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☆ Sunac, Country Garden debt deals bring respite for China's property sector
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

HONG KONG, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Chinese developers Sunac (1918.HK) and Country Garden (2007.HK) brought some relief to the crisis-hit property sector by forging debt deals with creditors, but the outlook remained clouded by uncertainty about a recovery in home sales. Shares in Sunac China Holdings surged as much as 14% on Tuesday after creditors approved its $9 billion offshore debt restructuring plan, the first green light of such a debt overhaul by a major Chinese developer. The developments come as Beijing steps up efforts to revive the property sector, which accounts for roughly a quarter of the world's second-largest economy, with a raft of support measures unveiled over the last few weeks. While Sunac is among a string of Chinese developers that have defaulted on their offshore debt obligations since an unprecedented liquidity crisis hit the property sector in 2021, Country Garden has not missed any offshore payments yet. PROPERTY SECTOR OUTLOOKMajor developers in the process of restructuring their debt include China Evergrande Group (3333.HK), whose liquidity crunch was a turning point in the country's real estate crisis.

Persons: Sunac, Gary Ng, ANZ Senior China Economist Betty Wang, It's, Donny Kwok, Xie Yu, Steven Bian, Kevin Huang, Anne Marie Roantree, Sumeet Chatterjee, Lincoln Organizations: HK, Sunac China Holdings, Country Garden, Natixis Corporate, Investment Bank, China Evergrande, ANZ Senior China Economist, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Beijing, Hong Kong, Sunac, China, Shanghai

☆ China Evergrande shares tumble 25% after wealth management staff detained
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The company logo is seen on the headquarters of China Evergrande Group in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China September 26, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHONG KONG, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Shares of embattled developer China Evergrande Group (3333.HK) plunged 25% on Monday after police detained some staff at its wealth management unit, suggesting a new investigation that could add to the property company's woes. During protests by disgruntled investors at Evergrande's Shenzhen headquarters in 2021, Du Liang was identified by staff as general manager and legal representative of Evergrande's wealth management division. "Recently, public security organs took criminal compulsory measures against Du and other suspected criminals at Evergrande Financial Wealth Management Co," police in the southern city of Shenzhen said in a social media statement on Saturday night. Earlier this month, Evergrande said it had delayed making a decision on offshore debt restructuring from September to next month to allow holders of its debt more time to consider its restructuring plan.

Persons: Aly, Evergrande, Du Liang, Du, Donny Kwok, Anne Marie Roantree, Muralikumar Anantharaman Organizations: China Evergrande Group, REUTERS, China Evergrande, HK, Evergrande's Shenzhen, Financial Wealth Management, Reuters, Thomson Locations: China, Shenzhen, Guangdong province, HONG KONG, Lincoln

☆ Prosus CEO exit leaves Tencent elephant in room
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Karen Kwok | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 18 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Bob van Dijk is passing an unsolved problem to his successor. The Tencent stake that it owns made up about 75% of the group’s $130 billion portfolio value as of Sept. 15. His workaround was to instead sell little chunks of Tencent shares, and use the proceeds to buy back Prosus stock. Still, the gap reflects shareholders’ ongoing struggles to value Prosus. Neither Prosus nor the 50-year-old van Dijk gave a reason for his exit, but the persistence of the discount won’t have helped.

Persons: Bob van Dijk, Siphiwe, Ervin Tu, Africa’s, Van, van Dijk, It’s, Goldman Sachs, Prosus, Naspers, van Dijk’s, George Hay, Streisand Neto, Oliver Taslic Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Prosus, HK, Interim, Vision, Thomson Locations: Johannesburg, South Africa, Amsterdam, India, Brazil, Tencent

Still, it could hurt perceptions of Chinese EV makers as they expand abroad, Bernstein analysts said in a client note. Nio and Geely declined to comment on the EU probe, while BYD, Xpeng and SAIC did not respond to requests for comment. Shares in European carmakers were also among the biggest fallers on the euro zone stock index (.STOXXE50) in early trading. STRAINED RELATIONSThe anti-subsidy probe, initiated unusually by the European Commission and not from any industry complaint, comes amid broader diplomatic strains between the EU and China. It accounted for 40.25% of EV exports from China between January and April 2023.

