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The Showdown highlights: PGA Tour cruises to win over LIV Golf

The much ballyhooed match between PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf took place tonight as Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy locked horns with Bryson DeChambeau and Brook Koepka in ‘The Showdown’ on TNT. While LIV Golf may be the new, fun brand, it was the PGA Tour that walked away with the victory, and in dominant fashion.

The match itself offered an opportunity to get into the minds of the golfers, with each of them mic’d up throughout the night. Unfortunately, the matchup itself wound up finishing sooner than we’d expected, as Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy dominated from the get-go, taking home the $10 million cryptocurrency prize purse.

Here’s everything that happened at Shadow Creek Golf Course in North Las Vegas.

Watch The Showdown on Sling

PGA Tour wins The Showdown

From early on, it was evident that Scheffler and McIlroy were playing a level above Koepka and DeChambeau. Perhaps DeChambeau’s parka was a giveaway that LIV was not ready to play in the cold Vegas air.

McIlroy’s heroics with the putter combined with Scheffler’s consistency and DeChambeau’s struggles allowed the PGA Tour to secure the win in just 14 holes.

LIV’s day on the links gets even worse

If you though it couldn’t get worse for DeChambeau and Koepka, you’d be mistaken. The 16th hole saw LIV spend more time in the trees than the fairway. Still, despite the time in the woods, LIV had an opportunity to stay alive if Koepka could’ve sunk a 10-foot putt. Unfortunately, Koepka left the putt to the right, allowing Scheffler to take a two hole lead with only two holes to play.

Given that LIV Golf needed both Koepka and DeChambeau to win their singles matches to have a chance, Koepka’s missed putt gave the win to the PGA Tour. It was a fitting end to a forgettable day for LIV Golf.

Scheffler, McIlroy up 1

With three holes to play, both PGA Tour golfers are one up. DeChambeau actually won Hole 15 after McIlroy left his shot short of the creek on 15, forcing a very tough shot onto the green, while DeChambeau was already near the pin. However, it may not be enough for DeChambeau to overcome his deficit.

DeChambeau having a rough day with the putter

Hole 14 saw LIV Golf win one of their matchups as Koepka defeated Scheffler, but DeChambeau continued to struggle, missing a putt that would’ve tied the hole with McIlroy.

Following the missed putt, DeChambeau was noticeably upset. He put his head in his hands and covered his face for a few seconds before walking over and picking up his ball. While Scheffler and Koepka are tied through two holes of the final segment, DeChambeau is down two with only four holes to play. LIV Golf needs both DeChambeau and Koepka to win their matchups for any shot at the $10 million grand prize.

LIV Golf bogies Hole 13

LIV Golf needs to win each of their singles matchups – Scheffler vs. Koepka, McIlroy vs. DeChambeau – for any shot to win The Showdown, but the third and final segment got off to a rocky start. Hole 13 is a tough Par 3, but both McIlroy and Scheffler were able to earn pars. DeChambeau and Koepka each lipped out their par putts. It was close, but as has been the case all night, LIV Golf is constantly coming up just short. They are at a huge disadvantage with only five holes to play.

PGA Tour wins second segment

Although it was much closer than the first segment, the PGA Tour duo of Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy walked away from Hole 12 with a 2 segment to none lead over LIV Golf. DeChambeau and Koepka gave the PGA Tour a run for their money, winning Hole 11 to knot the score up, but after a missed putt opened the door, McIlroy’s ever-faithful putter sealed the victory for his team.

The PGA Tour only needs to halve the final segment – singles play – to secure the grand prize.

DeChambeau and Koepka win their first hole

LIV Golf finally got on the board with a win on Hole 11. PGA Tour’s Rory McIlroy had an opportunity to earn a birdie with a mid-range putt, but missed. McIlroy was flabbergasted, and visibly upset with himself.

That opened the door for Koepka to win the hole. He did just that. We head into Hole 12, the final hole of the second segment, with the teams knotted up. Each team needs 2.5 segments to win the event, meaning if DeChambeau and Koepka cannot win this last hole, their only hope for a win would be each of them winning their singles matches and forcing a playoff.

DeChambeau frustrated after Hole 10

It hasn’t been a great showing for LIV Golf tonight, and Hole 10 was no different, but it could’ve been much worse. DeChambeau had an opportunity to birdie the hole and knot the second segment back up, but he lipped out. Over the broadcast, you could hear DeChambeau audibly say ‘Are you kidding me?’ after the miss. Luckily, Scheffler lipped his birdie putt out as well, giving Koepka an opportunity to tie the hole, which he drained. Through four holes in the second segment, Scheffler and McIlroy are up one.

Scheffler and McIlroy finally break through

After a terrific second shot by Scheffler, McIlroy was set up for an easy birdie to take the lead in the second segment. McIlroy’s putter has been money all night, so it was nearly a guarantee as soon as Scheffler hit the green. Through three holes in the second segment, PGA Tour is up one. LIV Golf needs to win this segment for any hope at the prize money.

Second segment remains knotted up

Once again, McIlroy and Scheffler had an opportunity to take a lead in the second segment, but McIlroy’s impressive putter failed them as he rolled the ball right of the hole on what would’ve been the hole-clinching putt. Through two in the second segment, it’s still tied.

Scheffler biffs putt to win first hole of second segment

LIV Golf was all over the yard on the first hole of the second segment, going from the rough off the tee to behind a bunker, but the pair did eventually earn a par to put the pressure on McIlroy and Scheffler. The PGA Tour had an opportunity to clinch it with a six-foot birdie putt for Scheffler, but Scheffler missed. Through one hole in the second segment, it’s all knotted up. LIV Golf must win this segment to have any hope of winning the prize.

McIlroy might have the hottest putter on the planet

After a terrific second shot by Bryson DeChambeau put him mere feet away from the pin, McIlroy rose to the occasion, opting for the ol’ Texas wedge from way off the green. McIlroy drilled it, earning him an eagle, and putting the pressure on DeChambeau to nail his putt.

DeChambeau lipped it left, and the PGA Tour (or solely McIlroy) won the first six-hole segment of the event in just four holes with a 3-hole lead with only two to play. The golfers will skip holes 5 and 6, jumping straight to 7 for the second segment, where each team will alternate shots.

Koepka lands in the water

LIV Golf’s comeback attempt hit another hurdle on the fourth hole as Koepka teed off into the water on the left side. Hole No. 4 is a Par 5, giving Koepka an opportunity for an up-and-down with two fantastic shots, but the odds of him making a difference here are slim.

