Europe's EV Sales Jump 51% As Iran War Sends Gasoline Prices Soaring

Credit Card Chargebacks Surge As E-Commerce & Cashless Society Gets Messy For Consumers US consumers are disputing card purchases at a record pace, as online fraud, confusing billing practices, and sneaky subscription charges drive a surge in chargebacks. Bloomberg cites new data from research firm Juniper Research on consumers' aggressive use of chargebacks. Last year alone, US consumers filed 158 million transaction disputes, up 29% from 2021 and outpacing overall growth in card spending. Global disputes jumped 46% over the same period. The increase may reflect not only more legitimate fraud but...

Europe's Rooftop Solar Orders Triple As Gas Prices Surge Submitted by Tsvetana Paraskova of OilPrice.com Rooftop solar installations in Europe have surged since the Middle East war triggered a new oil and gas supply crisis and hiked power prices. Demand from households and businesses willing to install rooftop solar systems soared in March and continues to rise at even higher rates in April as consumers look to insulate themselves from spiking gas and electricity prices, equipment wholesalers and renewable utilities in Northwest Europe have told Reuters. Rooftop solar demand in Germany, the Netherlands,...

Microsoft Freezes Hiring In Cloud And Sales As Stock Suffers Worst Start To Year On Record Microsoft shares were trading lower Thursday afternoon, leaving the stock deeper in bear-market territory and down about 24% on the year. Seasonal data suggests it is the worst start to a year for Microsoft on record.  A new report from The Information says Microsoft executives have instructed managers across major divisions, including Azure cloud and North American sales, to freeze hiring as part of a broader effort to reduce costs and boost margins ahead of...