Latest news for Abacus Gr (OTC:ABCGF) Stock

Abacus Group is primarily focused on storage and office property, with minor interests in other subsectors such as retail property. Its storage business remains an active acquirer and developer of property. Management separated the storage business in mid-2023. We don't view the separation as creating value in itself, however, we view it as a potential catalyst that could prompt the market to recognize latent value in Abacus' assets. However, it will likely take time for the market to get familiar with the two Abacus vehicles and its new structure.

Abacus Group

Vice President Kamala Harris is likely to face off against former President Donald Trump in the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/2024-election">2024 presidential election.</a>
The change comes with President Joe Biden withdrawing from the race and Harris having the reported delegates support to win the nomination.
A new election poll shows a close head-to-head battle.
What Happened: The first 2024 presidential debate performance by Trump and Biden saw election polls and<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/sports-betting/24/07/39868243/2024-election-betting-odds-joe-biden-has-8-chance-of-winning-according-to-sportsbooks-pred"> betting odds from sportsbooks</a> and prediction markets shift more in favor of the former president.
With Biden withdrawing from the race, the battle to win the 2024 election could be back to being the toss-up that was seen months ago.  
A new NPR/PBS News/Marist 2024 <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/07/23/nx-s1-5048890/elections-poll-biden-harris-trump">poll </a>shows Trump with a one-point lead over Harris in a head-to-head battle. Trump has 46% support with Harris getting 45% and 9% of voters are undecided.
A larger percentage of voters are now undecided after Biden dropped out, as earlier this month only 2% of voters in the poll were undecided in the head-to-head battle.
When third-party candidates are included, the poll looks like this:
<ul>
<li>Donald Trump: 42%</li>
<li>Kamala Harris: 42%</li>
<li>Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: 7%</li>
<li>Jill Stein: 1%</li>
<li>Cornel West: 1%</li>
</ul>
The support for Kennedy Jr. hit the lowest since he was included by the poll group in April.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/politics/24/07/39920146/harris-vs-trump-vice-president-trails-former-president-by-2-points-gains-independent-voters-59-o">Harris Vs. Trump: Vice President Trails Former President By 2 Points, Gains Independent Voters, 59% Of Democrats Say Best Chance To Win 2024 Election</a>
Why It's Important: Along with tying Trump in the five-way race in the poll, Harris is showing ground being made up in the 2024 election race since Biden dropped out.
NPR said Harris ranks better than Biden among key voter groups like young voters and non-White voters.
Sixty-five percent of Democrats also said that Biden stepping down increases the party's chances of winning the 2024 election.
Harris has a smaller percentage of Independent voters than Biden was pulling, but many of the Independent voters are now undecided in the election. Around 20% of Independent voters are undecided and around 30% of Independent women voters are undecided.
Harris becoming the official nominee and naming a vice president pick could shift the undecided voters in the coming weeks to get a closer look at the head-to-head battle. According to the<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2024/07/24/biden-speech-2024-election-campaign-updates/"> Washington Post</a>, &#8220;Vice President Harris will select her running mate by Aug. 7, according to two officials familiar with her timeline who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private deliberations.&#8221;
Seventy-seven percent of Democratic voters and Democratic-leading Independent voters polled said Harris is the right nominee for the party.
Eighty-seven percent of all voters said Biden stepping down was the right decision in the election. Sixty-eight percent said Biden should finish his current presidential term before making way for the 2024 election winner in January.
Harris has a net favorability ranking of minus four points, with 40% viewing her as positive and 44% viewing her as negative. Trump ranks worse with 43% viewing him as positive and 49% viewing him as negative. Biden was seven points behind where Harris is for her net favorability ranking, based on the ratings in a poll earlier this month.
Trump's vice-presidential pick of J.D. Vance doesn't get favorable ratings with 28% viewing him as favorable and 31% viewing him as negative and 41% saying they have never heard of him or have no opinion.
When asked who Harris' vice president pick should be, voters in the poll selected Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (21%), Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg (21%) and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (17%) as the top options.
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/07/39919247/who-will-kamala-harris-pick-for-vice-president-crypto-bettors-have-4-favorites-for-democra">Who Will Kamala Harris Pick For Vice President? Crypto Bettors Have 4 Favorites For Democratic Party Running Mate</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

