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☆ Wall St ends down as Treasury yields surge, Powell speaks
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Caroline Valetkevitch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., September 28, 2023. Treasury yields rose further and the benchmark 10-year note yield was at a 16-year high of almost 5%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) fell 254.24 points, or 0.76%, to 33,410.84. Data this week has pointed to strong consumer demand and a tight labor market. A U.S. Labor Department report on Thursday showed the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell to a nine-month low last week.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Jerome Powell, Elon Musk, Oliver Pursche, Jay Powell, Powell, Caroline Valetkevitch, Shubham Batra, Shashwat Chauhan, Dhanya Ann Thoppil, Saumyadeb Chakrabarty, Vinay Dwivedi, David Gregorio Our Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Netflix, Tesla, Treasury, Wealthspire Advisors, Economic, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, U.S . Labor Department, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Westport , Connecticut, New York, United States, Britain, France, Bengaluru

Powell, however, added the economy's strength and continued tight labor markets could warrant further Federal Reserve interest rate increases. Third-quarter earnings for S&P 500 companies are now estimated to grow at 1.6% compared with expectations of a 2.2% increase last week, LSEG data showed. Yields on the 2-year note, which best reflects short-term interest rate expectations, fell , while that on the 10-year note edged higher to 4.9215%, near the 5% level last seen in 2007. Communications services (.SPLRCL) and information technology (.SPLRCT) led gains amongst the major S&P 500 sectors. On the earnings front, Blackstone (BX.N) slipped 6.0% as the world's largest private equity firm's third-quarter distributable earnings fell more than expected due to a decline in asset sales in its real estate business.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Jerome Powell, Powell's, CME's, Powell, Chris Zaccarelli, Russell Hackmann, Austan Goolsbee, Atlanta's Raphael Bostic, Philadelphia's Patrick Harker, Shubham Batra, Shashwat Chauhan, Dhanya Ann Thoppil, Saumyadeb Chakrabarty, Vinay Dwivedi Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Netflix, Dow, Nasdaq, Economic, of New, Traders, Independent, Alliance ., Hackmann Wealth Partners, Investors, Chicago Fed, Dow Jones, Communications, Blackstone, Lam Research, NYSE, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, of New York, United States, Britain, France, Bengaluru

☆ Walmart-owned India's PhonePe revenue soars 77% in FY23
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BENGALURU, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Walmart-owned (WMT.N) PhonePe said on Wednesday its consolidated revenue for financial year 2023 surged 77%, as more customers used its platform to send and receive money in India's booming digital payments market. The company's loss before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation on a standalone basis widened to 17.55 billion rupees ($210.8 million) from 16.12 billion rupees a year ago, PhonePe said in a statement. Consolidated revenue grew to 29.14 billion rupees from 16.46 billion rupees a year ago. PhonePe, which has more than 490 million registered users, had a near 51% share of the value of transactions on India's instant money transfer system, Unified Payments Interface (UPI), as of March end. ($1 = 83.2420 Indian rupees)Reporting by Rama Venkat in Bengaluru; Editing by Dhanya Ann ThoppilOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: PhonePe, Rama Venkat, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: Walmart, Atlantic, Tiger Global, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, India, Singapore, Bengaluru

☆ Citigroup to sell China consumer wealth business to HSBC
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 9 (Reuters) - Citigroup Inc (C.N) said on Monday it had agreed to sell its China consumer wealth portfolio, including clients, assets under management (AUM) and deposits, to Asia-focused HSBC Holdings Plc (HSBA.L). Citi first announced its plan to exit China consumer banking in April 2021 as part of a global strategy revamp. The consumer banking business mainly served rich clients with deposit, fund and structured product offerings. Reuters first reported late last month that HSBC was set to acquire Citi's China consumer wealth business, in a major boost to the London-based bank's business in the world's second-largest economy. Apart from the China consumer banking deal, Citi plans to complete the sale of its Indonesia consumer business later this year, the bank statement said.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Aishwarya Nair, Xie Yu, Sumeet Chatterjee, Dhanya Ann Thoppil, Jamie Freed, Miral Organizations: Citibank, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Citigroup Inc, HSBC Holdings Plc, Citi, Reuters, HSBC, Standard Chartered, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, China, Asia, London, Singapore, Hong Kong, Europe, East, Mexico, Indonesia, Korea, Russia, Bengaluru

