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Thailand’s Central Bank to Keep Rates on Hold for Several More Months

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Central Bank Governor Veerathai Santiprabhob said China’s transition to a consumption- and service-oriented economy is a top concern for Thailand

Central Bank Governor Veerathai Santiprabhob said China’s transition to a consumption- and service-oriented economy is a top concern for Thailand

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BANGKOK – Thailand’s Central Bank Governor Veerathai Santiprabhob said Friday Thailand will keep its key rate on hold for several more months.

But a load of government-funded infrastructure projects in the pipeline should soon help boost prices back into the target range, he said.

“We very much hope that inflation gets back to the lower bound, close to 1%, by the end of this year, early next year,” Mr. Veerathai said in an interview on the sidelines of a gathering of global finance chiefs here.

The government plans to overhaul rural rail networks and other infrastructure worth as much as 1.8 trillion baht ($51.6 billion) between now and 2022.

Thailand has struggled to regain its economic footing after devastating floods in 2011 shut down much of its industrial output and knocked growth down from more than 7% to less than 1%. Then, political upheaval culminated in a military coup in 2014 that has complicated the country’s efforts to regain its old luster.

Now, the country is grappling with spillovers from China’s economy.

When China began its transition from an investment-oriented growth model to a consumption- and services-oriented economy, it took a toll on Thailand’s exports of goods and raw materials, and prices fell. China’s continued credit injections also are keeping excess production capacity online, depressing prices further for the rubber and chemicals that Thailand exports.

Consumer prices have shown little signs of growth, with August recording a 0.3% uptick in headline inflation.

“What’s going on in China is one of the top concerns,” the governor said. “The pace of transition is very important.”

It isn’t just the near-term inflation and export headaches that Thai policy makers worry about, however. It is also about whether China’s financial system implodes. The International Monetary Fund has warned that the Asian giant’s credit overhang—a key cross-country indicator of potential crisis—is dangerously high.

“The authorities suggest that they have the resources to handle (it),” Mr. Veerathai said. “But obviously it could create disruption in financial markets, and it could cause volatility in the yuan,” he said. “And the yuan is becoming more and more important in our region.”

Thailand also is prepared for the U.S. Federal Reserve to raise rates soon, he said. Economists say many emerging markets could get hit by another wave of capital outflows as investors reposition their portfolios back into the U.S. when rates rise.

But the Thai central bank governor said his country has ample reserves, a large trade surplus and corporate balance sheets that are less exposed to currency risks than in the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s.

“We prepared ourselves for more than a year” for the next Fed rate increase, he said. “Everyone is expecting normalization of rates.”

Mr. Veerathai is far more concerned about the risks building through the extended use of easy money in Japan and Europe, where central banks have pushed policy into the uncharted territories of negative rates.

“There are issues of financial stability at a global level, and in advanced economies that have adopted unconventional policies,” he said. “It deserves much greater scrutiny and analysis as to how long and how much unconventional policies can go on without creating financial instability.”

Traditionally, central bankers considered the trade-off between growth and inflation when setting their policies. “Now the trade-off is between inflation and growth on one hand and financial stability on the other,” the governor said.

The IMF cautioned finance chiefs in Washington this week that global debt levels have hit record levels amid a weak-growth and low-rate era. While the IMF said central bank stimulus was still needed, it said monetary policy is overburdened. Governments must use their budgets to boost output and overhaul their economies to make them more competitive, it said.

Low rates are hitting insurers and banks that have long relied on higher rates for revenues.

“Much better analysis is needed to look at the impact it could have on pension systems, bank profitability, even bank behavior, and whether the transmission of monetary policy works as intended,” Mr. Veerathai said. “It could become a major weak spot of the financial market over the medium term.”

By Ian Talley | Wall Street Journal

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PepsiCo Reduces Revenue Projections As North American Snacks And Key International Markets Underperform.

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(VOR News) – In the third quarter of this year, Pepsi’s net income was $2.93 billion, which is equivalent to $2.13 per share. This was attributed to the company.

This is in stark contrast to net income of $3.09 billion, which is equivalent to $2.24 per share, during the same period in the previous year. The company’s earnings per share were $2.31 when expenses were excluded.

Net sales decreased by 0.6%, totaling $23.32 billion. Organic sales increased by 1.3% during the quarter when the effects of acquisitions, divestitures, and currency changes are excluded.

Pepsi’s beverage sales fell this quarter.

The most recent report indicates that the beverage and food sectors of the organization experienced a 2% decline in volume. Consumers of all income levels are demonstrating a change in their purchasing habits, as indicated by CEOs’ statements from the previous quarter.

Pepsi’s entire volume was adversely affected by the lackluster demand they encountered in North America. An increasing number of Americans are becoming more frugal, reducing the number of snacks they ingest, and reducing the number of times they purchase at convenience stores.

Furthermore, Laguarta observed that the increase in sales was partially attributed to the election that occurred in Mexico during the month of June.

The most significant decrease in volume was experienced by Quaker Foods North America, which was 13%. In December, the company announced its initial recall in response to a potential salmonella infection.

Due to the probability of an illness, the recall was extended in January. Pepsi officially closed a plant that was implicated in the recalls in June, despite the fact that manufacturing had already been halted.

Jamie Caulfield, the Chief Financial Officer of Pepsi and Laguarta, has indicated that the recalls are beginning to have a lessening effect.

Frito-Lay experienced a 1.5% decline in volume in North America. The company has been striving to improve the value it offers to consumers and the accessibility of its snack line, which includes SunChips, Cheetos, and Stacy’s pita chips, in the retail establishments where it is sold.