Politics

Trump Vs. Harris: 2024 Election Candidates Tied In New Poll, 65% Of Democrats Say Biden Stepping Down Increases Party's Chances Of Winning

A Texas judge dismissed another of Attorney General Ken Paxton's <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/01/36880984/gop-attor-ney-gen-er-al-in-texas-sues-five-cities-to-stop-voter-approved-mar-i-jua-na-reform-say">lawsuits over voter-approved</a> marijuana decriminalization ordinances. It is Paxton&#8217;s second legal loss in as many cases.
"On Monday, Judge Sherri Tibbe dismissed Ken Paxton's lawsuit seeking to force the City of San Marcos to devote scarce local resources to arresting people for marijuana possession," according to Ground Game Texas in a Tuesday news release. "This ruling follows last month's dismissal of Paxton's lawsuit against the City of Austin and reaffirms that the AG has no business telling cities how to enforce drug law." 
Ground Game has been instrumental in organizing cannabis reform initiatives&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/texas-cannabis" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">across multiple Texas cities</a>. The cities still waiting for <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/01/36880984/gop-attor-ney-gen-er-al-in-texas-sues-five-cities-to-stop-voter-approved-mar-i-jua-na-reform-say">Paxton to pounce</a> include Denton, Elgin and Killeen. In June, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/06/39302347/texas-judge-dismisses-gop-attorney-general-ken-paxtons-lawsuit-against-voter-approved-cannabis-m" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">judge dismissed Paxton&#8217;s lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against Austin.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/07/39920347/dallas-cannabis-reform-ballot-is-a-go-decriminalization-in-november-elections-would-allow-up-to-">Dallas Cannabis Reform Ballot Is A Go: Decriminalization In November Elections Would Allow Up To 4 Ounces Of Weed</a>
"Judge Tibbe rightly recognized Paxton has no legal basis for interfering with the will of local voters or municipal governments," said Catina Voellinger, executive director of Ground Game Texas, <a href="https://kdhnews.com/news/local/texas-district-court-judge-dismisses-another-paxton-marijuana-lawsuit/article_51d5bb84-49e0-11ef-bc1e-c7dcb88b72f3.html">reported</a> the Killeen Daily Herald. "This decision, along with the recent verification of our petition in Dallas, is a welcome reminder that this is a winning movement, and one we look forward to continuing to build across the state this November."
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">&#x1f31f; Ken vs. Texans: How it&#39;s going&#8230; We&#39;re winning the fight for cannabis decriminalization in TX! Join us: <a href="https://t.co/oJh9GilEvo">https://t.co/oJh9GilEvo</a> <a href="https://t.co/kLYhUhMCCt">pic.twitter.com/kLYhUhMCCt</a>
&mdash; GroundGameTX (@GroundGameTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/GroundGameTX/status/1815932596179943767?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
On Monday, Tibbe denied Paxton's application for an injunction and granted the plea to jurisdiction that had been filed by the City of San Marcos. Paxton next move could be an appeal of the judge's decisions to a higher court. As of Wednesday, a notice of appeal had not yet been filed.
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">A Full-Time Job For The AG?</h1>
Since his vendetta against cannabis decriminalization began this past January, Paxton has spent many billable hours prosecuting cities, large and small, across Texas that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/05/39041635/73-of-texans-support-full-cannabis-legalization-or-decriminalization-including-plurality-of-repu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">have decriminalized marijuana</a> … most with over 70% voter approval, we might add.
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Paxton&#8217;s Motive?</h1>
Apparently, Paxton is deathly afraid of the crime he presumes will reign on the streets if the possession of small amounts of marijuana is sanctioned for consenting adults. 
&#8220;I will not stand idly by as cities run by pro-crime extremists deliberately violate Texas law and promote the use of illicit drugs that harm our communities,&#8221; Paxton wrote in a press release earlier this year. 
Now Read:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/07/39908970/trump-and-desantis-supporters-love-their-cannabis-is-rift-between-anti-weed-politicos-pot-users-">Trump And DeSantis Supporters Love Their Cannabis: Is Rift Between Anti-Weed Politicos, Pot Users Brewing In The Sunshine State?</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: El Planteo