It appears up to DeChambeau to keep LIV Golf in the running for the first segment of this event.

Hole 3 is a tie

After the PGA Tour pair won each of the first two holes, Hole 3 went to neither group, making the odds of a LIV Golf comeback all the more improbable with only three holes to play.

LIV Golf had an opportunity to win the hole with a birdie putt from DeChambeau, but it was left just right, enabling McIlroy and Scheffler to putt for par and earn a push.

Crew mentions DeChambeau/Koepka feud

During the third hole, as the golfers walked to their shots, the TV crew and Koepka were poking fun at DeChambeau’s big coat, saying that it looked big enough to fit both DeChambeau and Koepka. Afterwards, the crew mentioned that while DeChambeau and Koepka are ‘good now,’ perhaps hopping in the same coat would be too much. For casual golf fans, that statement may have been confusing. But for folks who have followed golf over the last few years, the pair’s feud was sure to be brought up at some point during the night. Here’s a quick explainer:

Emotions between DeChambeau and Koepka started running high after Koepka criticized DeChambeau’s play at the 2019 Dubai Desert Classic. The pair continued taking subtle jabs at one another throughout the 2020 season, with the most viral moment coming after Koepka appeared visibly annoyed with DeChambeau after the latter walked through the former’s interview and said something that the cameras couldn’t pick up, but Koepka clearly heard. Their feud came to a head in 2021 after DeChambeau was showered with ‘Brooksie’ chants throughout the PGA Tour season. It got so bad that the PGA Tour itself had to get involved, threatening to eject fans who taunted DeChambeau.

Their differences have reportedly been squashed since, and the pair’s decision to each sign with LIV Golf certainly helped them look past their grievances.

McIlroy birdies again to give PGA Tour 2-hole lead

With only six holes in the match play segment of this event, Rory McIlroy is putting the PGA Tour on his back, giving them an almost insurmountable two-hole lead after two holes. He’s now birdied twice in a row and reminded everyone why you should never doubt Rory in match play.

McIlroy birdie clinches first hole for PGA Tour

After both LIV and Scheffler parred the first hole, the pressure was on McIlroy to win the hole for the PGA Tour. McIlroy is not known for his clutch gene, but he came up big on this occasion, drilling the putt for the early lead.

As a reminder, only the first six holes will be match play. The following six will be alternating shots, while the final six will be singles.

LIV Golf competitors fail to hit green

After Scheffler was the only golfer to miss the fairway off the tee, the PGA Tour golfers bounced back on their second shots, each of them hitting the green.

The same can’t be said for the LIV duo. Koepka’s shot bounced over the back of the green, just off the edge in the rough, while DeChambeau’s shot fell short.

Sheffler/McIlroy tee off first

After a coin toss on the first tee, it was revealed that the PGA Tour team of Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy would have honors to start the event.

Scheffler took the first shot ahead of McIlroy, and smoked an iron onto the right side rough, just off the fairway. Shadow Creek Golf Course is a notoriously narrow course, so we should expect to see a lot more play out of the thick stuff as the event unfolds.

That said, Scheffler was the only player not to hit the fairway off the first tee.

What time is The Showdown golf match?

The Showdown golf event will be broadcast on TNT, and coverage will start at 6 p.m. The actual time to tee off has not yet been announced.

How to watch The Showdown on TV and streaming

  • Date: Tuesday, Dec. 17
  • Time: 6 p.m. ET
  • TV: TNT
  • Streaming: MAX, Sling
  • Location: Shadow Creek golf course in North Las Vegas, Nevada

Catch The Showdown on TNT with a Sling subscription

Who is playing in The Showdown?

Bryson DeChambeau, the 2024 U.S. Open champion, will team up with former rival Brooks Koepka, a five-time major winner, to represent LIV Golf. On the other side, 2024 Masters champion Scottie Scheffler will compete with four-time major champion Rory McIlroy, representing the PGA Tour.

Scheffler, who won the 2022 and 2024 Masters tournament, is the world’s No. 1 ranked golfer and just won PGA Tour Player of the Year in a landslide vote. McIlroy, currently ranked No. 3, won the PGA Champonship in 2012 and 2014, the U.S. Open in 2011 and the British Open in 2014.

DeChambeau won the U.S. Open earlier this year after winning it for the first time in 2020. Koepka has won the PGA Championship three times (2018, 2019 and 2023) and the U.S. Open twice (2017 and 2018). But it could be a large hill to climb for DeChambeau and Koepka to stand a chance. The pair currently rank 10th and 86th, respectively.

Who will TNT have announce The Showdown broadcast?

This will indeed be a lively event as the network is bringing on familiar faces from ‘Inside the NBA.’ Ernie Johnson will be alongside Charles Barkley to call the action. As for commentary from the course, two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson will be alongside Lauren Jbara. The broadcast also gets a boost with experts Trevor Immelman and David Feherty.

The Showdown odds: Betting moneyline for golf match

Odds via Draftkings.

  • Scottie Scheffler/Rory McIlroy: (-155)
  • Bryson DeChambeau/Brooks Koepka: (+125)

The Showdown match: Predictions and picks

Golfweek: Scheffer/McIlroy: -155

Riley Hamel writes, ‘This pick is pretty simple: one team has Scottie Scheffler, the other doesn’t. He’s on a different level than any other golfer on the planet at the moment, and he’s a gamer. He wants to win no matter what he’s competing in. I have a hard time seeing Scheffler and McIlroy losing this match, but it is Vegas — anything can happen.’

Kristopher Knox writes, ‘McIlroy hasn’t been as consistent this year, but he’s still ranked third in the World Golf Rankings. DeChambeau and Koekpa are both elite golfers with Majors wins on their resumes. However, it’s hard to envision anyone unseating Scheffler, even in a team event.’

Iain MacMillan writes, ‘I’m going to lean with the favorites in the Showdown almost solely due to their recent form. Both Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler are fresh off wins ahead of Tuesday’s event. McIlroy won the DP World Tour Championship last month and Scottie Scheffler captured his ninth victory of 2024, winning the Hero World Challenge. Not only is the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world coming off his win, but his new claw grip led to his best putting performance of the year. If his putting becomes a strength of his, he’s going to be near invincible.’

When is the tee time for The Showdown?

What is the format for The Showdown?

