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☆ Mark Penn's Stagwell Group is on the hunt for adtech as the ad company continues its acquisition spree
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Stagwell Group, the advertising agency holding group operated by Mark Penn, a former advisor to Bill and Hillary Clinton, is actively looking to buy adtech companies as it continues to grow through acquisitions. Penn's theory is that by bringing such adtech in-house, Stagwell can offer more self-service software to advertisers who want it while also shrinking those clients' ad prices and expanding its own margins. Challenger brand Stagwell is competing for bigger contractsPenn founded Stagwell Group in 2015 with $250 million in funding from investors, including former Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer. Stagwell recently made a near-$700-million bid for S4 Capital, another challenger ad company founded by longtime WPP CEO Martin Sorrell, The Wall Street Journal reported. Publicis Groupe has the biggest market capitalization of the largest holding companies, at $28.2 billion, while Stagwell is trading at around $1.6 billion.

Persons: Mark Penn, Bill, Hillary Clinton, Penn, we're, Stagwell, Penn didn't, Ana Milicevic, Milicevic, Brian Wieser, Wieser, Steve Ballmer, Sunny, GALE, Allison, Martin Sorrell, they're Organizations: Stagwell, Penn, Business, Google, Harris Poll, Next Partners, Sparrow, Madison, Challenger, Stagwell Group, Microsoft, MDC Partners, WPP, Publicis Groupe, Veritas, S4 Capital, Street Journal, S4, EMEA Locations: adtech, London

☆ China sees foreign threats ‘everywhere’ as powerful spy agency takes center stage
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

But among the crowds you and I together are protecting national security,” the narrator concludes. Chinese soldiers look at a poster promoting national security in the southwestern city of Beihai on National Security Education Day on April 15, 2024. CFOTO/Future Publishing/Getty ImagesAccording to the MSS, foreign spies are omnipresent and infiltrating everything – from mapping apps to weather stations. But China’s spy agency has gradually stepped out of the shadows as Xi makes national security a key priority. “Shenyin Special Investigation Squad” is a comic series based on real-life counterespionage operations, according to China's spy agency.

Persons: –, “, ”, Xi, Xuezhi Guo, Sheena Chestnut Greitens, Xi Jinping, Greg Baker, Mao Zedong, Greitens, Chen Yixin, Chen, “ Chen, ” Greitens, Xi –, denigrate, Bain, Alex Plavevski, Guo, influencers, China’s, can’t, James Zimmerman, Perkins Coie, Zimmerman, ” Zimmerman Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, National Security Education, “, Ministry of State Security, National Security, Publishing, CIA, National, Education, Capitol, Guilford College, Asia, University of Texas, Getty, Communist Party, FBI, National Security Propaganda, CCTV, Ministry of State, China’s National Security Commission, Group, China Development Forum, Perkins Coie LLP, ”, MSS Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beihai, British, American, Beijing, Austin, AFP, Zhejiang province, Shanghai, New York, overreaching

☆ Japan Is a Preview of China's Ugly Recession, Stock Market Crash
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Linette Lopez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

But Japan's economy — the long-unconscious patient — recently started to wiggle its toe. The country's stock market is ripping; the Nikkei recently exceeded the all-time highs it set 34 years ago. Now, Koo says, Chinese academics and policymakers are flocking to Japan to glean some kind of wisdom from the country's experience. Advertisement"This has made Japan attractive for foreign investors, and the stock market has done well," Koo said. Even without a currency war with Beijing, the world is building defenses against another wave of Chinese goods.

Persons: —, Goldman Sachs, there's, Nomura, Richard Koo, Koo, Shinzo Abe, Japan's, What's, it's, we're, haven't, Xi Jinping, doesn't, Xi, we've, Brasília Organizations: Nikkei, Goldman, Bank of Japan, Corporations, International Monetary Fund, Japan, Peterson Institute, European Union, China Locations: East Asia, China, Japan, Real, Tokyo, Beijing, Brussels, Brasília, American, Washington, Brazil, Turkey