☆ India's Adani Ports stock drops on Haifa port worries over Israel conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Sethuraman N R | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Adani Ports is closely monitoring the conflict in Israel and is prepared with a business continuity plan, the company said in a statement. Haifa's contribution to Adani Ports' numbers is "relatively small" at 3% of the total cargo volume, the statement added. Shares of Adani Ports are down 2.1% this year, compared with nearly 8% gains in the broader Nifty 50 index (.NSEI). "The next couple of months are going to be volatile for Adani Ports as the war has just started and will trade with a negative bias ... Earlier in the year, Adani Ports completed the sale of its port in sanction-hit Myanmar for $30 million, significantly lower than its investment in the project.

Persons: Gautam Adani's, Adani, Avinash Gorakshakar, Indranil Sarkar, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: Hamas, Saturday, Ports, Profitmart Securities, Adani Ports, Adani Group, Sethuraman, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, Israel, South Israel, Haifa, Haifa Port, Iran, Myanmar, Bengaluru

☆ India's Tata Group in talks with Temasek to buy back stake in Tata Play, Bloomberg reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of Tata Group is seen at a business meeting organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in New Delhi March 23, 2009. REUTERS/Vijay Mathur/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsBENGALURU, Oct 5 (Reuters) - India's Tata Group is in advanced talks with Temasek Holdings [RIC:RIC:TEM.UL] to buy back about 20% stake in its entertainment content distribution platform, Tata Play, at a valuation of more than $1 billion, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. Tata Group didn't immediately respond to a Reuters request for confirmation, and Temasek declined to comment. Bloomberg News had in July reported that Tata Group is considering making an offer to buy back Temasek's stake as the conglomerate was weighing delaying a potential initial public offering for Tata Play. Tata Play is a subscription-based video streaming service for television and over-the-top apps.

Persons: Vijay Mathur, Tata Group didn't, Ashish Chandra, Kashish Tandon, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: Tata Group, Confederation of Indian Industry, REUTERS, Rights, India's Tata Group, Temasek Holdings, Tata, Bloomberg, Temasek, Bloomberg News, Tata Play, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, Bengaluru

☆ Japan's Sony says Zee merger to be delayed by a few months
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Zee Entertainment and SONY logos are displayed in this illustration taken, September 1, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 29 (Reuters) - Japan's Sony Group Corp (6758.T) said on Friday a merger of its Indian unit with Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEE.NS), which had an initial deadline of September, would take a few more months to complete. "Based on the current state of preparation, we expect completion within the next few months," Sony said in a statement, without elaborating further. It was delayed due to issues including a legal battle with lenders over loan defaults by a Zee group entity. Zee shares, which have lost about a quarter of their value since the merger was announced in 2021, were up 2.7% on Friday.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Punit Goenka, Zee, Ashna Teresa Britto, Chris Thomas, Dhanya Ann Thoppil, Sohini Organizations: Zee Entertainment, SONY, REUTERS, Sony Group Corp, Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Sony, Zee, Securities and Exchange Board, India, Finance, Thomson

