Category: Business Investment News

Foreign firms in China say vague rules and tensions with Washington hurting business, surveys show

Foreign companies operating in China say tensions with Washington over technology, trade and other issues and uncertainty over Chinese policies are damaging the business environment and causing some to reassess their plans for investing in the giant market.

The results of surveys released Tuesday by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai and by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China largely concurred in appealing for greater certainty and clarity over China’s stance toward foreign businesses.

“For decades, European companies thrived in China, benefitting from a stable and efficient business environment. However, after the turbulent past three years, many have reevaluated their basic assumptions about the Chinese market,” Jens Eskelund, the EU Chamber’s president said, in a letter that accompanied the report.

Eskelund said that predictability and reliability had been undermined by “erratic policy shifts,” hurting confidence in China’s growth prospects.

“At the top of a growing list of questions about the Chinese market is, what kind of relationship does China want to have with foreign enterprises?” he said.

The Shanghai AmCham’s survey showed a continued downgrading of China’s importance as an overseas destination for investment, even though two-thirds of the 325 companies responding said they had no immediate plans to change their China strategy.

Just over one in five of the companies surveyed said they were decreasing their investment in China this year, with the top reason being uncertainty about the U.S.-China trade relationship, followed by expectations of slower growth in China, it said.

Overall, the survey showed sentiment worsened from last year, when companies were embroiled in disruptions from “zero-COVID” policies that caused parts of entire cities, transport networks and travel to be shut down, sometimes for weeks at a time.

Such disruptions were a major “push factor” that companies cited in expanding their operations outside China,

‘It’s fun, but it’s also deadly serious’

Business: Herrick Lake Investments

Address: 1155 S. Washington St., Naperville

Phone/website: 630-581-8119, www.herricklake.com

Owner: Mark D. Hines, 46, of Naperville

Years in business: Two

What do you do? “Two things. One, investment management. People who want help managing their investment accounts. Retirement savings. College savings. Those type of things. Two is investment research. This is more for do-it-yourself investors,” Hines said.

How do you manage investments? “I got started in 2015 running a research company with hundreds of people who pay me for research. Then, I got into investment management. We do a portfolio review. I’ll give them recommendations. … Maybe you have too much risk. Too many stocks. Too many bonds. Maybe you’re too concentrated in something. We discuss what to do differently.”

What’s important to know? “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Sometimes, people will come in — they’ve worked for a company a long time — and they have 50% of their retirement savings in one company’s stock. That’s a problem. That’s too risky.”

Why is that risky? “If a company goes bankrupt — it doesn’t happen often — you’ll lose all your money. The retirement savings are gone. Even if it doesn’t go bankrupt, bad things happen. Stock prices crash. That’s the diversification piece.”

What do you offer? “I have three model portfolios. One is more aggressive. It’s growth stocks. Another is focused on high income, maybe (for) people who are retired. The third is balanced in the middle of the three. … The models get updated monthly. There are research reports that I write. I work with an independent contractor who helps me write those. He’s in India. His name is Madhu Chaudhary. He’s very good.”

What else plays a role? “It depends on age. On the tolerance for market volatility. Some people

Disney Plans to Expand Parks Investment, Doubling Capital Expenditures Over 10 Years

The Walt Disney Company is developing plans to accelerate and expand investment in its Parks, Experiences and Products segment to nearly double capital expenditures over the course of approximately 10 years to roughly $60 billion, including by investing in expanding and enhancing domestic and international parks and cruise line capacity.

Today, Senior Disney executives, including Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger and Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro, gathered with Wall Street analysts and investors at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida for an investor summit focused on Disney’s Parks business and its track record of investing aggressively and intelligently in experiences that leverage the powerful and ever-growing library of Disney stories, which has proven incredibly effective.

“We’re incredibly mindful of the financial underpinning of the company, the need to continue to grow in terms of bottom line, the need to invest wisely so that we’re increasing the returns on invested capital, and the need to maintain a balance sheet, for a variety of reasons,” said Bob Iger. “The company is able to absorb those costs and continue to grow the bottom line and look expansively at how we return value and capital to our shareholders.”

