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The return of tourists to Southeast Asia, he says, bodes well for the group’s core mobility business in the second half. The next challenge is resetting investor expectations so that beats can shine through. Lower incentives helped it to cut its adjusted operating loss to $66 million from $287 million a year ago. It also narrowed its forecast for annual adjusted operating loss to $195 million-$235 million, from a previous forecast of $275 million-$325 million. China’s Alibaba on May 18 reported revenue of 208 billion yuan ($30.1 billion) in the three months to end-March, up 2% year-on-year.

☆ A Sony spinoff comes better late than never
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, May 18 (Reuters Breakingviews) - A long-awaited Sony (6758.T) spinoff is finally happening. The Japanese video games-to-semiconductors conglomerate may list its financial subsidiary "within the next two to three years" while retaining a 20% stake. Investors promptly bid up shares of Sony as much as 7% on the news. Partially offloading Sony Financial Services, which the company only took full control of in 2020 for $3.7 billion, makes sense. Sony stresses it is not planning any other spinoffs for now - one of them is plenty to look forward to.

May 16 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) CEO Elon Musk warned on Tuesday that the electric-vehicle maker was not immune to the global economy, which he said will be difficult for the next 12 months. "We'll try out a little advertising and see how it goes," said Musk, who is also CEO of Twitter. Last week he announced that NBCUniversal's former advertising head, Linda Yaccarino, will succeed him as Twitter CEO and that he will focus on products and technology at the company. Tesla logo and Elon Musk silhouette are seen in this illustration taken, December 19, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationOne shareholder asked about rumors that he would step down as Tesla CEO, adding "Say it ain't so."

☆ India’s airline turbulence will be felt abroad
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Shritama Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

India’s Go First has gone into bankruptcy – the country’s second airline to do so since 2019. Its subsequent public and messy spat with engine suppliers and lessors will have ripple effects across the industry and abroad. Go, the country’s third largest airline with a 7% market share, blames Raytheon Technologies-backed (RTX.N) Pratt & Whitney’s “faulty” engines. A global industry association, Aviation Working Group, has put India on a watchlist for violating global conventions on repossession of airplanes. The trouble at Go may not put them off but it promises some extra turbulence ahead.

☆ Tesla’s governance autopilot heads for disaster
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Jonathan Guilford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

It’s a vulnerable time for such pronouncements when the market Tesla (TSLA.O) effectively created threatens to overtake it. The stock price has tumbled some 60% since November 2021 compared to a 12% decline in the S&P 500 index (.SPX). A more deferential approach to Musk might have made sense during Tesla’s meteoric rise, when its mere existence bucked convention. The Department of Justice has initiated a probe into Tesla’s self-proclaimed “self-driving” capabilities, which have been involved in fatal crashes. Heeding advice from ISS and Glass Lewis would at least be a place to start, because leaving governance on autopilot also can have dangerous consequences.

May 16 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) Chief Executive Elon Musk on Tuesday warned that the electric-vehicle maker was not immune to the global economy, which he said will be difficult for the next 12 months. At the meeting, shareholders voted to appoint the company's co-founder and former chief technology officer, JB Straubel, to the board. They also rejected a proposal to publish a report that sought to establish succession plans for Chief Executive Elon Musk. Tesla shareholders on Tuesday swiftly voted with the board's recommendations on nearly all proposals. In November, Tesla director James Murdoch testified in court that Musk had identified someone as a potential successor.

May 16 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) shareholders on Tuesday voted to appoint the company's co-founder and former chief technology officer, JB Straubel, to the board, and rejected a proposal to publish a report that sought to establish succession plans for Chief Executive Elon Musk. Proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis had recommended that shareholders vote against Straubel's appointment, citing worries about his independence. Tesla shareholders on Tuesday swiftly voted with the board's recommendations on nearly all proposals. Shareholders also voted to re-elect Musk and Chair Robyn Denholm as board members. Tesla board members have discussed CFO Zach Kirkhorn as a possible successor as CEO, the Wall Street Journal reported last week, citing a person familiar with the matter.

The billionaire entrepreneur, also the top boss of Twitter, last week announced that NBCUniversal's former advertising head Linda Yaccarino will succeed him as Twitter CEO and that he will focus on products and technology at the social media firm. Here are some topics that may be discussed at the shareholder meeting. Proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis recommended Tesla shareholders vote against Straubel's appointment, citing worries about his independence. DEMANDInvestors hope Musk will talk about demand against the backdrop of a slowing economy and growing competition. He had flagged strong demand for the Cybertruck, but it takes time to get the manufacturing line going for the "very radical product".

☆ Why Home Depot's weak outlook could be a warning sign for Target earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Robyn Beck | AFP | Getty ImagesHome Depot and Target may sell very different kinds of merchandise. But the home improvement retailer's slashed forecast could be seen as a warning sign for the cheap chic retailer. On the other hand, Target, Walmart and other retailers that report in the coming weeks draw from a more representative pool of Americans. Discretionary spending fell year over year in the U.S., according to data from Circana, a market researcher formerly known as The NPD Group and IRI. Plus, Home Depot has some sector-specific advantages — even as mortgage rates rise — that could insulate it from some of the effects of lower discretionary spending.