Persons: Annegret, Ursula von der Leyen, Bernstein, BYD, CATL, Cui Dongshu, EVs, Donny Kwok, Brenda Goh, Ryan Woo, Anne Marie Roantree, Tom Hogue, Jamie Freed, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, China, EV, EU, European, Ministry of Commerce, Eurasian Group, Reuters Graphics, Reuters Graphics Hong Kong, HK, Geely, SAIC, BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes, European Commission, China Passenger Car Association, EVs, for Strategic, Internal Studies, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, Europe, China, SHANGHAI, BEIJING, Beijing, EU, Brussels, Southeast Asia, Reuters Graphics Hong, Shanghai, Xpeng, Shenzhen, SZ, Moscow, Russian, Ukraine, U.S, Hong Kong

Analysts said the probe could slow capacity expansion and the capital spending cycle of China's battery suppliers, although the move should not pose a big downside risk for Chinese EVs. Hong Kong shares of market leader BYD fell more than 3%. Nio and Geely declined to comment on the EU probe, while BYD, Xpeng and SAIC did not respond to requests for comment. GROWING MARKET SHAREEU officials believe Chinese EVs are undercutting the prices of local models by about 20% in the European market, piling pressure on European automakers to produce lower-cost electric vehicles. It accounted for 40.25% of EV exports from China between January and April 2023, up from 36.5% in 2022.

Persons: Angelika Warmuth, Ursula von der Leyen, BYD, CATL, der Leyen, Li Qiang, Cui Dongshu, EVs, Donny Kwok, Brenda Goh, Ryan Woo, Anne Marie Roantree, Tom Hogue, Jamie Freed Organizations: BYD Company, REUTERS, China, EV, European Commission, EU . European, Analysts, HK, Geely, SAIC, EU, Chamber of Commerce, China Passenger Car Association, Center, Strategic, Internal Studies, Volvo, Thomson Locations: Munich, Germany, Europe, HONG KONG, SHANGHAI, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Xpeng, Shenzhen, SZ, China, Moscow, Russian, Ukraine, New Delhi, Brussels, U.S

☆ Deliveroo lacks tasty recipe for takeover call
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Sept 14 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Deliveroo’s (ROO.L) valuation makes it a plausible takeover target, but Chief Executive Will Shu has a weak hand in negotiating any deal. Activist investor Sachem Head Capital Management has built a stake in the London-listed food delivery company, Bloomberg reported late on Wednesday. Share prices of Deliveroo rose nearly 5% on Thursday morning. That’s below the 1.5 times average of rivals Delivery Hero (DHER.DE), Just Eat Takeaway.com (TKWY.AS), HelloFresh (HFGG.DE) and DoorDash (DASH.N). Lastly, Delivery Hero and Amazon’s 5% and 12.5% stakes could complicate any deal.

Persons: Will Shu, LSEG, Uber, Karen Kwok, BoE, Neil Unmack, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, Head Capital Management, Bloomberg, X, Treasury, Thomson Locations: London

☆ Arm’s $52 bln IPO value sets stage for a fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Karen Kwok | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Arm’s IPO investors are effectively paying a slight premium while also betting that both growth and profitability are about to soar. Haas could then charge higher royalty rates. In the last calendar year, the company estimated that its royalty revenue equated to 1.7% of total worldwide spending on Arm-based chips. It’s not clear how many important Arm customers like Apple (AAPL.O), Nvidia (NVDA.O) and Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) have agreed to pay higher royalty rates. Nor will rising royalty rates necessarily compensate for possibly ongoing sluggish sales of smartphones, its key historic market.

Persons: Rene Haas, Haas, It’s, SoftBank, Liam Proud, Sharon Lam Organizations: Reuters, SoftBank Group, Cadence Design Systems, Apple, Nvidia, Samsung Electronics, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Thomson Locations: KS, British, New York

Alibaba Group sign is seen at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China July 6, 2023. Zhang also handed over the role of group CEO to Wu on Sunday as scheduled. "Alibaba Cloud has lost some ground with government and state-owned enterprise clients, which were previously a stronghold for the company," Li said. "During his leadership tenure, Alibaba Cloud's business did not improve significantly despite his efforts. Zhang likely realised that the challenges facing Alibaba Cloud's lacklustre growth were beyond what he could influence or control as an individual executive."

