格隆汇3月24日｜据彭博，雅诗兰黛正就收购西班牙美妆集团Puig Brands SA进行磋商，这笔交易将打造一家年销售额约200亿美元的化妆品巨头。两家公司均拒绝透露具体条款。受此消息影响，雅诗兰黛隔夜跌7.7%。总部位于西班牙的Puig市值约为90亿欧元。雅诗兰黛过去一年股价上涨，投资者对公司执行长Stephane de la Faverie推动的转型战略抱有乐观预期。公司最近一次的业绩指引上调...
格隆汇3月24日｜据彭博，雅诗兰黛正就收购西班牙美妆集团Puig Brands SA进行磋商，这笔交易将打造一家年销售额约200亿美元的化妆品巨头。两家公司均拒绝透露具体条款。受此消息影响，雅诗兰黛隔夜跌7.7%。总部位于西班牙的Puig市值约为90亿欧元。雅诗兰黛过去一年股价上涨，投资者对公司执行长Stephane de la Faverie推动的转型战略抱有乐观预期。公司最近一次的业绩指引上调未能令投资者满意，de la Faverie在分析师电话会议中承认，“仍有更多工作要做”。
Oracle today announced the launch of its AI Customer Excellence Centre in Sydney to help organisations keep pace with rapid AI advancements. The Oracle AI Customer Excellence Centre (AI CEC) will serve as a hub for innovation and collaboration, bringing together leaders to drive AI adoption and success across Australia and Oceania. “AI will change everything and it will fuel the next wave of oppor...
Oracle today announced the launch of its AI Customer Excellence Centre in Sydney to help organisations keep pace with rapid AI advancements. The Oracle AI Customer Excellence Centre (AI CEC) will serve as a hub for innovation and collaboration, bringing together leaders to drive AI adoption and success across Australia and Oceania. “AI will change everything and it will fuel the next wave of opportunity and growth,” said Stephen Bovis, regional managing director, Australia and New Zealand, Oracle. “The Oracle AI Customer Excellence Centre reflects Oracle’s commitment to helping customers, partners, and developers across Australia and Oceania innovate faster using cutting-edge cloud and AI technologies. It will help build the skills and ecosystem needed to support Australia’s digital economy by enabling organisations of all sizes to experiment, learn, and turn innovation into real-world impact.” The Oracle AI CEC builds on Oracle’s longstanding commitment to supporting governments and enterprises across Australia and Oceania. Through strategic ecosystem partnerships and as part of a global network of innovation centres, these facilities enable customers to design architect, and validate solutions in secured, scalable environments. The Oracle AI CEC provides access to Oracle and third-party technologies, along with flexible deployment options through Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) to help organisations reduce complexity, accelerate decision-making, and speed time to market. Supported by a dedicated team of Oracle experts and a network of partners, the Oracle AI CEC is designed to help organisations train teams, test innovations in secured cloud environments, and gain the knowledge needed to transform critical business operations. Benefits of the Oracle AI CEC include: Training: Provides organisations access to training and certifications on the latest cloud and AI technologies led by Oracle University and ecosystem partners. Provides organisations access to trainin...
lechatnoir/E+ via Getty Images Introduction Astronics Corporation ( ATRO ), a mid-cap representative of the aerospace and defense (A&D) universe, has proven to be a very lucrative source of returns for its shareholders over the past 12 months. In a year when the Russell 2000 has managed a respectable performance of over 20%, ATRO has crushed its peers from this space, generating returns of over 15...
lechatnoir/E+ via Getty Images Introduction Astronics Corporation ( ATRO ), a mid-cap representative of the aerospace and defense (A&D) universe, has proven to be a very lucrative source of returns for its shareholders over the past 12 months. In a year when the Russell 2000 has managed a respectable performance of over 20%, ATRO has crushed its peers from this space, generating returns of over 150%, or 7.5x more; even ATRO’s peers from the A&D space, who have attracted a lot more positive interest from the investing community, have not even managed half the returns (on average) that our stock in focus has facilitated. YCharts Besides that, out of the 65-odd A&D stocks that are part of Seeking Alpha’s coverage universe, ATRO is currently ranked at an enviable 3rd, with a quant rating equating to a “ strong buy ” Seeking Alpha So what’s so alluring about the ATRO story, and does it have legs? What Does Astronics Corporation Do? Astronics could primarily be construed to be a technology solutions specialist for the aerospace and defense industry, particularly the commercial aerospace market (69% of group sales), where its offerings are relied on by some major airframe manufacturers (or OEMs), like Boeing ( BA ). (The latter entity alone accounts for 10% of group sales and is the largest customer.) March 2026 Presentation ATRO also caters to other suppliers of these OEMs and aircraft operators while also generating over 20% of its total sales from the defense and government markets (mainly to branches of the US DoD), although revenue to the latter also includes some testing services. March 2026 Presentation So what does ATRO’s portfolio of offerings consist of? Well, you’re looking at different types of avionics products, lighting & safety systems, aircraft structures, electrical power systems, distribution and seat motion systems, certification systems, automated test systems, etc. March 2026 Presentation Why Should ATRO Be Considered For Your Portfolio? Based on what ...
