DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

Trian claims Disney's board has failed to generate sufficient returns in recent years as subscription streaming losses have mounted and traditional TV subscribers have declined. Early vote countBoth Disney and Trian received support from influential shareholders ahead of Wednesday's meeting. Roughly one-third of Disney's shareholders are retail shareholders, who historically vote in small numbers in annual meetings. The arrangement still raised questions about ValueAct's support for the company and whether Disney's board should have disclosed the prior relationship. WATCH: Disney board battle reaches final moments

Persons: Bob Iger, Mickey Mouse, Valerie Macon, Nelson Peltz, Jay Rasulo, They've, Maria Elena Lagomasino, Michael Froman, Peltz, Ike Perlmutter, Trian, Disney's, Iger, Bob Chapek, Patrick T, Adam Jeffery, Morgan Stanley, James Gorman, CNBC's, George Lucas, Laurene Powell Jobs, Lucas, Powell Jobs, Ken Squire, Rowe Price, Rowe, Mason Morfit's, ValueAct, Neuberger Berman, John Ferguson, Rasulo —, Glass Lewis, Iger's, Gorman, Jeremy Darroch, CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin, Heidi Gutman, Lagomasino, shouldn't, Blackwells, Rasulo, Jason Aintabi, John Foley, Jessica Schnell, Craig Hatkoff, Leah Solivan, ValueAct hasn't Organizations: AFP, Getty Images Disney, Voters, Trian Partners, Disney, PepsiCo, Marvel, SEC, Fallon, Bloomberg, Getty, CNBC Disney, CNBC, Star Wars, LucasArts, Pixar, BlackRock, Institutional, California Public Employees, Yacktman Asset Management, Saratoga Proxy, ISS, Sky, Trian Fund Management, NBCU, Bank, NBCUniversal, Green, Comcast Locations: Los Angeles, New York

☆ Bob Iger may prevail in Disney’s boardroom showdown, but the battle has not left him unscathed
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —The battle for the future of Disney is about to reach its epic conclusion. Nelson Peltz, founder and chief executive officer of Trian Fund Management, has continually criticized Disney CEO Bob Iger. The forces that have tormented Iger will be banished to the shadows, exiled outside of the Magic Kingdom for now. The "Partners" statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse, at Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom, at Walt Disney World. The future of Disney is up for grabs in the proxy-fight between Iger and Peltz.

Persons: Nelson Peltz, Bob Iger, Peltz, Jay Rasulo, Rasulo, Disney’s “, Marco Bello, Iger, Bob Chapek, ” Barton Crockett, CNN’s, Samantha Delouya, George Lucas, Laurene Powell Jobs, Morgan, Jamie Dimon, Walt, Roy Disney, Abigail Disney, Ike Perlmutter, Trian, they’ll, Walt Disney, Mickey Mouse, Joe Burbank, ”, it’s, King, Hollywood, “ Iger Organizations: New York CNN, Disney, Trian, Management, Netflix, Trian Fund Management, Bloomberg, Rosenblatt Securities, “, Former Marvel Entertainment, Services, Magic Kingdom, Magic, Walt Disney World, Orlando Sentinel, Tribune, Service Locations: New York, Iger

☆ Thames Water: Britain’s biggest water company left in the lurch by shareholders
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Investors are refusing to inject billions in new money into Britain’s biggest water company, leaving the beleaguered business at risk of an emergency government takeover. “After more than a year of negotiations with the regulator, Ofwat has not been prepared to provide the necessary regulatory support for a business plan which ultimately addresses the issues that Thames Water faces,” the shareholders said. In its turnaround plan published in October, Thames Water, which is saddled with £14 billion ($17.7 million) in debt, proposed to jack up the average annual customer bill by 40% by 2030. The first £500 million ($630 million) of that sum was due by Sunday, March 31. “Based on the feedback provided by Ofwat to Thames Water to date, the regulatory arrangements that would be expected to apply to Thames Water… make the (turnaround plan) uninvestible,” the utility said in a statement Thursday.

