Tag: investment

Business of the Month: Modular builder continues evolution with investment division

Real estate investment is newest endeavour for Sudbury’s Morris Group of Companies

When David Morris considered partnering on the $31-million purchase of the Victoria Inn Hotel & Convention Centre earlier this year, it was a little outside his wheelhouse.

Over the last two decades, Morris has made his name designing, constructing and selling modular buildings — offices, mine drys, washrooms, housing — not operating legacy accommodations like the Victoria Inn.

Built in 1974, the Thunder Bay establishment has long been a gathering place for Indigenous conferences and conventions, and serves as a premier facility for weddings, business meetings and tourism stays. A block of rooms is also set aside for Indigenous clients arriving in the city for medical appointments.

Michipicoten First Nation and Naicatchewenin First Nations saw the acquisition as an investment opportunity for the two communities and, together, put up all the capital for the purchase.

Impressed by their progressive approach, Morris signed on to the transaction, which he called “the first deal of its kind.” Morris Group of Companies became a general partner and the managing partner of the property.

“It’s really, to me, forward-thinking of First Nations business where the communities can work in not just, say, their territory or with a particular project, but look to expand their horizons and investments into other areas,” Morris said.

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In making this assessment about his new partners, Morris could easily be speaking about himself.

Originally trained in dentistry, Morris ventured into entrepreneurship in the mid-2000s and has continued to build a diverse portfolio of businesses under the Morris Group.

He launched his first venture, Morris Modular, with a partner in 2005, to rent modular trailers to companies needing extra space for offices, washrooms, or other

Quebec investment company says battery industry will get another $15 billion in projects


The size of the investments promised in the battery industry could double again in the next few years to reach $30 billion, according to the head of Investissement Québec.


The projects announced in the battery sector represent total investments of nearly $11 billion. To this can be added nearly $4 billion in investments to be announced “shortly.”


“Another $15 billion is being discussed and will be announced over the next few years,” says Guy LeBlanc, President and CEO of Investissement Québec, in an interview prior to a speech he is due to give to the business community in Bécancour on Tuesday. “Essentially, these are phase two and phase three projects to increase the capacity of the plants already announced.”


LeBlanc considers that “the essential part” of Quebec’s battery ecosystem is now complete.


However, the government is planning to add “small missing pieces that we are working on.”


As an example, he spoke about the production of synthetic graphite, which would be added to the graphite production of Nouveau Monde Graphite.


With Quebec’s limited energy capacity, LeBlanc said the government will no longer be courting large cell manufacturers.


“Given the energy limitations at the moment, going out to find another cell manufacturer, for example, would be problematic,” he said.


The battery industry can do without the project by German giant BASF, which was announced in the spring of 2022 and was due to be completed in Bécancour in 2025, said LeBlanc. The project is in limbo while the company looks for partners in the automotive sector.


Even if it doesn’t materialize, BASF’s announcement has done useful work by putting the spotlight on Quebec, argued LeBlanc.


“It was really well received by the international community and by certain players who weren’t

Demand for sustainable buildings and tightening regulations drive business case for investment

JLL research analyzes three key factors owners and occupiers must consider in decision-making  

CHICAGO, Nov. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The current economic environment is creating challenges for investors and occupiers to make the case for investing in retrofitting and futureproofing their real estate. JLL’s new The Commercial Case for Making Buildings More Sustainable report outlines three key factors that should be prioritized in occupiers’ and owners’ decision-making to create a more resilient and sustainable built environment.

Rising demand for sustainable buildings
In many global markets, rising corporate demand for buildings with sustainability credentials will have an impact on office market dynamics. Across 20 major office markets, including New York, Paris and Singapore, only 34% of future demand for low-carbon workspace will be met in the next several years. In other words, for every 3 square meters of demand, only 1 square meter is in the current pipeline.

The way occupiers think of sustainable buildings is also changing. Historically, green certifications have been the primary mark of sustainable buildings and tenants have been willing to pay the price. Transaction evidence from 2023 shows healthy rental premiums are still being achieved for certified buildings across a range of global office markets – but the industry is shifting.