“We have an ambitious growth story that is supported by a proven track record and a bold vision for the future of our Parks business,” said D’Amaro.

Central to the business’s growth strategy will be a focus on stories, scale, and fans.

Stories

All over the world, Disney leverages its incomparable library of intellectual property through immersive storytelling experiences in its Parks and Resorts, on board its cruise ships, and through its consumer products and licensing business. The Parks business serves as a powerful platform where Disney’s beloved stories come to life in innovative ways, and where fans across generations and geographies

The World’s Top 10 News Media Companies

The world moves on news. From decisions based on coverage of financial markets and political developments to those based on local news or weather reports, the news impacts our lives directly and indirectly. News is available and accessed in multiple formats: digital (online news content), print (newspapers and magazines), and broadcasting (TV and radio).

Investors looking for investments in news-only companies should carefully study the overall business of a company to ensure that its operations fit into their desired investment profile. Here are some of the world’s top news companies, arranged in the decreasing order of the available market cap figures as of September 2023.

Key Takeaways

  • News media companies have seen revenues erode over the past two decades as ad revenues and subscriptions suffer at the hands of online news outlets.
  • Print media and local newspapers have been especially hard hit, as broadcast news continues to dominate the airwaves and streaming services.
  • The top 10 media companies include Comcast, Thomson Reuters, and Nespers.

1. Comcast

  • Headquarters: Philadelphia
  • Market Cap: $186.70 billion

Comcast (CMCSA) is a media giant. It is one of the largest broadcasting and cable television companies in the world by revenue. Comcast also ranks among the largest pay-TV companies, cable TV companies, and home internet service providers in the United States. The company also provides customers with home telephone services. Comcast controls the news media outlets NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC, and UK’s Sky News.

2. Thomson Reuters

  • Headquarters: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  • Market Cap: $58.53 billion

Thomson Reuters (TRI) is a Canadian-based news and media company. It also provides financial and market data across the globe including the Reuters service. It owns both news the Thomson and Reuters News publications as well as other online financial and wire services. Thomson Reuters also corporate solutions, legal products, as well

7 Best Water Stocks and ETFs to Buy in 2023 | Investing

Talk about liquid assets. As climate change coincides with population growth around the world, water for drinking, sanitation and agriculture is becoming more scarce.

Where there is scarcity, Wall Street is bound to figure out a way to make a buck, and there are multiple ways to invest in water, including through utilities, metering, infrastructure and desalination companies.

Fortune Business Insights projects that the global water and wastewater treatment market will grow from $323.3 billion this year to $536.4 billion by 2030.

In the U.S., water infrastructure is aging, and public companies that invest in upgrades can then expect to recoup that along with profits. Meanwhile, consolidation in a nation with thousands of separate water systems will result in economies of scale, saving customers money and enabling the buyers to expand their customer bases.

“Despite its apparent abundance, fresh water is a scarce and finite resource,” according to Global X, which offers the Clean Water ETF (ticker: AQWA). “As the global population grows, investment in clean water technologies may be essential to sustaining and improving standards of living.”

Stock or ETF YTD performance as of Sept. 12
American Water Works Co. Inc. (AWK) -8.5%
Essential Utilities Inc. (WTRG) -19.9%
Global Water Resources Inc. (GWRS) -15.4%
Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. (CWCO) 107%
Xylem Inc. (XYL) -11.8%
Invesco Water Resources ETF (PHO) 6.4%
First Trust Water ETF (FIW) 8.5%

American Water Works Co. Inc. (AWK)

As the largest listed water and wastewater utility, American Water Works provides those services to more than 14 million people, with regulated operations in 14 states and on 18 military installations.

In addition to providing services to residences, public buildings, and commercial and industrial businesses – regardless of what the economy is doing – the company’s long-term military contracts also provide stability.

With a market

Saudi-India Investment Forum builds on business impact of G20 summit

Saudi-India Investment Forum builds on business impact of G20 summit

Saudi-India Investment Forum builds on business impact of G20 summit
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shakes hand with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (AP)

There may have been criticisms of the G20’s joint declaration at the weekend, including from Ukraine and environmental nongovernmental organizations, but the summit surpassed many expectations and provided some key business takeaways.