Although most renditions of The Match are 12 holes long, this battle between the PGA Tour and LIV will be a full 18. Those 18 holes will be divided into three sections of six, with the first six being best ball, holes 7-12 being alternate shot, and singles closing out the final six holes.

What is the prize money for The Showdown winners?

A whopping $10 million in prize money will be up for grabs, according a report last month by Front Office Sports. And, in a bit of a twist, it will be distributed to the participating golfers in the form of cryptocurrency.

Title sponsor Crypto.com said in a news release that the event will be ‘the first ever major golf tournament with a multimillion dollar purse to be paid in CRO cryptocurrency.’ (CRO stands for Cronos, which is the primary cryptocurrency of Crypto.com, a Singapore-based crypto exchange.) — Tom Schad

The Showdown location: Where is the match played?

The Showdown tees off from picturesque Shadow Creek Golf Course in North Las Vegas, Nevada. It is distinguished as the state’s premier public access course by Golfweek.

The Showdown course: Where does Shadow Creek rank?

The Showdown will put the spotlight on one of architect Tom Fazio’s best courses, Shadow Creek in North Las Vegas, Nevada.

Fazio has been one of the most prolific and successful golf course architects of the past 65 years, having either created or renovated 47 of the top 200 Golfweek’s Best modern courses in the United States. His work stretches coast to coast, showing his adaptability and willingness to move plenty of earth to create holes, as he did at Shadow Creek.

Golfweek cited Shadow Creek as one of Fazio’s 20 highest-rated traditional U.S. courses in our its Best rater program, ranking it No. 2. See the full rankings here.

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

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What’s today’s bowl schedule? Previewing the Boca Raton Bowl and LA Bowl

The show must go on, as the old adage says. Amid the now annual handwringing over players and coaches on the move, there remain timeslots to fill with sporting product. And so, for better or worse, the college football bowl season rolls on.

Wednesday features a pair of postseason contests in warm-weather locales, which was after all the original draw for these postseason exhibitions. First up is a clash of programs that were in the hunt for group-of-five league titles for much of the season. Then the nightcap features the second ranked team to take the field during the bowl season.

Here are today’s matchups.

Boca Raton Bowl – James Madison vs. Western Kentucky

Time/TV/location: 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, Boca Raton, Fla.

Why watch: It’s easy to forget that JMU is still relatively new to the Bowl Subdivision. The Dukes took a minor step back this year in coach Bob Chesney’s first season but can still earn a program milestone with their first bowl win. South Florida is a familiar destination for the Hilltoppers, who have won this event on two other occasions. Western Kentucky QB Caden Veltkamp is expected to play even though his name is in the transfer portal, though a lot of his teammates that helped get the Toppers to the C-USA title game won’t be around. The Dukes will be shorthanded as well with QB Alonza Barnett out with an injury, so they’ll likely lean heavily on RBs George Pettaway and Wayne Knight.

Why it could disappoint: JMU could be at a considerable advantage with a more cohesive roster. But WKU’s bowl history has often come with a dose of wildness, like last year when the Toppers mounted a 21-point comeback in the fourth quarter to beat Old Dominion, so anything is possible.

ON THE MOVE: Ranking the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal

LA Bowl – No. 24 UNLV vs. California

Time/TV/location: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN, Inglewood, Calif.

Why watch: The good news for UNLV with coach Barry Odom off to Purdue is that he at least made the job attractive enough to interest a free agent like Dan Mullen with a proven track record. Before he takes over, however, the Rebels will be led by interim coach Del Alexander in this matchup with the Golden Bears, who will be in a transition phase themselves with QB Fernando Mendoza in the portal. UNLV should have most of its key on-field personnel available, including QB Hajj-Malik Williams and WR Ricky White as well as top RB Jai’Den Thomas. California’s leading WR Nyziah Hunter is also in the portal along with Mendoza, so either CJ Harris or Chandler Rogers will likely be handing the ball off a lot. The good news for the Bears is RB Jaydn Ott might finally be at full speed after battling ankle issues for much of the season.

Why it could disappoint: California did win all its non-conference games but went just 2-6 in its first run through the ACC. If the Rebels view this as an opportunity to make a statement, it could be a long night for the Bears.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

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Top 10 Tin-producing Countries (Updated 2024)

The price of tin rose to a year-to-date high of US$35,575 per metric ton in April on a series of supply and demand factors from the top tin-producing countries.

Despite declining in the second half of the year, prices appear to have found a bottom around the US$28,000 per metric ton level.

Improved semiconductor sales and growing investments in electric vehicles and solar panels are expected to fuel demand. Supply constraints in Myanmar and Indonesia, two major producers, led analysts at BMI Research to revise their 2024 tin price forecast upward to US$30,000 per metric ton.

Tin remains essential for renewable energy generation and electronics, with nearly half of its use in soldering applications critical for semiconductors, mobile phones, and electric cars.

Overall, analysts project a bullish long-term outlook, with tin prices potentially reaching US$45,000 by 2033 as global demand continues to rise.

To give investors a better idea of the tin supply landscape, we’ve put together a list of 2023’s top tin producers by country, based on data from the US Geological Survey.

Read on to learn more about those countries and their contributions to the tin industry.

1. China

Tin production: 68,000 metric tons
Tin reserves: 1.1 million metric tons

China was the world’s top tin-producing country in 2023, with output totaling 68,000 metric tons. It continues its streak as the world’s largest tin-producing country despite a gradual year-on-year decline, down from 2022’s 71,000 MT.

China also holds the largest tin reserves in the world, with more than 1.1 million metric tons.

Currently, China is embroiled in a trade war with the US as political tensions continue to mount. In December 2024, the trade giant China set new US export restrictions on essential minerals, including gallium, germanium and antimony. Analysts speculate that the export curb list will soon include tin, as both countries are determined to cut off each other’s dominance in specific production sectors.

2. Myanmar

Tin production: 54,000 metric tons
Tin reserves: 700,000 metric tons

Myanmar, also known as Burma, produced 54,000 metric tons of tin in 2023, leapfrogging over Indonesia to become the world’s second-largest tin-producing country last year. The Asian country garnered the largest increase in tin production, up significantly from 47,000 MT in 2022.

Myanmar’s self-administered Wa state is home to the majority of the country’s tin output, including the Man Maw tin mine, which is one of the world’s top-producing tin mines.

In April 2023, the Wa state declared that mining operations within its jurisdiction would be suspended starting in August to conserve mineral resources while awaiting an audit of the tin industry and the implementation of new mining regulations.

