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Thailand’s Household Debt Among the Highest in Emerging Asia

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Thailand’s household debt, already among the highest in emerging Asia, is expected to rise further as Covid-19 curbs incomes, weighing on consumer spending and heightening financial-stability risks.

Household debt stood at 13.8 trillion baht, or 87% of gross domestic product, at the end of September 2020, up from 79% a year earlier, according to Bank of Thailand data. Debt levels will be one of the risks the BoT considers in its policy decision on Wednesday after its latest meeting minutes cited household finances as a factor that warrants attention.

Even before the pandemic, “we were already concerned about the household debt level in Thailand, as it inhibits private consumption spending and long-term potential growth,” said Charnon Boonnuch, an economist at Nomura Holdings Inc in Singapore. The new outbreak, a worsening labour market and risks of another recession “will result in an even faster increase in household debt-to-GDP this year, weighing further on the already weak economic recovery.”

Thailand’s tally of Covid cases has more than tripled since mid-December, and the Finance Ministry last week lowered its GDP forecast for the year to 2.8%, from the 4.5% it expected as recently as October.

Despite that, one reason the central bank may hesitate to ease further — its key interest rate is already at an all-time low of 0.50% — is “the concern that loosening interest rates will see additional borrowing from households,” HSBC Holdings Plc economist Noelan Arbis tells Bloomberg.

Families struggling with debt

Right now, the baht, the new outbreak and economic recovery are foremost on the central bank’s mind, the economist said. But “as things normalise, which we should expect later in the year or maybe next year, I believe household debt will be the key consideration for the Bank of Thailand once again.”

The government and BoT have passed a series of stimulus and debt-relief measures to help those affected by the latest outbreak. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has decided to start easing some restrictions from this week to limit economic losses, even if the number of new cases remains high.

Household debt has been a structural problem for years. The household debt-to-GDP ratio has been above 70% since 2012, with tax incentives, low interest rates, low inflation and a competitive lending environment all encouraging consumers to borrow.

Nuanchan Runkun, 36, is among many Thais struggling with debts of more than 1 million baht, most incurred before the pandemic began. But Covid has worsened things.

Her family lost two-thirds of its income after Nuanchun’s taxi-driver father, street-food vendor mother and her brother, a temporary office worker, lost their jobs in last year’s initial outbreak. Now, more than half of her 24,000-baht monthly salary goes to pay off past debts.

Debt clinic

“My mom and dad are still too scared to go back to work because the virus is everywhere,” said Ms Nuanchan, a Public Health Ministry official in Bangkok. “I’ve borrowed money up to the limit already to pay debts and feed the whole family. I may need to go to loan sharks soon.”

Already in 2017, the BoT launched a program to help heavily indebted households formulate a financial plan. Defaulters who join the Debt Clinic pay interest of 4%-7% per year — far below interest of more than 20% charged by some Thai institutions — and are given a 10-year repayment window.

The number of cases under the clinic’s responsibility more than tripled last year to 11,118, driven by the pandemic and an effort to reach more borrowers.

With many households running up debt on multiple credit cards, the total number of accounts under the clinic’s supervision is expected to rise to at least 100,000 by the end of this year, said Kajorn Thanapase, director of the central bank’s Financial Consumer Protection and Market Conduct Department.

“Solving household debt is the best stimulus,” Mr Kajorn said. “Government stimulus spending won’t be fully effective with a high debt burden. If we can fix the debt problem, consumption will improve without wasting any budget.”

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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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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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