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☆ What happened to shut down Toyota's production in Japan?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WHAT HAPPENED TO SHUT DOWN TOYOTA'S PRODUCTION IN JAPAN? Toyota's production has been recovering this year, so the outage could be potentially more costly than the 2022 shutdown. Toyota's production in Japan - about a third of its global output - averaged about 13,500 vehicles a day in the first half of the year, Reuters calculations showed. WHAT IS TOYOTA'S PRODUCTION AND SUPPLIER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM? Toyota's system of lean production and just-in-time parts delivery has been adopted across the auto industry and widely studied.

Persons: Taichi Ono, Wiggly, Koji Sato, Akio Toyoda, Tesla, Daniel Leussink, Satoshi Sugiyama, Kevin Krolicki, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Toyota, Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, Kojima Industries, Lexus, Daihatsu, Hino, TOYOTA, ITS, Thomson Locations: Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, JAPAN, United States

The Tokyo Tower, left, and commercial and residential buildings at night in Minato district of Tokyo, Japan, on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. Photographer: Akio Kon/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesAsia-Pacific markets are set to rise on Friday after more inflation data out from the U.S. came in softer than expected, raising optimism that inflation could come down without weakening the labor market. "Most stock and bond index prices rose today as economic data indicates inflation has fallen quickly and the labor market remains strong," Bill Merz, senior investment director at U.S. Bank Wealth Management. June's producer price index rose less than anticipated, climbing 0.1% year on year, compared to the 0.2% expected by economists polled by Dow Jones. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index also looks set to continue its rally after surging more than 2.5% on Thursday.

Persons: Akio Kon, Bill Merz, Dow Jones Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty Images, U.S, Bank Wealth Management, Core PPI, Nikkei Locations: Tokyo, Minato district, Japan, Getty Images Asia, Pacific, U.S, Chicago, Osaka, Australia

☆ Can Japan's Nikkei benchmark hit an all-time high of 40,000? One strategist thinks so
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Akio Kon | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesJapan's Nikkei 225 can reach 40,000 points in the next 12 months as fundamentals are "pointing in the right direction," according to market strategist Jesper Koll. Should the prediction come true, this would mean that the Nikkei would have breached its all-time high of 38,195 achieved on Dec 29, 1989. Japan's central bank has maintained an ultra-loose monetary policy for more than 20 years. He said that while there is more upside in the Nikkei, "a lot of good news is already priced in." That's on the expectation that the BOJ will move to tighten monetary policy.

Persons: Akio Kon, Jesper Koll, CNBC's, Koll, Kazuo Ueda, Tony Sycamore Organizations: Tokyo Stock Exchange, Bloomberg, Getty, Nikkei, Monex Group, Bank of Japan, CNBC Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Japan's, Koll, Sycamore

☆ The Tearful Executive Who Tapped the Brakes on Electric Cars at Toyota
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( River Davis | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/toyota-president-akio-toyoda-electric-vehicles-evs-8dcf7dae

Persons: Dow Jones, akio, toyoda Organizations: toyota

☆ Toyota Motor Chairman Akio Toyoda Isn’t Afraid to Show Emotion
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

AI Apps to Try for Work and LeisureThere are so many new AI-powered programs out there. Deciding which ones to try can be overwhelming. But worry not! WSJ personal-tech reporting assistant Cordilia James put together a list to get you started. She joins host Julie Chang for a quick rundown of the best AI apps.

Persons: Cordilia James, Julie Chang

☆ Toyota shareholders make 15% the new win-win
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Antony Currie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Both Glass Lewis and ISS reckon there aren’t enough properly independent directors on the board, even though Toyota complies with the requirements laid down by the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Yet ISS held back from advising shareholders vote against them because it would risk “increasing management dominance of the board”. Toyota is a laggard on both and is now under pressure to get powerful investors back onside. CONTEXT NEWSMore than 15% of voting shareholders were against reappointing Chairman Akio Toyoda to Toyota Motor’s board at its annual meeting on June 14, the Japanese carmaker said on June 15. About 15% of shareholders who voted supported a resolution asking the company to issue an annual review of its climate lobbying activities.

