Stocks With Big Dividends Aren't the Answer Anymore. Here's What Is. — Barrons.com

(Updates with Microsoft's response in the fourth and fifth paragraphs.)

Microsoft will reduce its headcount across all levels, teams and geographies by 3%, CNBC reported Tuesday.

The layoffs are not performance related and are aimed at reducing layers of management, the report quoted a company spokesperson as saying.

The company had a global workforce of 228,000 employees as of last June, the report said.

A Microsoft spokesperson told MT Newswires that the company is cutting certain jobs to minimize redundancy by streamlining processes, procedures and roles.

"Even in the best of times, we have regularly adjusted our workforce to meet the strategic demands of the business," the spokesperson said.

By Tae Kim

Microsoft will reduce its workforce by less than 3%, equaling thousands of job cuts across the company.

"We continue to implement organizational changes necessary to best position the company for success in a dynamic marketplace," a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement to Barron's.

In midday trading Tuesday, Microsoft shares fell by 0.4%.

Even during strong economic times the company regularly makes changes to its workforce, Microsoft said. The layoffs will be focused on reducing management layers to enable faster decision making.

The company had employed 228,000 people as of as of June 30, 2024, according to Microsoft's last annual filing. A 3% cut would equate to thousand of jobs cuts. Microsoft's last large layoff was 10,000 job cuts in January 2023.

Microsoft was one of the biggest winners of the technology earnings season. Earlier this month, the company reported strong earnings results and cited robust customer demand for AI services. Management said it would remain supply-constrained for serving AI cloud demand beyond June, which is longer than management expected.

Write to Tae Kim at tae.kim@barrons.com

This content was created by Barron's, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. Barron's is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

The S&P 500 Index and the Nasdaq Composite were up, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down in late-morning trading Tuesday after April inflation data came in below expectations earlier in the day.

The US seasonally adjusted consumer price index rebounded by 0.2% in April after a 0.1% decline in March, below expectations for a 0.3% increase in a survey compiled by Bloomberg as of 7:40 a.m. ET, according to data released Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy prices, also rose by 0.2%, below the consensus estimate for 0.3% gain.

UnitedHealth Group suspended its full-year outlook Tuesday amid higher-than-expected medical costs, while the health insurer said Andrew Witty has stepped down as chief executive due to "personal reasons." UnitedHealth shares were down 15.5% near noon.

Microsoft will cut its headcount across all levels, teams and geographies by 3%, CNBC reported Tuesday. The layoffs are not performance-related and are aimed at reducing layers of management, the report said, citing a company spokesperson. Microsoft shares were down 0.3%.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Saudi Arabia has committed to invest $600 billion in the US with an initial focus on energy, defense, technology, global infrastructure and critical minerals. Alphabet's Google, DataVolt, Oracle , Salesforce and Uber Technologies are pledging to invest $80 billion in technologies in both countries, according to a White House press release. DataVolt is moving forward with plans to invest $20 billion in AI data centers and energy infrastructure in the US, while Hill International, Jacobs Solutions , Parsons and AECOM are building King Salman International Airport, King Salman Park, The Vault, Qiddiya City and other infrastructure projects totaling $2 billion in US services exports, the White House said.

Separately, Nvidia said Tuesday it has formed a strategic partnership with HUMAIN, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, to build AI factories in the country over a five-year period with a projected capacity of up to 500 megawatts. Shares of Alphabet, Oracle, Salesforce and Uber were up 1.1%, 3.1%, 1.2% and 3.5%, respectively. Shares of Jacobs, Parsons and AECOM were flat, up 0.3% and up 1.2%, respectively. Nvidia shares were up 5.7%.

McDonald's and its franchisees expect to hire up to 375,000 workers this summer nationwide, the company said Monday. McDonald's shares were down 0.4%.

Coinbase will replace Discover Financial Services (DFS) on the S&P 500, effective before market open May 19, S&P Global (SPGI) division S&P Dow Jones said late Monday. Coinbase shares were up 19.5%.

The Chinese government has removed a ban on its airlines taking deliveries of Boeing aircraft after the US and China agreed to suspend most tariffs on each other's goods for 90 days, Bloomberg reported Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Boeing shares were up 3.1%.

Toyota Motor said Tuesday its updated 2026 bZ electric SUV will offer up to 314 miles of range on select trims and adopt North America's standardized fast-charging system. Toyota shares were up 0.5%.

