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☆ Top asset manager says pension fund clients are turning skittish on China - 'There is a very real geopolitical risk'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

APG's pension fund clients are more worried about investing in China, the Financial Times reported. That's as geopolitical risk has grown, with China increasingly at odds with the West. "There is a very real geopolitical risk that has been added to the proposition." There is a very real geopolitical risk that has been added to the proposition," he said. The hesitation felt by pension funds towards Chinese assets comes as foreign investors overall have begun moving out of the country at a faster rate.

Persons: —, Thijs Knaap, Knapp, we've, Micron's microchips, Minxin Pei Organizations: Financial Times, Service, APG Asset Management, APG Locations: China, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, Europe, That's, Taiwan, Russia

☆ Singapore's sovereign wealth fund is looking to invest more in the secondary market, as other VC funds look to sell
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Alistair Barr | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

GIC, Singapore's sovereign wealth fund is keen on doing more in the secondary market, where private stakes in startups and VC funds change hands. That means there's pressure on distributions, which is the cash returned to VC and startup investors. GIC has a private-equity team that specializes in the secondary market. There's been a growing number of secondary funds and exchanges that help founders, employees, and even investors and VC funds sell their startup shares. So as some VC funds look to sell in the secondary market now, GIC has more freedom to be a buyer.

☆ DeepMind founder says governments need to compensate 'serious number of losers' who will be left jobless due to AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A co-founder of DeepMind, the AI company bought by Google in 2014, warned about AI-related job losses. Mustafa Suleyman said at a San Francisco conference that there will be "a serious number of losers." A co-founder of the AI company DeepMind has warned that governments will need to figure out a plan to compensate people who will lose their jobs to the new technology, the Financial Times reported. DeepMind was bought by Google in 2014, and has helped it develop large language models similar to ChatGPT called LaMDA and PaLM. Suleyman left DeepMind last January, before setting up his own chatbot business called Inflection AI.

☆ How Singapore's giant sovereign wealth fund is investing in generative AI technology
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Alistair Barr | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

As CEO of GIC, Singapore's sovereign wealth fund, he must keep the country's savings growing ahead of inflation. AI retoolingThe 2 investors were most animated when discussing the recent explosion of generative AI technology, including large language models. Chris Emanuel, head of the Technology Investment Group at GIC, Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GICThere's already a generative AI startup feeding frenzy among venture capital funds. Secondary market actionFinally, GIC is keen on doing more in the secondary market, where private stakes in startups and VC funds change hands. That means general partners, the people running VC funds, already know GIC and are more comfortable dealing with the organization, Lim explained.

☆ Exclusive: Bain Capital nearing final close of Asia fund worth $6 billion - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Kane Wu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The committed capital to the fund has exceeded the firm's initial target of $5 billion, said one of the two people and a third source with knowledge of the fundraising. Bain Capital declined to comment. About $131.6 billion in total was raised in 2022 for Asia-focused funds, about half of 2021's $251.2 billion, Preqin data showed. Fundraising so far this year has totalled just $15.5 billion, the data showed. Last year, Bain Capital closed a $2 billion "special situations fund" for Asia Pacific to cover a range of asset types but with a focus on real estate.

[1/4] A view of a computer-rendered image of Climeworks' Mammoth direct air capture plant is seen in this undated handout picture obtained by Reuters, June 28, 2022. Leading the charge, the U.S. government has offered $3.5 billion in grants to build the factories that will capture and permanently store the gas - the largest such effort globally to help halt climate change through Direct Air Capture (DAC) and expanded a tax credit to $180/tonne to bolster the burgeoning technology. The sums involved dwarf funding available in other regions, such as Britain which has pledged up to 100 million pounds ($124 million) for DAC research and development. That compares with $12 billion in federal spending to drive demand for personal and commercial electric vehicles, Boston Consulting Group estimated. Occidental Petroleum has said it is well positioned for federal grants for what could be the biggest Direct Air Capture plants in the world.