Persons: Aly, Daniel Zhang, Alibaba, Eddie Wu, Zhang, Wu, Canalys, Li Chengdong, Li, Sern Ling, Union Bancaire Privee, Donny Kowk, Josh Ye, Yelin, Anne Marie Roantree, Brenda Goh, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Artificial Intelligence, REUTERS, China's, Reuters, DAMO Academy, Huawei Technologies, Union Bancaire, HK, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, HONG KONG, Hong Kong, HK, Alibaba, Beijing, Yelin Mo

☆ Country Garden set to open up 5.6% after deal to extend onshore bond payment
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A construction site of residential buildings by Chinese developer Country Garden is pictured in Tianjin, China August 18, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 4 (Reuters) - Shares of Country Garden Holdings Co Ltd (2007.HK) were set to open up 5.6% on Monday after the embattled Chinese developer won approval from its creditors to extend payments for an onshore private bond. The stock was set to open at HK$0.94. That compared to a 1.1% rise in the benchmark Hang Seng Index (.HSI) and a 3.6% jump in Hang Seng Mainland Properties Index (.HSMPI). Reporting by Donny Kwok; Editing by Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Donny Kwok, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, Garden Holdings Co, HK, Hang Seng Mainland Properties, Thomson Locations: Tianjin, China, Hang Seng

☆ Evergrande loses $2 bln in value as trade resumes; extends creditor voting
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Clare Jim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Its Hong Kong listed shares plunged 79% to HK0.35 in the afternoon session, narrowing losses from 87% at the opening. Market capitalisation shrank to HK$4.6 billion ($586.38 million from HK$21.8 billion ($2.78 billion) from when it last traded. Its units, China Evergrande New Energy Vehicle Group (0708.HK) and Evergrande Property Services Group (6666.HK), have both resumed trading in the past month after a 16 month halt. The company logo is seen on the headquarters of China Evergrande Group in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China September 26, 2021. ($1 = 7.8442 Hong Kong dollars)($1 = 7.2834 Chinese yuan renminbi)($1 = 7.8447 Hong Kong dollars)Reporting by Clare Jim; Additional reporting by Donny Kwok Editing by Kim Coghill and Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Evergrande, Steven Leung, UOB Kay Hian, Aly, homebuyers, Clare Jim, Donny Kwok, Kim Coghill, Christopher Cushing Organizations: China Evergrande, HK, Hong, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Energy Vehicle Group, Evergrande Property Services, China Evergrande Group, REUTERS, Prism Hong, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, China's, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong province, Prism Hong Kong, Shanghai

☆ China Evergrande loses $2.4 bln in value as trade resumes after 17 months
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Clare Jim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The company logo is seen on the headquarters of China Evergrande Group in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China September 26, 2021. Next month, courts will decide on Evergrande's plan to restructure almost $32 billion worth of offshore debt obligations. Its Hong Kong-listed units, China Evergrande New Energy Vehicle Group (0708.HK) and Evergrande Property Services Group (6666.HK) have both resumed trading in the past month after a 16 month halt. The resumption of trading in all three companies is crucial for Evergrande Group because its offshore debt restructuring plan includes swapping part of the debt into equity-linked instruments backed by them. ($1 = 7.8435 Hong Kong dollars)($1 = 7.8442 Hong Kong dollars)($1 = 7.2834 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Clare Jim; Additional reporting by Donny Kwok Editing by Kim Coghill and Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Aly, HONG KONG, Steven Leung, UOB Kay Hian, homebuyers, Evergrande, Clare Jim, Donny Kwok, Kim Coghill, Christopher Cushing Organizations: China Evergrande Group, REUTERS, China Evergrande, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Evergrande, HK, Energy Vehicle Group, Evergrande Property Services, Evergrande Group, Prism Hong, Thomson Locations: China, Shenzhen, Guangdong province, HONG, HK, China's, Hong Kong, Prism Hong Kong, Shanghai, Cayman

☆ Rolex’s deal is ticking time bomb for retailers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Karen Kwok | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In the short term, these concerns look overstated, but Rolex’s move may still have called time on WoS’s business model. In that context, Friday’s slump in WoS shares looks excessive. That’s a modest sum relative to the enterprise value of 4 billion Swiss francs that Vontobel analysts believe Bucherer is worth. The news sparked a sharp sell-off in the UK-listed shares of Watches of Switzerland, a major retailer of Rolex watches. Watches of Switzerland shares were down more than 20% at 0933 GMT on Aug. 25.