☆ China vows to treat foreign firms equally as it seeks more international investment
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Guo Tingting, Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce, attends the China Development Forum in Beijing on March 25, 2024. "China will fully guarantee national treatment for foreign companies, so that more foreign companies can invest in China with confidence and peace of mind," Vice Commerce Minister Guo Tingting said at the China Development Forum in Beijing. China pledged on Monday to treat foreign companies the same way as domestic peers in a bid to attract more foreign investment, cooperation and expertise, as Asia's largest economy moves to upgrade and strengthen its industrial chains. In response, China has stepped up efforts to address concerns of foreign investors, pledging to protect the rights of foreign companies and promising to further enlarge entry into its markets. Over 100 overseas executives and investors have attended the annual China Development Forum since the weekend, including companies with deep supply chains in China such as Apple and Siemens .

Persons: Guo Tingting, Guo, Li Qiang, Stephen von Schuckmann, CGTN, We're, Information Technology Jin Zhuanglong, Jin, Kristalina Georgieva Organizations: Commerce, China Development Forum, Trade Organization, WTO, Sunday, ZF Group, Apple, Siemens, Industry, Information Technology, Monetary Fund's Locations: Beijing, China, consultancies, United States

☆ Digital consultancy Bounteous will merge with Accolite Digital, aiming to become a billion-dollar giant in 5 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Ryan Joe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewThe digital consultancy Bounteous is merging with Accolite Digital, and together they plan to become a billion-dollar company in five years. Bounteous and Accolite Digital offer different, yet complementary services. Its clients include Coca-Cola, Caesars Entertainment, Domino's, and others, and it largely competes with other consultancies like Accenture and Deloitte Digital, Bounteous CEO Keith Schwartz told Business Insider. AdvertisementAccolite's clients include telecommunications and financial services companies, including Goldman Sachs, Prudential, and BT. For now, the merged company will be called Bounteous X Accolite, although Kaza said they will finalize its new name in May.

Persons: —, Keith Schwartz, Leela Kaza, Kaza, Goldman Sachs, Prasad Chintamaneni, Schwartz Organizations: Service, Accolite, New, Business, Cola, Caesars Entertainment, Accenture, Deloitte Digital, FedEx, Prudential, BT Locations: Chicago, North America, Dallas, India, Canada, Mexico, Europe, America, Eastern Europe

☆ China's Premier Li to Address Davos as Its Economy Struggles
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Antoni SlodkowskiDAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Chinese Premier Li Qiang is set to address global investors and politicians in Davos on Tuesday, as Beijing grapples with a sluggish post-pandemic recovery and a real estate slump. Li, who leads a large government delegation at this week's World Economic Forum, is the most senior Chinese official to rub shoulders with global business and political elites at the Swiss ski resort of Davos since President Xi Jinping in 2017. He would "promote global cooperation, address various risks, bridge the development divide, and seek peaceful coexistence and win-win outcomes", Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported. "China is generating a steady stream of growth momentum and potential for its economy," Xinhua's report added. Li, a career bureaucrat, was revealed as the pick for China's No.2 role last October when Xi unveiled a leadership line-up stacked with loyalists.

Persons: Antoni Slodkowski, Li Qiang, Li, Xi Jinping, Xi, Antony Blinken, Wang Yi, Volodymyr Zelenskiy's, Zelenskiy, Alexander Smith Organizations: Economic, Xinhua, China's, U.S Locations: Antoni Slodkowski DAVOS, Switzerland, Davos, Beijing, China, Swiss, consultancies, Gaza

☆ China's Xi visits financial hub Shanghai
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the Leaders Retreat at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco, California, U.S., November 17, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque Acquire Licensing RightsSHANGHAI, Nov 29 (Reuters) - China President Xi Jinping visited Shanghai, where he went to several venues and learned about the city's efforts to strengthen its competitiveness as an international financial centre, Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday. Xi made the trip on Tuesday and Wednesday and he inspected the Shanghai Futures Exchange, an exhibition on Shanghai's sci-tech innovations and a government-subsidized rental housing community, the report said. Vice Premier He Lifeng, Shanghai's Communist party secretary Chen Jining and Mayor Gong Zheng also accompanied his visit. It was his first visit to the city since November 2020 and comes a year after historic street protests against China's zero-COVID policy broke out in Shanghai.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Kevin Lamarque, Xi, Cai Qi, Chen Jining, Gong Zheng, Xi's, Premier Li Qiang, Brenda Goh, Bernard Orr, Ella Cao, Ethan Wang, Mark Potter, Louise Heavens, Chizu Nomiyama, Mark Porter Organizations: Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Rights, Shanghai Futures Exchange, Communist Party of China Central Committee, CPC, Communist, Shanghai Free, Trade, Disney, L'Oreal, Premier, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, China, Shanghai, Xinhua, Minhang