Honda Motor reported fiscal Q4 operating profit Tuesday of 73.5 billion Japanese yen ($496.35 million), down from 305.5 billion yen a year earlier. Fiscal Q4 revenue was 5.360 trillion yen, down from 5.429 trillion yen a year ago but above the FactSet analyst consensus estimate of 5.322 trillion yen. The company expects revenue of 20.600 trillion yen in fiscal 2026, below the FactSet consensus of 21.957 trillion yen. The company said it is postponing its plan to invest about 15 billion Canadian dollars ($10.73 billion) to build an EV value chain in Canada by about two years, citing a slowdown in EV demand. Honda shares were down 4.7%.

Amazon.com and FedEx have agreed to support residential deliveries for large packages, multiple media outlets reported Monday, citing company statements and internal documents. FedEx will operate as one of Amazon's external delivery providers, alongside United Parcel Service and the US Postal Service, the reports said. Amazon shares were up 2.6%, while those of FedEx and UPS were down 0.1% and 1.3%, respectively.

Institutional Shareholder Services recommended that Phillips 66 shareholders support the four board nominees backed by Elliott Investment Management. Phillips 66 said it "strongly" disagrees with the recommendation. Phillips 66 shares were up 5.5%.

Apple's Apple Music unit and Universal Music Group said Tuesday they have entered into a partnership to launch wellness-focused audio collection called Sound Therapy.

The project is part of UMG's Sollos initiative, which combines music with science to explore its benefits for health and wellbeing, the companies said.

Sound Therapy is exclusive to Apple Music and uses sound waves and auditory techniques like gamma, theta, and delta beats to help listeners concentrate, relax, or sleep better, they added.

Behind the FDA's AI Push: A Growing Class of Public Healthcare Innovators

Canada NewsWire

VANCOUVER, BC, May 13, 2025

USA News Group News Commentary

Issued on behalf of Avant Technologies Inc.

VANCOUVER, BC, May 13, 2025 /CNW/ — USA News Group News Commentary — In a clear sign of growing confidence in artificial intelligence (AI) for healthcare, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has now fully adopted internal AI use, following the successful trial of a generative AI tool designed to streamline scientific review. The system, which helps FDA experts reduce time spent on repetitive tasks, marks a pivotal shift toward automation within regulatory processes. Analysts say this shift further confirms AI's growing role in the future of medicine, with MarketsandMarkets projecting the AI healthcare sector to climb at a 38.6% CAGR, reaching over US$110.61 billion by 2030. As the FDA leans into AI for its own operations, attention is turning to public companies advancing their own healthcare AI platforms--among them Avant Technologies, Inc. , RadNet, Inc. , iCad, Inc. , Microsoft Corporation , and HEALWELL AI Inc. .

Major funding continues to pour into the AI healthcare sector, highlighted by Persivia's recent $107 million raise to scale its AI-powered platform. Looking ahead, analysts project that by 2035, artificial intelligence could inject an additional $461 billion into a global healthcare system already set to exceed $2.26 trillion.

Avant Technologies, Inc. is deepening its footprint in AI-driven healthcare through a proposed acquisition of its joint venture partner Ainnova Tech. The two companies, already working together under Ai-nova Acquisition Corp. (AAC), have entered formal negotiations to merge into a single entity ahead of their scheduled FDA pre-submission meeting this July. The move is expected to streamline regulatory coordination, simplify clinical trial execution, and enhance commercial alignment as they prepare for U.S. market entry.

"We believe bringing the two companies together will offer tremendous value for shareholders," said Vinicio Vargas, CEO at Ainnova and a member of the Board of Directors of Ai-nova Acquisition Corp. "It will simplify the process of advancing our technology to market, and it will deliver value to our customers and partners as we promote our technology portfolio globally."

Operating through AAC, the companies hold global rights to Vision AI, a non-invasive clinical screening platform that integrates retinal imaging, vital sign capture, and proprietary algorithms to detect early signs of diabetic retinopathy, cardiovascular disease, liver fibrosis, kidney disease, and type 2 diabetes. According to NIH-cited research, AI tools like Vision AI have demonstrated over 90% sensitivity in detecting conditions before symptoms emerge.

"This milestone reflects our two-tiered strategy, rapid deployment in low-regulation markets where Vision AI operates as a screening tool, and simultaneous progress toward FDA clearance for the U.S. market," said Vargas. "Entering the U.S. will unlock significant commercial potential, and early engagement with regulators ensures we do so with speed, credibility, and a validated product."

