CK Hutchison Holdings , one of the flagship companies of billionaire Li Ka-shing, has no plans to sell ParknShop in Hong Kong to one of its largest competitors, according to a senior executive of the supermarket chain’s owner and operator. “There is really no such plan to sell ParknShop,” said Dominic Lai, group co-managing director of CK Hutchison, responding to a question at the company’s annual...
CK Hutchison Holdings , one of the flagship companies of billionaire Li Ka-shing, has no plans to sell ParknShop in Hong Kong to one of its largest competitors, according to a senior executive of the supermarket chain’s owner and operator. “There is really no such plan to sell ParknShop,” said Dominic Lai, group co-managing director of CK Hutchison, responding to a question at the company’s annual general meeting on Thursday. The group had been reported to be in talks with Jardine Matheson about a possible merger between ParknShop and its Wellcome grocery chain, operated by unit DFI Retail. Combined, the two would control under half of Hong Kong’s supermarket sector. Advertisement Along with Market Place, 3hreesixty and Oliver’s, Wellcome operated a network of more than 320 stores in Hong Kong, according to its website. ParknShop ran more than 240 outlets, including those under Fusion, Taste, Taste x Fresh, Food Parc and Great Food Hall, according to its website. Lai also commended ParknShop staff for “doing a very good job despite an extremely competitive environment.” Advertisement He said they had stepped up sourcing products globally, including from mainland China, and offered discounts, to ensure that everyone could “enjoy great value for money” when shopping. “We could clearly see their hard work,” Lai added.
Photo: VCG China’s economy slowed broadly after a stronger-than-expected first quarter, with activity weakening across most major indicators outside exports, highlighting a recurring pattern driven by the timing of policy implementation, according to UBS Securities Chief China Economist Song Yu. China’s first-quarter performance beat expectations, but momentum weakened in April, continuing a patte...
Photo: VCG China’s economy slowed broadly after a stronger-than-expected first quarter, with activity weakening across most major indicators outside exports, highlighting a recurring pattern driven by the timing of policy implementation, according to UBS Securities Chief China Economist Song Yu. China’s first-quarter performance beat expectations, but momentum weakened in April, continuing a pattern seen in recent years in which strong first-quarter data are followed by second-quarter slowdowns.
Luis Alvarez/DigitalVision via Getty Images Introduction Since the end of January, Nu Holdings ( NU ) has lost over 35% of its market value and has been a clear underperformer within its peer group of Brazilian banks. The main reason behind this underperformance is the market’s expectation that NU is approaching maturity in its core market of Brazil. New markets, such as Mexico or Colombia, are no...
Luis Alvarez/DigitalVision via Getty Images Introduction Since the end of January, Nu Holdings ( NU ) has lost over 35% of its market value and has been a clear underperformer within its peer group of Brazilian banks. The main reason behind this underperformance is the market’s expectation that NU is approaching maturity in its core market of Brazil. New markets, such as Mexico or Colombia, are not yet profitable and will require several more quarters to reach profitability. Additionally, investments in entering the U.S. market and building AI infrastructure could put pressure on short-term earnings. In my last article on NU, I wrote that acquiring a Mexican banking license would enable NU to become the largest retail bank in Latin America, a view I still strongly hold. In the following sections, I argue that NU still has a long runway for growth ahead and that what the market perceives as a structural slowdown could present a good opportunity to add to this long-term compounder. Bloomberg Brazil remains a growth engine Brazil is one of the most profitable banking markets in the world, where banks earn return on equity [ROE] exceeding 20%, driven by a combination of high net interest margins (NIMs) and stable provisioning ratios. By contrast, NU has achieved an average adjusted ROE of over 30% over the past six quarters. In its most recent earnings call, management stated that NU still has a long road ahead in the Brazilian market, where it currently captures only 7% of the total profit pool, despite being the largest private financial institution in Brazil by customer base. In its two largest product segments, credit cards and unsecured loans, NU’s market share stands at just 18% and 8%, respectively. By various measures, the most underappreciated opportunity is the SME segment, which is almost as large as the credit card market (USD 18 billion versus USD 20 billion), yet NU’s market penetration is only 2%. Since many of NU’s 110 million individual clients own smal...
In a letter to An Garda Siochana, the Irish justice minister and Fiosrú - which has been seen by BBC News NI - Joseph said: "The scenes depicted, including the disproportionate and unnecessary level of force used during Mr Sakila's restraint, are deeply disturbing and raise urgent and serious questions which require comprehensive examination."
In a letter to An Garda Siochana, the Irish justice minister and Fiosrú - which has been seen by BBC News NI - Joseph said: "The scenes depicted, including the disproportionate and unnecessary level of force used during Mr Sakila's restraint, are deeply disturbing and raise urgent and serious questions which require comprehensive examination."