Now "it's like 'plus-10' and then China," he added, with the latter down to providing half of Industry West's products and being trimmed more. China recorded its first-ever quarterly deficit in foreign direct investment in July-September, suggesting capital outflow pressure. But for the first time in the four decades since China opened up to foreign investments, executives are now also concerned about long-term growth prospects. Primavera Capital founder Fred Hu cites mounting macroeconomic uncertainty, a "murky capital market outlook," and lingering concerns over past regulatory crackdowns on high-growth industries such as technology and education. Despite the challenges, foreign investment flows are not unidirectional.

Persons: Jordan England, Nicholas Lardy, England, I'm, Li Qiang's, Li, Michael Hart, Noah Fraser, Fred Hu, Hu, Joe Cash, Ellen Zhang, Kane Wu, Eduardo Baptista, Don Durfee, Kripa Jayaram, Marius Zaharia, Jamie Freed Organizations: China, Reuters, Peterson Institute for International Economics, LONG, Conference Board, China International, Canada China Business Council, Reuters Graphics, Primavera Capital, Tech, Thomson Locations: China, BEIJING, HONG KONG, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, Mexico, England, Florida, Washington, Beijing, consultancies, U.S, Asia, Australia, Europe, Hong Kong

OPEC and the IEA expect China's oil demand to show growth in 2023 of 7.6% and 12.1%, respectively. OPEC has dismissed fears of that demand growth for oil in China is fading, describing negative sentiment as "overblown" in a recent report. OPEC's forecasts show China accounting for 24.6% of global oil demand growth in the first half of 2024, according to Reuters calculations. Consultancies Wood Mackenzie, Rystad Energy and Energy Aspects respectively forecast China's first-half 2024 oil demand to grow by 3.7%, 4.0% and 4.4% versus the same period in 2023. Energy Aspects expects first-half diesel demand to be flat from a year earlier.

Persons: Aly, Consultancies Wood Mackenzie, Rystad, Lin Ye, Xia, Andrew Hayley, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, of Petroleum, International Energy Agency, OPEC, Rystad Energy, JET, Reuters Graphics Reuters, National Bureau of Statistics, Thomson Locations: Zhuhai, China, Rights BEIJING, OPEC, Russia, Beijing

☆ Landing your dream job by getting an MBA isn't as easy anymore
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Tim Paradis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

One second-year student told Business Insider he had to pivot to a job in consulting. His job win comes as the field of consulting isn't as red-hot as it was in 2021 and 2022, experts told Business Insider. But now a range of companies are being more deliberate about how quickly they're hiring MBAs, administrators told BI. However, it's actually close to a normal market for MBA grads, industry and career experts told BI. Still, that's leaving some MBA students uneasy.

Persons: —, he'd, Jeff McNish, MBAs, it's, that's, It's, he's, McNish, Stephanie O'Connor, aren't, we've, O'Connor, I've, I'm Organizations: Service, Ivy League, Business, University of Virginia Darden School, Darden, Center, BI, grads, Bain & Company, — McKinsey, Bain, Boston Consulting Group, University of Chicago Booth School of Business

REUTERS/Jason Lee/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Nov 15 (Reuters) - European firms "urgently" need China to give clearer definitions of key terms in its cross-border data transfer rules, a European business lobby group said on Wednesday, warning that firms also stood to waste millions of euros storing non-sensitive data in China. The world's second-largest economy has in recent years tightened its data laws amid President Xi Jinping's increased focus on national security, and foreign firms fear their lack of clarity could trip them up. The chamber's report echoes recent comments from a European Commission official, who said in September that European businesses were especially concerned about a lack of clarity in China's data laws. The most common type of data European firms transfer abroad is employee's personal information followed by suppliers' and customers' personal information, the survey showed, 96% of which is sent to companies' headquarters and other regional offices. A third of companies indicated it would cost them "several million euros" to store their data in China if they failed the cross-border transfer security assessment now required by CAC.