Cannabis

Government

News

Regulations

Legal

GOP Attor­ney Gen­er­al In Texas Loses Legal Battle Against Towns With Decriminalized Cannabis, Insists They're 'Run By Pro-Crime Extremists'

Semiconductor stock Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>) was among the technology stocks that fell Wednesday on the heels of earnings reports from Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) and Alphabet being <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39938971/chip-stocks-nvidia-amd-and-others-see-more-selloff-on-wednesday-whats-going-on">dissected by investors.</a>
What Happened: AMD stock is now down year-to-date after Wednesday's decline. The drop comes as there was some optimism across social media from photos shared by company CEO Lisa Su.
Su shared pictures of an event with Tesla that she attended.
"Great spending time with the Tesla team talking about AI, leadership and more! Proud to partner with such an amazing team! Thanks for the invite!" Su <a href="https://x.com/LisaSu/status/1816105459029274933">tweeted</a>.
Benzinga reached out to Tesla and AMD for more commentary on the meeting and did not hear back.
Su appeared to be a speaker at a Tesla event with a background slide in one picture showing the caption "Women in Tesla."
The meeting was likely more about Su's role in the technology space and less about the two companies partnering, but could be noteworthy given the past history between the two companies.
AMD <a href="https://www.amd.com/en/solutions/automotive/in-vehicle-experience.html#:~:text=Driving%20Innovation%20for%20the%20Future%20of%20In%2DVehicle%20Experience&amp;text=AMD%20is%20at%20the%20forefront,such%20as%20Tesla%20and%20Daimler">lists </a>Tesla as a partner on its website.
"The new Tesla Model S and Model X feature AMD Ryzen Embedded APU and RDNA2 based GPU that power the new infotainment experience with support for AAA gaming," the website reads.
AMD also lists a section on "driving innovation for the future of in-vehicle experience" where it highlights Tesla and Daimler as technology partners.
Read Also:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/07/39918390/tesla-q2-earnings-highlights-revenue-beat-eps-miss-robotaxi-update-2024-growth-rate-to-be-notably-l"> Tesla Q2 Earnings Highlights: Revenue Beat, EPS Miss, Robotaxi Update, 2024 Growth Rate To Be &#8216;Notably Lower&#8217; Than 2023</a>
Why It's Important: AMD is one of several semiconductor companies operating in the automotive space. The company offers products for automobiles that include driver monitoring systems, in-cabin monitoring systems, driver information and more. 
In January, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the electric vehicle company <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/01/36813208/elon-musk-says-tesla-will-buy-chips-from-amd-invest-over-500m-on-nvidia-hardware">planned to purchase </a>chips from AMD to advance its artificial intelligence efforts. The comment came as Tesla also spent $500 million to buy hardware from NVIDIA Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>).
The automotive sector is one of the fastest growth sectors for semiconductor companies with Qualcomm Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QCOM#NASDAQ">QCOM</a>) and others seeing strong year-over-year growth and bookings. AMD doesn't break out its automotive revenue like others in the sector, making it harder to see the impact, <a href="https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/04/amd_car_chips/">according </a>to The Registar.
The Registar highlighted new automotive related products from AMD back in January as the company looks to grow in the sector.
While Su's appearance with Tesla is likely just part of a speaking engagement, it could come with more partnerships in the future or serve as a reminder to investors that Tesla and AMD are already partners.
AMD Price Action: AMD shares closed Wednesday down 6.08% to $144.63 on Wednesday versus a 52-week trading range of $93.12 to $227.30. AMD shares are up over 30% in the last year, but now down 1.5% year-to-date in 2024, as seen on the <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/pro/register/?utm_source=BZprocontent072424&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1">Benzinga Pro chart </a>below.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="http://www.benzinga.com/pro/register/?utm_source=BZprocontent072424&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1001" height="503" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/24170103/Screenshot-82.png" alt="" class="wp-image-455265" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/24170103/Screenshot-82.png 1001w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/24170103/Screenshot-82-300x151.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/24170103/Screenshot-82-768x386.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1001px) 100vw, 1001px" /></a></figure>
AMD will report second-quarter results on July 30 after market close. Analysts expect the company to report revenue of $5.73 billion and earnings per share of 68 cents compared to $5.36 billion and 58 cents, respectively, in last year's second quarter.
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/07/39938160/8-tesla-analysts-size-up-margins-fsd-robotaxis-new-evs-as-stock-tanks-the-realities">8 Tesla Analysts Size Up Margins, FSD, Robotaxis, New EVs As Stock Tanks: &#8216;The Realities Of Today Vs. The Dreams Of Tomorrow&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

