Amazon expands AWS to game developers and Twitch

Amazon.com Inc. introduced a new service for game developers on Tuesday that will integrate with its cloud-based Amazon Web Services network and its video game streaming service Twitch. The 3D gaming platform, called Amazon Lumberyard, is a free engine that lets game developers build high-quality games, and store them on the AWS cloud to be shared with fans on Twitch. The company also announced GameLift on Tuesday, which allows operators of session-based multiplayer games, such as esports, to scale capacity up or down in real-time based on demand. GameLift costs $1.50 per 1,000 daily active users, plus the standard fee for AWS. The move comes as Amazon continues to expand the uses cases for AWS and grow its client base. AWS revenue jumped more than 69% to $2.4 billion year-over-year in Amazon’s most recent quarter, giving it a 7% share of total sales. Shares of Amazon fell 1.4% in premarket trade, putting them on track to open around $481.42. They’ve declined 25% over the last three months, underperforming a 10% decrease for the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

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Viacom reports soft Q1 profit, revenue while adapting to media landscape

Viacom Inc. said Tuesday net earnings fell to $449 million, or $1.13 per share during its fiscal first quarter, compared with $500 million or $1.20 per share during the same period a year ago. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $1.18, in-line with the FactSet consensus. Revenue for the quarter dropped to $3.15 billion in revenue, compared with $3.34 billion in the year-earlier period. Revenue came in below the FactSet consensus of $3.26 billion. Viacom Chief Executive, and newly named Executive Chairman Philippe Dauman said 2015 was challenging operationally as the company tried redesigning itself to adapt and compete in the shifting media landscape. Revenue for Viacom’s media networks fell 3%, while its film studio saw a 15% decline, which the company said was due to tough comparisons. Domestic advertising revenue saw a 4% drop and internationally, ad revenue fell 2% because of the effect of foreign exchange, the company said. Shares of Viacom were inactive in pre-market trade.

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Update: Coca-Cola revenue and profit top estimates

The Coca-Cola Co. said Tuesday it had net income of $1.23 billion, or 28 cents a share, in the fourth quarter, up from $770 million, or 17 cents a share, in the year-earlier period. Adjusted per-share earnings came to 38 cents, excluding noncash charges releated to refranchising in North America and restructuring costs. Revenue fell to $10.0 billion from $10.9 billion. The FactSet consensus was for EPS of 37 cents and revenue of $9.9 billion. Chief Executive Muhtar Kent said the company is planning to accelerate the pace of a streamlining program with plans to refranchise 100% of its company-owned North American bottling territories by the end of 2017. It has also agreed to refranchise its Chinese bottling operations. “Expanding Coca-Cola bottlers in various regions will grow in terms of revenue, employment and reach as we transition company-owned operations to the franchise system,” he said. “The Coca-Cola Company will return to its focus as a higher margin, higher return and less capital intensive operation. With the accelerated refranchising plans announced today, we will move from a system where about 18% of our volume was produced by company-owned bottlers in 2015 to about 3%.” Shares were slightly lower premarket, but are up 3.4% in the last 12 months, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 9.6%.

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CVS profit, sales rise in line with expectations

CVS Health Corp. reported Tuesday fourth-quarter earnings that rose to $1.5 billion, or $1.34 a share, from $1.32 billion, or $1.14 a share, in the same period a year ago. Excluding non-recurring items, such as one-time charges for transaction and legal costs, earnings per share came to $1.53, matching the FactSet consensus. Revenue increased to $41.15 billion from $37.06 billion, compared with the FactSet consensus of $41.1 billion, with pharmacy services revenue rising 11% to $26.5 billion and retail revenue climbing 13% to $19.9 billion. The drugstore chain affirmed its 2016 adjusted EPS outlook of $5.73 to $5.88, which surrounds the FactSet consensus of $5.82. “We grew our core business with the acquisition of Target’s pharmacies and clinics and expanded our reach with the acquisition of Omnicare, the leader in long-term care pharmacy,” said Chief Executive Larry Merlo. The stock, which slipped 0.7% in premarket trade, has lost 8.5% over the past three months, while the S&P 500 has declined 11%.

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German head-on train crash leaves several dead

Two passenger trains have crashed head-on in Germany, leaving several dead and hundreds injured, media reports said. One train was derailed in the early-morning collision Tuesday near Bad Aibling, a town about 40 miles south east of Munich in Bavaria, with many carriages overturned, the reports said. At least eight people have been killed, according to a police spokesman cited by British newspaper The Telegraph, but the number of deaths and casualties has not been confirmed. In a post to Twitter, local police said, “So far there are around 100 injured, including the seriously injured or even dead.”

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Stock futures pare losses as oil rises, dollar routed

U.S. stock futures pared losses in early trading on Tuesday as oil prices rose. From a triple-digit loss, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were last down 31 points to 15,959, while S&P 500 futures dropped 3 points to 1,848.75. Nasdaq 100 futures fell 1 point to 3,962.50. In Monday’s session, U.S. stocks trimmed steep losses, but still finished broadly lower with the S&P 500 finishing at its lowest level since April 2014, at 1,853.44. Oil prices rose 72 cents, or 2.5%, to $30.41 on Tuesday, lifted some as the U.S. dollar fell sharply against the yen. Investors were seeking the perceived safe haven of the Japanese currency amid a global market rout, spurred by growth concerns. The Nikkei 225 index closed down 5.4% on Tuesday.

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Stock futures tumble as oil rises, dollar routed

U.S. stock futures fell in early trade on Tuesday, pointing to continued losses for Wall Street. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slid 124 points, or 0.8%, to 15,866, while S&P 500 futures dropped 14.75 points, or 0.8%, to 1,837.50. Nasdaq 100 futures fell 29 points, or 0.7%, to 3,936.25. In Monday’s session, U.S. stocks trimmed steep losses, but still finished broadly lower with the S&P 500 finishing at its lowest level since April 2014, at 1,853.44. Oil prices rose Tuesday, lifted some as the U.S. dollar fell sharply against the yen. Investors were seeking the perceived safe haven of the Japanese currency amid a global market rout, spurred by growth concerns. The Nikkei 225 index closed down 5.4% on Tuesday.

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