Persons: Ofwat, Chris Weston, “, Jeremy Hunt, Weston, ”, Olesya Dmitracova Organizations: London CNN — Investors, Ofwat, Thames, Water, Reuters, Government, BBC Locations: Thames, London, England, China, Abu Dhabi, British, Wales

☆ Investing in sports teams is trendy now — but is it headed toward bubble territory? New research provides a playbook.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Tiara White | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The simmering topic has been up for debate, in part because prices for NFL teams have risen so high that they threaten to restrict who can be a lead owner. This raises the question: Are investments in sports teams actually a good investment, especially for risk-averse investors like pensions and endowments? According to new research published in Investments & Wealth Publications in November, the answer is a resounding yes. For the article, he teamed up with his father, Arun Muralidhar, the chairman and founder of Mcube Investment Technologies, which develops decision-support products for institutional investment managers. "They themselves are investing globally to make sure that their brand is increasing, and they found great success with that."

Persons: —, Sid Muralidhar, Muralidhar, Risktyle, Arun Muralidhar, Sachin Muralidhar, Sachin, Arun, Sid Muralidhar Sid Muralidhar, homed, it's Organizations: Service, NFL, Dallas Cowboys, Forbes, Business, Investments, Wealth, NHL, Citigroup, Mcube Investment Technologies, The University of Virginia, National Hockey League, NBA, MLB, BI

☆ World's largest pension fund explores bitcoin as an investment
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

A man walks past a poster that informs customers that bitcoin can be used in this shop in Tokyo on January 06, 2018. Japan's government pension fund on Tuesday said it is requesting information on "illiquidity assets" such as bitcoin , as part of research into potential new investments. The Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) of Japan, the world's largest pension fund by assets under management on several different rankings, said it is looking for "basic information" on illiquid assets other than those in which it already invests. GPIF said it currently puts funds in domestic and foreign bonds and stocks, real estate, infrastructure and private equity. It is now looking for information about other assets such as forests, farmland, gold and bitcoin and how these might be incorporated into the portfolio of pension funds.

Persons: GPIF Organizations: Government Pension Investment Fund Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ Emails show how a right-wing group steers GOP leaders on major policy issues
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Bob Ortega | Daniel Medina | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft speaks with reporters on Jan. 23 in Jefferson City, Missouri. In Wyoming, a GOP state senator forwarded an FGA draft bill to Secretary of State Chuck Gray that would prohibit sending out unsolicited absentee ballot request forms. Emails show the group strategized with the secretary of state’s office for weeks leading up to Ashcroft proposing his own such rule last January. FGA notches wins with weakened child labor lawsFGA’s lobbying group, The Opportunity Solutions Project, spearheads its efforts at the state level. Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesFGA also continues its push at the state level across the country to enact its policy priorities.

Persons: State Jay Ashcroft, “, Ashcroft, Kacen Bayless, FGA, –, Chuck Gray, ” Gray, Gray, ”, Joe Biden’s, Jay, Daniel Garrett, Garrett, “ It’s, Missouri’s, Scott Fitzpatrick, BlackRock, ” Fitzpatrick, Mark Felix, Fitzpatrick, ALEC, Andy Puzder, Carls Jr, ” Puzder, Kristina Shelton, Puzder, ” Kristina Shelton, they’ve, Tarren Bragdon, Rebecca Burkes, It’s, Tyson, ’, Bragdon, Sarah Bryner, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Paul Renner, Donald Trump, Chip Somodevilla, Shelton, ” Shelton Organizations: CNN, State, Republican, Foundation, Government, Missouri, Kansas City Star, Tribune, Service, GOP, Ashcroft, Conservative, Missouri Chamber of Commerce, National, University of Pennsylvania, Brookings Institution, Exxon, BlackRock, ” BlackRock, Energy, ExxonMobil, Washington Post, American Legislative Exchange Council, Heritage Foundation, Heritage, Boston, Wisconsin Democratic, FGA, Solutions, Tyson Foods Inc, George’s Inc, US Department of Labor, Solutions Project, Daily, The Heritage Foundation, Alliance, Trump, Florida Governor, Bragdon, Florida House, House, FBI, Justice Department, Department of Education, Center, Pleaides Locations: Missouri, Texas, Jefferson City , Missouri, Wyoming, Kansas , Indiana, BlackRock, Florida, ExxonMobil Baytown, Baytown , Texas, Washington, ” Wisconsin, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Iowa, Park City , Utah, DeSantis, Rome , Georgia