Persons: Jason Lee, Xi Jinping's, Brenda Goh, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Chamber of Commerce, European Commission, Government, CAC, Thomson Locations: China, EU, Beijing, Rights BEIJING

☆ US House Easily Passes Bill to Harden Sanctions on Iranian Oil
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives easily passed a bill on Friday to bolster sanctions on Iranian oil in a strong bipartisan vote. The Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum (SHIP) bill, which passed 342-69, would impose measures on foreign ports and refineries that process petroleum exported from Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. The bill must be passed by the Senate and signed by President Joe Biden before becoming law. While Congress can pass sanctions legislation, such measures often come with national security waivers that allow presidents discretion in applying the law. Despite U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil over its nuclear program, its exports of crude are soaring.

Persons: Mike Lawler, Jared Moskowitz, Joe Biden, Marco Rubio, John Kennedy, Maggie Hassan, Jacky Rosen, Vortexa, Timothy Gardner, Richard Cowan, David Gregorio Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S . House, Iranian Petroleum, Republican, Senate, Democratic Locations: Iran, Israel, Tehran, China, Russia

☆ US House easily passes bill to harden sanctions on Iranian oil
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Iranian flag with stock graph and an oil pump jack miniature model are seen in this illustration taken October 9, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 3 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives easily passed a bill on Friday to bolster sanctions on Iranian oil in a strong bipartisan vote. The Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum (SHIP) bill, which passed 342-69, would impose measures on foreign ports and refineries that process petroleum exported from Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. While Congress can pass sanctions legislation, such measures often come with national security waivers that allow presidents discretion in applying the law. Despite U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil over its nuclear program, its exports of crude are soaring.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Mike Lawler, Jared Moskowitz, Joe Biden, Marco Rubio, John Kennedy, Maggie Hassan, Jacky Rosen, Vortexa, Timothy Gardner, Richard Cowan, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S . House, Iranian Petroleum, Republican, Senate, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Iran, Israel, Tehran, China, Russia

☆ China's Singles Day sales festival wraps up with e-commerce giants reporting sales growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Casey Hall | Thomson Reuters | Casey Has Reported On China'S Consumer Culture Her Base In Shanghai For More Than A Decade | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SHANGHAI, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Alibaba Group (9988.HK) reported that its Chinese e-commerce platforms Tmall and Taobao recorded "positive" year-on-year growth over this year's Singles Day sales period, which wrapped up at midnight on Saturday. Meanwhile competitor JD.com (9618.HK) said its festival GMV (gross merchandising volume) hit a "record high" over the sales period. A Bain and Company report released last week found that 77% of the 3,000 consumers it surveyed had planned to spend less or the same on Singles Day compared with last year. Though several consultancies were predicting Singles Day GMV growth across platforms would reach anywhere from 14% to 18% - returning to double-digit growth for the first time since the pandemic - the final sales picture will take longer to energe. Colour cosmetics, traditionally a strong performer throughout the Singles Day sales period, were expected to struggle this year as make-up demand remains low almost a year after China lifted strict COVID-19 restrictions.

Persons: Taobao, JD.com, Alibaba, Bain, Casey Hall, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Alibaba, HK, PDD Holdings, Company, Nike, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, China

DUBAI, Oct 9 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates is refashioning state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) in the image of an international oil major by stepping up its global expansion and finding new revenue streams to maximise earnings for the Gulf state. The state-owned company also told Reuters it was investing in energy trading, without giving further details. ADNOC has two trading arms, both set up in 2020: ADNOC Trading, which is focused on crude oil, and ADNOC Global Trading, a joint venture with Italy's Eni (ENI.MI) and OMV which is more focused on refined products. Other recent hires include Bart Cornelissen, who left Deloitte to become ADNOC's senior vice president for group strategy and portfolio last month, according to LinkedIn. Recent senior hires for ADNOC's trading arms include alumni of Gunvor, Litasco, Shell and TotalEnergies, the employment network showed.