☆ 10 Things in Tech: Amazon Web Services salaries, Elon Musk returns to Tesla, and a ‘secret’ ChatGPT prompt library
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

I'm Diamond Naga Siu, and I don't dream of labor (I do occasionally have dreams about writing the newsletter). And hiring managers told my colleague Aki Ito that it's currently incredibly difficult to find and hire enough qualified people. The country that wins the competition over the batteries of the future will not only control the electric vehicle market. Lopez gives us a front-seat look at the landscape of the critical EV battery market. A leaked email revealed that Musk now wants to approve all new hires — including contractors — at Tesla.

HONG KONG, May 16 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Investing in China need not be too stressful, provided you avoid investing in Chinese companies. A spending pop in the transport, food and beverage and hospitality sectors helped lift first-quarter GDP to 4.5%. But that data was flattered by comparison to a grim 2022, and April data on imports, inflation and bank loans all disappointed. While Beijing’s crackdowns on domestic technology companies and property developers have eased, other risks are rising. Separately, quarterly revenue at Alibaba is expected to rise 3% year-on-year to 211 billion yuan ($30.5 billion) in the three months to March, according to the average analyst forecast on Refinitiv.

☆ Thanks for the memories (and money) index-rebalance strategies
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A man pauses outside of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on January 15, 2016 in New York City. Index-rebalance strategies, the talk of the town just a few short years ago, are seemingly on their last legs these days. What doomed the index-rebalance strategy is a tale as old as time on Wall Street. Times are tough now, but as Alex notes in his story, not everyone is completely giving up on the strategy. And while we're talking Man Group, here's a rundown on a program meant to help non-tech workers learn data-science skills to help streamline their jobs.

☆ Elon Musk names NBCU ad chief Linda Yaccarino as Twitter CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —Elon Musk on Friday named longtime media executive Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO of Twitter, months after he promised to step back from the role. “I am excited to welcome Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO of Twitter!” Musk wrote in a tweet on Friday. NBCUniversal’s ad sales team has generated $100 billion in ad sales since she joined in 2011, according to her profile, and forged partnerships with many new media companies including Twitter as well as Apple News, Buzzfeed, Snapchat and YouTube. Ad sales represented more than 90% of the company’s revenue before Musk purchased it in October. Musk has previously spoken about improving ad sales by focusing more on the relevance of its ads.

☆ Women in Climate Leadership: Meet 10 leaders who refuse to let the climate crisis go unchecked
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"It's like a comedy-drama satire," Margolin, a junior at New York University, told Insider of the film, called "Doomers." It's about a former youth climate activist and a former NASA climate scientist who go out for a night of hedonistic destruction to celebrate giving up on fighting the climate crisis. Margolin started to worry that the youth climate movement had inadvertently created a capitalistic monster. So many companies, even big polluters or those with sweatshops in their supply chains, talk about sustainability and climate justice. "Corporations and politicians have exploited the youth climate movement," Margolin said.

☆ ValueAct loses its temper in 7-Eleven
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Pete Sweeney | Thomson Reuters | Asia Economics Editor Pete Sweeney Joined Reuters Breakingviews In Hong Kong In September Previously He Served As Reuters' Chief Correspondent For China Economy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

HONG KONG, May 10 (Reuters Breakingviews) - ValueAct Capital’s chief Mason Morfit prefers to chide undervalued conglomerates behind closed doors. In its latest 151-page presentation, ValueAct took its case directly to shareholders, the second time it has seen fit to do so in its history. That highlights the U.S. fund’s frustration from its two-year long campaign calling for Seven & i to spin off its 7-Eleven convenience stores, among other things. That implies a standalone 7-Eleven could be worth 10 trillion yen, roughly a quarter more than its parent today. He may have a point, and in truth ValueAct has far more experience turning around technology companies than food retailers.

☆ How big companies are contending with a frenzy of demand for Ozempic from their workers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Demand for expensive weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy is soaring. Companies that foot the bill for their workers' health coverage are mulling whether to pay for them. Across the US, companies are facing a critical decision: whether to foot the bill for the expensive weight-loss drugs that have exploded in popularity in recent months. Andrews estimated that more than half the companies in the alliance covered weight-loss drugs. Andrews' comments offer a window into how big US companies are grappling with the rising demand for and high costs of weight-loss treatment.

☆ 10 Things in Tech: Best side hustles, Tesla Roadsters, and ChatGPT stylist
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

After just a few short years of hype, the metaverse is already headed for the graveyard of failed tech ideas. The metaverse, according to Zuckerberg, was supposed to be the next evolution of the internet and our tech lives. But the rise and fall of the metaverse can teach us some important lessons about the tech industry as a whole. All the tech companies citing AI in their layoff announcements. Many major tech companies like Google and IBM even mentioned AI in their layoff announcements.

