Investment

Accenture looks to power AI efforts with $3 billion investment

Published

1 year ago

June 13, 2023

June 13 (Reuters) – Accenture said on Tuesday it will invest $3 billion over three years into its data and AI practice, doubling the number of employees that are working with the cutting-edge technology at the IT consulting firm.

The company, which consults and services various clients on generative AI projects, said it will have 80,000 people working on AI as it hires, buys other companies and trains more employees.

Accenture did not say by when it would hit that number, but added that the investment was aimed to help companies across 19 industries.

The firm’s move underscores a rush among companies to burnish their offerings with generative AI – technology that the likes of Microsoft (MSFT.O) and Alphabet (GOOGL.O) say will change the way many jobs are done.

On Monday, Salesforce (CRM.N) doubled its venture capital fund for generative AI startups to $500 million and unveiled an AI Cloud service that hopes to attract enterprises by offering its AI-powered products under one umbrella.

Accenture’s investment in AI follows layoffs in March, when it decided to let go of about 19,000 jobs in the face of a downturn caused by high inflation and rising interest rates.

It also launched a tool called the “AI Navigator for Enterprise”, that it said would help guide businesses on how they can best use the technology.

Reporting by Tiyashi Datta in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Source link

Investment

S&P/TSX composite up more than 100 points, U.S. stock markets mixed

Published

3 weeks ago

October 16, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 100 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in base metal and utility stocks, while U.S. stock markets were mixed.

The S&P/TSX composite index was up 103.40 points at 24,542.48.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 192.31 points at 42,932.73. The S&P 500 index was up 7.14 points at 5,822.40, while the Nasdaq composite was down 9.03 points at 18,306.56.

The Canadian dollar traded for 72.61 cents US compared with 72.44 cents US on Tuesday.

The November crude oil contract was down 71 cents at US$69.87 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was down eight cents at US$2.42 per mmBTU.

The December gold contract was up US$7.20 at US$2,686.10 an ounce and the December copper contract was up a penny at US$4.35 a pound.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD)

Source link

Economy

S&P/TSX up more than 200 points, U.S. markets also higher

Published

4 weeks ago

October 11, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 200 points in late-morning trading, while U.S. stock markets were also headed higher.

The S&P/TSX composite index was up 205.86 points at 24,508.12.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 336.62 points at 42,790.74. The S&P 500 index was up 34.19 points at 5,814.24, while the Nasdaq composite was up 60.27 points at 18.342.32.

The Canadian dollar traded for 72.61 cents US compared with 72.71 cents US on Thursday.

The November crude oil contract was down 15 cents at US$75.70 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was down two cents at US$2.65 per mmBTU.

The December gold contract was down US$29.60 at US$2,668.90 an ounce and the December copper contract was up four cents at US$4.47 a pound.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD)

Source link

Economy

S&P/TSX composite little changed in late-morning trading, U.S. stock markets down

Published

4 weeks ago

October 10, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was little changed in late-morning trading as the financial sector fell, but energy and base metal stocks moved higher.

The S&P/TSX composite index was up 0.05 of a point at 24,224.95.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 94.31 points at 42,417.69. The S&P 500 index was down 10.91 points at 5,781.13, while the Nasdaq composite was down 29.59 points at 18,262.03.

The Canadian dollar traded for 72.71 cents US compared with 73.05 cents US on Wednesday.

The November crude oil contract was up US$1.69 at US$74.93 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was up a penny at US$2.67 per mmBTU.

The December gold contract was up US$14.70 at US$2,640.70 an ounce and the December copper contract was up two cents at US$4.42 a pound.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 10, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD)

Source link