Movers

Tech

Trading Ideas

NVDA

QCOM

TSLA

AMD Stock Turns Negative Year-to-Date, CEO Lisa Su Meets With Tesla: What Investors Should Know

Roblox Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RBLX#NYSE">RBLX</a>) reported an increase in child exploitation incidents during 2023, with over 13,000 cases flagged to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), a significant rise from 3,000 <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/gaming">the previous year. </a>
The platform&#8217;s broad reach, serving around 77 million daily players — including 40% under the age of 13 — has brought its safety measures into focus.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/gaming/23/09/34461316/robloxs-console-evolution-playstation-debut-realistic-avatars-whats-next-for-gamers">Roblox&#8217;s Console Evolution: PlayStation Debut, Realistic Avatars: What&#8217;s Next for Gamers?</a>
In dialogue with Benzinga, Roblox&#8217;s Communications Team shared a statement addressing concerns about its safety practices. 
&#8220;A recent article contained glaring mischaracterizations about how we protect users of all ages on the platform and failed to reflect both the complexities of online child safety and the realities of the overwhelmingly positive experiences that tens of millions of people of all ages have on Roblox every single day,&#8221; the spokesperson said. 
Roblox also stressed the reported incidents must be understood in the context of the platform&#8217;s enormous content volume.
&#8220;Bloomberg fails to provide context on the scale of these reported incidents vis-a-vis the amount of content on the platform and growing user base of 77 million daily active users. In a single quarter, Roblox users generated and uploaded approximately 205 billion total pieces of content,&#8221; the spokesperson added.
Furthermore, the company&#8217;s contribution to the NCMEC's total report count is less than 0.04% of the 36.2 million reports received by the center that year for suspected child sexual abuse material.
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Increased Reports and High-Profile Cases</h1>
The accessibility of Roblox across various platforms, including PlayStation, PC and mobile devices, has made it a popular environment for children but has also exposed it to potential threats.
Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/business/company-news/2024/07/23/the-gaming-platform-with-a-predator-problem/">reported </a>that despite Roblox's response to 1,300 law enforcement requests for information on predatory players, some individuals managed to evade detection. A high-profile case involved Arnold &#8220;DoctorRofatnik&#8221; Castillo, who operated the successful game Sonic Eclipse Online. 
Castillo was apprehended after attempting to meet a 15-year-old girl 700 miles away, leading to a 15-year prison sentence for grooming and sexual abuse.
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Roblox's Safety Measures And Future Plans</h1>
Roblox has reiterated its commitment to safety, with Chief Safety Officer Matt Kaufman detailing ongoing efforts to enhance platform security. 
&#8220;To be the best in the world at delivering safe and civil online experiences, this is essential,&#8221; Kaufman <a href="https://corp.roblox.com/newsroom/2024/07/driving-civility-and-safety-for-all-users">said</a>. He highlighted that only 0.0063% of content on Roblox was flagged for policy violations, including bullying and hate speech.
The company is actively working on the next generation of safety tools and features to address evolving threats. &#8220;We will continue to work tirelessly to keep our users safe and be vigilant against bad actors who might attempt to circumvent our safety systems,&#8221; Kaufman affirmed in a blog post. 
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/gaming/23/08/33896713/roblox-shares-sink-on-short-report-saying-gaming-company-has-facilitated-more-child-abuse-than-any">Roblox Shares Sink On Short Report Saying Gaming Company &#8216;Has Facilitated More Child Abuse Than Any Public Company In History&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
Image courtesy: Roblox Corp.

