Blackstone Inc. is considering selling Interplex’s information and communications technology unit amid interest from other private equity firms and industry players, according to people familiar with the matter. Blackstone is working with a financial adviser on a potential sale, the people said, asking not to be identified because the deliberations are private. A transaction might value the ICT bu...
Blackstone Inc. is considering selling Interplex’s information and communications technology unit amid interest from other private equity firms and industry players, according to people familiar with the matter. Blackstone is working with a financial adviser on a potential sale, the people said, asking not to be identified because the deliberations are private. A transaction might value the ICT business at more than $1 billion, they said. Considerations are preliminary and no final decision has been made, the people said. A representative for Blackstone declined to comment. Interplex didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Blackstone acquired Singapore-based Interplex for an undisclosed amount in 2022 from Baring Private Equity Asia, which is now part of EQT AB . Interplex makes components used in electric vehicles, autonomous driving, medical and life sciences, and cloud computing. The ICT business offers solutions for areas such as networking enclosures, servers, disk drives, wearables and mobile devices, Interplex’s website shows.
The controversy over mandatory seat belts in Hong Kong has intensified after a former lawmaker said a government statement failed to specify that the rule only applied to new buses registered from January 25 this year, and called on authorities to clarify their approach to enforcement as passengers worried about unwittingly breaking the law. Doreen Kong Yuk-foon, a member of the subcommittee that ...
The controversy over mandatory seat belts in Hong Kong has intensified after a former lawmaker said a government statement failed to specify that the rule only applied to new buses registered from January 25 this year, and called on authorities to clarify their approach to enforcement as passengers worried about unwittingly breaking the law. Doreen Kong Yuk-foon, a member of the subcommittee that examined the proposed legislative amendment last year, told the South China Morning Post on Friday that a government press release on January 8 had caused confusion by stating that passengers had to wear seat belts regardless of whether the vehicles were newly registered, contradicting what was written in the law. She was referring to the new regulation that took effect on Sunday, which requires passengers on public buses to put on seat belts. Advertisement Kong said lawmakers who scrutinised the proposal last September had been told that the new rule would only apply to new vehicles registered on or after January 25 this year, and that the government’s January 8 press release had “wrongly interpreted” the law. “The press release was wrong in saying that ‘drivers and passengers occupying the seats of these vehicles (whether newly registered or not), where seat belts are fitted, are required to wear them.’ It obviously does not match the clauses [in the law],” Kong said. Advertisement “People will have to ask those who wrote this press release why they did this. I do not understand.”
Hiroshi Watanabe/DigitalVision via Getty Images Overview abrdn Total Dynamic Dividend Fund ( AOD ) operates as a closed-end fund that can provide investors with global exposure to high quality equities, while also providing a high dividend yield. When I previously covered AOD, I issued a hold rating due to the high price-to-NAV valuation at the time. The fund has delivered excellent performance si...
Hiroshi Watanabe/DigitalVision via Getty Images Overview abrdn Total Dynamic Dividend Fund ( AOD ) operates as a closed-end fund that can provide investors with global exposure to high quality equities, while also providing a high dividend yield. When I previously covered AOD, I issued a hold rating due to the high price-to-NAV valuation at the time. The fund has delivered excellent performance since my last coverage as U.S. uncertainty increased, causing capital to flow into other regions of the world. Since my last coverage, AOD has released an updated annual report for 2025, which prompted me to revisit the fund's value proposition now that we've crossed into the new year. Looking at the performance over the last twelve months, we can see that AOD's share price has increased by about 14.8%. The fund has demonstrated its ability to participate in the positive market momentum over the last few quarters. When including all distributions that were paid out to shareholders, the total return jumps up to 30.6% over the same time frame. AOD now offers investors a starting dividend yield of ~12.1% while issuing payouts on a monthly basis. After reviewing the latest annual report, I believe that AOD is positioned to support its current rate of distributions over the next twelve months. Data by YCharts However, the fund continues to trade at one of the highest price-to-NAV valuations over the last ten years. Therefore, it may not be the best time for new capital to be added to this fund. However, I see no compelling reason for existing shareholders to sell out of a position. While there are some structural things that can be improved within the fund, AOD is still positioned to be a great long-term holding for investors that want global exposure and a reliable stream of dividend income. So let's start by taking a look at the underlying strategy that AOD implements to generate its earnings. Fund Strategy According to the latest fact sheet , AOD has total net assets of $1.1B t...