NVS/iStock via Getty Images By Jennifer Nash The Chicago Fed's National Activity Index is a monthly indicator designed to gauge overall economic activity and related inflationary pressure. It is a composite of 85 monthly indicators across four broad categories. The CFNAI is a forward-looking indicator that suggests how the economy will likely look in the near term and has been called one of the "m...
NVS/iStock via Getty Images By Jennifer Nash The Chicago Fed's National Activity Index is a monthly indicator designed to gauge overall economic activity and related inflationary pressure. It is a composite of 85 monthly indicators across four broad categories. The CFNAI is a forward-looking indicator that suggests how the economy will likely look in the near term and has been called one of the "most important and overlooked economic numbers". The index is constructed so a zero value for the index indicates that the national economy is expanding at its historical trend (average) rate of growth. Negative values indicate below-average growth, and positive values indicate above-average growth. The Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) fell to -0.11 in February from +0.20 in January. Two of the four broad categories of indicators used to construct the index decreased from January, and three categories made negative contributions. The first chart below shows the complete CFNAI historical series dating from March 1967 with a callout to the most recent 12 months. The dots show the indicator itself, which is quite noisy and volatile from month to month. The three-month moving average (CFNAI-MA3) is more useful and consistent as an indicator of the actual trend for economic activity. The index's three-month moving average, CFNAI-MA3, rose to -0.01 in February from -0.02 in January. The next chart highlights the +0.7 and -0.7 levels. These levels are significant because the Chicago Fed has observed some important historical patterns around them, as explained by the callout in the chart below. The next chart includes an overlay of GDP. For the most part, the CFNAI-MA3 has been positive while the economy has expanded and been negative while the economy contracts. Surprisingly, this was not the case over the past few years. The CFNAI-MA3 was negative from November 2022 through December 2024, while the U.S. economy expanded during that same time frame. The Long-Term Economi...
One of the biggest factors backing Tesla 's (NASDAQ: TSLA) $1.2 trillion valuation is its investments into robotaxis. The robotaxi market, according to some experts, could eventually be worth up to $10 trillion globally. And by many accounts, Tesla has an enviable position when it comes to taking a heavy share of this emerging market opportunity. There's just one problem: The U.S. National Highway...
One of the biggest factors backing Tesla 's (NASDAQ: TSLA) $1.2 trillion valuation is its investments into robotaxis. The robotaxi market, according to some experts, could eventually be worth up to $10 trillion globally. And by many accounts, Tesla has an enviable position when it comes to taking a heavy share of this emerging market opportunity. There's just one problem: The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently escalated its investigation into Tesla's full self-driving (FSD) features, which are active in 3.2 million of its vehicles. How big a deal is this investigation? Tesla investors -- as well as investors in other electric vehicle (EV) stocks and autonomous driving stocks -- should pay close attention. According to reports from Reuters (part of Thomson Reuters ), the "NHTSA first opened a preliminary evaluation into the automaker's FSD software in October 2024 in 2.4 million vehicles." But in recent weeks, that evaluation was expanded to 3.2 million vehicles, with the NHTSA fearing that "the system may fail to detect or warn drivers in poor visibility." The NHTSA has already reviewed several crashes involving Tesla's FSD system, and claims that the software occasionally "lost track of or never detected a lead vehicle in its path." Continue reading
New Zealand’s response to the impact of rising fuel costs on households is being limited to low and middle-income working families, leaving beneficiaries and pensioners to fend for themselves as the specter of rising debt and inflation looms over the government. Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced Tuesday a NZ$373 million ($218 million) package, which will assist about 143,000 families by add...
New Zealand’s response to the impact of rising fuel costs on households is being limited to low and middle-income working families, leaving beneficiaries and pensioners to fend for themselves as the specter of rising debt and inflation looms over the government. Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced Tuesday a NZ$373 million ($218 million) package, which will assist about 143,000 families by adding NZ$50 a week to their incomes for as long as 12 months. The money is coming from an existing budget operating balance and won’t require new borrowing, she said. The policy “will not add to forecast debt and will not add to inflationary pressure,” Willis told reporters. “It is consistent with the government’s fiscal strategy, which seeks to balance the books and bend the debt curve down.” While the opposition Green Party said the response was insufficient, the center-right government is using it to highlight its economic management credentials ahead of the Nov. 7 election. Much has been made of the previous, Labour-led government’s response to the Covid pandemic which saw wage subsidies, benefit increases and other programs that ultimately blew out debt and saw a surge in inflation. “We saw what happened after Covid when the government let all of the normal rules go,” Willis said. “We saw inflation go far higher than it needed to, debt more than double as a proportion of the economy, and it has taken New Zealand many years to climb its way out of that mess. I am determined not to repeat those mistakes.” Last week Fitch Ratings cut the outlook on New Zealand’s AA+ sovereign credit rating to negative, citing rising debt which it estimated will reach 56% of gross domestic product by June 2027. Read more: New Zealand Rating Outlook Cut to Negative by Fitch on Debt Fitch “sent New Zealand a pretty stark warning — we are on watch,” said Willis. “Why does that matter? Because when rating agencies downgrade a country’s debt rating, it means that we potentially have to pay more f...