Gaming

General

RBLX

Roblox Reports 13,000 Child Exploitation Cases In 2023, Details Safety Measures

Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) has taken down approximately 63,000 accounts in Nigeria involved in financial <a target="_blank" href="https://about.fb.com/news/2024/07/combating-financial-sextortion-scams-from-nigeria/" rel="noreferrer noopener">sexual extortion</a>, or sextortion, scams targeting <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/24/07/39934253/how-metas-game-changing-ai-model-could-enhance-developer-freedom-propel-privacy-standards-and-surge" rel="noreferrer noopener">adult men in the United States</a>.
Financial sextortion, a crime without borders, has been fueled in recent years by the rise in activities of loosely organized cybercriminals known as &#8216;Yahoo Boys&#8217;, predominantly operating from Nigeria, specializing in various scam techniques, Meta said in a statement.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve banned Yahoo Boys under Meta&#8217;s&nbsp;Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy&nbsp;— one of our strictest policies — which means we remove Yahoo Boys&#8217; accounts engaged in this criminal activity whenever we become aware of them,&#8221; the software giant said.&nbsp;
Also Read:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/39930463" rel="noreferrer noopener">Zuckerberg Says Sam Altman &#8216;Deserves A Lot Of Credit,&#8217; But Highlights The Irony In His Firm Named OpenAI Leading Closed AI Models</a>
The firm also removed around 7,200 assets, including 1,300 Facebook accounts, 200 Facebook Pages, and 5,700 Facebook Groups, also based in Nigeria, that were providing tips for conducting scams.&nbsp;
&#8220;We also recently announced that we&#8217;ve developed&nbsp;new signals to identify accounts that are&nbsp;potentially engaging in sextortion,&nbsp;and are taking steps to help prevent these accounts from finding and interacting with teens,&#8221; Meta said.
In recent years, the social media giant has faced increasing pressure from governments, including lawmakers in its home country of the United States, to address concerns about its executives allegedly disregarding evidence that its platforms harm children, reported Reuters.
Last week, Meta was fined $220 million by Nigeria&#8217;s competition watchdog.
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) revealed that Meta violated local consumer, data protection, and privacy laws by sharing data on its social platforms without user consent, per a Reuters report.
Additionally, Meta was accused of abusing its market dominance with exploitative privacy policies and treating Nigerians differently compared to users in jurisdictions with similar regulations.
According to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://pro.benzinga.com/?gspk=YWRhbWVja2VydDUzMzY&amp;gsxid=zBMR4PKmcgBw" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Pro</a>, META stock has gained over 60% in the past year. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;Direxion Daily META Bull 2X Shares (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/METU#NASDAQ">METU</a>) and&nbsp;Vanguard Communication Services ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VOX#NYSE">VOX</a>).
Price Action: META shares closed lower by 5.61% to $461.27 on Wednesday.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/39923398" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elon Musk&#8217;s X, Mark Zuckerberg-Owned Facebook, And TikTok Face Stricter Regulations As Malaysia And Singapore Tighten Oversight On Social Media To Combat Online Scams</a></li>
</ul>
Photo by DANIEL CONSTANTE on Shutterstock

Equities

Markets

METU

Meta Cracks Down On Nigerian 'Yahoo Boys' In Massive Sextortion Scam Purge, Bans 63K Accounts