Tenants will increasingly seek environmental performance indicators, such as energy intensity and electrification, on top of green credentials. JLL is already seeing evidence of this in advanced European markets, like London and Paris, where low-carbon prime office spaces are reaching historic rental highs this year, even with an overall slowdown in the sector.

“Despite the current headwinds from today’s global economic environment, the business case for making investment into decarbonizing and resilience across real estate portfolios is getting even stronger,” says Guy Grainger, Global Head of Sustainability Services and ESG. “Taking

Mining boosts Australia business investment to 8-year high, outlook upbeat

Glencore's Mount Owen coal mine site in Ravensworth

Glencore’s Mount Owen coal mine is pictured in Ravensworth, Australia, June 21, 2022. Picture taken June 21, 2022. Picture taken with a drone. REUTERS/Loren Elliott Acquire Licensing Rights

SYDNEY, Nov 30 (Reuters) – Australian business investment rose to an eight-year high in the September quarter thanks to a rebound in mining, while plans for future spending were upgraded in a much-needed boost for economic growth.

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Thursday showed private capital spending rose a real 0.6% in the third quarter from the previous quarter, led by a 5.6% increase in the mining sector.

Total spending of A$39.9 billion ($26.43 billion) was the highest since late 2015 and almost 11% higher than a year earlier, encouraged in part by tax breaks on new equipment.

Firms also lifted spending plans for the fiscal year to June 2024 to A$171.2 billion, up 8.5% on the previous quarter and just pipping analyst forecasts for $169 billion.

“The information media and telecommunications industry had a particularly large rise based on planned investment in new data centres,” noted Robert Ewing, ABS head of business statistics.

“The mining industry also raised its spending on iron-ore projects and battery-related mineral developments.”

That follows data showing surprisingly strong construction work for the third quarter, which also contained big upward revisions that left spending up more than 12% for the year.

Much of those gains came from a government splurge on infrastructure, which has become so large the IMF recently recommended some projects should be delayed to prevent costs blowing out and adding to inflation.

Demand running ahead of supply has become a real challenge with the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) citing it as a major reason inflation is proving more stubborn than hoped.

The central bank responded by lifting interest rates to

UK Business Leaders Face Investment Challenges as Everyone Claims to Be an Expert

U.K. business leaders feel pressured to accelerate investments in generative artificial intelligence despite an abundance of potentially dud advice clouding decision-making, research from Ernst & Young suggests.

Meanwhile, a survey of 150 U.K. CEOs by KPMG finds that 71% see generative AI as a top investment priority, despite ongoing economic uncertainty and a lack of regulatory or ethical AI frameworks.

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How U.K. leaders are reacting to generative AI

EY quizzed 100 U.K. chief executives as part of its October 2023 CEO Outlook Pulse survey and found that 74% feel the need to act decisively on generative AI to stop their competitors from gaining the upper hand.

EY found that most U.K. business leaders are “taking tangible steps” to embed artificial intelligence into their organizations, whether by hiring talent with applicable AI skill sets (54%) or launching AI pilots and partnerships with other companies (42%).

SEE: Tech leaders identify AI, 5G, cybersecurity, big data and metaverse as top investments in EY survey.

Overall, 99% of U.K. CEOs have made or are planning to make “significant capital investments” in generative AI in the next 12 months, with 51% reallocating capital from other parts of the company to fund these investments (Figure A).

Figure A

Infographic showing more than half of UK CEOs are reallocating budgets to invest in AI initiatives.
More than half of UK CEOs are reallocating budgets to invest in AI initiatives. Image: EY

The struggle to separate hype from reality

However, businesses face challenges capitalizing on generative AI as they wait for the reality to catch up with the hype. EY found that 68% of business leaders in the U.K. say uncertainty around generative AI is creating challenges for adoption, with EY noting that “a surge in companies claiming AI expertise” is making it difficult for leaders to cut through the noise and implement AI strategies.

