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REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration//File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 28 (Reuters) - ChatGPT owner OpenAI is not expected to offer Microsoft (MSFT.O) and other investors including Khosla Ventures and Thrive Capital seats on its new board, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday. In a few tumultuous days last week, OpenAI ousted its CEO and founder Sam Altman without any detailed cause, setting off alarm bells among investors and employees. Microsoft, which has invested more than $10 billion in OpenAI, is one of the biggest backers of OpenAI that operates ChatGPT, its viral generative AI chatbot. In response to a question on the OpenAI board, a Microsoft spokesperson said, "We will wait until the board officially says something." OpenAI and Thrive did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while Khosla declined to comment.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, OpenAI, Sam Altman, Thomas Hayes, Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, Adam D'Angelo, D'Angelo, Altman, Satya Nadella, Khosla, Zaheer Kachwala, Mary Varghese, Kenneth Li, Arun Koyyur Organizations: REUTERS, Microsoft, Khosla Ventures, Reuters, CNBC, Thomson Locations: OpenAI, Bengaluru

☆ China's Meituan launches $1 bln share buyback program
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Wang Xing, CEO of Meituan-Dianping attends at the World Internet Conference (WIC) in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, China, October 20, 2019. Meituan CEO Wang Xing had said on Tuesday that the board had authorised a share buyback of up to $1 billion but it would depend on the company's cash position due to plans to invest in new initiatives and explore overseas investments. "The Board believes that the current financial resources of the company would enable it to implement the share repurchase while maintaining a solid financial position," Meituan said in an exchange filing on Wednesday. The share repurchase will start from Dec. 1. Meituan, China's largest food delivery provider ahead of Alibaba's Ele.me, on Tuesday flagged expectations around fourth-quarter revenue growth for its core food delivery business to slow versus the preceding quarter.

Persons: Wang Xing, Dianping, Aly, Meituan, Alibaba's, Rishav Chatterjee, Maju Samuel Organizations: World Internet Conference, REUTERS, HK, Thomson Locations: Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, China, Bengaluru

☆ Alibaba Health Information Technology to buy AJK Technology for $1.73 bln
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Nov 28 (Reuters) - Investment holding company Alibaba Health Information Technology Ltd (0241.HK) said on Tuesday it would buy entire stake in AJK Technology Holding Ltd from a unit of Alibaba Group Holding (9988.HK) for HK$13.51 billion ($1.73 billion). Alibaba Health would issue 2.56 billion consideration shares at an issue price of HK$4.50 and pay the U.S. dollar equivalent of HK$2 billion in cash to the Alibaba Group unit, Taobao Holding Ltd.AJK Technology is an offshore holding vehicle incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands. The completion of the deal is subject to approvals from independent shareholders and the stock exchange. ($1 = 7.7957 Hong Kong dollars)Reporting by John Biju in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi MajumdarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: John Biju, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Investment, Health, Technology, HK, AJK Technology Holding, Alibaba, Taobao Holding, AJK Technology, Thomson Locations: Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, Bengaluru

☆ UK regulator says Adobe's $20 bln Figma deal could harm sector
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Adobe logo is seen on smartphone in this illustration taken June 13, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 28 (Reuters) - Britain's competition regulator on Tuesday said Photoshop owner Adobe Inc's (ADBE.O) $20 billion buyout of cloud-based designer platform Figma would "likely harm innovation for software used by the vast majority of UK digital designers." In July, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched an in-depth, or phase two, investigation into the deal after Adobe said it would not offer any concessions to ease the regulator's concerns. Reporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita BhattacharjeeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Eva Mathews, Nivedita Organizations: REUTERS, Adobe, Markets Authority, CMA, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Chinese AI firm SenseTime refutes short-seller report allegations
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Nov 28 (Reuters) - Chinese artificial intelligence software developer SenseTime Group (0020.HK) said on Tuesday that a short-seller report by Grizzly Research LLC is 'without merit' and will review the allegations against the company. Earlier on Tuesday, the short-seller's report alleged the AI firm was artificially inflating revenue through revenue fabrication schemes. Shares of the company fell as much as 9.7% to trade at HK$1.30 per dollar, hitting its lowest since last November. Reporting by Archishma Iyer in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita BhattacharjeeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Archishma Iyer, Nivedita Organizations: SenseTime, HK, Grizzly Research, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