☆ UK's CMA says examining Qualcomm's buyout of Israel's Autotalks
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Autotalks and Qualcomm logos are seen in this illustration taken, May 8, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Autotalks Ltd FollowQualcomm Inc FollowSept 29 (Reuters) - Britain's antitrust regulator on Friday said it was examining whether Qualcomm's (QCOM.O) purchase of Israeli auto-chip maker Autotalks would lessen competition in the UK market. Qualcomm had said it would acquire Autotalks, a maker of chips used in crash-prevention technology in vehicles, but had not disclosed the terms of the deal. Autotalks, which makes dedicated chips used in the V2X communications technology sector for manned and driverless vehicles, would help Qualcomm expand its automotive business. Qualcomm and Autotalks did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Autotalks, Eva Mathews, Rashmi Aich, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: Qualcomm, REUTERS, Markets Authority, Politico, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Indian shares struggle on weak global cues, higher crude prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Sethuraman N R | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsBENGALURU, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Indian shares struggled to add to initial gains on Thursday as weakness in global equities markets over fears of higher interest rates and surging crude prices weighed. "Despite the correction, India has still outperformed the global markets.. But, we are also seeing many emerging risks like higher crude prices and depreciation in rupee," said Samrat Dasgupta, chief executive at Esquire Capital Investment Advisors. Crude prices, which rose 3% overnight will hurt India, the world's third-largest importer, which is also reeling under lower-than-expected monsoon rains, triggering inflation risks. Among sectoral indexes, information technology stocks (.NIFTYIT) fell 0.8%, metals (.NIFTYMET) gained 0.6%, while the public sector banks (.NIFTYPSU) climbed 0.9%.

Persons: Francis Mascarenhas, Samrat Dasgupta, Esquire's Dasgupta, Sohini Goswami, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: Bombay Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Rights, BSE, Esquire Capital Investment Advisors, Treasury, Federal Reserve, Oil India, ICICI Lombard, Sethuraman NR, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, Bengaluru

☆ India's Vedanta hits over 1-year low after Moody's downgrades parent
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A man walks past the logo of Vedanta outside its headquarters in Mumbai, India January 31, 2018. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsBENGALURU, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Shares of Indian conglomerate Vedanta (VDAN.NS) fell to their lowest in over a year on Wednesday after Moody's Investors Service downgraded parent Vedanta Resources' senior unsecured bonds, citing a high risk of debt restructuring in the coming months. The rating agency also raised concerns about the ability of Vedanta Resources' operating subsidiaries to generate cash flow in a "softening commodity price environment." Moody's downgraded Vedanta Resources' unsecured bonds to Caa3 from Caa2, and the corporate family rating of the billionaire Anil Agarwal-owned company to Caa2 from Caa1 while maintaining a negative outlook. Vedanta was the top loser on the Nifty 100 index (.NIFTY100), which was down 0.26%.

Persons: Danish Siddiqui, Anil Agarwal, Vedanta, Rama Venkat, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: Vedanta, REUTERS, Danish, Rights, Moody's Investors Service, Resources, Vedanta Resources, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, Caa2, Caa1, Bengaluru

☆ Indian shares set for muted opening on weak global cues
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The new logo of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) building is seen in Mumbai, India, July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsBENGALURU, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Indian shares are set for a muted opening on Wednesday, tracking weakness in global equity markets as investors continue to grapple with prospects of higher interest rates denting economic growth. India's GIFT Nifty (.GIFc1) was mostly unchanged at 19,609 points at 7:34 a.m. IST on the NSE International Exchange. Meanwhile, foreign investors remained net sellers this month, offloading about $1.5 billion of shares as of Sept. 22, after pouring over $15 billion into Indian equities this year. Foreign investors sold 6.93 billion rupees of shares, while domestic investors bought 7.14 billion rupees shares on Tuesday, provisional exchange data showed.

Persons: Francis Mascarenhas, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: Bombay Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Rights, NSE, Exchange, BSE, U.S, Federal, Vedanta, Sethuraman NR, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, Bengaluru

☆ Australia fines lender NAB $1.4 mln for wrongfully charging fees
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The National Australia Bank Logo is seen on a branch in central Sydney, Australia, February 8, 2018. REUTERS/Daniel Munoz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies National Australia Bank Ltd FollowSept 22 (Reuters) - The Australian Federal Court has fined the country's second-biggest lender National Australia Bank (NAB) <NAB.AX> a penalty of A$2.1 million ($1.4 million) for wrongfully charging customers periodic payment fees, the securities regulator said on Friday. Between January 2017 and July 2018, National Australia Bank continued to charge its customers periodic payment fees for transferring money despite knowing it had no contractual entitlement to do so, the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) said. The bank wrongfully charged 2,888 personal banking customers and 513 business clients payment fees totalling A$139,845 on 74,593 occasions, the regulator added. Shares of NAB were trading 0.7% lower as of 0221 GMT after declining as much as 1.3% earlier in the day.

