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By Krystal Hu

Oct 16 - Lightmatter, a Mountain View, California-headquartered startup building photonic tech in datacenter networking chips, said on Wednesday it has raised $400 million in a Series D funding round at a valuation of $4.4 billion.

New investor T. Rowe Price led the funding round, with participation from existing backers including Fidelity and Alphabet's GV.

The latest funding came less than a year since the last raise, bringing total funding since inception to $850 million as the company tries to capitalize on the datacenter boom and need for more efficient infrastructure in the artificial intelligence (AI) race set off by ChatGPT.

Lightmatter said its fresh capital will be used to manufacture and deploy its photonic chips in partner data centers, as well as expanding its 200-person team across the U.S. and Canada.

The funding follows the appointment of former Nvidia executive Simona Jankowski as CFO, and could pave its way for a potential public offering.

“This is probably our last private funding round,” said co-founder and CEO Nick Harris. “We've booked very large deals. And that is the reason that this level of funding is possible. We see a future where most of the high performance computing and AI chips very soon are going to be based on Lightmatter tech."

The company, which develops methods for computer chips to communicate and perform calculations using silicon photonics, said it sees huge demand from cloud providers and AI companies, but declined to name its customers.

While the concept of using light in computing isn't new and offers potential for faster, more energy-efficient processes, creating the necessary components has historically been challenging.

Founded in 2017, Lightmatter says its proprietary technology enables photonics chips to move data, increasing AI cluster bandwidth and performance while reducing power consumption. Its first large clusters are expected to be running next year.

It competes with other companies working on photonics technology, as well as major chipmakers who might have their own internal efforts to develop such tech. Investors in Lightmatter say the startup could benefit from working with players across the industry.

“They're trying to have everyone in their ecosystem. This is a component that can work with probably any chip on the market, We're not trying to lock anyone into any any particular ecosystem. It could work with Nvidia chip or Intel or AMD, or any custom chip," said Erik Nordlander, general partner at GV.

(Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)

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ON MONDAY:

Dallas Fed is likely to report the manufacturing output index for January. The index fell 9.30 in December.

Franklin Templeton is scheduled to report its first-quarter earnings. The asset manager's profit is expected to jump as it cuts costs to soften the impact of a drop in assets under management.

The CEOs of AerCap, Avolon, SMBC and Air Lease, the world's four largest aircraft lessors, are expected to speak alongside executives from Boeing and Airbus on the first day of an annual gathering of financiers who own more than half of the world's fleet of passenger aircraft. Other speakers include treasurers at IAG, American Airlines, United Airlines and Emirates. Reuters will also interview Aengus Kelly, head of the world's number one lessor AerCap.

REST OF THE WEEK:

On Tuesday, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is scheduled to begin its two-day meeting on interest rates. It will announce its rate decision on Wednesday, followed by a statement.

Microsoft is expected to post its highest quarterly revenue growth in nearly two years on strength in productivity software and Windows businesses when it reports its fourth-quarter results on Tuesday. As the first-mover in launching paid AI products to customers, Microsoft's report will set the expectations for the new technology this year.

On the U.S. economic calendar, a closely watched report from the Labor Department, scheduled for release on Friday, is expected to show that nonfarm payrolls for the month of January increased by 173,000 jobs after adding 216,000 jobs in December. Unemployment rate likely rose to 3.8% for January, from 3.7% in December. Average hourly earnings for the month probably gained 0.3%, following a 0.4% rise in the previous month. The JOLTS report scheduled to be published on Tuesday will show job openings likely fell to 8.750 million during the month, from 8.790 million in November. On Thursday, data is likely to show that Initial jobless claims for the week ending January 27 likely slipped to 210,000 from 214,000 in the prior week. Also on Thursday, the Institute of Supply Management's Manufacturing PMI for January is expected to have dropped to 47.3 from 47.4 in the previous month. The S&P Global's final reading of manufacturing PMI for January is also set to be released on Thursday. Additionally on Thursday, the Census Bureau is set to release the construction spending data for December, which is expected to have increased 0.5% after a 0.4% rise in November. On Friday, the Commerce Department will release the December factory orders, which probably grew 0.2%, following a 2.6% gain in November. On the same day, a University of Michigan survey is set to show that the final reading of the U.S. Consumer Sentiment Index for January probably remained unchanged at 78.8. On Tuesday, the Conference Board is expected to show that the consumer confidence index rose to 115.0 in January from 110.7 in December.

Alphabet is likely to report a 12% growth in fourth-quarter revenue on Tuesday due to increasing adoption of artificial intelligence tools and higher spending on its cloud services. Investors are looking for Alphabet's guidance on the growth of its AI services and related monetization efforts.

