Posts by Mark Darwin
Warburg Pincus-backed data centre operator Princeton Digital bags US$1.3 billion from Stonepeak
[SINGAPORE] Warbug Pincus-backed Princeton Digital Group announced on Friday (Jul 18) that it secured US$1.3 billion in funding from Stonepeak, a New-York based alternative investment firm specialising in infrastructure and real assets. Princeton Digital is a Singapore-headquartered data centre operator, with a portfolio of more than 1.1 gigawatts across 20 data centres in Singapore, Japan,…
Read MoreCouche-Tard’s failed bid for Seven & i sparks debate over Japan
[TOKYO] Alimentation Couche-Tard’s decision to walk away in frustration from an attempted acquisition of Seven & i Holdings set off a debate in Tokyo as to what lessons foreign companies with ambitions for M&A should draw. The bid was audacious from the start. 7-Eleven convenience stores have one of Japan’s most recognisable brands and a…
Read MoreFood Empire, AirAsia partner to launch ready-to-drink beverages
It will kick-off with a Vietnamese iced coffee product that will be sold on flights of the airline [SINGAPORE] Food Empire will collaborate with low-cost airline AirAsia to co-develop and launch a new range of ready-to-drink beverages. The collaboration was formalised with a memorandum of understanding signed between Food Empire’s subsidiary Empire International and AirAsia…
Read MoreLululemon’s best-selling black leggings pile up at outlet stores
[NEW YORK] Lululemon Athletica is facing slowing sales, fewer store visitors and waning demand for its iconic black leggings as the yogawear retailer tries to pull itself out of a rough patch. Lululemon’s core black leggings, which are vital products that rarely are discounted, are piling up at outlet stores, according to Randal Konik, an…
Read MoreThe Unexpected Invitation to Push Beyond My Limits
There I was, wrapped in a Mylar space blanket, shivering and drooling after what I thought was the most challenging physical feat of my life. I had just completed a grueling 50-mile endurance event that left me barely able to hold a cup of soup without spilling it all over myself. As I sat there…
Read MoreUber to invest US$300 million in EV maker Lucid as part of robotaxi deal
[SAN FRANCISCO] Uber will invest US$300 million in electric vehicle maker Lucid in a robotaxi deal that aims to start with one major US city late next year, the companies said on Thursday (Jul 17). Over six years starting in 2026, Uber will acquire and deploy over 20,000 Lucid Gravity SUVs that will be equipped…
Read MoreNo let-up in India’s private market boom as investors continue to shun China
[SINGAPORE] A surge in the value of private equity (PE) deals signed in India in the first half of this year, coupled with the inking of the country’s biggest private credit transaction, are adding fuel to a hot private market. With investors still keeping away from China, traditionally the largest Asian private market, the strong…
Read MoreIndia’s private market boom set to continue, as investors keep shunning China
[SINGAPORE] A surge in the value of private equity (PE) deals signed in India in the first half of this year, coupled with the inking of the country’s biggest private credit transaction, are adding fuel to a hot private market. With investors still keeping away from China, traditionally the largest Asian private market, the strong…
Read MoreSingapore shares continue winning streak; STI up 0.7%
The benchmark index reaches a high for a fourth consecutive trading day at 4,161.43 [SINGAPORE] The benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) extended its winning streak on Thursday (Jul 17), tracking gains in regional markets. The STI rose 0.7 per cent or 29.18 points to close at 4,161.43 – reaching a high for a fourth consecutive…
Read MoreVolvo Car posts US$1 billion loss over impairment, tariffs
The automaker’s retail sales plunged 12% to 181,600 vehicles in the second quarter Published Thu, Jul 17, 2025 · 04:06 PM [STOCKHOLM] Volvo Car posted a US$1.03 billion operating loss in the second quarter, hit by a previously announced impairment charge over model delays and the escalating cost of tariffs. The automaker’s retail sales plunged…
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