People’s Party has extended its lead over Thailand’s ruling Bhumjaithai Party with just nine days to go before an election that’s likely to produce another divided parliament. Support for the opposition party rose to 34.2% from 30.5% earlier this month , according to a Jan. 23-25 survey by the National Institute of Development Administration. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul ’s conservative Bhum...
People’s Party has extended its lead over Thailand’s ruling Bhumjaithai Party with just nine days to go before an election that’s likely to produce another divided parliament. Support for the opposition party rose to 34.2% from 30.5% earlier this month , according to a Jan. 23-25 survey by the National Institute of Development Administration. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul ’s conservative Bhumjaithai Party trailed with 22.6%, little changed from 22.3%, the survey published Friday showed. The Feb. 8 election is essentially a race between reformist People’s Party, whose predecessor won the last election but was blocked from forming a government, and its conservative rival that’s seen as having the backing of the royalist-military establishment. No party is expected to win a majority, making coalition bargaining inevitable in a system that has struggled to produce stable governments since the 2023 election. Pheu Thai, backed by former premier Thaksin Shinawatra , is polling third at about 16.2%, positioning it as a potential kingmaker, while the country’s oldest political bloc, Democrat Party, follows with 13.2%. The poll of 2,500 voters nationwide also showed People’s Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut as the most preferred prime minister candidate, with 29.1% support, ahead of Anutin’s 22.2%. The share of undecided voters has shrunk, suggesting opinions are solidifying as election day approaches. A separate survey by Suan Dusit University echoed the trend, putting People’s Party on 36% support among more than 26,000 respondents. However, the poll showed Pheu Thai in second place and Bhumjaithai coming in third. Thai Parties Agree on Cost-of-Living Crisis, Diverge on Solution Thailand Sours on Rampant Cannabis Industry Ahead of Election Thai Ex-Premier Abhisit Seeks Return as Anti-Scammer Kingmaker Thai Ruling Party Vows to Resolve Cambodia Row as Election Nears Thai Reformist Party Pledges to Revive ‘Fifth Tiger’ Economy Thaksin Nephew Faces Balancing Act to ...
Expedia Group has become the latest tech company to join the round of layoffs that have been keeping the market abuzz with unease and instability. LinkedIn was flooded on Wednesday, Jan 28, with posts from laid-off employees who had set their profile pictures to 'Open to Work.' In November, Expedia ...
Expedia Group has become the latest tech company to join the round of layoffs that have been keeping the market abuzz with unease and instability. LinkedIn was flooded on Wednesday, Jan 28, with posts from laid-off employees who had set their profile pictures to 'Open to Work.' In November, Expedia ...
Art Wager/E+ via Getty Images iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF ( FLOT ) is designed to generate regular cash flow in a non-dramatic way. The idea is to provide an income while keeping interest-rate risk low. This also curtails price volatility - giving rise to the typical sawtooth pattern in the price chart. FLOT holds a large and diversified portfolio. It almost entirely consists of investment-grad...
Art Wager/E+ via Getty Images iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF ( FLOT ) is designed to generate regular cash flow in a non-dramatic way. The idea is to provide an income while keeping interest-rate risk low. This also curtails price volatility - giving rise to the typical sawtooth pattern in the price chart. FLOT holds a large and diversified portfolio. It almost entirely consists of investment-grade floating-rate notes from banks and other entities. There are hundreds of individual securities, with limited issuer concentration because there are literally hundreds of names there. This is a good way to understand that FLOT is selecting IG-only issuers, but their entire focus is to mechanize income. The most defining feature of FLOT is that coupons reset with short-term rates. So, on the one hand, FLOT’s income changes with policy rates, and on the other, it avoids getting penalized when rates rise, unlike with fixed-rate bond funds with long-duration exposure. The way this helps is that it keeps FLOT’s price highly rangebound, and almost all the returns go into cash distributions rather than into NAV. Because of this specific design, the fund comes with a) low price volatility, b) monthly distributions, and c) minimal duration exposure. That last point ensures you do not need to gaze at your crystal ball in order to figure out rates - you don’t need to. That’s because changes in interest rates already change the income; they don't also need to change the price. The price stays rangebound; income varies. Therefore, do not buy FLOT because of rate changes you think are going to happen. Buy it because it provides an income that adapts to rate changes. Income quality vs. yield optics At FLOT, yield keeps changing - ranging from low single digits to the mid-5% area in the past couple of years. This change tracks changes in short-term rates; it is not a portfolio risk - yet investors tend to dismiss FLOT because of this variability. They forget that income quality, not artif...