China Vanke Co. ’s stake in a logistics firm that’s facing mounting investor concerns is adding to the strain on the distressed developer, just as another wave of looming debt maturities stokes default risks again. Vanke holds a 21% stake in Singapore-based GLP Pte. , which saw its bond prices sink to distressed levels last week. That was after a media report, which the company disputes, that Chin...
China Vanke Co. ’s stake in a logistics firm that’s facing mounting investor concerns is adding to the strain on the distressed developer, just as another wave of looming debt maturities stokes default risks again. Vanke holds a 21% stake in Singapore-based GLP Pte. , which saw its bond prices sink to distressed levels last week. That was after a media report, which the company disputes, that China’s financial regulator informally guided insurers to limit transactions with one of its units. The market turmoil comes as GLP is said to be aiming for an initial public offering in Hong Kong as soon as the first half of this year. If successful, that could eventually help Vanke shore up its liquidity, potentially boosting its bonds. But if market jitters continue and dampen interest in the offering, Vanke could lose a crucial tool to bolster its finances. GLP is targeting a valuation of about $20 billion, Reuters reported in March. Even assuming the IPO is made at book value, it could potentially lead to a cash inflow of over $1 billion to Vanke, Bloomberg Intelligence estimates . Investors’ concerns suggest that GLP will likely struggle to roll over existing exposure with certain insurance funds, potentially stalling its planned IPO and delaying the monetization of Vanke’s stake, BI analysts Daniel Fan and Hui Yen Tay wrote in a recent note . That will “further strain the developer’s cash position.” Vanke didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment; GLP declined to comment. Dates Bond Ticker Principal Amount (Yuan) Maturity Type April 23 VANKE 3.11 04/23/26 2 billion Maturity May 12 VANKE 3.1 05/12/26 2 billion Maturity May 20 VANKE 3.7 05/20/28 566 million Put Option June 15 VANKE 3.07 06/15/26 2 billion Maturity July 7 VANKE 3.07 07/07/26 2 billion Maturity July 24 VANKE 3.1 07/24/26 2 billion Maturity July 26 VANKE 3.49 07/26/28 700 million Put Option It would be an opportune time for Vanke to bolster its liquidity. The company faces more than 11 billion yuan ...
Private equity investment in the Asia-Pacific region is increasingly flowing into advanced manufacturing and healthcare, as global uncertainties push investors towards businesses with more predictable cash flow, according to Bain & Co research. The move away from the previously dominant technology, media and telecommunications sector “has been a gradual move, driven by the external environment and...
Private equity investment in the Asia-Pacific region is increasingly flowing into advanced manufacturing and healthcare, as global uncertainties push investors towards businesses with more predictable cash flow, according to Bain & Co research. The move away from the previously dominant technology, media and telecommunications sector “has been a gradual move, driven by the external environment and uncertainties”, said Elsa Sit, practice vice-president in the Asia-Pacific private equity team with the global management consulting firm. “We see a shift towards … sectors that can offer more stable returns and more predictable cash flows.” The shift came as fundraising for Asia-Pacific-focused private equity funds weakened, marking a fourth straight year of decline in 2025, according to Bain’s report published on Tuesday, based in part on a poll of 121 Asia-Pacific private equity general partners in November. Advertisement Total capital raised by these funds fell to US$58 billion last year, a 12-year low, with the amount raised down 37 per cent from a year earlier. “Limited partners are more selective in picking the funds they want to bet on,” Sit said. “They are clearly backing those general partners who have a stronger track record, the ability to offer portfolio value-add, and to manage and exit the portfolio successfully and secure attractive returns for their limited partners.” Advertisement The technology, media and telecoms sector remained the largest destination for Asia-Pacific private equity in 2025, but its share of deal value fell to a 10-year low – about 25 per cent, the report revealed.
Surging oil prices driven by the US-Israel war on Iran could accelerate the global adoption of electric vehicles – a sector that helped China overtake Japan to become the world’s largest seller of automobiles last year. “The closure of the Strait of Hormuz could be a game-changer for EVs,” said David Brown, director of energy transition research at Wood Mackenzie, in a report released on Friday. T...