The global economy is showing signs of waning momentum and mounting inflation pressures during its third month of a war-induced energy crunch. Surveys of purchasing managers from Australia to the Europe pointed to an intensifying ordeal for manufacturing and services companies in May. In particular, factory activity as measured by S&P Global either slowed or even contracted across the board on all...
The global economy is showing signs of waning momentum and mounting inflation pressures during its third month of a war-induced energy crunch. Surveys of purchasing managers from Australia to the Europe pointed to an intensifying ordeal for manufacturing and services companies in May. In particular, factory activity as measured by S&P Global either slowed or even contracted across the board on all indexes released early on Thursday, apart from the UK’s. While the results showed the lingering effects of a stock-building surge, the reports also highlighted how jumping costs are forcing businesses to take the hit or else share the pain with customers. As with April, the worst impact was seen in the euro zone, with plummeting gauges in France delivering the biggest surprise. Manufacturing there and in the region’s biggest economy, Germany, has now just succumbed to a phase of shrinking activity. Overall, the numbers add to evidence that the growth and inflation shocks to the world from the Middle East crisis are spreading, complicating the task for central bankers. Given the danger that price increases may take on momentum, they could end up having to raise borrowing costs even at the expense of a squeeze on enfeebled expansion. The inflation worry and prospect of consequential interest-rate hikes is what’s gripped investors in the past week, with their grasp of the fiscal implications prompting a selloff in government bonds that sent long-term yields to the highest in more than two decades. But the danger that comes with higher borrowing costs set by central banks is that expansion in some economies could grind to a halt or even going into reverse. “There’s a pretty good chance, given how weak growth is in Europe, that we get something like a technical recession,” Melanie Baker , an economist at Royal London Asset Management, told Bloomberg Television. “You’ve absolutely got a whiff of stagflation at the moment.” Of the survey results issued on Thursday, those for Indi...
The euro area will slow markedly while suffering the fastest inflation since 2023 as it succumbs to the energy-cost surge from the Iran war, according to the European Commission. Issuing new forecasts for the region, the European Union’s executive arm predicted that output will rise 0.9% this year, notably below the 1.4% expansion last year, and 0.3 percentage points lower than expected in Novembe...
The euro area will slow markedly while suffering the fastest inflation since 2023 as it succumbs to the energy-cost surge from the Iran war, according to the European Commission. Issuing new forecasts for the region, the European Union’s executive arm predicted that output will rise 0.9% this year, notably below the 1.4% expansion last year, and 0.3 percentage points lower than expected in November. For 2027, it revised its outlook down to 1.2%. Inflation is seen to average 3% in 2026, compared to only 1.9% in the previous round, and significantly above the European Central Bank ’s 2% target. It’s forecast to ease again to 2.3% next year. Brussels officials warned that in an alternative scenario, which assumes more prolonged disruptions due to the Iran crisis, price growth won’t ease and economic activity will fail to rebound in 2027. “The conflict in the Middle East has triggered a major energy shock, further testing Europe as it navigates an already volatile geopolitical and trade environment,” Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said. The predictions follow repeated warnings by Dombrovskis that the region is facing the real risk of a stagflationary shock with low growth and high inflation — a label European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde has dismissed. But with no quick end to hostilities in sight, policymakers find themselves in an increasingly tricky spot. Inflation already at 3% in April, and likely to rise further, would support the case to raise interest rates. At the same time, any tightening risks putting additional burdens on an already subdued pace of economic activity. The vast majority of economists surveyed by Bloomberg predict a quarter-point hike next month, and just over half expect another such step in September. Traders are betting on two to three moves this year. At the June 10-11 meeting, the ECB will also publish new projections. In March, it predicted in its baseline that gross domestic product will rise 0.9%, with inflation ave...
Key Points Apple's economic moat, share buybacks, and customer loyalty make it appealing. Berkshire has exited Visa and Mastercard, but two key factors may explain why it's holding on to American Express. Coca-Cola is a stock to buy and hold due to both its dividend and durable business. 10 stocks we like better than Apple › Warren Buffett, who served as chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaw...