宏福苑大災|中醫師涉偽造2.5萬元捐款收據扣稅被捕 To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 【有線新聞】一名39歲男子涉嫌偽造2.5萬元向大埔宏福苑火災捐款記錄,向庫務署申請扣稅後被捕。 警方於1月15日接獲報案,懷疑...
宏福苑大災|中醫師涉偽造2.5萬元捐款收據扣稅被捕 To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 【有線新聞】一名39歲男子涉嫌偽造2.5萬元向大埔宏福苑火災捐款記錄,向庫務署申請扣稅後被捕。 警方於1月15日接獲報案,懷疑有人向庫務署提交虛假捐款收據以申請稅務扣除,被庫務署職員發現收據上的文字是AI生成,經銀行查證後確認沒有任何捐款記錄。警方周四以涉嫌行使虛假文書拘捕涉案39歲本地男子,報稱職業為中醫師,正被扣留調查。
(RTTNews) - hilltop holdings inc. (HTH) revealed earnings for its fourth quarter that Increased, from last year The company's earnings came in at $41.58 million, or $0.69 per share. This compares with $35.52 million, or $0.55 per share, last year. The company's revenue for the period rose 9.6% to $329.89 million from $301.07 million last year. hilltop holdings inc. earnings at a glance (GAAP) : -E...
(RTTNews) - hilltop holdings inc. (HTH) revealed earnings for its fourth quarter that Increased, from last year The company's earnings came in at $41.58 million, or $0.69 per share. This compares with $35.52 million, or $0.55 per share, last year. The company's revenue for the period rose 9.6% to $329.89 million from $301.07 million last year. hilltop holdings inc. earnings at a glance (GAAP) : -Earnings: $41.58 Mln. vs. $35.52 Mln. last year. -EPS: $0.69 vs. $0.55 last year. -Revenue: $329.89 Mln vs. $301.07 Mln last year. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
Birol Dincer /iStock via Getty Images By Min Joo Kang , Senior Economist, South Korea and Japan Tokyo inflation cooled more than expected, while retail sales and production declined. The Bank of Japan will wait to see if wage growth and prices increase before tightening again - most likely in June. Government measures and base effects pulled down inflation Tokyo's consumer inflation slowed to 1.5%...
Birol Dincer /iStock via Getty Images By Min Joo Kang , Senior Economist, South Korea and Japan Tokyo inflation cooled more than expected, while retail sales and production declined. The Bank of Japan will wait to see if wage growth and prices increase before tightening again - most likely in June. Government measures and base effects pulled down inflation Tokyo's consumer inflation slowed to 1.5% year-on-year in January, dropping below 2% for the first time since October 2024. This was mainly due to lower food and energy prices. Utility subsidies and fuel tax cuts contributed to falling energy costs, while fresh food prices fell sharply by 7.9%, largely due to base effects. Core-core inflation, excluding fresh food and energy, eased to 2.4% as entertainment prices softened while housing prices rose. Headline inflation is expected to decline for an extended period this year, but the BoJ should prioritise core-core and underlying inflation trends. If core-core inflation remains above 2% and wage growth is steady, a policy rate adjustment is likely. Today's labour market data supports this outlook. The unemployment rate has held at 2.6% for five consecutive months. The job-to-application ratio increased slightly to 1.19, indicating tight labour market conditions. We’ve argued that the Bank of Japan probably won’t be in a hurry to hike rates when inflation is decelerating. To do so, it needs strong evidence that underlying inflationary pressures are still firming. In that sense, the Shunto wage negotiation results and April CPI are quite important to watch. We expect another 5% increase in wage growth and a strong pick-up in April CPI. This could support the BoJ’s 25 bp hike in June. Inflation is likely to decelerate throughout 2026 due to stablizing energy and food prices Source: CEIC Monthly activity softened, suggesting a modest rebound in 4Q25 GDP Retail sales dropped more than expected in December by 2.0% month-on-month, seasonally adjusted (vs. revised 0.7% in No...