By August, all activities related to mining, processing and the transport of raw ore had been halted in the state. The Man Maw’s failure to restart operations in August 2023 due to the ban instituted by the Wa militia has impacted industry prices throughout the year. As of September 2024, mining at Man Maw was still suspended, although many smaller tin mines The tin audit has greatly limited tin imports to China and Indonesia, driving prices upward due to lower metal concentrates.

3. Indonesia

Tin production: 52,000 metric tons
Tin reserves: Not available

Indonesia’s tin production came in at 52,000 metric tons in 2023. After coming within touching distance of first place the year before with tin production of 70,000 MT to China’s 71,000 MT, in 2023 Indonesia conceded its runner-up spot to Burma. Contrary to Burma’s production surge, the country recorded the steepest production dip in 2023.

Last year, Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources designated tin as a critical mineral, recognizing its supply importance, economic value and role in high-tech applications.

4. Peru

Tin production: 23,000 metric tons
Tin reserves: 130,000 metric tons

Peru also saw its tin output decline last year, when the country’s total tin production was 23,000 metric tons, a drop from 2022’s 28,200 MT. The South American country was the primary supplier of tin to the US last year.

Peru-based miner Minsur operates the San Rafael tin mine in the country. San Rafael is one of the world’s largest tin mines.

5. Democratic Republic of Congo

Tin production: 19,000 metric tons
Tin reserves: 120,000 metric tons

The Democratic Republic of Congo produced 19,000 metric tons of tin in 2023, a slight increase in its production compared to 2022’s 18,600 MT.

Alphamin Resources (TSXV:AFM,OTC Pink:AFMJF) operates the Bisie tin complex, which hosts the world’s two highest-grade tin mines, Mpama North and the recently constructed Mpama South. The company is ramping up production at the operation following an expansion that will raise annual output to 20,000 MT.

6. Brazil

Tin production: 18,000 metric tons
Tin reserves: 420,000 metric tons

Brazil’s tin production totaled 18,000 metric tons in 2023, registering a slight year-over-year increase from 17,000 MT. Since its production uptick in recent years, Brazil remains as a mainstay among the world’s top tin producers.

This year, Peruvian miner Minsur agreed to sell its Brazilian subsidiary Mineração Taboca, which operates the Pitinga tin mine and Pirapora smelter in Brazil, to China Nonferrous Trade (OTC Pink:CNFMF,HKEX:1258) for US$340 million.

Taboca, the largest tin producer in Brazil, contributed over a third of the country’s refined tin production in 2023 and is Brazil’s only fully integrated tin producer. The Pitinga mine in the Amazon holds the world’s largest tin resource by tin content, with reserves of 279,000 MT expected to sustain production for at least 30 years.

6. Bolivia

Tin production: 18,000 metric tons
Tin reserves: 400,000 metric tons

Bolivia makes the list tied with Brazil at 18,000 metric tons of tin production in 2023.

Bolivia’s state-owned Vinto smelter declared force majeure in March 2023 due to coal shortages from Peru, resulting in weekly production losses of up to 200 MT of tin.

Further compounding the issue, Vinto did not receive concentrate from the country’s Huanuni and Calquiri mines for over two months due to US$90 million in outstanding debts, leading to protests by miners in La Paz who wanted the debt cancelled.

8. Australia

Tin production: 9,100 metric tons
Tin reserves: 620,000 metric tons

Australia’s tin output for 2023 remained relatively untouched at 9,100 metric tons, just a slight increase from 2022’s 9,000 MT.

Australian tin producer Metals X (ASX:MLX) has invested AU$4.64 million in First Tin (LSE:1SN) this year, acquiring a 23 percent stake to support tin development projects in Australia and Germany.

Metals X, co-owner of the Renison mine in Tasmania, aims to leverage its operational expertise to accelerate First Tin’s Taronga project in New South Wales, which targets production by 2027 following a strong feasibility study.

9. Nigeria

Tin production: 8,100 metric tons
Tin reserves: Not available

Nigeria follows the trend of incremental production increases year by year, increasing by 15.71 percent or 8,100 MT from 2022’s 7,000 MT mark. Nigeria’s Plateau State, home to the country’s largest tin reserves, has witnessed a resurgence in mining activities as global tin prices rose above US$30,000 per metric ton in 2024, up from US$5,000 in the early 2000s.

Despite this boom, the sector remains largely unregulated, with artisanal and illegal mining dominating production and contributing little to government revenue. Between 2018 and 2022, Nigeria’s solid minerals sector, which includes tin, contributed a mere 0.17 percent to the nation’s GDP, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

10. Malaysia

Tin production: 6,100 metric tons
Tin reserves: Not available

Rounding out the list of the world’s top tin-producing countries for 2023 is Malaysia, which produced 6,100 metric tons last year, up from 2022’s 5,000 MT.

Malaysia Smelting (KLSE:MSC), the second top tin-producing company in the world, is poised to benefit from bullish tin forecasts, as the century-old company has posted above-expected margins in the second and third quarter of 2024.

Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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AI Market 2024 Year-End Review

Competition in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector escalated dramatically in 2024, with major tech companies investing billions in a race to research and develop advanced AI technologies.

This surge in investment spurred rapid advancements, fierce competition and a wave of innovation that has the potential to reshape the technological landscape moving forward.

Competition heats up among AI heavyweights

As mentioned, major tech companies jumped headfirst into AI in 2024.

For its part, Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) began the year by rebranding its Bard chatbot as Gemini. The February decision streamlined its AI products under a single brand, showcasing a move toward a more sophisticated and unified AI experience. Its newest interaction, Gemini 2.0, was released on December 11.

Meanwhile, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) deepened its partnership with OpenAI, investing another US$750 million during an October funding round worth US$6.6 billion. This latest round brought the company behind ChatGPT to a total valuation of US$157 billion. According to SEC filings, Microsoft’s total investment in OpenAI has now reached US$13 billion.

NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA), SoftBank (TSE:9434) and a handful of venture capital firms also participated in the round, but under the stipulation that OpenAI shift control of its dealings to a for-profit arm.

This sparked rumors that a potential initial public offering on the horizon.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), notably missing from the list of investors who participated in OpenAI’s October funding round, has opted for a more independent path, focusing on internal AI development.

At its annual developer conference from June 10 to 14, it unveiled Apple Intelligence for iOS18, saying it was coming to iPhone 16, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia users. However, the company also shared plans to integrate ChatGPT in some products, like its voice-activated assistant Siri, as a supplemental layer on top of Apple Intelligence.