Spending online on Cyber Monday is set to reach as much as $12.4 billion, according to Adobe Digital Insights, which tracks data through Adobe's Experience Cloud service for e-commerce platforms. Last-minute shoppers on Monday could spend $4 billion between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. EST alone, it said. Other firms use different measurements to gauge purchases on Cyber Monday, the biggest online shopping day of the year in the United States. Salesforce, which tracks data flowing through its Commerce Cloud e-commerce service, said online sales on Cyber Monday were up by 4% by 4 p.m. EST, hitting $7 billion by late afternoon. Walmart, eager to capture market share, slashed prices on Sunday night, joining the trend of retailers' early discounts on major shopping days.

Persons: Salesforce, Eduardo Munoz, Brian Yacktman, Charles Sizemore, Sizemore, Siddharth Cavale, Deborah Sophia, Aishwarya Venogupal, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, David Gregorio, Nick Zieminski, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Adobe Digital, Adobe, Commerce, Shoppers, Workers, REUTERS, YCG Investments, Nike, Black, Sizemore Capital Management, Walmart, Amazon, Graphics, Insider Intelligence, Thomson Locations: United States, Robbinsville Township, New Jersey, U.S, New York, Bengaluru

☆ Wall St ends lower amid Cyber Monday madness
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Remarks from Federal Reserve policymakers later in the week will also be parsed for clues regarding the duration of the central bank's restrictive policy. Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 27, 2023. Amid the Cyber Monday fervor, Affirm Holdings (AFRM.O) surged 12.0%, as the payment platform's "buy now, pay later" option was seen hitting an all-time high, boosting the online holiday sales. Declining issues outnumbered advancing ones on the NYSE by a 1.25-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 1.63-to-1 ratio favored decliners. The S&P 500 posted 38 new 52-week highs and no new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 84 new highs and 79 new lows.

Persons: Elliott, Tom Hainlin, Greg Bassuk, Brendan McDermid, they’ve, Hainlin, Shopify, Stephen Culp, Shristi Achar, Shinjini Ganguli, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Dow, Nasdaq, U.S, Bank Wealth Management, Adobe Analytics, AXS Investments, Federal Reserve, Financial, Commerce, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Dow Jones, Elliott Investment Management, GE HealthCare, NYSE, Thomson Locations: Minneapolis, New York, New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Chinese fast-fashion retailer Shein files for U.S. IPO - WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The fast-fashion giant has been working with at least three investment banks about a potential IPO and was in talks with the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq, Reuters reported in July. Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley have been hired as lead underwriters on the offering, which could happen in 2024. the WSJ report said. Shein declined to comment to Reuters on the report. Fast-fashion has been gaining popularity in the United States with Shein partnering with SPARC Group, a joint venture between Forever 21 owner Authentic Brands (AUTH.N) and mall operator Simon Property (SPG.N), as the online fashion retailer and its rivals look to expand their market reach. Reporting by Pritam Biswas and Ananya Mariam Rajesh in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun KoyyurOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: David, Dee, Delgado, Shein, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Didi Global's, Simon Property, Pritam Biswas, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Arun Koyyur Organizations: REUTERS, Wall Street, New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, Reuters, JPMorgan, SPARC Group, Forever, Brands, Simon, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, China, United States, Bengaluru

☆ Citi bankers leave for Jefferies as municipal banking department in turmoil -Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

General view of Jefferies Financial Group offices in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., December 8, 2021. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 27 (Reuters) - A team of bankers focused on healthcare at Citigroup (C.N) has left for rival Jefferies Financial (JEF.N) after the firm's executives mulled closing the municipal banking department altogether, Bloomberg News reported on Monday. The group of about 10 bankers departing for Jefferies included managing directors Brian Carlstead, Ben Klemz and Katherine Meyers, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. CEO Jane Fraser has been weighing whether to shutter the bank's municipal-bond trading and origination business. Citi's municipal offering business has been under scrutiny from Texas attorney general, who in January halted the bank's ability to underwrite most municipal bond offerings in Texas, saying Citi has discriminated against the firearms sector.

