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☆ AI Davids ride coattails of industry Goliaths
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

New York, Dec 5 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Artificial intelligence Goliaths like OpenAI continue to open the door for what might become the industry’s Davids. With a low-cost approach and data privacy focus, it may be able to eventually carve out a solid European business. Mistral has whiffs of what OpenAI, eyeing a mooted $86 billion valuation and eight years old, once was, but with tweaks. Mistral has also focused on “open sourcing” its models, which means they can be downloaded and used for free. As a Paris-based company, Mistral could build out its business with a specific focus on complying with AI rules being finalized by the European Union.

Persons: industry’s Davids, eyeing, Anita Ramaswamy, Neiman Marcus, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Reuters, Mistral, Bloomberg, European Union, X, Saks, Thomson Locations: York, Paris, Kuwait, Hong Kong

☆ Kuwait rings up small bill in tower merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A three-way partnership deal will enable Qatar’s Ooredoo (ORDS.QA) to offload capital-intensive infrastructure but only by offering Kuwait’s Zain (ZAIN.KW) favourable deal terms. Ooredoo and Zain are creating a regional powerhouse with an estimated enterprise value of $2.2 billion to be managed by Zain-backed TASC Towers Holding. The $8.9 billion Ooredoo and $6.9 billion Zain will own 49.3% each, with the rest going to TASC. But Zain is paying an average price of $73,000 per tower, 9.5% less than the average price per tower in previous deals, according to JPMorgan analysts. The Kuwaiti group will also call the shots as the founders of Dubai’s TASC Towers Holding – which Zain controls with an 83.47% stake – will manage the new entity.

Persons: Qatar’s, Kuwait’s Zain, Zain, Ooredoo, Dubai’s, Pamela Barbaglia, Neiman Marcus, Francesco Guerrera, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, TASC, Bloomberg, JPMorgan, X, Saks, Thomson Locations: Algeria, Tunisia, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi, Kuwaiti, Hong Kong

☆ Evergrande’s Hong Kong court ruling is big reprieve
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, Dec 4 (Reuters Breakingviews) - A Hong Kong court on Monday adjourned to next month a hearing over a petition for the liquidation of China Evergrande (3333.HK). It lobs the ball back to Beijing: the judge told Evergrande to hold direct discussion with “relevant authorities” on the revamped terms. Options are limited following the detention of the company’s Chair Hui Ka Yan in September on suspicion of unspecified crimes. It also defers a high-profile test on whether Hong Kong liquidation rulings over mainland companies would be implemented across the border more efficiently following the introduction of a limited mutual recognition pact in 2021. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Evergrande, Hui Ka Yan, Chan Ka, Neiman Marcus, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Hong, HK, X, Saks, Barclays, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong, China, Beijing

☆ Brookfield’s energy M&A loss is teachable moment
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, Dec 4 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Brookfield Asset Management (BAM.TO), has some wounds to lick. On Monday the Canadian investment firm’s joint $13 billion offer with MidOcean Energy for Australian power generator and retailer Origin Energy (ORG.AX)failed after the bidders secured backing from 69% of voted shares, below the required 75% threshold. It could target smaller local energy firms, like Alinta Energy and EnergyAustralia, owned by Hong Kong-based Chow Tai Fook Enterprises and CLP (0002.HK) respectively. Brookfield has made other investments from its $15 billion global transition fund, including to co-buy Westinghouse Electric. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Bruce Flatt, Chow, Brookfield, Antony Currie, Neiman Marcus, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: MELBOURNE, Reuters, Brookfield Asset Management, MidOcean Energy, Origin Energy, Alinta, Chow Tai Fook Enterprises, CLP, HK, Westinghouse, X, Saks, Thomson Locations: Brookfield, Hong Kong

☆ Roche’s late obesity punt offers wider market cure
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Dec 4 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Roche’s (ROG.S) foray into the prospective $100 billion obesity market can bring wider benefits. On Monday, the $224 billion Swiss pharma group said it had agreed to take over weight-loss drug developer Carmot Therapeutics for $2.7 billion. Market leader Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO) is already selling obesity drugs in the U.S. and parts of Europe. Still, Schinecker’s obesity bet could turn successful if it ends up undercutting obesity pioneers on prices. With over 1 billion people globally classed as seriously overweight, other drugmakers will follow Roche on the obesity bandwagon.

Persons: drugmaker Roche, Arnd, Eli Lilly’s, Thomas Schinecker, Eli Lilly, Eccogene, Roche, Aimee Donnellan, Neiman Marcus, Lisa Jucca, Oliver Taslic Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Swiss pharma, Carmot Therapeutics, Novo Nordisk, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, AstraZeneca, Novo, X, Saks, Thomson Locations: Basel, Switzerland, U.S, Europe, Hong Kong

On Sunday, Evergrande reported losses of 33 billion yuan ($4.53 billion) for the first half of the year, versus a 66.4 billion yuan loss in the same period a year earlier. The Chinese property sector’s worsening debt crisis poses a significant challenge for President Xi Jinping and his policy makers, with the country’s economy already reeling from weaker domestic and overseas demand. China’s State Council Information Office, which handles media queries on behalf of the government, declined to comment on the property market and Evergrande’s fate. He sold the first complex the following year for 80 million yuan, according to Evergrande’s website. The committee investigated the matter after banks seized 13.4 billion yuan ($1.84 billion)of deposits held by the property-services unit in 2021.

Persons: Aly, Hui Ka Yan, Hui, Evergrande, Suppliers haven’t, ”, Anne Stevenson, Yang, Evergrande’s, Xi Jinping, Reuters wasn’t, Kelly Richmond Pope, ” Hui, “ Evergrande, Stevenson, Engen Tham, Julie Zhu, Clare Jim, Cassell Bryan Organizations: China Evergrande Group, REUTERS, Rights, China Evergrande, HK, Reuters, Suppliers, J Capital Research, Information Office, Political, Conference, Guangzhou Evergrande, soccer’s, Hong, Forbes, HengTen Networks, Management, Chicago’s DePaul University, Evergrande, Financial, Communist Party, “, China, Shanghai, Cassell, Low, Thomson Locations: China, Shenzhen, Guangdong province, Rights SHANGHAI, HONG KONG, United States, U.S, China’s, Henan province, Beijing, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Evergrande, HengTen, Evergrande’s Hong Kong, Shanghai

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