Persons: ADNOC, Galp, Austria's, Mohammed bin Zayed, headcount, Michele Fiorentino, Baker Hughes, Musabbeh Al Kaabi, Al Kaabi, Bart Cornelissen, Michael Hafner, Hafner, Morgan Stanley, Neil Quilliam, Sultan al, Jaber, John Kerry, Abu, Maha El Dahan, Yousef Saba, Ron Bousso, David Clarke Organizations: United, Abu, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Reuters, BP, NewMed Energy, Italy's Eni, UAE, IOC, Aramco, LinkedIn, Mubadala Energy, Deloitte, Greenhill &, Deutsche Bank, UBS, HSBC, Shell, Eni, Gunvor, The, Chatham House, United Nations, Masdar, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Africa, Mozambique, ADNOC, Geneva, London, The UAE, Europe, Sultan, Dubai

☆ China plans to ease one of the biggest hurdles for foreign business
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

China News Service | China News Service | Getty ImagesBEIJING — Chinese authorities are signaling a softer stance on once-stringent data rules, among recent moves to ease regulation for business, especially foreign ones. But foreign businesses have found it difficult to comply — if not operate — due to vague wording on terms such as "important data." The country's top executive body, the State Council, in August revealed a 24-point plan for supporting foreign business operations in the country. The text included a call to reduce the frequency of random inspections for companies with low credit risk, and promoting data flows with "green channels" for certain foreign businesses. When U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo visited China in August, she called for more action to improve predictability for U.S. businesses in China.

Persons: Reva Goujon, Goujon, Gabriel Wildau, Gina Raimondo, Martin Chorzempa, Samm Sacks, Yale Law School Paul, Chorzempa, Sacks, Beijing's Organizations: China News Service, Getty, Cyberspace Administration of China, Government, European Union Chamber of Commerce, CNBC, EU, State, China Corporate, CAC, State Council, Commerce, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Yale Law School, Yale Law School Paul Tsai China Center and New, Baidu Locations: Chongqing, BEIJING, China, Beijing, Covid, U.S, Yale Law School Paul Tsai China Center and New America

Deal negotiations between Exxon and Pioneer are advanced but have not yet led to an agreement, Reuters reported on Thursday. These transactions were eventually allowed to be completed, and the regulator has not sued to thwart an oil and gas production deal since 2000. The lawyers and experts interviewed said the FTC would face an uphill struggle in challenging Exxon's attempted acquisition of Pioneer. "The modern U.S. experience is that oil and gas deals of any notable size get a close look. It sued to block the merger and only agreed to drop its objections after BP offered to divest oil production acreage in Alaska.

Persons: Joe Biden, Janet Yellen, Leah Millis, producer's, Lina Khan, Andre Barlow, Doyle, Barlow, Mazard PLLC, Sheldon Whitehouse, William Kovacic, George Washington, consultancies Wood MacKenzie, David Kass, Diane Bartz, David French, Mike Stone, Greg Roumeliotis, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Treasury, White, REUTERS, Exxon Mobil, Natural Resources, Exxon, Pioneer, Reuters, Federal Trade Commission, Democratic, George, Companies, Activision, FTC, Atlantic, BP, RBC Capital Markets, Chevron, PDC Energy, University of Maryland, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, Atlantic Richfield, Alaska, West Texas, New Mexico, Rystad, Denver, Julesburg, Washington ,, Atlanta

India is by far Canada's largest source of global students in the country's fast-growing international education business, making up for roughly 40% of study permit holders. International students contribute over C$20 billion ($14.6 billion) to the Canadian economy each year. Reuters spoke to more than a dozen universities and consultants in Canada and India who said they were taking measures to reassure students. Last week, Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller described international students "an asset that is very lucrative". In Punjab's Amritsar, home to the Golden Temple, one of the holiest sites in Sikhism, over 5,000 students moved to Canada last year.

