*By Michael Teich* President Trump's tough talk on trade at the start of the Group of Seven summit was not enough to dampen markets, said Daniel Ives, the chief strategy officer and head of technology research at GBH Insights. Major stock indexes closed on a high note Friday, locking in gains for the week. Equities edged up despite trade tensions stoked by Trump's comments before arriving in Quebec for the G-7 that he would "deal with the unfair trade practices." "Tariffs have been a black cloud, but it's becoming background noise," Ives said Friday in an interview with Cheddar. He said he sees potential for mergers and acquisitions in the big data and consumer industries after Microsoft's $7.5 billion purchase of GitHub, which he described as a "no-brainer." Microsoft, Netflix, and Google are all in positions of strength to make acquisitions, Ives said.

Share:
More In Business
Disney content has gone dark on YouTube TV: What you need to know
Disney content has gone dark on YouTube TV, leaving subscribers of the Google-owned live streaming platform without access to major networks like ESPN and ABC. That’s because the companies have failed to reach a new licensing deal to keep Disney channels on YouTube TV. Depending on how long it lasts, the dispute could particularly impact coverage of U.S. college football matchups over the weekend — on top of other news and entertainment disruptions that have already arrived. In the meantime, YouTube TV subscribers who want to watch Disney channels could have little choice other than turning to the company’s own platforms, which come with their own price tags.
Universal Music and AI song generator Udio partner on new AI platform
Universal Music Group and AI platform Udio have settled a copyright lawsuit and will collaborate on a new music creation and streaming platform. The companies announced on Wednesday that they reached a compensatory legal settlement and new licensing agreements. These agreements aim to provide more revenue opportunities for Universal's artists and songwriters. The rise of AI song generation tools like Udio has disrupted the music streaming industry, leading to accusations from record labels. This deal marks the first since Universal and others sued Udio and Suno last year. Financial terms of the settlement weren't disclosed.
Load More