☆ Apple reaches $490 million settlement over Tim Cook's China sales comments
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple Inc., speaks during the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference at Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California, US, on Monday, June 6, 2022. Apple has reached a $490 million settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit that alleged Chief Executive Tim Cook defrauded shareholders by concealing falling demand for iPhones in China. A preliminary settlement was filed on Friday with the U.S. District Court in Oakland, California, and requires approval by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. Apple posted $97 billion of net income in its latest fiscal year, and its payout equals a little under two days of profit. The case is In re Apple Inc Securities Litigation, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No.

Persons: Tim Cook, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, Cook, Shawn Williams, Rogers, Apple Organizations: Apple Inc, Apple Worldwide, Apple, U.S, Norfolk Pension Fund, Apple Inc Securities Litigation, Court, Northern District of Locations: Cupertino , California, China, Oakland , California, Brazil, India, Russia, Turkey, Norfolk, Norwich, England, Northern District, Northern District of California

☆ South Korea to speed up reforms for boosting shareholder returns and tackling 'Korea discount'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Shreyashi Sanyal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

South Korea's financial regulator will look at speeding up the corporate reforms proposed last month and could reportedly add newer measures, after market players voiced concerns the steps might not be enough to tackle the so-called "Korea discount." The Financial Services Commission held a meeting on Thursday with domestic institutional investors and the country's pension fund, where vice chairman Kim So-young said the schedule for the reforms announced earlier would be speeded up, according to a Reuters report. "We will do our best to announce and implement before the previously planned schedule, as the market's expectations are high." In a statement issued after the meeting, the FSC said that establishing transparent markets, making capital market more accessible and pushing for shareholder returns to boost South Korea's undervalued stock markets. The regulator said it would also encourage institutional investors to "actively communicate with companies about the need to take voluntary measures to enhance valuations."

Persons: Kim So Organizations: Financial Services Commission, FSC Locations: Korea

☆ Come on, everyone, let's buy TikTok!
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Henry Blodget | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

So, in the wake of the (notably bi-partisan) House bill, some Americans are already volunteering to buy TikTok — such as former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. These investors would include private equity funds, hedge funds, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, mutual funds, and, of course, banks. That's what Steven Mnuchin and everyone else who wants to buy TikTok are planning to do. That's why Mnuchin made his announcement on CNBC this morning — to let every investor on the planet who might give him money to buy TikTok know that he's raising money to buy TikTok. ("Wait — he's putting together a group to buy TikTok and he hasn't called us yet?

Persons: —, Let's, Steven Mnuchin, Mnuchin, Goldman Sachs, there's, Elon Musk, ByteDance, Steven Mnuchin's, hasn't Organizations: Service, Twitter, CNBC Locations: America, China, American, Banks

☆ Inside Startupland's 'Shroom Boom'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Frohman is part of a small but growing community within the startups industry that is experimenting with small doses of psilocybin to improve focus and productivity. Business Insider spoke with multiple founders and investors who microdosed, but wished to be anonymous. The person declined to share their name for publication, but their identity is known by Business Insider. Vancouver-based Filament Health is working to expand access to natural psychedelics through an extraction and drug-discovery process, while brick-and-mortar shops Shroomyz and Fun Guyz are further fueling the Canadian "'Shroom Boom".