☆ Temasek hospital deal channels its Dr Resilience
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Anshuman Daga | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SINGAPORE, April 11 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Temasek is picking a good time to focus on health. The sovereign investor is taking control of Indian hospital operator Manipal for $2 billion. Others are on an Indian health drive too. Follow @anshumandaga on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSSingapore’s Temasek will buy an additional 41% stake in Manipal Health Enterprises, the unlisted Indian hospital chain said on April 10. After the deal closes, the Pai family’s Manipal Group will hold about 30% of Manipal Health.

☆ Check out the 9-slide pitch deck Quantexa, a data intelligence startup, used to raise $129 million at a $1.8 billion valuation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Quantexa, a data intelligence startup, has become a unicorn following its latest funding round. The London-based company has raised $129 million in a round led by GIC. The startup positions itself as a "decision-making" platform that provides companies with the best data available to help reduce costs and optimize growth. The new investment values the business at $1.9 billion, bringing Quantexa's total funds raised to $370 million. The company had seen a lot of inbound interest from investors leading into this funding round, Marria added.

☆ Private equity finds silver lining in Asia Pacific
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, March 28 (Reuters Breakingviews) - It’s hard working in Asia-Pacific private equity these days. On Monday Brookfield Asset Management (BAM.TO) and MidOcean Energy agreed to take Australia’s Origin Energy (ORG.AX) private for A$18.7 billion ($12.5 billion). A few days earlier Toshiba’s (6502.T) board tentatively backed Japan Industrial Partners’ $15.3 billion offer. Origin’s buyers, which plan to split the business in two, had already made three offers before Origin accepted. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Hohn, who runs hedge fund TCI Fund Management, owns 3.1% of Cellnex's shares and 5.9% in derivatives, corporate records show. However, Hohn last month wrote to Airbus, in which TCI has a 3% stake, demanding it drop a deal. "We believe that the subsequent hiring process for a new CEO has been mishandled by the board and resulted in insufficient progress to recruiting a suitable replacement," Hohn wrote in the letter, published on TCI's website. "We intend to exercise our shareholder rights to request certain shareholder resolutions be added to the next AGM," the letter said. Kan was named Cellnex's chairman in 2021 and has been an independent member of the board since 2015.

☆ Even as Bank of Canada moves to sidelines, consumers not ready to splurge
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Molly Cone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TORONTO, March 22 (Reuters) - When the Bank of Canada became the first major global central bank this month to pause raising interest rates after its most aggressive tightening campaign in history, indebted consumers heaved a sigh of relief. Consumers' reluctance to spend could challenge an economy facing headwinds from a record pace of interest rate hikes as retail spending accounts for about 5% of Canada's Gross Domestic Product. The Royal Bank of Canada's consumer spending tracker released on March 9 showed discretionary spending "held up" in February, driven by air travel demand. While it is unclear what part of that has been deployed, that kitty will help Canada to avoid a deep recession, she noted. "They're trying to lock in these interest rates," Porter said.

☆ Saudi is far from the last Western bank bagholder
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( George Hay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

LONDON, March 21 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Saudi Arabia has joined the Western bank bagholder club. The bank only made its play in November, when client money was already flowing out of Credit Suisse. Saudi National Bank bought 307.6 million Credit Suisse shares for 3.82 Swiss francs ($4.11) per share. The UBS offer of 3 billion Swiss francs ($3.23 billion) values Credit Suisse shares at 0.76 francs each, more than 80% lower than the price paid by the Saudi bank. Saudi National Bank's statement added that the potential impact to its capital adequacy ratio is about 35 basis points, with no impact on profitability.

☆ Explainer: Credit Suisse: How did it get to crisis point?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Anshuman Daga | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Credit Suisse confirmed last month that clients had pulled 110 billion Swiss francs of funds in the fourth quarter while the bank suffered its biggest annual loss of 7.29 billion Swiss francs since the financial crisis. In December, Credit Suisse had tapped investors for 4 billion Swiss francs. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsWHAT STEPS CAN CREDIT SUISSE TAKE TO CALM INVESTORS? HOW IMPORTANT IS CREDIT SUISSE? Credit Suisse has a local Swiss bank, wealth management, investment banking and asset management operations.