☆ Beijing expects foreigners to trust, not verify
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Pete Sweeney | Thomson Reuters | Asia Economics Editor Pete Sweeney Joined Reuters Breakingviews In Hong Kong In September Previously He Served As Reuters' Chief Correspondent For China Economy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In recent months, Chinese investigators have detained employees of U.S. due-diligence firm Mintz Group, visited consultancy Bain & Company and suspended auditor Deloitte’s Beijing operations for three months. Security watchdogs have restricted overseas access to financial data providers like Wind Information, as well as academic database China National Knowledge Infrastructure. Local banks loaned 3.9 trillion yuan ($560 billion) in March alone while corporations issued 328 billion yuan of bonds. Besides Wind, other Chinese data providers including company databases Qichacha and TianYanCha have stopped opening to offshore users, according to three of the sources. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ ISS recommends Tesla investors vote against re-election of board chair
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Tesla Inc FollowSAN FRANCISCO, May 3 (Reuters) - Proxy advisory firm ISS on Wednesday recommended Tesla investors vote against the re-election of board chair Robyn Denholm, citing concerns about a lack of scrutiny of the pledging of some company stocks by CEO Elon Musk and his brother Kimbal Musk. Tesla shares are down about 60% from their record high reached in November 2021. The shares pledged by Elon Musk accounted for 58% of his Tesla ownership, ISS said. ISS recommended votes for Musk and co-founder JB Straubel as board members. Proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis last month recommended Tesla shareholders vote against Straubel, citing worries about his independence because he served as chief technology officer at Tesla until 2019.

☆ ISS recommends Tesla investors vote against re-election of Robyn Denholm
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Companies Tesla Inc FollowSAN FRANCISCO, May 3 (Reuters) - Proxy advisory firm ISS on Wednesday recommended Tesla investors vote against re-election of board chair Robyn Denholm, citing concerns about a lack of the board's oversight over the pledging of some company stocks by CEO Elon Musk and his brother Kimbal Musk. "Pledging does inherently pose risks to ordinary shareholders, and the likelihood of a forced sale of pledged shares increases at a time when the share price (and therefore the value of the collateral) is already declining," ISS said in a report. "The aggregate value of the pledged position, as well as the likelihood of further increases, raise significant concerns," it said. Musk did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment. Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

HONG KONG, May 3 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Chinese travellers are opening their suitcases again, but not their wallets. Domestic travel bookings during the holiday surged eightfold from a year earlier, surpassing pre-pandemic levels, according to online travel agency Trip.com (9961.HK). The return of Chinese holiday-goers should be a huge relief at home and abroad. Before the pandemic, domestic tourism contributed a whopping 11% of GDP and 10% of national employment, according to Fitch. The country's Big 3 carriers - Air China (601111.SS), China Southern (600029.SS), and China Eastern (600115.SS) - are grappling with high oil prices, a weak yuan and geopolitical tensions.

☆ China’s Midea regains outbound deal appetite
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, May 2 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Midea (000333.SZ), a $58 billion Chinese white goods champion, made waves in Europe in 2016 when it bought German robot maker Kuka for nearly $5 billion. Seven years later, the company is eyeing Sweden’s home appliance brand Electrolux (ELUXb.ST), a complementary asset currently worth around $7 billion including debt. A successful tilt could mark the beginning of a revival in outbound M&A by Chinese firms after offshore deals touched a historic low of $29 billion in 2022, per EY estimates. To close the Kuka acquisition, Midea offered a 36% price premium and generous guarantees including leaving management in place until 2023. Nevertheless, it seems likely that more cash-rich Chinese companies like Midea, seeking to hedge weak domestic demand with overseas customers, will gingerly test cross-border M&A markets this year.

HONG KONG, May 2 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Money flowing into the People's Republic is getting uncomfortably hot. Yet recent reversals in New York, Hong Kong and Shanghai suggest that is driven by fickle short-term funds – exactly what Beijing doesn’t want. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsFollow @mak_robyn on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSChinese spirit maker ZJLD shares closed down 18% lower than their initial public offering price on their trading debut April 27. The KKR-backed company raised $676 million in what was the biggest offering in Hong Kong since October 2022. Separately, the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, Canada's third largest pension fund, closed down its China equity investment team based in Hong Kong, Reuters reported on April 25, citing sources.

☆ The end of cheap credit could hurry Japanese M&A
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Diversifying abroad looks attractive to many Japanese companies given weak home markets. The country's third-largest drugmaker by sales is paying a modest-looking 22% premium to Iveric's share price before the announcement. Analysts at Jefferies reckon those sales could top $85 million in its first year and peak at $2.4 billion annually by 2034. Regardless, even Warren Buffett has taken advantage of Japanese rates to funds deals inside Japan; domestic corporations looking abroad will as well. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Finding the Right House Can Take a While. For One Buyer, the Process Spanned ‘91 Homes in Total.’
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Robyn A. Friedman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

What is the most houses you’ve had to show before a buyer made a purchase? When I started in real estate, I worked as an assistant to a top producer. He also probably realized it was going to take a lot of work and a lot of driving around. We would go out several days a week and see an average of five houses each time. I saved every printed listing from our showings and counted them up—there were 91 homes in total.

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