Persons: Justin Trudeau, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, We've, Joseph Wong, Ashok Kumar Bhatia, John Tibbits, Tibbits, Marc Miller, Rhonda Lenton, Jiwan Sharma, Melanie Joly, Gurbakhshish Singh, Nivedita Balu, Wa, Manoj Kumar, Denny Thomas, Josie Kao Organizations: Canada's, Canadian, Reuters, University of Toronto, Reuters Graphics, Association of Consultants, Overseas Studies, Conestoga, York, Taxi, Thomson Locations: India's, Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada, TORONTO, AMRITSAR, India, New Delhi, British Columbia, Kitchener , Ontario, Punjab, Punjab's Amritsar, Ottawa, Amritsar, Wa Lone, Toronto

☆ EU says lack of clarity in China's data laws is concerning
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An attendant walks past EU and China flags ahead of the EU-China High-level Economic Dialogue at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China June 25, 2018. REUTERS/Jason Lee/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Sept 19 (Reuters) - European Union businesses are concerned about China's data laws, including their "lack of clarity" and the "long processes" that companies have to undergo, European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova said on Tuesday. It now bans the transfer of any information related to national security and interests, without defining those terms, while widening the definition of spying to include cyberattacks against state organs or critical infrastructure. Jourova said the lack of definitions such as, for example, what constitutes important data, and the lack of clarity on how the law might be contravened was problematic as was the lengthy time it takes to complete procedural matters. China is committed to creating a fair, transparent and predictable business environment, the ministry said at the time.

Persons: Jason Lee, Vera Jourova, Xi, Jourova, Ryan Woo, Ella Cao, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Union, European, Thomson Locations: China, EU, Beijing, Rights BEIJING, Europe, U.S

The case is the latest example of the Federal Trade Commission cracking down on deceptive e-commerce consultancies that target consumers and fledgling online businesses. The Cresto brothers also took 35% of any profits from their "partners'" e-commerce stores, the complaint says. The suspensions left Empire's clients deeply in debt, the FTC alleged, "because Empire typically had its clients pay for inventory on credit cards." The scheme is ongoing and defrauding consumers of tens of thousands of dollars, according to the FTC. Amazon and Walmart did not immediately respond to CNBC's requests for comment.

Persons: John, Roman Cresto, Ecommerce Organizations: Amazon, Walmart, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Southern, Southern District of Locations: U.S, Southern District, Southern District of California, Italy

☆ Carbon accounting was red hot in 2021. Now it's facing widespread consolidation, investors say.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Carbon accounting startups peaked in 2021, raising over $5 billion from investors. The rise of carbon accountingThere are around 50 European carbon accounting companies, many of which didn't exist before 2019, according to Insider's own research. Venture capitalists are typically bullish on SaaS because it can scale quickly with few overheads, which is the promise many carbon accounting companies make. Carbon accounting business models often fell short of true SaaS scalability and instead relied on employees doing tasks manually, despite touting automation, investors said. The next generation of carbon accounting companies should be hyper-focused on one niche – for example, accounting for methane in the agricultural industry or water use.

Persons: Niklas Kaskeala, Antero Vartia, grimly, Kaskeala, That's, Namrata Sandhu, Luca Schmid, ClimateTrade, Germany's, Australia's Envizi, EcoOnline, Germany's Planetly, Buyers aren't Organizations: Sequoia, Octopus Ventures, Cherry Ventures, Balderton, Investors, Venture, Germany's TeamClimate, Watershed, IBM, Sage, SoftBank, KPMG, Enterprise, SAP, Oracle Locations: Helsinki, Finnish, Coatue, Europe, Zalando, London

☆ Asia's refiners face profit crunch as Kuwait cuts crude exports
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Muyu Xu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Lower Kuwaiti exports follow cuts from OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia that have pushed Brent prices close to $90 a barrel and left little wriggle room for Asia's refiners, reliant on the Middle East for more than two-thirds of crude imports. Chinese refiners, which have invested heavily in new plants designed to process sour oil, are especially exposed. Discounted oil from Russia has eased some of the pain, replacing some Kuwaiti supply, largely to China and India. Additionally, Kuwait's joint venture 230,000 bpd Duqm refinery in Oman is scheduled to start operation by end-2023, which could reduce Kuwaiti crude exports by a further 100,000 bpd to 200,000 bpd in 2024, the consultancies said. Formosa could replace Kuwaiti supply with grades such as Iraq's Basra Medium, Qatar's al-Shaheen and Oman crude, Lin said, adding it can also process U.S. light sweet crude.