Despite the fact that the category as a whole has slowed down in comparison to the results of previous years, the level of activity within the division is progressively increasing.

Pepsi executives issued a statement in which they stated that “Salty and savory snacks have underperformed year-to-date after outperforming packaged food categories in previous years.”

Pepsi will spend more on Doritos and Tostitos in the fall and winter before football season.

The company is currently promoting incentive packets for Tostitos and Ruffles, which contain twenty percent more chips than the standard package.

Pepsi is expanding its product line in order to more effectively target individuals who are health-conscious. The business announced its intention to acquire Siete Foods for a total of $1.2 billion approximately one week ago. The restaurant serves Mexican-American cuisine, which is typically modified to meet the dietary needs of a diverse clientele.

The beverage segment of Pepsi in North America experienced a three percent decrease in volume. Despite the fact that the demand for energy drinks, such as Pepsi’s Rockstar, has decreased as a result of consumers visiting convenience stores, the sales of well-known brands such as Gatorade and Pepsi have seen an increase throughout the quarter.

Laguarta expressed his opinion to the analysts during the company’s conference call, asserting, “I am of the opinion that it is a component of the economic cycle that we are currently experiencing, and that it will reverse itself in the future, once consumers feel better.”

Additionally, it has been noted that the food and beverage markets of South Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa have experienced a decline in sales volume. The company cut its forecast for organic revenue for the entire year on Tuesday due to the business’s second consecutive quarter of lower-than-anticipated sales.

The company’s performance during the quarter was adversely affected by the Quaker Foods North America recalls, the decrease in demand in the United States, and the interruptions that occurred in specific international markets, as per the statements made by Chief Executive Officer Ramon Laguarta.

Pepsi has revised its forecast for organic sales in 2024, shifting from a 4% growth rate to a low single-digit growth rate. The company reiterated its expectation that the core constant currency profitability per share will increase by a minimum of 8% in comparison to the previous year.

The company’s shares declined by less than one percent during premarket trading. The following discrepancies between the company’s report and the projections of Wall Street were identified by LSEG in a survey of analysts:

SOURCE: CNBC

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Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.

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Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.

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(VOR News) – Old National Bank, a commercial bank with its headquarters in the Midwest, and Infosys, a firm that specializes in information technology, have recently entered into a strategic expansion of their link, which has been in place for the past four years.

This expansion is more likely to take place sooner rather than later, with the likelihood being higher.

For the purpose of making it possible for Old National Bank to make use of the services, solutions, and platforms that are offered by Infosys, the objective of this expansion is to make it possible for the bank to transform its operations and processes through the application of automation and GenAI, as well as to change significant business areas.

This lets the bank leverage Infosys’ services, solutions, and platforms.

Old National Bank Chairman and CEO Jim Ryan said, “At Old National, we are committed to creating exceptional experiences for both our customers and our fellow employees.”

This statement is applicable to Old National Bank. Infosys is carefully managing the business process innovations that it is putting us through, putting a strong emphasis on efficiency and value growth throughout the process to ensure that it is carried out efficiently.

This is a routine occurrence throughout the entire operation. Because of Infosys’ dedication to our development and success, we are incredibly appreciative of the assistance they have provided.

Old National has been receiving assistance from Infosys in the process of updating its digital environment since the year 2020, according to the aforementioned company.

Ever since that time, the company has been providing assistance. The provision of this assistance has been accomplished through the utilization of a model that is not only powerful but also capable of functioning on its own power.

Infosys currently ranks Old National thirty-first out of the top thirty US banks.

This ranking is based on the fact that Old National is the nation’s largest banking corporation.

It is estimated that the total value of the company’s assets is approximately fifty-three billion dollars, while the assets that are currently being managed by the organization are valued at thirty billion dollars.

Dennis Gada, the Executive Vice President and Global Head of Banking and Financial Services, stated that “Old National Bank and Infosys possess a robust cultural and strategic alignment in the development, management, and enhancement of enterprise-scale solutions to transform the bank’s operations and facilitate growth.”

This remark referenced the exceptional cultural and strategic synergy between the two organizations. Dennis Gada is the one who asserted this claim. This was articulated explicitly concerning the exceptional cultural congruence and strategy alignment of the two organizations.

We are pleased to announce that the implementation of Infosys Topaz will substantially expedite the transformation of Old National Bank’s business processes and customer service protocols. We are exceedingly enthusiastic about this matter. We are quite thrilled about this specific component of the scenario.

Medium-sized banks operating regionally will continue to benefit from our substantial expertise in the sector, technology, and operations. This specific market segment of Infosys will persist in benefiting from our extensive experience. This phenomenon will enable this market sector to sustain substantial growth and efficiency benefits.

SOURCE: THBL

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American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

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Qantas Airways Apologizes After R-Rated Film Reportedly Airs On Every Screen During Flight

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American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

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water

The largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States stated Monday that it had been the target of a cyberattack, forcing the company to halt invoicing to consumers.

water

American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

American Water, based in New Jersey and serving over 14 million people in 14 states and 18 military facilities, said it learned of the unauthorized activity on Thursday and quickly took precautions, including shutting down certain systems. The business does not believe the attack had an impact on its facilities or operations and said employees were working “around the clock” to determine the origin and scale of the attack.

water

The corporation stated that it has alerted legal enforcement and is cooperating with them. It also stated that consumers will not be charged late fees while its systems are unavailable.

According to their website, American Water operates over 500 water and wastewater systems in around 1,700 communities across California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

SOURCE | AP

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