chip. The company also unveiled plans for products that will support faster data transmission speeds over fiber-optic cables. Like the rest of the networking industry, Cisco is positioning itself to be a main provider of equipment for the predicted surge in internet traffic and data created by the proliferation of mobile systems.(Updates with comment from Cisco CEO in the fourth paragraph.)To contact the reporter on this story: Ian King in San Francisco at ianking@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Jillian Ward at jward56@bloomberg.net, Andrew PollackFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
FX Empire
GBP/USD Price Forecast – British Pound Continues To Power Higher Ahead Of Elections
The British pound has initially pulled back a bit during the trading session on Wednesday, but then turned around to show signs of strength again. With the British pound rally in the way it has, it looks as if we are getting that final push into the elections.
Investing.com
Day Ahead - Top 3 Things on Dec. 12
Investing.com – Here’s a preview of the top three things that could rock markets tomorrow.
Simply Wall St.
Is It Too Late To Consider Buying Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:SWKS)?
Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:SWKS) received a lot of attention from a substantial price increase on the NASDAQGS...
FX Empire
Trouble at WTO Could Have Negative Impact on the U.K.
Brexit has been on the back-burner for the past six weeks, as attention has been focused on the snap election in the UK. After the election, the new government will have to again deal with Brexit, and changes at the WTO could complicate matters if the EU and UK fail to reach a trade agreement.
Investing.com
Forex: Dollar Flat Ahead of Fed Decision
Invesing.com – The U.S. dollar was flat on Wednesday, shrugging off data showing stronger-than-expected inflation as traders awaited a Federal Reserve interest-rate decision later today.
Yahoo Finance UK
What to Watch: Polls lift sterling, Saudi Aramco IPO, tariff deadline worries markets
A daily overview of the top business, market and economic stories you should be watching today in the UK and abroad.
FX Empire
Markets Tepid Ahead of Fed Interest Rate Decision
Asian markets were subdued on Wednesday morning as investors grew increasingly anxious over the lack of update on US-China trade talks.
Yahoo Finance UK
Revealed: the least popular online retailers in the UK
Which? said the same brands were near the bottom of its league table year after year, based on customer surveys.
Yahoo Finance UK
Major leadership changes at Stagecoach leaves only one woman on the board
The personnel changes mean only one director on its board is a woman at the FTSE 100 company.
FX Empire
GBP/USD – Pound Flat as All Eyes on Election
The pound remains in a holding pattern, ahead of the election on Thursday. Polls are predicting a Conservative win, but that could change and cause some stronger movement from GBP/USD.
Yahoo Finance UK
Saudi Aramco makes stock market debut in world's largest share sale
The oil titan produces 10% of the global crude oil supply and makes it IPO on the Riyadh stock market on Wednesday.
Yahoo Finance UK
Pound up as general election poll shows Conservatives set to win majority
However, the poll suggests that the majority is narrowing to just 28 seats — down from 68 in previous surveys.
FX Empire
The FED and U.S Inflation Figures Put the Dollar Front and Center
Geopolitics and the FED will keep the markets busy today.
Yahoo Finance UK
The 20 best places to work in Britain
Google comes out on top in new ranking as 'workers are increasingly prioritising culture over cash'.
Yahoo Finance UK
Ada Ventures launches $34m fund, pledging to invest in 'overlooked' founders
The new London-based venture capital firm is founded by Francesca 'Check' Warner, and hopes to disrupt Europe’s male-dominated tech industry.
FX Empire
GBP/USD Price Forecast – British Pound Continues To Power Higher
The British pound rallied a bit during the trading session again on Tuesday, as we continue to see traders get on the right side of the potential election results in the United Kingdom.
Investing.com
Forex: Dollar Creeps Lower on Cooling Hopes of Delay to Tariffs on China
Invesing.com – The U.S. dollar edged lower on Tuesday, as uncertainty over whether the U.S. would delay planned tariffs on imporrts from China continued to weigh on sentiment.
Yahoo Finance UK
What to Watch: UK economy flatlines, Ted Baker profit warning and Wetherspoon growth
A daily overview of the top business, market and economic stories you should be watching today in the UK and abroad.
FX Empire
GBP/USD Daily Forecast – Sterling Volatility Slows Ahead of Election
After a momentum-driven rally last week, volatility has slowed and GBP/USD has fallen into a range.
Yahoo Finance UK
UK economy grinds to a halt days before general election
Figures show Britain's economy grew at its slowest annual rate in seven years just as voters prepare to head to the polls.
FX Empire
GBP/USD – Pound in Holding Pattern Ahead of British GDP, Manufacturing Production
The pound is calm on Tuesday. This lack of movement could change in a hurry, as the U.K. releases GDP and Manufacturing Production at 9:30 GMT.
Yahoo Finance UK
Supermarket sales growth almost halts ahead of general election
Supermarket sales growth slowed to just 0.5% as shoppers postponed Christmas preparations amid poor weather and general election uncertainty.
Yahoo Finance UK
Wetherspoon pubs to create 10,000 new jobs amid £200m investment
It said it will invest £200m into its pub estate over the next four years.

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