Business
Thai Business Investors Shun Junta, Invests Overseas
BANGKOK – Thai businesses invested a record $13 billion (442 billion baht) abroad in 2016, dwarfing inflows of $1.6 billion (54.4 billion baht), according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
Investment abroad totalled $2.9 billion (98.6 billion baht) in January to April, according to the central bank.
This was a unique Thai action. In contrast, companies in Singapore and Indonesia cut investment overseas last year, while deals by Malaysian firms slumped to the lowest in a decade.
Three years after the military seized power in a coup, Thailand’s economy is losing its might with growth rates that are lagging peers in Southeast Asia. As consumers rein in spending, companies including Asia’s biggest cement maker, Siam Cement Pcl, are turning to overseas markets.
“With robust but moderating growth in the home market, Thai companies have been comparatively more ambitious in seeking to become regional or even global champions,” Eugene Gong, head of mergers and acquisitions for Southeast Asia at Deutsche Bank AG, said in an email.
Siam Cement, the largest producer in Asia by market capitalisation, bought a Vietnamese manufacturer of building materials in March in a deal valued at $440 million, while BCPG Pcl, an owner of clean-energy projects, announced plans in April to pay as much as $358 million for a stake in Singapore’s Star Energy Group Holdings.
Overseas acquisitions announced by Thai companies totalled $1.5 billion this year, compared with $1.7 billion in the same period a year ago, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
That figure stands at almost $48 billion in the past five years compared with $19 billion in the previous period.
Weak Sentiment
The biggest areas of investment from 2011 to 2016 were in finance, extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas, manufacturing of beverages and food, and wholesale trade, according to the central bank. The top destinations were countries in Southeast Asia, particularly Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.
By contrast, domestic conditions remain subdued. Consumer confidence has weakened, while private investment has slumped this year.
A stronger currency and rising cash pile are also helping to drive investors overseas. Thai companies hold about $36 billion in cash, 44% more than five years ago, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Bangchak Petroleum Pcl, owner of BCPG, said the baht’s appreciation provides it with an opportunity to invest overseas at a cheaper cost. The downside is that revenue from abroad is lower when converted to the local currency, it said in an email.
The baht has gained more than 5% against the dollar this year, the best performer in Southeast Asia. The currency was also among the few gainers in Asia in 2016. In 2015, outward investment slid to $1.7 billion at the same time that the currency lost almost 9%.
Thai companies benefit from factors like strong domestic cash flows and access to debt capital at highly attractive terms, David Aronovitch, Morgan Stanley’s co-head of investment banking for Southeast Asia, said in an email.
“Business owners are increasingly confident to make significant forays overseas,” Aronovitch said. “This, of course, is due to attractive growth rates available in adjacent markets, with large populations characterised by high expected growth and attractive potential returns.”
Siam Cement sets aside about $1.5 billion a year on capital spending for its overseas projects in Southeast Asia, which includes a plant in Vietnam and a packaging business in Indonesia, the company said in an email. Cement plants in Myanmar and Laos started operating this year, it said.
The surge in outflows is set to continue with significant investment in projects starting from scratch, said Astrit Sulstarova, an analyst at Unctad in Geneva.
“Greenfield investment is a driving force of Thai companies’ international expansion,” Sulstarova said. “Total investment of announced greenfield projects amounted to $15 billion in 2016, a historical high. The implementation of these projects will result in a large amount of outward FDI from Thailand.”
Source: Bloomberg
Business
PepsiCo Reduces Revenue Projections As North American Snacks And Key International Markets Underperform.
(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.
Business
Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.
(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
Business
American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack
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.
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.
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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