Persons: Brent, Asia's, Janiv Shah, Sun Jianan, Al Zour, consultancies, KPC, Lin, al, James Forbes, Muyu Xu, Florence Tan, Sonali Paul Organizations: Kuwait Oil Tanker, Oil, Companies, Lower, Saudi, United Arab, Rystad Energy, P, Kuwait Petroleum Corp, Shenghong, Taiwan Formosa Petrochemical Corp, FGE, Dubai, Brent, Thomson Locations: Kuwait, Pier, Companies Kuwait, SINGAPORE, OPEC, Lower Kuwaiti, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, India, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Taiwan, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, Oman, PetroChina's, Guangdong, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Formosa, Basra, Shaheen, Brent, Dubai

☆ Meta hired consultancy firm Bain & Co. before Mark Zuckerberg's big 'efficiency' push, foreshadowing layoffs and cost-cutting
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Mark Zuckerberg last year started to get serious about reducing expenses at Meta. Ahead of this shift, Meta hired the large consulting firm Bain & Co. Before Mark Zuckerberg embarked on his "Year of Efficiency" at Meta, the company brought in a well-known consulting firm to look at its costs. Meanwhile, the company published research on the consumer opportunity in Southeast Asia, a project done in partnership with Bain. Despite already letting go more than 20,000 employees, or about 25% of Meta's workforce, the company is poised to get even smaller this year.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, Mark Zuckerberg's, Bain, Zuckerberg, they'd, Kali Hays Organizations: Meta, Bain & Co, Facebook, Bain, Twitter Locations: Southeast Asia, khays

☆ Shares of these 2 global stocks could soar over 30% as bankruptcies begin to rise, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Company insolvencies are on the rise in Britain , and analysts are expecting two U.K.-based consultancies to be major beneficiaries. Earlier in the month, Begbies Traynor beat its rival and delivered a double-digit annual growth rate. Begbies Traynor Analysts expect Begbies Traynor's core insolvency division to benefit from rising U.K. insolvencies as economic conditions worsen. BEG-GB FRP-GB YTD line Analysts at Canaccord Genuity and Stifel echoed that view, saying that Begbies Traynor is strongly positioned, with over 80% of revenue derived from counter-cyclical insolvency services. The bank raised its forecasts for the firm's earnings for the rest of the year and expects FRP's stock to rise by 47% to £1.75.

Persons: Begbies Traynor, FRP, —, James Bayliss, Bayliss, Stifel, Sam Dindol, Berenberg Organizations: Bank of England, FRP, FRP Advisory Locations: Britain, United States, Canaccord

☆ Why are so many Western firms staying put in Russia, despite the rising risks?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

London CNN —When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a slew of Western companies left in protest. Companies now find themselves caught between Western sanctions and public outrage on the one hand, and an increasingly hostile Russian government on the other. The Kremlin is making it more difficult for Western firms to sell their Russian assets — and imposing steep discounts and punitive taxes when they do. Both companies had been finalizing sales to local buyers when President Vladimir Putin signed an order nationalizing their local assets earlier this month. Spurred by sweeping Western sanctions, oil companies, automakers, technology firms, consultancies and banks led the initial wave of departures.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Carlsberg, Maria Shagina, Andrey Rudakov, Konstantin Zavrazhin, Hein Schumacher, Schumacher, ”, ” Procter, Gamble, ” Mondelez, Fortum Oyj, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, ” Sonnenfeld, — Olesya Dmitracova Organizations: London CNN, Nestlé, Heineken, Companies, Danone, Carlsberg, Breweries, International Institute for Strategic Studies, CNN, Bloomberg, Getty, Yale University, Yale, Unilever, UL, Procter, Gamble, Treasury, Foreign, Control, Carlsberg — Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Lyubuchany, Rosneft, Moscow, Russian

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