As the COVID-19 pandemic faded away and people were less required to practice social distancing, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/11/35994035/insta-worthy-workspaces-to-woo-back-remote-workers-social-media-users-tell-companies-to-please-just">bosses began demanding</a> that their employees return to the office (RTO) instead of performing their jobs at home.
This led to droves of workers who wanted to keep working from home to quit their jobs in what became known as the &#8220;Great Resignation,&#8221; but that&#8217;s what some bosses wanted them to do, <a href="https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/guides/return-to-office#executives-and-hr-admit-rto-is-meant-to-make-people-quit">according</a> to a survey by Bamboo HR.
The analysis revealed that 25% of vice presidents and executives and 18% of human resources professionals admit they hoped for &#8220;some voluntary turnover&#8221; during an RTO mandate, proving why they are actually &#8220;layoffs in disguise,&#8221; Bamboo HR said.
&#8220;Nearly two in five (37%) managers, directors and executives believe their organization enacted layoffs in the last year because fewer employees than they expected quit during their RTO,&#8221; the survey said.
Read Now: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/09/35015655/why-metas-return-to-office-is-a-mess-from-sitting-on-floors-to-hot-desks-dilemma-and-pending-remote">Why Meta&#8217;s Return To Office Is A &#8216;Mess:&#8217; From Sitting On Floors To &#8216;Hot Desks&#8217; Dilemma, And Pending Remote Work Requests</a>
Whatever the intention ultimately is, some companies are instituting policies to bring employees back to the office.
Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRM#NYSE">CRM</a>), a San Francisco-based software company, is now pushing to bring the majority of its employees back into the office, the San Francisco Standard <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/07/17/salesforce-pressures-its-workers-back-to-the-office-as-layoffs-continue/">reported</a>.
Certain workers in sales, workplace services, data center engineering and&nbsp;onsite support technicians&nbsp;under the chief information officer will need to show up to the office four to five days a week, starting in October.
Salesforce&#8217;s other departments will be required to show up to the office three days a week through an &#8220;office-flex&#8221; arrangement, while certain engineering roles will need to come in only at least 10 days each quarter.
Salesforce notified employees of the RTO policy through a memo that also said the company will start tracking when employees scan their badges next month.
Salesforce said employees will have "full visibility" of this data, which will measure attendance against quarterly goals set by each team. 
Read Now:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/12/36106919/amazons-rigid-return-to-office-policy-triggers-employee-exodus-report">Amazon&#8217;s Rigid Return-To-Office Policy Triggers Employee Exodus: Report</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

Bosses Admit Using 'Return To Office' Mandate To Get Workers To Quit: Survey

Guidance

Celestica Raises FY24 Revenue Outlook To $9.45B From Previous Outlook Of $9.1B (Est $9.126B); Adjusted EPS To $3.62 From Prior $3.30 (Est $3.33)

Celestica Expects Q3 Revenue Of $2.325B - $2.475B (Est $2.29B), Adjusted EPS Of $0.86 - $0.96 (Est $0.82)

Celestica (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CLS#NYSE">CLS</a>) reported quarterly earnings of $0.91 per share which beat the analyst consensus estimate of $0.81 by 12.35 percent. This is a 65.45 percent increase over earnings of $0.55 per share from the same period last year. The company reported quarterly sales of $2.391 billion which beat the analyst consensus estimate of $2.249 billion by 6.31 percent. This is a 23.31 percent increase over sales of $1.939 billion the same period last year.

Earnings

Earnings Beats

Celestica Q2 2024 Adj EPS $0.91 Beats $0.81 Estimate, Sales $2.391B Beat $2.249B Estimate

Orion Gr Hldgs (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORN#NYSE">ORN</a>) reported quarterly losses of $(0.16) per share which missed the analyst consensus estimate of $(0.01) by 1500 percent. This is a 14.29 percent decrease over losses of $(0.14) per share from the same period last year. The company reported quarterly sales of $192.167 million which missed the analyst consensus estimate of $192.786 million by 0.32 percent. This is a 5.28 percent increase over sales of $182.534 million the same period last year.

