VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) (FCHA.MI) (FCAU.N) began meeting U.S. investors on Friday after launching a $2.5 billion convertible bond issue and a share sale to reduce its debt pile and fund an ambitious investment plan.

Stock-picking fund managers are testing their investors’ patience with some of the worst investment returns in decades. With bad bets on financial shares, missed opportunities in technology stocks and too much cash on the sidelines, roughly 85 percent of active large-cap stock funds have lagged their benchmark indexes through Nov. 25 this year, according to an analysis by Lipper, a Thomson Reuters research unit. It is likely their worst comparative showing in 30 years, Lipper said.

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's (BABA.N) first full quarterly report card to Wall Street investors on Tuesday will be scrutinized by the hopeful seeking validation for lofty stock price targets and studied by the few skeptics searching for inauspicious signs.

Hedge fund manager Jim Chanos, the prominent short-seller, said Tuesday he has lightened up on some of his bets against Brazil, saying most of the country's downside risk is priced in after the sharp selloff over the past two months.

Twitter Inc posted a disappointing 7 percent slide in a closely watched measure of engagement even though its user base grew 23 percent in the third quarter, triggering a more than 9 percent decline in its stock on Monday.

Cable television network TLC on Friday said it has canceled "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo," the popular cable reality series, about a rural Georgia family and their precocious beauty pageant daughter.

Ten years ago, Walt Disney Co, having fended off a hostile bid from Comcast, had to make a case why it was better off as an independent company.

Billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn said Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) shares could double in value and urged the company's board to buy back more shares using its $133 billion cash pile.

Facebook Inc (FB.O) closed its acquisition of mobile messaging service WhatsApp on Monday, with the final price tag rising an additional $3 billion to roughly $22 billion because of the increased value of Facebook's stock in recent months.

Tesla Motors Inc (TSLA.O) was one of the biggest movers of Thursday's premarket session, after the company's chief executive hinted at a new product that would be unveiled next week.

Nike Inc's (NKE.N) shares rose as much as 11 percent to a record high after the world's largest sportswear maker reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit, prompting at least 13 brokerages to raise their price targets on its stock.

By providing capital during the 2008 crisis, Berkshire Hathaway now reaps the profits in terms of Goldman Sachs stock.

Zynga's stock valuation lost US$400 million.

Apple bought back three times more share than expected.

Facebook shares rose as the company continues to see strong mobile ads earnings.