While many early-stage healthcare AI companies remain pre-commercial, Vision AI is already active in pilot programs across Latin America, including Chile, Mexico, and Brazil. These deployments are generating real-world data and validating the platform in everyday clinical settings.

To support the next phase of growth, AAC recently integrated four new diagnostic algorithms trained on more than 2.3 million clinical cases, boosting the platform's utility across a broader range of chronic conditions. With momentum building across regulatory, commercial, and clinical fronts, Avant appears well-positioned for the next leg of its journey.

CONTINUED... Read this and more news for Avant Technologies Inc. https://usanewsgroup.com/2023/10/26/unlocking-the-trillion-dollar-ai-market-what-investors-need-to-know/

RadNet, Inc. and iCad, Inc. have announced a definitive merger agreement, combining two leaders in AI-powered breast cancer detection. The all-stock transaction, valued at approximately $103 million, will bring iCAD's global install base of 1,500+ healthcare providers and its ProFound Breast Health Suite into RadNet's DeepHealth portfolio.

"iCAD's ProFound Breast Health Suite and RadNet's DeepHealth AI-powered breast screening solutions, together, have the power to materially expand and improve patient diagnosis and outcomes on a global basis through further enabling accuracy and early-detection," said Dr. Howard Berger, President and CEO of RadNet. "This business combination is expected to accelerate our global leadership and commitment to AI-powered breast cancer screening, and positions us to further advance population health."

The integration is expected to accelerate innovation in early detection and workflow tools for radiologists, bolstering RadNet's position in AI-driven cancer screening. With regulatory approvals pending, the merger is projected to close by Q3 2025.

"As we join forces with RadNet to create a broad offering of AI-driven solutions, we have the opportunity to redefine how breast cancer and other diseases are detected and treated," said Dana Brown, President and CEO of iCAD. "Together, we will work to expand access to cutting-edge tools, accelerate innovation and advance our product roadmaps, empowering radiologists with more precise, efficient and scalable solutions that should ultimately improve patient care and outcomes."

As iCAD moves forward with RadNet, it is also deepening its standalone capabilities through a new collaboration with Microsoft Corporation , as the ProFound Breast Health Suite will now be available through Microsoft's Precision Imaging Network, integrated directly with PowerScribe--used by most U.S. radiologists for AI-driven reporting. This partnership brings iCAD's AI-powered mammography solutions to over 17,000 healthcare facilities, enabling real-time insights, streamlined workflows, and broader access to early breast cancer detection.

"With the integration of iCAD's ProFound suite of breast health offerings with our Precision Imaging Network and PowerScribe solutions, we will help provide radiologists and patients with more accurate, actionable breast health insights, while streamlining mammography screening workflow, driving clinical and operational value at scale." said Vikram Chhabra, General Manager, Diagnostic Solutions at Microsoft.

A recent Microsoft blog post highlighted how AI is already transforming healthcare by reducing clinician burnout, streamlining diagnostics, and personalizing treatments.

Tools like Dragon Copilot are allowing doctors to spend more time with patients while automating documentation tasks. In imaging, Microsoft's multimodal AI models enable faster, more accurate disease detection and offer new capabilities like conversing with scans using natural language. These advancements, built on platforms like Azure and Microsoft Fabric, are empowering both providers and developers to deliver smarter, data-driven care at scale.

HEALWELL AI Inc. recently acquired Orion Health in a transformative deal that significantly expands its global reach and public sector presence. With Orion's platform supporting over 150 million patient lives across 11 countries, the acquisition strengthens HEALWELL's position in AI-powered healthcare data interoperability.

"The acquisition of Orion Health represents a transformative milestone for the Company, bringing large enterprise customers, recurring revenues, strong operating margins and free cashflow conversion to HEALWELL while providing a significant new channel for the distribution of our best-in-class AI products," said Dr. Alexander Dobranowski, CEO of HEALWELL. "In addition, the acquisition strengthens our position in the public sector, enabling us to deepen our reach with government partners, thanks to Orion Health's strong, long-standing relationships."

The combined entity is now positioned as a global leader in delivering actionable insights through AI, unlocking new revenue streams and accelerating innovation across population health.

Source: https://usanewsgroup.com/2023/10/26/unlocking-the-trillion-dollar-ai-market-what-investors-need-to-know/

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