Persons: Scott Frohman, Frohman, hasn't, Microdosing, James Fadiman —, Koel Robinson, Robinson, Richard Laver, Steve Jobs, Peter Grinspon, Grinspon, Peggy Van de Plassche, Van de Plassche, She's, Justin Zhu, I'm, microdosing, they're, It's Organizations: Business, Rocket Beverage Group, Erewhon, Foods, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, BMO, PsyMed Ventures, Noetic Fund Locations: Florida, San Francisco, Denver, Minneapolis, In Oregon, California , Iowa, Washington State, Vermont, Massachusetts, Vancouver, Palo Santo

☆ Disney paid ValueAct millions in fees before winning its support in proxy fight, activist says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Blackwells Capital, which previously voiced support for Iger and Disney management, said ValueAct had been managing more than $350 million in Disney pension funds in a relationship stretching back to 2013. Blackwells has estimated that Disney paid a cumulative $95 million in fees to ValueAct from 2014 to 2022. Disney and Trian have been in the throes of a proxy fight since October, with the fight intensifying as Disney's annual shareholder meeting nears. Disney has repeatedly voiced its support for Iger and has highlighted that its directors have experience overseeing successful succession planning. Representatives for Disney, Blackwells and ValueAct did not respond to requests for comment outside of normal business hours.

Persons: Robert Iger, Blackwells, Mason Morfit, ValueAct, Bob Iger, Nelson Peltz's Trian, Trian, Bob Chapek, Peltz Organizations: Disney, Dolby Theatre, ValueAct Capital, Nelson Peltz's Trian Partners, Blackwells, Department of Labor Locations: Hollywood , California, Iger

Those more concerned with the climate crisis are asking a bigger question: what does this all mean for the planet? Gas-powered cars, hybrids and EVs all emit roughly the same amount of pollution to manufacture, until you get to producing the battery. Fully electric cars use large batteries made of materials that require heavy mining. And that would still mean less climate pollution on the road overall. And fully electric cars won’t be truly “green” until the energy that charges them comes from renewable sources, like wind and solar.

Persons: Akio Toyoda, EVs, Joe Biden’s, Toyota’s, Daniel Sperling, —, ”, Sam Abuelsamid, Abuelsamid, InfluenceMap, Biden, Kelley, Albert Gore, Gore, I’m, “, ” Monica Nagashima, Lia, Kena, Stephen Ciccone, ” Ciccone, BEV, ” UC’s Sperling Organizations: CNN, Toyota, Auto, US, Toyota Prius Prime, Toyota Toyota, Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Ford, EPA, Gas, American Council for, Prius, EV, InfluenceMap, United, Lexus, Cox Automotive, Zero Emission Transportation Association, Getty, Toyota Motor North America, ” Toyota Locations: California, West Virginia, Canada, Australia, United States, EVs, InfluenceMap’s, Japan, Rockland, Blauvelt , New York

☆ Why a warehouse giant is planning a $25 billion push into data centers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Daniel Geiger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

He will fill the newly created role of global head of data centers at the firm. Prologis's push exemplifies the growing interest among investors in data center deals, including players who have not traditionally been involved in the highly specialized industry. Warehouses have squat footprints similar to data centers and are often located in industrial areas that have proximity to the heavy electrical lines and equipment necessary to deliver voluminous power that data centers require. Warehouse growth slows as data centers accelerateDemand for data centers has steadily grown over the past decade, driven by the widespread use of cloud computing and storage across corporate America. Blackstone, for instance, has said it plans to develop as much as $50 billion of data centers in the coming years.

Persons: Chris Curtis, Curtis, Michael Hochanadel, Hochanadel, Harrison, They're, Joseph Ghazal, Ghazal, Hamid Moghadam, JLL, Morgan Stanley, Blackstone, Vince Tibone, Tibone, Prologis's, Ron Kamdem, Moghadam, Carl Beardsley, Beardsley, Chris Crosby, Prince William County, Prologis Organizations: Business, Harrison, Green, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Brookfield, Blackstone, Compass Locations: San Francisco, Dallas, America, Brookfield, Canadian, Prince William, Virginia

☆ How the fortune of one of America’s biggest pharmaceutical families has quietly funded conservative causes
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Casey Tolan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +21 min

From The Searle Freedom TrustThis year, the Searle trust is poised to play an even bigger role as it empties out its coffers. Researchers who study political nonprofits say that the Searle trust has had a major impact, even as the Searle family has stayed under the radar compared to more well-known conservative benefactors. The Searle trust is one of the most prolific funders of conservative groups among all private foundations, according to a CNN analysis of nonprofit tax data. The Searle trust has given millions to the Foundation for Government Accountability, which has worked behind the scenes to push conservative policies such as stricter voting laws. Dennis, the CEO of the Searle trust, is also the chair of DonorsTrust.