Key Points Apple's economic moat, share buybacks, and customer loyalty make it appealing. Berkshire has exited Visa and Mastercard, but two key factors may explain why it's holding on to American Express. Coca-Cola is a stock to buy and hold due to both its dividend and durable business. 10 stocks we like better than Apple › Warren Buffett, who served as chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway from 1965 to 2025, once said his favorite holding period was "forever." Now, that doesn't mean the legendary investor held on to every stock he ever bought. Just like investors of all stripes, he was apt to cash out of investments that were either overvalued or where the bull case was shifting in the wrong direction. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » However, among the core Berkshire Hathaway portfolio, there are a few stocks Buffett bought but never sold. Interestingly enough, they are also currently the three largest positions in the portfolio. With each one representing ownership in businesses with strong balance sheets, deep economic moats, and long track records of earnings and/or dividend growth, these are the Warren Buffett investments to buy and hold forever: Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), American Express (NYSE: AXP), and Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO). Apple remains the tech stock best meeting Buffett's criteria Berkshire Hathaway first invested in tech giant Apple in 2016. Berkshire has periodically sold some of its position, but by and large it has held on to this holding. Per the latest 13-F disclosure filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Berkshire Hathaway's 1.6% stake in Apple is the portfolio's largest and most valuable single holding. Making up almost 21% of the overall portfolio, the position is worth about $67.9 billion . When Berkshire first invested in Apple, it was a uni...
For anyone who has observed Canopy Growth (CGC +4.06%) during the past few years, it won't be shocking to learn that the marijuana company's stock is diving in May. Since the start of the month, it's down by more than 12% as of this writing, against the nearly 2% gain of the bellwether S&P 500 index. Expand NASDAQ : CGC Canopy Growth Today's Change ( 4.06 %) $ 0.04 Current Price $ 1.03 Key Data Po...
For anyone who has observed Canopy Growth (CGC +4.06%) during the past few years, it won't be shocking to learn that the marijuana company's stock is diving in May. Since the start of the month, it's down by more than 12% as of this writing, against the nearly 2% gain of the bellwether S&P 500 index. Expand NASDAQ : CGC Canopy Growth Today's Change ( 4.06 %) $ 0.04 Current Price $ 1.03 Key Data Points Market Cap $439M Day's Range $ 0.99 - $ 1.05 52wk Range $ 0.84 - $ 2.38 Volume 16K Avg Vol 9.9M Gross Margin 18.25 % Years of net losses and struggles with sales growth have taken their toll on investor sentiment. Yet there are Canopy Growth bulls in the investing community that point to a recent acquisition, in particular, as a cause for hope. I'm not buying that view, and I'm not buying the company's stock. Read on for why. A business full of headaches The company's home country, Canada, began full legalization of recreational weed in 2018. That was also the golden era of cannabis companies, as investors flocked to weed stocks at the dawn of this seemingly glorious new market. Except that the market wasn't so impressive. Regulatory bottlenecks in Canada hampered its development, while persistent gray- and black-market competition and oversupply left the company constantly struggling. At least it wasn't alone in that respect; north-of-the-border peers like Tilray Brands have also had a tough time prospering in such an environment. The vast and wealthy U.S. market -- where Canopy Growth has a presence through its Canopy USA affiliate -- is always tantalizing. This is more promise than reality, however. De facto legalization is frustratingly piecemeal, and reform has occurred in fits and starts, at best. So, in both its home country and here, Canopy Growth remains challenged to eke out any growth and reduce the flow of red ink on the bottom line. Over the years, it has tried numerous times to shore up its finances with fresh secondary-share issues, but the dilution has ...
Analysts responded to Target's NASDAQ: TGT May 20 earnings release with mixed sentiment, overshadowing the strengths revealed. The company outperformed expectations and improved guidance, but it was not enough to move the needle on sentiment or price targets, which is what the market needs. Target Today TGT Target $122.19 -0.14 (-0.11%) 52-Week Range $83.44 ▼ $133.10 Dividend Yield 3.73% P/E Ratio...
Analysts responded to Target's NASDAQ: TGT May 20 earnings release with mixed sentiment, overshadowing the strengths revealed. The company outperformed expectations and improved guidance, but it was not enough to move the needle on sentiment or price targets, which is what the market needs. Target Today TGT Target $122.19 -0.14 (-0.11%) 52-Week Range $83.44 ▼ $133.10 Dividend Yield 3.73% P/E Ratio 14.98 Price Target $122.54 Add to Watchlist The critical takeaway, however, is that Target’s results show it's on the right track with its turnaround and recovery, and the analyst group maintained a bullish, albeit wait-and-see posture. Get Target alerts: Sign Up What they are waiting to see is whether Target can sustain its comp-store strengths. They see risk in tough comps, consumer headwinds, and the fading impact of tax returns, which are near-term headwinds at best. A key strength of Target is that it, simply put, isn’t Walmart NYSE: WMT. Nothing against Walmart, but it's a larger, noisier, brightly lit often more crowded environment that can lead to exhaustion and burnout. Consumers tired of one will return to the other, helping sustain the company’s strength. Reasons consumers choose Target over other retailers include a superior brand image and a comfortable in-store atmosphere. Target Outperforms in Q1 and Raises Guidance: Analysts Yawn Target had a solid quarter in Q1, growing revenue by 6.7% and outperforming the consensus by 300 basis points (bps). The strength was broad-based, driven by 4.7% in-store and 8.9% digital comps, with growth across all categories and channels. Margin news was also favorable, reflecting the impact of improving store traffic and operational improvements. Operating margin improved by 70 basis points, accelerating earnings recovery. Adjusted operating income, the measure of core profitability, grew by nearly 30% and adjusted earnings per share (EPS) by 31.5%, including the impact of share buybacks. Guidance is equally strong, meriting a...