Persons: Daniel Munoz, Sarah Court, Sameer Manekar, Ayushman, Janane Venkatraman, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: National, REUTERS, National Australia Bank, Australian Federal Court, Australia Bank, Australian Securities & Investments Commission, NAB, Reuters, Royal Commission, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Bengaluru

☆ Australia fines lender NAB $1.4 million for wrongfully charging fees
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The National Australia Bank Logo is seen on a branch in central Sydney, Australia, February 8, 2018. REUTERS/Daniel Munoz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies National Australia Bank Ltd FollowSept 22 (Reuters) - The Australian Federal Court has fined the country's second-biggest lender National Australia Bank (NAB) <NAB.AX> a penalty of A$2.1 million ($1.4 million) for wrongfully charging customers periodic payment fees, the securities regulator said on Friday. Between January 2017 and July 2018, National Australia Bank continued to charge its customers periodic payment fees for transferring money despite knowing it had no contractual entitlement to do so, the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) said. The bank wrongfully charged 2,888 personal banking customers and 513 business clients payment fees totalling A$139,845 on 74,593 occasions, the regulator added. NAB in an email to Reuters acknowledged "some customers were incorrectly charged for periodical payment fees several years ago," adding that it had completed a remediation program and repaid more than A$8.3 million to affected customers.

☆ GE HealthCare gets $44 mln grant to develop AI-assisted ultrasound tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 18 (Reuters) - GE HealthCare Technologies Inc (GEHC.O) has received a grant of more than $44 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop AI-assisted ultrasound technology, the company said on Monday. The grant will facilitate development of AI-assisted ultrasound imaging auto-assessment applications and tools to help address maternal and fetal health and respiratory diseases. The X-ray and ultrasound machine maker added that the grant is aimed at expanding access to high quality care around the world with an emphasis on low- and middle-income countries. Caption Health, acquired by GE HealthCare earlier this year, will design the technology to run across a range of ultrasound devices and probes, including lower-cost handheld devices. Reporting by Pratik Jain in Bengaluru; Editing by Dhanya Ann Thoppil and Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Melinda Gates, Pratik Jain, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: REUTERS, GE HealthCare Technologies Inc, Melinda Gates Foundation, GE HealthCare, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

The new round, led by T. Rowe Price, could mark the last round of private funding as the data company gears up for the public market. Chipmaker Nvidia (NVDA.O), another beneficiary of the AI boom, and credit card firm Capital One Financial (COF.N), also participated in the latest funding round. AI, the latest buzzword in the technology space, has captivated the interest of investors from Silicon Valley to Wall Street. Its latest valuation is over 13% more than the $38 billion the San Francisco-based company was worth after its last fundraise in 2021. The company has raised $4 billion since inception.

Persons: Rowe Price, Ali Ghodsi, Ghodsi, Andreessen Horowitz, Baillie Gifford, Morgan, Weeks, Databricks, Niket, Krystal Hu, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: Nvidia, Reuters, Fidelity Management & Research, Tiger Global, Thomson Locations: Silicon Valley, Wall, Francisco, Bengaluru, Hong Kong

☆ Battery startup Lyten raises $200 mln in new funding round
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Sept 12 (Reuters) - Silicon Valley battery startup Lyten said on Tuesday that it raised $200 million in new funding as it looks to scale up manufacturing of lithium-sulfur EV batteries, lightweight composites and sensors. The latest funding, led by venture capital firm Prime Movers Lab, takes the total equity investment in Lyten to more than $410 million. The company in May received an investment from Stellantis (STLAM.MI) to help the carmaker simplify its supply chain and pursue greener technology for EVs. Lyten targets to deliver its first commercial composites application by year-end. Reporting by Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Editing by Dhanya Ann ThoppilOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Nathan Gomes, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: Prime, Lab, Stellantis, FedEx, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Lyten, Stellantis, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ India's Nifty scales new peak; Sensex inches towards record high
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The new logo of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) building is seen in Mumbai, India, July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBENGALURU, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Indian shares opened higher on Tuesday, with the benchmark Nifty 50 hitting a record high for the second consecutive session, ahead of retail inflation data for August. The Nifty 50 (.NSEI) index was up 0.45% at 20,079.50 by 9:16 a.m. IST, while the S&P BSE Sensex (.BSESN) rose 0.44% to 67,443.08. While the Nifty hit fresh all-time high on Tuesday, the Sensex is about 0.5% shy of the record high hit on July 20. Reporting by Bharath Rajeswaran and Archishma Iyer in Bengaluru; Editing by Dhanya Ann ThoppilOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Francis Mascarenhas, Bharath Rajeswaran, Archishma Iyer, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: Bombay Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Rights, BSE, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, Bengaluru