Business leaders acknowledge that the

Inventures brings millions in business investment to Calgary

NEWS RELEASE

CALGARY, ALBERTA, November 15, 2023 – Inventures, Alberta Innovates signature conference for technology, entrepreneurs, investors and industry decision makers, generated millions of dollars in economic impact and deal making for Calgary and Alberta innovators this year according to a new study measuring the event’s impact.

As Calgary’s technology ecosystem prepares to celebrate Innovation Week, Alberta Innovates is releasing the economic analysis and impact for Inventures which was held May 31-June 2 at the Telus Convention Centre. The economic analysis was performed by PwC Canada, commissioned by Alberta Innovates to measure the impact of this technology-focused investor conference on the province and Calgary.

Key highlights from the study show that Inventures drives business investment and improves the perception of Alberta’s innovation ecosystem.

Quick Facts: 

  • Roughly 4,000 people from 30 countries attended in 2023
  • $164-$256 million in business carried out, negotiated, or begun at the conference
  • $2.1 million in tourism impacts directly for the City of Calgary
  • $2.3 million in economic activity related to the event
  • Natural resources and talent cited as Alberta’s strengths as an investment destination

QUOTES

“Creating positive collisions between business leaders, investors, policymakers, and entrepreneurs is critical to growing a thriving tech space in Alberta. The Government of Alberta is proud to play a supportive role in Inventures. We’re already looking forward to 2024.”  

– Nate Glubish, Minister of Technology and Innovation 

Inventures is where deals are done, innovators connect, and ventures are born. It’s a powerhouse experience that opens doors to world leading tech entrepreneurs, investors, and industry players. Plus, it showcases unique cross-sectoral capabilities of Alberta’s innovation ecosystem. The PwC assessment shows the tangible impact delivered through Inventures and the momentum is growing for 2024.” 

Laura Kilcrease, CEO, Alberta

Tax Cuts, Business Investment and Debt Reduction

Main Takeaways from the 2023 UK Autumn Statement

  • Main national insurance rate to be cut by 2%, from 12% to 10% for 27 million people
  • Full expensing of capital investment for businesses made permanent. Business investment to improve by £20bn per year according to estimates
  • State pensions to rise by 8.5% from April 2024
  • Welfare benefits grow in line with the September’s CPI figure of 6.7% instead of the rumoured, lower October figure

Recommended by Richard Snow

Introduction to Forex News Trading

Tax Cuts, Debt Reduction and Massive Boost to UK Businesses

Last autumn, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt was brought in as damage limitation, now he has a tiny bit of wriggle room in his budget and has his sights set on growth. Now that inflation has been halved and stimulus/support packages have been phased out, the government has a minimal amount of headroom within the budget which many were anticipating would be utilized to ease the burden of taxes. They were right, well kind of.

The tax cuts weren’t applied to income tax but rather to the percentage of national income tax that will be applicable to 27 million people in the UK. This has now created an expectation that the prime minister’s calls for a drop in the basic tax rate will be the main event of the pre-general election budget in the spring.

Furthermore, businesses will be able to fully expense investment expenditure permanently. This is potentially going to attract around £20bn worth of investment per year. In addition, the UK government is committed to reducing the rate of government borrowing compared to the rate of economic growth – with OBR forecasts seeing debt as a percentage of GDP fall for the majority of the forecast period, approaching the low 90% level.

The OBR provided updates to its

Spain Alternative Lending Market Business and Investment Opportunities Databook 2023

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Spanish Alternative Lending Market

Spanish Alternative Lending Market

Spanish Alternative Lending Market

Dublin, Nov. 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The “Spain Alternative Lending Market Business and Investment Opportunities Databook – 75+ KPIs on Alternative Lending Market Size, By End User, By Finance Model, By Payment Instrument, By Loan Type and Demographics – Q2 2023 Update” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.

The alternative lending market in Spain is forecast to grow by 19.3% on an annual basis to reach US$ 2.47 billion in 2023.