Apple performance, January 1 to December 17, 2024.

Chart via Google Finance.

The company’s share price gained almost 8 percent by the end of the conference.

Apple Intelligence was released for qualifying models on October 28, and the newest software update, including ChatGPT for writing tools and Siri, was released on December 11.

OpenAI itself released GPT-4o on May 13, saying that it was optimized for multimodal tasks like analyzing audio and video. Later in the year, on September 12, the company previewed its first o1 model. OpenAI’s o1 series is designed to spend more time “thinking” before it responds and possesses advanced reasoning skills.

However, shortly after the model was released, The Information reported that o1 showed a slower rate of improvement compared to previous models, exposing potential limitations to continuous advancements in AI capabilities.

Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), while less focused on consumer-facing AI products, invested heavily in building out its cloud infrastructure and allocated another US$4 billion to AI research company and OpenAI rival Anthropic on November 22. This brings Amazon’s total investment in Anthropic to US$8 billion. As part of this expanded partnership with Amazon, Anthropic also made Amazon Web Services its primary cloud provider.

Meta (NASDAQ:META) focused on integrating generative AI across its platforms in 2024, leading to enhancements like better ad targeting and content recommendations. The company also released the MTIA v2 chip, an improved version of its AI inference chip that is designed to handle the massive amount of data generated by Meta’s customer base. The newest version of Meta’s open-sourced large language model, Llama 3, was released on April 18.

Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, upgraded its large language model Grok-2. A beta version of Grok-2 was released on August 13 and was made available to all X users on December 12. Grok-2 was trained on xAI’s supercomputer Colossus, which is powered by 100,000 NVIDIA graphics processing units (GPUs) and came online on September 11. The company held two US$6 billion funding rounds in 2024, and as of November 28 was valued at a staggering US$50 billion.

Hardware is king

Vertical integration gained momentum in 2024 as companies invested in more parts of the chip-making process.

NVIDIA maintained its dominance, attracting attention with outstanding earnings seasons and intermittently earning the title of the world’s most valuable company. The company set the stage for exponential further growth when it introduced its Blackwell architecture at the GPU Technology Conference in March.

However, the company has faced unexpected design hurdles that have delayed the debut of Blackwell GPUs. While no official release date was set, it was widely speculated that they would be available towards the end of 2024. A progress update will reportedly be announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.

NVIDIA performance, January 1 to December 17, 2024.

Chart via Google Finance.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) (NASDAQ:AMD), NVIDIA’s most direct competitor, reported a 9 percent increase in revenue in Q2, driven by its MI300X AI chip. MI300X combines GPU and central processing unit capabilities into a single chip, giving a leg up over NVIDIA, which designs both chips separately to work together.

Also in 2024, AMD collaborated with a handful of software and hardware companies to develop a new AI accelerator standard that is capable of challenging NVIDIA’s NVLink.

2024 presented chip designers with a challenge as customers like Apple and Google increasingly moved chip design in-house. Made by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (TSMC) (NASDAQ:TSM), Apple’s A- and M-series chips feature a neural engine to enable on-device AI and powered a slew of new products released this year.

Google released its Tensor G4 chip, designed in collaboration with Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) and manufactured by TSMC. The G4 chip powers Google’s refreshed lineup of Pixel devices, released on August 13.

The shifting trends resulted in TSMC emerging as an undisputed victor. The company reported outstanding revenue and profits in 2024, fueled by a surge in demand for powerful chips and its advanced manufacturing technologies.

Its share price hit an intraday high of US$211.93 on October 17 following its Q3 results, and it recorded an all-time high closing share price of US$205.19 that same day.

According to a December 9 report by Taipei-based market intelligence provider TrendForce, TSMC increased its share of the wafer foundry market to 65 percent in the third quarter.

TSMC performance, January 1 to December 17, 2024.

Chart via Google Finance.

Another chip company, Broadcom, successfully navigated 2024 by diversifying into software through its acquisition of VMware. Broadcom, which plays a crucial role in the semiconductor industry by designing and manufacturing chips that enable the realization of software objectives, reported record revenue for its 2024 fiscal year,

The rise was driven by strong demand for its semiconductor products and the successful integration of VMware. The company’s AI-related revenue more than tripled, and its quarterly dividend rose by 11 percent.

In contrast, Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM), which remained largely focused on the hardware market this past year, appeared more vulnerable to the industry’s shifting tides.

Even industry giants like Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) faced their share of turbulence. While its foundry business struggled, Intel’s computer parts division did well, with its Core Ultra processors powering a lineup of AI-enabled laptops from Microsoft and Dell (NYSE:DELL). Dell also pushed into hybrid solutions and edge computing with its APEX portfolio.

Broadcom, Qualcomm and Intel performance, January 1 to December 17, 2024.

Chart via Google Finance.

AI hype pays dividends for tech giants

Despite a notable pullback in Q2 and Q3 due in part to investor concerns about the long-term returns of massive AI investments, 2024 was a year of strong financial performances for tech giants, as evidenced by their dividend payouts.

Meta announced cash dividend payments in May and September, while in Microsoft said in September that it would reward shareholders with a 10 percent increase to its quarterly dividend payment.

Alphabet also issued quarterly dividends for the first time in 2024, distributing payments three times.

It’s worth noting that the initial surge in spending and subsequent pullback could have been influenced by a variety of factors, including hype cycles, macroeconomic conditions and evolving understandings of AI’s capabilities and limitations.

Investor takeaway

Ultimately, despite occasional fluctuations and concerns, investor confidence in the tech sector remained strong throughout 2024, with funding continuing to flow. As of mid-December, shares of Microsoft were up over 21 percent year-to-date, while Alphabet was up by over 44 percent and NVIDIA was up an astonishing 166 percent.

In 2024, the AI sector experienced rapid advancements and fierce competition, driven by substantial investments from tech giants. As the technology continues to mature, the stage is set for continued innovation and disruption, promising an exciting future for AI and its applications.

Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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4 Platinum Uses for Investors to Know (Updated 2024)

Platinum may be rare, but it is the third most-traded precious metal in the world, behind gold and silver.

The world’s platinum demand varies widely across many sectors. Most notably, platinum metal is used in autocatalysts and jewelry, as well as for medical and industrial purposes. Those interested in investing in platinum would do well to be aware of the many platinum uses. After all, by knowing which industries require platinum, it’s possible to understand supply and demand dynamics, and to be aware of how the precious metal’s price may move in the future.