Key Points Meta Platforms plans to spend $115 billion-$135 billion on capital expenditures this year, much of which will go to AI. It's the clearest signal from a hyperscaler this year that the AI boom will accelerate. CoreWeave looks like one of the companies poised to benefit. 10 stocks we like better than CoreWeave › Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) kicked off Big Tech earnings season in fine form...
Key Points Meta Platforms plans to spend $115 billion-$135 billion on capital expenditures this year, much of which will go to AI. It's the clearest signal from a hyperscaler this year that the AI boom will accelerate. CoreWeave looks like one of the companies poised to benefit. 10 stocks we like better than CoreWeave › Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) kicked off Big Tech earnings season in fine form on Wednesday, topping estimates on the top and bottom line, and issuing better-than-expected guidance for the first quarter. While doubts about the AI boom have lingered after concerns about a bubble sent AI stocks falling briefly toward the end of last year, from Meta's perspective, the boom is alive and well. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » Revenue jumped 24% in the quarter to $59.9 billion and full-year revenue topped $200 billion, up 22% from the year before. However, the biggest news out of the tech giant, at least for AI investors, was the company's spending forecast for this year. Meta said that capital expenditures in 2026 would climb to $115 billion-$135 billion with year-over-year growth driven by investments in Meta Superintelligence Labs -- in other words, AI -- and its core business, meaning its family of apps and advertising. That capex forecast represents 73% growth from the year before at the midpoint of the range, up from $72.2 billion in capex in 2025, which itself jumped 84% from $39.2 billion in 2024, meaning Meta's infrastructure spending is set to triple in just two years. That's the clearest sign yet so far this year that the AI bonanza will only accelerate in 2026, and investors are clearly happy with the overall report, as the stock was trading up 8% after-hours. Image source: Getty Images. Who wins when Meta spends? Meta's blockbuster capex forecast is meaningful for the social media giant, but it could be even bigger news for other corners of th...
Stacy Smith, Executive Chairman at Kioxia, discusses the memory maker's business strategy and the outlook for AI memory demand. He speaks with Shery Ahn on The Asia Trade. (Source: Bloomberg)
Stacy Smith, Executive Chairman at Kioxia, discusses the memory maker's business strategy and the outlook for AI memory demand. He speaks with Shery Ahn on The Asia Trade. (Source: Bloomberg)
Earnings Call Insights: SkyWest, Inc. (SKYW) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Russell A. Childs began by highlighting net income of $91 million or $2.21 per diluted share for Q4 2025 and full year net income of $428 million or $10.35 per diluted share. He noted, “our model converted a growth of 15% in production to a 31% increase in pretax income, reflecting the strong operating leverage within our mod...
Earnings Call Insights: SkyWest, Inc. (SKYW) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Russell A. Childs began by highlighting net income of $91 million or $2.21 per diluted share for Q4 2025 and full year net income of $428 million or $10.35 per diluted share. He noted, “our model converted a growth of 15% in production to a 31% increase in pretax income, reflecting the strong operating leverage within our model.” Childs announced multiyear contract extensions for 40 E175s with United and 13 E175 with Delta, emphasizing, “these agreements continue to strengthen our partnerships and demonstrate the ongoing long-term demand for our product.” He stated the company has no major E175 contract expirations until late 2028, and ongoing investments in fleet diversity position SkyWest to adapt to market demands. He addressed operational challenges in Q4, citing a government shutdown and mandatory flight reductions, resulting in more canceled flights than major partners and a modest impact from the shutdown. Childs stated the company’s debt has been reduced by $1 billion over the past three years, reinforcing its position of long-term strength and flexibility. CFO Robert Simmons reported, “Total Q4 revenue of $1 billion is down seasonally from $1.1 billion in Q3 2025 and up 8% from $944 million in Q4 2024.” He added, “Q4 revenue includes contract revenue of $803 million down from $844 million in Q3 2025 and up from $786 million in Q4 2024. Prorate and charter revenue was $167 million in Q4, flat with Q3 2025 and up from $126 million in Q4 2024.” Simmons highlighted $85 million in share repurchases for 2025, nearly doubling the investment from 2024. Chief Commercial Officer Wade Steel announced, “We now have no contract expirations on E175s until the back half of 2028. During the quarter, we took delivery of 5 new E175s for United. We currently have 69 E175s on firm order with Embraer, including 16 for Delta, 8 for United, 1 for Alaska.” Outlook Simmons stated, “For 2026, we now expect to s...