This includes the eye-catching new India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor initiative, which Saudi Arabia and India are key to. There was also the historic incorporation of the 55 African Union emerging markets into the G20.

Moreover, the business impact continued post-summit, including with Monday’s Saudi Arabia-India investment forum. The Kingdom has emerged as a key partner of India, including in the energy sector, with Riyadh now the third-largest source of crude oil and petroleum products for India.

In October 2019, moreover, the two countries created a Strategic Partnership Council. This body has two pillars: a committee on economy and investments led by the Indian commerce minister and the Saudi energy minister, plus a political, security, social and cultural committee headed by the nations’ foreign ministers.

India is Saudi Arabia’s second-largest trading partner, whereas the Kingdom is India’s fourth-largest. Bilateral trade reached an all-time high of $52.75 billion in 2022-23.

At Monday’s investment forum, the two nations signed a comprehensive energy partnership deal at a time when India — the world’s third-largest oil importer — is looking to become a net exporter of renewable energy.

India has targeted achieving 5 million tons of green hydrogen capacity annually, along with an additional 125 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2030. India is also looking at having 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by the end of the decade.

The India-Saudi Arabia investment forum built on the business impact of the G20 summit at the weekend. Going into

Molson Coors expands investment in ZOA Energy

Food Entrepreneur CHICAGO — Molson Coors Beverage Co. has increased its minority stake in ZOA Energy, a beverage brand co-founded by actor and former professional wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The two companies initially partnered two years ago following the energy drink brand’s launch. Molson Coors will continue to be the exclusive distribution partner for ZOA Energy and will assume a presence on its board under the expanded agreement. ZOA plans to increase media and marketing to drive sales and broaden distribution to international markets. Currently, the brand is available at more than 42,000 retail locations and more than 160,000 points of distribution across the United States and Canada, according to the company.

ZOA Energy drinks contain caffeine from unroasted green coffee and green tea extract, plus vitamins, electrolytes, amino acids and camu camu extract. The formulations have zero added sugar and are sweetened with sucralose and acesulfame potassium.

“We founded ZOA Energy to deliver the best quality energy drink formulations to the marketplace,” Mr. Johnson said. “Through innovation and commitment, we’ve created a range of high-quality products that both fuel the daily lives of our customers and taste great. With Molson Coors, a trusted partner that shares our passion for beverages, we can further deliver on that promise to an even wider audience.”

Other co-founders of ZOA Energy are Dany Garcia, Dave Rienzi and John Shulman. ZOA had more than $100 million in sales in 2022. Over the past year, the brand has added new products and unveiled a redesigned can. Next year, ZOA Energy expects to double its marketing investment, with a focus on digital, out-of-home and paid social media channels.

Molson Coors, the brewer of Coors Light, Miller Life, Blue Moon Belgian White and others, four years ago began efforts to extend its portfolio

Lack of business investment leads to lower living standards

Canada’s low productivity rate due to a lack of business investment is leading to a fall in our living standards

Renaud BrossardThe Trudeau government has been crowing about how Canada has had “the strongest economic growth in the G7” coming out of the pandemic, which is true. But it neglected to mention that this growth was the result of Canada’s population getting bigger rather than richer. Per person income has stopped growing in this country.

The data on per capita GDP couldn’t be clearer. Adjusting for inflation, we currently have the same level of output per person as we had in 2018. Our neighbours to the south, meanwhile, have seen continued growth in recent years. Output per person in the U.S. is up by 5.4 percent since 2018.

The stagnation of Canadian output and income per person is the result of a long-standing problem: Canada’s productivity struggles to keep up with other advanced economies. What this means is that the value the average Canadian worker creates in an hour lags behind what workers in other G7 countries produce.

According to OECD data, each hour worked by a Canadian creates an average of US$53.30 of value, on a purchasing power parity basis (i.e., currencies are converted into U.S. dollars using a rate that considers variations in domestic prices between countries. This ensures that a U.S. dollar can purchase equivalent goods and services in Canada as it can in the U.S., rather than using the actual market exchange rate.)

