Microsoft's AI Cloud Is Minting Money, Even as Xbox Keeps Slipping
A record year for Azure and a $3.2 billion windfall on its Anthropic stake carried Microsoft past $90 billion in quarterly sales, while the games and Windows businesses stalled.
Business Bagel News
Daily news from the Business Bagel desk — the markets, money and company stories shaping South Africa, reported fast and kept clear.
BMW Is Cutting Thousands of Jobs as the Good Times Fade
A deal with its own workers will shrink the German carmaker by a reported 8,000 people, after quarterly profit tumbled and Chinese sales slid.
Woolworths' New Boss Has Inherited an Old Problem
A solid year on paper hides a second half knocked off course by the Middle East war and rising interest rates, just as a new chief executive settles into the job.
South Africa Wants to Know Why It's So Hard to Buy Into a Franchise
The Competition Commission has opened a sweeping inquiry into the R1-trillion sector behind KFC, Spar and Pick n Pay, asking whether the deck is stacked against the small players trying to get in.
A World Cup gave Coca-Cola its best quarter in years
Coca-Cola beat expectations and raised its full-year outlook, crediting a global World Cup marketing blitz for a jump in demand.
PayPal to its lurking suitor: not at that price
After beating earnings, PayPal signalled a $53.4 billion takeover bid from Stripe and Advent undervalues it, without ruling a deal out.
South Africa's gas-import plan hangs on one overdue call
A banker says naming the winners of the country's first gas-power auction is the decision that will make or break its plan to import natural gas.
Editor’s pick
DStv's best month in a decade — and a payday for switching Showmax off
MultiChoice's first results under Canal+ show new subscribers flooding back, plus an accounting twist that turned a shutdown into a gain.
One roof for your GP, your scan and your surgery
Growthpoint has opened a R100 million healthcare village in Rosebank, the first of a planned rollout across South Africa and beyond.
Boxer keeps building as cheaper food slows its sales
Falling prices for maize meal, rice and flour cooled Boxer's sales growth, but the discount grocer is still opening stores at pace.
Harmony borrows big to go chasing copper
South Africa's largest gold miner has raised more than R20 billion to refinance debt and bankroll its growing copper business in Australia.
Big story
The day the AI rally lost its nerve
A worldwide sell-off in chip stocks dragged global markets to a one-month low on Tuesday, and the JSE didn't escape.