Persons: Searle, Daniel C, Trump, Donald Trump, ”, Galen Hall, who’s, Kimberly Dennis, ” Searle, “, Sarah Scaife, doesn’t, Michael B, Thomas, SPN, They’ve, ” Brendan Fischer, Brendan Fischer, “ They’ve, ” Hall, Caleb Rossiter, ” Galen Hall, movement’s MAGA, It’s, Mike Pence, that’s, Dennis, Henry Ford, John D, Rockefeller, ” Fischer, Gideon, Michael Searle, ” Dennis, “ We’re, Dan, Gideon Daniel Searle, Daniel Searle, Jonathan Eig, Jack Searle, Daniel Searle’s, Gregory Pincus, John Rock, Pincus, weren’t, –, Sue, Eig, Margaret Marsh, Enovid, misoprostol, Searle –, Pfizer –, ” Daniel Searle, Donald Rumsfeld, Searles, Biden, Wade, Dobbs, Kristen Batstone Organizations: CNN, Searle Freedom Trust, University of Michigan, Sarah Scaife Foundation, Searle, American Enterprise Institute, Reason Foundation, Tax Foundation, Manhattan Institute, Cato Institute, Foundation, Government, State Policy Network, American Legislative Exchange Council, Fair, Pacific Legal Foundation, Federalist Society, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Environment Research Center, CO2 Coalition, Heartland Institute, ”, CO2, Heartland, Republican Party, movement’s, America, Policy Institute, Trump, American Freedom Foundation, Everett, FDA, Rutgers University, Pfizer, Monsanto, Heritage Foundation, Reason, Affordable, New Civil Liberties Alliance, Public Policy Center, Claremont, National Women’s Health Network, Trust, IRS Locations: Missouri, St, Louis , Missouri, California, judgeships, ”, Omaha, Metamucil, Dramamine, Puerto, Brazil, Diet Coke, America

☆ The S&P 500's valuation is in the 95th percentile vs. history, but Bank of America says investors shouldn't worry
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The S & P 500 might seem expensive at the moment, but this shouldn't spook investors, according to Bank of America. These days, the S & P 500 is higher quality and has lower earnings volatility than prior decades, Subramanian pointed out in a Wednesday note to clients. .SPX 1Y mountain S & P 500 performance. "But at a basic level, we question the validity of comparing an index to its younger selves, especially today's S & P 500." "We're still in this wall of negativity, this wall of worry," Subramanian said on CNBC on Wednesday.

Persons: Savita Subramanian, Subramanian, We're Organizations: Bank of America, CNBC

☆ NY Comptroller on Exxon divestment: We are taking the position that climate change is a risk
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailNY Comptroller on Exxon divestment: We are taking the position that climate change is a riskNew York Comptroller Tom DiNapoli joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the state's pension fund cutting some of its investments in energy companies, why he's divesting from companies including Exxon that aren't ready for the transition to a low-carbon economy, and more.

Persons: Tom DiNapoli Organizations: Exxon

☆ Bank CEO shrugs off U.S. war on 'woke' capital, says ESG investing is good for business
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Sam Meredith | Www.Linkedin.Com In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Bill Winters, Chief Executive Officer at the Standard Chartered Bank, attends a panel session of the World Governments Summit in Dubai on February 12, 2024. Ryan Lim | Afp | Getty ImagesStandard Chartered chief executive Bill Winters says environmentally conscious investing can be good for business, dismissing the impact of a U.S. crusade against mission-driven investments. In the United States, for example, Republican lawmakers have decried ESG as a form "woke capitalism" that seeks to prioritize liberal goals over investment returns. But one of the stats that I love is the biggest renewable power center in the United States is the state of Texas, right? Signage atop the Standard Chartered Plc headquarters building, center, in Hong Kong, China, on Monday, Feb. 19, 2024.