Persons: Eduardo Munoz, Brian Carlstead, Ben Klemz, Katherine Meyers, Jane Fraser, Pritam Biswas Organizations: Jefferies Financial, REUTERS, Citigroup, Jefferies, Bloomberg, Citi, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Texas, Bengaluru

NEW YORK, Nov 27 (Reuters) - A record amount of price-pinched holiday shoppers are expected to use buy now, pay later services for Cyber Monday to relieve stress on their wallets, according to Adobe Analytics. [1/2]A worker sorts products during Cyber Monday at the Amazon's fulfillment center in Robbinsville, New Jersey, U.S., November 27, 2023. The buy now, pay later firm saw a 29% increase in orders placed by U.S. shoppers on Black Friday, with some of the most popular items being personal electronics, televisions and kitchen appliances. It's become really, really, really popular," said Dan Dolev, an analyst at Mizuho Securities. Average basket sizes for buy now, pay later orders on Black Friday declined 32% compared to last year, according to a report from Quantum Metric, a sign that shoppers aren't making as big of purchases this year.

Persons: Klarna, BNPL, Mike Segar, It's, Dan Dolev, Arriana McLymore, Deborah Sophia, Juveria Tabassum, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Adobe Analytics, Shoppers, REUTERS, Mizuho Securities, Black, Thomson Locations: Robbinsville , New Jersey, U.S, New York City, Bengaluru

☆ EV battery startup ONE cuts workforce by 25%
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo for Our Next Energy (ONE) is seen outside the company's headquarters in Novi, Michigan, U.S., April 25, 2022. Photo taken April 25, 2022. REUTERS/ Rebecca Cook/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 27 (Reuters) - Our Next Energy (ONE) said on Monday it has cut around 25% of its workforce, or 128 employees, as the electric-vehicle battery startup deals with high borrowing costs and an uncertain economy. Tesla (TSLA.O) supplier Panasonic Holdings (6752.T) said last month that it had cut automotive battery production in Japan in the September quarter, underscoring a global slowdown in EV sales due to high interest rates. Reporting by Zaheer Kachwala in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju SamuelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rebecca Cook, Mujeeb Ijaz, Zaheer Kachwala, Maju Samuel Organizations: Next Energy, REUTERS, Energy, Apple, Panasonic Holdings, Thomson Locations: Novi , Michigan, U.S, Michigan, American, Japan, Bengaluru

☆ Wall St pauses amid Cyber Monday madness; data, Fed speakers on tap
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 27, 2023. The tech-heavy Nasdaq was slightly higher, the Dow was edging red and the S&P 500 was essentially unchanged, but leaning lower. The S&P 500 Retail index (.SPXRT) was up 0.9%. Later in the week, market participants look to the Commerce Department's second take on third-quarter GDP expected on Wednesday, to be followed on Friday with its broad-ranging Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) report. The S&P 500 posted 34 new 52-week highs and no new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 78 new highs and 64 new lows.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Elliott, Dow, Greg Bassuk, Bassuk, Shopify, Stephen Culp, Shristi Achar, Shinjini Ganguli, Matthew Lewis Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Dow, Nasdaq, Adobe Analytics, AXS Investments, Federal Reserve, Financial, Commerce, Dow Jones, Walmart, Elliott Investment Management, GE HealthCare, NYSE, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, New York, Bengaluru