Earnings Misses

Orion Gr Hldgs Q2 2024 Adj EPS $(0.16) Misses $(0.01) Estimate, Sales $192.167M Miss $192.786M Estimate

Mid Penn Bancorp Q2 2024 Sales $44.095M Beat $41.910M Estimate

General Motors Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GM#NYSE">GM</a>) shares are trading lower after-hours Wednesday following Ford Motor Co.'s (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/F#NYSE">F</a>) <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/07/39943178/ford-q2-earnings-highlights-revenue-beat-eps-miss-transit-vans-hit-record-ev-sales-fall-37">second-quarter earnings release.</a> 
The Details: Ford shares are dropping after the company reported quarterly earnings per share of 47 cents, missing a Street consensus estimate of 68 cents. Ford also reported a 37% drop in revenue from its Ford Model e segment year-over-year, which the company attributed to industry-wide pricing pressure and lower wholesales.
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/24/07/39944467/viking-therapeutics-stock-climbs-on-q2-eps-beat">Viking Therapeutics Stock Climbs On Q2 EPS Beat</a>&nbsp;
GM shares are down slightly in sympathy with Ford during after-hours trading. General Motors reported strong <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/07/39913791/whats-going-on-with-general-motors-stock-today">second-quarter results</a> on Tuesday, beating Street estimates with sales growth of 7.2% year-over-year. GM also reported quarterly earnings of $3.06 per share, beating the analyst consensus estimate of $2.72. 
GM, F Price Action: According to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/?gspk=YWRhbWVja2VydDUzMzY&amp;gsxid=zBMR4PKmcgBw">Benzinga Pro</a>, General Motors shares are down 0.73% after-hours at $46.15 and Ford shares are down 10.24% at $12.27 at the time of publication Wednesday.
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39865576/whats-going-on-with-rivian-stock">What&#8217;s Going On With Rivian Stock?</a></li>
</ul>
Image: Shutterstock

After-Hours Center

General Motors Stock Falls After Ford Reports Q2 Results: What's Going On?

CB Financial Services (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CBFV#NASDAQ">CBFV</a>) reported quarterly earnings of $0.52 per share which beat the analyst consensus estimate of $0.51 by 1.96 percent. This is a 5.45 percent decrease over earnings of $0.55 per share from the same period last year. The company reported quarterly sales of $12.158 million which missed the analyst consensus estimate of $12.300 million by 1.15 percent. This is a 9.19 percent decrease over sales of $13.389 million the same period last year.

CBFV

CB Financial Services Q2 2024 Adj EPS $0.52 Beats $0.51 Estimate, Sales $12.158M Miss $12.300M Estimate

The aggregate incremental backlog associated with these fixtures is approximately&nbsp;$656 million. As of July 24, 2024, the company&#39;s total backlog is approximately&nbsp;$8.8 billion.

Transocean Releases Quarterly Fleet Status Report; Reports Total Backlog Of $8.8B As Of July 24

NRG Energy (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NRG#NYSE">NRG</a>) has outperformed the market over the past 5 years by 3.9% on an annualized basis producing an average annual return of 16.37%. Currently, NRG Energy has a market capitalization of $15.47 billion. 
Buying $100 In NRG: If an investor had bought $100 of NRG stock 5 years ago, it would be worth $215.11 today based on a price of $74.19 for NRG at the time of writing.
<h3>NRG Energy's Performance Over Last 5 Years</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1721856619_0.png" alt="comp_fig" />
Finally -- what's the point of all this? The key insight to take from this article is to note how much of a difference compounded returns can make in your cash growth over a period of time.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Here's How Much You Would Have Made Owning NRG Energy Stock In The Last 5 Years

ESRT

Empire State Realty Trust Reaffirms 2024 Core FFO Guidance Of Core $0.90 - $0.94, Est $0.92

Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) shares are rising in Wednesday&#8217;s after-hours session after the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced a deal in which Prime Video will telecast <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/m-a/24/07/39900318/warner-bros-discoverys-tnt-sports-counters-amazon-with-1-9b-nba-broadcast-rights-bid-report">NBA games over the next decade</a>.
What Happened: The NBA <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/nba-media-agreements-2024">announced</a> a renewal of its partnership with Walt Disney Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIS#NYSE">DIS</a>), as well as new agreements with NBCUniversal and Amazon under which ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock and Prime Video will telecast NBA games beginning with the 2025-26 season. The deal is set to remain in place through the 2035-36 season.
&#8220;Our new global media agreements with Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon will maximize the reach and accessibility of NBA games for fans in the United States and around the world," said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.&nbsp; 
"These partners will distribute our content across a wide range of platforms and help transform the fan experience over the next decade."
Check This Out: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/entertainment/24/07/39915544/could-warner-bros-vs-amazon-battle-be-brewing-for-nba-rights-mark-cuban-shares-his-suggesti">Could Warner Bros. Vs. Amazon Battle Be Brewing For NBA Rights? Mark Cuban Shares His Suggestion</a>
Under the new deal, Amazon will distribute 66 NBA regular-season games on Prime Video each season. &nbsp;In addition, Prime Video is now set to stream the Championship Game of the Emirates NBA Cup.
Amazon&#8217;s Prime Video will also distribute all six NBA Play-In Tournament games and stream approximately one-third of the first and second rounds of the playoffs each year. Prime Video will also stream one of the two Conference Finals series in six of the 11 years on a rotating basis with NBCUniversal.
Amazon plans to distribute NBA games globally as part of Prime Video and offer an expanded package of games in select territories. The expanded package includes a minimum of 20 additional primetime regular season games each year, a Conference Finals series each year and the NBA Finals&nbsp;in six of the 11 years.
The NBA also announced that Amazon&#8217;s Prime Video will become a strategic partner of the NBA, making it the third-party global destination of NBA League Pass. 
AMZN Price Action: Amazon shares were up 0.42% after hours at $181.59 at the time of publication Wednesday, according to <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com">Benzinga Pro</a>.
Photo: Shaheerrr from Shutterstock.

Sports

Global

Media

AMZN

Amazon Stock Jumps As NBA Signs Prime Video Broadcasting Deal: What You Need To Know

Mid Penn Bancorp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MPB#NASDAQ">MPB</a>) reported quarterly earnings of $0.68 per share which beat the analyst consensus estimate of $0.60 by 13.33 percent. This is unchanged from the same period last year.

Mid Penn Bancorp Q2 2024 Adj EPS $0.68 Beats $0.60 Estimate

Core Laboratories Expects Q3 Revenue Of $131M - $137M (Est $135.11M), EPS Of $0.23 - $0.27 (Est $0.25)

QuantumScape Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QS#NYSE">QS</a>) reported its second-quarter financial results Wednesday. Here's a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/24/07/b39942492/quantumscape-reports-second-quarter-2024-business-and-financial-results">look at the details: </a>
The Details: QuantumScape reported GAAP quarterly losses of 25 cents per share which missed the analyst consensus estimate of losses of 23 cents by 8.7%.
The company reported capital expenditures in the second quarter were $18.9 million and primarily supported equipment purchases for low-volume QSE-5 prototype production, as well as the Cobra process and other equipment as the company prepares for higher-volume QSE-5 prototype production in 2025. 
QuantumScape ended the second quarter with $938 million in liquidity.
The company said its recent licensing deal with PowerCo offers a capital-efficient path to market and now projects its cash runway to extend into 2028. 
The extension of its cash runway forecast is mainly attributable to the avoidance of planned spend on its joint venture which frees up $134 million previously earmarked for our investment into the JV, prepayment of royalties contingent on satisfactory technical progress, inflows of development resources from our collaboration partner and improvements to capital and operational efficiency with respect to existing operations. 
Outlook: QuantumScape maintained its full-year 2024 guidance for Adjusted EBITDA loss to be between $250 million and $300 million and expects to be on the lower end of its capital expenditure guidance range of $70 million to $120 million.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/07/39940684/whats-going-on-with-meta-stock">What&#8217;s Going On With Meta Stock?</a>
QS Price Action: According to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/?gspk=YWRhbWVja2VydDUzMzY&amp;gsxid=zBMR4PKmcgBw">Benzinga Pro</a>, QuantumScape shares are down 5.09% after-hours at $7.08 after falling 7.2% during regular trading Wednesday.
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</ul>
Image: Courtesy of QuantumScape Corporation

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