On Thursday, Meta is expected to report record revenue and lower operating expenses for the October-December quarter. A strong uptick in ad sales during the holiday shopping period and Meta's recent cost-reduction efforts are expected to have boosted the results. On the same day, Amazon is likely to report an 11% jump in fourth-quarter revenue, banking on higher artificial intelligence workloads at its cloud division, Amazon Web Services and higher sales during the holiday period. Investors expect the company to guide AI-related cloud growth and retail sales for the rest of the year.

Exxon Mobil is expected to release its fourth-quarter and full-year 2023 results before the market opens on Friday. Analysts expect the company to report fourth-quarter results fell 35% to $9 billion, or $2.11 per share, on lower oil prices and refining margins. Full-year net profit is estimated to be $37.4 billion, down on energy prices from $59.1 billion in 2022, according to LSEG estimates. Results will reflect a $2.5 billion impairment charge in the fourth quarter on a writedown of California oil and gas properties. Separately, on the same day, Chevron releases Q4 and full-year results at 0700 and holds a conference call on results at 1100 ET. Fourth quarter results are expected to be lower than a year ago on weaker oil and gas prices. The company has said it hopes to take up to $4 billion non-cash charge to oil and gas production assets in California and for costs tied to previously sold assets.

AMD will report fourth quarter and full year 2023 results on Tuesday. Investors will focus on indicators of AI-linked demand for AMD's semiconductors and the company's ability to capture market share in the AI chip industry. Separately, chipmaker Wolfspeed's revenue is expected to decline a second time in a row in the December quarter on Wednesday.

Pfizer will report fourth quarter and fiscal 2023 results on Tuesday before markets open. The U.S. drugmaker is expected to post its second quarterly loss for 2023, and investors will look for updates on integrating cancer drugmaker Seagen. Any changes to its 2024 forecast will also be closely watched. Meanwhile, Merck is scheduled to report its fourth-quarter earnings on Thursday. Investor focus is expected to be on sales of its blockbuster cancer therapy Keytruda and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil. Separately, on Wednesday, Thermo Fisher Scientific is scheduled to report fourth-quarter earnings before markets open on Wednesday. The focus will be on comments about demand trends for this from its biotech clients and any changes to the medical equipment maker's 2024 profit forecast. Any comments on Novo Nordisk's popular drug Wegovy will also be closely watched as Thermo does filling work for the drug.

On Wednesday, Boeing is expected to reveal financial targets for 2024 during its fourth-quarter results.

On Tuesday, Starbucks is expected to report a jump in first-quarter sales, boosted by steady demand for its pricey lattes and cold beverages from its wealthy customer base. The coffee chain's annual forecast and comments on consumer behavior, trends in China and the unionization wave that has swept across its stores in the U.S. will be on top of investors' minds. Meanwhile, on the same day, Mondelez International is expected to report a rise in fourth-quarter revenue, helped by steady demand for its chocolates and biscuits and higher prices. Investors will watch for comments on plans on pricing actions and demand forecast for 2024.

General Motors is set to report lower fourth-quarter profit and revenue on Tuesday. Investors will be watching out for commentary on its struggling self-driving business, Cruise, as well as the financial outlook for the year.

United Parcel Service is expected to report a fall in fourth-quarter profit on Tuesday after it delivered fewer holiday packages than in the prior year and boosted worker pay in line with its new labor contract with the Teamsters union.

Mastercard is expected to report its fourth-quarter earnings on Wednesday. Strong spending is expected to boost its profit, but investors will closely analyze its forecast.

On Tuesday, JetBlue is expected to report a fourth-quarter loss. The focus, however, will be on its merger deal with Spirit Airlines. While the company has appealed a federal judge's ruling to block the deal, analysts say the transaction has become very expensive. On the same day, The CFOs of United Airlines, Riyadh Air and Wizz Air speak at the second day of the aircraft leasing industry's flagship annual conference in Dublin alongside the CEO of Carlyle Aviation Partners and executives from Southwest Airlines and IndiGo.

Nasdaq is expected to post a rise in fourth-quarter profit on Wednesday, helped by a strong performance in its solutions business. On the same day, MarketAxess is expected to report a rise in fourth-quarter profit, helped by higher commissions.

After markets close on Tuesday, Video game publisher Electronic Arts is expected to report a rise in third-quarter bookings, helped by a recovery in demand for video games amid an easing macroeconomic environment.

AbbVie is scheduled to report its fourth-quarter earnings on Friday. Investor focus is expected to be on the company's forecast for 2024 and management's commentary on the sales erosion of Humira due to competition from biosimilars. Separately, Boston Scientific is expected to report its fourth-quarter results on Wednesday. Investor focus will be on its heart devices and the impact of GLP-1 drugs on their sales. Meanwhile, HCA Healthcare is scheduled to report its fourth-quarter earnings on Tuesday. Investor focus is likely to be on the company's forecast for 2024 and management commentary on hospitalizations related to respiratory diseases in the fourth quarter, as well as on recovery in demand for medical procedures.