Persons: Akio Toyoda, Glass Lewis, Glass Lewis plumped, Toyoda, Masahiko Oshima, carmaker, Pete Sweeney, Thomas Shum Organizations: MELBOURNE, Reuters, Toyota, ISS, Tokyo Stock Exchange, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial, Nikkei, California Public, New York, New York City Comptroller, Twitter, Thomson Locations: New York City

☆ Toyota defies skeptics as stock seals best week since 2009
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

DETROIT – Toyota Motor stock sealed its best week since 2009 on Friday, as the automaker laid out a robust plan for future all-electric vehicles and company scion Akio Toyoda became leader of the Japanese company's board. Shares of Toyota on the New York Stock Exchange closed Friday at $164.35 per share, down 2.3% for the day but still up 10.6% on the week. That 5-day gain is the stock's best week since April 2009 when shares increased 14.5%. It's only the third double-digit weekly gain in more than two decades for the relatively well-performing but mundane stock. Shares of the company are up 20% so far in 2023.

Persons: Akio Toyoda, Toyoda, Koji Sato Organizations: DETROIT, Toyota, New York Stock Exchange, Prius Prime Locations: EVs

☆ Some 85% of Toyota shareholders voted to re-elect Toyoda at AGM
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, June 15 (Reuters) - Some 85% of Toyota Motor's (7203.T) shareholders voted to re-elect Chairman Akio Toyoda to the automaker's board of directors at its annual general meeting, the company said in a regulatory filing on Thursday. Support for Toyoda, the grandson of the company's founder, was at 96% in the previous year, when he was president and chief executive. Some 15% of shareholders also voted at Wednesday's meeting in favour of a resolution that would have compelled the automaker to make greater disclosure of its climate change lobbying activities. That was well short of the two-thirds majority required for the resolution to pass. Reporting by Daniel Leussink; Editing by David DolanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Akio Toyoda, Toyoda, Daniel Leussink, David Dolan Organizations: Toyota, Thomson Locations: TOKYO

☆ Toyota stock having best week since 2009 after annual meeting, new EV goals
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

DETROIT – Toyota Motor's stock is having its best week since 2009 following the company disclosing plans for its next-generation electric vehicles and shareholders voting in favor of its new leadership, including former CEO Akio Toyoda as chairman. If shares can retain their current momentum, it would be the stock's best week since April 2009 when they increased 14.5%. Ahead of its annual meeting Wednesday, Toyota outlined plans for a new generation of EVs to rival industry leaders Tesla and China-based BYD . The company said it plans to launch its next-generation EVs starting in 2026, including vehicles with highly touted "solid-state batteries" by 2027 or 2028. Solid-state batteries can be lighter, with greater energy density and provide more range at a lower cost than today's EVs with lithium-ion batteries.

Persons: Akio Toyoda, Tesla Organizations: DETROIT, Toyota, New York Stock Exchange Locations: China

☆ Toyota Shareholders Re-Elect Akio Toyoda to Board, Rejecting Activist Push
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( River Davis | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/toyota-shareholders-re-elect-akio-toyoda-to-board-rejecting-activist-push-97eab83e

Persons: Dow Jones, akio, toyoda Organizations: toyota

☆ Toyota wins over shareholders at AGM after questions on strategy, governance
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, June 14 (Reuters) - Toyota (7203.T) shareholders backed the board and voted down the first resolution proposed in 18 years at an annual general meeting (AGM) on Wednesday, an endorsement of the automaker a day after it laid out an extensive electric vehicle strategy. MANUFACTURING CHANGEThe carmaker said it would radically redesign manufacturing, having vehicles drive along the production line instead of being carried by conveyor. GOVERNANCETwo huge U.S. public pension funds voted against the re-election of Chairman Akio Toyoda, with proxy advisor Glass Lewis saying re-election threatened board independence. Toyota said its board meets Tokyo Stock Exchange standards. CLIMATE LOBBYINGThree asset managers have urged Toyota to improve disclosure of climate change lobbying in a proposal backed by proxy advisor Institutional Shareholder Services.

Persons: Tesla, Akio Toyoda, Glass Lewis Organizations: Toyota, EV, Tokyo, Exchange, Services, Thomson Locations: TOKYO

[1/2] The Toyota logo is seen on the bonnet of a newly launched Camry Hybrid electric vehicle at a hotel in New Delhi, India, January 18, 2019. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/File PhotoTOYOTA CITY, Japan, June 14 (Reuters) - Shareholders of Toyota (7203.T) voted down an unprecedented resolution on its automaker's climate lobbying and backed its board at an annual general meeting (AGM) on Wednesday, sending an endorsement of the Japanese automaker's strategy. Shareholders also voted in favour of all 10 members of the board. That vote, and particularly support for Chairman Akio Toyoda, has been in focus after some major U.S. pension funds said they would not vote for Toyoda, citing concerns about board independence. Toyota is taking a multi-pathway approach toward carbon neutrality that includes petrol-electric hybrids and hydrogen fuel cells, along with EVs.

