Acer vs HP

Acer Reports Revenues for August at NT$30.18 Billion and Year-to-August at NT$214.81 Billion; Both Marking 13-Year Highs for the Same Period

Acer reports August revenues at NT$30.18 billion and year-to-August at NT$214.81 billion, both marking 13-year highs. Also expands gaming handheld portfolio with Predator Atlas 7, relaunches Packard Bell, and unveils multiple new products at IFA 2026.

PayPal CEO Lores Aims to Revive Pioneer Following Market Losses

According to a podcast by manager magazin, PayPal is facing a crisis as its stock has lost approximately 80% since its pandemic peak, revenue growth slowed to 3% in the last quarter, and competitors like Apple and Klarna are gaining ground. New CEO Enrique Lores, previously at HP, aims to transform PayPal back into a technology company. The company's challenges are particularly evident in Germany, its 'golden market', where market share is declining. A potential acquisition by Stripe and Advent was recently abandoned, adding to the uncertainty. The podcast discusses whether Lores can successfully lead a turnaround for the payment pioneer.

• PayPal stock has lost about 80% since its pandemic peak.
• Revenue growth slowed to 3% in the last quarter.
• Competitors like Apple and Klarna are gaining market share.

Tariq Hassan Joins Wendy’s as Marketing Chief

Tariq Hassan, who left McDonald’s in January 2025, has joined Wendy’s as chief marketing and customer growth officer, reporting to CEO Bob Wright, the company said on August 24, 2026. An experienced marketer with agency roots including Leo Burnett and senior roles at HP, Bank of America, Petco and most recently McDonald’s, Hassan will deploy a digital-marketing approach he outlined at Cannes Lions. Wright praised Hassan’s ability to combine culture, technology and consumer insight to drive measurable growth and called the hire a step toward returning Wendy’s to profitable growth. The hire is part of a broader effort to boost digital engagement and sales.

• Tariq Hassan joined Wendy’s as chief marketing and customer growth officer, reporting to CEO Bob Wright.
• Hassan stepped down from his role at McDonald’s in January 2025.
• He previously worked on the agency side including Leo Burnett and held senior marketing roles at HP, Bank of America, Petco and McDonald’s.

IBM Says AI Isn’t Killing the Mainframe

IBM reported a disappointing quarter with revenue of $17.2 billion, gross profit of $9.9 billion, and net earnings of $2.2 billion, missing Wall Street expectations. The company warned that its mainframe business fell 42%, which contributed to lowered full-year growth forecasts and a sharp stock decline after leadership pre-announced the results. CEO Arvind Krishna and CFO Jim Kavanaugh said the drop resulted from several customers delaying mainframe purchases amid rising data-center hardware costs driven by an AI infrastructure build-out, but they insist customers will purchase mainframes and associated software later.

• IBM reported $17.2 billion in revenue for the quarter.
• IBM reported $9.9 billion in gross profit and approximately 58% margins for the quarter.
• IBM reported $2.2 billion in net earnings for the quarter.