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Banks in Thailand Rejecting Home Mortgages Over Growing Personal Debt

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Thailand Mortgages

Home Mortgage rejections in Thailand has triggered a drop in housing transfers across the country in the first quarter, bringing them to their lowest point in six years and marking the fifth consecutive quarterly loss.

Vichai Viratkapan, interim director-general of the Real Estate Information Center (REIC), stated that countrywide residential demand dropped in the first quarter, with transfers falling 13.8% year on year to 72,954 units.

“The first-quarter decline not only persisted from the first quarter of 2023, but also indicated a further decline year-on-year, following decreases of 0.8%, 4.4%, 6.9% and 12.7% in the first, second, third and fourth quarters of last year,” according to Viratkapan.

The value of transfers fell 13.4% to 209 billion baht, marking three straight quarters of year-on-year declines since the third quarter of 2023, dropping 2.6% in the third quarter last year and 9.7% in the fourth.

The REIC said that the number of transfers in the first quarter was the lowest in 25 quarters since the first quarter of 2018, and the value was the lowest since the second quarter of 2019.

Newly released house mortgages nationally followed the same pattern as housing transfers, hitting 122 billion baht, the lowest level in 25 quarters. This was the highest year-on-year reduction in more than six years, at 20.5%.

“The key issue was financial institutions tightening their criteria for home loan approval,” stated Vichai.

“Most segments aren’t concerned about high interest rates. Their principal focus is obtaining mortgage loan approval.”

Low-rise housing transfers experienced the highest year-on-year drop, falling by 18.9% to 49,423 units valued a total of 146 billion baht, a 14.6% decrease. The number of condo transfers fell only 0.6% year on year to 23,531 units valued 62.9 billion baht, or a 10.7% fall, according to the centre.

“All price ranges, except for condos priced between 1 and 3 million baht, experienced a decline in transfers, attributed to a significant number of lower-priced condos launched in 2022 being completed in the first quarter, boosting the number of units within this price range,” according to Viratkapan.

Foreigners Buying Up Condos in Thailand

In the first quarter of 2024, 7,295 condo apartments priced between 1 and 3 million baht were transferred countrywide, accounting for 31% of all condo units transferred during the time. Most condo buyers were from outside of Thailand.

New projects were centered around popular tourist spots, and the total value of the investments made was over 56.6 billion baht.

Phattarachai Taweewong, head of the research department at real estate firm Colliers Thailand, said that more condos were launched in popular tourist spots than in Bangkok for the first time ever in the third quarter.

“We’ve never witnessed such a significant amount of new condo supply outside Bangkok before,” he noted. “The key driver behind this trend was demand from foreigners, particularly Chinese and Russians.”

Pattaya had the most apartment launches during the quarter, with 4,493 units worth 16 billion baht. After putting out 3,302 units last year, which is 132% more than in 2022, this happened. Most of these launches came from big projects by publicly traded companies like AssetWise and Origin Property.

Colliers thinks that most of the new condos that come on the market in the next three quarters will be made by local developers.

“The significant volume in the first quarter was to cater to robust demand, both for own use and investment purposes,” he told me. “Some Chinese and Russians even purchased entire blocks of new projects to lease them to fellow nationalities.”

New condos in Pattaya

Colliers thinks that there will be 7,000 new condos in Pattaya by the end of 2024. To be safe, though, Mr. Phattarachai said that the amount should be between 3,000 and 5,000 units per year.

“If exceeding this amount, the market will be in an oversupply situation again, as in 2013-14 when more than 10,000 units were launched annually,” he said. “The market at that time took several years to absorb the excess supply.”

The excess during those times had a big effect, as 27 projects with a total of about 9,000 units have stopped sales until now. Colliers keeps an eye on these projects to see if they will come back to the market.

After Pattaya, Phuket was the next place with a huge supply of new condos. There were 3,338 units in 12 projects, worth a total of 25 billion baht.

This number followed the record-breaking high of 8,743 units launched last year. This is more than six times as many as the previous high of 6,429 units in 2012, and it shows a growth of more than six times. By the end of 2024, 8,500 new condos should be on the market in Phuket.

Thailand’s condo market

“In Phuket, condos that sold for 120,000 baht or more per square meter were very rare before the pandemic.” “Prices today are usually between 150,000 and 180,000 baht per square meter,” Mr. Phattarachai said.

As compared to the same time last year, Bangkok had 3,288 new condos built in the first quarter of 2024. This is the lowest number of condos built in the city in 15 years.

Another property expert at Colliers, Supasit Vitooraporn, said, “The Bangkok condo market has slowed down since the third quarter of 2023 because developers are being cautious.”

Mr. Supasit said that one of the main problems was the high rate of mortgage rejection, especially for homes priced at 3 million baht or less, where the rate was 70%.

Foreigners from China and Russia have bought the most condos in Thailand this year. Sales have been especially strong in Bangkok, Pattaya, and Phuket, which are popular tourist spots.

The Real Estate Information Center says that compared to the same time last year, 10,703 units worth 52.3 billion baht (US$1.5 billion) were sold in the nine months ending in September. The Government Housing Bank (GHB), which runs the center, said that’s a 38% increase from the previous year.

The center said that property registration data showed that Chinese buyers bought 4,991 units, which is almost 47% of all the deals and was worth 24.7 billion baht. With 962 units, Russian buyers came in a very distant second. The United States and Taiwan came in third and fourth, respectively.

Nearly 42% of the condos sold were in Chon Buri province, which has many beaches and modern industry areas. The center said that 37.5% of the apartment sales to foreigners happened in Bangkok, which is Thailand’s capital city and a popular vacation spot for millions of people.

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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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Infosys

(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

States Sue TikTok, Claiming Its Platform Is Addictive And Harms The Mental Health Of Children

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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