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 27, 2023. The rebound in equities in November has brought the S&P 500 (.SPX) close to its highest intra-day level this year. "We are headed for a mixed session today...maybe something like profit taking at the beginning and then just a leveling off."U.S. The S&P 500 retail sector (.SPXRT), housing Amazon, rose 0.5%. The S&P index recorded 7 new 52-week highs and no new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 34 new highs and 18 new lows.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Elliott, Peter Cardillo, Jerome Powell, advancers, Shristi Achar, Saumyadeb Chakrabarty Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Dow, Nasdaq, Federal Reserve, Spartan Capital Securities, Walmart, Reuters, Fed, Dow Jones, Crown, Elliott Investment Management, GE HealthCare, UBS, NYSE, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Deutsche Bank sees 12% upside to S&P 500 through 2024-end
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of Deutsche Bank is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 27 (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank on Monday forecast the S&P 500 (.SPX) to end next year 12% higher as it expects corporate earnings to remain resilient even if the United States experiences a mild and short recession. Deutsche Bank analysts expect the index to end 2024 at 5,100 points. Deutsche Bank's 2024-end S&P 500 target is 8.5% higher than the 4,700 median forecast of 33 strategists polled by Reuters. "If earnings growth continues to recover as we forecast, valuations will remain well supported around the top of the range as is typical on the pricing in of a pickup in earnings growth," the strategists said.

Persons: Yves Herman, Roshan Abraham, Rashmi Aich, Mrigank Organizations: Deutsche Bank, REUTERS, Deutsche, Reuters, Reserve, BofA, Research, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, United States, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Wall St futures edge lower as investor await data, policy cues
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 27, 2023. Wall Street ended the Thanksgiving week on a positive note, with the major indexes notching up their fourth consecutive week of gains on growing optimism that the Federal Reserve was likely done hiking interest rates. ET, Dow e-minis were down 48 points, or 0.14%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 7 points, or 0.15%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 23.75 points, or 0.15%. The personal consumption expenditure index data for October - the Fed's preferred inflation gauge - is slated to be released on Thursday. Reporting by Shristi Achar A and Shashwat Chauhan in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb ChakrabartyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Axel Rudolph, Shristi Achar, Shashwat Chauhan, Saumyadeb Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Dow, Nasdaq, Federal Reserve, Dow e, IG Group, Walmart, Crown, Elliott Investment Management, Reuters, GE HealthCare, UBS, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Foxconn to invest $1.5 bln to expand India operations
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A Foxconn shareholder poses for photos after the annual shareholder meeting in New Taipei City, Taiwan May 31, 2023. REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBENGALURU, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Taiwan's Foxconn (2317.TW) will invest $1.5 billion in India in its latest expansion plan, the world's largest contract manufacturer of electronics said on Monday. The company, which announced the investment plan in a stock exchange filing, did not provide any further details. Foxconn has been rapidly expanding its presence in India by investing in manufacturing facilities in the south of the country. The contract manufacturer aims to double its workforce and investment in India by next year, a company executive had said in September.

Persons: Ann Wang, Foxconn, Liu Young, Kashish Tandon, Krishna Chandra Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: New Taipei City, Taiwan, India, Bengaluru

Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley have been hired as lead underwriters on the offering, and Shein could go public sometime in 2024, the sources said. Shein has been planning to go public for the last few years, but halted plans almost twice since then. The fast-fashion giant's decision now comes at a time when the broader market for new issues remains laggard. Fast fashion retailers have been gaining popularity in the United States, with Shein taking away market share from the likes Gap (GPS.N) as shoppers look for fresher styles and trendier clothing. Shein's confidential IPO was first reported by the Wall Street Journal earlier on Monday.