Persons: Anushree, Akio Toyoda, Toyoda, Akio, Tadashi Imai, Daniel Leussink, David Dolan, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, TOYOTA CITY, Toyota, Shareholders, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, Japan

☆ Toyota makes its case at AGM after investors question strategy, governance
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The roadmap could help the world's top-selling automaker make its case to investors at the meeting, where it also faces a shareholder resolution over its climate lobbying as well as questions about governance. EV ROADMAPToyota aims to produce more efficient, faster-charging versions of current batteries to improve EV driving range and cost, and, within the decade, mass produce game-changing solid-state batteries after saying it had overcome a technical hurdle. MANUFACTURING CHANGEThe carmaker said it would radically redesign manufacturing, having vehicles drive along the production line instead of being carried by conveyor. GOVERNANCETwo huge U.S. public pension funds voted against the re-election of Chairman Akio Toyoda, with proxy advisor Glass Lewis saying re-election threatened board independence. CLIMATE LOBBYINGThree asset managers have urged Toyota to improve disclosure of climate change lobbying in a proposal backed by proxy advisor Institutional Shareholder Services.

Persons: Koji Sato, Tesla, Akio Toyoda, Glass Lewis Organizations: Toyota, EV, Tokyo, Exchange, Services, Thomson Locations: TOKYO

☆ Toyota shares hit 16-month high as shareholders endorse board, new EV strategy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

People arrive to attend an annual shareholders' meeting for Toyota Motor in the city of Toyota, Aichi Prefecture on June 14, 2023. Toyota shares soared to a 16-month high Wednesday after shareholders of the world's largest car manufacturer voted to retain Akio Toyoda as its chairman in a broad endorsement of the company's governance and new electric vehicle strategy. Toyota shares closed up 6.3% at 2,310 Japanese yen ($16.48) per share in robust volumes — their highest close since Feb. 9, 2022. Their record closing high at 2,390 Japanese yen per share was recorded Jan. 9, 2022. On Wednesday, Toyota shares outperformed the 1.5% gain on the Nikkei and 1.3% rise for the Topix benchmarks in Tokyo.

Persons: Akio Toyoda, Koji Sato's Organizations: Toyota Motor, Toyota, Nikkei Locations: Aichi Prefecture, Toyota City, Tokyo

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Logitech, Toyota, UnitedHealth, AMD and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Logitech — Shares tumbled 12.3% after the company announced president and CEO Bracken Darrell is departing. Toyota — The Japan-based automaker's shares gained 4.5% Wednesday. Lumen Technologies — The telecommunications stock gained 6% during midday trading Wednesday, adding to the 16% advance that was made Tuesday. Earlier in the week, the company announced a new partnership with electric vehicle software charging company ev.energy. Advanced Micro Devices — The chip stock gained nearly 2% in midday trading, a day after the company announced its latest artificial intelligence chips.

Persons: Bracken Darrell, UnitedHealth — UnitedHealth, John Franklin Rex, Akio Toyoda, Lumen, Roth MKM, Goldman Sachs, Bernstein, Bud, Raymond James, Buster's, Cinemark, Riley, Li Auto, Morgan Stanley, Wolfe, it's bullish, Gordon Haskett, SVB, — SoFi, Estée Lauder —, — CNBC's Michelle Fox, Yun Li, Sarah Min, Hakyung Kim Organizations: Logitech, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology of, Citi, Goldman, Global Healthcare, Toyota, Lumen Technologies, Google, Microsoft, Maxeon, Technologies, Reuters, Services, AMD, Anheuser, Busch InBev —, Netflix, Wolfe Research, Barclays, SVB Securities, Berenberg Locations: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland, Japan, Latin America

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Toyota, AMD, Shell, UnitedHealth and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Toyota cars are displayed on the sales lot at Toyota Marin in San Rafael, California, May 11, 2022. Check out the companies making the biggest moves in premarket trading. Vodafone — The cellphone network added nearly 3% in premarket trading after Vodafone and CK Hutchison agreed to merge their U.K. businesses. Shell — The European oil stock was up 2.3% after Shell boosted its dividend and share buybacks and said it would keep oil production steady until 2030. SoFi Technologies — Shares added 3.25% premarket.

