—— Only 1% of US Homes Changed Hands This Year; Boyu Capital Acquires Medical Device Company; Morgan Stanley Trading Unit Drags Earnings; Microsoft Unveils AI Tool Pricing; US Consumer Credit Scores Slide; EV Battery Recycling Firm Raises $700 Million; Gucci Faces Management Shakeup
1. Only 1% of US Homes Changed Hands This Year
According to a Redfin report, only 14 out of every 1,000 US homes changed hands in the first half of this year, marking the lowest turnover rate in a decade.
The report notes that California had the fewest listings nationwide, with only 0.6% of homes in San Jose changing owners this year, compared to a 30% turnover rate between 2019 and 2023.
Newark, New Jersey, had the highest turnover rate at 2.4%, followed by Nashville and Austin.
Redfin’s survey covered the 50 largest US metropolitan areas by population.
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2. Boyu Capital Acquires Medical Device Company
Sources revealed that private equity firm Boyu Capital agreed to acquire Hong Kong-based medical device maker Quasar for over $600 million.
Bloomberg reported last year that Quasar’s shareholder, Longreach Group, began considering a sale after attracting interest from competitors and private equity firms, with initial expectations of $300 million to $400 million.
Quasar operates six factories worldwide and employs over 3,000 people. Parent company Longreach focuses on acquiring medium to large companies in Japan and Greater China.
Longreach acquired Quasar in 2019 and has since driven both organic and inorganic growth.
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3. Morgan Stanley Trading Unit Drags Earnings
Morgan Stanley reported today that its trading division revenue fell 22% year-over-year in Q2, though record net income from wealth management helped offset the decline.
Earlier this year, the company laid off more than 3,000 employees, incurring $308 million in severance costs, contributing to a 13% drop in net income to $2.18 billion.
CEO James Gorman said during an analyst call that while Q2 began with challenges, business rebounded strongly by the end of the quarter.
Morgan Stanley indicated that the trough in trading and investment banking may now be behind it.
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4. Microsoft Unveils AI Tool Pricing
Today, Microsoft announced that its new corporate AI tool, Microsoft 365 Copilot, will cost $30 per user per month.
Copilot currently has over 600 corporate customers, including General Motors and Goodyear. The software is based on OpenAI technology and integrates with Office products.
CFO Amy Hood said the new AI product could become Microsoft’s fastest-ever to reach $10 billion in sales.
Microsoft shares rose more than 5% today, buoyed by the strong pricing of its AI tools.
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5. US Consumer Credit Scores Slide
Synchrony Financial, the largest US store credit card issuer, said that many consumers’ credit scores, boosted during the pandemic by government aid and student loan forbearance, have now begun sliding back to normal levels. Many consumers have fallen from 690 back to 620.
Synchrony’s biggest partners include Amazon and Lowe’s. In Q2, the company’s net income fell 29% to $569 million as it set aside more reserves for bad loans.
CFO Brian Wenzel noted that Synchrony has started closing inactive accounts and lowering credit limits for a small portion of customers.
Many consumers’ credit scores, artificially elevated during the pandemic, are now reverting to historical norms.
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6. EV Battery Recycling Firm Raises $700 Million
Redwood Materials, the battery recycling startup founded by Tesla co-founder Jeffrey Brian Straubel, is reportedly raising $700 million at a $5 billion valuation.
Straubel plans to use the funds to build Nevada’s first battery recycling plant. Founded in 2017, Redwood aims to reduce the time and cost of battery production by recycling materials and reshaping the supply chain.
Investors include T. Rowe Price, Baillie Gifford, and Fidelity, with most existing shareholders participating in the new round.
Earlier this year, Redwood also secured a $2 billion loan from the US Department of Energy.
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7. Gucci Faces Management Shakeup
In recent years, French luxury giant Kering’s flagship brand Gucci has underperformed rivals LVMH and Hermès.
In response, Kering Chairman and CEO François-Henri Pinault announced a sweeping overhaul of Gucci’s leadership.
In September, Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri will be replaced by Jean-François Palus, Pinault’s trusted deputy.
Francesca Bellettini, credited with YSL’s rapid growth since 2013, will become deputy CEO of Kering overseeing brand development.
Kering’s valuation multiple lags far behind LVMH and Hermès, with analysts citing its heavy reliance on Gucci, which accounts for half of group revenue.
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This content is sourced from Financial Times, Bloomberg, and The Real Deal, among other financial news outlets.