☆ TikTok launches online shopping in the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. flag and TikTok logo are seen in this illustration taken, June 2, 2023. TikTok is bringing online shopping through a series of features on its main app and is hoping to replicate the success of Asian platforms Shein and PDD Holdings' (PDD.O) Temu. New features include a shop tab, where businesses can display their products with logistics and payments solutions powered by TikTok. The social media firm said it also integrated its shopping service with various third-party platforms like Shopify (SHOP.TO), Salesforce (CRM.N), and Zendesk, among others. Reporting by Yuvraj Malik in Bengaluru; Editing by Dhanya Ann ThoppilOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, TikTok, ByteDance, Yuvraj Malik, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: REUTERS, PDD Holdings, Thomson Locations: United States, U.S, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, United Kingdom, Bengaluru

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) seal is pictured on a gate outside the RBI headquarters in Mumbai, India, February 2, 2016. Retail CBDC transactions are averaging close to 18,000 a day, way short of the RBI's one million-a-day target by 2023 end. UPI is an instant real-time payments system that allows users to transfer money across multiple banks without disclosing bank account details. The facility, announced in June, has been activated by large banks, including State Bank of India, the country's largest lender. Top private lender HDFC Bank is working with a technology firm IDEMIA to build a version of offline CBDC transactions for feature phones, according to two people aware of the plans.

Persons: Danish Siddiqui, Sharat Chandra, Akhil Handa, Handa, Jaspreet Kalra, Siddhi Nayak, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: Bank of India, REUTERS, Danish, Rights, Reserve Bank of India, UPI, State Bank of India, India Blockchain, HDFC Bank, Bank of Baroda, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, Rights MUMBAI, Siddhi

☆ Faraday Future alleges "coordinated effort" to undermine valuation
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The interior of Faraday Future's luxury electric car FF91 is seen at the company's headquarters in Gardena, California, U.S. November 21, 2019. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc FollowSept 7 (Reuters) - Faraday Future Intelligent Electric (FFIE.O) on Thursday said it has recently observed a series of "suspicious activities" which the electric-vehicle startup believes suggested a "coordinated effort" to undermine its valuation. Faraday did not immediately respond to a Reuters' query seeking details on the claim. It also faced delivery delays with its FF 91 2.0 Futurist Alliance vehicle, the first of which it delivered in August. Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Dhanya Ann ThoppilOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Faraday, Lucy Nicholson, Mrinmay Dey, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, EV, FF, Futurist Alliance, Thomson Locations: Gardena , California, U.S, Los Angeles, Bengaluru

☆ Wagamama owner Restaurant Group projects higher annual profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A sign of Wagamama restaurant is seen in London, Britain, October 5, 2020. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 6 (Reuters) - Restaurant Group (RTN.L),the owner of Wagamama and Brunning & Price restaurants, said on Wednesday it expects annual profit to be higher after posting an increase in first-half earnings helped by more people dining at its joints. The group, which did not mention a range for its profit expectations for the year, said cost outlook for the medium term continued to improve. Analysts, on average, expected core profit to be about 77.5 million pounds for the year, according to company compiled consensus. Restaurant Group reported a 15% rise in adjusted core profit to 36.3 million pounds ($45.7 million) for the half-year ended July 2.

