logo
Moderna's Loss Narrows After Cost-Cutting Efforts Take Hold

Moderna's Loss Narrows After Cost-Cutting Efforts Take Hold

Bloomberg01-08-2025
By
Updated on
Save
Moderna Inc. 's second-quarter loss was narrower than Wall Street expected as the struggling biotech company cuts costs to offset waning sales of its Covid shot.
The net loss shrank to $2.13 a share, compared with a loss of $3.33 a year ago.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Starbucks To Change How Long It Takes To Make Your Drink
Starbucks To Change How Long It Takes To Make Your Drink

Newsweek

time2 hours ago

  • Newsweek

Starbucks To Change How Long It Takes To Make Your Drink

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Starbucks has set a new goal for how long it should take for drinks to be made, seeking to have ordered beverages in customers' hands in four minutes. Why It Matters Starbucks is the largest coffee chain in the world and has stores on every continent barring Antarctica. There are more than 40,000 Starbucks stores worldwide, according to Statista. Despite its ubiquity, the chain has faced struggles on various fronts since the COVID-19 pandemic and a series of worker strikes. After a difficult 2024, the brand decided to close several locations in the United States. In February, the company announced a restructuring initiative that included the elimination of 1,100 corporate roles. In July, Starbucks reported its sixth straight quarterly drop in U.S. same-store sales. The Starbucks logo is displayed outside one of its coffee shops in San Diego on August 2. The Starbucks logo is displayed outside one of its coffee shops in San Diego on August To Know Led by CEO Brian Niccol, the coffee chain seeks to speed up service under a new operating model called "Green Apron Service." The model outlines a goal for baristas, saying no custom order should take longer than four minutes to make. In response to a request for comment, Starbucks directed Newsweek to a news release that said in part, "In just eight weeks of piloting Green Apron Service in 1,500 stores, we've seen faster service, stronger customer connections, and more engaged partners. This isn't just a new way of working—it's a return to what makes Starbucks special: human connection." Niccol took the reins of the coffee chain in September and has since been trying to revamp the company. He was previously the CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. and has held key positions at Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. In a September news release, Niccol said: "Today, I'm making a commitment: We're getting back to Starbucks. We're refocusing on what has always set Starbucks apart—a welcoming coffeehouse where people gather, and where we serve the finest coffee, handcrafted by our skilled baristas. This is our enduring identity. We will innovate from here." The chain has since introduced a new dress code, reduced the menu in the hope of improving customer service, and issued new orders for corporate staff—including ordering remote staff to relocate to Seattle or Toronto and instructing corporate employees to be in the office a minimum of four days a week. What People Are Saying A Starbucks news release about the initiative said: "It's all about making every visit feel personal, whether it's a friendly smile, remembering your name, or making your day just a little bit better. We're giving our partners the time, tools, and support to hone their craft and connect with customers." What Happens Next The Green Apron Service initiative has been rolled out across stores this week and is set to be implemented at all Starbucks locations.

Qantas ordered to pay record fine over COVID-19 layoffs
Qantas ordered to pay record fine over COVID-19 layoffs

UPI

time3 hours ago

  • UPI

Qantas ordered to pay record fine over COVID-19 layoffs

Qantas has been ordered to a nearly $60 million fine over mass layoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic. File Photo by Brent Winstone/EPA-EFE Aug. 18 (UPI) -- An Australian court on Monday fined national flag carrier Qantas nearly $60 million for illegally firing more than 1,800 ground workers and then outsourcing their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Australia's Transport Workers Union said in a statement that it was the largest employer penalty in Australian corporate history. "Against all odds, TWU members have sent a $90 million warning to corporate Australia: you can't break the law and get away with it," the union said, referring to the amount Qantas was fined in Australian dollars. Federal Court Justice Michael Lee said a little more than half of the penalty should be paid to the TWU, while the recipients of the remaining sum will be decided at a later hearing, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. Lee said that while Qantas has expressed "genuine regrets" about the situation, he believes that "this more likely reflects the damage this case has done at the company rather than unique remorse for the damage done to the affected workers." He said that the airline "resisted until it could resist no more." Qantas said the Monday judgement holds the company "accountable for our actions." "We sincerely apologize to each and every one of the 1,820 ground handling employees and to their families who suffered as a result," Qantas Group Chief Executive Officer Vanessa Hudson said in a statement. "The decision to outsource five years ago, particularly during such an uncertain time, caused genuine hardship for many of our former team and their families. The impact was felt not only by those who lost their jobs, but our entire workforce." The ruling brings an end to a five-year fight by the TWU over Qantas's firing of some 1,800 workers and then outsourcing their jobs in 2020. Qantas appealed through the Australian court system, with the High Court affirming that the airline had acted illegally by outsourcing the employment. The Monday fine is on top of the roughly $78 million that Qantas agreed to pay eligible workers in December, after its failed bid arguing that it should not have to offer workers compensation. "Qantas was not sorry to workers when it illegally outsourced these workers, many finding out they'd lost their jobs over loudspeaker in the lunch room. It was not sorry when it dragged them all the way to the High Court, or when it argued it should have to pay them no compensation at all," TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine said in a statement. "Qantas is only sorrow now that it has to pay the larges penalty fine of any employer in Australian corporate history." The announcement comes about 14 months after Qantas reached a settlement with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to pay a multi-million-dollar fine for booking flights that had previously been canceled.