On Wednesday, the U.S. refiner Phillips 66 is expected to report a fall in fourth-quarter profit due to weaker fuel prices, as fuel demand scaled back and hurt prices. Investors will also watch for comments on any impacts from shipping disruptions in the Red Sea, updates on its Rodeo refinery in California, and any further outlook for 2024. Meanwhile, Marathon Petroleum is expected to report a fall in fourth-quarter profit due to a hit in refining margins on Tuesday.

On Thursday, Royal Caribbean Group is expected to post a growth in fourth-quarter revenue, helped by strong booking trends for cruise vacations and higher ticket prices. Investors will eye for updates on the impact of disruptions in the Middle East, costs and any forecast the company provides for the upcoming year.

Cigna Group is reporting fourth-quarter earnings on Friday. The investors would look out for the health insurer's medical costs, as some rivals have flagged increased demand for medical care this quarter. Also, any color on outlook for 2024, and an update on sale of its Medicare Advantage unit will catch interest. On the same day, Regeneron is set to report before markets open. The focus will be on sales of its eye disease drug Eylea, especially the higher dose version, and its eczema drug Dupixent. Separately, Bristol Myers Squibb is reporting fourth quarter and full year 2023 earnings before markets open. The focus will be on the drugmaker's 2024 outlook and comments on its M&A strategy after announcing three multi-billion acquisitions, Mirati, Karuna Therapeutics and RayzeBio, during the quarter.

On Tuesday, Networking gear maker Juniper Networks is expected to report a fall in fourth-quarter revenue as companies, including telecom service providers, cut back on spending in an uncertain economy.

Becton Dickinson is expected to report its first-quarter earnings on Thursday. Investor focus will be on the impact of China's headwinds.

Quest Diagnostics is reporting its fourth-quarter results on Thursday. Investors will look for color on the performance of the company's base business excluding COVID-19 during the quarter and also the laboratory operators' 2024 outlook.

Altria Group is expected to post a marginal drop in its fourth quarter revenue on Thursday as the Marlboro maker tackles choppy demand for traditional combustible cigarettes and smokeless alternatives. Investors will look for insight on promotional investments and market share performance of its NJOY ACE vape and on! nicotine pouches.

On Friday, Condom maker Church & Dwight is expected to post a rise in fourth-quarter revenue backed by resilient demand for its household and personal care products despite higher prices. Investors will eye for comments on demand and volume trends, margins, impact from costs and any forecast the company provides for the upcoming year.

Danaher is expected to report its fourth-quarter results on Tuesday. Investors will focus on the performance of its respiratory diagnostics and life sciences units.

Wilson tennis racket maker Amer Sports will start trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday. In its IPO, Amer Sports aims for a valuation of $8.7 billion.

Statistics Canada will release the November Gross Domestic Product (GDP) numbers on Wednesday. The country's economic activity likely grew marginally at 0.1% for the month. On Thursday, S&P Global Manufacturing PMI for January will be released.

Parka maker Canada Goose Holdings is expected to report a rise in its third-quarter revenue on Thursday, powered by higher prices and strong demand for its puffer jackets. Investors will be watching out for the company's forecast, comments on current demand trends, inventory mix, and China's recovery.

On the Latin American front, Inflation in Brazil, as measured by the IGP-10 price index for January, is expected to be released on Tuesday. Separately, on Wednesday, the country's employment data will be on the radar. Brazil's S&P Global manufacturing PMI for January are due for release on Thursday. Separately, on Friday, the country's industrial output data for December is scheduled to be released.

Meanwhile, Mexico's flash reading of the Gross domestic product (GDP) for the fourth quarter is due Tuesday. The country's S&P Global manufacturing PMI for January is also due for Thursday's release. Additionally, Chile's interest rate decision for January is likely due on Wednesday, while the manufacturing output data for December is also due on the same day.

(Compiled by Malini K; Editing by Tasim Zahid)

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Aug 8 (Reuters) - AMD Industries Ltd AMDM.NS:

• JUNE-QUARTER NET PROFIT 7.9 MILLION RUPEES VERSUS 103.4 MILLION RUPEES

• JUNE-QUARTER TOTAL REVENUE FROM OPERATIONS 1.01 BILLION RUPEES VERSUS 1.28 BILLION RUPEES

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May 23 (Reuters) - AMD Industries Ltd AMDM.NS:

• MARCH-QUARTER NET PROFIT 80.1 MILLION RUPEES VERSUS 69.2 MILLION RUPEES

• MARCH-QUARTER REVENUE FROM OPERATIONS 1.14 BILLION RUPEES VERSUS 892.3 MILLION RUPEES

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