Persons: David, Dee, Delgado, Shein, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Didi Global's, Simon Property, Pritam Biswas, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Anirban Sen, Rishabh Jaiswal, Arun Koyyur, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, JPMorgan, chipmaker Arm Holdings, New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, SPARC Group, Forever, Brands, Simon, Wall Street, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, China, United States, Singapore, Bengaluru, New York

Nov 27 (Reuters) - Activist investor Elliott Investment Management on Monday said it was ready to nominate directors at Crown Castle International and push for the ouster of the wireless tower owner's executives and board members, whom it blames for years of underperformance. The hedge fund in a letter released on Monday said the company needs "comprehensive leadership change." It said it was ready to appeal to other shareholders to make changes to the 12-member board, signaling a possible proxy fight next year. Elliott sharply criticized management and the board saying a "lack of oversight ... contributed to its irresponsible stewardship and flawed financial policy." The hedge fund said the company "disregarded our data-driven analysis" and added that "our recommended changes were neither made nor taken seriously."

Persons: Elliott, Jesse Cohn, Jason Genrich, Jay Brown, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Pooja Desai, Mark Porter Organizations: Investment Management, Crown Castle International, SBA Communications, Intelligence, Svea, Thomson Locations: Houston, Providence, Bengaluru

Signage is seen outside of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) headquarters in White Oak, Maryland, U.S., August 29, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 27 (Reuters) - The U.S. health regulator on Monday approved SpringWorks Therapeutics' (SWTX.O) drug for treating adult patients with desmoid tumors, making it the first approved treatment for this type of non-cancerous soft-tissue growth. The brokerage estimates U.S. sales of $3 million in 2023 and $79 million in 2024 and peak sales of $544 million in 2032. Desmoid tumors are rare, abnormal non-cancerous growths that occur in connective tissues and are associated with a high rate of recurrence. An estimated 1,650 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with desmoid tumors each year, according to data from the National Institutes of Health.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Saqib Islam, Ogsiveo, Cowen, Yaron, Islam, Pratik Jain, Christy Santhosh, Shilpi Majumdar, Shailesh Organizations: Food and Drug Administration, FDA, REUTERS, Therapeutics, Food, National Institutes of Health, Thomson Locations: White Oak , Maryland, U.S, United States, Bengaluru

☆ UK's musicMagpie will keep seeking buyers as BT ends talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 27 (Reuters) - MusicMagpie (MMAG.L) said on Monday it will continue to seek buyers after telecoms group BT (BT.L) confirmed it will not make an offer for the British online retailer of used smartphones and electronic products. Shares in musicMagpie fell 19% to a nearly three-month low of 16.35 pence, giving it a market value of just over 17.5 million pounds ($21.81 million). The seller of second-hand DVDs and computer games last week said it was in early-stage talks with BT and Aurelius Group regarding a possible buyout offer. Neither BT or Aurelius provided a reason for dropping out of the takeover talks. As of Friday's close, musicMagpie stock had lost almost 90% of its value since its market debut in April 2021 as a cost-of-living squeeze hurt sales.

Persons: Aurelius Investment, Aurelius, Prerna Bedi, Devika Organizations: BT, Aurelius Group, Thomson Locations: musicMagpie, Bengaluru

☆ DouYu International forms committee to manage ops after CEO's arrest
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

People walk past a booth of live-streaming platform Douyu at the ChinaJoy digital entertainment expo in Shanghai, China July 28, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 27 (Reuters) - Live streaming platform operator DouYu International Holdings said on Monday it has formed an interim management committee to manage its operations, following the arrest of its chief executive. Last week, DouYu said its chief executive officer and chairman Chen Shaojie was arrested on Nov. 16 in the southwestern city of Chengdu. Backed by Chinese tech giant Tencent (0700.HK), DouYu is the leading video game streaming platform in China by number of users. DouYu also appointed Simin Ren as its vice president last week, it said.