Persons: –, WoS, Bucherer, Cartier, ”, Francesco Guerrera, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Rolex, Reuters Graphics Reuters, RBC, Piguet, Switzerland, Thomson Locations: Switzerland, London, Swiss

☆ Arm’s changing business model is wildcard for IPO
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Karen Kwok | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The other is royalty revenue, which is linked to how many products containing Arm technology that a customer eventually sells. Rather than selling licenses for specific chip designs and hoping the royalty revenue eventually flows, it is offering so-called total access agreements. First, Amazon’s engineers are more likely to experiment with Arm’s intellectual property and therefore use it in the future, eventually boosting royalty revenue. The company’s revenue fell 1% to $2.7 billion in the financial year to March 31. In the most recent quarter, which ended on June 30, Arm’s revenue fell by more than 2% year-on-year to $675 million.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Rene Haas, Haas, lumpy, Liam Proud, Oliver Taslic Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, SoftBank, Apple, Samsung Electronics, Nvidia, Microsoft, Infineon Technologies, U.S, Nasdaq, Thomson Locations: British

☆ Arm’s IPO risks shine brighter than its potential
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Karen Kwok | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Arm’s revenue is still dominated by its mainstay smartphone business, which contributed to the recent growth slowdown. Nor is Arm’s revenue particularly easy to forecast. In the most recent quarter, which ended on June 30, Arm’s revenue fell by more than 2% year-on-year to $675 million. Arm’s owner, SoftBank Group, was previously planning to sell between $8 billion and $10 billion of shares. SoftBank will have the right to appoint seven out of eight directors to Arm’s board after the IPO, provided its shareholding remains above 70%.

Persons: SoftBank Group's, That’s, Masayoshi Son, hasn’t, SoftBank, Liam Proud, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, Nvidia, Reuters Graphics Reuters, U.S, Nasdaq, SoftBank, Thomson Locations: China, British

☆ Exor’s Philips bet looks well-timed
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Agnelli family’s investment company on Monday said it bought a 15% stake in the toothbrushes-to-defibrillators group for 2.6 billion euros ($2.8 billion). Philips’ shares are down some 62% since the peak in April 2021, and it now looks much cheaper than the sum of its parts. Based on peer multiples, its diagnostics business could be worth 14 times 2024 EBITDA, while its connected care unit, which helps hospitals manage patient data, might be valued at 18.5 times EBITDA. Lastly, throw in the consumer division, which makes toasters and TVs, and could fetch 12 times EBITDA. Using Refinitiv forecasts, that would imply a total enterprise value of 33 billion euros, and equity of some 24 billion euros, after taking off debt and 2.4 billion euros for legal costs estimated by Bernstein analysts.

Persons: John Elkann, Agnelli, Philips ’, EBITDA, Bernstein, Roy Jakobs, Philips, Karen Kwok, Bain, BoE, Neil Unmack, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, Koninklijke Philips, U.S . Department of Justice, Philips, Twitter, FC Barcelona’s, Messi, Siemens, Thomson

☆ Arm IPO depends on more than Big Tech support
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Karen Kwok | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationLONDON, Aug 14 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Arm is phoning Big Tech friends for help with its initial public offering. Backing from some of the world’s largest technology companies would also provide a useful marketing boost. Investments from big tech companies risk scrutiny from antitrust regulators, who previously blocked chip specialist Nvidia from buying Arm. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsArm and its owner, Japan’s SoftBank Group (9984.T), will therefore need to win over big institutional investors. That’s well below the $60 billion to $70 billion that Bloomberg recently reported Arm is aiming for.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Rene Haas, Taiwan’s TSMC, Japan’s, Bernstein, Peter Thal Larsen, Oliver Taslic Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Big Tech, Nvidia, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Investments, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Reuters Graphics, Cadence Design Systems, Bloomberg, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Intel, Samsung Electronics, Japan’s SoftBank, Nasdaq, Thomson Locations: U.S, ASML, Cambridge

☆ Country Garden is set to pay its chairperson $28 million in dividends. Bondholders are now eyeing her huge $5.3 billion fortune to help the struggling property developer.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Country Garden, a massive Chinese property developer, missed interest payments on two dollar bonds this week. On Friday, Yang could receive $28 million in dividends from her personal stake in Country Garden's services unit, according to Bloomberg calculations. Most of her wealth comes from a 52.60% stake in Country Garden Holdings, Insider previously reported. Country Garden did not respond to a request for comment from Insider. Hong Kong-listed Country Garden Holdings shares are down 6% to 98 Hong Kong cents apiece at last check.