Medium to long term growth story of alternative lending in Spain remains strong. Alternative lending adoption is expected to grow steadily over the forecast period, recording a CAGR of 11.0% during 2023-2027. The alternative lending market in Spain will increase from US$ 2.07 billion in 2022 to reach US$ 3.75 billion by 2027.

Embark on a detailed exploration of the alternative lending market with our latest report, dissecting key economic indicators to provide a holistic view of this dynamic landscape. Delve into the alternative lending market’s expansive horizons, from overall market size and forecasts to granular analyses of end-user segments, diverse finance models, and payment instrument intricacies.

This report helps in navigating the nuanced relationships between payment instruments and lending models, offering a detailed breakdown of transaction dynamics. Uncover the multifaceted nature of loans, from personalized B2C offerings like payroll advances to strategic B2B solutions like lines of credit. Complementing these insights, delve into consumer attitudes and behaviors, decoding the impact of age, income, and gender on financial choices.

This report provides a thorough knowledge of alternative lending market dynamics, market size and forecast with more than 75+ KPIs. KPIs in both value and volume terms help in getting an in-depth understanding of end market dynamics.

Report Highlights

  • Comprehensive Market Intelligence: This report offers a thorough scrutiny

Brexit has ‘chilled’ business investment, says Bank of England deputy governor | Bank of England

The outcome of the Brexit vote and years of political uncertainty it triggered has had a chilling impact on business investment in Britain, a deputy governor of the Bank of England has said.

Dave Ramsden, the Bank’s deputy governor for markets and banking, said the fallout from the 2016 referendum had “chilled” investment levels compared with other leading nations and contributed to a lower “speed limit” for the UK economy.

“It’s hard to conclude otherwise, that the decision to leave the EU – that may have had lots of goods reasons for it – but that it has chilled business investment,” he said.

Speaking to MPs on the Commons Treasury committee, his comments come as the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, prepares to use Wednesday’s autumn statement to focus on growing business investment in Britain.

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Hunt told company bosses at a conference held by the CBI lobby group on Monday that he planned to unveil “a whole range of measures designed to unlock business investment” as the cornerstone of his growth plans.

Britain has historically lagged behind other leading economies for growth in business investment, but has fallen further back in recent years after a period of political and economic instability amid the Brexit vote, Covid pandemic and repeated “flip-flopping” of government policy.

A key driver for economic growth, business investment was now only 6% higher in real terms than in the second quarter of 2016, when the Brexit referendum was held, Ramsden said. “That’s less than 1% a year. Over that time, US business investment has gone up by over 25%,” he said.

“You can see a break in the trend for UK business investment in 2016. It had been going up since the global financial crisis and then it flattened off from 2016 onwards.”

The Bank’s deputy governor said

Business groups welcome permanent UK tax break on capital investment

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The UK government’s decision to make permanent a big tax break for companies gives them the certainty to make productivity-boosting investments, said business groups welcoming the move in Wednesday’s Autumn Statement. 

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said the “full expensing” regime for capital investments by companies would be extended beyond the initial three-year period envisaged when he unveiled the measure in his March Budget. 

The change aims to boost the UK’s anaemic economic growth and productivity by encouraging businesses to invest in new plant and machinery. 

Hunt said it was “the largest business tax cut in modern British history” while the Office for Budget Responsibility forecast that making the policy permanent would increase business investment by about £3bn a year compared with the temporary measure.

The regime, expected to cost the exchequer about £10.9bn a year by 2028-29, allows companies to immediately deduct the full investment costs from their taxable profits rather than spreading them over multiple years. Companies can save up to 25p in tax for every £1 of capital investment. 

Extending full expensing was a key demand from several business groups ahead of the Autumn Statement, as well as companies including BT-owned Openreach, Siemens and Bosch. 

They had argued that companies often plan and make large investments over several years, meaning many businesses would not be able to include the temporary tax break when calculating whether to make investments.

The relief was introduced in spring partly to offset a rise in corporation tax from 19 to 25 per cent and the ending of the more generous pandemic era “super-deduction”, which had been introduced in 2021. 

Making the regime permanent “will be a boost to companies wanting to invest but who