In this article EN-FR Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT The CEO of one of France's biggest engineering groups told CNBC that Europe mustn't rely on U.S. infrastructure, warning of "dangerous" over-reliance on infrastructure like Elon Musk 's Starlink. "There [are] two things for the future where we need [Europe to] realize how big it is. This is AI, and this is satellite," Bouygues C...
In this article EN-FR Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT The CEO of one of France's biggest engineering groups told CNBC that Europe mustn't rely on U.S. infrastructure, warning of "dangerous" over-reliance on infrastructure like Elon Musk 's Starlink. "There [are] two things for the future where we need [Europe to] realize how big it is. This is AI, and this is satellite," Bouygues CEO Olivier Roussat told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe" on Thursday. "Europe doesn't realize exactly how dangerous it is to just rely on the American infrastructure." Paris-based Bouygues does business in the construction sector, transport, and telecommunications. The company is fronting telecoms consolidation attempts in France, where operators have engaged in intense price competition, which has put pressure on their bottom lines. "It's not sure that we absolutely need to get a Starlink or something like this," Roussat said, adding that Europe needs something "to get some sovereignty." Starlink, a division of the Musk-run company SpaceX, currently dominates the global satellite internet service and operates a constellation of around 10,000 satellites. SpaceX is planning to list on Nasdaq in what could be the biggest IPO ever . Read more ‘A matter of national survival’: Europe accelerates bids for digital sovereignty SpaceX's historic IPO plans: Billions in losses and Musk's massive ownership Bezos says 2-3 year timeline for space data centers is a 'little ambitious' SpaceX is poised to be the biggest IPO ever. Here are the top U.S. deals to date Roussat pointed to Europe's vulnerability to a non-state actor, like Starlink, having the power to single-handedly cut off the continent's connectivity. In April, Bouygues made a cash bid for the largest share in rival operator SFR for a total deal value of 20.35 billion euros ($23.6 billion), in what would be the largest European telecoms deal in recent years. In a joint bid with peers Free–iliad Group and Orange, Bouygues Telecom wou...
Company Logo Quantum networking offers vast opportunities in secure communication, leveraging quantum entanglement to surpass traditional encryption. Its growth is driven by cybersecurity needs, government investment, and advancements in quantum hardware. Key sectors include finance, defense, and healthcare, with North America leading the market. Dublin, May 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Quant...
Company Logo Quantum networking offers vast opportunities in secure communication, leveraging quantum entanglement to surpass traditional encryption. Its growth is driven by cybersecurity needs, government investment, and advancements in quantum hardware. Key sectors include finance, defense, and healthcare, with North America leading the market. Dublin, May 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Quantum Networking Market, Till 2035: Distribution by Type of Offering, Type of Application, Type of End User, and Geographical Regions: Industry Trends and Global Forecasts" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global quantum networking market size is estimated to grow from USD 1.15 billion in the current year to USD 42.11 billion by 2035, at a CAGR of 43.40% during the forecast period, till 2035. Quantum networking is rapidly emerging as a transformative industry, gaining momentum due to its potential to redefine secure communication and computational capabilities across digital ecosystems. By leveraging the principles of quantum mechanics, such as quantum entanglement, quantum networks enable the secure transmission of information in ways that surpass the capabilities of classical networking systems reliant on traditional encryption methods. This paradigm shift not only enhances data security but also supports highly complex computational processes, positioning quantum networking as a critical enabler of next-generation digital infrastructure. Consequently, increasing government investments and growing recognition of its strategic advantages are expected to drive exponential market growth in the coming years. Rising cybersecurity threats across sectors, particularly in government, defense, and financial services, are further accelerating the adoption of quantum networking solutions. Further, the integration of quantum technologies with existing telecommunications infrastructure is unlocking new opportunities for ultra-secure and highly efficient dat...
Micron Technology stock was rising on Thursday, signaling to investors that the memory-chip trade is back on as rival Samsung Electronics agreed a last-minute deal to avert a strike. Micron climbed 1.5% to $743 ahead of the opening bell. Futures tracking the were flat as investors tried to make sense of Nvidia first-quarter earnings.
Micron Technology stock was rising on Thursday, signaling to investors that the memory-chip trade is back on as rival Samsung Electronics agreed a last-minute deal to avert a strike. Micron climbed 1.5% to $743 ahead of the opening bell. Futures tracking the were flat as investors tried to make sense of Nvidia first-quarter earnings.