Persons: Yang Huiyan, Yeung Kwok, Yang Guoqiang —, Yang, Hui Ka Yan, JPMorgan Chase, Iris Chen, Chen Organizations: Bloomberg, Service, Garden Holdings, Hong, JPMorgan, Nomura, . Locations: Wall, Silicon, Beijing, Hong Kong, . Hong Kong

☆ Cathay Pacific posts $550 mln first-half profit, to repay Hong Kong government
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

HONG KONG, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways (0293.HK) reported on Wednesday a profit of HK$4.3 billion ($550.23 million) for the first half of 2023, its best interim results in more than a decade and a turnaround from losses in the last three years. The company also said it would buy back 50% of the HK$19.5 billion of preference shares held by the Hong Kong government by the end of 2023, and the remainder by the end of July 2024 subject to completion of a proposed capital reduction and business conditions at the time. Cathay issued the shares in 2020 as part of a HK$39 billion rescue package that shored up its finances after travel demand collapsed during the pandemic. ($1 = 7.8149 Hong Kong dollars)Reporting by Clare Jim and Donny Kwok; Editing by Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Clare Jim, Donny Kwok, Jamie Freed Organizations: Cathay Pacific Airways, HK, Hong, Cathay, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong

☆ Cathay Pacific posts best H1 profit since 2010, to repay govt aid package
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Clare Jim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Cathay Pacific Airways (0293.HK) reported on Wednesday its best first-half profit in more than a decade and announced plans to order more planes and repay a Hong Kong government rescue package after a major turnaround in travel demand. Cathay has recovered capacity more slowly than its closest rival, Singapore Airlines, (SIAL.SI) because it faced tighter quarantine rules for longer, and needed to train more staff and bring back grounded planes. The Hong Kong carrier expects to reach 70% of its pre-pandemic capacity by the end of the year and 100% by the end of 2024. Cathay said it intended to exercise purchase rights to buy 32 Airbus (AIR.PA) A320neo family aircraft, looking to add to its fleet as demand rebounds. ($1 = 7.8151 Hong Kong dollars)Reporting by Clare Jim and Donny Kwok; Editing by Jamie Freed and Gerry DoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Hong, Patrick Healy, Clare Jim, Donny Kwok, Jamie Freed, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Cathay Pacific Airways, HK, Hong, Cathay, Singapore Airlines, Hong Kong, Airbus, Swire Pacific, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong, Hong, Air China

☆ Adidas and AB InBev influencer hangover may return
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Aug 3 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Adidas (ADSGn.DE) and Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI.BR) are showing some unexpected resilience in the face of influencer trouble. Belgium beer producer AB InBev, meanwhile, grappled with a different influencer headache. The world's largest brewer experienced an April consumer boycott after picking transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney to promote its popular Bud Light brew. And while AB InBev say 80% of its consumers still look favourably or are neutral on Bud Light, the brand was dethroned as the top selling U.S. beer in May. Still, Adidas trades at 10 times its forecast 2025 EBITDA, below its peer Nike's (NKE.N) 16 times, and AB InBev trails Heineken (HEIN.AS) by an even larger margin.

Persons: Kanye West, Ye, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Bud Light, Karen Kwok, Lisa Jucca, Sharon Lam Organizations: Adidas, LONDON, Reuters, Anheuser, Busch InBev, InBev, Heineken, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Garden City , New York, U.S, Belgium, North America, Mexico

LONDON, July 27(Reuters Breakingviews) - The world is getting hotter, but when it comes to achieving net zero investors are cooling. Glencore (GLEN.L), the $75 billion Swiss group that is one of the world’s biggest coal miners, makes an interesting case study for what’s changed. Either way, the plan raises the prospect of Glencore bulking up in coal before offloading some or all of the enlarged business. True, a listing of Glencore’s enlarged coal business might not happen for a few years. While prices have now more than halved, Glencore‘s coal business would still make $9 billion in EBITDA in 2023 if they averaged $200 a tonne.