Persons: Bill Winters, Ryan Lim, ESG, Winters, CNBC's, — Organizations: Standard Chartered Bank, World Governments, Afp, Getty, Standard, Democratic, Chartered Plc, Bloomberg Locations: Dubai, U.S, United States, Texas, Hong Kong, China

☆ The office market is so bleak that Canada's largest pension fund sold its stake in an NYC building for $1
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Canada's largest pension fund sold a stake in a New York building for $1. The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment. The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board operates a $436.9 billion fund, with a global real estate portfolio worth roughly $30.6 billion. According to the Bloomberg report, the pension isn't backing out entirely from the office real estate sector, but it's also limiting its holdings in the space. Economists at Moody's, too, expect more pain ahead for commercial real estate.

Persons: —, it's, Goldman Sachs, Moody's Organizations: Service, Pension Plan Investment Board, Bloomberg, Pension Plan Investment, Boston Properties, Santa, Santa Monica Business Park, Bank, New York Community Bank Locations: New York, Canada, Santa Monica, Silicon, Moody's

☆ South Korea unveils measures aimed at boosting stock markets, tackling 'Korea discount'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Shreyashi Sanyal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A man leads a bull during a ceremony celebrating the New Year's opening of the South Korea stock market at the Korea Exchange in Seoul on January 2, 2023. The announcement by the FSC highlighted steps that Korean authorities are taking to boost valuations of stock markets in Asia's fourth-largest economy. The country's stock markets are often considered undervalued by analysts, who refer to the phenomenon as the "Korea discount." The FSC said it will also introduce the "Korea Value-up Index" for institutional investors, including pension funds. "ETFs that track the Korea Value-up index will also be listed to facilitate retail investors' access to these companies," according to the statement.

Organizations: South, Korea Exchange, Financial, Commission, FSC, Nikkei Locations: South Korea, Korea, Seoul, Asia's, Tokyo

☆ Commercial real estate services firm restructures debt after default as industry's problems widen
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Daniel Geiger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The announcement came after S&P Global Ratings lowered Avison's credit on Friday and reported that the company had defaulted on the loan. Weeks earlier, S&P had downgraded the credit rating of Cushman & Wakefield, another major services firm. Higher interest rates have dislocated property values and stifled sales transactions, cutting off a major revenue stream for these firms. Leasing activity across major property types, meanwhile, including office, remains diminished. A push into US real estateAvison sought to rapidly grow in the US over the past decade, including in major commercial real estate markets such as New York City.

Persons: Avison Young, Weeks, Cushman, –, Mark Rose, Avison, Rose, CDPQ, Arbour, MSCI, doesn't, that's Organizations: Cushman & Wakefield, Business, Leasing, Caisse, Federal Reserve Locations: Toronto, Avison, Lane, Stamford , Connecticut, New York City

☆ Reddit Warns That Meme Stock Investors Could Come for Its Own Stock
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Meghan Morris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

As Reddit prepares to go public, the social-media company issued an unusual warning to investors. AdvertisementGameStop, AMC, and other companies saw huge swings in their stock prices starting in 2021, thanks to chatter on social-media platform Reddit. In lawyerly language, Reddit wrote that individual ("retail") investors may home in on the company's stock. AdvertisementReddit S-1 cautions that retail investors could make the stock volatile Reddit S-1 screenshotReddit is offering its most frequent users a chance to buy into the IPO alongside institutional investors. Reddit users, meanwhile, gather on WallStreetBets (mentioned five times in the S-1) and other subreddits, where many posters are bearish about the company's upcoming IPO.

Persons: Reddit, Redditors, — Organizations: GameStop, Service, AMC, Securities and Exchange Commission

The biggest upcoming football event for many of the N.F.L. owners and business executives who will populate luxury boxes at the Super Bowl this weekend is not, perhaps surprisingly, the game. It actually won’t take place until six weeks later, in Orlando, Fla., when football executives gather for the National Football League’s annual meeting — an event that has particular significance this year. Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League have already relaxed their ownership rules. But the N.F.L.

