The MSCI Asia Pacific Index was little changed on Tuesday, staying close to the level when the US-Israel war on Iran started in late February. That came after global crude benchmark Brent slipped 0.3% to trade just under $108 a barrel.

The yen held steady at 159.34 against the dollar before the Bank of Japan’s policy announcement later Tuesday.

With little progress on the geopolitical front, investors are turning their focus to earnings from a cohort of tech giants with a combined market value of nearly $16 trillion. Alphabet Inc., Microsoft Corp., Amazon.com Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc. are due to report Wednesday, followed by Apple Inc. a day later, with the results likely to set the tone for global equities and test whether the recent rally in megacap tech can be sustained.

“Markets have recovered to new all-time highs while seemingly ignoring continued geopolitical risks that abound, and this has been done largely on the back of positive earnings revisions and expectations,” said Walter Todd, president and chief investment officer at Greenwood Capital Associates. “Any cracks that emerge in this outlook as the largest companies report in coming weeks pose a significant risk to market momentum.”

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Elsewhere, contracts for the S&P 500 Index edged up 0.2% after the underlying gauge stayed on track for its strongest monthly performance since 2020 as the artificial intelligence trade returns and stocks give up war-related losses. A key semiconductor index pulled back following a historic rally.
Meantime, the White House said US officials are discussing Iran’s latest proposal, but maintained red lines on any deal to end the eight-week war, including preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump had convened a meeting of national security officials to discuss an Iranian proposal. The comments followed reports that Tehran proposed an interim deal whereby it reopens Hormuz in exchange for Washington ending its blockade of ports.

Iran’s proposal is better than what the US had thought, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. Still, the US has questions on the person who submitted the Iran offer, he said.

“The market appears to be reducing its reaction to US/Iran headlines with the outcome trending to a short-term deal followed by more detailed negotiations,” JPMorgan head of global market intelligence Andrew Tyler wrote in a note to clients.

US Treasury yields were steady in Asian trading after rising two to three basis points on Monday, staying on pace for their tightest monthly range since late 2020.

United Airlines on Monday announced that it’s ending its pursuit of a potential merger with American Airlines after its rival rebuffed an initial approach to discuss a deal.

United CEO Scott Kirby said in a statement published on Monday that he approached American Airlines about a potential merger because he “thought we could do something incredible for our customers together.”

“I was confident that this combination, which would have been about adding and not subtracting, creating a truly great airline that customers love, could get regulatory approval,” he said. 

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said he thought a merger with American Airlines would add value for consumers and competition, rather than reducing it. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“I was hoping to pitch that story to American, but they declined to engage and instead responded by publicly closing the door. And without a willing partner, something this big simply can’t get done,” Kirby said.

AMERICAN AIRLINES CEO SAYS MERGER WITH UNITED WOULD BE ‘BAD FOR CUSTOMERS’

American CEO Robert Isom on Thursday said the airline wasn’t interested in a potential merger with United, saying it would be bad for all parties involved.

“The idea of the two largest airlines in the world getting together, that is something that we’ve viewed as being anti-competitive and obviously everybody that has weighed in suggests the same thing,” Isom said. “Bad for customers, bad for the industry and ultimately, that would be bad for American Airlines.”

Kirby acknowledged that “American’s public comments make it clear that a merger like this is off the table for the foreseeable future,” but said that his vision for a merger between United and American involved using the scale of the combined airline to compete and lead around the globe.

BIPARTISAN SENATORS PRESS UNITED AND AMERICAN CEOS ON REPORTED MERGER OF LEADING AIRLINES

He wrote that the combined airline would have had opportunities to grow internationally and with expanded service to smaller communities, noting that both of those goals “are mathematically enabled by having a larger network.”

Kirby said that he thought a merger between United and American would have increased the total number of economy seats in the marketplace to give cost-conscious consumers more affordable options and choice, while the scale would boost competitiveness for international flights.

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom dismissed the prospect of a merger with United. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

He also thought the combined company would’ve “created tens of thousands of new high-paying, unionized jobs with great benefits which would have led to even more career growth opportunities for the 250,000 employees already at United and American,” and also supporting domestic aircraft manufacturing.

UNITED AIRLINES MERGER TALK PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON AMERICAN CEO’S FUTURE, EXPERTS SAY

Kirby said he understood the scale of the merger would attract skepticism because “previous mergers have been about saving struggling airlines, previous legal and regulatory reviews have focused on subtraction and what’s being lost,” whereas he thought this merger proposal would be viewed as a “different proposition altogether.”

“While our pursuit of talks with American have ended, our mission to build the greatest airline in the history of aviation at United is well underway. We have a winning strategy, a culture of innovation and 115,000 of the best aviation professionals in the world working together to deliver for our customers,” Kirby wrote. 