Persons: Akio Toyoda, Bracken Darrell, CK Hutchison, UnitedHealth, John Rex, BTIG, — CNBC's Hakyung Kim, Jesse Pound Organizations: Toyota, Toyota Marin, Logitech, Citi, Vodafone, CK, Devices, Amazon, Services, Reuters, Humana, Lumen Technologies, Google, Microsoft, Shell, SoFi Locations: San Rafael , California, Japan

TOKYO, June 13 (Reuters) - Toyota (7203.T) faces an unprecedented challenge at its annual shareholder meeting on Wednesday, with some pension funds voting against Chairman Akio Toyoda on governance issues, while seeking more disclosures on the Japanese automaker's climate lobbying. Two prominent U.S. proxy advisers have flagged concern about Toyota's board independence. The step comes as companies across Japan face more pressure from investors, especially on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. The strong financial performance has meant concerns about board independence have largely been shrugged off, said Kazunori Suzuki of Waseda Business School. He enjoys strong support from individual investors and the many suppliers and Toyota group companies among its shareholders.

Persons: Akio Toyoda, Toyoda, Kentaro Shibata, Kazunori Suzuki, Anders Schelde, Denmark's, AkademikerPension, AkademikerPension's Schelde, Nicholas Benes, Benes, that's, Makiko Yamazaki, Maki Shiraki, Daniel Leussink, David Dolan, William Mallard, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Toyota, Nikkei, Waseda Business School, Tokyo, Exchange, Services, International Paralympic Committee, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Training, of Japan, Nissan, Honda, Reuters, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, New York, Japan, Toyota

The plan comes a day before an annual shareholders meeting where governance and strategy - including a slow pivot to battery EVs under former CEO Akio Toyoda - will be scrutinised. Toyota said it aims to launch next-generation lithium-ion batteries from 2026 offering longer ranges and quicker charging. At the high end of the market, Toyota said it would produce an EV with a more efficient lithium-ion battery offering a range of 1,000 km (621 miles). An EV powered by a solid-state battery would have a range of 1,200 km and charging time of just 10 minutes, Toyota said. "What we want to achieve is to change the future with BEVs," Takero Kato, president of new Toyota EV unit BEV Factory, said in a video posted on the automaker's YouTube channel on Tuesday.

Persons: Akio Toyoda, Koji Sato, Takero Kato, BEV Factory, Henry Ford, Koji Endo, Toyota's, I'm, it's, Toyota's BEV Factory, Kato, Tesla, Daniel Leussink, Christopher Cushing, Kevin Krolicki Organizations: Toyota, EVs, Tesla, Engineers, Toyota EV, YouTube, NEW ASSEMBLY, SBI Securities, Lexus, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, China

☆ Toyota shares surge 5% after announcing plans for next-gen battery EVs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In this article 7203.T-JP Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTA display of Toyota electrified vehicles at the 2022 New York Auto Show, April 13, 2022. Toyota has a goal of achieving sales of 1.5 million all-electric vehicles per year by 2026, and selling 3.5 million all-electric vehicles annually by 2030. Separately, the company is also developing a method for mass producing all-solid-state batteries for battery electric vehicles, and aims to commercialize this in 2027 to 2028. Toyota said it will be looking at a 20% improvement in cruising range for its all-solid-state batteries, compared to the current batteries. HEVs refer to hybrid electric vehicles, which are vehicles that are powered by a conventional internal combustion engine in combination with one or more electric motors.

Persons: Scott Mlyn, Koji Sato, Sato, Akio Toyoda Organizations: Toyota, York Auto Show, CNBC, Tesla, Nikkei

☆ Targeting Toyota for Its Electric-Vehicle Heresy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/targeting-toyota-for-its-electric-vehicle-heresy-akio-toyoda-hybrids-ev-climate-change-b5f67d6c

Persons: Dow Jones, akio Organizations: toyota

☆ Toyota gets activism, without the activists
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, June 5 (Reuters Breakingviews) - It’s one thing to be targeted by pushy activists looking for a quick return. It’s perhaps more embarrassing to receive the wholesale disapproval of American pension funds who are long-term stewards of capital. That’s the position the board of $200 billion carmaker Toyota (7203.T) finds itself in. The pair also favoured a resolution brought by Danish and Dutch pension funds urging Toyota to improve disclosure of its lobbying on climate change. Toyota insists its board adheres to the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s independence standards.