Fifty bucks an hour might not seem so bad, but it places us next-to-last among G7 members, just ahead of Japan. The average productivity of G7 countries is US$63.90 per hour worked. As for our friends south of the border, they create US$72.10 of value per hour worked.

We can say that

6 Best Small-Cap Stocks to Buy in 2023 | Investing

An underappreciated edge individual investors possess? The agility to delve into small-cap stocks without influencing market dynamics – an impossible feat for the largest and brightest funds on Wall Street.

Traditional financial wisdom, however, champions mega-caps as the path to stock market returns.

A deeper dive reveals that small caps can match their mega-cap counterparts when it comes to stability. The small-cap universe has stocks of all criteria: growth, dividend, value, turnarounds – you name it.

Historically, small-cap stocks tend to outperform large-cap stocks. Scholars have labeled this phenomenon the “size-effect,” tracing its origins to more modest attention from the press, Wall Street analysts and large investment funds. This dynamic often results in a delayed or dulled market response to news or operational improvements for small-cap stocks, sometimes allowing individual investors to perform information arbitrage.

While the world of small-caps offers additional risk, the right investor can also achieve superior returns. For those keen to exploit the small-cap anomaly, these six stocks are worthy of your consideration. Whether you’re tapping into the hot artificial intelligence industry or looking to play a turnaround, this curated list caters to a diverse range of investment appetites:

Stock Sector Market cap YTD Gain (as of Sept. 7 close)
WW International Inc. (ticker: WW) Consumer cyclical $840 million 190.9%
Shutterstock Inc. (SSTK) Communication services $1.4 billion -22.5%
Intapp Inc. (INTA) Technology $2.4 billion 42.7%
International Seaways Inc. (INSW) Energy $2.1 billion 21.7%
Xponential Fitness Inc. (XPOF) Consumer cyclical $950 million -16.1%
Winnebago Industries Inc. (WGO) Consumer cyclical $1.9 billion 19.3%

WW International Inc. (WW)

Sector: Consumer cyclical
Market value: $840 million
YTD return: 190.9%

WW International, better known as WeightWatchers, is a poster story for digital disruption. With competitors releasing free apps like MyFitnessPal and easily accessible internet weight loss information, the company’s core business

Best Asset and Maintenance Management Software (CMMS) by Improsys



ANI |
Updated:
Sep 08, 2023 16:09 IST

PNN
New Delhi [India], September 8: In an era where efficiency and quality of work reign supreme, businesses worldwide are constantly seeking ways to streamline their operations and reduce downtime. Industries are continually searching for methods to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and maximize the lifespan of their assets in order to do business more effectively and efficiently. Maintenance management is a critical aspect of this pursuit, ensuring that equipment, facilities, and assets remain in optimal condition to achieve maximum OEE i.e., Overall Equipment Effectiveness. Improsys Technologies, (https://www.improsys.in) a leading innovator in software solutions, as they introduce their groundbreaking Fast Maintenance Management Software, set to transform the way organizations approach asset management and maintenance tasks.
Maintenance management has long been a complex and challenging endeavour. Traditional methods, such as paper-based systems or spreadsheets, often result in inefficiencies, lost time, and costly errors. Recognizing these pain points, Improsys has harnessed the power of cutting-edge technology to create a solution that promises to revolutionize maintenance management which can be operated by machine operators or supervisors on their mobile by using QR code scanning enabling instant alerts to maintenance engineers to act immediately to reduce downtime of assets.
Why do businesses need maintenance management software?
When it comes to embracing the benefits of a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS), businesses of all sizes have much to gain. However, for the organizations, the journey towards streamlining maintenance operations using a CMMS is often met with unique challenges. This is where Fast Maintenance Software takes the lead, designed with the specific needs of all kinds of businesses in mind.
1. User Friendly Interface – Easy transition from manual systems
Shifting from traditional manual maintenance tracking methods like paper and spreadsheets can be a daunting task for businesses. Fast