RocketNews

Sam’s Club, the warehouse retailer owned by Walmart, has announced a relaunch of its travel booking service through a new partnership with Boundless Labs, a cruise-focused technology company. The collaboration aims to bring online booking capabilities to the cruise industry, where a significant majority of transactions have traditionally occurred through offline channels with human travel agents. The cruise and travel experience sectors have proven resistant to online booking adoption.

United Airlines maintains confidence in its ability to pass along full jet fuel expenses to customers through higher ticket prices, according to comments from the carrier’s chief financial officer. Michael Leskinen stated at an investor conference that the airline continues to expect full fuel cost recovery by year-end, despite recent upward pressure on jet fuel prices. He acknowledged that fuel costs have increased notably in recent weeks, creating operational challenges for pricing strategy.

Flydubai, the regional subsidiary of Emirates, anticipates achieving full operational recovery by the conclusion of 2026. The carrier aims to return to 100% of its pre-conflict capacity levels and potentially exceed them with additional aircraft deliveries scheduled for the coming months, according to CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith during remarks at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai.

Keith Townsend, 52, reflected on the death of Ronald Paquin, a defrocked Catholic priest who died in custody at age 83 on 11 September. Paquin had faced criminal charges that Townsend pursued against him.

Argan Inc., a specialty construction firm serving the power-generation and industrial sectors, announced a 40% increase to its quarterly dividend, raising the payout from $0.50 to $0.70 per share. The new quarterly distribution translates to an annual rate of $2.80 per share and represents the company’s fourth straight year of dividend increases, following a 33% raise in September 2025. The payout is scheduled for October 30 to shareholders of record on October 22.

The Bank of Japan prepared to increase its policy interest rate to 1.25% from 1%, marking the highest level in over three decades and the first adjustment in three months. The move aligned the central bank with other major monetary authorities, including the European Central Bank and the anticipated U.S. Federal Reserve action, as officials worldwide grappled with lingering inflationary pressures stemming from surging energy costs.

Altera, a semiconductor manufacturer backed by Intel, filed confidentially for a US initial public offering with plans to debut as soon as later this year. The company is targeting $2 billion in IPO proceeds, positioning it as one of the largest recent debuts for an American semiconductor firm. Only Arm’s offering in 2023 and Cerebras’ May debut raised more capital among recent semiconductor IPOs. The company’s trajectory reflects a complex corporate history.

The Federal Reserve’s policy committee voted unanimously on September 16 to increase the federal funds target range by 25 basis points, marking its first rate hike since 2023. The central bank cited elevated inflation levels and stated the adjustment would facilitate a faster approach to its 2% inflation objective.

Salesforce announced a fiscal 2030 revenue target exceeding $63 billion during its Dreamforce conference, surpassing consensus analyst expectations of $59.2 billion according to LSEG polling. The projection underscored the enterprise software company’s recovery after navigating significant market headwinds earlier in the year.

Bonnie Greer, a prominent British-American author and cultural critic, has passed away at the age of 77 after a short illness. Her husband, David Hutchins, announced her death in a statement, describing her as someone who had made an enduring mark on British cultural and public life through her intelligence, courage, and distinctive perspective. He characterized her as a devoted partner and inspiration, while also noting her warmth, humor, and talent for bringing people together.