Persons: Akio Toyoda, Katrina Hamlin, Pete Sweeney, Pranav Kiran Organizations: Reuters, Toyota, New York, California Public Employees, Danish, Tokyo Stock, Twitter, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, New York City, Una, Saudi, East

Toyota shares closed up 3.4%, outperforming the 1.2% gain in the Nikkei index (.N225). BOARD INDEPENDENCENew York City Comptroller Brad Lander said in a statement the Toyota board was not adequately independent. The New York comptroller's office oversees a pension system with $243 billion in assets under management. Those funds held 6.7 million shares in Toyota Group companies, including Toyota Boshoku (3116.T) and Toyota Tsusho (8015.T) as of end March. The New York pension system has also urged both Ford (F.N) and General Motors (GM.N) to move rapidly toward electrification and to disclose more about their lobbying on vehicle standards.

Persons: Akio Toyoda, Glass Lewis, Toyoda, CalPERS, Brad Lander, Daniel Leussink, David Dolan, Maki Shiraki, Kevin Krolicki, Jamie Freed, Christopher Cushing, Leslie Adler Organizations: Toyota Motor Corp, California Public Employees, New York, Toyota, Tokyo Stock Exchange, Nikkei, The, Toyota Group, Ford, General Motors, Lexus, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, New York City, York, Tokyo

One of them, Glass Lewis, recommended shareholders vote against re-electing Toyoda, citing what it said was his responsibility for the lack of a sufficiently independent board. Toyota on Friday did not immediately comment on the votes against the re-election of Toyoda. The New York comptroller's office oversees a pension system with $243 billion in assets under management. BOARD INDEPENDENCENew York City Comptroller Brad Lander said the Toyota board was not adequately independent, in a statement explaining the vote by the funds it oversees. The New York pension system has also urged both Ford (F.N) and General Motors (GM.N) to move rapidly toward electrification and to disclose more about their lobbying on vehicle standards.

Persons: Akio Toyoda, Glass Lewis, Toyoda, CalPERS, Brad Lander, Elon, Daniel Leussink, David Dolan, Maki Shiraki, Kevin Krolicki, Jamie Freed Organizations: Toyota Motor Corp, California Public Employees, New York, Toyota, Tokyo Stock Exchange, The, New, Ford, General Motors, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, New York City, York, New York, Tokyo

One of them, Glass Lewis, recommended shareholders vote against re-electing Toyoda, citing what it said was his responsibility for the lack of a sufficiently independent board. CalPERS, which declined to comment, is the largest U.S. public pension fund with some $450 billion in assets under management. The New York City pension funds held 6.7 million shares in Toyota Group companies, including Toyota Boshoku (3116.T) and Toyota Tsusho (8015.T) as of end March. BOARD INDEPENDENCENew York City Comptroller Brad Lander said the Toyota board was not adequately independent, in a statement explaining the vote by the funds it oversees. The New York pension system has also urged both Ford (F.N) and General Motors (GM.N) to move rapidly toward electrification and to disclose more about their lobbying on vehicle standards.

Persons: Akio Toyoda, Glass Lewis, Toyoda, CalPERS, Brad Lander, Daniel Leussink, David Dolan, Maki Shiraki, Kevin Krolicki, Jamie Freed, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Toyota Motor Corp, California Public Employees, New York, Toyota, Tokyo Stock Exchange, The, New, Toyota Group, Nikkei, Ford, General Motors, Lexus, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, New York City, York, Tokyo

☆ Toyota governance fight gets stuck in traffic
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, May 30 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Governance campaigns against Japanese companies have a hard enough time gaining traction as it is. ValueAct Capital’s two-year campaign against Seven & i (3382.T) culminated last week with at best just a third of shareholders backing its four board candidates. Glass Lewis asserts just three of Toyota’s 10 board candidates are unaffiliated, fewer than the one-third the advisory sets as a floor. Toyota insists its board meets the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s independence standards. He should go in any event: having the former CEO of 14 years lead the board is bad governance.

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