With that in mind, here’s a list of the four main platinum uses. Scroll on to learn more about platinum’s key applications.

In this article

    1. Autocatalysts

    One of the main platinum uses is in the construction of autocatalysts. An autocatalyst is a “cylinder of circular or elliptical cross section made from ceramic or metal formed into a fine honeycomb and coated with a solution of chemicals and platinum group metals.” An autocatalyst mounted inside a stainless steel canister is known as a catalytic converter.

    Catalytic converters are installed in a vehicle’s exhaust lines, between the engine and muffler, where they are used to moderate the dangerous qualities of exhaust. Specifically, the autocatalysts that vehicles contain convert over 90 percent of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water vapor. They can also convert pollutants from diesel exhaust into carbon dioxide and water vapor, which is immensely helpful in reducing pollution.

    Autocatalysts have been used in the US and Japan since 1974, and are now so common that over 95 percent of new vehicles sold each year have one. As a result, they are a significant source of platinum demand that is not likely to disappear in the future. Indeed, as pollution rules become more stringent, car companies are looking at creating even more efficient autocatalysts.

    In 2024, platinum demand from the automotive sector was forecast to hit 3.17 million ounces, according to the World Platinum Investment Council (WPIC). It’s expected to climb to an eight-year high of 3.25 million ounces in 2025.

    2. Platinum jewelry

    Platinum has many qualities that make it ideal for use in jewelry, and that is the second largest source of platinum demand. The metal is strong, resists tarnish and can repeatedly be heated and cooled without hardening or oxidizing.

    When used to make jewelry, platinum is commonly alloyed with other platinum-group metals such as palladium, as well as copper and cobalt, so that it is easier to work with.

    The history of platinum jewelry is long. More than 2,000 years ago, Indigenous people in South America made rings and ornaments out of platinum. Egyptians used platinum for decoration as early as the 7th century BCE. Meanwhile, Europeans began to use the metal in jewelry in the 18th century. Currently, China is the largest market for platinum jewelry.

    In 2024, platinum demand for jewelry was expected to increase 5 percent year-over-year to 1.95 million ounces, and move up to 1.98 million ounces in 2025.

    3. Industrial applications

    Platinum’s industrial applications could fill a book all on their own. For instance, platinum catalysts are used to manufacture fertilizer ingredients, and the metal is a key component in silicones, hard disks, electronics, dental restoration, glass-manufacturing equipment and sensors in home safety devices.

    Another platinum use is in the construction of hard drives with extremely high storage densities. And, because it is reactive to oxygen, oxides of nitrogen and carbon monoxide, platinum can be used to detect changes in the amount of those materials in vehicles and buildings. For the same reason, platinum is also used in medical sensors, particularly medical instruments that measure blood gases, to detect oxygen.

    Industrial demand for platinum, including medical demand, was forecast to come in at 2.43 million ounces in 2024 before falling to 2.22 million in 2025.

    4. Medical applications

    Platinum is used in electronic medical devices like those mentioned above, as well as in catheters, stents and neuromodulation devices. It is ideal for these applications because of its durability, conductivity and biocompatibility. The metal is also inert within the body, making it safe for implantation.

    To meet other medical needs, platinum can be formed into rods, wires, ribbons, sheets and micromachined parts. Further, it helps fight cancer in the drugs cisplatin and carboplatin, which are widely used to treat testicular cancer, as well as ovarian, breast and lung cancer tumors.

    Medical demand for platinum has increased in recent years, and is forecast to rise to 303,000 ounces in 2024 and 314,000 ounces in 2025.

    FAQs about platinum

    How much is platinum worth?

    Throughout 2024, the price of platinum has traded between US$900 and US$1,100 per ounce. Although the industry is facing a growing supply deficit, it is also dealing with lagging demand.

    The shortfall in supply is related to a hangover from COVID-19 lockdowns, Russia’s war in Ukraine and ongoing electricity shortages and railway issues in the top platinum producing country South Africa. Russia typically ranks as the world’s second largest platinum-producing country. Meanwhile, economic pressures worldwide have weighed on demand for platinum from the automotive industry. However, the same economic challenges have led to less demand for electric vehicles, which don’t require platinum-laden catalytic converters.

    Which is more valuable, gold or platinum? Why?

    Platinum is 30 times rarer than gold, much harder to mine and in high demand due to its important industrial uses, but the gold price is more than double the price of platinum in 2024. Precious metal gold has long been valued as a form of currency and a store of wealth, yet platinum jewelry often has a higher price point than gold jewelry.

    Platinum in general has historically traded on par or at a premium to gold, but since 2015 the two metals have diverged in price, with the gold taking the high road. This split has been attributed to gold’s safe-haven status and platinum’s reliance on the industrial and jewelry markets, which don’t fare well in times of economic uncertainty. This has led to increasing demand for platinum jewelry as a cheaper alternative to gold jewelry.

    What’s the best investment, gold or platinum?

    Both gold and platinum have wealth-generating potential, but it’s important to determine which precious metals fit your investment strategy; consider looking at supply, demand and prices for each option before making a decision.

    To learn more, check out: What is the Best Precious Metal to Invest In?

    Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

    This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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    Silver Price 2024 Year-End Review

    The silver price put on a strong performance in 2024, hitting highs not seen in over a decade.

    Despite some volatility, factors like increasing industrial demand, safe-haven buying from investors and weakening mining supply all came together during the year to support gains in the price.

    All told, silver is up nearly 35 percent since the start of 2024, outperforming gold’s 32 percent gain.

    Silver price in Q4

    Silver began Q4 on a strong note, reaching US$31.37 per ounce on October 1 and climbing to US$32.18 on October 4; it then slipped to US$30.49 on October 9. However, the white metal’s price didn’t remain low for long. It surged to its year-to-date high of US$34.72 on October 22, also reaching its highest level in 12 years.

    The most significant tailwinds for silver came from geopolitical tensions, with what appeared to be a greater likelihood of the Israel-Palestine conflict spilling over into a broader regional war in October. Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, Syria and Iran saw more investors seek the haven of precious metals, benefiting silver.

    As November began, the price of silver was again in retreat, trading at US$30.24 by November 15.

    Silver faced headwinds following the US presidential election on November 5, losing nearly 5 percent in a single day as some investors fled to interest-bearing assets. However, the metal’s losses were somewhat softened after the US Federal Reserve made a 25 basis point cut to its benchmark rate on November 7.