Surging oil prices driven by the US-Israel war on Iran could accelerate the global adoption of electric vehicles – a sector that helped China overtake Japan to become the world’s largest seller of automobiles last year. “The closure of the Strait of Hormuz could be a game-changer for EVs,” said David Brown, director of energy transition research at Wood Mackenzie, in a report released on Friday. The “eye-watering” 50 per cent surge in global oil prices so far this month would further incentivise consumers to pivot towards EVs, he said. Advertisement Brent crude was trading at more than US$100 per barrel on Monday, as the upwards pressure on oil prices continued. On Saturday, US President Donald Trump threatened to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants unless it fully reopened the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic within 48 hours. “In those countries with access to low-cost Chinese EVs, the competitive advantage over gasoline-engined cars will come even sooner,” Brown said, noting that Brazil had already become the largest overseas market for Chinese EV giant BYD. Advertisement Justin Feng, an Asia economist at HSBC, also highlighted this trend in a Friday report. He said higher and more volatile oil prices could turn EVs into a clearer “cost-savings proposition” if the conflict persisted, accelerating the electrification of Asia’s road transport. There are now 39 countries where EVs account for more than 10 per cent of total auto sales, up from four in 2019, according to a report by the British think tank Ember released on Wednesday. Emerging markets are adopting electric cars at a rapid pace, with some now surpassing advanced economies in terms of their EV sales share, the report added.
(RTTNews) - The China stock market has moved lower in three straight sessions, shedding almost 250 points or 6.2 percent in that span. The Shanghai Composite Index now sits just above the 3,810-point plateau although it's due for support on Tuesday. The global forecast for the Asian markets is upbeat as tensions in the Middle East take a slight breather. The European markets were mixed and the U.S...
(RTTNews) - The China stock market has moved lower in three straight sessions, shedding almost 250 points or 6.2 percent in that span. The Shanghai Composite Index now sits just above the 3,810-point plateau although it's due for support on Tuesday. The global forecast for the Asian markets is upbeat as tensions in the Middle East take a slight breather. The European markets were mixed and the U.S. bourses were up and the Asian markets are expected to follow the latter lead. The SCI finished sharply lower on Monday with losses cross the board, especially among the finance, property and resource sectors. For the day, the index tumbled 143.77 points or 3.63 percent to finish at 3,813.28 after trading between 3,794.68 and 3,906.62. The Shenzhen Composite Index plunged 108.36 points or 4.19 percent to end at 2,480.75. Among the actives, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China contracted 3.33 percent, while Bank of China dropped 2.18 percent, Agricultural Bank of China stumbled 4.29 percent, China Merchants Bank sank 2.69 percent, Bank of Communications retreated 3.47 percent, China Life Insurance plunged 5.51 percent, Jiangxi Copper cratered 5.67 percent, Aluminum Corp of China (Chalco) tumbled 4.16 percent, Yankuang Energy shed 1.42 percent, PetroChina gained 0.82 percent, China Petroleum and Chemical (Sinopec) fell 0.66 percent, Huaneng Power lost 2.65 percent, China Shenhua Energy eased 0.10 percent, Gemdale crashed 6.78 percent, Poly Developments declined 3.90 percent and China Vanke plummeted 7.37 percent. The lead from Wall Street is broadly positive as the major averages opened higher on Monday and remained firmly in the green throughout the trading day. The Dow surged 631.00 points or 1.38 percent to finish at 46,208.47, while the NASDAQ spiked 299.15 points or 1.38 percent to close at 21,946.76 and the S&P 500 rallied 74.52 points or 1.15 percent to end at 6,581.00. The early rally on Wall Street came reaction to President Donald Trump backing down from his thr...
A Chinese man who was spotted riding a modified electric bicycle powered by his pet dog has faced online allegations of animal abuse. A video clip that went viral online shows the man from eastern China’s Jiangsu province riding on the modified bike on a road on March 16. Another road user filmed the dog in action under the seat of the man’s electric bicycle. Photo: sohu.com The bike’s battery had...
A Chinese man who was spotted riding a modified electric bicycle powered by his pet dog has faced online allegations of animal abuse. A video clip that went viral online shows the man from eastern China’s Jiangsu province riding on the modified bike on a road on March 16. Another road user filmed the dog in action under the seat of the man’s electric bicycle. Photo: sohu.com The bike’s battery had been removed and a reined golden retriever was running under the seat. The dog’s mouth was also muzzled. Advertisement The man also has a stick in his right hand, with which he seemed to whip the dog. The video was filmed and posted by another bike rider. Advertisement Local traffic police have reportedly tracked down the man, but only educated him since he is a senior.