Persons: Arthur Blank, Greg Penner Organizations: National Football, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, Atlanta Falcons, Home Depot, Walmart, Denver Broncos Locations: Orlando, Fla, Florida

BANGKOK (AP) — A Nasdaq-listed Chinese technology company that makes parts for self-driving vehicles is threatening to sue the U.S. government after it was included in a list of companies the Pentagon says have links to the Chinese military. It was among 17 companies the U.S. Department of Defense recently added to its list of companies it considers “Chinese military companies.”The revised list also includes Megvii, a Beijing-based artificial intelligence company and IDG Capital, a major private equity investment company with holdings in many Chinese technology companies, and major Chinese energy, telecoms and aviation companies. In a statement issued last week, the company said its LiDARs were not designed to conform to military specifications. Under Biden, the U.S. has further limited China’s access to advanced U.S. technology, limited U.S. investments in strategically sensitive Chinese industries and expanded sanctions on leading Chinese companies like Huawei Technologies. The Defense Department periodically updates its list of now nearly four dozen Chinese military companies to counter links between Chinese military and companies and other entities that it says appear to be civilian.

Persons: Yifan “ David ” Li, Li, Joe Biden’s, Donald Trump, Biden, China’s Organizations: Pentagon, U.S . Department of Defense, IDG Capital, U.S . Department of Commerce, Beijing, Huawei Technologies, The Defense Department, Xiaomi Corp, Apple Inc, U.S ., China’s People’s Liberation Army Locations: BANGKOK, Beijing, U.S

☆ Big insurance companies want more private credit. Here's how Blackstone is using AI to win them over.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Bianca Chan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Insurance companies represent a big opportunity for private equity firms, who invest with the accumulated premiums paid by millions of everyday Americans. It's not just insurance clients that benefit from AI to bring more transparency to the cloudy private credit market. With private credit, insurance firms can invest in a more diversified set of assets with greater yield (and, albeit risk) than public credit markets, like vanilla corporate bonds. And because insurance companies often have long-term horizons with their financial obligations to policyholders, they can invest in less-liquid asset classes, like private credit. But to win more insurance clients, Blackstone must compete with the likes of Apollo Global Management, Carlyle, and KKR, which have also been keen on insurance.

Persons: Blackstone, John Stecher, it's, Stecher, Gilles Dellaert, Carlyle, that's, Jon Gray, Gray Organizations: Blackstone, —, Business, Insurance, Blackstone Insurance, Apollo Global Management, KKR Locations: BXCI

☆ China’s VC playbook is undergoing a sea change as U.S. IPO exits get tougher
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

That's far less than in the previous years — the share of U.S. dollars in total VC funds raised was around 15% for the years 2018 to 2021, the data showed. China investments, China exitsWashington and Beijing in 2022 resolved a long-standing audit dispute that reduced the risk of Chinese companies having to delist from U.S. stock exchanges. "With U.S. IPOs no longer being a viable exit strategy for China assets, investors should target local exits in their respective capital markets—in other words, China exits for China assets, and U.S. exits for overseas assets," Liao said. The 20 largest VC deals for China-headquartered companies in 2013 were predominantly in e-commerce and software services, according to PitchBook data. ... the venture capital scene has become even more state-concentrated and focused on government priorities.

Persons: China’s renminbi, Athit Perawongmetha, Kyle Stanford, China —, Liao Ming, Stocks, Liao, Didi, Beijing's, Camille Boullenois Organizations: Reuters, Reuters BEIJING — Venture, Liao Ming, U.S, Sequoia, Prospect, Capital, New York Stock Exchange Locations: U.S, Bangkok, Thailand, Reuters BEIJING, China, Sequoia, Washington, India, Japan, Greater China, Beijing, New York, Hong Kong, U.S . Washington

Search resuls for: "Pension Fund"

25 mentions found