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Investment’s Thailand Threatened by Political Deadlock

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Applications for investment incentives fell 58 percent to 63.1 billion baht ($1.94 billion) in the first two months of 2014

 

BANGKOK – The latest casualty of Thailand’s five-month political deadlock may be foreign investment, as project approvals face delays and new investors hesitate to commit funds, the head of the investment promotion board said.

“We have started to see the impact from the political unrest,” Board of Investment Secretary General Udom Wongviwatchai said in a March 28 interview. “Investors have delayed investments and are waiting for a clearer picture.”

Thailand hasn’t had a functioning parliament since early December, when Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra called an election to appease demonstrators seeking to force her from office. A vote on Feb. 2 was disrupted by protests and later annulled by the courts and a new poll hasn’t been set, leaving the caretaker government with limited powers and keeping investors guessing on when stability may return to Southeast Asia’s second-biggest economy.

“Without a fully-functional government, confidence will be weak,” said Phatra Securities economist Thanomsri Fongarunrung. “Private investment will remain stalled as the political vacuum continues. The delay in project approvals by the BOI is a concern. A long delay may prompt investors to shift to other countries as it will affect their production plans.”

Applications for investment incentives fell 58 percent to 63.1 billion baht ($1.94 billion) in the first two months of 2014, and a new BOI board must be endorsed by the government before any major projects can be approved, Udom said.

“We are still waiting for a formal response from the Office of the Council of State,” said Udom, referring to the government’s legal advisory body. “So far, the signal is positive” that the new BOI board will be in place within the next three months, he said.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters began street rallies in late October, calling for Yingluck to step down and allow electoral rules to be rewritten to erase the political dominance of her family. They accuse the ruling Pheu Thai party of buying votes with damaging populist policies. Parties linked to former premier Thaksin Shinawatra have won the past five elections, including the 2011 poll that brought his sister to power.

The unrest has weighed on stocks and the baht, with Thailand’s benchmark SET Index (SET)down 4.9 percent since the protests began Oct. 31, compared with a 5.7 percent gain inIndonesia’s Jakarta Composite Index. The baht weakened 4 percent against the dollar in the same period.

The SET rose 0.2 percent to 1,371.86 as of 10:26 a.m. in Bangkok, and the baht strengthened 0.2 percent to 32.436 per dollar, after an election for half of the members of Thailand’s Senate was completed peacefully yesterday.

“The prolonged political vacuum will hurt Thailand’s competitiveness in the long term because foreign companies are unlikely to wait any longer,” said Monthol Junchaya, chief investment officer at One Asset Management Co., which oversees about $2.8 billion of assets. “They may have to look somewhere other than Thailand for their investments.”

Twenty-three people have been killed in protest-related violence, and demonstrators have occupied large swathes of Bangkok and invaded government ministries and the headquarters of the army and police in recent months.

The clashes have dented consumer confidence, which fell for an 11th straight month in February, and prompted the Ministry of Finance to cut its economic growth target three times in as many months, to 2.6 percent.

While new investors may be rethinking their plans to commit funds to Thailand, even companies already doing business in the country, including Toyota Motor Corp., may be hesitant to expand, Kyoichi Tanada, president of Toyota’s Thai unit, said Jan. 20.

“So far we haven’t seen investors pull out or relocate to other countries,” the BOI’s Udom said. “Existing investors understand our political situation. They can still wait. For new investors, we try to explain the situation to them.”

Thailand’s central location, strong supply-chain, skilled labor force and abundant agricultural supplies help the country maintain its attractiveness as an investment destination, Udom said. Most projects approved by the BOI are export-related, and won’t be affected by slowing local demand, he said.

Overseas investors are waiting for the new BOI board to approve a backlog of projects, and many international companies are still interested in investing in Thailand, said David Nardone, chief executive officer of industrial land developer Hemaraj Land & Development Pcl.

“There has been a big lag for large projects, and it’s still continuing,” Nardone said by phone. “People can’t wait forever. There is some investor hesitation in formalizing and finalizing their plans. People want to see a stable government formed and they don’t want to see violence in the country.”

Udom said the second phase of Thailand’s eco-car incentive program won’t be derailed by the political deadlock, and the BOI expects seven or eight companies to apply before today’s deadline. Companies will each invest 6 billion to 10 billion baht, he said, declining to name them.

“The problem is how long this situation will last,” Udom said. “If it doesn’t drag on for a year, investors can adjust their plans, but if it prolongs for more than a year there may be a problem.”

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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

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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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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