Qantas to pay record fine of $58 million for pandemic sackings criticized by judge
Qantas to pay record fine of $58 million for pandemic sackings criticized by judge

CNBC

time4 hours ago

  • CNBC

Qantas to pay record fine of $58 million for pandemic sackings criticized by judge

A court ordered Australia's largest airline, Qantas Airways, on Monday to pay a record fine of A$90 million ($58.64 million) for illegally sacking 1,800 ground staff during the COVID-19 pandemic and criticized it for a lack of contrition. In imposing the penalty, the largest ordered by a court on a company in the history of Australia's labor laws, Federal Court Judge Michael Lee also inveighed against the airline's litigation strategy. While Qantas made changes to its board and management team, Lee said subsequent expressions of regret seemed more aligned with "the damage" the case had done to the company than remorse for the harm caused to workers. "I accept Qantas is sorry, but I am unconvinced that this measure of regret is not, at least in significant measure ... the wrong kind of sorry," he added. Lee said the size of the penalty, about 75% of the maximum he could have set, was important to ensure it "could not be perceived as anything like the cost of doing business". He said A$50 million of the fine would be paid to the Transport Workers' Union, which brought the case against Qantas. After the decision, Michael Kaine, the national secretary of the TWU, said, "Against all the odds, we took on a behemoth ... that had shown itself to be ruthless, and we won." Monday's decision follows a December agreement on a compensation fund of A$120 million struck by the airline and the sacked workers. During the pandemic in 2020, Qantas' senior management decided to lay off 1,820 ground staff and shift their work to contractors. Qantas said it was a commercial decision, but the Federal Court in 2021 held the move to be "adverse action", preventing staff from exercising their workplace rights and unionising, in breach of Australia's Fair Work Act. Assessing Qantas' actions, Lee said he was unconvinced it was truly contrite and criticized its culture, public relations approach and litigation strategy. For example, he said Qantas had announced it would appeal to the High Court against the 2021 court decision "without any time passing", to consider the 431-paragraph judgment. When its appeal failed, Qantas issued a statement "spinning" the outcome, however, and overlooking findings on its unlawful conduct, he added. He also criticized Qantas' conduct during litigation, such as opting to keep out of the witness box, Vanessa Hudson, its current chief executive and former chief financial officer. "It is one thing for the 'Qantas News Room' to issue press releases by a CEO saying sorry; it is quite another for written assertions of contrition, recognition of wrong and cultural change to be tested in a courtroom," Lee said. The penalty was the largest ever ordered by a court for violations of Australia's labor laws, said Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, which represented TWU. "This record-breaking penalty reflects the monumental scale of Qantas' wrongdoing," the firm's principal, Josh Bornstein, said in a statement. The fine also reflected the unprecedented finding of adverse action against so many workers, said Shae McCrystal, a labor law professor at the University of Sydney. "Adverse action cases are risky," she said. "It signals a message to employers that if they break the law, then trade unions may receive those penalties in order to assist them in enforcing the act." Qantas said it would pay the fine as ordered. "We sincerely apologise to each and every one of the 1,820 ground handling employees and to their families," Chief Executive Vanessa Hudson said in a statement. Qantas shares were down 0.4% at A$11.58 in early trading.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store