☆ What happened at Credit Suisse and how did it reach crisis point?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Anshuman Daga | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In December, Credit Suisse had tapped investors for 4 billion Swiss francs. Credit Suisse shares have lost more than 75% of their value over the past twelve months. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsWHAT STEPS CAN CREDIT SUISSE TAKE TO CALM INVESTORS? HOW IMPORTANT IS CREDIT SUISSE? Credit Suisse has a local Swiss bank, wealth management, investment banking and asset management operations.

☆ Stripe’s $50 bln reset is relative sign of health
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 16 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Stripe’s valuation cut is arguably still a relative sign of strength. The newly attained price tag is a 53% cut from its 2021 valuation of $95 billion. And by some metrics Stripe seems to be valued at a discount relative to its publicly listed peers. Stripe’s $50 billion is 3.5 times last year’s gross revenue, while Dutch payment firm Adyen (ADYEN.AS) trades on a multiple of 4.7 times. The valuation cut reflects the reality of how an economic slowdown affects fintech businesses like Stripe.

☆ Fintech Stripe valued at $50 bln in latest funding round
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 15 (Reuters) - Digital payments processor Stripe said on Wednesday it was valued at $50 billion in its latest funding round, with its valuation nearly halved from its previous fundraising, amid a tough economic environment. The company said its latest round was backed by existing investors including venture capital giants Andreessen Horowitz, Peter Thiel's Founders Fund, General Catalyst and others. New investors such as Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC, Goldman Sachs Asset and Wealth Management and Temasek also participated in the round, which raked in $6.5 billion in proceeds for Stripe. Stripe's capital raise constitutes what is commonly known as a down round, where the latest funding fetches a lower valuation for the company than its previous fundraise. Last year, Swedish buy now, pay later giant Klarna also had to take a down round.

☆ Explainer: How Kakao won a takeover battle against HYBE for K-pop pioneer SM Entertainment
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

For more than two decades, the K-pop industry was dominated by the trio until BTS rose to global fame in recent years, making its agency HYBE the largest music label in the country. It is the second-largest entertainment group in South Korea by market value at $2.8 billion, trailing HYBE, which is worth $5.5 billion. Lee filed an injunction request to block the deal that was approved by a court, and sold a 15% stake in SM to rival agency HYBE, setting up a takeover battle. Kakao, the most popular social media platform in South Korea, is expanding aggressively into the entertainment industry where it already owns a smaller K-pop agency, Starship Entertainment. In January, Kakao Entertainment announced a 1.2 trillion won ($966.27 million) investment from Singapore's GIC and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, giving it more firepower for the SM bid.

☆ Bertarelli-backed Volta Trucks seeks $264 mln in pre-IPO round, says CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, March 8 (Reuters) - Volta Trucks, the electric-truck maker backed by billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli, is in advanced discussions to raise as much as 250 million euros ($263.58 million), its CEO told Reuters. Volta Trucks is gearing up to roll out its electric trucks, after delays in obtaining certification for its vehicles and constraints in sourcing supplies held up production, according to a company spokesperson. The company just months ago tapped investors for around 300 million euros in a deal that valued it at close to 600 million euros. Volta Trucks' existing backers include Kuwaiti supply-chain services provider Agility Public Warehousing Co (AGLT.KW), Bertarelli's family office B-Flexion, Swedish investor Byggmastare Anders J Ahlstrom (AJAb.ST) and U.S. hedge fund Luxor Capital. A spokesperson for B-Flexion said the investor remains "wholly committed" to Volta Trucks, but declined to comment further.

☆ Kakao can end K-pop saga with near-$1 bln mic drop
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Kakao and its entertainment arm are eyeing a 35% stake in SM via a tender offer worth $962 million. If Kakao succeeds, the company, which has the backing of SM's management, would become the label's top shareholder. Kakao Entertainment in January raised $930 million from investors including GIC in Singapore and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. The envisioned partnership between Kakao, Kakao Entertainment and SM would cover global distribution, production and more for music and other content. Following Kakao's offer, SM Shares rallied 14% to 148,400 won ($114); they have nearly doubled since the start of the year.