Persons: what’s, Glencore, Gary Nagle, Nagle, Teck, wouldn’t, There’s, Wael Sawan, Larry Fink, underwhelmed, ” Nagle, Glencore’s, George Hay, Karen Kwok, Peter Thal Larsen, Aditya Munjuluru Organizations: Reuters, Resources, Teck Resources, Bluebell Capital Partners, Investment, International Energy Agency, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Rio Tinto, BHP, GQG Partners, Capital Research Group, BlackRock, Vanguard, Services, Saudi, Aramco, United Nations, of, Pensions, Shell, Financial Times, “, Melbourne Mining, Capital Partners, Thomson Locations: Glasgow, Ukraine, EBITDA, American, U.S, Glencore, London, New York, Europe, Melbourne

☆ Spotify’s awkward three-way dance leads to slip-up
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, July 25 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Spotify (SPOT.N) is caught between the expectations of investors and major music labels. One bullish argument for Spotify’s stock is that higher prices will mean higher margins over time. First, some of Spotify’s customers pay annually, which means the price hike might take a while to come through. He’s locked in a long-term standoff with major labels like Universal Music Group (UMG.AS), which currently grab the overwhelming majority of Spotify’s revenue. In other words, Spotify’s future may be rosier than Ek is willing to let on.

Persons: Daniel Ek, Ek, coy, He’s, Karen Kwok, Liam Proud, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Spotify, Universal Music, Twitter, Thales, Thomson Locations: Spain

☆ ADNOC has upper hand in $30 bln plastics M&A
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Karen Kwok | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The complex ownership structure and the involvement of two governments make it intriguing to see who holds the whip hand. ADNOC owns 54% of Abu Dhabi-listed Borouge, while 36% of the same company is held by Borealis, with other investors accounting for the other 10%. Meanwhile ADNOC owns 25% of Borealis, while OMV holds the other 75%. Strip out Borouge's dividend, and Borealis would be worth $10 billion, Deutsche Bank reckons. ADNOC’s 63% Borouge stake and 25% Borealis stake are thus worth $14 billion and $2.5 billion respectively; OMV’s 27% Borouge stake and 75% Borealis holding are worth $6 billion and $7.5 billion.

Persons: ADNOC, OMV, Goldman Sachs, China's Sinopec, Saudi Arabia's SABIC, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi’s, George Hay, Pranav Kiran Organizations: Reuters, Abu, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Borealis, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Deutsche Bank, Abu Dhabi National Oil Co, OMV, ADNOC, Thomson Locations: Abu Dhabi, Austrian, Borealis, Borouge, Saudi, India, Abu, Europe, Vienna, ADNOC

HONG KONG, July 20 (Reuters) - Hong Kong national security police on Thursday questioned the brother of exiled former lawmaker Dennis Kwok, media reported, weeks after police issued an arrest warrant and a HK$1 million bounty for the pro-democracy politician. Police on July 3 issued arrest warrants for eight overseas-based activists for national security offences, including foreign collusion and incitement to secession, and posted bounties for information leading to their arrest. Among the eight is Dennis Kwok, a former pro-democracy member of Hong Kong's legislature now based in the United States. Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula meant to guarantee its freedoms for 50 years. In 2020, after months of protests, China imposed a national security law on the financial hub criminalising offences like subversion with up to life imprisonment.

Persons: Dennis Kwok, Michael Kwok, Hong Kong, Christopher Mung, Nathan Law, Jessie Pang, Tyrone Siu, James Pomfret, Robert Birsel Organizations: police, HK, Police, United States . Media, Reuters, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong, British, Hong Kong's, United States, Kowloon, Hong, Beijing, China

☆ Next Gucci CEO may have toughest job in luxury
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, July 19 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Gucci is getting a new look. Gucci took a harder hit during the pandemic than some mega-brand rivals, then struggled to bounce back. That’s way below the 10% and 15% rise brokers are pencilling in for Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior (DIOR.PA) respectively. All of that makes Gucci CEO job one of the most interesting in the luxury sector – but also possibly the toughest. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Gucci, Marco Bizzarri, Jean, François, Kering’s, Bizzarri, Roberto Eggs, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Karen Kwok, Xavier Niel’s, Liam Proud, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, Tuesday, Gucci, JPMorgan, Revenue, Alpha, Louis, Hermès, Barclays, Bain & Company, Twitter, Xavier Niel’s GAM, Commonwealth Games, Thomson Locations: Milan, Italian, Kering’s Paris, China, People’s Republic

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