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“While the airline industry has always been dynamic and unpredictable (it’s one of the reasons that I love this business), United’s future is brighter than it’s ever been,” he added.

Deciding whether to handle IT support for your small business in-house or outsource to an external IT team is a difficult decision for any growing business.

From proactively handling cybersecurity issues to managing your VoIP systems, making the right choice for your business IT solutions can be the difference between smooth operations and difficulty keeping up as your business needs change.

We look at the key differences in outsourced IT support vs in-house IT to help you make the correct choice for your business.

What is Outsourced IT Support?

Outsourced IT support

is where an independent company handles all, or part of, your IT infrastructure as an external specialist. These managed IT services can include anything from threat detection and monitoring to supporting you in upgrading your IT infrastructure or migrating to the cloud.

What is an In-House IT Team?

In-house IT teams handle all of your IT requirements as salaried employees, working exclusively for your company. Depending on the size of your organisation and the specific requirements for your IT infrastructure, in-house IT at a small business could be one person or several people.

Outsourced IT vs In-House IT

Cost

When looking at IT cost comparison, the primary cost of in-house IT services is the salary of the employee that manages your IT systems. Additional costs may apply for extra training. In contrast, outsourced IT is a consistent monthly fee.

Expertise & Skillset

An in-house IT professional will usually need to be a ‘jack-of-all-trades’, handling every aspect of your IT solo. This includes anything from troubleshooting and problem-solving to system upgrades and cybersecurity measures. Outsourced IT companies provide you with access to multiple specialised professionals to seamlessly handle your IT.

Scalability

One of the most significant IT outsourcing benefits is easy scalability. Instead of going through a hiring process for a new IT team member, required to scale up in-house IT, you can simply increase your support as and when needed to ensure continuity of service.

Availability & Support

Managed IT services are often available around-the-clock, including automated monitoring systems that alert the team of any problems for fast resolution. In-house IT is typically only available during normal working hours, unless you hire enough people to provide 24/7 support or require employees to be on-call to fix IT problems at short notice.

Pros and Cons

Outsourced IT Support Pros:

• Access to expert support: An external team typically has experts across all areas of IT, from cloud migration to management of specific hardware and software
• Advanced protection: Managed IT services usually include advanced cybersecurity protection, including firewalls and 24/7 threat detection, to help keep your business safe
• Support for systems: If you want to upgrade your systems, introduce a new cloud telephony solution or source suitable software, an outsourced IT team can provide the expert help you need
• Proactive management: Active monitoring and around-the-clock support means that problems can be resolved proactively, instead of waiting for them to be discovered later on

Outsourced IT Support Cons:

• No physical presence: While engineers will visit your site to resolve issues, IT support is generally remote, with tickets submitted through a helpdesk to get support
• Less direct oversight: Outsourcing services mean you have less direct management of your day-to-day IT operations, which may make you feel out of the loop
• Data security and compliance: When working with an outsourced IT team, it’s important you pick a service that complies with all necessary GDPR and industry-specific regulations to keep data safe

In-House IT Pros:

• Complete control: You get the full view of your IT services and are able to change focus as and when needed to suit your business plans
• Easy-to-access support: An in-house professional is directly available to their colleagues, reducing the admin required to report problems with IT systems
• Strong business understanding: In-house IT teams understand your organisational goals and what is most important, enabling them to prioritise effectively and know how to use obscure or custom-made systems

In-House IT Cons:

• Higher costs: The cost of a salary or multiple salaries for in-house IT can be significant, particularly in combination with training and other company benefits
• Skill gaps: A single IT professional will likely not have in-depth knowledge and may experience skill stagnation if they do not have the time for additional training
• Poor scalability: In-house IT is difficult to scale effectively in comparison to an outsourced contract, particularly where extensive training is required to bring new IT employees up to speed

Which Option is Right for Your Business?

Whether outsourced IT or an internal team is right for your business will depend on your priorities and business goals. For rapidly growing companies, being able to scale effectively makes a managed IT service the better choice. For small organisations that have highly specialised software requirements, an in-house professional may be a better fit.

The Hybrid Approach

Utilising both outsourced IT for a range of services, including cloud telephony and cybersecurity solutions, can be an ideal way to expand upon your in-house IT services without the need to hire new employees. The hybrid approach is a popular choice for many companies, providing the best of both worlds.

Conclusion

If you’re unsure whether outsourced or internal IT is the best fit for your business, looking at the pros and cons of both is an excellent starting point. At Flotek, we specialise in providing managed IT services to SMEs across the UK, with around-the-clock support to increase uptime and advanced cybersecurity protection to keep your company safe. If outsourced IT is the best choice for your business, we’re your ideal partner.

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