    Silver price, Q4 2024.

    Chart via Trading Economics.

    As the month worse on, silver saw volatility, spiking to US$31.34 on November 22. The rise came as safe-haven investors flocked to the metal following an escalation in the war between Russia and Ukraine. The US, UK and France said they would allow the use of long-range missiles by Ukraine to attack military targets inside Russia.

    Previously, Ukraine had only been allowed to use the missiles to strike targets along the border.

    The response from Russia was a policy change that would permit the use of nuclear weapons against countries supported by nuclear powers. Following the move, Russia launched a test of an intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear payload on a target within Ukraine.

    Silver fell to a quarterly low of US$30.11 on November 27, but since then the precious metal has regained some ground. As of December 11, it was trading at US$31.88.

    The next Fed meeting is set to run from December 17 to 18. Most analysts expect the central bank to make one last 25 basis point cut before pausing in 2025.

    How did silver perform for the rest of the year?

    Silver price in Q1

    Silver started the year on a low note as its lackluster performance from 2023 carried over.

    However, rate cut expectations added momentum to silver at the end of February and the beginning of March, which pushed the price up from the US$22 range to above US$25.

    Krauth also mentioned declining aboveground silver inventories.

    “I think there may be 12 to 24 months left before they run out,” he said.

    Silver price in Q2

    The big news from the second quarter was silver breaking through the US$30 barrier.

    The price continued to be fueled by rate cut speculation, but also saw support from industrial segments as demand from India soared. The country imported more silver during the first four months of 2024 than all of 2023.

    Industrial segments, particularly photovoltaics production, have been a driver of Indian demand as the country works to build up its domestic solar supply chain through its approved list of models and manufacturers.

    Silver price in Q3

    Silver didn’t see much upward momentum through most of the third quarter.

    Instead, it saw a significant retreat toward US$26. Still, by the end of the quarter, a Fed rate cut had provided a substantial tailwind for silver, sending it above the US$32 mark by the end of September.

    The quarter also saw First Majestic Silver (TSX:AG,NYSE:AG) announce on September 5 that it would purchase all of the issued and outstanding shares of Gatos Silver (TSX:GATO,NYSE:GATO) in a US$970 million transaction.

    The deal will give First Majestic a 70 percent stake in the Cerro Los Gatos mine in Northern Mexico. The combined entity’s anticipated annual production is 30 million to 32 million silver equivalent ounces.

    This was followed on October 4 by Coeur Mining’s (NYSE:CDE) agreement to acquire SilverCrest Metals (TSX:SIL,NYSE:SILV) for US$1.7 billion. The deal will create one of the world’s largest silver producers, with annual output of 21 million ounces of the white metal projected by 2025.

    The deal will give Coeur 100 percent ownership of the recently opened Las Chispas mine in Sonora, Mexico, which is projected to sell 9.8 million to 10.2 million silver equivalent ounces this year.

    Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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    Women’s basketball league Unrivaled secures $28M in funding from star-studded investor lineup

    Startup basketball league Unrivaled announced on Monday it’s closed a Series A funding round, raising an additional $28 million before its inaugural season.

    “Our players haven’t even taken the court yet and the foundation we are building with our partners unites unparalleled expertise, strategic insight, and an incredible product,” Unrivaled President Alex Bazzell said in a press release. “Together, we’re setting the stage for Unrivaled for years to come.”

    The 3×3 women’s hoops league already secured $7 million in a seed round announced in May, meaning the league has received $35 million in total funds in 2024. The latest round was led by the Berman family and also included NBA champion Giannis Antetokounmpo and 28-time Olympic medalist Michael Phelps, among others.

    Unrivaled was co-founded in 2023 by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier and advertises that the player-owned organization will give every Unrivaled player “equity and a vested interest in its success,” according to the press release.

    The league has signed 36 top players and said it offers the highest average salaries across any women’s professional sports league.

    While the Women’s National Basketball Association has seen exponential growth in the last few years, superstar rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese received base salaries just over $70,000, compared with star rookies in the National Basketball Association who received millions their first year.

    Unrivaled announced last week it had signed Under Armour as its official uniform partner. It’s also signed an exclusive, multiyear media rights deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to air its games on TNT and truTV, as well as streaming platform Max. WBD participated in the Series A funding round, the league said Monday.

    The round also included private investor Marc Lasry, University of South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley, and USC guard JuJu Watkins. Previous investors include soccer phenom Alex Morgan and actor and investor Ashton Kutcher.

    The inaugural season begins on Jan. 17.

    This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

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    CrowdStrike moves to dismiss Delta Air Lines suit, citing contract terms

    CrowdStrike moved Monday evening to dismiss Delta Air Lines’ lawsuit around the July cybersecurity outage that led to canceled flights and stranded passengers, arguing that the airline’s litigation was an attempt to circumvent the contract between the two companies.

    The agreement between CrowdStrike and Delta includes a clause limiting CrowdStrike’s liability and a cap on damages, which the cybersecurity provider says Delta is now trying to skirt. CrowdStrike also argued in its filing that Georgia law prevents Delta from converting a breach of contract into tort claims.

    “As an initial matter, Georgia’s economic loss rule specifically precludes Delta’s efforts to recover through tort claims the economic damages it claims to have suffered,” CrowdStrike wrote.

    Delta said the July cybersecurity outage cost the company more than $500 million in canceled flights, refunds and passenger accommodations. It is seeking to recoup those costs from CrowdStrike through the suit. But the damage done to Delta’s reputation as a premium carrier can’t yet be quantified, nor has the impact of a Department of Transportation investigation into Delta over the outage.

    Delta continues to rely on CrowdStrike services following the outage, likely because it is extremely difficult to change cybersecurity providers in systems as large and complicated as Delta’s. 

    Still, CrowdStrike said it moved quickly to try and help Delta — offers the cybersecurity company says were rebuffed. “We are good for now,” one message from a Delta executive cited by CrowdStrike read. The cybersecurity company said its executives were in close contact on the day of the outage.

    “Delta repeatedly rebuffed any assistance from CrowdStrike or its partners,” CrowdStrike wrote.

    CrowdStrike further argues that Delta’s own practices and systems led to the widespread delays and cancellations, unlike other industry peers who recovered much more quickly from the outage.

    “Delta was an outlier. Although Delta acknowledges that it took just hours—not days—for Delta employees to” remediate the outage, CrowdStrike wrote in its filing, “cancellations far exceeded the flight disruptions its peer airlines experienced.”

