Posts by Stephanie Irvin
Qantas splurges on dividends as strong travel demand boosts profit, shares jump
AUSTRALIA’S flag carrier Qantas Airways on Thursday declared a special dividend for the first time in more than two decades and reported first-half profit ahead of estimates, helped by strong travel demand sending its shares over 5 per cent. The company announced a special dividend of 9.9 Australian cents per share, its first since fiscal…
Read MoreAmazon unveils long-awaited AI version of Alexa assistant
AMAZON.COM has rebooted Alexa with artificial intelligence (AI). The rollout marks the biggest overhaul of the voice-activated assistant since the company introduced it more than a decade ago. The move is a test of whether Amazon and its new devices czar, former Microsoft Surface boss Panos Panay, can revitalise its most important consumer electronics franchise. …
Read MoreBen & Jerry’s founders discuss buying back brand from Unilever
THE founders of Ben & Jerry’s have expressed interest in buying back their namesake ice cream brand from Unilever, according to sources familiar with the matter. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield have held some initial discussions in recent months about a potential deal, the sources said. They may look to partner with socially minded investors…
Read MoreUS: Wall St opens higher with spotlight on Nvidia results
WALL Street’s main indexes opened higher on Wednesday (Feb 26), after logging several days of declines, as investors awaited Nvidia’s results to gauge the direction of AI demand and focused on a crucial tax-cut proposal’s progress through Congress. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 14.3 points, or 0.03 per cent, at the open to 43,635.42.…
Read MoreCSE Global H2 net profit dips 1.7%, dragged by US$8 million settlement
SYSTEMS integrator CSE Global’s earnings slipped 1.7 per cent year on year to S$11.3 million in H2 FY2024 ended December, weighed down by an arbitration settlement of US$8 million. The provider of electrification, communications and automation solutions did not provide details other than the sum of the settlement in its financial results published on Wednesday…
Read MorePaid Time Off: The New Workplace Battle
Paid time off (PTO) has become a significant topic in today’s workplaces. What was once a perk has now turned into a standard expectation, but challenges remain. While some companies are innovating with PTO policies, many employees still hesitate to take the time they’ve earned. This article dives into the evolution of PTO, why it’s…
Read MoreHong Leong Asia H2 net profit rises 12.2% to S$38.2 million
HONG Leong Asia reported a net profit of S$38.2 million for its second half ended Dec 31, 12.2 per cent higher than the S$34.1 million recorded in the year-ago period. Revenue stood at S$1.998 billion for the group, which manufactures and sells powertrain solutions and building materials, down 0.4 per cent from S$2 billion the…
Read MoreIndonesia, home to giant gold mine, launches bullion banking
INDONESIA has launched its first bullion banks in a bid to draw tonnes of privately held gold into the financial system of South-east Asia’s largest economy. The region’s largest gold producer on Wednesday (Feb 26) inaugurated gold banking services at state-owned Bank Syariah Indonesia and pawn broker Pegadaian, a unit of state-run banking giant Bank…
Read MoreChina says Taiwan seeks to give away chip industry to US
China said on Wednesday (Feb 26) that Taiwan was seeking to give away the island’s semiconductor industry to the United States as a “souvenir” and leverage it to seek political support from Washington. US media have said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker and a major supplier to companies such as…
Read MoreFrom origins to turmoil: The CDL story
1963: City Developments Ltd (CDL) begins operations with eight staff in a small, rented office at Amber Mansions and was listed on the Malayan Stock Exchange in November 1963. 1966: Company completes its first Singapore condominium project Clementi Park. 1969: Kwek Hong Png’s Hong Leong group buys into CDL, and son Leng Beng takes a…
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