☆ This emerging markets fund outperforms by finding ideas in small- and mid-cap companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

A keen appreciation for ideas that fly under the radar helped one emerging markets fund outperform during the pandemic. Since starting at the Matthews Emerging Markets Small Companies (MSMLX) fund in 2020, Vivek Tanneeru said he has kept his focus on small- and mid-cap companies to generate alpha (returns above a benchmark). For example, his Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future fund (MISFX) fund, which he founded in 2015, is also given five stars at Morningstar. One stock Tanneeru is particularly bullish on now is Legend Biotech . For Tanneeru, small caps are a more nimble way for investors to gain access to emerging markets and tap into consumer preferences there.

The Euronext (ENX.PA) chief executive’s decision to withdraw a preliminary 5.5 billion euro offer for investment platform Allfunds (ALLFG.AS) may turn out to be a lucky escape. An alternative deal will however require the 7.5 billion euro exchange operator to build a more valuable M&A currency first. The funds platform could have helped investors that already buy shares on Euronext to access a broader range of products. Meanwhile, Allfunds’ shares may fall if it continues to struggle. Euronext shares were up over 4% at 72.34 euros, as of 0953 GMT.

☆ Data could help save crypto’s image
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, Feb 3 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Cryptocurrency could use a reputational boost right now. So it’s problematic that those who could help legitimize the business aren’t going gangbusters. But a string of bankruptcies in the business has clients cutting back on spending – and some disappearing completely. While Chainalysis, backed by GIC, says it plans to grow overall headcount in 2023, the cuts are the wrong sign for those who use its services. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ ABB places second block of E-Mobility shares ahead of float
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The investors will take a combined 12% stake in the E-Mobility business in the final round of private placements before its planned flotation this year, ABB said. The breakdown of the stakes taken was not given by ABB, which said the transaction represented the final placement ahead of the IPO. The company had already raised around 200 million Swiss francs from allocating an 8% stake in the business to investors. Cash raised from the two placements will be used to fund organic growth and acquisitions at E-Mobility. ($1 = 0.9155 Swiss francs)Reporting by John Revill Editing by Paul Carrel and John StonestreetOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ S.Korea's Kakao Entertainment secures $966 mln investment from sovereign wealth funds
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Joyce Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Largest overseas investment in Korean content firm, co saysBusiness includes K-Pop, video, online comics and novels"Recession-proof" nature of business likely a draw -analystsSEOUL, Jan 12 (Reuters) - South Korean tech conglomerate Kakao Corp (035720.KS) said on Thursday unit Kakao Entertainment secured a 1.2 trillion won ($966.27 million) investment from leading sovereign wealth funds. Kakao, however, did not name the sovereign wealth funds in its statement. Kakao Corp shares rose 1% in early morning trade, outperforming a 0.2% rise in the wider market (.KS11). Unlisted Kakao Entertainment has a business portfolio ranging from K-Pop - including artist management - to shows, movies, and online-targeted, comparatively low-cost content such as comics called webtoons and serial web novels. "Having secured funds, Kakao Entertainment may seek to strengthen its artist lineup that can better target overseas markets via M&A or other ways."

☆ Market misery deals sovereign wealth funds historic setback in 2022 -study
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SummarySummary Companies Assets managed by sovereign wealth funds fell nearly 8%Assets of public pension funds dropped almost 6%LONDON, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Heavy falls in stock and bond markets over the last year have cut the combined value of the world's sovereign wealth and public pension funds for the first time ever - and to the tune of $2.2 trillion, an annual study of the sector has estimated. The report on state-owned investment vehicles by industry specialist Global SWF found that the value of assets managed by sovereign wealth funds fell to $10.6 trillion from $11.5 trillion, while those of public pension funds dropped to $20.8 trillion from $22.1 trillion. Despite all the turbulence though, the money funds spent buying up companies, property or infrastructure still jumped 12% compared with 2021. A record $257.5 billion was deployed across 743 deals, with sovereign wealth funds also sealing a record number of $1 billion-plus "mega-deals". Two months later, Italy's CDP Equity wealth fund spent $4.4 billion on Autostrade per l’Italia alongside Blackstone and Macquarie.

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