    The cybersecurity company’s stock took a sharp hit after the outage, plunging 44%. It’s since largely recovered from those losses, posting strong quarterly results even after lowering its guidance due to the incident. CrowdStrike has been helped by the relative stickiness of its products, especially at large enterprises.

    A Delta spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.

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    Walmart employees are now wearing body cameras in some U.S. stores

    Walmart has started giving store-level associates body cameras to wear as part of a pilot program at some of its U.S. locations, CNBC has learned. 

    It’s not clear how many of Walmart’s stores have the recording devices, but some locations now have signs at entry points warning shoppers that it has “body-worn cameras in-use,” according to witnesses and photos posted online. 

    In at least one store in Denton, Texas — about 40 miles north of Dallas — an associate checking receipts was seen wearing a yellow-and-black body camera earlier this month, according to a shopper who shared a photo with CNBC. 

    “While we don’t talk about the specifics of our security measures, we are always looking at new and innovative technology used across the retail industry,” a Walmart spokesperson told CNBC. “This is a pilot we are testing in one market, and we will evaluate the results before making any longer-term decisions.”

    Walmart, the largest nongovernmental employer in the U.S., is testing the technology after smaller retailers started trying body cameras at their own stores as a way to deter theft. Body cameras and the footage they gather are commonly advertised as a way to prevent shoplifting, but Walmart intends to use the tech for worker safety — not as a loss prevention tool, according to a person familiar with the program.

    In a document titled “Providing great customer service while creating a safer environment,” staff are instructed on how to use the devices, according to a photo of the document posted on an online forum for Walmart employees and customers. It instructs employees to “record an event if an interaction with a customer is escalating” and to not wear the devices in employee break areas and bathrooms. After an incident occurs, staffers are told, they are to discuss it with another team member, who can help them log the event in the “ethics and compliance app,” according to the document. 

    The body cameras at Walmart come during the thick of the holiday shopping season, when retail employees work long hours and face tough interactions with customers that can be more tense and hostile than usual. 

    “There’s too much harassment that goes on throughout the year, but especially during the holiday season … it’s even worse,” said Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. “Everyone is stressed out. If they can’t find the item they’re looking for, they get upset and whom do they blame? They blame the shop worker.” 

    However, it’s unclear whether body cameras actually help to deescalate conflict. Appelbaum, whose union does not represent Walmart employees but includes staff from retailers such as Macy’s and H&M, said the RWDSU is concerned that body cameras are more about surveillance and deterring theft than making employees safer.  

    “Workers need training on deescalation. Workers need training on what to do during a hostile situation at work. The body camera doesn’t do that. The body camera doesn’t intervene,” said Appelbaum. “We need safe staffing and we need panic buttons.” 

    Bianca Agustin, the co-executive director of United for Respect, a workers organization for Walmart and Amazon staffers, said the group has asked Walmart to provide more training for its employees but that the company hasn’t met those demands. She said body cameras could be part of the solution but cameras alone are “no substitute” for proper training.

    “There’s a claim that the body cams are going to promote deescalation just organically. We don’t think that’s true,” said Agustin. “You see a lot of violence against workers already at the self-checkout kiosks when they even are attempting to [deter theft] … there’s a potential that this might hurt that [deterrence] … it also could provoke people.” 

    Plus, “there’s already cameras in stores,” said Agustin. 

    David Johnston, vice president of asset protection and retail operations for the National Retail Federation, the retail industry’s lobbying arm, provided a different perspective. He said the retailers he works with have said body cameras have helped to reduce conflict because people act differently when they know they’re being recorded, especially when those cameras are directly in front of a person. 

    “Many of these body-worn cameras have reverse view monitors on them so … there’s a little video screen that you actually see yourself on camera. That in itself can be a very big deterrent,” said Johnston. “The moment that you see yourself is probably [when] you’re going to change your behavior, and that’s what I think the use of a body-worn camera can do.” 

    As customers complain about merchandise being locked up in cases, body cameras are another technique retailers are trying out as they look to deter theft and make stores safer, said Johnston. 

    “Walmart’s got tremendous exposure,” said Mark Cohen, former CEO of Sears Canada and former director of retail studies at Columbia Business School. “Walmart’s probably got a sales force that is very unhappy about what they’re exposed to … [and] feel like the store is not doing enough to protect the store and themselves. And this is a test to see whether it has any beneficial effects, both on deterring criminals and salving the anxiety and the irritation of their associates.”

    Still, it’s not clear whether associates will feel better wearing body cameras. One longtime retail employee, who spent around a decade working at Hot Topic and has since left the industry, told CNBC that being threatened with violence was a regular part of the job, and they’re not sure body cameras would have stopped it.

    “With these people, when they’re in our faces and they’re acting like they’re going to hit us or they’re making threats to meet us in the parking lot, they’re not thinking rationally,” said the former mall employee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “Even with a camera facing them, I don’t think they would care in the moment.”

    The former employee said a body camera wouldn’t have made them feel safer in those interactions, either, but having a police presence nearby would have helped.

    Last year, the NRF’s annual security survey found that 35% of retailers who responded said they were researching body cameras for retail employees or loss prevention staff. While no respondents said body cameras were fully operational, 11% said the retailers were either piloting or testing the solution. 

    TJX Companies is one of them. 

    Earlier this year, the off-price giant said it had started using body cameras in its stores, which include its TJ Maxx, Marshall’s and HomeGoods banners. On a call with analysts after the company reported fiscal first-quarter earnings in May, finance chief John Joseph Klinger said the devices had been effective in reducing shrink, or lost inventory.

    “One of the things that we’ve added — we started to do last year, late towards the year, wear body cameras on our [loss prevention] associates,” said Klinger. “And when somebody comes in, it’s sort of — it’s almost like a deescalation where people are less likely to do something when they’re being videotaped. So we definitely feel that that’s playing a role also.”

    In a statement, a TJX spokesperson said the loss prevention associates who have body cameras have gone through “thorough training on how to use the cameras effectively in their roles.”

    “Video footage is only shared upon request by law enforcement or in response to a subpoena. Body cameras are just one of the many ways that we work to support a safe store environment. This includes a variety of policies, trainings, and procedures,” the spokesperson said. “We hope that these body cameras will help us de-escalate incidents, deter crime, and demonstrate to our Associates and customers that we take safety in our stores seriously.”

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