Persons: Hannah McKay, Radhika Anilkumar, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: REUTERS, Price, Restaurant Group, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Bengaluru

☆ India central-bank chief urges fintech firms to form a self-regulatory body
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das speaks during a press conference after a G20 Finance Ministers' and Central Bank governors' meeting at Gandhinagar, India, July 18, 2023. "I would like to use this opportunity to urge and encourage the fintechs to establish a self-regulatory organisation or SRO themselves. From the Reserve Bank, we are willing to engage with you," Das said while delivering the keynote address at the Global FinTech Fest 2023 (GFF). The other advantage is that all the aspects of regulation will not be burdened on the Reserve Bank." Reporting by Siddhi Nayak and Swati Bhat; Editing by Dhanya Ann ThoppilOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Shaktikanta Das, Amit Dave, Das, T, Rabi Sankar, Siddhi Nayak, Swati Bhat, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: Bank of India, Ministers, Central Bank governors, REUTERS, Rights, Financial, Reserve Bank of India, Reserve Bank, Global, Siddhi, Thomson Locations: Gandhinagar, India, Rights MUMBAI

☆ Disney urges Spectrum users to switch to Hulu live plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 4 (Reuters) - Walt Disney (DIS.N) urged customers of Charter Communications' Spectrum cable service to consider switching to a live television option from Hulu as the media companies remain at odds over a new distribution deal. With no deal in place, Disney suggested that Spectrum customers sign up for Hulu + Live TV, a streaming service that offers ESPN, ABC, Disney+ and dozens of other cable channels. "Despite the ongoing dispute, consumers have many other choices—such as Hulu + Live TV—that allow them to enjoy the great programming for which Disney Entertainment is known," the company said in a statement. Disney pulled its channels off Charter's Spectrum cable service last week in the middle of U.S. Open tennis coverage and other live sporting events including college football. Charter has about 14.7 million subscribers to its Spectrum TV service in markets including New York and Los Angeles.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Walt Disney, Disney, “, ” Disney, Christopher Winfrey, Winfrey, Granth Vanaik, Lisa Richwine, Dhanya Ann Thoppil, Stephen Coates Organizations: Walt Disney Company, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Charter Communications, Hulu, ABC, ESPN, Disney, Disney Entertainment, U.S, Spectrum TV, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Hulu, Los Angeles, Bengaluru

☆ Alibaba's cloud division eyes state firms for up to $3 bln fundraising- Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

3D printed clouds and figurines are seen in front of the Alibaba Cloud service logo in this illustration taken February 8, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 4 (Reuters) - Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's (9988.HK) cloud division is weighing raising funds via a private round from Chinese state-owned enterprises ahead of the business' market debut in Hong Kong, Bloomberg News reported on Monday. The tech giant is working with advisers on a potential fundraise by its Cloud Intelligence unit that could mop up about 10-20 billion yuan ($1.38-$2.75 billion), the report said, citing people with knowledge of the matter. Earlier this year, Alibaba announced plans to restructure into six units following a two-year regulatory crackdown on China's tech sector. It approved a full spinoff of the Cloud Intelligence Group via a stock dividend distribution to shareholders, aiming to complete the public listing within the next 12 months.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Alibaba, Shivani Tanna, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: REUTERS, Bloomberg, Cloud Intelligence, Cloud Intelligence Group, Ant, Thomson Locations: HK, Hong Kong, Alibaba, Bengaluru

☆ India's Skyroot expects to double rocket launches amid Chandrayaan-3's success
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Rishika Sadam | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Skyroot Aerospace's logo is seen in this picture illustration taken November 26, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHYDERABAD, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Skyroot Aerospace, which launched India's first private rocket in 2022, aims to double its planned launches starting next year on a likely boost to the country's fledgling private space sector from the success of the Chandrayaan-3 moon mission. The company conducted India's first private rocket launch looking to cut satellite launch costs in an industry fast getting crowded as various firms build out networks to deliver broadband services, which need small satellite launches. Chandana said the company plans to ramp up its 280-member workforce by 20% in the next two years to support the expected increase in launches. So, the next large fundraising round, the Series C round, will probably be in 2024 end," Chandana said.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Pawan Kumar Chandana, Chandana, GIC, Rishika Sadam, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Skyroot Aerospace, Reuters, Indian Space Research, Thomson Locations: Hyderabad, India

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