{"id":59123,"date":"2026-02-25T16:08:40","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T20:08:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/french-government-survives-censure-as-microsoft-faces-japan-antitrust-raid\/59123\/"},"modified":"2026-02-25T16:08:40","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T20:08:40","slug":"french-government-survives-censure-as-microsoft-faces-japan-antitrust-raid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/french-government-survives-censure-as-microsoft-faces-japan-antitrust-raid\/59123\/","title":{"rendered":"French Government Survives Censure as Microsoft Faces Japan Antitrust Raid"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Microsoft (<a href=\"\/stock\/MSFT\">MSFT<\/a>)<\/strong> is under investigation by the <strong>Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC)<\/strong> following a dawn raid on its Tokyo offices over alleged anti-competitive cloud practices.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>French government<\/strong> survived a second no-confidence motion, securing the future of a new energy law that prioritizes <strong>nuclear power<\/strong> and reverses previous reactor shutdown mandates.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sky Network Television (<a href=\"\/stock\/SKT.NZ\">SKT.NZ<\/a>)<\/strong> reported interim results with a full-year revenue target of <strong>NZ$820\u2013835 million<\/strong>, though it warned of <em>challenging near-term trading conditions<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>Federal Reserve<\/strong> has scheduled a public meeting for <strong>March 26, 2026<\/strong>, to review and potentially eliminate &quot;unduly burdensome&quot; banking regulations under the <strong>EGRPRA<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>French Government Maintains Stability Following Energy Law Dispute<\/h2>\n<p>The French administration, led by <strong>Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu<\/strong>, successfully navigated a second no-confidence vote on February 25, 2026. The challenge was spearheaded by the far-right <strong>National Rally (RN)<\/strong> party in response to a new energy law adopted via decree. The motion failed to gain necessary traction after the <strong>Socialist Party<\/strong> declined to support the effort, citing a preference for <em>political stability over legislative chaos<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The contested energy law represents a significant shift in France&#39;s long-term strategy, scaling back renewable energy targets to focus on the state-run utility <strong>EDF<\/strong>. Notably, the legislation reverses a prior mandate to shut down <strong>14 nuclear reactors<\/strong>, a move intended to ease pressure on the national grid and stabilize energy prices. Critics, including <strong>Marine Le Pen<\/strong>, have accused the government of bypassing parliamentary oversight, warning that the plan could eventually drive up costs for households.<\/p>\n<h2>Japan FTC Raids Microsoft Offices Over Cloud Monopoly Concerns<\/h2>\n<p>In a major regulatory escalation, the <strong>Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC)<\/strong> conducted an on-site inspection of <strong>Microsoft (<a href=\"\/stock\/MSFT\">MSFT<\/a>)<\/strong> Japan\u2019s headquarters on Wednesday. Authorities are investigating allegations that the tech giant obstructed competitors by pressuring corporate clients to use its <strong>Azure<\/strong> cloud platform. Sources indicate that <strong>Microsoft (<a href=\"\/stock\/MSFT\">MSFT<\/a>)<\/strong> is suspected of telling customers that utilizing rival services from <strong>Amazon (<a href=\"\/stock\/AMZN\">AMZN<\/a>)<\/strong> or <strong>Google (<a href=\"\/stock\/GOOGL\">GOOGL<\/a>)<\/strong> would lead to technical issues or contractual penalties.<\/p>\n<p>The probe also examines whether <strong>Microsoft (<a href=\"\/stock\/MSFT\">MSFT<\/a>)<\/strong> charged higher licensing fees to customers who chose to run <strong>Microsoft 365<\/strong> applications, such as <strong>Teams<\/strong> and <strong>Word<\/strong>, on competing cloud infrastructures. A spokesperson for the company stated that they are <em>fully cooperating<\/em> with the JFTC. This raid follows a broader global trend of antitrust scrutiny into cloud &quot;bundling&quot; practices, with similar reviews currently active in the <strong>United Kingdom<\/strong>, the <strong>European Union<\/strong>, and the <strong>United States<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Sky Network Television Issues Cautious 2026 Interim Outlook<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Sky Network Television (<a href=\"\/stock\/SKT.NZ\">SKT.NZ<\/a>)<\/strong> released its 2026 interim financial results, projecting full-year revenue between <strong>NZ$820 million and NZ$835 million<\/strong>. The company expects full-year <strong>EBITDA<\/strong> to land in the range of <strong>NZ$145 million to NZ$160 million<\/strong>. Despite these figures, management cautioned that <em>trading conditions remain difficult<\/em> due to persistent economic headwinds and shifts in consumer media spending.<\/p>\n<p>To maintain investor confidence, the Board reaffirmed a dividend guidance of at least <strong>30 NZ cents per share<\/strong>. The company\u2019s current strategy focuses on integrating its recent acquisition of <strong>Discovery NZ<\/strong> and managing a complex satellite migration project. While revenue targets have been adjusted upward compared to previous standalone guidance, the company remains focused on <em>disciplined cost management<\/em> to offset softness in traditional broadcasting segments.<\/p>\n<h2>Federal Reserve Sets Date for Regulatory Reduction Meeting<\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>Federal Reserve Board<\/strong> has announced a hybrid public outreach meeting for <strong>Thursday, March 26, 2026<\/strong>, at 1:30 p.m. to discuss the <strong>Economic Growth and Regulatory Paperwork Reduction Act (EGRPRA)<\/strong>. This congressionally mandated review occurs every 10 years and aims to identify banking regulations that are outdated, unnecessary, or &quot;unduly burdensome.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Stakeholders interested in providing oral comments must register by <strong>March 19, 2026<\/strong>. The meeting will cover 12 regulatory categories, including <strong>capital requirements<\/strong>, <strong>money laundering protections<\/strong>, and the <strong>Community Reinvestment Act<\/strong>. This session is expected to be a critical forum for community bankers seeking relief from the <em>increasing compliance costs<\/em> associated with recent shifts in federal supervision.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Microsoft (MSFT) is under investigation by the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) following a dawn raid on its 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