Persons: Stringer, Mingming Su, Hao Cao, Simin Ren, DouYu, Chen Shaojie, Chen, Echha Jain, Krishna Chandra Organizations: REUTERS, DouYu, Holdings, HK, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Chengdu, Bengaluru

☆ Record numbers sit for China civil service exam, hoping for job security
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Bernard Orr | Thomson Reuters | Bernard Orr Is A Veteran Journalist With Over Years Of Experience. He Reports On Breaking News Mainland China | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, Nov 27 (Reuters) - More than three million people took China's annual civil service exam on the weekend, state media reported on Monday, a record number that underscores young people's concerns about getting a secure job in a rocky economy. With stubbornly high youth employment in the world's second-largest economy, the prospect of a less glamorous career in the civil service is increasingly attractive as private sector job opportunities dwindle. "After all, the general environment is not good," one user of the Weibo social media platform said of economic prospects as posts about the civil service exam surged. The exam was held simultaneously in 237 cities across the country on Sunday, the state-run China Daily reported. The Global Times reported that the number of civil service jobs had increased for the past five years.

Persons: Chu Zhaohui, Bernard Orr, Robert Birsel Organizations: Weibo, Companies, China Daily, Global Times, China News Network, China National Academy of Educational, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Beijing, Shanghai

While high interest rates have boosted the banks' lending margins, residential mortgages, auto loans and commercial real estate loans have slowed as consumers and businesses pulled back. With interest rates forecast to remain high, renewal of the mortgages will squeeze household budgets. Banks are also rethinking lending to industries sensitive to high interest rates, from condo development to office space. "We want to make sure we have some kind of confidence when a project is going to go ahead," said Victoria Girardo, Canadian Western Bank's (CWB.TO) VP in real estate lending. "That is creating liquidity issues across the real estate developer space.

Persons: Carlos Osorio, Ebrahim Poonawala, Mike Rizvanovic, Rizvanovic, Banks, Victoria Girardo, Nigel D'Souza, Nivedita Balu, Mark Porter Organizations: Bank of Montreal, REUTERS, Rights TORONTO, U.S, National Bank, Bank, Veritas Investment Research, Thomson Locations: Toronto , Ontario, Canada, Toronto

☆ Gold scales 6-month peak on softer dollar, Fed pause bets
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Harshit Verma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Spot gold was up 0.5% at $2,010.99 per ounce by 0758 GMT, after hitting its highest since May 16. U.S. gold futures rose 0.4% to $2,011.70. Reuters Graphics"What's moving gold at the moment is the lower U.S. dollar because of the recent soft data," said Kyle Rodda, a financial market analyst at Capital.com. The dollar index (.DXY) edged down 0.1% against its rivals, not far from a more than two-month low level touched last week, making gold less expensive for other currency holders. Recent data showing signs of slowing inflation in the U.S. has boosted expectations that the Fed could begin easing monetary conditions sooner than expected.

Persons: Alexander Manzyuk, Kyle Rodda, Rodda, CME's, Wang Tao, Harshit Verma, Janane Venkatraman, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, PCE, Federal, Reuters, Fed, Traders, Thomson Locations: Novosibirsk, Siberian, Russia, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Delfin signs 15-year LNG supply agreement with Gunvor
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 27 (Reuters) - Delfin Midstream Inc said on Monday it had entered into a long-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply agreement with global commodity trader Gunvor. Delfin said in a news release its LNG plant in Louisiana will supply between 500,000 to 1 million tonnes of LNG per annum to Gunvor on a free-on-board basis at Delfin Deepwater Port for at least 15 years. Delfin has been developing the Delfin LNG Deepwater Port project supporting up to four floating LNG vessels with a combined export capacity of about 13.3 million tons per annum (MTPA), the release said. The company secured commercial agreements for LNG sales, liquefaction services and is in the final phase towards final investment decisions (FID) on its first three floating LNG vessels, the release added. Reporting by Deep Vakil and Rahul Paswan in Bengaluru; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Delfin Midstream, Delfin, Vakil, Rahul Paswan, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Delfin Midstream Inc, Delfin Deepwater Port, Delfin, Tellurian Inc, Singapore, Ltd, Thomson Locations: Louisiana, Mexico, Bengaluru

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